"......Are you hacker X?" Qin Yan stared at Qiao Ying nervously. His mind was in turmoil, filled more with disbelief than anticipation. After all, he had imagined hacker X to be an aloof man who loved wearing dark casual clothes and didn't care to respond to anyone.
Although the imagined personality and dress of hacker X did have some similarities with Qiao Ying, when it came to gender and age... The latter just glanced at him lightly, raising her eyebrows slightly without much emotional expression, neither denying nor asking who hacker X was. Qin Yan understood - it was this reaction, he was right.
Qin Yan couldn't help but gasp, shocked inwardly.
"...Young Master, she is hacker X!"
Qin Hanyue reacted in a similar way to Qiao Ying, except his gaze was even colder, with undisguised contempt.
Qin Yan instantly realized: "You already knew?"
Merely because they had crossed hands across the screen before, without even being completely certain that the mysterious person behind the screen was Qiao Ying the quiz contestant herself, Young Master had already confirmed it?
Or had he missed something?
It wasn't important. What was important was, so this was true? Qiao Ying really was hacker X?!
Qin Yan felt this world had become completely bizarre.
In terms of computers, he had always felt he was a born gifted son of heaven, having made a name for himself on the hacker rankings quite early. But now it seemed he was just a pile of shit.
"But...but..." Qin Yan still couldn't accept it.
The mysteriously talented hacker X who was ranked first and was as cryptic as an encrypted code, turned out to be just a girl in her early teens?
The legendary figure in the hacker community whom he had revered as an idol for eight years, the goddess who had made a name for herself eight years ago with one brilliant feat, turned out to be a little girl?
Qiao Ying was only eleven years old eight years ago. This was too far fetched! What was he doing when he was eleven? He was secretly buying snacks to eat!
Qin Yan looked at Qiao Ying's face, wanting to speak yet stopping himself several times.
No, he needed to calm down and compose himself.
Seeing Qin Yan with an expression that seemed to be both anguished and on the verge of breakdown, the doctor wondered if he needed any help.
Not long after, Qiao Yi woke up.
Qiao Ying called him: "The teacher said you fainted at school. What happened? Do you feel unwell?"
Qiao Yi looked dazed: "I don't know either. I met an unfamiliar teacher who asked me to help him move stuff, so I went with him, then I don't know why I fainted. Sis I'm fine."
Qiao Ying asked: "What did that teacher look like?"
Qiao Yi tried hard to recall but somehow couldn't remember the other party's appearance at all: "A male teacher. His looks...I can't remember very clearly."
"Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere on your body?"
"I'm fine, it's just my head feels a little dizzy."
Qiao Ying didn't say much more to Qiao Yi and hung up the call. She said to Qin Hanyue: "It was most likely a deliberate drugging."
Qin Hanyue said: "If you don't have other enemies, then it could only have been Shadows. But what do they mean by doing this?"
They had merely drugged Qiao Yi without doing anything else harmful.
Was it a warning?
Sure enough—
Qiao Ying said: "A warning."
How could Qiao Ying not understand the ways of Shadows - Black Spade A, Red Heart K, Mu Ying, Blade Shadow, Feng Ying had died at her hands one by one. She understood Shadows so well, yet Shadows didn't even know her motives clearly.
And the ace that Shadows held - Blood Shadow - they had buried with their own hands. Plus the formidable Feng Ying.
In single combat, none from the massive Shadows would be her match, JOKER included. She just didn't know what JOKER was thinking right now.
Shadows wanted to kill her, yet they feared her at the same time.
So they chose to warn her this way.
Qin Hanyue said: "They are apprehensive of you."
This was a good thing.
But Shadows were definitely not to be trifled with either. Qiao Ying would take action next, and if a truce could not be reached, Shadows would definitely not wait helplessly to perish: "They merely drugged Qiao Yi today, then what about next time?"
Qin Hanyue voiced his worry.
Qiao Ying said: "I'll face the troops when they come, and guard against the floods when they arrive."
From the day she was reborn, she knew that it would only be a fight to the death between her and Shadows. The only one who could possibly suffer harm because of her was Qiao Yi. But now she couldn't sever her emotional ties with Qiao Yi either.
