Ch. 821..830
Chapter 821 The Ambush
“It looks like this is the end of us.” Zobber covered her bleeding belly and leaned against Withal, smiling painfully.
“Are you alright?” Withal glanced at her injured belly.
“Still alive.” Zobber nodded.
The enemy was much more powerful than they thought. They were trapped. Although Withal had made arrangements in advance, they still got ambushed. And they were outnumbered. The connection with Wantells was cut off. Without him, they were like two blind people.
Hearing the rapid footsteps ahead, Withal cursed, “A bunch of flies!”
“There are a lot of them.” Zobber listened to the footsteps carefully, trying to distinguish the enemy’s position.
Even at a critical moment like this, Withal was not scared. He should have been dead ten years ago. If it were not for Catherine, he would not be alive now. He stole ten years from death.
“Are you scared?” Withal fixed his eyes on Zobber, looking passionate.
“Am I ever scared?” Zobber sneered. She was not scared. Unlike Withal and Ronin, who had a miserable childhood, she was born into a wealthy family. But she was happy to join the Hacker Alliance and make so many friends.
They had been through so much together, supporting each other.
“Together!” Withal gave her one hand.
“Okay.” Zobber shook his hand, looking firm. “Let’s have some fun.”
They stood up firmly, ready to face their enemies. Since there was no way to escape, they decided to fight.
Although they had made up their mind, Zobber swallowed nervously when she saw so many enemies. “Whoever is behind the scenes thinks high of us.”
Withal laughed. “I’m glad he did not underestimate us. Let’s go.”
They decided to die. They would rather die than be captured.
The warehouse was locked. With so many people surrounding them, it would be impossible for them to escape. They had to fight.
“Ahh….” Zobber roared, ready to run to their enemies.
Crash! Suddenly, a loud sound came. The door of the warehouse was crashed open from outside. Intense light instantly shined into the dark warehouse, making the originally pitch -black warehouse feel like daylight in an instant.
The commotion shocked everyone inside. In an instant, everyone forgot their movements and instinctively looked towards the door.
Zobber and Withal stood back to back. Their eyes fixed on the door, but their hands did not relax at all. They did not know if they were friends or enemies, and if they relaxed at this time, it was like handing a knife to the enemy.
Several Jeeps drove into the warehouse fast and stopped at the center. All the car doors opened at the next second. Dozens of men in black got out of the car, each well-trained.
The car lights were too bright, and Zobber could not see who was coming for a moment. She only felt a figure gradually approaching them and instinctively put on a gesture of attack. As soon as the man was close, she would immediately launch an attack.
“I came to rescue you. This is what I get for repayment? Bad girl.” The familiar voice made Zobber stop moving.
“Paxton?”
Paxton took off his hat and stood in front of Zobber, smiling. “Yeah. At least you recognize my voice.”
Knowing that the person coming was Paxton, Zobber immediately became excited. If it were not for her injury, she would have rushed forward and picked up Paxton now.
“Why did you come?” asked Zobber.
“Miss Swann asked me to come. Are you okay?” Paxton saw that Zobber was covered in blood, but he was not sure if this blood belonged to Zobber or enemies.
Knowing that it was Catherine who brought him here, Zobber was deeply moved.
“I’m fine. Let’s kick some asses now. They dared lay their hands on me,” said Zobber.
“Okay,” answered Paxton.
Withal felt bitter inside, but he did not show it. “I’ll leave them to you guys. I’m too tired.”
Paxton noticed the wound on his arm, which was still bleeding. He immediately nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll handle this. You have a rest.”
Zobber wanted to join the battle but was stopped by Paxton. She was somewhat dissatisfied and glared at Paxton, “Looking down on women?”
“How dare I?” Paxtonquickly explained, “You have been tired, too. Leave the rest to me. I promise to beat the shit out of them!”
Zobers was tired. They had been fighting for so long just now, and she was also injured. She always wanted to be tough and never let anyone act on her behalf.
Upon hearing what Paxton said, Zobber was calmed and obediently sat beside Withal. Withal was surprised. He had a deep friendship with Zobber for many years and naturally knew her straightforwardness. Once she decided on something, there was no way to change her mind easily. Paxton changed her mind in just a few words. It was impressive. It seemed that he underestimated Paxton’s understanding of Zobber.
The enemies were strong. But Paxton’s people were also well-trained. After the fierce battle, it ended in a disastrous defeat for the enemies.
After the fight, Paxton called Branden for further instruction on the captured enemies.
“Give them to the police,” said Branden.
Paxton was stunned for a moment, not expecting Branden to give such an order. “For what?”
“Illegal entry.”
The enemy illegally transferred these people to Loxton from abroad to prevent them from being tracked. It would be easy to get them arrested. ” Okay. I’m on it.”
Paxton hung up and sneered at the enemies lying on the ground. They were lucky that Branden had turned soft after he met Catherine. They would have been dead if it was before.
Sending them to the police now was not only to punish them through legal means but also to save their lives. After all, if they went back, the only thing waiting for them was death. The enemy was not as kind as they were. They killed useless people.
After settling down everything, Paxton walked up to Zobber and Withal. Looking at the two of them leaning against each other and resting, he joked, “How about arranging an ambulance to deliver a stretcher for you?”
Zobber gave him a disdainful glance and said, “I’m fine. Don’t talk nonsense.” With that, she stood up.
Paxton quickly drove the car to her side so she did not have to walk so long. Withal sat on the side, watching the scene before him, his eyes gradually fading.
Chapter 822 Secret Investigations
Branden hung up the phone and walked out of the study. He saw Catherine walking out of the bathroom. He stepped forward quickly and dragged her down on the sofa, gently rubbing her hair with the towel he prepared earlier.
“Do you want me to dry your hair now? “asked Branden.
“Yeah.” Catherine nodded. Branden soaked the water out of her hair with a soft towel and blew her hair with a hairdryer.
“Was it Paxton on the phone?” Catherine heard him talking on the phone when she was out of the bathroom. She knew Paxton called for further instructions.
“Yeah.” Branden did not hide from her. Knowing she cared about Zobber and Withal, he also told her their situation. “Paxton had sent them to Connie’s. They seem to be slightly injured.”
Injuries were common to them. So, Catherine did not worry about that. More importantly, they had been rescued and sent to Connie’s. Connie was professional. She could cure them easily.
Catherine glanced at the clock on the wall and said, “Let’s go over Connie’s when my hair is done.’
“Okay.” Branden could not help but feel a little excited when Catherine proactively mentioned it to him and invited him to go with her. She was cold to him a few days ago and only became normal these days.
Carefully blowing her hair dry, Branden went out with Catherine. Seeing the coat in his hand, she could not help but frown. “I’m not cold.”
“Later you will be. It’s cold and windy outside,” said Branden.
They drove straight from the underground parking lot to the underground parking lot of Connie’s apartment building. There would be no chance of feeling the wind outside with her staying in the car all the way. But she did not say anymore because she knew he would not change his mind easily. He could take the coat as he wished, as long as she was not the one to carry it.
Branden drove the car. It took them a few minutes to get to Connie’s. After knocking on the door, Catherine was surprised Paxton opened the door.
Paxton explained quickly, “Connie is binding them up.”
“Okay.” Catherine followed Branden into the house. Connie had a big house with a dedicated medical room on one floor. Withal and Zobber were now lying on the beds in the medical room, waiting for Connie to treat their wounds one by one.
Withal’s injury was more severe, with some injuries to his legs in addition to a large incision in his arm. Zobber’s injury was slightly lighter, but it was on her belly.
