The vehicle stopped in front of the school fence. Those who often arrive late or sneak out of the school gates are familiar with this place. It’s remote, has no surveillance cameras, and is shielded by trees and weeds—perfect for showcasing the reconnaissance skills of underachievers. Marcus Shaw had a vague sense of foreboding. Sure enough, the next second he heard Nora Scott ask— "Can you climb over it?" His mouth twitched slightly, but Marcus Shaw didn’t show any emotion and instead asked, "How do you know about this place?" Nora Scott chuckled lightly, "I graduated from this school." She left him speechless, and Marcus was a bit surprised. After pausing, he asked, "You must have climbed over the wall a lot in middle school, right?" "Not really, we had someone to make excuses for us, any illness would do." Nora Scott replied shamelessly, even proudly, with a slight, faint smile at the corners of her brows. Then she asked again, "So, are you climbing or not?" Marcus hesitated for two seconds, then accepted his fate, grabbed his backpack, opened the car door, and got out. He walked to the fence, glanced up and down, slung the backpack casually over one shoulder, took a few steps and used the momentum to jump, and in no time grabbed the top of the fence. As he flipped over, he looked back at the car with a slightly provocative look in his cool eyes. Then he leaped down and stood on the other side of the fence in an instant. Just as he was about to grab the strap and leave, he heard a clear whistle from behind. Nora Scott had somehow gotten out of the car, lazily leaning against the door, looking over with amused eyes. After glancing at her twice, Marcus didn’t respond. He turned his head back and walked away. But as he reached the corner, he tilted his head slightly, as if unintentionally glancing back, catching a glimpse of the figure leaning by the door, a moment frozen in his retina before he quickly looked away. The emotion floating inside him, this sense of recognition, he forcibly suppressed. Watching Marcus Shaw walk away, Nora Scott opened the car door and got back inside. Her phone vibrated, and she picked it up to check. [Joseph Sutton]: When will you arrive? [Nora Scott]: In half an hour. Having finalized the birthday gift for Pedro Langley, Nora had arranged to meet a friend from Fenton University last night to learn about drone technology. Originally, she planned to stop by Virtue Retreat on her way to Fenton University, wanting Manager Woods to help send a signed item to Jesse Johnson. However, since she met Jesse Johnson on the road, she gave it to him directly, so the trip to Virtue Retreat was no longer necessary. Of course, she wasn’t worried that Jesse Johnson would suspect her of being "Zero." After all, everyone knew Zero was a guy. Any connection between washed-up celebrity Nora Scott and the popular comic artist Zero would just be a washed-up star trying to ride the wave. Having replied, Nora tossed the phone aside and drove towards Fenton University. First Affiliated High School, on the campus. Just as Marcus set foot inside the teaching building, he was called from behind. He was taken aback and saw a young teacher walking down the stairs, striding towards him as soon as their eyes met. Marcus frowned slightly but stopped and greeted him. "Have you considered joining Oliver Scott’s team?" Mr. Flynn asked, pushing up his glasses. Marcus replied indifferently, "I have no thoughts on that." Recently, the East Science Association and Victor Technology organized a national robotics and mecha competition for elementary, middle, and high schools. Oliver Scott’s club formed a team, with Oliver Scott as the leader, and registered for the high school division through the school. Mr. Flynn was their mentor. However, for some reason, this teacher had set his sights on Marcus Shaw, persistently inviting him to join the team every now and then, which was quite annoying. Mr. Flynn wasn’t surprised, patiently asking, "Don’t rush into a decision, there’s still some time left. How about thinking it over a bit more?" Before Marcus could articulate his refusal, Mr. Flynn cheerfully patted his shoulder and said, "Class is about to start, go ahead upstairs." Marcus: "..." He surrendered. For several days in a row, Nora didn’t join for meals next door. She seemed suddenly busy, going out early and returning late every day, so Jack Carter and Butler Loxley couldn’t catch her at home whenever they checked in. Another day, as nightfall came. Pedro Langley had just driven out of the hospital and received a call from Jack Carter. "Master Pedro, I asked Miss Scott, and she said she’s dining out," Jack reported, lacking confidence. Frowning slightly, Pedro adjusted the steering wheel and asked coldly, "Where is she?" Jack paused before quietly replying, "I asked, but she didn’t say." Recently, Nora Scott had been going out frequently, solving her meals outside for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Calls hardly reached her, and messages took a long time to get a reply. This situation was causing Jack concern for Pedro Langley. Many times he tried to tease out some information from Nora Scott, but ultimately, to no avail. Pedro merely acknowledged with a sound, without speaking further, and hung up the phone. After a brief hesitation, he took advantage of the red light ahead to gently tap the phone screen and dialed Nora Scott’s number. As soon as the call connected, Pedro asked, "Where are you?" Heard some rustling on the other end before Nora asked in a lowered voice, "What’s up?" "I went to see your grandfather and just came out of the hospital." "His illness..." After a pause, Pedro continued, "I consulted a few experts and wanted to discuss it with you." Regarding Antonio Easton’s illness, while Nora was fully aware, she couldn’t disregard it. After musing for a moment, she didn’t refuse, only saying, "It’s not convenient now, let’s discuss it when I get back tonight." Pedro remained unruffled, "Where are you? I’ll come pick you up." Nora gave the address, then hung up shortly after. Pedro squinted his eyes slightly. One of the nation’s top universities; what was she doing there, given she had dropped out midway? The city lights gradually illuminated as night deepened and neon lights scattered everywhere. The phone on the lab bench buzzed, and Nora put down her materials. Glancing at the lit-up screen, she picked it up to reply. Standing up, Nora grabbed the coat draped on the chair and swiftly put it on. A young man, around twenty-six or twenty-seven, sat on the chair beside her. Wearing black-framed glasses, he had a gentle appearance, with lingering baby fat, exuding a scholarly air, and looking a few years younger than his actual age. At this moment, he was focused and serious, assembling small, variously shaped wooden blocks with a type of earnestness that suggested he was in contest with the blocks. Hearing Nora’s movement, his attention was drawn, and he slowly lifted his head to look at her, saying, "Oh." Nora adjusted her coat collar, noticing the scattered wooden blocks on his desk, she smiled, "You’ll finish it by tomorrow?" "Yeah." Joseph Sutton nodded and asked, "How long did it take you to solve it?" "About an hour, this one’s a bit tricky." Joseph Sutton: "..." He had been working on it all afternoon. Known as a little genius, Joseph Sutton felt slightly frustrated. But upon realizing that Nora had been playing with mechanisms since childhood, and sure enough, Kong Ming locks were a piece of cake for her, he decided not to dwell on it. Being in the lab to accompany Nora and provide technical guidance, Joseph also had nothing else to do. Now that Nora was leaving, he didn’t linger either, throwing on his coat and leaving the lab building with her. On a Friday night, the lab building was quite empty, with few people coming and going through the main entrance. Just as they reached the doorway, an unrelenting cold wind swept in, unapologetically sapping their body heat. Nora raised her hand, adjusting her scarf while looking outside. She immediately spotted a black sedan parked in front of the building, pausing upon seeing a figure standing upright before the car door. He stood in the shadows, the night draping over him, painting him with deep darkness. His tall, straight figure cast an erratic shadow on the ground. Through the distance of the steps, his gaze met hers. At this moment, Nora heard Joseph Sutton, trailing behind, ask, "Is that your boyfriend?"