Ch. 1161..1170: Chapter 1161-1170

Chapter 1161

'Since I trained my men, I'm confident they did an excellent job with the surveillance cameras. That said, Barrett is an intelligent man. It's scary how smart he is. It pays to confirm the cameras are working and not easily detected.'

"You can trust me, Mr. Billy. I hid the cameras where no one would expect to find them. Not even someone like Barrett can find them."

Billy felt better after hearing that. He said, "Okay, get back to work, everyone. I'm heading to the security room."

Under normal circumstances, people felt most relaxed after entering a room and locking the door. One would only start looking for traps and such after a while. Since that was the case, Billy wanted to see if there was anything suspicious about Barrett once the latter dropped his guard.

If Billy thought something was fishy, he would tell his men to take care of Barrett immediately, regardless if the latter was immensely talented. Moreover, Billy would continue to observe Barrett even if nothing was out of the norm.

'I hope my men were right in saying Barrett is in it for the money. It's not often I meet geniuses like him. The last thing I want is for him to be a spy.'

"Understood, Mr. Billy," the henchmen responded in unison and filed out of the conference room.

Meanwhile, Bonnie found all the cameras the moment she entered the room. She had to admit they hid the cameras well. Fortunately, she had sharper senses than most and could see everything, even if they tried to hide them.

Even so, she did not deal with the cameras. Instead, she rested on the bed and checked her phone. She knew Billy was watching her in a security room somewhere. She would be in trouble if she did something to the cameras now.

All Bonnie needed to do now was make Billy drop his guard. Then, she would adjust the cameras' settings to fool Billy.

Billy frowned as he watched the seemingly casual "Bonnie." He told Francesco, sitting beside him, "Did you notice Barrett looking at us when she entered the room?"

The more he spoke, the deeper his frown became.

'Barrett's senses would be too sharp if he immediately detected our cameras after just entering the room. Still, I could've been mistaken. It might've been a coincidence.'

Meanwhile, Francesco did not notice Bonnie looking at the camera. After hearing his boss's question, he stammered guiltily, "I-I saw nothing like that, Mr. Billy. Did you make a mistake?"

Billy did not realize Francesco was fooling him. When the former turned to the screen again, he saw Bonnie lying on the bed and checking her phone.

'Hmm, I must've made a mistake.'

Billy frowned as he stared at the screen. Then, he ordered, "Keep watching him for suspicious behavior. If he does anything weird, pause the footage immediately. We'll replay it and study his movement. We can't afford any slip-ups, got it?!"

 

Chapter 1162

Francesco knew the situation's seriousness and dared not take it lightly. He nodded and responded, " Understood, Mr. Billy. I'll keep my eyes on him and watch for any suspicious behavior."

"Perfect," Billy said as he returned to the screen to observe "Bonnie."

Meanwhile, Bonnie had predicted their behavior and did not worry about it. She thought, 'If Billy enjoys staring at me through the screen, he can do so to his heart's content. Let's play the waiting game.'

She made it look like she was scrolling through her phone absentmindedly but was texting Collin instead. She even put a privacy screen protector on her phone, which was much better than the ones on the market.

If she wanted to hide something, no one could see it. Moreover, she was confident in her inventions. That was why she could freely text Collin, even though she was under strict surveillance.

Collin's text read, "How'd the interview go, Chief? Did you pass the tests? Have you seen the chip yet?" Bonnie felt speechless when she read the text. She rolled her eyes and replied, "Do you think Billy's a fool? He wouldn't let me work on the chip immediately after passing the test. That would be risky for him."

Collin responded, "I didn't think he'd be this cautious. Did he say when he'll let you work on it?"

She texted, "Billy hasn't mentioned the chip once since I showed up. He also set up hidden cameras in my room. It'll be a while before he lets me see the chip."

Collin patted his chest and sighed in relief. "Fortunately, I didn't go instead. I would've been careless and screwed everything up."Chapter

"Are you admitting you're careless?" Bonnie could not help but smile.

