Cosmos frowned. “I know you're very capable, but they're not pushovers, either. We might end up in a lose-lose situation if this continues. Is this really necessary?”
Tony turned to look at Cosmos, and he said, “What I said might not be pleasing to the ear, but you can't deny that I do have a point. I'm considering the bigger picture.”
Just as Tony was deep in thought, Cosmos said, “If only Ms. Jackson were here. With her abilities, she would surely be able to succeed.”
Ms. Jackson ? Nelly ?
At the mention of Nelly , Tony remembered the first time he had a face-off with this person. They were at a stalemate at that time, and Nelly 's appearance helped him win one round.
With that thought in mind, Tony narrowed his eyes and wondered what would Nelly do if she were the one competing with the other party right now.
Nelly 's operation flashed across his mind, and as he recalled how she handled the situation, he changed his actions and speed.
Tony 's talents extended beyond mere aptitude for learning. His memory and imitation skills were equally exceptional. Ever since he was old enough to remember things, he had been observing Nelly working at the computer. Through thorough observation, he had naturally grasped Nelly 's strategies.
As his train of thought ended there, Tony 's approach had completely taken on Nelly 's style.
A new round of battle commenced.
The other party realized something was amiss and typed: Who are you?
Ignoring him, Tony focused on attacking.
The fact that he asked such a question meant that he was apprehensive of the turn of events.
Cosmos watched from the sidelines and frowned, finding the boy's actions somewhat familiar.
Then, realization dawned upon him. “Is this... Ms. Jackson 's way of attacking?”
Tony 's lips curled into a smirk. “You do seem to know my mom quite well!”
For a moment, Cosmos was at a loss for words, and he was bewildered. Tony seemed to have learned from Nelly , but his previous approach and his current one could be described as two extreme methods, not at all the same. After observing Tony adopt Nelly 's method, however, he understood the situation completely.
So... this is just an excuse, isn't it?
His gaze was filled with surprise as he looked at Tony .
His operation method seems very familiar, too, but I just can't seem to remember where I've seen it before.
Cosmos frowned. “I know you're very capable, but they're not pushovers, either. We might end up in a lose-lose situation if this continues. Is this really necessary?”
As Cosmos was deep in thought, someone exclaimed from behind him, “Impressive!”
Regaining his senses, Cosmos looked at the computer screen only to see Tony forcing their opponent to a dead-end and was on the verge of breaking through the opponent's last line of defense.
Cosmos narrowed his eyes and grew tense.
Staring at the screen, he dared not relax even for a second.
Tony suddenly asked, “How much longer, Cosmos?”
“What?”
“The time! How much longer?”
Cosmos frowned. “What's the point of checking the time now? You're almost there!” Despite saying this, he still lifted his wrist to check the time.
“Three minutes left!”
Tony inclined his head. “That should be enough.”
“Generally speaking, the last layer of defense is the hardest to break through. Three minutes probably won't be enough, right?”
Tony fixed his gaze on the screen and continued attacking aggressively. “It might not be enough for you, but not me.”
The opponent was evidently taken by surprise. Even if they abandoned other considerations to bolster their defense, it was clear that Tony 's offensive capabilities outmatched theirs by a significant degree.
And so, time continued to slip away, minute by minute.
The people watching behind Tony grew nervous.
In the end, Tony successfully breached their final defense five seconds before the remaining three minutes ended.
In that instant, a chorus of cheers and astonished voices erupted from behind.
Even Cosmos was taken aback.
He lowered his gaze to check the time and realized they were only five seconds away from failing.
Initially, he thought the boy was too arrogant, but after witnessing his smooth performance, he was speechless. I used to treat Nelly like this, too, and I ended up humiliating myself. I've kept myself in check this time and didn't dare say anything out of line although I don't believe him. It's a good thing I learned my lesson.
“Amazing!” exclaimed the members of the dark web in admiration.
They were initially skeptical, but upon witnessing Tony 's capability, they were fully convinced. As expected, showcasing his ability was the most persuasive way, and Tony did it.
