Mie

[Inside the study room of the library of Huaye University]

A sheen of sweat reflected off Bai Ling's forehead and nose. She had been typing rapidly for quite some time and felt extremely tired. Her fingers were sore and tingling, as though they could turn numb at any minute.

She was wholly absorbed in the ongoing battle. There could be no distractions in her mind, not even for a split second. As it stood, she was already staring defeat in the face.

Despite her best efforts to stop the attack, the opposing forces were breaking through, bearing down menacingly across a broad front this time. The coordinated strike of their four top-class hackers could best be described as an unstoppable tsunami. Bai Ling suffered one defeat after another, steadily losing grounds. Her desperate rearguard action was to no avail. Her face grew grim, and she bit on the lips so hard that her delicate, red lips looked about to bleed.

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