He sent an embarrassed-looking emoji and texted, "I'm not that careless, but I can't compare to you." She shook her head and replied, "That's enough chit-chat. You better prepare things earlier than the designated time. I'll give you a signal before we start our operation. Don't drop the ball, got it?"

He responded, "Come on, it concerns life and death, Chief. Must you constantly remind me to take it seriously? I hope I don't seem that unreliable to you."

"That's not what I said. It was just a reminder," Bonnie texted back. That was when she sensed something and ended her conversation, "All right, I need to do something now. Don't text me unless it's an emergency."

Collin read her text and stopped replying. He put down his phone and was about to prepare for the deployment when someone knocked on the door. Displeased, he frowned and muttered, "Who the hell is that? They couldn't have come at a worse time. I was about to work on something urgent."

He stood up and went to open the door. He was surprised to see Yasmine, saying, "Mr. Boyd isn't around. Also, why are you still here?"

 

Chapter 1163

"I came to see you," Yasmine said as she limped into Collin's room with her crutch.

His lips twitched when he saw her struggling. Immediately after, his eyes widened in disbelief, and he pointed at himself, saying, "Huh? You came to see me? Why?"

Then, he had an idea and covered his chest, looking at her in alarm. "Th-there's something I have to tell you. I don't give myself away to anyone that easily."

Yasmine was speechless. After gathering her thoughts, she said, "What is going on in your head? No wonder Mr. Boyd finds you distasteful."

Collin was upset when he heard that. He retorted, "What made you think that? Stop spouting nonsense!"Chapter

Instead of responding, she stared at him to let him figure it out. He pursed his lips and sat down, asking, “ What are you doing here, Yasmine? Are you trying to get more information about Mr. Boyd?"

"That's right!" she responded enthusiastically, "I'm here to ask you how my savior is doing! You must've contacted him, right?"

He looked at her and realized she was genuinely worried about Bonnie's safety. So, he decided to give her the truth instead of hiding things from her. "Mr. Boyd passed Billy's test and is currently staying in a hotel his organization owns. My boss is safe, so you have nothing to worry about."

Yasmine had been worried sick about "Bonnie." The former could finally relax after hearing reassuring words from Collin.

"I knew it! Mr. Boyd is such a badass that this mission is no challenge to him!" Suddenly, Yasmine thought about something and asked, "Did he say when we should start the operation?"

Collin shook his head, saying, "Nothing about that for now. He said he still has to undergo more tests because Billy is cautious. Mr. Boyd will probably have to pass all the tests before Billy lets him anywhere near the chip."

"There are more tests?" Yasmine frowned. "Doesn't that mean Mr. Boyd is in a dangerous situation? Billy might suspect him if he makes the slightest mistake."

She sounded highly concerned about Bonnie. Collin noticed it and tried to soothe Yasmine, "Even so, Mr. Boyd is as capable as he is meticulous. Since he decided to go in alone, he must have an escape plan. "Don't worry about him. He won't put himself in harm's way. Did you forget that he was the one who led you out of the underground market while dealing with waves of enemies? Mr. Boyd is tough."

Collin managed to calm Yasmine down. The latter nodded and said solemnly, "Please inform me immediately when Mr. Boyd needs us to start the operation. I want to ensure he returns safely,"

Collin did not deny Yasmine's request. "You got it. I'll inform your boss when the time is ripe. After all, we need the Dark Knights' participation this time."

 

Chapter 1164

"Thanks a bunch," Yasmine responded as she propped herself up with her crutch. She wabbled a little and added, "I'll take my leave then. Remember, I want to know when Mr. Boyd tells us to begin the operation as soon as possible."

"You got it." Collin noticed her limping and said, "You look like you're struggling just to stand. Do you want me to give you a ride home?"

She waved, saying, "Thanks, but that won't be necessary. My driver's waiting for me at the door."

He did not argue. "Stay safe."

"All right, I'll see you around." When Yasmine reached the hotel entrance, someone ran over to open the car door for her. She strained to get in before giving her crutch to the man. "Put this in the car first. Give it to me when I need to get out later."

