In the quiet hallway, the crisp sound was unbearably piercing. After this sound, the silence intensified, and the atmosphere almost solidified. Ethan Scott felt as if an invisible sword was hanging overhead, then suddenly stabbed downwards, piercing through his whole body. He shuddered, trembling with fright. Shock rendered him completely stiff, his face expressionless and numb. Suddenly, his mind was flooded with the chat records between him and [Z.]. Obedient, subservient, flattering. Updates are released by 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹✦𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✦𝓷𝓮𝓽 At the beginning, he maintained a collaborative attitude, but as the other party kept stalling and refused to meet to discuss cooperation, his impatience led him to lower his stance. In the end, he convinced himself with the excuse that the other was a recluse master, exalting them with exaggerated praise in his words. He thought that such a formidable person must be worthy of his respect, probably in their sixties or seventies. Never did he imagine— Not only was it a young woman, but it was also Nora Scott, whom he had offended, mocked, and looked down upon! Nora Scott, knowing it was him, accepted his flattering words... Utterly thunderstruck! A bolt from the blue! Professor Tavares was dumbfounded for a long time, taking half a step forward but hesitating to uncover the evident answer. Nora Scott pulled out her phone, and on the screen was the message Ethan Scott had just sent. Curving her lips into a smile, Nora tilted her head slightly, eyeing the middle-aged man who was well over fifty, and spoke, "Professor Tavares?" Professor Tavares nodded hurriedly and then opened his eyes in amazement, "Are you really..." Then, with a teasing curve to her lips, she deliberately asked, "But, Mr. Scott seems less than satisfied with me?" Her teasing jab nearly blew Ethan Scott’s lungs apart. For these past few days, he had been like a clown in front of Nora Scott! She had been watching the show for so long without revealing it, and now these words were equivalent to peeling off his shiny facade directly. As Ethan Scott’s face turned increasingly dark, Nora’s smile grew broader, and she spoke again leisurely, "Also, I heard that when Professor Duncan recommended me to Mr. Scott, he refused without even thinking. But I don’t know why Mr. Scott has a completely different attitude on WeChat. Anyone unaware would think you have a split personality." Ethan Scott’s face turned completely ashen. Beside him, the waiter, who initially wanted to kick Ethan Scott out in a fit of rage, suddenly felt incredibly delighted, unable to hide the amusement in his eyes. When it comes to playing the game, Miss Scott takes the crown. Professor Tavares didn’t know how to speak up for Ethan Scott. In private conversations with Eduardo and Montague, he roughly knew about them recommending a senior sister skilled in mechanical techniques, who had been rejected by Ethan Scott. Back then, he had the same thought as Ethan Scott, feeling there was nothing wrong with his decision. In this field, one needs experience and academic qualifications. At the very least, there should be solid works. According to Eduardo’s and Montague’s descriptions, the senior sister was just one year above them and dropped out in the second year, having designed a mechanical table, but the finished product had long disappeared. Although he believed the person recommended by Professor Duncan must have exceptional merits, knowing the "senior sister’s" age, when he heard Ethan Scott’s decision, he didn’t think too much about it. He never imagined the young person recommended by Professor Duncan would be so formidable, solving a problem that troubled them for days in just a quarter of an hour and handling complex blueprints with ease... On the way here, he had been imagining "Z.’s" ethereal demeanor! It was a girl in her twenties, beautiful, with a sharp tongue, an arrogant temperament, and with past grievances with Ethan Scott. "Since there’s no intention to cooperate, I’ll take my leave now." Having enjoyed watching the two’s brilliant expressions, Nora left her words and turned back the way she came. "Teacher... Miss Scott, please wait!" Professor Tavares realized the turning point from her words and quickly stopped Nora. "Miss Scott, it’s a misunderstanding! This is all a misunderstanding!" Professor Tavares blocked Nora’s path, not daring to touch her, trying his best to mediate, "We never expected you to be such a young girl, so we didn’t react. If there was any offense just now, please forgive us." Due to his obstruction, Nora stopped and glanced back. Professor Tavares took the hint, quickly ran back and whispered to Ethan Scott, "Mr. Scott, regardless of whatever past grievances you have with her, she’s now our lifeline for this project. I can see she also seems interested in discussing cooperation. Can any past grievances be set aside first?"