While everyone else was tearing their hair out and pulling all-nighters over a single parameter in this hellishly difficult competition.
The Hope Initiative had actually handed in their test early!
Lydia, sitting right next to Serena, tilted her chin up proudly upon hearing the praise. "Of course we did!"
Her eyes were shining as she completely embraced her role as Serena's number one fanatic. "Just look at who our Captain is!"
"Honestly, the very first day we got the assignment, the Captain took one glance at the prompt and wrote out the core algorithm on the spot."
"If it weren't for the Captain wanting to train us and letting us personally lead the physical experimental process,"
"With her skills, she could have submitted the final report on the very first afternoon!"
The claim sounded completely unhinged and impossibly arrogant.
But not a single person in the room thought she was exaggerating.
In fact, they were all nodding in solemn agreement.
With Serena's terrifying level of skill, doing something that freakish was entirely believable.
"She's too powerful."
"Seriously, how is Serena's brain even wired?"
"If I could ride the coattails of a genius like that, I'd wake up laughing in my sleep."
...
The crowd chattered eagerly, completely in awe.
Hiding just outside the cafeteria doors, Bianca listened to the endless praise, the metallic tang of blood rising in the back of her throat.
She was so furious she thought her organs might rupture.
She dug her nails brutally into her own skin, clenching her fists until her knuckles turned white.
What a faker!
A Peerless Genius? Finishing on the first day?
She could certainly spin a good lie!
Isabella was just as consumed by jealousy watching Serena soak up the glory.
But her mind was slightly clearer than Bianca's. She tugged at Bianca's sleeve, keeping her voice low. "Bianca, Serena's arrogance is actually a massive advantage for us."
"The cockier they act now, the more it proves they have their guards completely down. It guarantees they won't discover what we did last night."
Right as she finished speaking.
A competitor inside the cafeteria suddenly remembered something and leaned in to warn Serena. "Serena, you guys should still be careful."
"Last night, Bianca and Isabella were caught sneaking around right outside your lab."
"Who knows what those two psycho women were trying to pull in the dead of night?"
"What if they were actually trying to steal your experimental data?"
"I really think you should run a diagnostic on your final files before submitting them to the judges, just to make sure those backstabbers didn't mess with anything
Hearing this, the sinister smirks on Bianca and Isabella's faces instantly froze, their
hearts shooting straight into their throats.
Their breath hitched in sheer panic.
It was over.
If Serena went back to check her laptop right now and saw the corrupted drive...
Everything they had done last night would be exposed!
A cold sweat broke out across their bodies. Ignoring their dizzying fevers, they immediately turned to run.
But before they could take a step, the girl's lazy, nonchalant voice drifted out. "No need."
Two simple words, completely unbothered.
Spoken with an arrogant certainty that clearly proved she viewed them as nothing more than insects beneath her boots. "I told you. My things aren't something just anyone can easily steal
Outside the doors, Bianca and Isabella both let out a massive, shuddering breath of relief.
But what they failed to notice...
Was that as Serena spoke those words, her lazy gaze flicked up, looking directly at the exact spot where they were hiding.
The faint smirk playing on her lips dripped with mocking amusement.
Bianca sneered, her face twisting with absolute disgust. "That bitch Serena really knows how to put on a show!"
"Let her enjoy the high for now.
When the judges publicly review the
data, the higher she climbed, the
harder she's going to hit the
Concrete. Let's see how she survives
that!"
FindNovel.net
Her mind was already visualizing the glorious moment when the final results were
announced-