"Right away, Ms. Yasmine," the man respectfully replied, taking the crutch to the car behind hers.

She had just settled in when a charming voice sounded, "What did Collin say? Did his boss pass Billy's test?"

"Come on, boss! You know how capable my savior is, right? He's multi-talented and can do anything. Of course, he passed the test," Yasmine spoke with pride as if she were the incredible one instead of Bonnie.

Ivor glanced sideways at her, saying, "Please mind how you carry yourself."Chapter

"What do you mean, boss?" Yasmine shook her head and said, "You've said that many times. I swear I'm starting to mutter than in my sleep. Would you please stop it?"

"I'll stop saying that when you take it seriously. Do you think I like wasting my breath repeating that?" He looked at her condescendingly. "That's enough of that. I told you to ask Collin several questions. Did you ask him, or were you so concerned about your savior that you forgot?"

"Of course I did!" Yasmine patted her chest confidently. "How could I forget your orders, boss?"

Then, she briefly explained her conversation with Collin. Ivor lowered his gaze as he listened, which hid his emotions. He said, "Since that's the case, it'll be a while before the operation begins. In the meantime, I'll return to Pyralis,"

Yasmine could not help but tease him, "Do you miss your wife, boss?"

"What's wrong with that?" Ivor leaned into his seat and thought of Bonnie. After their last video call, he worried about her finding out he lied about coming to Yale. He dared not make another video call for the next few days. Instead, he resorted to audio or text messages.

However, that was not enough to convey how much he missed her. He could not see or touch his wife. It was nothing short of torture, as far as he was concerned.

Ivor had been looking for a chance to return to Pyralis to see Bonnie before returning to Yale for the operation. Finally, he had a window to do that.

'Since Boyd can't get the chip yet, I can't provide any help even if I stayed here. It'll make no difference to Boyd if I return to Pyralis.'

 

Chapter 1165

"You've been away from Pyralis too long, boss. I understand why you'd miss your wife," Yasmine analyzed the situation for Ivor, "However, Mr. Boyd is in a dangerous situation. What will we do while you're away during an emergency?"

Ivor could only frown.

Noticing his silence, Yasmine continued, "You've been here for so long because you want to borrow the chip from the Nidhoggs once they get it back. If you leave during this crucial moment, they won't be willing to lend it to us.

"I think you should bear with it for now and stay here. Once we get the chip, you'll have plenty of time to be with your wife,"

'I genuinely miss Bonnie, but Yasmine has a point. I just wanted to use this chance to return to Pyralis to visit my wife.'

Ivor sighed, conflicted, as he said, "I guess I'll have to wait and see how things turn out for Mr. Boyd. If the time is right, I'll leave for Pyralis. I guess I can live with that."

Yasmine nodded and thought of something before glancing at Ivor. "I must clarify that I didn't say all that because of my savior. On the contrary, I have our organization's best interests at heart.

"Please don't think I stopped you from visiting your wife because I'm worried about Mr. Boyd. I'm a straightforward thinker, so please don't misunderstand me."

Although Yasmine did not attend Ivor's wedding nor meet his wife, she knew how important Bonnie was to him. Hence, Yasmine explained her thoughts to Ivor.

'I've never met Mr. Ivor's wife, but I'd like to leave a good impression on her.'

"Okay," Ivor responded dryly. He sounded so calm that no one could know his feelings.

Yasmine knew he did not want to talk about it anymore, as he felt disheartened about being unable to visit his wife. So, she dared not say anything else and looked out the window silently.

Bonnie used a unique feature on her phone to try hacking into the security systems to alter the camera settings. Simultaneously, Billy was still in the security room watching the motionless "Bonnie" fiddling with her phone.

As he stared at the screen, he subtly felt something was amiss. "Why is Barrett just lying there? Is the camera frozen?"Chapter

"Let me check," Francesco said as he typed away at the keyboard. Soon after, he scratched his head and added, "Is the whole system hammed? I can't access the mainframe."

"What?!" Billy's heart sank when he recalled "Bonnie's" mastery of computers. "Do you think Barrett found out about our hidden cameras? Could he have hacked our system?!"

