Ma’am You Have Been Uncovered

Before Qin Ran came to Continent M, Cheng Mu had mentioned her more than once in the group.

Hence, Cheng Huo also had some understanding of her. He knew she had studied computers with her grandfather and could analyze data.

Furthermore, he also felt like she had an inexplicable connection to the Yunguang Consortium, so he didn’t see anything wrong with her words and simply nodded. “Miss Qin is right, we’re in a muddle.”

Tang Qing stood beside him and frowned, but she remained silent.

Cheng Juan sat back down on his chair and turned over a piece of document. He raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Nothing at all?”

It wasn’t only Cheng Huo who was interested in the Yunguang Consortium’s artificial intelligence. Cheng Juan was also very concerned. Otherwise, he wouldn’t let the information hall spend so much time on it.

Cheng Juan’s eyebrows relaxed and he tapped his fingers on the table for a while before saying generously, “Sure, let Cheng Shui arrange it.”

“I’ll tell him at night.” Cheng Huo knew Cheng Juan wouldn’t refuse and so wasn’t surprised. He thought for a moment before turning to Qin Ran and finally asking the question deep in his heart, “Miss Qin, do you know any insiders of the Yunguang Consortium?”

Cheng Huo had stayed in the tower to study the code and had rarely come out.

This was his opportunity to ask the question.

Tang Qing looked up subconsciously at Qin Ran, evidently surprised.

Turning a page, Qin Ran looked up and said calmly, “I know one person. He plays games and is a professional player of the Kyushu Tour.”

Cheng Huo also knew about the Kyushu Tour and he even played it often.

Cheng Mu had also mentioned that Qin Ran often played games with Lu Zhaoying, so Cheng Huo nodded, thinking that it was probably someone from Team OST.

However, he was a little disappointed, and it showed on his young and energetic face. “Then we can only wait for Tang Qing’s uncle to answer.”

“By the way, Miss Qin, how much do you know about Xiao Hei’s code?” Cheng Huo felt like Qin Ran knew artificial intelligence very well.

Qin Ran turned another page.

Before she could answer, Tang Qing said, “Brother Cheng Huo, I’ll go out and contact my uncle first.”

Tang Qing’s uncle was now the focus of Cheng Huo’s observation. Since Tang Qing was so powerful at a young age, Cheng Huo felt like her uncle was certainly not a simple character.

He didn’t stop her from leaving to contact her uncle and excused himself before leaving with her.

After the two had left, Qin Ran turned around and glanced at Cheng Juan with one hand supporting her chin. “Are you also interested in artificial intelligence?”

“No.” Cheng Juan put down his document and smiled at her. “But I’m interested in the person who developed it.”

“Oh.” Qin Ran lowered her head and said in a voice a few octaves lower, “I see.”

She only asked one question.

Then, she leaned back against the sofa and turned her pages very slowly, not daring to speak again.

The study room was warm and comfortable, and there was a very mild sense of tranquility. During this time, Qin Ran often spent time with Cheng Mu in the day. Although she didn’t use much of her strength, it still depleted much of her physical energy. Her body naturally couldn’t keep up with all the experimental medicine, so she was slightly drowsy at this time.

Cheng Juan originally wanted to ask her questions about artificial intelligence but realized that she seemed lacking in spirit, so he didn’t ask further. Instead, he sat on the other side and continued looking through the incomplete pages of the antique books.

**

Outside.

Cheng Huo waited for Tang Qing to contact her uncle.

Since they hadn’t had made much progress on the code, Cheng Huo originally wanted to contact the President of the Hacker Alliance to solve the puzzle. However, he seemed pretty busy with other things recently and had yet to reply.

“Brother Cheng Huo, does that Miss Qin also know how to code?” Tang Qing sent a video to her uncle and asked while waiting for his reply.

Cheng Huo glanced over at her phone and said absentmindedly, “She has learned a little from her grandfather.”

“Oh. Then, is she from the Hacker Alliance?” Tang Qing continued asking.

“No, the alliance asks me to copy a list of the members every year.” Cheng Huo was still fixated on the phone.

The Hacker Alliance was basically paradise for a hacker. There were many things to learn inside, and except for a few people who didn’t need to rely on the alliance and could stand on their own strength, other famous hackers would all choose to join the alliance.

One was to protect themselves and also learn something along the way. The other was that they could take orders from the official website of the Hacker Alliance.

The channel was very formal.

Hearing this, Tang Qing didn’t ask further and just looked away, waiting for her uncle to reply.

