Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 350: Chapter 350

Rick smirked and said to Zoe, "I've heard you're not just exceptional in combat skills and intelligence, but you excel in other areas too. Why don't you show us what else you've got?"
Zoe remained silent, her expression unreadable.
Rick continued with a challenging tone, "I've heard your mechanical skills are exceptional, too. Here's the test.
"Fifteen minutes to find all the firearm components I've hidden in that row of rooms, reassemble them, and shoot down that wind chime hanging in the corner. Think you're up for it?"
Shawn stepped in front of Zoe, blocking her path, and said firmly, "This test is completely pointless."
Rick scoffed, "This test is anything but pointless. It covers reasoning, investigation, and firearms skills. Shawn, you could ace it. As your fiancée, she needs to prove she's equally capable."
With Rick making such a declaration, his supporters immediately echoed his words. Under these circumstances, no one dared to voice even the slightest objection.
Zoe stepped forward. "Challenge accepted." She locked eyes with Rick. "But every challenge needs stakes. If I succeed, what's my reward?"
"Being recognized as Shawn's worthy fiancée. Isn't that reward enough?" someone chuckled mockingly.
Zoe locked eyes with Rick and declared, "I want a public apology from those who've prejudged me."
At her words, Rick and his faction's expressions darkened. They all knew exactly who she meant needed to apologize.
Rick had no way out. Knowing Sophia's plan left him no choice, he gritted his teeth and conceded, "Fine, have it your way."
As Zoe was about to leave, Shawn appeared beside her. "Watch your back," he whispered. He knew Rick and his group were trying to make things tough for her. This test wouldn't be easy.
Zoe said calmly, "Everything leaves a trace. Don't worry." With that, she stepped straight into the first room, and the clock started ticking from that moment.
Before Zoe entered, Sophia had stealthily slipped back into the group and positioned herself beside Rick. He shot her a quick glance, and she responded with a subtle nod.
A cold smirk curled at Elder Bai's lips. Their plan was already in place. Now, all he had to do was wait and watch as Zoe walked right into his trap.
Zoe found firearm components in the first room and moved on. In one room with classified documents, an alarm blared as soon as she entered, breaking the tense silence.
Rick heard the alarm and immediately barked, "Seal off the building! Don't let anyone inside escape."
At the sound of the alarm, Shawn's expression turned grave. He moved to investigate, but Chase grabbed his arm firmly, holding him back.
Chase said urgently, "The alarm means someone's trying to steal Clusia's top military secrets using the highest-level classified password. It's treason and a capital offense."
Rick led his men inside and immediately apprehended Zoe, who calmly walked out of the room without resistance.
By then, several high-ranking officers had gathered to the side, awaiting Rick's explanation.
Rick declared solemnly, "This room contains Clusia's military top-secret files, including comprehensive data on tactical strategies and advanced weaponry.
"We've set up special security protocols on the master control computers to prevent leaks. Any unauthorized access or decryption of confidential documents will trigger the alarm instantly."
Rick fixed Zoe with a cold stare. "Zoe, you accessed the computer and tried to steal classified information. That's espionage. No wonder you agreed to the challenge so easily. Turns out it was all just a cover to steal our secrets." Every word dripped with accusation.
Zoe fixed Rick with a cold stare, deliberately withholding her response for the moment.
The senior officers were shocked. "Who would've thought you were a spy."
"And here I thought you were real talent. I was planning to recommend you for promotion, so you could work alongside Shawn and become a key pillar of Clusia. What a waste!"
"How could a spy like this infiltrate our ranks? Shawn, you'd better have a damn good explanation."
The moment the senior officers discovered the problem, their first reaction was to assign blame. As Zoe's fiancé, Shawn naturally bore the brunt, becoming the first to face questioning and suspicion.
Sophia quickly stepped forward, pleading, "Please, officers, don't be angry. Shawn must have been deceived by this female spy. There's absolutely no way he would help this woman commit treason."
Some officers supported Shawn. "Yeah, there's no way Shawn would do anything wrong, but I've had a bad feeling about that woman ever since she started hanging around him."
"She's way too skilled to be just some ordinary person. Now it's clear; those freakish abilities of hers are the smoking gun that proves she's a spy."
"Spies go through special training. With skills like Zoe's, there's no way she's just an ordinary person. She must have had some serious professional training to be this good."
"Such a shame. Such a person must not be tolerated. Arrest her immediately for interrogation."
"Damn right. A viper like this has no place in our country."
The senior officers who had once praised Zoe instantly changed their tune the moment they heard she was a traitor. Only Quran and Malcolm remained silent.
"Zoe would never commit treason." Shawn abruptly pushed through the crowd and shielded her.
"Shawn, stop being so stubborn. Get over here now and cut all ties with Zoe, or you'll be dragged into the investigation too," Sophia said, her tone urgent and commanding.
In her mind, she was sure her plan was foolproof. Zoe was already as good as dead. But Sophia couldn't just stand by and watch Shawn go down with Zoe.
As Sophia reached for Shawn, Rick caught her arm. She looked at him, puzzled.
"Shut up! Shawn is no fool. If you want them to break it off, he has to make that decision himself," Rick whispered. He was certain Shawn would soon come to his senses and cut all ties with Zoe.
To everyone's astonishment, Shawn forcefully knocked aside the two soldiers holding Zoe's arms and pulled her into a protective embrace.
Sophia stared at Shawn in disbelief. "Shawn, have you lost your mind?"
Shawn faced the officers and declared, "I believe in Zoe. This is definitely a setup. Someone's trying to frame her."
Rick said coldly, "The facts speak for themselves. Zoe was the only one in that room. If she didn't tamper with the computer, who else could it be?"
Shawn countered firmly, "The system could have been remotely accessed or tampered with by a timed program. That doesn't necessarily prove it was Zoe."
"If it wasn't Zoe, then who else could it be?" Rick shot back sharply. "She just showed off her hacking prowess. Only she could bypass multiple security layers and crack the classified files' encryption in such a short time."
Rick's damning proof left no room for doubt. Everyone had to believe Zoe was caught red-handed stealing classified information.
At that moment, to further incriminate Zoe, Sophia deliberately put on an exaggerated look of surprise. "Oh! I just remembered something," she exclaimed.