Chapter 633 The Renowned Hacker
In a daze, Catherine heard her phone ringing.
She reached out from under the covers and found her phone with precision. Then she pressed the answer button and placed it by her ear.
On the other end, Zobber said excitedly, âCatherine, itâs me. Are you up?â
Catherine squinted at the time and saw it was noon. Itâs no wonder Zobber was calling her.
She grunted in response, âWell.â
After Zobber heard Catherineâs soft and slightly hoarse voice, her heart skipped a beat. She knew she had disturbed Catherine in her sleep, but she couldnât resist such an alluring voice.
âCatherine, itâs noon already. Want to grab some food? Withal and I are back. Letâs eat together!â
If it were someone else, Catherine would have likely refused.
She prefers to sleep in during the weekend and eat later in the apartment.
However, since Zobber and the others had just returned from a mission, Catherine reluctantly agreed and replied, âAlright. You guys pick the spot. Iâll come over.â
Suppressing her excitement, Zobber was considerate and asked, âCatherine, where are you? Should I pick you up?â
âIâm at the apartment. Thereâs no need for you to pick me up,â Catherine replied. She declined Zobberâs offer. Apart from Branden, she never let anyone else pick her up.
Knowing Catherine was at the apartment, Zobber guessed she was at Brandenâs place and suggested, âMr. Duncan must be home. Catherine, why donât you bring Mr. Duncan along? The more, the merrier!â
Catherine stayed silent for a moment before responding, âOkay. Iâll ask him later.â
With that, Catherine ended the call.
As she was about to get up, she spotted Branden leaning against the door frame.
He must have just arrived, as Catherine wouldnât have missed his presence otherwise.
Catherine shook her phone she held in her hand and said to him, âZobber and the others are back. Theyâve planned lunch. Want to come along?â
This meant she was going and, in passing, asking for Brandenâs opinion. Branden had never opposed Catherineâs decisions. If she was willing, he wouldnât object.
Half an hour later, Branden arrived with Catherine at the Golden Spoon.
It was a new restaurant in Loxton that catered exclusively to a select group of high-end users. It was private dining but boasted excellent dining ambiance and, most importantly, delectable dishes.
As they reached the private roomâs entrance, Catherine pushed the door open.
Inside were Withal and Zobber, alongside a familiar face.
Drake seemed quite surprised to see Catherine, not expecting her presence here.
âCatherine!â Drake exclaimed.
Hearing him call Catherineâs name, Zobber was taken aback. âDrake, you know Catherine?â
Zobber had organized this gathering and intended for Drake to meet Catherine, but she didnât anticipate him knowing Catherine.
Drake nodded and replied, âCatherine and I study in the same school. Weâre both part of the esports club. I didnât realize Catherineâs your boss.â
He had come today with Zobber to meet his idol. He knew Zobberâs boss, Sugar, as the youngest and most renowned hacker on the hacker leaderboard.
She was not just Zobberâs idol but his as well. Being a computer science student, he had someone he admired in the realm of computers.
He helped Zobber a few times, and Zobber promised to introduce him to her boss.
But he never imagined Catherine to be Zobberâs boss. It was incredibly shocking.
Branden considerately pulled out a chair for Catherine. After Catherine casually sat down and crossed her legs, she directed her gaze at Zobber and Withal, silently asking for an explanation.
Withal shrugged nonchalantly, indicating it was Zobberâs responsibility since she brought Drake here.
After hearing Drakeâs explanation, Zobber realized he and Catherine were schoolmates. She exclaimed about their connection.
Zobber introduced Drake to Catherine as she pointed at him in excitement. She said, âCatherine, he is the computer talent I mentioned, my latest discovery. Heâs not only good at games but also a whiz with computers. Heâs been a huge help on this mission!â
Catherine had secluded herself in the lab, and Zobber knew her situation. Despite encountering difficulties on the mission, Zobber hadnât dared to seek Catherineâs help.
However, while browsing the dark web for the mission, Zobber stumbled upon Drake.
After some conversation, Zobber recognized Drakeâs superior skills in the field of computers. Zobber decided to recruit him. However, she was unaware of their mutual acquaintances.
Catherine glanced at Drake, who appeared somewhat excited when their eyes met.
He had always admired Catherineâs gaming skills and had never seen a female gamer as excellent as her.
However, now he knew of an even more impressive secret. Catherine was the rumored hacking genius, Sugar.
Drake gazed at Catherine deeply. His lips moved a few times before he could speak.
He asked, âAre you Sugar?â
Zobber immediately apologized to Catherine as soon as Drake asked his question.
She said, âCatherine, sorry. I had exposed your identity without your permission.â
Branden knew Catherine was a hacker so he wasnât surprised at this revelation.
However, he didnât appreciate the way Drake looked at Catherine. Gently, he reached out and pulled Catherine closer, subtly steering her toward himself.
Catherine leaned in and cooperated with his movement. As for the disclosure of her identity by Zobber, Catherine was ok with it.
She believed Zobber had observed before revealing the truth to Drake.
Several people knew her identity as Sugar, so it wasnât significant to add Drake to the list.
She tilted her chin toward Drake and nodded graciously. âItâs me.â
Hearing Catherineâs admission, Drake couldnât contain his excitement any longer and exclaimed, âThis is amazing! I finally met you. Itâs such a surprise!â
Others didnât find Drakeâs surprise strange after he learned Catherineâs identity.
After all, they had similar reactions when they found out.
Seeing the pleasant atmosphere in the room, Zobber cheered up and patted Drake on the shoulder. âSince weâre happy, letâs have a drink and chat!â
Seeing no objections from anyone, Zobber had the staff bring some alcohol.
Being young and acquainted, the people in the room were relaxed.
Zobber poured drinks for everyone and cheerfully invited them to join.
âLetâs do a toast first before chatting!â she exclaimed.
Zobber had a good tolerance for alcohol and didnât fall short compared to Catherine. Catherine indulged in a few drinks with them since it was rare for them to gather together.
After a few rounds, Catherine suddenly looked at Zobber and casually asked, â How did the mission go?â
Zobber assumed Catherine wouldnât discuss business with Drake around. But to her surprise, Catherine brought it up.
Sensing Zobberâs hesitation, Drake quickly caught on and proactively said, âIâll step out for a smoke.â