The sound of typing on the keyboard echoed throughout the enormous server room.
Although Cosmos was curious, he still gave his best to accomplish his tasks. After working under Tony 's guidance for a while, he began to forget about the latter's age. Occasionally, the two would engage in discussions. Cosmos would ask if he came across something he did not understand, and Tony would always share his knowledge. At first, Cosmos had reservations about Tony , but he soon changed his mind after listening to Tony 's theories. Gradually, he became convinced by Tony . In the end, Cosmos simply followed his instructions.
Initially, astonishment was evident on Cosmos' face, but as time went by, he became accustomed to it.
Deep down, he even felt excited that he had learned something new.
Just like that, time ticked by, but Cosmos did not feel tired at all.
Instead, he felt empowered as though he had been granted superpowers, and there were no words to describe what he was feeling in his heart.
He became very energetic, while Tony , on the other hand, seemed slightly exhausted.
Upon noticing that, Cosmos looked at Tony and asked, “What's wrong, are you tired?”
“Nothing. I'm just feeling sleepy. I guess I'm sleep-deprived,” replied Tony .
“Shall I make you some coffee?” Raising a brow, Cosmos offered.
Tony shot him a glance. “Don't you know that drinking coffee isn't good for your brain?”
Cosmos was stunned. “No, I haven't heard of anything like that.”
Cosmos' serious expression made Tony want to tease him even more. The latter said earnestly, “Coffee is not good for your brain.”
“But I drink it every day.” Cosmos was flabbergasted.
“So?” Tony raised an eyebrow.
Cosmos pondered deeply. “Could this have something to do with drinking coffee? But I've never heard of such a thing.”
While he was mumbling, Tony could not help but curved his lips upward.
He seems like an outgoing individual with a cheerful disposition, but why does he act like a simpleton?
Tony felt so much better after joking around. He was not as sleepy as he was anymore. He then focused his gaze on the computer, and his fingers never stopped typing.
Cosmos thought about the matter for a while, but he could not make heads or tails of it. He noticed that Tony 's eyes looked tired and asked, “How about I get you a drink?”
“No need,” Tony declined.
“But you—”
“Do you have any lollipops?” Tony asked.
Cosmos checked his pockets and replied, “I actually have one.” Immediately, he took one of from his pocket.
Tony stared at it, requesting, “Remove the wrapper.”
“Sure.” With that, Cosmos tore open the wrapper and handed it to Tony .
Tony did not even lift a finger. He simply opened his mouth and ate it.
His action brought a simile to Cosmos' face.
He withdrew his hand and got back to work.
Suddenly, he realized a problem. Why have I become so submissive?
He turned his head and looked at Tony . He merely uttered a word, and I instinctively obeyed his command, as if I were his lapdog?
Though Tony did not glance at him, he could sense Cosmos's gaze fixed on him as if he had eyes growing on the side of his head. “What are you staring at?”
His question brought Cosmos back to his senses. He shook his head and said, “Nothing.”
“Hurry up, then. I still have a bit more to finish,” Tony urged.
Upon hearing that, Cosmos leaned toward him and asked, “You? So fast?”
“We aimed to complete it in three hours, so three hours it is,” Tony declared.
Cosmos fell silent and promptly resumed his work.
Since Tony completed it in three hours, I can't be the one holding things back. Besides, he started from scratch and did everything. It would be too embarrassing if I continued to lag behind.
The duo continued to chatter away.
Three hours later, Tony stopped what he was doing and gazed at his computer screen. He smiled and announced, “It's finished.”
Cosmos watched from the side. Three hours ago, he had thought that Tony was just boasting, but now, he had long forgotten his initial doubts.
“Have you really completed it?” Cosmos asked in astonishment.
Tony remained composed. “Go call Alpha Dave,” he insisted, even though exhaustion showed in his bleary eyes.
Cosmos nodded and headed out excitedly.
A few minutes later, the two of them walked in together.
“Dave, Boss J's son is truly exceptional!” Cosmos complimented as he walked.
However, as soon as he entered the room and strode toward the computer, Dave furrowed his brows. “Where is he?”
Cosmos was curious too. “He was here a while ago.” Scanning the room, he spotted a figure lying on the couch at the far back.
“Dave.” Cosmos spoke as he cast a look in that direction.
Dave turned around, his gaze falling upon the figure on the nearby couch. Tony was lying there with his eyes tightly shut, looking like a tiny creature, fast asleep.
Dave knitted his eyebrows.
