Linden shot a nce at Mirabe and said, "If we''re not wee, we''ll head out."


    Meg was secretly hoping Mirabe would leave, but hearing Linden''s words made her worry he might not help with the data analysis anymore.


    Furrowing her brow but wanting to avoid any unnecessary tension, Meg softened her tone and said, "Linden, I think you''ve got the wrong idea. My issue with Mirabe is personal; you''re definitely wee here."


    Given that Linden was one of the top students in data analysis, she didn''t want to create any bad blood, especially since they''d probably need to work together in the future.


    Linden offered a faint smile. If Mirabe wasn''t wee, it felt like he wasn''t either. Besides, Mirabe didn''t seem like the kind to cause trouble; it was Meg''s prideful tone that rubbed him the wrong way.


    With pursed lips, Linden declined, "You might want to find someone else for data analysis."


    Then, turning to Mirabe with an apologetic expression, he said, "Sorry, I should''ve given you a heads-up. I ended up wasting your time."


    Linden genuinely felt bad for Mirabe, who had given up her lunch break to help, only to end up in this awkward mess.


    Mirabe raised an eyebrow at Linden, a bit surprised by his reaction, and smiled, "It wasn''t a wasted trip."


    Linden was about to suggest they leave when Mirabe''s words stopped him, leaving him puzzled about what she meant.


    Tilting her head, Mirabe added, "If I hadn''te today, I''d never have known someone was pinching my ideas."


    "Pinching your ideas?" Linden looked even more confused.


    "Yep." Mirabe turned her gaze to Meg. "Isn''t that right, Meg?"


    Meg''s hands shook, and her face turned a shade paler. In research, stealing ideas was akin to giarism, a reputation killer if exposed.


    "Watch your words. What do you mean, stealing your ideas? Is everyone supposed to stop researching gic coding because of you? You''re being ridiculous!" Meg''s voice was sharp and defensive.


    She certainly wasn''t going to admit to any idea theft. After all, who decided that anything said out loud was someone''s intellectual property? It wasughable.


    Mirabe admired how someone could deny so vehemently while spouting seemingly logical reasons. Just standing there, they could easily overpower an honest person.


    "Sounds impressive, but stealing is stealing, no matter how well you mimic, you won''t get the essence," Mirabe clicked her tongue lightly.


    "Ha." Meg scoffed, "If I could grasp the essence, I wouldn''t still be a student; I''d be a renowned scientist by now."


    Hearing the heated words from the doorway, the otherb members quickly paused their work and moved to stand behind Meg.


    They all knew the whole story and exchanged looks. After Meg spoke, they stepped in, eager to defuse the situation before it escted.