Chapter 77: Paige's Appearance
The two men shook their heads again.
"Sheldon's math and physics skills are unmatched at Caltech, but when it comes to programming, he's no match for me. I could hack into his World of Warcraft account in minutes," Howard boasted.
Howard's comment reminded Ron that Sheldon's World of Warcraft account had actually been hacked once before, and it was Howard who had tracked down the perpetrator. However, when they went to confront the hacker at his house, the four nerds got mugged instead. It was Penny who eventually saved the day.
This memory gave Ron an even bigger headache. Howard had the most diverse skill set of the four guys, and logically, his programming abilities should be the strongest. If he couldn't handle this project, who else could they turn to? He really didn't want to bring in an outsider.
Just as he was stressing about this, Ron felt his phone buzz with a text message.
"I think you're underestimating my abilities." From: Paige.
How did she know?!
Ron was stunned. He immediately picked up his phone to reply, but halfway through typing, another message came in.
"Curious how I knew? If so, nod."
What the hell! How could she know if he nodded or not? Ron looked around the lab. Besides him, Howard, and Raj, there was nobody else in the room. How could she have seen him move?
Wait!
Ron suddenly stood up and waved at the security camera in the corner. The camera responded by tilting up and down, as if nodding back.
Raj screamed in terror, "Ron, are we under surveillance? Is it foreign agents? You have to protect us!"
"No," Ron said with a grin spreading across his face. He recognized Paige's mischievous style. "It's not agents. It's an angel who saw our problem and came to help."
Ron's phone buzzed again. "I agree with your assessment. I am your angel."
Ron was even more shocked. If Paige had hacked into the university's security system and could see him, that wouldn't surprise him. But the surveillance cameras didn't have audio. How could she have heard what he said?
It couldn't be lip reading, could it? Was he facing the camera when he spoke? Ron tried to remember, while the two scientists, acting like they'd found a new toy, started using paper and pens to try communicating with the camera.
But Paige ignored them completely. Instead, like some mind-reading sorceress, she sent Ron another text.
"I bet you think I was lip reading, but sorry, nope~ I'll give you three minutes to figure it out. If you guess correctly, I might consider giving you my most precious gift."
Ron looked at the message, his face flushing with frustration. "Great, so you won't give it to me if I guess wrong? God knows how hard I've been trying to avoid losing my virginity to you!"
But Ron was genuinely concerned about the answer to this puzzle. As someone involved in covert operations, even if he wasn't a professional intelligence officer, he was extremely sensitive about being monitored.
If Paige could do this, who else might be watching? Would his future activities be exposed just because he carried a phone? This was what worried him most.
"Hey, do you have any equipment here that could be hacked and used for surveillance?" Ron showed the text message to Howard, who looked horrified.
"What? Our conversation was being monitored?!"
Even though Ron and the two scientists thoroughly searched the laboratory, they found nothing suspicious. Three minutes passed quickly, and Ron's phone vibrated again.
"Haha, you're still as clueless as ever, Ron. Sorry, looks like I win again this time. How should I reward myself? How about tonight's Ron as my prize (smiley face~)"
Ron could practically see Paige's cute, smug smile through the text on his phone.
Ron chuckled and dialed Paige's number directly: "Hey, Paige, what are you up to?"
"Hahaha," a melodious laugh came through the receiver. "Don't you appreciate my help?"
"Uh... of course I do, but I don't like being watched. You know, everyone needs some privacy," Ron said awkwardly.
"You mean like the private things you did with that busty waitress at the hotel this morning?" Paige teased. "I recorded the whole thing. Want me to play it back for you?"
"Please don't!" Ron was immediately defeated and quickly changed the subject. "I'm guessing you already have a solution to my current problem, right?"
What else could he say? If he couldn't keep this young woman happy, it would be really troublesome if she decided not to help. At least Paige wasn't a complete outsider.
"Of course, it's just a flight control program. Child's play. I've already sent it to Howard's email. Just have him install it."
"Oh my God! Ron, you won't believe what I found!" Howard's excited voice echoed through the room. "A perfect flight control program just appeared in my inbox!"
Even as composed as Ron usually was, he couldn't help but admire Paige's efficiency. But he knew there was no such thing as a free lunch. "Alright, what do you want this time? Another date?"
"Including the one you promised me in Miami, you already owe me three dates, so I'm raising the stakes... How about spending an entire day with me?"
"Of course."
"I mean the entire day... including the night." There was a rare hint of shyness in Paige's voice.
"Ah, well..." Ron was at a loss for words.
Paige had always had her sights set on him, and Ron knew it, but he'd been unable to commit to her. If you had to ask why, his excuse was almost absurd: it was for the sake of world peace!
Paige was different from other women. Perhaps because her parents' bitter divorce had left deep psychological scars, Paige was someone who desperately craved security and stability. And Ron, on the other hand—
Max, Caroline, Megan, Collins... he'd been with so many women he'd lost count.
Just look at Paige's genius capabilities. She could hack into government systems and manipulate security networks with ease. She had knowledge and abilities that far exceeded normal bounds.
God only knew what kind of chaos this girl would unleash if he actually married her and then got caught cheating.
She was a super genius with an IQ that put even Sheldon to shame! If she ever turned vengeful, the consequences would be catastrophic.
(End of chapter)
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