Ariel turned to Elsie. “Did you bring yourptop?”


    Elsie looked slightly puzzled but nodded. “Of course. What do you take me for? I always have myptop with me.”


    The corners of Ariel’s mouth lifted. “Have youpiled the data I’ve been sending to your email almost every day for the past month?”


    Elsie seemed to catch on to something. “I’vepiled them…”


    Ariel shifted her gaze to Gary. “I kept an extra copy of the data with her. I know it’s sensitive information and we’re not supposed to leak it.


    “Elsie has no idea what the data actually is since I shuffled and rearranged it randomly. The original data can only be restored by following a certain pattern. These are the real results we gathered from testing, and they should match the data collected from the tests run at the base the other day.”


    Samson stiffened, frowning slightly as he nced at Ariel.


    Meanwhile, Jayson tilted his head, studying her. He had always known Ariel had a habit of keeping backups of


    her work.


    Normally, they couldn’t store multiple backup copies of sensitive military data, making it imperative to perform their work with absolute caution. No errors were tolerated at any stage of the procedure.


    With others having witnessed Ariel and Elsie’s purely professional rtionship, it was clear Elsie wouldn’t help Ariel in fabricating a new data set.


    The extra copy of data not only highlighted Ariel’s meticulousness but also demonstrated her trust in Elsie, as she had entrusted her with its safekeeping.


    Elsie’s eyes widened. “You kept all that from me too? You should’ve told me about your n. I was worried sick for nothing!”


    She immediately pulled out herptop and uploaded the encrypted emails Ariel had sent her, allowing them to be assessed for the investigation.


    Yet, as Elsie did so, she subconsciously nced at Samson across from her. She vaguely recalled he was the only one she’d seen before submitting the data.


    7:05 PM Thu 2 Oct


    53%


    +35 BONUS


    Gary wasted no time instructing his men to check. Soon, they confirmed that Ariel’s data matched the results from the most recent testing, as well as the records stored at the agency in Ulyndor under jayson’s request.


    There wasn’t a single error. The data was precise and almost wless.


    Ariel turned back to Gary. “I hope a full investigation will be carried out regarding the tampering of our data.


    This is a serious issue that has hindered the progress of an important project, and there’s the risk of sensitive


    information being leaked.”


    She looked next at Elsie. “As for her, I’m sure she’s willing to cooperate with the investigation. But I can assure


    you she hasn’t broken any rules or protocols. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have entrusted her with the data.”


    Elsie felt overwhelmed. She never imagined Ariel would defend her <i>so </i>firmly, shielding her from me. In a


    way, Ariel was vouching for her innocence and professionalism simply by leaving the data in her care.


    “So, where did it all go wrong?” Elsie wondered.


    Her heartbeat quickened. The whole situation was absurd and terrifying. If not for Ariel’s foresight, what would have happened to her?


    Within a short time, Ariel and Jayson had produced solid evidence proving that none of them had aced


    dishonestly.


    Samson stayed silent, his conflicted gaze lingering on Ariel.


    Jayson calmly addressed Gary. “Regarding the factory incident, I promise I’ll handle it properly if you’re willing


    to put your faith in me.”


    Gary finally had a clearer picture of what was happening. If the data had indeed been tampered with, then the


    issue was far more serious than expected.


    Up until now, <fn77d4> Updates are released by find?novel</fn77d4>


    Ariel had never once mentioned that possibility. She only requested an investigation at this point.


    Clearly, she had her reasons.


    Faced with such an incident out of nowhere, Ariel chose to wait, giving the perpetrator time to expose their true intentions. Now, everything was crystal clear.


    The problemy in the attempt to monopolize the market in Croinia and the Sra region. That was the real


    motive.


    Ariel’s


    gaze flicked toward Samson before she rose and walked over to Jayson.


    7:05 PM Thu 2 Oct


    Jayson lowered his eyes, waiting for her to speak.


    53%


    <b>$</b>35 BONUS


    Ariel turned back to Gary. “I understand you have your own considerations when choosing between Bluum Corp and Yeager Group. But I’d like to remind you of one thing.


    “When I was developing the U.N2 a few years ago, the prototype only seeded because someone provided crucial material at the time. It perfectly resolved the ws in the drone’s exterior. With Jayson’s help, that reconnaissance and strike drone became as well–known as it is today.”