?Chapter 1146:


    Elena nced at Lance calmly. “I really don’t mind, so there’s no need to worry,” she assured Tinsley.


    Relief swept over Tinsley, and her shoulders rxed.


    A massive yawn slipped out from Lance, drawing a sharp nce from Tinsley. “Did you pull another all-nighter? You still look like you just rolled out of bed,” she scolded.


    Admitting the truth about histe-night hacking of their own military’s defenses for El was out of the question. If Tinsley knew about that, he’d never hear the end of it. A smirk yed at the corner of his lips as he lied smoothly, “I was up chatting with my idol.”


    Curiosity flickered in Tinsley’s eyes. “Let me guess—was it El, the hacker everyone talks about?”


    That name made Elena’s head snap up, her eyebrow arching.


    No hesitation showed in Lance as he nodded. “She’s actually here in Yoswye now. I’m hoping for a chance to finally meet her,” he replied.


    Elena gazed at Lance, a meaningful smile on her lips. The mystery unraveled. Only one person from the Pantheon circle knew she was in Yoswye: SecondBest. And everything about Lance’sid-back manner matched SecondBest’s from their chats.


    Realizing SecondBest was not just a fellow hacker but royalty stunned Elena for a moment. It exined everything—especially how he had helped her break through the infamous Ninth Prison’s digital walls with such ease.


    A quiet, amused grin stretched across Elena’s lips. Imagine Lance, so determined to meet his idol, never realizing she was right across the table.


    “Why don’t you just invite her to the pce?” Tinsley suggested, thinking it was a simple solution.


    A small shake of the head was all Lance gave in return. “El is not the type who likes big gatherings. She avoids crowds at all costs. But don’t worry—I’ve got my own way of getting her attention.”


    Tinsley let the matter drop.


    A sudden question from Elena broke the pause. “And what makes you so sure she dislikes that?”


    “Anyone who knows her would pick up on that,” Lance replied, his voice full of pride. “I’m probably the person who understands El the most.”


    ?????????????? ?????????? ?????? ?????? ???? gal????ν??????．??????


    Lowering her eyes, Elena hid an amused smile. When did he be the one who knew her best?


    Suspicion crept onto Lance’s face as he watched her. “What’s so funny? Did I say something wrong?” he asked, puzzled.


    With a small shake of her head, Elena kept her secret smile. Inside, she wondered how long it would take before Lance finally put the pieces together. Sleep had barely touched himst night—he was too caught up in the thrill of possibly meeting his idol to realize that his idol had already recognized him.


    Following the meal, Elena made her way back to her room and spotted a message from Lance that hadndedtest night. Reminded of their earlier encounter, she fired off a note in the group chat. “SecondBest, I never realized you had me so figured out.”


    Hardly a second had passed before Lance, freshly returned to his own space, caught sight of her message blinking on his phone. A grin spread across his face as he rolled out his gaming chair, dropped into it, and started hammering at his keyboard. “El, you’re finally online! You’re in Yoswye, right? I’m here too. Let’s meet up!”


    Barely had he brought up meeting face-to-face when the chat exploded with excitement.


    .


    .


    .