However, he didn't waste time rejoicing but instead carried on his operation, wearing an indifferent expression.
Now that their defenses were breached, the next step was naturally to seize their core information.
Calmly and composedly, Tony called Dave.
“Alpha Dave, it's all done,” he said.
“So fast?”
“I said I'd do it, so I did,” Tony enunciated every word seriously.
After a momentary pause, Dave said, “At least save my buddies some face.”
Tony responded, “I accomplished it with their help. I couldn't have done it without them.”
His words made everyone feel pleased.
Even though they all knew very well that it was indeed Tony 's individual effort, they were still flattered by his praise.
A smirk tugged at the corner of Dave's lips. “All right, I got it. Leave the rest to us.”
“Be careful!” Tony cautioned.
“Okay, don't worry.”
The call ended after that.
Tony let out a sigh of relief as he looked at the computer screen.
The other party hadn't logged off yet. He asked: You're not him?
Others might not know, but Tony knew exactly who he was referring to.
Leaning in, he typed out: Is it important?
The other party asked: So, you were just imitating that person's actions earlier?
Tony : Yep.
The other party was clearly shocked: Who exactly are you? Not everyone is capable enough to achieve the feat of employing their own tactics while mimicking others' at the same time.
Tony pondered for a moment and responded: Would you believe me if I said I am just a child?
The other party: What do you think?
Tony typed: If you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do.
The members of the dark web were speechless. Even we find it hard to believe if we hadn't seen it for ourselves, let alone those who aren't present.
The other party: Wait for me. I will find you again!
Tony : Do you even know my name?
The other party: Even if I don't know your name, I remember every move you've made.
After some thought, Tony stopped beating around the bush and typed: Evil, Midnight fang pack 's network has already collapsed. Knowing Boss, he'll never let you off the hook. So, what do you say? Want to join us?
Evil: I will never join DX Group!
Tony : I'm not from DX Group either.
Evil: Then who are you?
Tony sent him a contact: I'll be waiting for your message.
However, as soon as he sent his message, the other party went offline immediately.
As the opponent went offline, Cosmos stuttered, “D-Did you just try to poach him?”
Tony arched an eyebrow. “Is there a problem?”
“Are you seriously planning to poach a member of Midnight fang pack ?”
“Why not?”
Cosmos took a deep breath. “Aren't you afraid that this might be a trap and they might take revenge on you?”
Tony looked at him after a moment of thinking. “I have a question for you.”
“What?”
“What's your purpose in being a hacker?” he asked.
Cosmos paused for a moment. “Um... I hadn't thought of it before.”
“Give it some thought now,” Tony uttered.
Cosmos eyed him and replied hesitatingly, “For... money, I guess?”
“People often say that we hackers are unscrupulous, but in reality, we serve money instead of people. As long as the money we are offered is enough, everything is negotiable!” Tony explained. “So, why would he say no if I offer him a handsome sum?”
Cosmos was momentarily at a loss for what to say. It's amazing enough that this brat is so good at computers. Why is his logical thinking way ahead of his age, too?
“Sure, but if you put it that way, since he'll betray Midnight fang pack for money, he'll betray you for the same reason, too!” Cosmos warned.
Tony thought his words made sense. “Now, that's a good reason to dissuade me.”
“Right?”
“But, he claims that his relationship with Midnight fang pack is merely a partnership. He's not one of their employees.”
“So you just believe whatever he says?”
Tony nodded. “I do.”
Cosmos was exasperated. “Can you please stop being so naive?”
Naive?
Tony lifted his eyebrows slightly and leaned over to stare into Cosmos' eyes. “Do you really think so?”
Cosmos was momentarily stunned by the look in the boy's eyes.
Not to mention his eyes, which bore a striking resemblance to Alpha Kilian 's, his actions alone from earlier were not something an ordinary person could accomplish.
Even Cosmos, along with all his buddies from the dark web, might not be a match for him.
What right do I have to call him naive?
With that thought in mind, Cosmos immediately dropped his arrogant demeanor and shook his head. “No, not really.”
Only then did Tony withdraw his gaze. “I really don't know what Nelly sees in you.”
