Maureen didn’t know what was so wrong with herself that she would actually ask such a question.
Real computer experts were actually very hard to find.
Even with her family and the Smiths put together, they couldn’t find a top-class hacker. Joel had paid a lot to hire the Smiths’ current hacker.
It was said that when he attended the interview, Joel, who hadn’t known his background at that time, had asked, “Why should I pay you such a high annual pay?”
The man had taken out his computer without a second word. Two minutes later, someone from the IT department reported, “Mr. Smith, the company’s network is down!”
Joel had then looked at the hacker in front of him. After the hacker typed away for another two minutes, the network was back up. The hacker even said, “I’ve upgraded the company’s firewall to the latest level of security. Unless Q and Y are on the scene, no one can breach my firewall.”
With that, the man became a legend in one move and became worshiped by the Smiths.
Needless to say, there was no way he would help so easily.
He had completely ignored them even when problems occurred with Warren’s game company’s software. The Smiths’ computer experts that they had previously approached for help were the people under him.
Unfortunately, none of them could pinpoint the problem.
Maureen regretted asking the question right after she did. How would Nora possibly know any when neither the Lights nor Warren could find any?
Why did she simply have to ask something that would put the other party in such a spot?
She smiled awkwardly and said, “It’s okay even if you don’t know any. None of us do anyway… There are so many programmers around, but why are there so few actual computer experts?”
Nora: “…”
That was because top-class talent wouldn’t work in a game company!
They either protected the national cyber security for the country—where they were known as white hats—or they had already been hired by certain corporations. Another possibility was that they freelanced and took on jobs in private, just like Solo. They also made a lot of money that way.
Could a game company like theirs even make a hacker stay with them?
Seeing how Maureen was hanging her head again and how her eyes were reddening, Nora kept quiet for a while before she finally said, “I do know one.”
Maureen: “?”
Her head whipped up and she looked at Nora in disbelief. “Really? Who is it? Are they famous? Would it be expensive if we hired them as a software engineer… no, a consultant, I mean, in our company?”
Nora coughed. “No, it isn’t. You can just give him a few hundred dollars.”
He was just doing them a small favor anyway. That little bug in their game was a cinch for him.
Maureen frowned. “So cheap? Are they reliable?”
She hurriedly explained, “I’m not questioning your abilities. What I mean is, most experts are really expensive to hire and are also very mysterious…”
Nora waved. “It’s fine. His name is Solo. I’ll give him a heads-up first.”
In a dark room abroad.
A few computer screens glowed faintly in the dark. A skinny man in front of a computer was writing a program excitedly when he suddenly sneezed.
As he rubbed his nose, he couldn’t help but wonder who was thinking of him.
Then, he immersed himself in his intense work.
A while later, his cell phone rang.
He was so engrossed in writing his program that he couldn’t be bothered to look at his phone. He continued to stare at the computer screen. A short while later, though, his phone automatically connected and Nora’s voice rang out. “What are you doing?”
Solo was so shocked that his hands shook. He accidentally entered a whole bunch of meaningless code into the computer, messing up the program instantly.
Solo: “…”
He looked to the side, stared at the phone, and said sinisterly, “Can you not be so bossy, Anti? All I did was just miss a call, yet you’re already hacking into my phone?”
Nora replied, “… It’s because your cell phone is too easy to hack. If it were a little more troublesome, I wouldn’t waste any time doing it, either.”
Solo: “…”
Just listen to what she was saying. Was that what a decent human being should be saying?
The resigned man picked up the phone and pressed the answer button stubbornly as if that was how being on the phone should be. He asked, “What’s up? Need me to do something again?”
“Yeah. Do me a small favor.”
“What is it?”
“Help my…” She fell silent for a while before she finally said, “…my cousin, I suppose. He’s run into a small problem with his company’s game. Take a look at it for him.”
Solo asked nosily, “What do you mean by your cousin? How many cousins do you have?”
“…”
“Anti, you are not someone who gives themselves trouble. Besides, what do I get if I help him out? I owe you a favor, but I don’t owe him any.”
Nora said unhurriedly, “If you become their company’s consultant, I’ll write off for good the debt you owe me.”
Solo: “??”
He was absolutely stunned. “Have you suddenly found your conscience? Is the overlord finally willing to release her captive? No problem! I can do that!”
If helping a small game company and being their consultant could repay what he owed the other party for saving his life, then that was totally too good a deal for him!
Solo completely didn’t realize that he had already been brainwashed by Nora’s oppressive ways.
—
At the Smiths.
Nora gave Solo a call in her bedroom. After he agreed, she hung up and went out.
After she left, Pete, who was lying on the bed, suddenly opened his eyes.
Light flickered in his dark eyes as he looked at the door. Judging from what Mommy had said, she was actually a top-class hacker?
Mommy was so amazing! He must become even more impressive in the future so that he could be worthy of being her child! As for Cherry… Forget it, he would just let her play.
2
It was enough that he followed in Mommy’s footsteps.
Nora was completely unaware of how far the little fellow had already thought. She found Maureen sitting outside and waiting for her when she went out. She asked, “How did it go?”
Nora nodded and replied, “He’s agreed to it. I will set up a group chat for you guys later. You can tell him in the chat which part is buggy. He will help you guys out.”
Maureen nodded. “Okay! I’ll go and let Warren know about it!”
She entered the bedroom excitedly.
Warren’s game had just gone live that day, so things were relatively in a rush, and he was currently in a huge panic. Seeing her enter, he asked, “Have you talked to Yvonne?”
Maureen shook her head.
Warren said, “Didn’t I already say that I’ll go? Yet you just had to stop me. See, it’s because you can’t bring yourself to take a step back. We’re a family, it’s very normal that we’ll have conflicts. What’s the big deal about that?”
He was about to go out when Maureen said, “No, what I mean is, I’ve found you a hacker as a consultant for your company!”
Warren: “?”
He was stunned. Then, he stretched out his hand and waved in front of Maureen. “Have you become silly? Do you think it’s that easy to find a hacker? You didn’t let someone fool you, did you?”
Maureen immediately replied, “I don’t think so. Don’t think too deeply into it for now. Show him the bug in the game first. As for whether or not he’s really a hacker, and whether or not he’s good, won’t you know once you let him give it a shot?”
Warren, however, was extremely dubious. “How can I send our game software to other people so casually? Tell me the name of the hacker you found. I’ll look him up on the Internet.”
“His name is Solo,” replied Maureen.
Yvonne, who had hacked into Warren’s cell phone and was eavesdropping on them, curled her lips disdainfully.