Roland grew defensive and protested loudly, “We’re not your dogs, you know! Why should we have to prove to everyone that we didn’t cheat?”
“Mrs. Atkins, don’t expect us to apologize if you can’t prove my brother’s accusations are false. If anything, your son should apologize to my brother for pushing him and bruising his back,” Gideon said with lethal calm as he stared at Mabel.
Mabel bristled. She couldn’t believe a family of nobodies had the nerve to go against the Atkinses.
Determined to put them in their place, she turned to Silas and said, “Silas, show them how you work the claw machine and shut these yapping lapdogs up! I want everyone here to see the Everetts for the unreasonable bottom-feeders that they are!”
A smug look flickered across Silas’ face. It was true that he hadn’t managed to pick up the console earlier. The claw machine looked like the common variant found in malls and arcades, but it had actually been modified by XS Corporation for hackers to challenge each other’s programming skills.
It looked ordinary enough, but its programming was extremely complicated. The machine’s motherboard, in particular, had been coded with an algorithm that affected the claw’s grip. By decoding and reprogramming it, a hacker could adjust the grip of the claw and increase their chances of picking up a prize from the machine.
Silas had figured this out after several tries earlier. If he proceeded with the theory and decoded the initial algorithm, picking up the console would be child’s play.
“Sure,” he said. “But where’s the fun in a one-sided demonstration? Let’s have a friendly match. The person who picks up the most prizes in two out of three matches wins, and the loser will have to beg the winner for forgiveness.”
Silas stared at Gideon, his gaze full of malicious glee. He was determined to make the latter pay for humiliating him in front of the other guests. He ranked 99 on the Global Hacker List, and he would be damned if he did not save his reputation.
Upon hearing this, Roland knew Silas was confident about this win. He piped up arrogantly, “Well, how about it? Are you scared? If you are, just apologize already!”
To prove his innocence, Gino snapped, “I’m not scared of some lame competition!”
Pleased to see the boy rise to the bait, Silas feigned generosity and suggested, “You could have your brother help you. I wouldn’t want these people to think I was picking on a kid.”
“I don’t need his help! I know how programming works,” Gino argued stubbornly. Gideon was clueless about programming and would only further embarrass him.
Many guests began to swarm around the claw machine when they caught word that a match was going on. Some of them even started betting on who would win.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the hall, Tyler had only just introduced Hera to Jim Hawkins, the Deputy Commissioner of the National
heard the commotion on the opposing end of the hall.
Space Administration, when the
Bernard gave Douglas a look.
Douglas left and returned a few moments later. He whispered to Hera, “Ms Youngworth, it seems your family has gotten into a dispute with Mrs. Atkins and her family They’re getting into a match and the crowd’s betting on who would win.”
“Pardon me, Deputy Commissioner Hawkins,” Hera said politely. “I’ll return shortly.”
Jim’s secretary looked scandalized
by this. Countless people had tried
1
and failed to meet Jim, yet the young lady who had just been introduced to him would excuse herself and leave him hanging.
Fortunately, Jim was an understanding person. When he heard the commotion across the hall and figured Hera was needed there, he nodded and let her leave to sort out the matter.