Seeing Catherine, Zobber got excited. ” Catherine, thank you! If it were not for you, I would have died this time.”
Standing aside, Paxton was speechless. He thought, ‘Thank Miss Swann? For real? I’m the one who arrived on time with enough people and rescued them. Without me, they would not be lying here.’
Zobber glanced at Paxton and sensed his dissatisfaction. She said disdainfully, “That’s right. I’m thanking Catherine, without whose order you would not have come to rescue me.”
Paxton could not argue with that. So he kept quiet.
“Don’t move!” Connie slapped Zobber’s arm to make her stay still. Connie was mad when she saw the blood oozing out. “Zobber, will you please stay calm every time you see Catherine? I just took care of your wound, and it’s broken now. I might as well stab you to death. It’ll save me some time.”
Zobber dared not move anymore. She knew what Connie was like. She appeared to be a sweet, harmless girl outside but skilled at using knives. Scalpels, though, but equally horrible.
When they were training together, there were some bloody scenes. Even Catherine felt nauseous after watching them, and Zobber vomited ceaselessly. Only Connie was expressionless. The bloodier, the more excited she was.
Zobber was worried Connie might do what she said, so she did not move anymore. But Connie still thought Catherine would affect Zobber. ”
Catherine, why don’t you wait outside? They’ll be good in a minute.”
“Okay.” Catherine and Branden walked out of the medical room, and so did Paxton.
When the two of them were seated, Paxton hurriedly reported the situation to them. “Miss Swann, we searched several suspicious places, but there was still no trace of Ronin.” He felt frustrated when he said this. Loxton was their place, but they were tricked like a monkey in the circus by the foreign force. These people had kidnapped Ronin here for so long, and they could not find any clues yet. This was humiliating.
He thought Catherine would be mad because everybody knew how close she was with Ronin. Unexpectedly, she only said, “Okay.”
Connie was fast. Zobber came out very soon. Catherine supported her and said, “Let me help you back to your room.”
The two girls went into the room. Branden did not say anything.
After the door closed behind them, Zobber’s gaze fell on Catherine. ” Catherine, do you have something to say?” Zobber speculated that Catherine was in a hurry to help her into the room because Catherine had a secret matter to discuss with her.
“Don’t tell anyone about what I had you investigated,” said Catherine.
“No problem.” Zobber would not say anything without Catherine saying. Catherine asked her to investigate privately. It must be top secret. There was no way she would tell anyone.
Zobber was the only one who knew about this investigation. She looked at Catherine worriedly. “Catherine, is there anything wrong with Mr. Duncan? “Her tone was full of uncertainty. Branden treated Catherine like so well. She could not believe he would betray Catherine.
But who knew? Nothing was for sure.
Catherine looked calm and emotionless. “I’ll handle it. Don’t worry.”
“Fine.” There was not much Zobber could do. After all, it was between Catherine and Branden. Besides, Catherine was powerful. She would be fine.
“Take good care of yourself. You’ve done well this time. I’ll take it from here,” said Catherine. Zobber and Withal found the enemy’s new basement and took them by surprise. Many files in the basement had not been transferred yet. Paxton packed the files up and brought them back, hoping to find valuable information.
Paxton was reporting to Branden secretly outside the room. “Mr. Duncan, we found this. Check.”
Branden took the document from Paxton. After flipping through it, his expression instantly became solemn.
The enemies were able to get this document. It seemed he underestimated their abilities.
“Did Catherine know about this?” he asked.
Paxton shook his head. “I haven’t told her yet. Zobber did not know, either.”
Branden’s face darkened. He said in a low voice, “Don’t tell her before you find out the truth.”
“Yes, Mr. Duncan.”
Chapter 823 The Plan Failed
“What did you say?” the masked man raised his voice. He hurriedly walked out of the room with his phone, leaving Ronin in the room.
Looking at him leaving from behind, Ronin had a faint smile. A few minutes later, the masked man was back in the room. One of his phones was left there and remained untouched when he was back. “Why didn’t you call for help?” The masked man looked at Ronin in confusion.
Although he was masked, Ronin could feel his rage. It seemed they had been through quite a crisis.
Ronin looked up and down at him with interest and casually said, “The room is under surveillance from every angle. Even if I pick up the phone, do you think I have a chance to dial? Or do you think of me as a fool?”
This room might seem ordinary, but it had many hidden mechanisms and cameras. Ronin’s every move in the room was under surveillance.
Hearing his words, the masked man said coldly, “You better bear that in mind. It’ll keep you alive.”
Ronin sneered disdainfully. When the masked man was about to leave, he stopped him. “Now that we know each other, why don’t you tell me your name? I can’t always call you the masked man.”
The masked man remained silent for a moment and gave a name when Ronin thought he would not tell him. “Flash.”
“What?” Ronin was absent-minded. He did not quite catch him.
Flash left without explanation.
After he left, Ronin whispered. “Flash, good name. Too bad he’s a fool.”
Flash contacted his superior, the man in the black robe after he walked out of the room. “Sir, things went wrong in the basement. We thought Catherine would come and set a trap for her. But she did not come. Branden’s people came. They were much stronger than we thought. Our people were all captured.”
Flash knelt on the ground, his arms trembling with fear.
He did not expect his well-designed trap to fail. They spent a lot of time and effort on it. But they did not capture Catherine, and Zobber and Withal ran away. Their people were captured.
The man’s face darkened, his rage uncovered. “Useless!”
He knew Catherine might not come. Her experiment had come to a critical point, which gave her no time for anything else. Only she and Marshall were able to carry out this experiment. Marshall was not as talented and capable as her in developing and breaking through, but he could help stabilize the foundation.
They were in close cooperation. She could not give up on the experiment and Marshall to save Zobber and Withal.
His target was not Catherine from the beginning. He aimed at Zobber and Withal, two of Catherine’s best assistants.
With them and Ronin, he had enough stakes. He would trade the three assistants with Catherine for a successful experiment. He trusted Catherine to make the right choice.
He did not expect Branden to ruin his plan. “Bloody Branden.”
His curse made Flash lower his head even more.
“What about those captured people? Have you dealt with them?” Those people were his elites. He did not expect them to be taken down by Branden so quickly. Now, he wanted these people to shut up before they said anything against him.
Hearing his question, Flash answered with a guilty conscience. “Sir, We haven’t got the chance to eliminate them yet.”
“What?” The man in the black robe roared angrily.
His rage made Flash collapse. To save his life, Flash eagerly explained. “Sir, Branden gave all those people to the police. We can’t walk into the police station and kill them. Not in Eskana.”
“Branden Duncan!” The man in the black shouted his name and gritted his teeth.
He did not expect Branden to save their lives by handing them to the police.
Unlike other countries, Eskana had a well-developed legal system, which could not be controlled with capital. Any provocation against the rule of law would be severely punished.
Powerful as they were, they did not want to challenge the legal system of Eskana.
The man in the black tried every effort to suppress his anger.
He said, “Do whatever you can to shut them up. Or the next time, I’ll be talking to your dead body.”
“Yes, sir!” Flash dared not hesitate.
He knew the man in the black robe spared his life because he was still useful. Or else he would not be alive now.
“Get out of my face,” said the man in the black robe.
Flash left quickly.
After visiting Zobber and Withal, Catherine and Branden returned to their apartment.
“Have a rest.” Branden poured a glass of water for Catherine.
Catherine sat on the sofa and asked, ” Zobber said they found some documents. Does Paxton have them?”