Her uncle didn’t pick up the first time.

But he picked up after the second try.

It sounded a little noisy there and his voice was a little muffled and slightly deep. “Tang Qing? What’s the matter?”

He sounded very imposing.

Tang Qing was obviously very respectful to her uncle. Upon hearing his voice, she straightened her body immediately and the golden curls on her forehead shook gently. “Uncle, are you still in Continent M?”

Tang Qing’s uncle seemed to be walking on the other end of the phone. After a while, the noise disappeared. Her uncle had probably found a quiet place to answer the call. “I’m still dealing with some stuff.”

“Oh. The thing is, I have a code here regarding artificial intelligence. I want to invite you here…” Tang Qing explained the situation very concisely.

Her uncle’s voice was faint. “No, I can’t walk away.”

He rejected her very neatly.

Judging by his tone, it seemed like he would hang up at any time.

Tang Qing had already expected this result, but she still tried to persuade him. “We’re on the manor by the shore, not far from your workplace. If it’s not too disruptive, we could visit you…”

The voice on the other end paused. “Wait, where did you say you were?”

Tang Qing originally thought her uncle would hang up.

Unexpectedly, her uncle inquired about where she was staying.

She immediately sent him the exact address of the manor.

Her uncle seemed to be in deep thought and took a while to reply. “I’ll consider it.”

“My uncle didn’t refuse.” Tang Qing suppressed the joy in her heart after the call. Her blue eyes sparkled like the sea under the sun. “There’s still a chance.”

Cheng Huo was lying on the window sill on the side, looking at her. “Do you know what position your uncle has in the Yunguang Consortium? Judging from his voice…”

He didn’t seem like an ordinary person.

“I’m really not sure, but my uncle was already very powerful when I was a kid,” Tang Qing whispered. “The Hacker Alliance invited him a long time ago, but he didn’t join.”

Some masters were born wanton and unrestrained. They loved freedom and didn’t like being bound to a system like the Hacker Alliance, thus not joining them.

Obviously, Tang Qing’s uncle was such a character.

Nodding, Cheng Huo felt even more expectant towards the uncle. “As soon as your uncle contacts you, notify me immediately.”

“Okay.” Tang Qing squeezed her phone tightly and smiled. “I’ll notify you as soon as possible.”

**

In the evening.

Cheng Juan was awakened by the circadian clock. Lethargic, he had fallen asleep along with Qin Ran in the afternoon.

When he woke, Qin Ran was still sleeping on the sofa.

With his head resting on his arm, he stared at the half of her face peeking out. She was sleeping peacefully, her chest heaving gently. At this angle, her eyelashes hung down, long and slender.

Her hair hung down softly along her ears. When asleep, her usual sharpness couldn’t be seen at all.

Cheng Juan had set a high temperature in the room, so Qin Ran only wore a sweater without a coat. She was extremely thin at this moment. Ever since Chen Shulan’s death, she hadn’t been eating well.

She only began eating normally recently in Continent M, but she was still losing weight.

Sighing softly, Cheng Juan reached out to tuck a strand of hair that was blocking her eyes.

Someone knocked quietly on the door outside.

It wasn’t loud, but Qin Ran moved and climbed up from the sofa. Her eyes were still drowsy as she stared at the sky outside. “Is it time to eat?”

Cheng Juan stood up and handed her a coat. “Let’s go.”

Qin Ran put on the coat slowly before looking at the time on her phone.

Seven o’clock.

It was indeed time to eat.

She followed Cheng Juan downstairs slowly while scrolling through her phone.

She had slept all afternoon and had many unread messages.

Lu Zhaoying invited her to play games, Lin Siran sent her a video of today’s class, and Yan Xi asked for her address to send her his album…

She replied to them one by one. She would play games at night with Lu Zhaoying, and as for Lin Siran, she sent her a photograph of the garden in the manor.

Then, she sent the school’s address as well as Lin Siran’s name to Yan Xi.

She scrolled to the last message.

This contact was a little special. Their previous message had been from a year ago, and the message this time was also very crisp and clear—

[Where are you in Continent M?]

Qin Ran typed on her phone—

[Why?]

The other party replied quickly, repeating his question—

[Where are you in Continent M?]

Qin Ran touched her chin and turned towards Cheng Juan. “What’s the address again?”

Cheng Juan replied to her.

Qin Ran nodded and sent the address over.

The person’s avatar was a black hole and his reply was also very concise—

[Neighbor.]