Black Spade A and Red Heart K were just the appetizers. Her real test against Shadows was only just beginning now.
Seeing Qin Hanyue looking at her worriedly, Qiao Ying fell silent for a moment, then said: "I cherish my own life."
With that one line, Qin Hanyue felt much more reassured.
Qiao Ying did things high profile. Although she had the capability to do so, how could Qin Hanyue not worry with her opponent being Shadows?
Yet he couldn't help her with anything either. He had never crossed paths with Shadows before, he didn't even know where the Shadows' lair was located. Even if he had the ability to help her get revenge, given Qiao Ying's personality she still wouldn't let him intervene.
Qin Hanyue said: "There will come a day when this enmity ends. When you have gotten your revenge, can I get some answers then?"
Qiao Ying didn't reply immediately. She looked at Qin Hanyue and pondered for a moment. She gave a slight nod and was about to speak, when Qin Yan who had been digesting this reality beside them for a long time finally accepted the fact.
What was wrong with hacker X being female? What was wrong with a teenager in her early teens? She was able to take on all the mob boss leaders solo in the fighting arena, she was able to expose Shadows' assassins and kill them, she was able to bring Old Master Qin back from the dead, her friends were either the young master of a black society or the boss of 791. Even Young Master had been subdued by her. What else was impossible? Which of these matters wasn't mysterious and bizarre?
After accepting it, facing his idol whom he had been thinking of day and night, all that was left was full excitement and delight.
His idol had been by his side all this while!
Qin Yan stepped forward excitedly: "...Miss Qiao."
Successfully interrupting Qiao Ying's words, Qiao Ying looked at him.
Qin Yan pointed to himself, so agitated he was incoherent: "I, I am your fan, no, you are my idol. I've liked you for a long time."
A fierce male gaze swept over.
Qin Yan shuddered and quickly explained: "No no, not that meaning. I meant admiration, I'm talking about admiration."
If not for Qin Hanyue being present, Qin Yan would have lost control of himself earlier.
Seeing the flustered Qin Yan who was clearly a diehard fan, Qiao Ying gave a slight nod: "I know, you're Q."
Qin Yan had an elated look of being seen through: "You know me? How did you know? That's right, it's me. I'm Q."
Qiao Ying: "Qin Hanyue was the one who taught you hacking techniques?"
During that exchange they had, Qiao Ying noticed that both Qin Hanyue and Qin Yan's technical methods were very similar.
Qin Yan: "Yes."
Qiao Ying then asked Qin Hanyue: "You seem to not have a ranking on the charts?"
Qin Hanyue: "I didn't see any meaning in it previously. Now I could probably vie for the number two spot."
With her being first, him being second.
Qiao Ying gave a light tug at the corner of her mouth but didn't take up his words.
The overexcited Qin Yan's mind was a little chaotic. How had he thought about this initially? That if he ever met his idol, he must take a photo together, ask for an autograph, learn some technical tricks if possible, and even wildly wish to make friends?
Was it possible? It seemed possible.
Qin Yan took a look at Qin Hanyue, and instantly had a bucket of cold water poured over his head.
Clearly it was impossible.
As Qin Yan's thoughts raced, he suddenly recalled something: "I just remembered something."
Qiao Ying: "Related to me?"
Qin Yan: "There was a virus in my computer, that night after our match, those videos...was it Miss Qiao who did it?"
Qin Yan shook his head. He desperately hoped not. He had finally met his idol with great difficulty. Please don't destroy this, he would rather it be because his computer firewall was useless. He didn't want...
Qiao Ying stated bluntly, shattering his fantasy: "You deserved it."
Snap!
Qin Yan's heart shattered.
Qin Yan took a deep breath, on the verge of tears: "Miss Qiao do you know how devastated I was then? With a conference room full of people, all my colleagues, projected on screen, and you didn't even censor anything! My image, my reputation... I nearly died that morning."
Now when Qin Yan thought back he still wanted to die.
"Conference room?" Qiao Ying looked at Qin Hanyue: "So you saw it too?"
Qin Hanyue: "Unwillingly."
