Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

A bunch of cumbersome and complicated program data was inside.

Qin Ran glanced at the first page and casually put it aside.

“Butler Qin said to let you finish reading it. The content should be quite complicated.” Cheng Mu sat at the side and seriously conveyed Butler Qin’s intention.

Hearing this, she just perfunctorily nodded. “Okay.”

Cheng Mu kept her dishes later and found her sitting on the sofa with her laptop on her lap.

Cheng Juan was still not back.

“Miss Qin, sleep earlier.” He greeted her before heading downstairs.

He had an appointment with the old gardener tomorrow and wanted to do some homework before their discussion on gardening.

**

At night, close to 1 am.

Cheng Juan walked up to the door with his keys, followed by Cheng Jin.

The lights in the corridor were a little dim.

But a glimmer of light shone inside.

Holding his phone, Cheng Jin reported to Cheng Juan, “Ouyang Wei just contacted me. I think she saw the order you put at 129. Master Juan, you…”

Cheng Juan opened the door.

The lights were still turned on in the hall.

Looking up, Cheng Juan saw someone sitting on the sofa, wearing headphones, and dealing with the data on her black heavy laptop.

Her black hair was sprawled over her snow-white pajamas.

He gave Cheng Jin a warning glance.

Cheng Jin immediately got the signal and stopped talking about Ouyang Wei.

Despite wearing headphones, Qin Ran heard them coming up. She took off one side of her headphones, glanced over, and then continued dealing with the data calmly.

“Master Juan.” Cheng Jin changed into slippers at the door, his voice lowered.

Cheng Juan lazily nodded.

“You should buy Miss Qin a new laptop.” He finished changing his shoes.

Without waiting for his response, he walked over to Qin Ran. “Miss Qin, good evening.”

Then, he immediately turned and headed downstairs.

As for the remaining business talks…

He didn’t dare bother Cheng Juan with them now.

Still standing at the door in his slippers, Cheng Juan continued staring at Qin Ran and her computer.

Her computer indeed looked different from others. It was quite heavy and looked to be rather old. He remembered she had stuck to this laptop since high school.

Feeling complicated, he walked over to the water dispenser for a cup of water, then leaned on Qin Ran’s sofa and chuckled dully at her.

He never expected that someday, someone would call him stingy.

Qin Ran took off the other headphone and glanced at him.

“No, you should change to a new laptop. My sister and Cheng Jin all think I’m being too stingy.” Cheng Juan reached out to save her document and then closed the laptop cover.

“I assembled this myself.” Qin Ran watched him without stopping him.

She raised an eyebrow.

Back then, there had been limitations, and she indeed didn’t assemble it to look good, but it was definitely better than any computer in the Yunguang Consortium.

Cheng Juan nodded and stood up, smiling. “I think it looks pretty good.”

It was just that this owner had no aesthetics. He smiled and looked down at the laptop in his hands.

“Don’t wait for me tomorrow night.” He placed her laptop and the pile of documents on the table, his long eyelashes drooping down. The lights made his grand face appear much softer, getting rid of his usual hidden sharpness. He gently placed a hand on her waist and frowned. “Look at how thin you are now.”

She didn’t speak and just thought of his order at 129.

Out of habit, she had put on her headphones. The hall was very quiet, and she had actually heard Cheng Juan’s conversation with Cheng Jin.

“Sister Ran, are you listening?” Cheng Juan looked down and leaned in closer.

She nodded lazily, trying to appease him.

Only after he left did she open her computer again.

She typed out the 129 website address and logged into her account.

Her account name was two simple words, “Lone Wolf”.

She casually glanced at the homepage.

Lone Wolf.

Senior member.

Permission Unlimited

Orders 1

Chang Ning had already assigned his order to her.

With complicated thoughts, she clicked on the order.

If it had been something else, like checking her identity, she wouldn’t have been so hesitant.

But he just had to be investigating the beginning and end of the 712 explosion incident, the one thing she deliberately covered up…

She leaned back, the lights casting a shadow under her long eyelashes.

The 712 case was already concluded. Even Qian Dui and Feng Loucheng didn’t know the whole truth behind it.