Branden’s hand paused when he heard Catherine’s words. But he realized what she meant quickly and went back to normal. “Yeah. I’ll have Paxton email you a copy.”
“Get my laptop.” Catherine wanted to read those files as soon as possible.
Branden frowned. “It’s too late, and you have to get up early in the morning. How about reading them tomorrow?”
Catherine’s physical strength was good, and her continuous high- intensity work had not caused any fatigue on her face.
But Branden did not want her to overwork. She was human, not a machine. She needed to rest. It was late at night, and she had to get up early. She would break down if this continued.
Seeing her hesitation, Branden said patiently, “You have to listen to me this time.”
“Fine.” Catherine gave in to him.
“That’s more like it.” Branden reached out and gently felt her hair.
Chapter 824 In the Lab
It was late at night. It was so quiet in the room that even the breathing could be heard.
Branden sat up against the bedhead with Catherine sleeping beside him. The continuous high-intensity work in recent days had made Catherine sleep deeper.
After Catherine fell asleep, Branden opened his eyes and carefully scrutinized her sleeping face through the moonlight shining through the window. Only when Catherine was by his side could he gradually calm his restless heart.
Some bloody scenes came to his mind. Her young body had no fear when facing the powerful enemy. Her toughness made his heartache. Her wolf -like, bloodthirsty eyes were shocking to him.
But the past could not be reversed, and he would always be by her side in the future. He had been preparing for several months. Things were almost settled down in Casier. And what happened in Loxton would come to an end quickly. He would create a comfortable environment that would relieve Catherine of any worries.
Catherine woke up in the sunshine. A good night’s sleep gave her energy. She instinctively reached out beside her. That part of the bed was cold already. It seemed he had been up for a while. She lifted the quilt and got up.
After washing up, she walked out of the bedroom. A smell of food came from the living room. When they were together, Branden always cooked for her. He knew she did not like strangers.
Branden walked out of the kitchen carrying breakfast and gazed into Catherine’s adorable, sleepy eyes. Catherine, who had just got up, was not as sharp as usual. The languor in her naturally made her beautiful.
“You are early. Do you have enough sleep?” asked Branden.
Maybe it was the energy she got from her sleep. She was in a good mood, generously showing her smile. “I had the best sleep. Thanks for your advice.”
Branden was happy to see her happy. That’s nice. Come have your breakfast.”
Catherine sat by the table. There was not much to eat, but they were all her favorite foods, all made by Branden. ” Not bad!” Catherine raised her eyebrow at Branden, showing her praises.
Branden was proud. “Of course. After all, I’m your boyfriend.”
Catherine was stunned for a moment and thought, ‘Is he ever shy?’
When Catherine started to eat, Branden gave her the iPad. “The documents are in it. You can check on them now.”
Catherine did not expect Branden to prepare this for her. She was surprised. The smile was back on her face again. Thanks.”
Branden only did this because he knew Catherine too well. When she got to the lab, she would be busy with experiments. But since she had decided to read the documents, she would read them no matter what. Then, she would read them at lunchtime. He might as well arrange everything. She could read the documents during breakfast and have a nice lunch.
Branden drove into the university and parked down the laboratory building so that Catherine did not have to walk so long.
“End early in the evening and call me to pick you up,” said Branden.
“Okay.” Catherine waved goodbye to Branden and walked to the lab.
She saw Marshall in the lab.
“Morning. Did Mr. Duncan drive you here?” Marshall had come early to the lab for a few days and stayed longer than Catherine.
Catherine did not deny it. She pursed her lips and smiled.
“I suppose you had breakfast already. I don’t have to share mine with you.” Marshall showed his food box to her.
Catherine knew what he meant. She smiled and said, “You can have it all by yourself. I’ve had breakfast.”
Marshall could not stop smiling. He pretended to be calm and said, “My wife has been making breakfast for me these days. She thinks I work too hard in the lab.” His pride was written on his face.
“You go to the lab first. I’ll be there after I finish my breakfast,” said Marshall.
“Okay.” Catherine went to the lab, and Marshall did not come until he finished his breakfast in his office.
“Catherine, have you saved all the experiment data? Try not to store the data in one place. Many people have their eyes on this experiment,” asked Marshall. Ever since the last leak, he felt a sword hanging above his head, ready to end his life any minute.
The last leak was solved perfectly because the experiment was not that important. This time was different. Once the experiment was carried out, the world would be stunned. He had to be careful.
“Don’t worry, Professor Hartley. I set up a layer of encryption myself and also asked Professor Warner from the Computer Science Department to help me encrypt a layer of firewall,” answered Catherine.
Winston from the Computer Science Department was Ronin’s mentor, an authority in the domestic computer field, and a friend of Marshall.
Marshall nodded after hearing what she said. He knew his old friend very well. “That’s more like it. Winston sucks at chess. But he does know how to play the computer. I trust him.”
Catherine could not help but joke. ” Does he know he sucks at chess?”
Marshall said, “It’s a simple fact. If he denies it, I will let everyone in the building know how bad he is at chess.” Then he whispered to Catherine, “I’m much better than Winston in chess.”
Catherine was amused by him. The serious vibe in the laboratory seemed to ease a lot due to Marshall. “So you must be the best chess player in the university.”
Marshall pretended to be mad and threatened. “Catherine, feel free to mock me. I’ll get back to you when the experiment is done.”
Catherine knew he was only joking and did not mind.
After playing, they should get to business. Next Friday was the certification day, chosen by Catherine.
The urgency of time could stimulate her motivation without reducing her effectiveness. The success of the experiment would be determined next week.
Chapter 825 Recognized Beauty
“Is what you’re saying true?” Shane was a bit incredulous when he heard the news from his assistant. He didn’t expect Catherine to actually succeed, let alone in such a short time.
The assistant nodded affirmatively. Yes, Mr. Edson. The news is reliable, and we also know that Catherine will send the report paper on her experimental results to the authority for certification next Friday.”
“Next Friday?” Shane’s eyes were filled with incredible suspicion.
“Yes. Catherine’s experiment has reached its final stage. If it goes well, it can be sent for certification in time for next Friday.”
Although this might sound unbelievable, it was already the result of the assistant’s repeated verification.
They were truly shocked by Catherine’s ability. They knew Catherine was very efficient, but they didn’t expect her to be so efficient.
After Shane knew all of this, he was more than a little shocked inside.
He underestimated Catherine, the genius he had nurtured firsthand.
It seemed that Catherine’s talent far exceeded his perceptions, or rather she had had some reservations with him from the beginning.
It wasn’t entirely out of the question that Catherine was so smart that she could do this.
“Can there be a way to get the experiment information?” Shane knew that stealing the results of the experiment outright wasn’t possible.
He wanted to get the experiment information and some core stuff. The team members he had were all top-notch talents from around the world.
Although they couldn’t complete the experiment, it was possible for them to produce a paper based on the information and obtain certification from authoritative institutions through his operation.
After they obtained certification, Catherine would have to come to negotiate with him in person. At that time, it wouldn’t be Catherine who had the final say.
He believed that with Catherine’s intelligence, she would be able to tell which one was more important.
What she cared about was the experiment. There was no way she would give up the experiment for the sake of immediate benefits and choose to start all over again in another direction.
Shane was different. What he cared about was profit.
If the results of this experiment fell into Shane’s hands, with this lucrative experiment, the Breens would thrive forever.
The assistant looked embarrassed after hearing Shane’s order. “Mr. Edson, this might be difficult!”
Shane, however, said without much concern, “Oh, we have never been afraid of difficulties. If there were no difficulties, would you be needed? Remember, I don’t keep lame ducks!”
