Chapter 5 Phantom Has Appeared

“Old Mr. Tanner, please wait.” After hanging up the phone, Andy immediately went after them. “I'll accept Sophie.” Andy's attitude had taken a complete turnaround. Even someone as worldly as Josiah was unclear why Andy had changed his mind. “Mr. Langston, did I hear you correctly?” Josiah asked for confirmation. “Old Mr. Tanner, you heard right. I'll arrange a class for Sophie right now.” Andy immediately called the academic head, instructing her to handle the arrangements for Sophie. Sophie didn't refuse, but she also knew that things weren't as simple as they seemed. The academic head assigned Sophie to the class with the worst performance. She handed her the school uniform and left her in the care of the homeroom teacher of Senior Class 8. “Remember, our school requires students to wear uniforms to enter the campus,” the academic head specifically instructed. “Not just anyone can come in.” “Mr. Hayes, I'm entrusting Sophie to you. Thank you for the trouble.” “It's no trouble at all. Please, feel free to head home. I'll bring Sophie to class in a bit,” said Derrick Hayes, the homeroom teacher, courteously. Every parent at Jipsdale Premier High was a person of significant standing, and these teachers simply couldn't afford to offend them. The third period happened to be Derrick's class, and he arrived at the classroom of Senior Class 8 with Sophie in tow. “We have a new student joining our class today. Now, let's invite our new friend to introduce herself. Please give a warm round of applause to welcome her.” “Hello everyone, my name is Sophie Tanner.” Sophie Tanner? Upon hearing this name, the students began whispering among themselves. “Is she the Sophie Tanner from five years ago? The one who was expelled from school?” “I think so! I heard she took a break from school, but in reality, she was expelled from our school.” “Is it true that she went to a small clinic for an abortion?” “Yeah, back then...” “All right, everyone, settle down,” said Derrick in a gentle tone. “Sophie, there's one spot left in the back row. Go ahead and take a seat!” Sophie made her way to the last row and sat down, completely ignoring the disdainful glares directed at her. Senior Class 8 was considered an average class at Jipsdale Premier High, and this class was filled with children from the elite strata of society. Their family was wealthy, and they were all fearless. After the third class ended, Queenie Lane approached Sophie. “Sophie, it really is you! I never thought you'd have the nerve to return to Jipsdale. If I were you...” Queenie was Willow's sidekick, always had been. She was always there to assist Willow in tormenting Sophie. Sophie was older than her, and she never thought she'd run into her again after taking a two-year break from school. “Queenie, shut your trap,” Sophie grumbled, having spent the previous night tossing and turning in an unfamiliar bed. Now, all she felt was a throbbing headache. “Sophie, we're not in Horington, you know. Who do you think you are in Jipsdale?” Queenie wasn't afraid of her at all. She grabbed Sophie's hand, under the impression that she remained the same submissive individual who tolerated others' intimidation. A pair of attractive eyes narrowed dangerously. Following that, with a clever maneuver, she swiftly grasped Queenie's delicate hand, bending it backward. “Ah!” Queenie cried out in pain. When others saw the fierce determination in Sophie's eyes, they didn't dare to intervene. “I've told you to shut your trap, Queenie. Remember this, I'm not the same Sophie from five years ago. I won't let just anyone walk all over me. And, whatever you all did five years ago, you should still remember! I will return everything I've been through to you bit by bit, slowly but surely.” Suddenly, Sophie felt that returning was incredibly right. After she finished speaking, she forcefully pushed Queenie to the ground. Queenie was taken aback by this version of Sophie. No, the Sophie Tanner of the past wasn't this terrifying. I can't let her stay in Jipsdale. I have to use all my strength to drive her out of the campus, and even out of Jipsdale itself. For the last two classes, Sophie slept on her desk. Once classes were over, she grabbed her backpack and headed out. No sooner had she stepped out of the school gates than she saw the man named Felix already waiting there for her. It must be because of them that I was able to return smoothly to this prestigious private school! Before Felix could say anything, Sophie had already opened the car door next to him and got in. Felix was at a loss for words. “Tristan, right? I saved you last time, and now you've helped me in return. We're even now, so there's no need for you to seek me out anymore.” In Sophie's attractive eyes, impatience was evident. These two individuals were no simpletons, and she had no desire to become entangled in any sort of relationship with them. “My life is worth a fortune.” All he did today was have Felix make a phone call, which, compared to what she had done, was a mere drop in the bucket. “I am Tristan Lombard of Lombard Group, and I need you.” Upon hearing Tristan's words, Felix felt as if his mind was about to explode. Lombard Group had no shortage of people. He truly couldn't fathom why Tristan was so insistent on having Sophie. “I'm a rebellious girl with no particular skills or knowledge. What could you possibly want from me?” Sophie calmly looked at Tristan. Not many people dared to look directly into Tristan's eyes. Tristan thought she was indeed quite extraordinary. “Medical skills.” “Medical skills? You've got to be kidding me. I'm just a twenty-year-old high school student who helped treat your wound! What medical skills could I possibly have? I've already told you, it was pure luck that I was able to stop your bleeding. If luck hadn't been on our side, you would've bled out and died by now.” “Sophie, I'm not joking with you. Please give it some serious thought. I can even arrange for you to learn and work at the Lombard family's hospital.” Lombard Group was legendary, a conglomerate that countless senators yearned to network with. Yet, Sophie remained indifferent. Sophie didn't want to waste any more words because she knew they were not going to give up anyway. “Mr. Tristan, if you've fallen for your savior, just admit it! Look, she doesn't even believe your reasons.” Tristan watched as Sophie left. He quite liked her. Sophie's phone rang after she got out of the car. She unlocked her screen, saw the incoming call from that number, and immediately hung up. However, the other party seemed oblivious to the concept of giving up, persistently making more than a dozen calls. In the end, Sophie picked up the phone. “You'd better have a good reason. I'm really not in the mood right now.” “Phantom, your temper hasn't changed a bit. When are you coming back?” Butterfly was unfazed by Phantom's fiery temper. “Just go straight to the point!” “All right! There's a job. Are you taking it?” Butterfly knew Phantom's temperament. Whether she accepted a job or not depended on her mood. But one thing was certain. She would complete any job she took on flawlessly. “I won't take it.” As the youngest yet most formidable hacker of the Wings of Light, Phantom took on tasks purely based on her mood. “Phantom, this time it's about our nation's cybersecurity. I hope you'll seriously consider it.” If it had been any other case, Butterfly wouldn't have made this call. “Cybersecurity?” Sophie finally showed a bit of interest. “All right, send the information over.” She hung up the phone immediately after. Butterfly had wanted to say something else, but upon hearing her say that, she immediately went to send out the information. Meanwhile, over at Lombard Group, Tristan had rushed back as soon as he received a call from Charles Quigley. “Mr. Tristan, Phantom has appeared,” Charles said excitedly. The thought of his idol finally making an appearance was enough to excite Charles. “Gather everyone from the consortium. This time, I must find out who Phantom truly is.” Phantom, hailed as the most formidable hacker in history, was as elusive as their namesake. No one knew whether Phantom was male or female. They were a legendary figure shrouded in mystery. Phantom was a figure that all international consortiums wanted to win over. To have them was to have the entirety of cybersecurity.