"Beneath the Glacial Gaze, Whispers of Lavender Dreams"

**Chapter 06: Inside the High-Tech Haven: Mom's Computing World**

Sitting straight, I shook my head quickly and said, "That's the problem, Mom. I don't know who this Alex is that Aria mentioned."

Mom stood up, pulling me along towards the second floor. She confidently stated, "Well, we'll figure it out and unveil the mystery of Alex and Aria soon."

I looked at her and felt calm and peaceful. I'm so lucky to have her in my life. Mom has always been like this. She is an action person. She will never hesitate or procrastinate over anything. She doesn't like to brainstorm and complicate things with overthinking.

Sometimes I think I know her better, but most of the time my Mom is an unsolvable mystery to me. And I don't know if it's normal, but I want to know her past, her profession, how's her life before having me.

In a nutshell, I want to understand my Mom's history. She is my role model, and I want to know her, got any problem with that, bite me.

After entering the cozy living room, Mom pulled me in front of the white wall on the left side of the fireplace. Standing in front of the wall, Mom looked at me with a mischievous gleam.

She raised one of her arched eyebrows and smirked. Then she turned around and started to press the wall quickly as if typing on a virtual keyboard.

I watched with awe as the white wall slowly slid, revealing a lift. Mom pulled me into the lift and pressed minus five.

In the blink of an eye, the lift descended and came to a stop. Stepping outside the lift, I looked at the scene in front of me, completely shocked.

It's a freaking computer lab. A very high-tech computer lab under our villa. I feel like I lost my voice. I mean I kind of knew there are lots of hidden rooms in our villa, but I never imagined this.

Looking at Mom nonchalantly striding towards the lab, I can only follow her with a huge amount of questions swimming in my mind. After entering the lab, I just looked at the scene in front of me with outer fascination. Wow, just wow.

This high-tech computer lab is a marvel of modern technology. Each workstation is equipped with top-of-the-line computers featuring the latest processors, graphics cards, and high-speed SSD storage.

Massive curved ultra-wide monitors create an immersive workspace, and ergonomic, adjustable chairs ensure comfort during extended sessions.

This high-tech computer sanctuary also features a sleek, ergonomic workstation with a custom-built, liquid-cooled gaming PC boasting top-of-the-line graphics cards and processors.

Surround sound speakers will envelop the user in immersive audio, while a curved ultra-wide monitor provides an expansive view. A state-of-the-art mechanical keyboard and precision gaming mouse complete the setup.

Advanced biometric security systems control access, and the lab boasts a futuristic smart lighting system that adjusts to minimize eye strain.

A fiber-optic network ensures lightning-fast data transfer, and the room is equipped with cutting-edge virtual reality stations for simulations and development.

The lab is fully integrated with AI-driven assistants for seamless task automation and voice-controlled operations. Collaborative video walls facilitate dynamic presentations and team discussions.

Overall, this high-tech computer lab is a fusion of innovation, performance, and cutting-edge design for a truly futuristic computing experience.

A light cough from Mom brought me back to my senses. She is looking at me with amusement. Ah, Mom never misses a chance to tease me.

At the heart of the lab, Mom approached a sophisticated-looking console. With a swift series of gestures and taps, holographic screens flickered to life, displaying a myriad of information.

She turned towards me with a confident smile. "Claire, welcome to my world."

I stood there, mesmerized by the futuristic technology surrounding me. Mom continued, "Come here, we are ready to solve the puzzle now."

As I approached and sat in the comfortable chair, B1 appeared in the lab. If I forgot to mention earlier, B1 is a butler robot created by Mom to take care of all the places unavailable to outsiders.

He is capable of communication, cleaning, bed-making, and is a great cook too. And of course he has absurd shape shifting functions.

Most of the time, he appears as a middle-aged handsome man with a deep masculine voice. However, B1 can change into Chair, table, desk, bike and many other shapes.

Mom hasn't included me as one of his owners yet, so I don't know much about B1's other functions.

B1 placed a cup of black coffee in front of Mom and a cup of ginger tea in front of me. I really appreciate having him around.

After taking a sip of coffee, Mom got busy typing rapidly on the keyboard, a myriad of codes simmering on the holographic screen. She is so fast that I can't discern what she is doing.

So, naturally, I asked her what she is planning to do in this situation.

Mom replied nonchalantly, "Of course, we're going to review the videos recorded on the surveillance cameras of your school."

Shocked, I asked, "Are you going to hack into it? You know it's illegal, right?"

Mom paused and looked at me with a mischievous smirk playing on her lips. She said, "Who said anything about hacking? I have the legal authorization to access the surveillance footage. No need to worry, Claire."

Rozi...