Downstairs, Juniper was transforming her appearance. She coiled her long hair into a bun, pulled on a baseball cap, and slipped into a ck tactical jacket and


    matching joggers, finishing the look with ckbat boots. Dressed head-to-toe in ck, she looked incredibly slick and dangerous.


    "Holy crap." Lue, catching sight of Juniper, leaned out of the car window with a mischievous grin. "Juniper, I just had a brilliant idea on how to take out the head of the Sigma Network without losing a single soldier. What do you think?"


    "What?" Juniper ducked into the passenger seat, buckled up, and began toying with the exquisite handgun in her hands.


    "Seduction," Lue dered with a dramatic flourish. "Our intel says the Sigma Network''s leader hasn''t had a woman near him in years. He might even be into men. In that outfit, you could make anyone weak in the knees, man or woman. You could seduce him, and when he''s not paying attention, you strike. A quick stab, in and out..."


    "Lue." Juniper''s voice was low and unhurried as she turned to face her chattering friend. "One more word and I''m throwing you out of this car."


    "Er—" Lue''s voice died in her throat. She wisely backed down, forcing augh. "Just kidding! If I let you seduce another man, that old fox Shanley would probably kill me!"


    "Enough with the nonsense. What''s the situation on the ind?" Juniper''s expression turned serious.


    "It''s the World Hacker Competition, so all the big names are here. Moralia Country''s intelligence agency has even joined the security detail this year," Lue exined. "That means security on-site will be incredibly tight. Making a move there will be difficult."


    Juniper listened intently, her eyes scanning a map of the ind and thepetition venue''syout.


    "It also seems Sigma Network has caught wind of our movements," Lue added. "They''re nning a counterattack to eliminate you."


    "Hmph." A smirk yed on Juniper''s lips, her tone dripping with contempt. "He couldn''t eliminate me when I was thirteen. Five yearster, does that old man really think he has the strength to take me on?"


    "Who knows?" Lue shrugged, her hands steady on the steering wheel. "Men are born with an overdose of confidence."


    "We can''t make a move at the venue..." Juniper mused for a moment, her voice turning cold. "But he has to leave by boat when thepetition ends. We''ll strike in the middle of the ocean."


    Out at sea, far from the city and any crowds, they could go all out. Perfect!


    "Got it," Lue agreed. "Good strategy. Our people have already taken up positions across the sea, lying in wait."


    "Good." Juniper nodded, closing the map and pulling out her phone to open WhatsApp.


    Three minutes ago, Shanley had sent her a picture of the restaurant where he was having a business dinner. She replied with a pre-taken photo of her hotel room.


    Liberty Ind, located in the western


    part of Moralia Country, was a


    remote outpost about 1,500 kilometers from the maind, inhabited only by a few fishing fangilies to protect To protect the identities of the hackers, the event was deliberately held in the middle of nowhere.


    After parking Juniper and Lue boarded a yacht prepared by Subterra Vanguard and set a course for the open sea. The ind was swarming with guards, staff, and hackers from all over the world After having their invitations verified, they entered arge, temporary structure.


    The main hall was set up like a cocktail party, with people in various masks mingling and conversing, each hoping to glean some information about the others'' identities.


    To put it another way, they were all dying to know who Specter was and who was the leader of the Sigma Network. Most attendees were there for the spectacle of a showdow between the two titans.