Li Qiao wasn't a hacker, but her computer skills were far beyond the average person's.
After all, she'd grown up under the influence of Li Shaoquan—a die-hard fan of the Red Hackers Alliance. Thanks to his constant exposure, Li Qiao had developed formidable coding abilities.
It's just that… she rarely bothered to use them. She didn't like to think too much, didn't like to act unless necessary—she lived with a "go-with-the-flow" attitude.
Li Shaoquan had once sighed that if Li Qiao ever put her heart into studying Red Hacker tech, she'd be invited to join the Alliance sooner or later.
In under ten minutes, all the destroyed files and data had been fully recovered.
With one hand resting on the keyboard, Li Qiao tapped idly at the keys.
Deleting her thesis—was someone trying to sabotage her graduation?
The graduation thesis for a major in Cell Biology Engineering had extremely rigorous requirements. Even a top student like Li Qiao had taken a full week to finish hers.
If it had been something else, she might've let it slide.
But this touched on principle—and principles weren't something she tolerated being messed with.
Leaning back in her chair, she traced her fingers over the keyboard, lips curving subtly before she closed the document and opened the camera memory function.
After all, this laptop had been specially configured by Li Shaoquan. The webcam's recording system was something he'd developed himself.
The person who tried to destroy her files likely never expected that every move they made three nights ago was fully recorded by the camera.
…
Evening came, and dusk gradually deepened.
Li Qiao was curled up on a lounge chair by the window, reviewing architectural designs, when there were two knocks on her door. Without waiting for a response, Second Brother Li Yan strolled in.
"Qiao Qiao, what are you up to?"
He was dressed unusually sharp in a pale pink and white suit. His tousled hair had been slicked back with gel, and he even had a pink bowtie at his collar—both flamboyant and flashy.
Li Qiao cast a sidelong glance at him. "Are you entering a beauty pageant?"
Li Yan adjusted his bowtie and looked down proudly at his outfit. "How is it? Don't I look good? Come on, I'm taking you out for a breather."
Li Qiao stared at the pink bowtie with deep disapproval and shook her head. "Not going."
"You don't get to say no." Li Yan walked over, took her phone right out of her hand, and said, "There's an art exhibit at the Royal Hotel tonight. Come with me, help me pick out a few paintings. We split the profit sixty-forty—how about it?"
Li Qiao sighed and sat up lazily from the lounge chair. "Do I look like I'm short on money?"
"You're not, but your brother just wants to give you some! Now hurry up and change—I'll be waiting downstairs."
Without leaving room for argument, Li Yan returned her phone and strode out of the room.
Half an hour later, Li Qiao, now dressed in a sleek black cocktail dress, got into their family's Bentley with Li Yan.
In the back seat, Li Yan was browsing through the art exhibit's info on his phone, occasionally muttering to himself.
"Who's hosting tonight's art exhibition?"
Li Qiao was absentmindedly pinching the hem of her dress when she heard Li Yan mention something about "European classical paintings." She perked up and asked.
In recent years, European classical art had rarely been shown or circulated publicly—most pieces were now held by private collectors or museums. And tonight's exhibit was showcasing some of those works?
Li Yan, still glued to his phone, explained, "I heard it's being hosted by the Yanhua Group's foundation. I skimmed the digital brochure—some of the paintings are actually pretty good."
At that, a glimmer of interest flashed in Li Qiao's eyes. So, it was the Yanhua Group.
She paused for a moment, gazing out the window, and casually asked, "Will Shang Shaoyan be there?"
Li Yan replied distractedly, "He probably won't attend something like this. Plus, I heard Dad mention this morning that he left for Parma today."