14 14. Let's be friend.

*sounds of phone ringtone*

Swoosh!

Swoosh!

The last two blows stopped at their face and chin, creating the air whistling. Rira snapped back to her senses after hearing the familiar ringtone. Xavier Lu pulled his fist backwards from her face and retreat two steps away.

Two pairs of eyes turned after realizing the direction of the sound was from Rira's bag. She inhaled to calm down and walked to the bench to answer the call. It's from Raymond.

She put the phone on her ear, plainly asking out. " What?" She asked, breathless.

" Ah, sister? Are you coming back yet? It's already 11.30pm. Dad already at home, asking you." Raymond anxious voice sounded like a whisper to her. Did Daddy gets mad?

" I'm on my way." She hung up after answering this. She collected all her belongings into the bag in a swap. Xavier Lu went closer after realizing her attention to go back.

" Wait! Let's be friend." He stopped her, but Rira ignored it.

" Not interested." She went around him and walked pass. But, he grabbed her wrist, stopping her from getting away.

" It won't take long to save my number. Come, let's exchange numbers." Xavier Lu quickly grabbed the bag from her hand and taking out her mobile phone. After punching down his number, he called. Feeling the vibration inside the pocket, he returns it back together with the bag. This series of actions was fast enough even Rira had no time to stop him.

" You...!" Rira almost lost her temper at this man rude action. He dared to put his number in her contact list. Delete it! Before she could delete the number, the man talked.

" If you delete it, I'll keep pestering you days and nights." It's a threat! Rira froze. This shameless man...she grit her teeth, aching to bite his head off.

" Shameless!" She roared.

Xavier Lu's laughter sounded irritating to her. Rira huffed and walked away. She couldn't talk sense for this kind of people. So, ignore him.

Out of eyes, out of mind.

Looking at the fuming retreating back getting farther away, Xavier Lu finally put his pretense down. His usual cold expression grimacing at the aching limbs of his. He looked down, feeling numb all over his body.

Another vibration snapped his sense back. He shakily pulled out the phone, answering the call. " Anything?"

The person across the line stunned for three seconds after sensing something was off. " B-Boss? Are you alright?" The man asked, cautiously. Xavier Lu sighed, but his cold expression still there.

" I'm good. Do you need something?" He asked, again. He sat down on the bench to take a rest.

" No. Eagle found another trace of hacking in the B-C High School administration system. He said it was from an S-level hacker." Xavier Lu frowned. Another hacker? Last time, he found and catch a B-level hacker with codename Clay. This person quite active in the country by hacking around for authority and civilians.

" And, you know this hacker, Boss. It's Joker." Xavier Lu felt a headache after hearing this codenamed hacker. The most wanted hacker-criminal in the cyber-wide wanted list, Joker.

" Which old files he destroys this time?" He asked, massaging his aching forehead. So much trouble one after another.

" It's random. No specific students' files or maybe the school's staffs. But, Eagle said there's some information of the school was missing and deleted. However, this missing information was files from twenty years ago."

Files from twenty years ago? If other hackers, it might be odds. But, this hacker is Joker. He loves to destroy oldest files of some organisations and countries. Last old files he destroyed was from Country F, which is riches with old cultures and history. He wrecked havoc by deleting twenty old files about artifacts and historical ruins of the country. Because of this great feat, he was hunted by the Interpol and SWAT groups, becoming an S-level cyber-criminal.

" Fine. Investigate it later with the school's principal. Let me know if there's any new leads."

" Yes." The calls ended. Xavier Lu felt this Joker's operation of crime getting weirder and weirder lately. What he trying to do? Why targeting schools all of sudden? B-C High was the third schools in this two months time. Same as the other schools, Joker keep deleting old files from decades ago and creating mess within the country. The hacker Clay only a small part-timer by checking out the schools' systems for Joker.

That's what makes his movements odd in some way. Why bother using another hacker when he had the ability himself? As a smokescreen?

Xavier Lu sighed. He stood up, stretching his aching body before walking away. He looked at the phone and remembered the girl's sour face. He chuckled and sent out a message to her.

[Good night.] - Xavier Lu

No reply, but he know she read it.

******

Less than an hour later, Rira arrived. She saw the worried-looking Alric waiting at the front door. Raymond standing at the back, feeling helpless at him. She moved towards the door and called out.

" Daddy, you should've waiting inside and not standing outside at this time. It's cold." Rira said, startling the two men out. They turned and saw her. Alric beamed and felt warmth in his heart. His baby daughter worry about him!

" It's nothing. Come inside, it's cold outside. Quick! Daddy already prepared a hot bath for you." Alric went ahead and pull her hand. The three of them went in.

" Alright, then. I'm going upstairs and sleep early. Good night, daddy. Good night, Ray." She went upstairs after greeting the two men.

" Good night, dear (sister)." Alric and Raymond greets back to her. After making sure she going back to her room, Alric pulled Raymond to sit together on the couch.

" Say, son. Do you think your second sister getting better this day? Especially her cooking. In the past, it's quite passable and still edibles. Tonight, after tasting the food you left in the refrigerator, I found that her skill went to another level. It's so good, better than my own." Alric sighed, delighted at his second daughter cooking skill. From childhood, his wife, Jane, trained their children to adepts in house chores. Even Raymond good at house cleaning and cooking. She said, men whose better in cooking are very attractive. That's why, Alric gone to many cooking classes to learn cook and successfully marrying Jane.

If women can conquer men's stomach through their cooking skills, mens also can do it.

" Dad, second sister changes are quite abrupt and drastic. I couldn't pin point what it was, but I can tell that her change was good and I liked the current her more. You know about her being bullied in the school because of her passive and timid characters. This time, I couldn't find any trace of timidity and cowardly attitude from her. I afraid she became the bully instead." Raymond laughed. Alric sighed. Being a bully much better than being bullied.

" You're right. Now, go sleep. Don't be late tomorrow." Alric pats Raymond's back, pushing him to go upstairs.

" Alright. Good night, dad." And, off he goes.

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