Chapter 102

As Christina was lost in thought, the boy suddenly dropped to his knees with a thud, crying out, "Please don't tell him. I had no choice. My family's broke, and I need the money."

Even though Christina didn't know him well, she noticed his worn-out shoes and realized he was telling the truth.

Still, she responded coldly, "I'll let it slide this time. But if you pull something like this again, don't expect me to be so forgiving."

The boy, tears streaming down his face, nodded repeatedly. "I promise!"

Christina took a deep breath and walked away.

With William protecting Jennifer, even if Christina exposed this incident, it might not lead to any consequences for her.

Better to let it go.

Meanwhile, at the company, William was overwhelmed by the myriad of issues piling up.

Bob rushed in. "Mr. Cavendish, they said they can't help. Their tech isn't advanced enough, and these hackers might be foreign operatives trying to steal our latest technology."

The firewall was up, but William had no idea how much it could withstand.

"So, what do we do now?" William paced back and forth.

Bob's eyes suddenly lit up. "I've heard there's a group of hackers who help companies fend off attacks. They're incredibly skilled!"

"Look into it," William said calmly. "Hire them at any cost."

"Got it." Bob made several calls and then reported back, "I found out the most renowned hacker in the circle goes by the codename Z."

"Contact them. Whatever it takes, get them on board," William instructed.

"Understood." After several attempts, Bob finally got Z's contact information.

When he called, the voice on the other end was androgynous, with a slight electronic distortion-typical of a hacker masking their identity.

"Hello, I was referred to you. Our company's firewall is under attack, and we need your expertise to strengthen it," Bob explained.

"For a firewall, any decent hacker should suffice. My rates are very high," Z's voice was flat, almost robotic.

"Our company is very important. These technical documents are crucial to national security, so we need someone highly reliable," Bob said earnestly.

Z hesitated for a moment. "Alright, if you can afford my rates, I'll do it."

Bob sighed in relief. "Don't worry, the Cavendish Corporation can pay whatever you ask."

"The Cavendish Corporation?" Z suddenly asked.

Bob chuckled. "Yes, if you can fend off this attack, your reputation will skyrocket in the hacker community."

"Sorry, but I don't need the fame. I just remembered I have other commitments. You'll have to find someone else," Z said coldly.

Bob was baffled. What had gone wrong? Why had Z's attitude changed so abruptly?

He quickly said, "Please don't hang up. We'll pay whatever you ask. Just name your price, and we'll meet it."

Z didn't hang up but laughed softly. "Sorry, no amount of money will make me take this job. You'd better find someone else."

With that, Z hung up swiftly.

Bob was frustrated. Who turns down a lucrative offer like that? The Cavendish Corporation could pay a hefty sum.

When he tried calling back, he was shocked to find the number was now disconnected.

William frowned at him. "You couldn't secure the deal?"

"Yeah, it's strange. We offered a blank check, but they refused without even discussing the price," Bob shook his head.

William frowned deeper. "Is there any other way to contact them?"

"The number's now disconnected. It was probably a VoIP call," Bob said seriously. "If a hacker doesn't want to be found, it's nearly impossible to reach them."

They had no choice but to consider other options.

Bob muttered to himself, "Is the Cavendish Corporation really that bad? Why did they refuse as soon as they heard our name?"

William didn't catch that. "What did you say?"

Bob quickly replied, "Nothing!"

William didn't press further.

After delivering the architectural plans, Christina was about to hail a cab back to the office when she noticed a luxury car parked by the curb. An elegant elderly lady stepped out.

"Could you help me carry these things upstairs?"

The lady was dressed in a chic Chanel dress, with a matching hat. Despite her age, she exuded grace and sophistication.

Christina couldn't help but admire her, hoping she could be as elegant when she grew old.

Just then, a screeching sound of tires came from the street. Christina looked up to see several cars colliding, one of which lost control and sped towards them.

If it didn't stop, it would crash into the lady's car, and she would be in grave danger!

Without thinking, Christina rushed over and pulled the lady away.

In the nick of time, the car crashed into the lady's vehicle, knocking the driver unconscious and slamming the car into a wall.

The car finally came to a halt.

The elderly lady, still shaken, grasped Christina's hand. "Thank you, dear. If it weren't for you, I might have been seriously hurt."

"It's nothing, really. Are you okay?" Christina asked, relieved.

The lady shook her head. "I'm fine."

Christina nodded. "If you're alright, I'll be on my way."

"Wait, don't go yet," the lady held onto her. "I'll call my family to come over."

Considering the lady was alone with just her driver, Christina felt uneasy leaving her. She nodded. "Alright, call your family. I'll wait with you."

The lady, seemingly afraid Christina might leave, kept holding her hand as she made a call.

"Grandson, come quickly. I've been in an accident."

The voice on the other end was anxious. "Where are you, Grandma?"

The lady looked around for a landmark.

Christina helpfully said, "Harmony Center."

"Yes, that's right," the lady echoed.

"Okay, I'm on my way," the voice said before hanging up.