“I-Isn't this too fast?” Cosmos muttered.
“Let him sleep,” Lei said. He then turned to the computer. “Why don't you tell me what's going on?”
Cosmos nodded. “After conducting a thorough analysis of the series of numbers found on the dark web, we can now confirm that these numbers are a ticking time bomb. If we were to initiate an attack using the dark web, these numbers would undoubtedly lead to our ultimate defeat!”
Upon hearing his words, a frown creased on Dave's forehead.
“I investigated those who departed after the ninth of last month, and everything appeared to be normal. There are no problems, except for one individual...”
Frowning, Dave requested, “Go on.”
“If my suspicions are correct, the colleague who mysteriously disappeared last month is likely to be culprit,” Cosmos explained.
Upon hearing that, Dave felt conflicted. However, that was not his primary concern. He turned his head toward Cosmos and stated, “What I desire goes far beyond all of this.”
“So, in the end, who's the mastermind?” Cosmos pursed his lips before continuing, “After our colleague disappeared, we tracked him down and found that he had close connections with the people at the Midnight fang pack . If my guess is correct, they are the ones behind it!”
Unexpectedly, Dave burst out laughing upon hearing that.
With a guffaw like that, his expression seemed to effortlessly encompass both goodness and malevolence.
He gazed at the computer screen, his eyes deep and complex. “So, they've been targeting us since the Midnight fang pack ,” he murmured.
Cosmos hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “I suppose you could put it that way. The boy earlier...” Cosmos glanced at Tony and chose his words carefully. “Boss J's son mentioned that this sequence of numbers is aimed directly at our financial database. If that's the case, they are after our money.”
Dave was not surprised. Despite his smile, his expression was seething with anger.
“Hmph, a bunch of paupers! They're driven to madness by poverty,” Dave murmured.
Cosmos had never witnessed such a reaction from Dave before. Frankly, it was a bit unnerving for him. Subsequently, he asked in a hushed tone, “What should we do now, Dave?”
Dave pondered for a moment, then looked at Cosmos and asked, “How is that dataset now?”
“It has already been replaced, reinforced, and secured. Under normal circumstances, it would go unnoticed,” Cosmos said.
Dave listened, nodding thoughtfully.
“And there's more!” said Cosmos, picking up the USB drive. “Dave, he also upgraded and applied some changes for us. I just checked, and it's indeed better than what we had before. It's just...” Cosmos looked at Dave, hesitant to continue.
At that moment, Dave's gaze once again fell on the child sleeping on the sofa, and he couldn't help but smile.
“He really is the spitting image of his mom!” Dave murmured.
Cosmos noticed Dave's smile and looked confused. He asked, “Dave, what should we do?”
Dave retracted his gaze and returned his attention to Cosmos, instructing, “Go ahead and use it.”
“I admit he's somewhat impressive,” Cosmos expressed with concern, “but he's not like one of us at DX Group, and he's just a kid. If he accidentally leaks our confidential data, the consequences would be unimaginable!”
Dave stared at him and asked, “Do you think he will?”
The words were stuck in Cosmos' throat for a moment. Eventually, he answered, “He does seem quite mature...”
“So?”
“I trust that he won't, but what I'm talking about are the rules!” Cosmos emphasized.
“Rules are rigid, but people are flexible,” retorted Dave.
“Well...”
“No worries, go ahead and use it.”
Cosmos nodded in agreement. Although he hadn't been with DX Group for very long, he had some understanding of the matters between Dave and Alpha Kilian . Plus, considering that Tony was Alpha Kilian 's child, he understood why Dave trusted the child implicitly.
“Alright!” Cosmos nodded, adding, “I'm heading over now.”
Dave nodded. “I'll leave this to you for now. I need to head back.”
His words reminded Cosmos of something. Cosmos asked, “Dave, now that we know who did it, can our colleagues return to work as usual?”
Nodding, Dave explained, “Yes. Later, just make up an excuse to the outside world. Don't say too
much. Before we act, I don't want any slip-ups.”
Cosmos nodded. “I understand.”
Without uttering another word, Dave headed straight toward the couch. Looking at Tony , who was sound asleep, he gently picked the boy up and placed him on his shoulder, then walked straight out the door.
The car came to a halt in front of a castle, and Dave stepped out, cradling Tony in his arms.
It was already very late at night.
As soon as Dave walked into the castle, he saw Alpha Kilian in the living room.
As if he had been waiting for them, Alpha Kilian 's gaze fell directly on the person in Dave's arms as soon as they entered.