The assistant nodded silently. “Mr. Edson, please don’t worry. I will go and arrange it now.”
After the assistant left, Shane took out his cell phone from his pocket and dialed a mysterious number. “I don’t think it’s necessary to continue our cooperation. You didn’t even tell me that Catherine will be sending the experimental paper for certification next Friday.”
Shane’s deep voice was filled with anger, but he tried his best to suppress it.
Then, someone’s cold voice came from the receiver. “Mr. Shane, I believe the people under your command will report this little matter to you. And what I need to do for you is an important event. Do you think I’m right?”
Shane didn’t want to negotiate with the other party and made a direct request. ” I need the information in Catherine’s lab, or…”
Without waiting for Shane to finish, the other party agreed readily. “Okay!”
With that, the call ended. Shane held his phone, with a proud expression in his old eyes.
The two talents he had raised were both the most ferocious characters.
But no matter how powerful these two people were, the victory would always go to him, who stood on the hill with a hunting rifle in hand watching.
Amelia cautiously walked through the door. Just as she hesitated to knock, Catherine reacted and looked toward her. “What can I do for you?”
Amelia’s eyes widened in shock. “Super Catherine, do I have loud footsteps? How did you know I was coming?”
She didn’t believe in coincidences. Catherine’s gaze clearly told Amelia that she knew her appearance.
“Your footsteps weren’t loud. It’s just that I have sharp ears,” Catherine said blandly.
Even though her tone was extremely flat, it still shocked Amelia a bit.
Amelia inwardly exclaimed, “Geniuses not only have smart brains, but even their sensory organs are sharper than ordinary people.”
In front of Catherine, Amelia seemed like a muggle who came to the world to make up the numbers.
Amelia smiled bitterly and brought the food boxes in her hand to Catherine. ” They’re from Mr. Duncan’s assistant. He said that you should not forget to eat your lunch.”
Catherine glanced at the time. It was lunchtime in the blink of an eye. Branden was quite punctual.
Knowing that Catherine might forget her lunch, Branden simply asked Amelia to deliver it.
Looking at the large food boxes, Catherine guessed that there should be quite a lot of food inside, so she took the initiative to ask Amelia to eat with her together. “Have some with me together?”
Amelia knew that Catherine was genuinely inviting her to lunch, so she readily agreed. “Sure. It’s from Mr. Duncan. It must be delicious. It’s a rare occasion, so I’ll make myself at home.”
As soon as the food boxes were opened, Amelia was amazed to see that it was filled with exquisite dishes. “This is too sumptuous!”
Originally, she just wanted to have a bite to try it out, but she didn’t expect to be amazed by the food inside.
And she could see that the food was plentiful, Catherine couldn’t finish it alone, so she started eating with peace of mind.
Looking at Amelia’s enjoyable appearance, Catherine’s mood for eating also changed for the better. She felt that the food was also quite a bit more palatable.
The food was completely enough for two people. Perhaps Branden had arranged Amelia’s portion in advance so that Catherine would not be too lonely if she had someone to dine with.
Thinking of Branden’s thoughtfulness, a smile involuntarily appeared on Catherine’s face.
Catherine, who usually had a cold face that could almost be described as expressionless, suddenly smiled. Amelia was stunned directly.
Amelia praised her. “Gosh, Super Catherine, you look so beautiful when you smile. You’re even more beautiful than a fairy in a fairy tale!”
Catherine was a recognized beauty. There was no doubt about it.
Although she didn’t participate in the school’s beauty contest, compared to the school beauty queen elected by the highest number of votes in the school, everyone still thought that Catherine, the invisible school beauty queen, was the most deserving.
Looking at Amelia’s exaggerated movements and expressions, Catherine couldn’t help but interrupt her. “Be serious. Don’t be so exaggerated.”
Regarding this point, Amelia, who had always obeyed Catherine, immediately disapproved. “I’m not exaggerating. I’m telling the truth. You’re really beautiful. No wonder there are so many outstanding boys chasing after you. Mr. Melton, who recently threatened the status of the most handsome boy in our school and caused a stir in the school, is still standing downstairs right now.”
“He’s here again?” Catherine frowned slightly.
Amelia nodded. “Yeah. I ran into him when I came in just now. He asked me if you were in the lab. But I told him that I couldn’t help him because I couldn’t get into your lab. Is it okay for me to say that?” Amelia inquired carefully.
She could see that Catherine had no other thoughts about Rylan.
Catherine’s reaction when Amelia mentioned Rylan was completely different than when Branden was mentioned. When Branden was mentioned, there was a light inside Catherine’s eyes, whereas when Rylan was mentioned, her eyebrows involuntarily furrowed.
Although Amelia wasn’t as smart as them, she could observe all these subtleties.
“It’s okay.” Catherine responded easily, “Just tell him the truth if you find it difficult in the future. Don’t worry about me. I’m fine with that.”
Although Amelia didn’t know why Catherine had instructed her to do so, she was sure that Catherine must have had her reasons for that.
Amelia thought to herself, “Since Catherine has made it possible for me to tell Rylan the truth, there is no need for me to lie to him.”
Every time Amelia needed to dodge Rylan’s gaze and lie, she felt exhausted as if she had experienced severe torture. Now it was great, she didn’t have to have that kind of experience anymore.
Chapter 826 Terrible Dream
The sickening smell of blood was everywhere in the dim and humid environment.
The flat floor was sticky with liquid, but the liquid wasn’t water. It was fresh blood. The floor was always wet as the blood would be covered with new blood before it dried and solidified.
“Kill him and victory is yours!” A group of children heard a cold voice, which was like a devil’s call.
Hearing the order, the group of children immediately swarmed. They were all little children, but there were no innocent looks on their faces that children of the same age should have.
Their eyes were like those of a bloodthirsty wolf. They looked like they were ready to annihilate the enemy at any time.
“Kill as soon as possible. If you want to survive, kill the others. If you want to be free, hold on until the end.” The devil’s voice sounded again, forcing those children to kill each other.
The only way for this group of kids to survive was to kill the others and hold on until the end. Only the one who won in the end would have freedom as a reward.
They killed each other. Blood covered their faces, but they didn’t have any fear.
Because they only had one belief in their hearts, that was to win!
Looking at the children killing each other, the man standing at the top had a pleased smile on his face.
He liked this bloody scene. What he wanted was this bloody scene.
The killing gradually came to an end, and the physically exhausted children fell down one by one.
Out of all those kids, only three ended up standing there, two boys and one girl.
Both boys were tall, but no one dared to underestimate the ability of this skinny girl.
The two boys exchanged a glance and their eyes instantly became firm. They had already reached an agreement to join forces and defeat the girl together before putting up a fight.
The girl sensed their intentions. She was not afraid, and her murderous gaze carried a ferocity that she shouldn’t carry at her age.
When the two boys joined forces, she reacted quickly. She was too strong and even if those two boys joined forces, they couldn’t knock her down instantly.
Both boys made a desperate move, determined to kill the girl. But they still underestimated the girl. A kick from the girl sent both of them to the floor and they couldn’t get up. The girl quickly reacted by placing her knee against the neck of one of the boys.
She had enough strength. As long as she exerted force, that boy could be killed by her in an instant.
That boy had terror in his eyes. He looked at the girl with tears streaming down his face and cried out, “Please, I admit defeat. Please let me go. I don’t want to die. Please…”
The boy’s agonizing pleas caused the killing intent in the girl’s eyes to gradually fade away. She slowly let go of the boy and stood up.
