Don't Mess with the Girl with Candy novel Chapter 636

An eleven-figure loss! The old bastard really played for keeps!

“Alright.” Juniper looked up, her voice low and raspy. “Give me the computer.”

“On it.” Luella immediately opened the laptop and placed it in front of Juniper, adding a helpful reminder, “If you want to dominate the market in three days, you’ll have to handle this yourself to block Sigma Network’s malicious attacks.”

“I know.”

As Juniper replied, her fingers flew across the keyboard. In moments, an eleven-figure sum was transferred from her private account to Subterra Vanguard.

Her expression soured as she stared at the long string of zeros in the transaction record. You could threaten her life, but never her wallet. It would take her months to earn all that money back, and now, thanks to that old bastard at Sigma Network, it was all down the drain.

Great. Her feud with the old man had just gotten deeper.

“By the way,” Luella said, noticing Juniper's foul mood. She poured her some juice and offered a bowl of snacks. “The World Hacker Competition is at the end of next month. The prize money is huge this time. More importantly, Sigma Network is competing.”

“Oh?” Juniper’s attention shifted from her dessert to Luella’s face. “Is the old man competing himself?”

“That’s the word,” Luella confirmed, cracking open a pistachio. “I guess their prestige took a major hit after their team, Cybernetic Shadows, lost to our Binary Oracle for the third year running. The head of Sigma Network is probably stepping in personally to avoid looking bad.”

“Is that all?” Juniper’s lips curled into a cold smile, her clear eyes narrowing. “I doubt it.”

“Huh?” Luella paused for a second before the realization dawned on her, her eyes widening in shock. “You mean, he’s trying to lure you into the open to take you down?”

“So he wants a piece of me, does he?” Juniper laughed it off, a casual air about her. “Fine. I’ll join the competition this year.”

“Are you—” Miranda started to speak, but the young lady had already walked past her and into the restroom.

Oh well. Miranda adjusted her own mask in the mirror, reminding herself that she’d been out of the industry for years. She was just trying to have a relaxing night out; no need to stir up trouble.

After washing her hands, Miranda started walking back, but she hadn’t gone far before a group of drunk young men blocked her path.

“What’s your problem?” the leader slurred, reeking of alcohol as he staggered toward Miranda. “Do you know who I am? You trying to get yourself killed, blocking my way?”

Though angered by his crude words, Miranda held her tongue, mindful of her public identity. She simply stood to the side to let them pass.

But seeing her silence, the drunks grew bolder, their eyes roaming over her with ill intent. Though she was in her fifties, Miranda had aged gracefully. In the dim hallway light, with her mask on, the men mistook her for a woman in her twenties.