The group fell silent for a moment. It was certainly a problem, and a serious one at that. Furthermore, the enemy was hidden; they hadn't even figured out the extent of their opposition, which was truly agonizing.

Bobb thought aloud, "I’ll grab a few people to scout around, probe the situation, and keep eyes on all the key targets. That way, we can guarantee our Resurrection Match runs smoothly, and we can give them a sound beating, how about that?" Since everyone else was stumped for an alternative, they readily agreed. Because of this incident, everyone understood a crucial lesson: the competition wasn't just about academic talent and intellect; it was also about the ability to handle underhanded schemes.

Ziye and Li Chunyu were textbook technicians, clueless about machinations and backstabbing. While the twins disdained such tactics, Bobb was the only one on the team skilled enough to navigate that murky water. Fortunately, when they finalized the mech assignment, everyone unanimously agreed to include Lingyin's name, which gave Bobb a capable assistant. The reason everyone agreed to add Lingyin was simple: the competition required at least six participants. With Bo Wen-dun gone, Lingyin stepping in brought their numbers up exactly to the minimum. Lingyin wasn't particularly gifted in mech construction, but she was cunning, resourceful, and utterly fearless—she would dare to do anything. Paired with Bobb, she was perfect for tracking down the mastermind targeting them.

There wasn't much time to prepare for the Resurrection Match. Before the match, Ziye and Li Chunyu drilled relentlessly on technical skills, the twins focused on combat readiness, while Lingyin and Bobb kept their surveillance fixed on Ales. They watched him for three straight days, yet Ales made no move.

Lingyin found it strange and whispered to Bobb, "Don't you think this guy doesn't seem like the mastermind?" Bobb was puzzled. "What do you mean?" Lingyin shook her head. "Just a feeling." Bobb shot her a look. Lingyin huffed in protest, "Sometimes a woman's intuition is sharp, you know. Besides, look at him—he looks so petty, not like someone who handles big operations. My feeling is, at most, he’d think of using Yin Lu to steal our data. After all, if he got the data, he could build the mech himself, achieving his goal already." She had thoroughly investigated Ales; his only motivation for entering the competition was to impress a father who held a low opinion of him. His primary objective was to successfully construct a genuine mech, and winning a prize would be a bonus, but not catastrophic if missed. Stealing the engine was clearly a contingency—a deliberate move to prevent them from handing in the mech on time. Ales simply didn't need to go that far.

Bobb considered it carefully and realized there was something amiss. "That makes some sense. But if it isn't Ales, then who could it be?" Lingyin was grappling with the same question. Ales hadn't associated with anyone suspicious recently; on the surface, he appeared completely inactive, not even preparing particularly diligently for the Resurrection Match. Unless... Unless the perpetrator no longer needed to prepare.

Lingyin ran through every possibility and concluded with certainty, "I really don't think he's the mastermind. Maybe the mastermind communicates with him digitally, which is why we can't see anything in his daily interactions." "Good point, that’s my girl!" Bobb turned his head and stole a quick kiss on her cheek, murmuring, "I’ll go find a hacker immediately to monitor his network." Lingyin replied, "I’ll ask the team to see if anyone has a reliable hacker we can borrow for a look. This time, we absolutely cannot afford any mistakes." As she spoke, she pinched Bobb’s cheek in return and posted a query about hackers on the Chuchou Group.

Ziye saw the request; this was in her specialty—no, this was in Little Sprout's absolute domain of expertise. But Little Sprout was still in Tang Wen’s hands, its fate uncertain. No one knew what kind of spark might ignite between Tang Wen and Little Sprout; Ziye was completely in the dark. Tang Wen had been exceptionally well-behaved lately. He had purchased a villa in the most luxurious, greenest residential district of the Kaga Advanced Education Center, still residing there with Blan. Ever since Tang Wen explicitly stated he would no longer assist her, she had avoided seeing him, limiting her interactions to necessary classes. But now, she desperately needed Little Sprout to help them win.

Ziye first pinged Tang Wen’s supra-comm, using an ingratiating tone: "Teacher, how have you been lately? Has Little Sprout been causing you any trouble?" Tang Wen seemed to be in excellent spirits, the corners of his lips curled upwards in evident delight. "Hmm, I'm quite well. It... is also quite well." If not for the little thing wriggling violently behind him, Ziye would have believed him. Not far behind him stood a very ancient-looking lamppost. Little Sprout, its wings bound, was dangling upside down from it. It flapped its wings frantically but couldn't break free, looking both pitiable and distressed.

A surge of pure fury instantly flared in Ziye's heart. "How could you treat my Sprout like this?" Tang Wen tilted his head, smiling faintly. "Why shouldn't I?" "That’s too much!" Ziye exploded in anger and rushed forward. The moment they met, without another word, she drew her blade and slashed toward Tang Wen’s face. Startled by the sudden gleam of steel, Tang Wen sidestepped, calmly remarking, "Swords have no eyes; please be careful when you wield them." Ziye couldn't care less about manners. She raised her hand, pointing the tip of her blade at his chest. "Give me back Little Sprout."

Blan stepped forward, speaking gently. "Let's talk this out properly. It’s fine if you want Little Sprout back; there's no need to be so aggressive." Ziye held a ball of frustration in her gut, glaring viciously at Tang Wen. Seeing that she had stopped causing a scene, Blan deftly snatched the blade from her hand, complimenting, "A fine blade." He sheathed it and offered it back to Ziye. She took it, glancing at him sideways. "Of course!" Tang Wen chuckled, seeing her face flushed red with anger. Ziye tilted her head and shot him a sharp glare. He quickly stifled his laugh, forcing a calm, masterly demeanor. "Ahem, Little Sprout is quite fond of me. Let it stay with me a while longer, okay?" Ziye declared loudly, "No!" Tang Wen frowned, clearly displeased. Seeing his expression, Ziye felt utterly indignant. He acted like the villain yet managed to pull off such a pitiful look asking for sympathy. Teacher Tang Wen, where is your integrity? Tang Wen walked over to the lamppost and untied the ropes binding Little Sprout, smiling. "Little Sprout, we've had such a wonderful time together; surely you don't want to go back with Ziye right now, do you?" Little Sprout looked pleadingly at Ziye, appearing on the verge of tears, but the words it spoke made Ziye want to hit it. It said, "Yes, Teacher Tang Wen, I really don't want to go back with Ziye." Ziye almost thought she was hallucinating! She leaned close to Little Sprout and whispered, "Are you telling the truth? You don't have to lie to me; if you want to come back with me, I will find a way to bring you back, no matter what it takes." Little Sprout burst into dramatic sobs and threw itself into Ziye's embrace, rubbing intensely against her, before flying over to land on Tang Wen’s hand. "I’ve decided after all; I want to stay with Teacher Tang Wen."

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