The moment she turned her back, the boy on the floor stopped pleading and a sinister smile emerged on his face.
He pulled out the dagger hidden inside his short boots quickly and used it to stab the girl directly.
“Watch out!” The skinny figure that had originally fallen to the floor suddenly pounced up quickly, pushing the girl away and taking the fatal stab for her.
The girl reacted. Looking at her friend covered in blood, she could no longer conceal her inner anger.
Her kindness had almost gotten her friend killed, and she showed no more mercy. She went straight to kill the boy who wanted to kill her.
She picked up the skinny figure that fell on the floor. As she watched the continuous gushing of blood, her heart gradually froze and her arms trembled unconsciously.
This was the first time she had the feeling of fear. She could only tremble and shout, “No. You must not die…”
Catherine suddenly opened her eyes and sat up abruptly, her face full of tense emotions, and her forehead covered in cold sweat.
It was a dream!
She had just had another nightmare. This nightmare had tormented her for many years and then disappeared, but recently it appeared again.
She was dreaming again about all the painful memories she once had.
Catherine got out of bed and poured herself a glass of cold water to calm down.
She’d been having these dreams more and more often lately. She could not even take a nap now without dreaming of that former nightmare again. It was as if the danger had returned.
After drinking a glass of cold water, Catherine’s mood gradually returned to its normal state. She became the cold Catherine again.
“Buzz…” The ringing of the phone interrupted Catherine’s thoughts.
She pressed the connect button and put the phone to her ear.
“Catherine, see you at the usual place!” Zobber’s low voice came from the receiver.
“Okay,” Catherine answered simply and hung up.
The cold sweat that covered her body made her feel a little sticky.
She got up and took a shower, changing into a loose outfit she didn’t usually wear. Then she casually took a flat cap and lowered the brim until it covered her entire face.
Coming out of the back door of the lab, Catherine evaded the surveillance skillfully and arrived at an abandoned teaching building behind the school.
Because it was a dangerous building, it had been out of commission for several years. Aside from a few feral cats, it was rare to see any living animals there.
Catherine made her way through the dilapidated staircase to a location on the basement floor. There was a Harley – Davidson motorcycle parked there, which was her designated vehicle.
She handsomely got on the motorcycle and started it, the sound of the engine instantly resonating throughout the ruined building.
Without hesitation, she simply released the brakes and the motorcycle immediately sped off.
Half an hour later, Catherine appeared underneath an internet cafe. The noisy internet cafe was filled with the clamor of game enthusiasts.
Catherine asked the staff to turn on a computer for her and walked to her seat.
Just as she sat down, she heard a middle
-aged man beside her slowly say, ” Catherine, how do you think I look in this disguise?”
Catherine curled her lips. She chuckled lightly and gave a review. “Not bad!”
This middle-aged man was Zobber in disguise. Hearing Catherine’s critique, she was a bit happy, but she didn’t dare to act too ostentatiously.
If she was too ostentatious and attracted attention, then her efforts of disguising herself for so long would be in vain. “Catherine, I’ll send the information to you. You can read it first.
“Okay,” Catherine answered.
Not long after, Catherine received the information that Zobber sent to her.
She checked it and looked at it for a few moments, then deleted it.
Zobber stood aside and communicated with Catherine with her headset. She reported the latest situation in a whisper. “Catherine, I just found out all this information. I didn’t realize Mr. Duncan was hiding so many forces behind him. Do you know all of this?”
After waiting for a while without getting a response, Zobber turned back.
Seeing Catherine’s cold face and scary gaze, Zobber was shocked to find that she had said the wrong thing and silently shut up. She felt like she had caused trouble.
She stuck out her tongue mischievously. She dared not to make a sound and silently huddled aside, waiting for Catherine’s reaction.
Chapter 827 He Only Wants Money
Catherine’s mind was now full of the information she had just checked. She knew Branden was hiding some forces, but she had never arranged for anyone to check it out.
When she once hid her multiple identities from Branden, Branden hadn’t arranged for anyone to check it out either.
But she didn’t realize Branden actually had so many forces. It turned out she and Branden had even stood opposite before.
Zobber found out another important piece of information. Just as she was struggling with whether or not to report it to Catherine, Catherine had taken the initiative to ask, “What else did you find out?”
Catherine’s expression made Zobber speak cautiously. “Catherine, I suspect that Mr. Duncan has reconciled with the Breens and that they have a new collaboration.”
Some time ago, the Breens went crazy against the Duncan Corporation.
The two consortiums had fought several times in Casier and Loxton, and the entire business world knew that the two consortiums had fallen out.
The foreign powerful consortium competed against the local consortium, and no one gained an advantage.
The fact that the consortiums, which were originally going to fight fiercely, were now working together sounded very puzzling. But nothing was impossible in the business world.
In a world that only cared about profits, any enemy could become the next object of cooperation. Zobber handed Catherine the evidence she had found out.
If it weren’t for these pieces of evidence in front of Zobber, which showed that many subsidiaries of the Duncan Corporation had already reached cooperation agreements with the Breens’ branch in Eskana, Zobber wouldn’t have believed this to be true.
After all, she couldn’t believe that Branden didn’t know how bad Catherine’s relationship with the Breens was.
“Catherine, maybe there’s some kind of misunderstanding here. Why don’t you arrange for Wantel to check it out again?” Zobber said with some concern.
She didn’t want this incident to affect Catherine’s feelings toward Branden.
She used to think that no man in this world could match the excellent Catherine, a woman who was like a perfect person.
Branden’s presence gave Zobber hope. He and Catherine were equal in strength. They were simply a perfect match.
Most importantly, Branden’s kindness to.Catherine was obvious to everyone. He was so devoted to her even if he was in such a high position, which was rare in the world.
“I will arrange it!” Catherine’s cold words interrupted what Zobber wanted to say next.
Seeing that Catherine had her own arrangements, Zobber was not in a position to intervene more. She just assured Catherine. “Don’t worry, Catherine. I will definitely keep this matter a secret.”
Catherine nodded slightly. She turned off her computer and stood up to leave. “Take care of yourself, and contact me at any time if you’re in danger.”
Coming out of the internet cafe, Catherine went straight back to the lab building without any stops in between.
This made Marshall, who had been staying inside the lab building, unaware that Catherine had left. Seeing Catherine change her clothes and come out of the office, Marshall looked at her with a smile on his face. “You’ve had a long enough lunch break today, but why do you look more tired than if you don’t rest?”
Catherine had been sticking to the lab and refusing to leave, and Marshall was worried that this was not good for her health, so he persuaded her to take lunch breaks at noons.
“It’s fine!” Catherine shook her head relaxed. “I had a terrible dream during my nap. It makes me a little tired, so I slept a little longer.”
When she said this, Marshall felt even more distress for her. “You must have been overtired. People only dream when they’re under a lot of pressure. If you relax, the terrible dreams won’t haunt you.”
“I won’t have terrible dreams if I relax? “Catherine frowned and looked at Marshall with a serious face.
Hearing this, Marshall guessed that she was really disturbed by her dreams and tried to help her.
Catherine was excellent in both talent and ability, but she lacked some knowledge in life. Perhaps this was something geniuses should bear. Geniuses would put most of their energy on the things they focused on, but instead overlooked the details of life.
“That’s right. You’ve been under a lot of pressure lately and your nerves are too tense. Let me teach you a relaxation exercise now. It’s very simple. You practice with me for ten minutes or so now. You’ll sleep better at night.”
Marshall tried to persuade Catherine to learn the relaxation exercise from him and she agreed.
