While the two of them were talking, a battered Adrian staggered toward the door, clutching his chest. His face was twisted in agony, his steps completely unsteady.
In his entire life, aside from his grandfather, no one had ever dared lay a hand on him.
How dare she... How dare she!
Fuelled by absolute rage, Adrian pushed past the pain and stormed the entrance.
Just as he opened his mouth to shout, his gaze locked onto the illuminated screen. When he recognized the face staring back from the monitor, the fury on Adrian's face instantly dissolved into profound shock.
That... That was...
Mr. Harrison?!
The head of the National Institute of Advanced Research, a tenured legend in the academic world, and a national treasure who rarely even appeared on television.
It was the revered Mr. Harrison!
And what was a titan of his caliber calling Serena?
The Scientific Oracle?
Adrian's mind buzzed with static.
Serena actually knew Mr. Harrison?
How could a girl from the countryside with zero connections possibly know someone of this magnitude?!
Even when Serena had relied on the Wynn family to enter Vaelion City's elite circles, she shouldn't have been able to reach someone like this. Hell, the Cole family couldn't even get an audience with him, let alone the Wynn family.
But not only did Serena know Mr. Harrison, the atmosphere of their conversation and his deferential attitude made it painfully obvious...
They were incredibly close.
More than that, Mr. Harrison seemed to hold a genuine sense of reverence toward her.
He didn't just call her 'Oracle' he had casually offered to repurpose a military satellite just to power her lab.
Was she... actually that powerful?
So brilliant that a national treasure placed blind trust in her?
Suddenly, Adrian remembered how effortlessly Serena had stood in the light earlier, solving the impossible equations that had stumped the greatest prodigies from across the nation.
FindNovel.net
The boiling anger from being kicked to the ground was instantly suffocated by a manic surge of excitement.
This was Mr. Harrison!
If... if he could use this golden opportunity to build a connection with him...
If he could just get Mr. Harrison to say a few good words to his grandfather...
Then the disastrous power outage he caused today would immediately be forgiven.
He would even bring immense glory to the Cole family! His grandfather would finally recognize his supreme value as the true heir!
Without a second thought, Adrian practically threw himself at the doorway, bowing with a sickeningly sweet smile. "Hello Mr. Harrison! am Adrian Cole, the heir to the Gole family in Vaelion City!"
He nodded vigorously, acting like an eager subordinate. "I'm also a Guest Inspector
for this tournament."
He cast a deliberately affectionate glance toward Serena. "I had no idea you two were so well-acquainted."
"Serena is truly a rare talent. She's
performed spectacularly in this
globat
elite challenge. I honestly
diant expect her to make it this fare
He was desperately trying to use Serena as a bridge to close the gap between himself and the legendary professor.
But Mr. Harrison had been deeply invested in his conversation with Serena, still riding the high of scientific excitement.
Annoyed by the sudden interruption, he furrowed his brow and didn't even bother acknowledging Adrian's greeting.
Instead, he looked at Serena, silently asking: *Who is this guy? What's your relationship with him?*
Serena's face was completely deadpan. "We don't have one."
Adrian's expression froze. He quickly forced a laugh. "You always love joking around. How could we not be close?"