Chapter 679 The Prime Suspect
The laboratory’s large door was closed, and tension filled the air inside the lab.
This incident was really significant.
Not to mention the prestige of the Interstellar Championship trophy, just the data leakage from this experiment alone would be enough to shock the scientific community.
The project, which Eskana had always led, had its results stolen, and what was more, the country responsible for the theft was Rexinheim, a nation with a longstanding feud with Eskana.
If this news leaked, Styre University would surely be thrust into the spotlight, becoming the focus of the entire nation and possibly labeled as traitors collaborating with the enemy.
Everyone present understood the severity of the situation. Though there were murmurs of discontent, no one dared to voice objections.
Among all the people in the laboratory, Catherine and Amelia, the two youngest, displayed entirely different reactions. While Amelia’s hands trembled with nervousness, Catherine sat calmly on the side, sketching with paper and pen.
Although they had their phones with them, the school not only closed the main entrance to the lab but also blocked signals throughout the building. Their phones were rendered useless inside.
Without a phone to distract her and unable to be as composed as Catherine, Amelia reluctantly started a conversation with Catherine.
“Super Catherine, how can you still be so calm and drawing with such a big thing happening?” asked Amelia.
Catherine paused her pen, turned her head with an unwavering gaze, and said, “Since we can’t leave, we might as well do something. Don’t waste time.”
Amelia, unable to hold back, asked, ” Aren’t you worried?”
Catherine calmly responded, “It’s not like I did it. Why should I worry?”
After pondering for a moment, Amelia found it reasonable. Not doing anything wrong meant having nothing to worry about.
Just as she considered finding something to do calmly like Catherine, Ciaran from their research group suddenly stood up. “Dear professors, our project initially established an internet-connected anti-theft system.
In theory, it would be impossible for someone to steal our experimental data through the network.”
Then he added, “Unless someone infiltrated our lab and copied the data from the professor’s computer using a USB drive.”
Ultan immediately realized the implications and instructed technicians to check the surveillance.
Marshall’s office fell under technical protection, lacking internal surveillance. However, every corridor and outer wall of the lab had comprehensive monitoring.
If someone entered Marshall’s office to take the data, traces would undoubtedly be left behind.
Soon, the technicians identified an issue. Ultan personally examined the surveillance footage, and his face darkened instantly.
One of the school authorities standing nearby recognized the person in the surveillance footage, and his expression turned grim. However, he cautiously sought Ultan’s opinion. “Do we need to hand her over to the National Security Bureau directly?”
Ultan furrowed his brow in hesitation for a long time. “How could it be her? Now, this is trouble,” he thought.
“Go and get Catherine and Marshall here,” said Ultan.
“Okay.”
Catherine was earnestly working on her drawing when suddenly, a shadow loomed over her.
She paused, looked up, and saw Ultan’s secretary, accompanied by several security personnel, standing before her. “Catherine, Mr. Farrell wants you to come over.”
In an instant, the entire laboratory’s attention focused on Catherine. No one knew what had happened, and whispers started to fill the room. Some even directly pointed fingers at Catherine.
“Could it be her who leaked the information?”
“Don’t talk nonsense. She’s Professor Hartley’s favorite student. What benefit would she get from doing such a thing?”
“Who knows? Maybe she was a spy from the beginning. With such abilities, she could have become a researcher at a top laboratory abroad, but she chose to come to our school as a freshman. Isn’t that lowering herself?”
The discussions grew louder, and the atmosphere around Catherine became more tense.
Amelia looked at Catherine with concern, then turned to plead with Ultan’s assistant. “Sir, is there a misunderstanding?” she said.
At this critical moment, Ultan’s assistant couldn’t reveal too much. He looked sternly at Amelia and said, ” Don’t ask what shouldn’t be asked.”
Catherine tidied up her sketches and handed them to Amelia. “Hold onto these for me.”
After saying that, she followed Ultan’s assistant away from her seat, remaining calm and showing no signs of panic.
Later, Catherine was brought into a small room. Besides her, there were several people: Ultan, Marshall, and a few imposing men in uniforms. They were tall and strong, exuding a terrifying aura.
Catherine casually pulled out a chair and sat down, seeming entirely indifferent to the people across from her.
The men in uniforms didn’t understand, finding Catherine’s attitude too arrogant and composed, not befitting a freshman. They began to suspect that Catherine was the problem.
From the beginning, Marshall didn’t believe Ultan’s suspicions. In his eyes, Catherine was not that kind of person.
In front of everyone, Ultan turned on the screen and directed it toward Catherine. “Is this person in the footage you?”
He was asking a question he already knew the answer to. Modern surveillance was clear enough not to require confirmation.
Understanding that Ultan was following protocol, Catherine respected him and responded, “Yes, it’s me, right outside Professor Hartley’s office.”
After Catherine spoke, everyone else remained calm, but Marshall erupted. ” My computer is heavily encrypted, and Catherine doesn’t know the password,” he said.
Seeing how Marshall couldn’t wait to defend Catherine made Ultan super pissed off. “This old fool didn’t even realize the situation,” he said inwardly.
If Catherine were really the culprit, Marshall’s defense would be a ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment, posing a fatal crisis to himself.
He was risking his future. As a long- time friend, Ultan couldn’t bear to see Marshall jeopardize his own future like this. He stared at Marshall and sternly questioned, “Have you forgotten Catherine’s talent in computers?”
During the previous computer crisis, it was Catherine who cracked it. Even Winston’s computer team couldn’t solve the problem at that time, but Catherine worked it out.
Ultan’s harsh words made Marshall unable to retort. He suddenly felt that Catherine shouldn’t have been so excellent. Now, he didn’t even have a chance to excuse her.
Catherine was a bit moved when she saw Marshall and Ultan argue because of her.
Afterward, the uniformed personnel asked questions, and Catherine patiently answered all of them in consideration of Marshall’s protection. However, her answers provided no valuable clues.
Catherine explained that she only lingered for a moment before leaving. However, after her departure, the surveillance system malfunctioned. As the only person captured on surveillance near Marshall’s office, she became the prime suspect.