“What's going on?” Alpha Kilian rose to his feet, asking with concern.
Dave looked at him and whispered, “He's just asleep.”
Alpha Kilian approached and, seeing that Tony was unharmed, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. “My son was only with you for one night, and he's already like this?”
Dave smirked and drawled, “What's the matter? Feeling sorry?”
“What do you think?” As he spoke, Alpha Kilian promptly lifted Tony out of Dave's arms.
Tony was still sleeping deeply as if he hadn't slept for days and nights. No matter how much he was jostled around, he wouldn't wake up.
As Alpha Kilian carried his son away, Dave said, “He really did me a big favor today. I just don't know why he's so tired. It's also clear to see that he doesn't seem to be in high spirits.”
Then, he looked at Alpha Kilian and added, “As a father, try to show more concern when you have the time.”
Alpha Kilian narrowed his eyes, his gaze falling on the person in his arms. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “What's the use of worrying? It won't solve the fundamental problem. Understanding will only add to each other's troubles.”
Listening to Alpha Kilian 's somewhat melancholic words, Dave narrowed his eyes and said, “What you're saying is...”
Alpha Kilian nodded.
Dave was instantly at a loss for words.
“Did he find out himself?”
“I'm not sure how he found out, but Nelly had a chat with him today. She essentially laid all the cards on the table.”
“What about Ben and Donna ?” Dave asked.
“They still don't know!” said Alpha Kilian .
Dave nodded before turning his gaze back to Tony , his eyes filled with a touch of heartache. “Tony is indeed more mature than other children his age, and he can handle things better. Even under such emotional stress, he still went to the base with me.”
Alpha Kilian pressed his lips together, at a loss for words. After a moment, he collected himself and said, “I'll take him back to his room to rest first.”
Dave nodded.
Just as Alpha Kilian was about to turn away, Dave seemed to remember something and cautioned, “Alpha Kilian , dealing with Midnight fang pack is no longer just your problem.”
Alpha Kilian narrowed his eyes questioningly.
Dave said, “I'll be waiting for you in the study. Come over later so we can discuss the details!”
Alpha Kilian was certain that something was about to happen that day. He nodded and said, “All right.”
With that, Alpha Kilian headed upstairs.
Dave stood still, watching them leave. Once they were out of sight, he turned around and headed straight for the study.
Ben was strolling in the corridor outside the children's bedroom when he saw Alpha Kilian walking
over with Tony in his arms.
Ben looked them up and down before asking worriedly, “Daddy, what's wrong with Tony?”
Alpha Kilian simply wore a nonchalant expression and said, “It's nothing. He just fell asleep.”
“Asleep?” Ben expressed his shock. Then, he glanced behind his father. Indeed, Tony 's eyes were tightly shut, appearing to be in a deep, peaceful sleep.
“Tony... I've never seen him like this before,” Ben mused out loud.
“Why aren't you resting yet? What are you wandering around here for?” asked Alpha Kilian .
Ben shook his head and said, “I'm not sleepy yet, so I decided to take a stroll.”
Alpha Kilian glanced at the time and chided him, “You need to rest well to grow.”
“I know. I'll go back to my room and sleep right away,” Ben replied.
Alpha Kilian fell silent and carried Tony toward his bedroom.
“Daddy.” Suddenly, Ben called out to him.
Alpha Kilian turned his head to look at him.
Ben stared at him intently, and asked, “Daddy, can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“What exactly is wrong with Nelly 's health?” Ben asked.
The topic caused Alpha Kilian 's gaze to dim slightly.
Ben did not shift his gaze but instead locked eyes with Alpha Kilian , desperately seeking an answer.
A moment later, Alpha Kilian replied, “It's nothing serious, just some stomach issues.”
Ben simply didn't believe this excuse.
But since Alpha Kilian responded in such a way, it was clear he had no intention of telling the truth. Ben didn't bother to ask any more questions.
He nodded and said, “All right, I understand.” After saying this, he smiled and said, “I'm going to rest in my room now. Good night, Daddy.” Without waiting for any response, he turned and headed toward his room.
As the door closed, Alpha Kilian 's gaze seemed to darken even more.
Given their intelligence, these matters couldn't be kept secret for long.
Now, even Ben had also realized it.
But as a father, even though he believed in their ability to cope with bad news, he still hoped that they could live without worries.
Turning his gaze away, Alpha Kilian carried Tony and headed toward the latter's room.