Briar had a lot of faith in George’s tracking skills. Hearing this, she sincerely thanked him, “Thanks”
“We’re friends. Don’t mention it,” George said casually.
They were all key members of the Hacker Alliance and had heard snippets about the vendetta that Briar <b>was </b>pursuing. However, they had never dared to ask, fearing it might upset her. They genuinely empathized with her.
Few could endure more than a decade of relentless pursuit and still retain the determination to stay optimistic and diligent in their studies. That was why, when the leader of the Hacker Alliance recruited Briar five years ago, everyone immediately weed her as one of their own.
Although Briar seemed gentle and easygoing, she never disyed any vulnerability. She always investigated her mother’s situation alone and in secrecy. However, this time, she did the unexpected by asking for their help in tracking someone’s whereabouts. When they learned of this, everyone rallied to assist her.
After receiving a message from Briar, the group assembled. Despite having limited information, they went all out and located Harith, a rat hiding in the shadows, in under five hours.
He was a greedy, cunning, and shameless rogue. Fortunately, the powerful figure he depended on held enough influence. He was also careful enough to evade Briar’s pursuit all these years.
However, this time, he had revealed his true self and attempted to kill Briar, so it was understandable that they acted with such ruthlessness. If Briar was unable to handle Harith on this asion, the group had already resolved to intervene and manage the situation personally.
Briar hung up the phone with a smile, feeling wonderful. She grabbed her backpack and was about to leave when she turned around and froze. “Alexia? Alex?”
At the courtyard gate, two figures stood with their arms crossed: Alexia and Alex. With a bright smile, Alexia opened her arms, approached Briar, and pulled her into a warm embrace. “Briar! Are you surprised? I bet you didn’t see thising!”
Briar’s heart filled with pleasant warmth. “I’m very surprised, and this ispletely unexpected.”
Ian returned at that moment and was shocked to see the two of them at the door. “You’re… Aren’t you from the Hacker Alliance<b>?</b><b>” </b>
Alex waved to Ian. “Hi. I’m Alex from the Hacker Alliance.”
With an arm around Briar’s shoulder, Alexia waved ton as well. “Alexia, from the Hacker Alliance.”
“Wow!” Ian circled them. “You’re here to see Briar now… Don’t tell me you’vee to cheer her on?”
Alexia chuckled. “Of course! We couldn’t miss a rare opportunity to see Briar in action. We had to witness <b>it </b>with our own eyes!”
As a member of the DDC Vanguard Mercenary Special Operations Base,n was well acquainted with the workings of the Hacker Alliance. This powerful and enigmatic hacker organization was not known for
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interfering in others‘ affairs or getting involved without cause. They had traveled all the way from <b>Qathana </b><b>to </b>Dasmieca specifically to support Briar.
‘Wait? To support Briar?‘ Ian thought. “Briar, didn’t you say you were just an ordinary hacker in the Hacker Alliance?” Ian asked in surprise.
“Looks like the internationally renowned Ian is a bit slow on the uptake!” Alexughed.
Ian was at a loss for words. Alexia brought Briar over to him and asked, “Did you really think that <b>a </b><b>major </b>figure like the legendary hacker Bree would be just an ordinary hacker in our Hacker Alliance? Imagine how powerful our Hacker Alliance would have to be then!”
Ian was at a loss for words, realizing how naive he had been. Given Briar’s position at the DDC Vanguard Base, it made no sense for her to settle as just an ordinary hacker in the Hacker Alliance.
“Briar, with all of us here to help, how have you managed to do it alone for all these years?” Ian asked curiously.
Briar replied calmly, “These are my personal matters. I didn’t want to involve you in them.” Had Ashton, that powerful and dominant man, not forced his <i>way </i>into her life, she likely would have kept her affairs hidden from them to this day.
Alexia red at Briar, dissatisfied. “What are you saying? After all our years of friendship, who would be afraid of getting dragged into your problems? No matter how skilled you are, can you really aplish more alone than with ourbined strength?”
They hadn’t known how to help Briar before, but now that she was finally giving them an opportunity, they were determined to back her up, no matter what.
“Tha-” Before Briar could finish her “thank you,” Alexia cut her off. “Hey, hold on! No need for all that sentimental stuff! Let’s go–we’ve got people to catch!”
Ian eagerly trotted off to retrieve the car. The vehicle was a modified ck G–Wagon that Ashton had parked. in the courtyard. While it appeared ordinary, every aspect–from its windows to its tires–was bulletproof and st–proof.
ording to Brandon, Ashton had this car custom–made for Briar. He was so worried about her being in danger when she went out alone that he had it armed to the teeth.
The four of them quickly left the vi in the car. Inside, Briar sat in the passenger seat, focused on a miniatureputer that disyed real–time traffic footage from various road surveince cameras.
“Briar, Harith has hidden from you for many years, suggesting he has strong protection. Why would he suddenly <b>act </b>so recklessly? Could this be a trap? Is he intentionally using himself as bait to draw you in?” Hackers are a cunning lot, so it made sense for Alexia to think that way.
Briar shook her head. “It’s not that he’s being reckless. The people behind him don’t want me to investigate any further.”
Alexia and Alex exchanged a look, seeing the surprise and worry in each other’s eyes. Alexia <b>sighed</b><b>. </b>“<b>So. </b>you’ve noticed it too, Briar!”
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?<i>? </i>
The reason they rushed to support Briar was not to see her perform her magic; rather, the more they investigated, the more rmed they became. They uncovered too many hidden secrets surrounding Rosalia’s
death.
The individuals involved in these secrets were either high–ranking officials or influential figures. They feared that Briar would be a target for the masterminds, so they hurried to assist her.
“It wasn’t hard to figure out,” a cold smirk crossed Briar’s lips. “If you could sense something was off within a day, how could I not have realized it after years of investigation?”
That was why she was so moved by what Alexia and Alex had done. As for Ashton, he thought he was doing her a favor by exhausting her and pursuing the culprits on his own.
He had no way of knowing that she couldn’t bear the thought of Ashton going on a dangerous mission alone. No matter how skilled Ashton was, he remained at a disadvantage against scoundrels who didn’t y by the rules.
Ian gritted his teeth. “Is that person really so terrifying?”