Even though his voice was faint, Cosmos could still hear it clearly.
He swore that ever since he saw Nelly 's operation last time, he had been utterly in awe and idolized the woman. Even though they had connected on WhatsApp, he still hadn't mustered the courage to ask her a single question.
Hence, his eyes lit up when he heard what Tony said. Snapping his head over to look at the boy, he asked excitedly, “W-What did you just say?”
Tony 's gaze lingered on the screen nonchalantly as if he was waiting for something. He spoke languidly. “Nothing.”
“No, I heard everything. You were talking about Nelly ...” Cosmos said.
“Did I?” Tony raised his brow.
“Yes!” Cosmos nodded fervently.
“I forgot,” Tony said casually.
Cosmos was helpless. “How could you forget? You literally just mentioned something about Nelly seeing something in me, right?”
“Hmm... Did I? I wonder...” Tony deliberately dragged his voice.
Cosmos was frustrated, knowing Tony was doing it on purpose.
It was payback because he called him naive just now.
Taking a deep breath, he tried to appease the boy patiently. “Stop making a fuss, okay?”
“Am I making a fuss?” Tony retorted.
Cosmos smiled in a flattering manner. “No, you're not.”
Tony averted his gaze condescendingly and continued to stare at the computer in silence.
Cosmos looked at the boy, took a deep breath, and was about to say something when his buddies burst into laughter.
Turning around, Cosmos shot them a glare. Their smiles faded in response as they feigned nonchalance.
Cosmos cleared his throat. “Don't you guys have anything better to do?”
“Everything's done now.”
“So that's it? You think we're safe? What if Midnight fang pack makes a comeback?” he asked.
The members of the dark web exchanged glances with one another.
“Go keep an eye on the system just in case!” ordered Cosmos.
His buddies rolled their eyes in annoyance, and Cosmos swung his fist in an attempt to beat them up. They scurried away in response.
He sat back down after they all left and looked at Tony , who was still fixing his gaze on the computer screen.
After racking his brains for a way to persuade Tony to tell him, he looked at the boy and implored, “Boss, can you please just tell me? I beg of you.” He clasped his hands together in a pleading gesture.
Tony cast a glance at him. “Is this really that important to you?”
Cosmos quickly nodded. “Yes, it is!”
“Why is it important?”
Cosmos pursed his lips in embarrassment. “To be honest, Ms. Jackson ... your mother, she's my goddess. So, her opinions matter a lot to me!”
“Your goddess?” Tony looked at Cosmos in surprise.
The man quickly nodded. “Yes, it's true!”
Tony looked him in the eye and patted his shoulder. “Let me warn you, don't let my dad hear what you just said, or it's the end of you!”
Cosmos instantly understood what he meant and explained, “No, it's not what you think. When I say she's my goddess I mean I idolize and admire her. That's all.”
“My dad won't think that way,” said Tony .
Cosmos gazed at the boy, wearing a straight face. “I swear to God!”
“You don't have to swear to me. I believe you!” remarked Tony .
“Really?” asked Cosmos.
“Yes.” Tony bobbed his head before adding, “But I don't know about my dad.”
Cosmos implored, “Please don't tell him about this. I really don't mean it that way!”
Seeing how worried he was, Tony couldn't help but laugh. “Okay, I won't say anything.”
“Promise?”
“Yes.” Tony nodded.
Only then did Cosmos breathe a sigh of relief. “Could you please tell me what you said just now? What did my god... no, Ms. Jackson say?”
Tony glanced at him and replied, “It's nothing much. She just said you're talented and have great potential.”
Cosmos widened his eyes in surprise. “Really? When and under what circumstances did she say that? What were her exact words?”
He clearly cared a lot about Nelly 's opinion.
Tony thought about it and said, “I can't recall exactly when, but it came up when we were chatting.”
“So, what were the exact words?” asked Cosmos.
“She basically said you're a promising talent and that you're quite handsome,” answered Tony .
Cosmos' eyes lit up when he heard that, and he was on cloud nine. “D-Did she really say that?”