The two of them started to do the relaxation exercise in the open space inside the lab building. Catherine had done similar relaxation exercises before, but she did it in a different way from Marshall.
Marshall did it in a very standard way. He did it gently without exerting too much force.
Catherine, on the other hand, was full of killing intentions in every movement.
Seeing her stiff movements, Marshall acted like a strict teacher. He corrected Catherine’s stance hand by hand. “No, it’s too stiff here. You need to do it softly. I’m making you relax, not making you use so much strength. Are you going to hit someone… Yeah, yeah, that’s right. You need to do it gently.”
It took almost twenty minutes to do the relaxation exercises.
Marshall was drenched in sweat while Catherine didn’t feel anything.
Marshall sighed, “You young people have good physical strength. You need to practice it every morning and night, okay? When you get tired from practicing the relaxation exercises, you will have a good sleep at night. Don’t have any other thoughts while practicing, just empty your mind.”
“Okay, Professor Hartley!” responded Catherine politely.
Marshall patted her on the shoulder and signaled her to go rest. “Alright, go take a break and then get on the experiment.”
Catherine nodded and left while Marshall sighed in place.
Although Catherine didn’t say anything and didn’t look any different on the surface, the look in her eyes showed everything. Marshall could see that Catherine had been a bit preoccupied lately.
He only hoped that Catherine could get out of the predicament as soon as possible and return to her former state.
Flash followed his superior’s instructions and sent the information Ronin stole to his superior’s mailbox. Then he received a new order from his superior and found Ronin.
Seeing Flash appear with his personal computer still in his hand, Ronin instantly understood Flash’s intentions. Ronin narrowed his eyes and sized him up and down with a carefree expression. “You’re really annoying. You don’t even give me a break. I gave you the information just two days ago, but you’re here again.”
Flash didn’t threaten Ronin this time. He just told him the truth. “Catherine will send the lab paper report for certification next Friday.”
At this statement, the expression on Ronin’s face immediately changed.
He knew why Flash was so anxious. If the experiment was successfully certified by Catherine, it would bring endless trouble to Flash and his superior.
Ronin cooperated and said, “Alright, bring the computer.”
Seeing how cooperative he was, Flash was still a bit surprised. He froze for a second before handing over the computer.
At the same time, Ronin made a new request. “I can help you with the information, but I want money.”
Flash thought Ronin would take the opportunity to request to let him leave, but he didn’t realize that Ronin actually only asked for money.
He asked suspiciously, “You only want money?”
“That’s right!” Ronin knew what Flash was thinking. “Do you think I’m stupid because I didn’t ask you to let me go?”
Ronin laughed out coldly, a sneer appearing on his thin lips. “Humph. Even if I requested that, would you guys let me go?”
Chapter 828 A More Powerful Hacker
Ronin’s question made Flash not know how to answer him. Flash once promised Ronin that as long as he could cooperate with them to steal useful information from Catherine, they would give him a large sum of money to let him go, but those were all lies.
After spending some time with Ronin, Flash felt a bit sympathetic toward him.
His growth experience was actually similar to Ronin’s, but he was not as lucky as Ronin to meet Catherine.
Looking at Ronin’s eyes, Flash couldn’t tell a lie no matter what.
“Hahaha…” Ronin laughed out loud. He pointed at Flash and lay down to the side. “Flash, you’re done. You’re actually starting to sympathize with me and can’t bear to lie to me.”
Having been seen through by Ronin, Flash’s guilt was hard to hide.
He tried desperately to hide his guilt, but he looked more and more comical. ” Ronin, don’t play tricks. Behave yourself. It’s not your turn to talk here.”
Facing the threat of Flash, Ronin was not afraid at all. He got up and slowly lowered his head toward Flash.
He stared at Flash directly as if his beautiful big eyes seemed to be able to discern the secrets in his heart.
Flash tried to avoid his eyes. But in the next second, he heard Ronin scoff in a tone full of sarcasm, “Flash, have you ever thought that if you dare not lie to me now, your superior will kill you the next second?”
“What superior? What are you babbling about?” Flash had never mentioned his superior to Ronin. He didn’t know how Ronin knew that, but he already had a feeling that things were not going well.
Ronin didn’t want to say much and lay back down again. He put away the creepy look on his face and returned to his once carefree expression. “If you don’t want to tell me, I won’t force you. But remember, you want the information, and I want the money. As for how I’ll spend the money and whether I have the chance to spend it, it’s all my business. I know you can’t make the decision. Go ask your superior to give me a price worthy of me or don’t blame me for refusing to get the information for you.”
Flash knew he couldn’t conceal that he had a superior from him anymore. Ronin’s attitude made him stop concealing it and turn to leave.
Half an hour later, Flash came back.
This time, he asked Ronin for an overseas bank account number. After Ronin provided the account number, he emphasized, “Transfer the money with peace of mind. This is my private account. Catherine doesn’t even know about it yet.”
Flash paused for a moment and turned his head to look at Ronin again.
Ronin immediately glared back nonchalantly. “Get a move on and hurry up. Do you want the information or not? Don’t waste my time. I don’t have that much time to waste with you. If I fall asleep, don’t blame me for not being helpful.”
Flash couldn’t understand what Ronin was thinking.
He thought in his heart, “Obviously, Ronin is the prisoner, but he doesn’t act like a prisoner at all. Instead, he is ordering me as if he were my leader.”
Although Flash was a bit dissatisfied in his heart, he still quickly operated the computer. According to Ronin’s request, he arranged the transfer of money to Ronin.
“It’s done.” Flash glared at Ronin angrily.
Ronin immediately came forward. Seeing the numbers on the computer, he tapped on the keyboard.
“What are you doing?” Flash snarled and tried to push Ronin away.
Ronin moved the computer to make Flash check the screen. “I’m just checking the balance inside my account. I want to see if you’ve transferred money to me or not. Why are you so agitated?”
With that said, Ronin returned control of the computer to Flash.
After retrieving the computer, Flash checked the screen of the computer at first.
Indeed, as Ronin said, he only checked his bank account and did nothing more.
Flash then put the computer back into Ronin’s hands. “Get started and mark my words…”
Before he could finish, Ronin said sarcastically and coldly, “Don’t play tricks or cause trouble. Aren’t you tired of saying that? I’m sick of hearing about it.”
“Just so you know.” After Flash said that, Ronin ignored him and was fully focused on manipulating the computer.
After his last attempt, Ronin felt a little easier this time. He noticed a problem while stealing the files though, and he immediately exited.
Seeing his exit, Flash got anxious. ” What are you doing? Isn’t this logging in? Why don’t you continue?”
“That’s all we could get!” Ronin then gave him an explanation. “Catherine encrypted it. There’s not only a firewall she set up, there’s a firewall set up by someone else. It’s double-encrypted. If I don’t exit it, this location will be tracked by them immediately.”
Ronin’s taut look and serious tone compelled Flash to believe what he was saying.
Confused, Flash asked, “Who is it? Could there be a better hacker than Catherine?”
“Catherine is really good in the realm of computers, but she’s good at attacking, the realm of hacking. She’s also good at building firewalls, but she’s not the best at it. This person is no less capable than Catherine and has more experience than Catherine.”
Ronin went on to explain.
“Who should it be?” Flash immediately asked.
Ronin thought for a moment and gave his answer. “As far as I know, the only one who can achieve this and gain Catherine’s trust at this time is my mentor, Winston Warner, a professor in the computer science department of Styre University.”
Flash naturally knew who Winston was.
