James gave Curtis a quick, indifferent nce.


    Curtis, sensing the need to rify, quickly added, "I was just asking Ms. Mirabe to help check the firewall program."


    James made a nomittal sound and casually grabbed a paper towel to dry his hands. Just as he was about to speak, Mirabe stood up, cutting him off. "I''m heading back now," she said.


    James nced at the clock on the wall, thought for a moment, and decided not to keep her. "Alright," he said.


    At that moment, his phone rang from the coffee table.


    Curtis, who had already shut down hisptop, noticed Mirabe was about to leave and saw James pick up the phone. He quickly offered, "Ms. Mirabe, are you heading back to the university? I''m going that way; I can give you a lift."


    He still didn''t know that Mirabe lived in the same neighborhood.


    "I''m not going back to the university," Mirabe replied, "but you can drop me off on the way."


    "Sure thing," Curtis agreed without hesitation.


    James nced at the caller ID, narrowed his eyes slightly, waved at Mirabe, and then answered the call.


    As Mirabe and Curtis walked out and got into the car, Curtis respectfully asked, "Ms. Mirabe, what''s your address?"


    Mirabe gave him the number of her building.


    Curtis fell into a half-minute silence upon hearing the address. No wonder James suddenly moved back to this house-it was because of Ms. Mirabe.


    A short whileter, Curtis dropped Mirabe off at her front door. He watched her enter therge house before getting back into the car. As he started the engine, he couldn''t help but ponder over the additional defense mode Mirabe had added for him.


    After driving a few dozen meters slowly, something seemed to click. He


    immediately hit the brakes, reached into the back seat for hisptop, and booted it up quickly.


    Minutester, Curtis closed the


    The defense mode Ms. Mirabet


    had implemented bore a striking resemnce to the unbeaten defense mechanism previously set by the world''s top hacker, Y. It was so simr, he even thought Mirabe''s might be more intricate.


    What has the worlde to, one prodigy after another?


    Feeling a bit inferior, Curtis took a deep breath and restarted the car.


    Two dayster, Mirabe returned some documents.


    Zane, looking at the man envelope Mirabe handed him, asked in surprise, "You finished reading it already?"


    Mirabe was silent for a moment, then nodded. She was too modest to mention she had finished it the day she took it home.


    Zane, thinking she might not have fully grasped the content-given that it involved topics usually covered in junior and senior years-didn''t press her further on her thoughts after reading.


    He stored the envelope in a drawer and said earnestly, "You''re just a freshman now; you''ll have plenty of opportunities to engage in research projects. Don''t rush."


    Mirabe hummed softly, her gaze lowered, looking very humble.


    Seeing this, Zane paused for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Are you interested in participating in a research project?"


    "Hm?" Mirabe looked up, not quite understanding why Zane would ask that.


    Zane had been contemting which student from the department to take to Mr. Calvin''sb for an experiment. He had asked a few students, but none were willing to go.


    Considering he was about to


    conduct an experiment for the students soon, Zane thought it might be a good idea to take Mirabe to see it. Although she was a freshman, her interest was there, and it could broaden her horizons.


    Soon after, Zane briefly exined Meg''s experiment to Mirabe.