Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 349: Chapter 349

But today, Sophia absolutely couldn't let Zoe steal the show. Thinking of all the preparations she'd made, Sophia flashed a cold smirk. 'Gloat while you can, Zoe,' she thought. 'Just you wait. Your time is almost up.'
Zoe told Claude confidently, "With my treatment plan, his chronic cough and phlegm will be completely gone in under six months."
"Got it. Your words are always correct," Claude quickly agreed.
After their brief exchange, Zoe returned the phone to Malcolm.
Malcolm burst out laughing. "Not bad. So you're Shawn's fiancée. Seems that boy's got good taste after all."
Quran finally managed to chime in, "Not just good taste. He's struck pure gold."
Shawn gave Quran a slight nod, acknowledging their praise.
Since Quran had already accepted Zoe, he naturally spoke up for her. With a note of pride, he said, "You guys have no idea. She's more than meets the eye."
Quran's words piqued the officers' interest. "Oh? What other tricks does she have up her sleeve?"
"Scouting for talent is exactly why we're here."
"Exactly! Every year during the military inspection, it's always the same old routine performances—so dull. We could really use something fresh and exciting for a change."
"Shawn, what other hidden talents does your fiancée have? Show us everything. Let's see if she's truly worthy of being the wife of our nation's top warrior."
The officers were clearly just trying to lighten the mood with their playful banter. Because of this, Zoe's status as Shawn's fiancée no longer felt awkward in the slightest.
Shawn gazed at Zoe, and she gave him a firm, confident nod.
The two strode into the open area and engaged in an open sparring match under everyone's watchful eyes. Everyone knew how formidable Shawn was, but few were aware of Zoe's true capabilities. That she could hold her own against Shawn spoke volumes about her combat prowess.
After just a few minutes of sparring with Shawn, Zoe's techniques and combat prowess had already left the officers astounded. Even the Elders standing beside Rick found their perception of her shifting dramatically.
Although they had witnessed Zoe defeat Quran last time, his advanced age made that victory less impressive. But now, seeing her exchange over a hundred blows with Shawn without losing ground, truly revealed just how formidable she was.
As battle-hardened veterans, they could easily tell whether Zoe and Shawn were really fighting or just putting on a show. When Zoe's true strength emerged, all they felt was admiration.
"These days, the new generation is truly taking over. Even a girl like her can be so formidable." Someone admired. With talents like hers, Clusia was destined to grow ever stronger and more prosperous.
As the match concluded, Zoe and Shawn were met with thunderous applause. Sophia had to force a smile and join in, her clapping conspicuously forced as she muttered hollow congratulations.
"Her combat skills and medical expertise are impressive," a senior officer suddenly said, "but those two skills alone hardly make her worthy of Clusia's War God."
All eyes turned to him.
He chuckled and said, "Don't get me wrong. I'm not here to mess with you two lovebirds. I just want to see how far Shawn's fiancée can push her limits."
The senior officer shot a glance at the man beside him—his driver. At the signal, the driver stepped forward in front of everyone, snapped to attention, and gave a crisp salute.
The senior officer introduced, "This is Ricky, a master hacker who once breached the military's core system in under fifty seconds.
"I heard Shawn's fiancée is from the all-rounder program and was once crowned the supreme prodigy. Why not have her face off against my driver and see whose hacking skills truly come out on top?"
A hacking showdown was all about offense and defense. The Red Team attacks, the Blue Team defends. Ultimately, it all came down to who's got the better skills.
Two identically configured laptops were swiftly brought before Zoe and Ricky. Each took one and immediately dove into their work, fingers flying across the keyboards as the hacking duel began.
While everyone was eagerly awaiting the spectacle, Sophia stealthily slipped out of the crowd, already plotting her revenge.
As the duel between the two reached its fever pitch, all eyes were fixed on them, eagerly waiting to see who would emerge victorious.
The officers started to whisper. "Rumor has it this Ricky is one hell of a hacker."
"Yeah, I heard that too. Last time, he earned major credit for cracking some foreign intelligence."
"Anyone who gets to drive for a top officer is no ordinary guy. Looks like Zoe's about to embarrass herself big time."
As whispers spread through the crowd, Rick's face darkened. He thought, 'If Zoe succeeds again, she'll impress the higher-ups. Once the organization approves Shawn's marriage application, there'll be no stopping their union.
'No way! I definitely can't let a woman of unknown origins marry Shawn. She might even bring trouble to Clusia. What should I do?'
"Look at Zoe—no smile at all. She's doomed to lose."
"Forty seconds in, she's toast."
"Hah! So this is the woman Shawn picked. Nothing special after all."
As the mocking voices grew louder, Ricky suddenly snapped his laptop shut and rose to his feet.
The moment everyone saw his move, they knew he had it in the bag.
"See? Told you she'd lose."
"Know your place as. Stop being so damn competitive. See? Now you've made a fool of yourself."
Just as the crowd was mocking Zoe for showing off too much, Ricky suddenly gave her a respectful bow and declared loudly, "I concede defeat."
At these words, several of those who had been mocking Zoe staggered in shock, steadying each other as they exchanged bewildered looks, still unable to believe what they'd just heard.
"Did I just hear that right?" someone in the crowd exclaimed in disbelief.
One of the onlookers said, "My ears must be deceiving me. Did Ricky really just say he lost? No way, that's impossible."
No one believed Ricky could lose, but the truth was right in front of them. Ricky turned his laptop around, and two bold words scrolled across the screen: [You Lose.]
The crowd fell silent, their jeers and laughter dying on their lips.
Zoe had won, but she wasn't arrogant.
Zoe walked up to Ricky and said, "You lost because of your strategic oversight. Had you committed more decisively to your attacks, you wouldn't have fallen so quickly."
Hearing this, Ricky gave a wry smile. At best, it would have only delayed his defeat. "I accept my loss. You truly deserve to be called a genius," he said, and then started clapping alone.
Scattered, half-hearted applause followed as others reluctantly joined in. Those unwilling to accept reality were a beat behind, but seeing the senior officers clapping, they had no choice but to follow suit.
Many offered Zoe hollow congratulations with forced smiles, though they seethed with resentment. "How could a little girl be so skilled?" they muttered. "There must be something fishy going on."
Rick, still seething with resentment, stepped forward with a challenging glare and a mocking smile. "Since you're so impressive, Zoe, I'm sure you won't mind facing a few more challenges," he said, deliberately making things difficult.