Professor Paul was startled out of his reverie by the sound of a knock on the door. He was perplexed by Jeff's extended absence and looked at the clock while fumbling with his fingers for his phone. With a sigh, he rose from his seat.Swinging it open, he was met not by Jeff's familiar face, but by the stern countenance of Gary. Despite the interruption, Professor Paul greeted him with a tentative smile, the tension in the room palpable."Mr. Gary, what brings you here?" he asked in a curious tone of voice.Gary's response was blunt. "I am just curious if Jeff has finally arrived," he said, maintaining a straight face.Professor Paul confirmed Jeff's continued absence with a shake of his head, a small frown appearing on his forehead. "Nope, he's still out and about," he revealed, regret lacing his words.Gary's lips were pressed together in frustration, and it was clear how disappointed he was. "Why is he going around like a merrymaker when the competition is just hours away?" he qu
“Virus!”Gary quickly stood up from the sofa, heading out with his hand in his pocket. As he headed out, a small tiny appeared on his lips, but no one paid attention to him because they were as shocked as him.“Why are they so fucking ruthless this year?!” Mia clenched the hem of her dress, her face twisting into hurt. “I don't think the software organization has messed up like this before.”“It's really okay if Jeff didn't win this round. It's our fault for not informing him about this theme” Drake added, his eyes glued on the TV.Some of the participants were as shocked as him. Some were even trembling.However, Jeff's expression remained the same. He also hadn't expected the theme and was, in fact, taken surprised.Twirling his knuckles, he switched on the computer in front of him as the Host gave out instructions.This competition could go as long as hours if they are not careful.The rules are simple, though.The participants are to create software with a virus theme and attack t
"He did it!"Professor Paul finally laughed after experiencing several small heart attacks over the previous hour. His smile spreading, he cast a quick glance at both Mia and Drake. "Did you see that? He won!" With their jaws almost hitting the ground, Mia and Drake sat there in shock. "How... how was Jeff able to win?" Mia stammered, her eyes wide with shock. Drake shook his head in disbelief. "I have no fucking idea! He simply destroyed the competition, as if he had appeared out of nowhere."Mia nodded, still trying to process the news. "But... but how is that even possible? Jeff isn't exactly known for his coding skills. He took down twelve systems in one go?!"As the realization sunk in, they couldn't contain their excitement any longer. Suddenly, both of them jumped out of their chairs and let out happy shouts. "New Zinland won!" Mia cried out, happiness evident in her voice. "Jeff is the first New Zinland participant to come first in the qualifying stages!"They danced around
"Whoa, I never imagined that I would meet another computer whiz in my lifetime! You took down twelve computers, that's crazy man" With an amused giggle, the man with blue hair gave Jeff a playful tap on the shoulder. "What's your secret, tell me?"Jeff had a bored look listening to Marcus Cuomo, the guy who had forcefully dragged him into his car."You can say anything you want to." With a nonchalant expression on his thin lips, Jeff said, "I have some things to attend to." "Wow, are you in a hurry?" Marcus smiled, his lips curling upward. "Did you hope you would see Alicia? Is that the reason you voluntarily followed me?""I voluntarily followed you? You were clearly drawing unnecessary attention and I would have declined if I want to." With his icy eyes growing even more icy, Jeff shot back, "I was just trying to keep your ass from getting insulted. And who the hell is Alicia?" After winning the qualifying stage, a lot of participants all stared at him with shock. Twelve computers
The world appeared to stop breathing, stunned into a state of suspended disbelief, as Alicia's slap crackled loudly through the air. Marcus's hand went reflexively to his flushed cheek, his shocked eyes wide as though they were trying to absorb the unimaginable."Did you just..." Marcus's voice trailed off, hoarse with disbelief, his gaze locked on Alicia, searching for some semblance of reason in her furious eyes."Why do you always have to be so damn unreasonable?" Alicia's chest rose and fell with the effort of her sprint to confront Marcus, and her voice echoed throughout the room, every word full of pent-up frustration.When she heard the news, she left what she was doing and sprinted here without thinking twice. Marcus's voice rose to match Alicia's intensity as his own anger flared in response. With an accusatory tone, he shot back, "And why are you cheating on me with someone like him? If you want to cheat, find someone of your own caliber!!!"Alicia drew back, the surprise
As Jeff waited in front of the building, he couldn't shake off the feeling of exhaustion. It appears that haughtiness will never go away.Especially rich people. They consider their life to be superior to everyone else's and look down on others.Perhaps that is the case, but why are they so arrogant and include strangers in their unkempt affairs? His thoughts were interrupted when a car pulled up to the curb. With a quick glance, Jeff noticed the familiar sound of the engine, which suggested the unexpected arrival of someone. The window whirred down, revealing a pair of piercing eyes that Jeff had encountered before."Atlas?" Jeff whispered to himself, his tone slightly surprised.Atlas greeted him with a smirk. "Young Master Jeff, it is been a long time. Or should I say, renowned Jeff after your groundbreaking performance today?"Jeff chuckled, a touch of arrogance creeping into his voice. "Well, I did deserve all the recognition," he said, furrowing his brows."You are still prou
Atlas returned to the Grador's estate the next morning, looking more disheveled than the village rat. His clothes were crumpled and his hair was disheveled, showing signs of a turbulent night. He awoke to discover that he was in a different room and that a crumpled piece of paper was stuck to his forehead as a sobering reminder of how he had spent his last night. Upon entering, he encountered his younger brother, Robert, a year his junior but twice as haughty. With a smug demeanor that made him seem like a second skin, Robert relaxed in a chair with his legs crossed. With a look of contempt, he looked directly at Atlas, his arrogance unwavering."Where have you been?" Robert asked, arrogance leaking from his voice.Atlas responded coldly and distantly, showing no sign of warmth. He shot back, bitter in his words, "It is none of your concern."But Robert was not so easily deterred. "It will be Father's concern when he inquires about your absence," he remarked, a smirk playing on his
Tension hung over the family members gathered in the Malfoy Mansion, swirling around them like a dense fog. Seated at the head of the table, Old Master Malfoy's severe expression revealed little about his inner thoughts. His furrowed brow drew worry lines. It appeared as though he had aged slightly in a brief amount of time.Sanya, on the other hand, had more fatigue as seen by her wrinkled face and dark circles under her eyes. It appeared as though the refined woman had vanished. Her beauty differs from what was know.David was standing by her side, offering her support through the recent events and acting as a silent shield for his wife.Arlina sat at the far end of the table, a physical distance between her and her husband, Duane. She was cold and untouchable. Although his invitation to this meeting had brought them together, it appeared to deepen rather than to heal the Family. Duane tried to be polite, but his words were drowned out by the reverberations of old grudges.The den