It was just that he now wasn’t 100% certain of Ronin’s words yet. He hesitantly looked at Ronin and said tentatively, “Do you have any ideas?”
“Give me more time or get him. It’s your choice!” Ronin looked at Flash expressionlessly.
Seeing that Flash didn’t understand his words, Ronin had no choice but to explain, “It’s not that there’s no way to crack it. I’m a student of Professor Warner. I know some of his research and design habits. If you give me some time, I can crack it. But do you guys have enough time to wait?”
Ronin’s words made Flash’s face suddenly darken.
Flash’s superior had not given him much time, and he really didn’t have enough time to wait.
Seeing his expression, Ronin didn’t care and continued, “If time doesn’t allow it, we can only crack it from the root. You can start with Professor Warner. But he and I are not the same. I’m just a nameless junior, while he is a highly respected professor. Do you guys dare to make a move on him?”
Ronin looked at Flash with provocative eyes as if he were mocking Flash’s incompetence.
Flash copied the information Ronin had just stolen and prepared to leave with his computer. “Whether we can do it or not is up to us. All you have to do is do what we ask.”
What Flash wanted now was to report this to his superior as soon as possible. With the new information Ronin had given him, he’d be able to get some more time.
He would check out whether Ronin said was true. It would not be too late for him to think of a new approach at that time.
“Humph…” Ronin let out a cold laugh and shrugged with a relaxed expression.
After Flash left, Ronin returned to his original posture. He lay on the simple wooden bed, but his hand hidden in his pocket never stopped its moving.
Chapter 829 Appetite
Just as Catherine emerged from the laboratory, she ran into Marshall.
He had been smiling for the past few days but suddenly had a gloomy face, which was really strange.
“Professor, what’s the matter with you? “Catherine spoke up and stopped Marshall, who was about to go downstairs.
Upon hearing Catherine’s voice, Marshall’s body trembled slightly, feeling somewhat startled. He turned around and looked at Catherine with a somewhat evasive gaze. Although he hid it well, he couldn’t escape Catherine’s keen eyes. “Catherine, are you planning to go back and rest?”
“Yes!” Catherine stared at Marshall, carefully inquiring, “Professor, have you encountered something?”
“No!” Marshall immediately denied it. ” There’s nothing going on. Don’t overthink it. Since work is finished, you should go back and rest early! Don’t play on your phone at night. Just go home, have dinner, and go to sleep, okay?”
Catherine always felt that Marshall was acting strange, but since he was unwilling to talk about it, she did not push the issue. “Okay.”
Seeing that Catherine did not pursue further questions, Marshall turned and left directly. However, his figure lacked the vitality and confidence he had just a few days ago, giving the impression that he had something on his mind.
Catherine immediately dialed Zobber’s phone number and said, “Help me look into something!”
After hearing about the purpose of Catherine’s call, Zobber guessed the reason even before checking. ” Catherine, you should open your phone and take a look at the most popular portal website. Or you can visit your school’s network to find the answer. I guess Marshall is troubled by these things.”
Recently, Catherine had been completely focused on her work in the laboratory, and she was not someone who enjoyed gossip, so naturally, she would not pay attention to such gossip news.
Unlike others, Zobber cared more about Catherine’s every move. She noticed this matter. Before she had the chance to inform Catherine, she received a call from Catherine.
Marshall was not aware of how strong Catherine truly was. These minor issues could not disturb Catherine’s strong inner spirit.
After hanging up the phone, Catherine followed Zobber’s instructions and opened the campus forum on her phone.
This was urged to be downloaded by Amelia before, supposedly to complete a mission.
Not even for looking, the top three headlines were all related to her. Although her name was not mentioned explicitly, the insinuation was quite obvious.
The most popular post was the one about corruption in campus.
Catherine opened the post and saw several photos.
She immediately recognized the vehicle in the photo as Branden’s car. The black Bentley, which Branden usually drove most often in Loxton, was a prominent feature.
The scene in the photo was right in front of the laboratory building on the campus.
The post was about Branden using donations and sponsorships as an excuse to exercise his power, openly driving cars into the campus. It also claimed that Branden was the intrusion of capital, disrupting the normal self- proclaimed campus.
The post listed dozens of charges, and each one didn’t seem too serious at first glance.
However, when so many charges were put together, the nature of the matter changed.
At the end of the post, the whistleblower also claimed that he was fighting for justice and that he was willing to risk his life to stand up for justice and oppose the influence of capital. He believed that the campus was sacred and should not be contaminated by capital. Although the statement seemed just and reasonable, only the whistleblower himself knew what intentions were hidden behind it.
Below the post, many onlookers followed with comments. Most of them were angry youth who hated the rich, in a frenzy of leading the public opinion.
They didn’t even understand what was going on, yet they were shouting slogans to drive Branden out of Styre University and reject his capital intervention.
Catherine expressionlessly finished reading the post and did not take the content to heart.
She finished reading and then forwarded the post to Paxton’s phone.
If Paxton couldn’t handle such small matters, he didn’t deserve to stand by Branden’s side.
What she was now more worried about was Marshall. Instead of heading back as planned, she turned and walked toward the family building.
Halfway there, she happened to meet Winston.
Winston also lived in the family building above Marshall. When he saw Catherine, Marshall’s disciple, he took the initiative to greet her. “Catherine, you came for Marshall!”
Catherine nodded politely, “Could you please open the door?” Entering the family building required the access card, and Catherine had originally planned to have Marshall come down but happened to run into Professor Winston Warner.
Winston smiled and said, “No trouble at all. Don’t stand on ceremony. I’ll take you up. If Marshall’s wife didn’t cook today, you can come to my house for a meal. My wife is an excellent cook.
He deliberately lowered his voice and whispered to Catherine, “Better than Marshall’s wife, but don’t tell him. He’s very stingy and will give you a hard time!”
With a slight smile, Catherine felt a greater sense of warmth toward Winston.
She admired the two professors very much, both of whom were role models in educating. They devoted their lives to research and teaching without any ulterior motives. They were especially kind. There was no scheming or plotting between them, only academic research and their beloved students.
Before parting ways, Winston suddenly called out to Catherine. “By the way, Ronin took some time off. Do you know what he’s up to?”
Winston had genuine feelings of both love and frustration toward this beloved disciple. It was natural for young people to be unruly, but Ronin was simply too willful.
“Professor Warner, rest assured that he had to attend to some family matters and should be back soon. When he returns, please do not give him the weekend off. Instead, make sure he attends class every day to catch up on what he missed,” said Catherine.
Winston understood the relationship between Catherine and Ronin.
Although he did not know what these people had been up to recently, knowing that Ronin was safe, he also felt relieved. “Alright, I’ll wait for the kid to come back so I can teach him a lesson!”
After Catherine watched Winston leave, she continued to walk up another floor.
When the door was opened, Marshall was surprised to see Catherine standing at the door. “Catherine, how did you come here?
Marshall was wearing an apron and holding a spatula in his hand. Catherine was about to speak when Marshall pulled her into the room. ” Come in and take a seat before we talk, ” he said.
Upon entering the door, Marshall immediately took off the apron around his waist and called his wife out.
Upon seeing a student come to the door, his wife did not hesitate and immediately took over the spatula. ”
You guys chat. Leave dinner to me.
Marshall, ask Catherine to stay for dinner, and I’ll make an extra dish.”
“Okay.” Marshall led Catherine to sit on the sofa. This was Catherine’s first time at his house, and she had come on her own. He was worried that something had happened. “What’s going on? Rest assured. I’ll help you with any situation!”
