Chapter 500 Joining Dane’s Team

+8 Pearls

“But you have to realize, what you’re about to do is truly unprecedented in Cetherland’s history—a mission that’s considered impossible.”

Benedict’s whole demeanor shifted. He dropped the playful attitude and was all business now.

“I know, Mr. Benedict. I’ll do everything I can to help Dane.”

Tilda’s reply was just as earnest.

“Good. I hope that next time I call, I’ll get to hear good news from you all. I’ve seen what you’re capable of. The younger generation really does outshine the old. The future is yours. If helping you even gives Cetherland the slightest chance to pull off this so-called impossible task, I’ll gladly pay any price!”

Back in the day, Benedict and his brother Wesley had watched as foreign hackers invaded Cetherland’s national network, acting all smug and gloating. Fueled by their patriotic spirit, they rallied Cetherland’s best hackers and launched a counterattack against anyone daring to mess with their country’s cyberspace.

With their superb wisdom and skills, they pulled off a comeback so spectacular that the world finally took notice. After that, no one dared underestimate Cetherland’s cyber talent again.

After all these years and everything they’d been through, they’d grown wiser, less impulsive. But that deep-rooted love for their country had never faded. If anything, it had grown even stronger and sharper with time.

Maybe just this once, they could afford to be a little reckless—for the sake of the girl they believed in. They decided to trust her.

“We will, I promise!”

When Tilda and the others arrived at Lab Seven’s base, they made it through several rounds of security scans and checks before meeting Manfred.

“Come on, Queen, I’ll take you to see Professor Kerrigan.”

“Thank you.”

+8 Pearls

They walked through long corridors, took the elevator, and Manfred used his ID to send them to the lowest level. The elevator dropped quickly.

Ding-

The doors slid open. Manfred led them through a sanitizing room and into the lounge. Dane was already waiting for them.

“Dane!”

Tilda’s face lit up as she rushed over to Dane. He caught her and gently stroked her head.

“Dane, you’ve lost weight. Look at those dark circles and that beard… I know research matters, but you still need to take care of yourself.”

Just hugging Dane, Tilda could feel his waist was even thinner than before. He’d always been slim, and now he was so thin that Tilda’s heart ached.

Dane only stroked her hair, his eyes gentle as he told her silently, “I’m fine. Don’t worry, Tilda.”

Once Tilda let go, Mystro and Liam stepped forward.

“Dane, this is Liam.”

Dane sized up Liam. Liam did the same. Then, they both reached out at the same time, as if they were on the same wavelength. They even gave each other a quick hug.

Dane grabbed a notepad and wrote in strong, clear letters, “Great to meet you, Liam.”

Liam smiled. “Same here, Dane.”

“Alright, we’ll have plenty of time to catch up. Dane, I’m sure Mr. Parker has already told you why we’re here. Liam will be working with you on the lithography machine and collecting samples to assist in treating your condition. I know you’d never slow down your research for anything, but now that we’re here, we’ll do everything we can to help!”

Tilda gave a thumbs-up. Seeing his two long-lost juniors and Tilda, Dane’s eyes softened.

“Thank you.”

“No problem.”

At that moment, Manfred clapped his hands, drawing everyone’s attention. “Sorry to interrupt your happy reunion, but I need to go over a few important points about the lithography machine project…”

Manfred laid out everything they had to keep in mind for the project. After that, it was all up to Dane.

In the lab, Dane’s team was busy working through the day’s experiments. The group included leading scientists specializing in mechanical engineering, electronics, and chemistry.

Just then, a middle-aged man suddenly spoke up, “Did you hear about Professor Kerrigan stepping out to welcome three new team members?”

“Yeah, I heard one of them is the Queen—she’s a top dark web hacker. She played a huge role in the programming of the early stages of the lithography machine project.”

“I also heard she led her own squad and got official recognition from the National Cyber Security Center. They even made it into the state’s system on their own.”

“Even Mr. Parker and Professor Kerrigan can’t stop praising her. She’s also Professor Kerrigan’s junior, so her skills must be the real deal.”