He shot up from his seat and ordered, "Take two men to Barrett's room! Now!"

 

Chapter 1166

"Right away, Mr. Billy." Francesco knew time was of the essence, so he gathered two men and went to "Bonnie's" room with Billy.

When they arrived, the two henchmen motioned to kick down the door, but Billy hastily stopped them. "What do you think you're doing? Stop that!"

Francesco scratched his head in puzzlement. "I thought we came to catch Barrett. Why'd you stop them?"

"You imbecile!" Billy glared at him, wishing his men were more competent. "I only suspected Barrett of hacking our security cameras and wanted to come and confirm it. I didn't tell you to beat him up, did I? "Barrett is an arrogant young man. What'll you do if you kick down his door and piss him off? Who will help me crack the chip then?"

After getting scolded, Francesco lowered his head and nodded. "I-I understand, Mr. Billy."

"Think for once, man!" Billy glared at him again before knocking on Bonnie's door.

Knock, knock, knock!

If it were anyone else, Billy would have gotten rid of them immediately. However, Bonnie was so talented that he could not help but give her a second chance. After all, he did not want to lose an extraordinary genius like her.

'I won't piss Barrett off unless I havenoveldrama

concrete proof that he was

tempering with my cameras and

security system. He'll be my golden egg unless proven otherwise.

Meanwhile, a hint of mischief flashed in Bonnie's eyes when she heard the commotion outside. She muttered, "Tsk, that was fast."

Then, she yawned and leisurely got

out of bed to open the door. She saw Billy and his henchmen standing outside. "Mr. Billy, I thought you told me to rest because you have nothing for me to do yet I fell asteep just now, not expecting you to be here so soon."

"Were you sleeping?" Billy frowned.

'Then, why did I see something else in the security room?'

"Yeah, I was." She rubbed her eyes and yawned. She feigned ignorance and asked, "What's wrong, Mr. Billy?"

He looked at her up and down,

wondering what was weird about

the situation. Bonnie noticed his silence and said his name, "Mr. Billy?"

He composed himself and smiled, saying, "It's nothing important. Francesco had a technical issue he wanted to ask you about."

"Oh, that's it?" She smiled mischievously, knowing Billy would ask about that.

 

Chapter 1167

Bonnie asked, "Why'd you come here in person when you could've sent him to ask me about it, Mr. Billy?" "Francesco was too shy and couldn't muster the courage to pose the question to you." Billy lied with a smile.

Bonnie smiled back and played along, "I can relate to that. Sometimes, I'm too shy to ask others for help when encountering issues. I prefer troubleshooting things myself. Of course, I'm happy to help anyone who has questions."

"That's fantastic! I was worried you wouldn't care about helping others. If so, I would've wasted my time coming here." Billy wore a fake smile. "He was in the security room earlier and found out the footage did not match what was happening in real-time.

"What do you think caused it? Is there something wrong with the equipment?" Billy stared at Bonnie as he spoke, trying to catch every emotion she showed.

'If I was right about Barrett discovering the hidden cameras and hacking into my security system, he'll know what my question means. I must read his body language for any guilt or panic.'

If Billy saw either of these emotions, he would know something was up with Bonnie. However, she was perceptive and quickly caught his intentions. She assumed her poker face and said, "It might not be the hardware's fault if there are inconsistencies in the footage."

Billy noticed her calmness and thought, 'Hmm, he looks calm. I see nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe there is something wrong with our security cameras and system, after all.'

With that in mind, he played along and asked, "It's not the hardware, huh? Then, what is it? Francesco and I have been racking our brains but can't fix it."

of

Bonnie casually responded, "One your men must've screwed up the system's settings. All you have to do is tune it, and the footage willwork as intended again."

Since she was a tech expert, no one questioned her. Even so, Billy stared at her inexplicably before turning to Francesco. "Did you hear that? Someone messed up the settings! Ask him how you can fix it!

Francesco was stunned. After gathering his thoughts, he said, "Right away, Mr. Billy!"