Looking at his anxious face, Catherine felt a stir in her heart. Marshall unconditionally supported her in everything. He was more like a father figure than just a mentor.
“It’s nothing. I’ve already read the post. I was worried that you wouldn’t be able to eat dinner, so I came to visit, “said Catherine jokingly.
Marshall knew that the matter could not be kept secret, but he didn’t expect Catherine to find out so quickly. He glared at her and said sternly, “I am Professor Hartley. Such trivial matters will not affect my appetite. It’s impossible.”
The originally serious topic seemed much lighter due to the playful tone of their conversation.
“Professor, is there any reaction from the campus side?” As soon as Catherine asked the question, Marshall’s expression changed.
Chapter 830 News
Catherine was concerned about this. She understood that if something were to happen, the university would immediately contact Marshall.
Now was a critical stage of the experiment, and Marshall would definitely not let her know. He would quietly bear all of this directly.
Marshall fell silent for a moment, then chuckled softly. “You don’t need to worry about these things. I will handle it with the university. I have been a professor for so many years, and now I am one of the most famous professors at Styre University. Everyone will give me some face, and this matter will not cause any trouble. Furthermore, we both know the real situation. One who is upright is not afraid of the shady person. Let them come and investigate as much as they want.”
“Yeah!” Catherine nodded and first agreed with Marshall’s remarks, ” Professor, can you please explain specifically how the university has arranged this?”
Since she had asked, Marshall didn’t want to hide it from her. “The university mentioned that this matter has had a very negative social impact. They are concerned that it may affect the university’s reputation, so they are preparing to form a joint investigation team with higher-level leaders to look into this matter specifically. It’s not a big deal. Once they investigate and clarify everything, this matter will pass.
As Marshall said, Branden was simply providing financial support for the university’s various experimental expenses, and there was no need to worry about any illegal or unruly behavior being investigated.
Catherine persuaded Marshall not to worry, reassuring him that Branden would handle the matter. Marshall then felt relieved.
“Have you finished your conversation? The food is best enjoyed while still hot! ” said Mrs. Hartley.
“Let’s go. It’s time to eat!” said Marshall.
Catherine wanted to refuse, but she was forcibly dragged over by Marshall. ”
Don’t be polite at my house. Sit down and eat. There’s more if it’s not enough. Catherine was not being polite. She just wasn’t accustomed to eating at other people’s houses.
Overwhelmed by the hospitality, she could only sit down.
The dishes on the table were particularly simple. Perhaps because of her arrival, there was an extra meat dish, and a simple meal of three dishes and one soup was the daily life of this well-known professor couple in Loxton.
The meal was quite ordinary, and the fried green beans had a slightly burnt taste. It was evident that Mrs. Hartley rarely cooked.
However, such simple meals could still bring a heartwarming taste to people’s palate.
Under Marshall’s warm hospitality, Catherine finally left the family building with a full stomach.
Just as she stepped out, she saw the familiar car parked at the door. She did not hesitate and walked straight toward the car.
As soon as she approached, Branden pushed open the car door and stepped out with a smile on his face to greet her. “Have you gone to Marshall’s house?”
“Ah, I also had a meal while I was at it!” replied Catherine.
This did come as a surprise to Branden. He was well aware of Catherine’s character and knew that she was not the type to dine in someone else’s home easily.
It was clear that she held great respect for Marshall.
“Are you full?” Branden helped Catherine into the car while chatting with her.
“I’m so full. I just finished the food in the bowl. But Mrs. Hartley brought another bowl for me so fast that I didn’t have time to refuse.” Catherine looked at Branden with a wry smile.
She really didn’t react. It was like Mrs. Hartley was staring at her bowl. As soon as her bowl was empty, Mrs. Hartley promptly took a ladle and got her another bowl of food.
If it were not the case, Catherine would not have overeaten to this extent.
Seeing her smile somewhat helplessly, Branden was in a great mood. “It seems that in the future, I’ll have to hand over some food expenses to Professor Marshall!”
Catherine glanced at him, tilting her head with a puzzled look in her eyes.
“You see. I always try different ways to cook for you, but you still refuse to eat more, and now you are still so thin!” Branden sighed as he circled her slender waist. “I didn’t expect that you could eat two bowls at Marshall’s house. It seems that Mrs. Hartley is really amazing. I’m thinking that in the future, I should send you there more often. If you eat too much, we should at least arrange some food expenses.”
After understanding his meaning, Catherine jokingly refused him. “Never mind. I’d rather not go to Marshall’s house to save the trouble for Mrs. Hartley. Normally, it’s Marshall who cooks, but when I visited today, it was Mrs. Hartley who cooked!”
Branden immediately realized. “So Professor Hartley holds a similar status at home.”
“Your words seem to carry a deeper meaning. Are you complaining?” Catherine’s clear eyes stared at her intently.
“No, absolutely not!” Branden exaggeratedly raised his hand, indicating surrender.
After a burst of laughter between the two, the atmosphere in the car relaxed a bit.
Catherine also told him about the situation at university.
Branden held her hand tightly, indicating for her to calm down. “Just focus on the experiment. I will take care of the rest and ensure that Professor Hartley is not implicated in any way.”
Catherine believed that he could fulfill his promise. She was very reassured by giving him this task to handle. “I am feeling a bit drowsy after eating a full meal!”
“If you’re tired, go ahead and sleep. I’ll wake you up when we arrive!” replied Branden.
Upon hearing the conversation in the back seat, Paxton silently slowed down and drove the car more steadily, allowing Catherine to sleep more comfortably.
“Sir, I have found out that this post was written by someone who was paid. They also spent a lot of money to increase the traffic and stir up the popularity.” Paxton lowered his voice and reported the situation to Branden.
Although the study was some distance away from the bedroom, when Catherine was resting, he didn’t dare make too much noise in case it would wake her up. If that happened, Branden would definitely give him a hard time.
Before they received the message from Catherine, they had already known about the existence of the post.
After reporting to Branden, Paxton immediately arranged for people to investigate and also initiated a public relations plan to reduce the intensity of the post.
However, the other party’s influence was not to be underestimated, constantly causing interference and slowing down their progress.
Branden looked at the documents on the desk, his expression cold. “Have you found out the other party’s intentions?”
Paxton shook his head. “Although we cannot yet determine the specific purpose of the other party, we have found a new piece of information. There is an overseas capital that wants to invest in Styre University’s experimental project and provide them with sufficient funds. Although the registration point is overseas, the controlling stake is held by Chinese individuals, so they are qualified to receive the investment. Here is the information for this company!”
Branden looked through it and immediately realized who was behind the scenes. ‘Going through such a big circle just to compete with me, it’s really extravagant. But the other party has found the wrong person. My territory is not something that others can invest in.’
“Help me open a personal account,” said Branden.
Paxton was somewhat bewildered, unable to understand why Branden suddenly wanted to open a personal account.
However, Branden had always been unconventional in his approach to things. Paxton had to do what he was instructed.
Catherine originally just wanted to take a nap but unexpectedly fell into a deep sleep. If it hadn’t been for the ringing of the phone, she might have slept even longer.
“Catherine, have you received the news?” asked Zobber.
Upon hearing Zobber’s excited tone, Catherine did not react immediately and hoarsely whispered, “What news?”
Zobber knew as soon as she heard Catherine’s voice that Catherine must have just woken up. “I’ll send it to you. Just check your phone!”
“Okay!” After hanging up the phone, Catherine received a message from Zobber.
Opening the interface, she discovered it was the personal homepage of Branden.
She scrolled down, and her attention was caught by the latest update.