Chapter 9: A Romantic Dinner for Two

The cafeteria worker couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Hahaha, no, no, I meant to say 'piss him off,'" the girl quickly corrected herself.

Leon Chen rolled his eyes. This girl was even wittier than he was. If he wasn't so hungry, he would have awarded her the food just for saying she would "drain him dry" tonight.

"Well, that's what I mean!" The girl, stubborn as she was, continued on this path.

The cafeteria worker said, "You two are quite a pair. Why not split the meal? It's obvious you were doing something together that made you late."

What exactly they were doing? The cafeteria worker chuckled to himself, leaving it unsaid.

"This young lady is incredibly beautiful, how could she fall for this hypocrite?" the girl fumed.

"Who's the hypocrite?" Leon Chen glanced at her. Her self-praise was certainly smooth, but upon closer inspection, she wasn't wrong. She had bright, clear eyes and beautifully delicate features, giving off an aura of "a beauty as pure as snow."

Her fiery temperament, however, was at odds with her gentle appearance.

"Look at you, acting so honest but not even knowing to prioritize a lady."

"You two should save your energy," the cafeteria worker laughed, bringing over two plates. "Here, thank this young man. Eating is important, come earlier next time."

"This young man doesn't mind sharing, right?"

"Fine by me," Leon Chen smiled, taking the plate and sitting down.

The girl, seeing Leon Chen's nonchalant attitude, was furious, but her growling stomach left her with no choice but to mutter a few complaints and sit down as well. She was probably still indignant about not being treated as a beautiful woman should.

Leon Chen ate while browsing through the AI information. He was so absorbed that he forgot about the stunning beauty sitting opposite him.

"Don't you know it's bad for your eyes to read while eating?" The girl couldn't suppress her curiosity and sat down opposite Leon Chen with her plate.

"Oh, thanks," Leon Chen responded politely. He wasn't unreasonable and appreciated her good intentions.

"Are you that hungry that you're eating a book? How can you flip through it so fast?" The girl blinked, finding his speed astonishing. With her sharp eyes, she couldn't even make out what was on the pages before he turned them.

Humph, he must be showing off.

The girl had no idea Leon Chen was using the NO.104 ability, Photographic Memory.

This ability's greatest advantage was that everything seen would be permanently imprinted in memory. Unlike ordinary photographic memory, it had a drawback: the memories could only be accessed while the ability was active. Once it was deactivated, recalling the information became difficult.

Such was the dilemma with basic abilities, but fortunately, the cost was merely closing his eyes for 120 seconds afterward.

Having flipped through half the book, Leon Chen closed it, glanced at the girl with a faint smile, then focused on his meal.

Unbeknownst to her, her beauty was now etched in Leon Chen's mind forever.

"Oh, are you in the Computer Science department?" she asked, seeing the AI book, a hot topic with the fifth-generation computers.

"Yes."

"Then you must have heard about the 'American Thrill 31 Minutes,' right?" the girl asked curiously. "Do you know which hacker did it?"

"How would I know?" Leon Chen glanced at her and continued eating, mumbling, "Maybe it was someone from our country."

"No way," the girl said, dismissing the idea while eating a few bites.

"Why are you so sure?"

"Just am!"

Leon Chen shrugged and continued eating.

After a while, the girl couldn't resist starting the conversation again. "If I ever find that hacker, I'd whip him to death."

"Are you America?" Leon Chen assumed this beautiful girl.

"No!" the girl said.

"Oh, then why are you mad at the hacker? " Leon Chen said, starting to like her a bit.

The girl had a fiery temperament but was very straightforward and kind-hearted. Leon Chen prided himself on his ability to read people.

"I was playing CS GO, had a headshot lined up, and then the pop-up knocked me out of the game. It pissed me off!" The girl bit her lip, her face flushing with frustration.

Leon Chen couldn't help but laugh. What a unique reason. "Be careful, that hacker might hack your computer."

The girl, recalling that the hacker had breached the U.S., also laughed.

In the quiet cafeteria, under the soft yellow light, a young man and woman chatted and ate, creating a strangely romantic atmosphere, though they were oblivious to it.

The cafeteria worker watched, thinking no one would believe they weren't a couple.

"It's getting late, you two should finish up," he reminded them.

The girl glanced at the time, realizing it was almost 9 PM. She was shocked that she had spent so long eating half a bowl of rice. She hurriedly ate a few more bites, clearing her plate quickly.

"Next time, don't come so late. If you want a quiet place to eat together, I can recommend a spot," the cafeteria worker said, clearly a friendly person.

"It really was just a coincidence. Having a boyfriend like this would be infuriating."

"Haha, I think you two make a great couple."

Even if you say we're a good match, he'd have to be exceptionally handsome, the girl thought, feeling somewhat wronged.

Leaving the cafeteria, the night sky was already dim with starlight.

"You've annoyed me so much tonight."

The girl couldn't resist teasing him.

Since their departments were different, they parted ways at the junction. After a while, Leon Chen heard hurried footsteps returning.

He turned to see the girl coming back.

"Did you forget something?"

"I forgot to tell you something," she said, thinking for a moment. "I owe you a meal for today. I don't like owing people. So, if you ever need help, come to the Art Department and ask for Scarlett Ning. As long as you're not doing anything illegal, I'll help you."

She patted her chest confidently.

Wow, Scarlett Ning? What a gentle name for such a fiery personality.

"What's your grade and student number?" Leon Chen asked.

From the receding figure came a tinkling laugh.

"58!"

Leon Chen checked his watch. Infiltrating the AI would have to wait for another day. He still had one more chance to test an ability today. He pressed number 58.

A gentle voice entered his mind.

"NO58SL data loading, ability code: Control of Cold and Ice successfully applied…"

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Photographic Memory

Serial Number: 104

Level: Basic

Ability: Permanently retains everything seen while the ability is active.

Cost: Close eyes for 120 seconds afterward.