He looked at Bonnie and asked embarrassedly, "Can you show me how to fix it, Barrett?"

She told him how to fix the settings in layman's terms and asked, "Do you understand? I can speak in more detail if you don't."

He nodded. "It's okay. I got it."

Billy heard their brief exchange and whispered to Francesco, "Do you really understand what he said?"

"Of course I do," Francesco replied.

He could not help but compliment

Bonnie, "I must admit you're excellent with this, Barrett. You make

the issue lies now."

Billy frowned and said, "Go to the security room and fix the settings as he taught you. While you're at it, check if the cameras are messed up.”Chapter

 

Chapter 1168

"Understood, Mr. Billy. I'll go now," Francesco responded. He did not forget to make up a cover story for his boss's appearance. He looked at Bonnie and said, "I've learned more from listening to you than all my years of studying.

"I know what to do now since you gave me some pointers, Barret. I'll go to the security room now to apply what you taught me."

"All right, go ahead and try it out." She nodded. "Feel free to ask for help again if you encounter any more trouble."

"I appreciate it," he expressed his gratitude before returning to the security room to fix the system settings.

Billy chatted with "Bonnie" for about three minutes before Francesco returned to report his findings.

He whispered, "Barrett was right, Mr. Billy. I only needed to tune the settings like he said. The footage is working as intended again. I even rewinded the footage to when it froze. It seems Barrett was indeed sleeping."

Since Bonnie could read lips, she knew what they said. She grinned with a sense of triumph as she thought, 'It looks like I succeeded. These guys will only see what I want them to see since I told Francesco to tune the settings that way.'

Meanwhile, Francesco's words dispelled Billy's doubts about Bonnie. "It looks like I misunderstood Barrett, after all."

Francesco could not help but say, "Barrett's capabilities far surpass ordinary folks. If we can convince him to work for us permanently, he'll lead your team of technicians to heights we can't even imagine. They could even develop a more impressive chip than the Nidhoggs."

Billy's eyes sparkled when he heard that. "I didn't think about it that way. If that comes to fruition, I can realize my dream of ruling every international organization."Chapter

He stared at Bonnie excitedly as if she was the most valuable treasure in the world.

Bonnie heard him but did not show it. Instead, she feigned ignorance and asked, "Why are you looking at me like that, Mr. Billy? Is there something on my face?"

'That explains why Billy risked

offending the Dark Knights and my organization to keep Falcon and the chip hidden. Billy wants to rule all the organizations. That's ambitious." en.swhovels.net

Billy composed himself and cleared his throat, saying, "It's nothing, Barrett I'm thrilled that you helped Francesco fix the security system. Your capabilities have far exceeded my expectations."

Bonnie waved humbly and said, "I just solved a minor issue. It was nothing special."

Billy's admiration for her grew when he heard that His henchmen and technicians had undergone rigorous training, they were not incompetent by any means. If the issue with the security footage was minor, as Bonnie said, the technicians could have fixed it themselves

Billy was surprised that "Bonnie" was capable and had an excellent personality that surpassed most people.

'He knows to be humble but won't hesitate to show off when appropriate, either. He'll have a bright future ahead.'

The more Billy thought about it, the more satisfied he felt with Bonnie.

 

Chapter 1169

"I admire you for more than just your computer skills, Barrett. I'd even say fate brought us together for a reason. Have dinner with me tonight, and we'll indulge in liquor and bright conversations." Bonnie thought, 'Something about this feels fishy, but I can't reject him. After all, it could be one of his tests. I'll have to pass it to get to the chip.'

With that in mind, she agreed smilingly, "Of course! I think we were meant to meet, too. I'd love to chat with you, Mr. Billy."

"That's my man! I love your straightforwardness. I'll tell the chef to make us a great meal. You can trust that I won't let you starve tonight," Billy laughed heartily, "You must be tired. I promise no one will disturb you this time."

"I appreciate that, Mr. Billy," Bonnie thanked him and shut the door before returning to her bed.

