Chapter 68
James took a step forward, standing diagonally behind me, and asked in a low voice, "How long do you need?"
"Five minutes." My voice was emotionless. "Get me a second monitor. I need to track the data flow simultaneously."
Someone immediately wheeled over the equipment.
I split the screen in two—continuing to reinforce the firewall on the left while opening a massive network node diagram on the right.
My operations got faster and faster, so fast you could barely see my fingers moving, only the code scrolling frantically on the screen as the defense layers visibly thickened.
The network node diagram on the right side of the screen suddenly froze. A blinking red dot was locked down layer by layer, finally pinpointing a clear IP address.
"Celestial University's Computer Science building, third lab." I released the mouse and leaned back in my chair, a hint of exhaustion in my voice. "That's where the attack originated. There were six auxiliary nodes during the same time period, all from IPs within Celestial University's campus."
The tech department erupted in commotion.
"Celestial University?"
"We have no beef with Celestial University. Why would their students come after us?"
James's expression darkened completely.
He stared at the IP address for two seconds, then turned to his assistant: "Call the police. Contact Celestial University. I want a reasonable explanation from them within half an hour."
I opened my phone, intending to check for important messages, but saw a notification instead.
Several trending posts were floating on the search page, each headline more sensational than the last:
"Wealthy Wife Uses Connections to Force Her Way into Celestial University, Threatens Leonard After He Refuses to Take Her as Student"
"Privileged Person Appears at Computer Science School, Uses Capital Power to Apply Pressure After Losing Competition"
"A High School Graduate Housewife—Why Should She Get to Attend the Same University as Geniuses?"
The posting times were clustered together. The posts vividly described how I was "arrogant and domineering, relying on my husband's backing, humiliating a respected professor," and even got that professor fired.
The comment section already had over a thousand messages, all cursing me out.
James appeared behind me at some point. Seeing the messages on my phone, his fist suddenly clenched with an audible sound, his expression extremely grim.
"The timing of these rumors is too convenient. I suspect someone's deliberately targeting me." I put away my phone, my tone calm.
I didn't say the person's name, but James definitely knew who I was talking about.
"I'll handle it." His voice was somewhat hoarse. "You've been busy all this time and must be tired. Go rest first."
I shook my head. "You don't need to handle it. My grudge, I'll settle it myself."
James didn't give me a chance. He directly took out his phone and called the company's legal department, his tone ice-cold: "Someone has maliciously compromised the Smith Group's core secrets. You know what to do."
After hanging up, he turned to look at me, his eyes complex. "Sophia, you seem to know a lot about computers."
"I told you before that I know computers." I closed my laptop and responded, "Mr. Smith, look at where I work. If I didn't know anything about computers, could I have kept working there?"
With the matter resolved, it was time for me to leave.
As I passed by James, he suddenly grabbed my wrist.
James's grip wasn't heavy, but it carried a force that wouldn't let me break free.
I stopped. "Is there something else?"
"I'll take you back," James said.
"No need, I called a car."
"Sophia." His voice lowered. "Thank you for today."
Complex emotions churned in James's eyes—surprise, and a trace of guilt.
I lowered my eyes and pulled my hand back. "I didn't do it for you. I did it for Indigo."
My words were calm and distant, like a knife drawing a clear boundary between him and me.
James's hand froze in mid-air, and only after a long while did he slowly lower it.
He stepped back. "I'll have my assistant take you back."
A free ride is a free ride. I nodded in agreement.
I don't know the specific details of what happened after, only what I saw in the news about the police going to the school to arrest people.
And Leonard is involved in bribery and sexually harassing female students.
The parents of the students involved in this matter went crazy, blocking people downstairs at the Smith Group building, crying and making a scene, begging James to show mercy and spare their children.
I heard about what happened next from Indigo.
"Sophia, you've been wronged." Indigo's choked voice came through the phone. "It's all James's fault for not protecting you..."
"Grandma, I can protect myself. Don't worry too much, take good care of yourself." I said softly.
Indigo agreed.
After talking with Indigo for a while, I hung up and prepared to sleep.
I'd expended too much mental energy today and was exhausted.
In the morning, I went to Andrew and asked if he had a way to get me into Celestial University as an auditing student.
"You want to go to Celestial University as an auditing student?" Andrew was very surprised. "Isn't that a waste of time?"
"I need to find someone."
"Who?"
I shook my head. "I don't know who he is either."
If I knew who the person I was looking for was, I wouldn't need to go to Celestial University as an auditing student.
"I see. Let me think of a way first."
While I was waiting for Andrew's news, Indigo called me again.
"Sophia, do you still want to study at Celestial University?"
"Grandma, how did you know?"
Because of the Leonard incident, I never mentioned wanting to go to school again to Indigo and the others.
"Did you ask someone to pull some strings?"
I was surprised. "Grandma, you know about that too?"
"The person your friend contacted is my friend. He happened to come chat with me today."
"I see."
What a small world!
"Sophia, do you want to study at Celestial University? If so, I'll mention it to my old friend."
I agreed. "Thank you, Grandma."
After chatting with Indigo, she sent me a message a few minutes later saying her old friend had agreed.
I had just put down my phone when it vibrated again. It was a message from James:
[You want to study at Celestial University?]
I looked at it for a few seconds and replied: [Yes.]
The chat interface showed James "typing" repeatedly several times. In the end, James only sent one sentence: [I'll go with you tomorrow to handle the paperwork at Celestial University.]
I frowned and replied: [No need, you don't have to make a special trip.]
Even though I said that, the next day I still saw James's car downstairs.
I originally wanted to pretend I didn't see James, but he rolled down the window and called out to me: "Sophia, get in."
I couldn't avoid it and could only get in the car.
Only after getting in did I notice there was someone sitting in the passenger seat.
James explained, "I happened to run into her. Juniper asked me to give her a ride."
I see.
Seeing someone you dislike first thing in the morning—no one could stand that.
I didn't want to talk to them, so I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep.
Juniper actually thought I was asleep and started badmouthing me to James.
"James, why did you agree to let her come to school? With her brain, what could she possibly learn? If she could learn anything, would she have dropped out so early to become a housewife?"
"You should stop her from going. Don't let her embarrass the Smith family later. Just tell her to go back."