Cheng Juan didn’t seem like much of a curious person.

Qin Ran guessed that he was probably wondering what role she played in the incident…

That was exactly why she was feeling so entangled. Sighing, she covered her eyes.

**

After a few days.

The observation report handed in by Qin Ran made a big splash in the Research Institute.

Because Brother Ye had gone to the Research Institute, he now stood out conspicuously there.

“Xiao Ye, I’ve handed in the report,” said Scholar Liao in his usually dull voice as he turned to Brother Ye in the laboratory. “After one month’s assessment, you’ll officially become a researcher and have your own laboratory in the Research Institute.”

At the mention of this, Scholar Liao showed a rare smile.

Glancing at Qin Ran in the second innermost area, Brother Ye shook his head. “Little Junior wrote that observation report from beginning to end. I…”

“Luck is also a part of ability,” said Scholar Liao with a slight glance at Qin Ran. He paused for a moment and then changed the topic. “Why didn’t you participate in the aerospace project with your juniors today?”

Before leaving the laboratory last night, Zuo Qiurong had told Scholar Liao that she was going to participate in the project today and wouldn’t be around.

Brother Ye fell silent for a while and then smiled. “I have other things on hand and don’t have time to take care of it. I could only withdraw from the aerospace project first.”

Scholar Liao didn’t read too much into it and just nodded slightly at him. “It’s a pity that you can’t participate in the aerospace project, but you’re already a prospective researcher and will have more opportunities in the future.”

At five o’clock.

Zuo Qiurong came back beaming.

It seemed like her ranking was pretty good.

“Scholar Liao.” She handed a trophy to him and raised her voice deliberately. “Our team won third in the country, the first-level prize.”

The domestic competition was divided into one special-level prize, two first-level prizes, three second-level prizes, and four third-level prizes.

The top 10 could obtain such rankings.

Obtaining the first-level third prize in such a nationally recognized project was indeed an impressive feat.

Scholar Liao also looked at her in surprise and said somewhat unexpectedly, “Third prize is really good. I only expected your best result to be the second-level prize.”

Zuo Qiurong beamed.

In fact, they only obtained this prize mostly due to Brother Ye’s contributions.

The judges deliberated between two other teams and finally chose them as the third prize because of Brother Ye’s part.

There was only the difference of one ranking between the third and fourth prize, but the first-level and second-level were a world of difference.

However, Zuo Qiurong didn’t mention this matter.

Satisfied with Scholar Liao’s praise, she returned to her seat with the trophy and purposely observed Brother Ye’s expression. However… his expression was no different than before.

Qin Ran was still doing experiments.

Her phone rang. It was Principal Xu—

“I’ve submitted the names.”

At 6 pm.

Brother Ye was having dinner with his roommates at the cafeteria.

“Are you stupid? You already finished your research. Why would you give that Zuo Qiurong a free ride?” His roommate retorted angrily and clenched the chopsticks in his hands. “If you don’t like her character, you shouldn’t help her for free. Wouldn’t it have been better to soar with your own research parts along with your two junior brothers?!”

Brother Ye just lowered his head and remained silent.

He also regretted his actions. Although he hadn’t shown the plan given to him by Qin Ran to Zuo Qiurong, he had made references to it when doing his part.

After skipping the parts he didn’t understand, he had used less than one-third of the plan.

He had been too impulsive and should have removed Qin Ran’s points from the report first.

“This project happens once a year. The top three teams each year are excellent.” His roommate shook his head at him. “Without this year’s opportunity, you…”

He was still talking.

Not far away, a thin figure approached them.

“Brother Ye.” Pulling down her scarf with her eyelashes drooping down, Qin Ran said in a clear and cold voice, “I have a project here. Do you have time to join me?”

She thought for a while and explained, “We have a shortage of manpower. It will start next month, so we’re a little busy now.”

Brother Ye was hesitant and originally didn’t want to take advantage of her anymore. But after hearing that she was short of people, he immediately nodded. “Okay.”

Qin Ran handed him the list. “I have other matters to attend to. Help me take leave from Scholar Liao.”

She was going to the Qin family’s headquarters today.