In the hallway, Francesco felt impressed, saying, "Mr. Billy, our initial purpose was to see if Barrett was acting suspiciously. However, we allowed him to demonstrate more of his skills instead. That guy's a formidable character."

A slight sparkle appeared in Billy's eyes as he responded, "The more formidable he is, the more critical it is for us to probe him. If we misuse him, he can be dangerous. That said, I have high hopes for him. "Once he passes all my tests, I'll do anything to retain an outstanding talent like him for my organization."

Francesco nodded in approval. "Of course, Mr. Billy. He's a massive stepping stone for you to launch your career to new heights. It only makes sense that you're being extra cautious."

"Mhm," Billy responded dryly, "Let's

go and

Prepare for tonight's

If Barrett passes tonight's dinner

can

arrange for him to m."

Francesco said respectfully, "You can count on me, sir. I'll make sure everything goes according to plan."

"All right, I'll leave it to you," Billy said before returning to his room.

...

Ivor sat down and called Bonnie, but she did not answer. He tried several more times, but nothing changed. He frowned as he listened to the beeping sound.Chapter

'Why isn't she answering my calls? Is it because she's working on her research, or did something happen to her?'

Then, Floyd entered the room and was shocked to see Ivor's expression. The former asked gingerly, "What's wrong, Mr. Iver? You look terrible. Did something happen back home?"

Ivor did not even look at Floyd. Instead, the former continued to stare at his phone. He had made more than ten calls, but Bonnie did not answer once.

"I've called my wife several times, but she still hasn't answered. I'm worried about her. What if something happened?"

Floyd was stunned. Then, he had an

idea, asking, "You have Toby's number, right? He's the young man who works at Ms. Bonnie's research institute. You can always calDand ask him what's going on."

 

Chapter 1170

Ivor had saved Toby's number long ago. If Floyd had not reminded Ivor about it, the latter would not have remembered that.

"All right, I'll call Toby and ask him where's Bonnie." Ivor searched for the number and dialed it.

Meanwhile, Toby was in his place sipping tea when his phone rang. He was stunned when he saw Ivor's name on the screen. Then, he recalled what Bonnie told him and everyone else at the research institute

'Ms. Bonnie said she'd be away from Pyralis for a long time. She also said her husband might call to ask about her whereabouts. We're supposed to say she's busy conducting research. No matter what Mr. Ivor asks, we must tell him that to stop him from discovering the truth.'

With that in mind, Toby composed himself and answered the call, "Hello, is that you, Mr. Ivor?”

Ivor's charming voice sounded, "Yeah, it's me."

After some silence, Toby asked, "How can I help you?"

"Where's Bonnie? She isn't answering my calls. I've called her more than ten times now," Ivor sounded displeased. He thought it was strange because Toby was Bonnie's assistant, yet he could answer his call. but Bonnie could not.

Toby felt a little guilty when he detected the displeasure in Ivor's voice. The former gathered himself and lied, "Ms. Bonnie has been working on a massive project recently, but she thinks the noise at

the research facility will distract her.

"She took a team of researchers to another institute that could provide her a quieter environment." Toby's words only made Ivor more suspicious.

The latter squinted and said coldly, "If it's a massive project, why aren't you, her assistant, involved?"

Tony deliberately sighed to sound helpless, saying, "It's a long story, Mr. Ivor."

"Then make it short," Ivor might have sounded calm, but his tone was imposing.

Toby felt intimidated and wiped his nervous sweat before saying, "It's nothing spectacular. I've just been working on a thesis, so I must juggle my work and studies. Eventually, it got so bad that I messed up some data.

"Although it was insignificant data,Chapter

Ms. Bonnie has always been stringent with these things. It made her think couldn't juggle work and study. That's why she didn't want me involved in this research. She told me to straighten out at the university before she could

reconsider things."

s.et

Ivor instinctively took Bonnie's side as he listened. Then, he spoke on her behalf, "That's just how she is. She's pretty forgiving about most things but is brutally strict about research. That said, I bet she did it for your benefit.

"You're working on a thesis but want to be involved in a significant project. You can botch your thesis and Bonnie's research if it's more than you can handle."