Chapter 106 Class Reunion
The sun shone brightly, and a gentle breeze wafted through the air.
Wavehaven often lied under a blanket of smog, but today, the sky was clear and vastly blue.
At the Creator Company headquarters, they were welcoming graduates from the Business Management Class of 2002 at Wavehaven University.
Wavehaven University was already a prestigious institution in Veridiania, and the Business Management department was known for producing elites. After three years out of school, most of these graduates achieved remarkable success. Many were corporate executives, entrepreneurial bosses, and department managers.
But at this moment, none of them dared to be presumptuous. The Creator Company before them was simply too dazzling! Everyone knew this company was destined to be a future giant, like QueryQuest, VirtuoMart, and Meta Platforms Company. It would become a super internet empire attracting global attention.
With an invitation from the CEO of Creator, this gathering was set to be the grandest for the Business Management students. The venue for this year's gathering was different from previous years. It was held on the rooftop terrace of Wavehaven's tallest building, Rongteng! The view here was unparalleled, not only overlooking half of Wavehaven but also boasting a helicopter landing pad, a small golf course, a swimming pool, and a small garden—sheer luxury!
The gathering adopted an outdoor buffet style, resembling a European outdoor party. Unsurprisingly, today's guests were all dressed in formal attire. The women wore elegant long dresses, and the men were in exquisite, well-tailored suits.
However, there were still two people who stood out, seeming out of place. One of them was in his perennial white shirt and jeans—Elbert, who valued comfort over conformity. The other was in a polo shirt, casual pants, and a pair of off-brand leather shoes—Eric, head of Security Team 1 at the Veridiania Cybersecurity Bureau's Wavehaven Branch. He had been very busy lately and didn't have the mood to dress up; just showing up was good enough.
These two were college classmates for four years. At this moment, they sat at the edge of the rooftop, away from the crowd. A somewhat bored Eric took out a pack of cigarettes, casually tossed one to Elbert, and lit one for himself.
The two squinted at the distant crowd, all dressed in splendid attire, holding champagne and chatting with each other. Occasionally, the men laughed heartily, and the women laughed elegantly—a serene scene of high society.
"Like those vampire family banquets in the movies," Eric remarked, taking a deep drag on his cigarette. In Eric's eyes, this was a bit absurd. He didn't understand it, didn't want to understand it, and didn't want to blend in.
He and Elbert shared the same thoughts, so they came over to smoke.
Elbert chuckled lightly, looking at his sports commissioner, whom he hadn't seen in three years. Eric's hair hadn't been washed for days, and his fingers were stained yellow from smoking. No one would have thought that the college athlete would end up catching hackers after graduation.
"Eric, looking at your state, things haven't been going well recently?" Elbert asked with a smirk.
"Haven't been home in three years, almost forgot what my wife looks like!" Eric smiled bitterly. "I've been wrestling with a hacker lately, tried every trick, but haven't even gotten a glimpse of the kid! In all my years in cybersecurity, I've never seen such a skilled hacker! I checked all the IPs, reviewed all the network cameras, and questioned all the informants in the circle. No one knows who that kid is! I feel daunted!"
Eric sighed, placing a hand on Elbert's shoulder. "Where do you think that person is hiding?"
Elbert took a drag on his cigarette, his eyes flickering. "No one knows. Hackers are elusive. They could be abroad or right in front of you."
"Right in front of me? Impossible! I'd scare him to death!" Eric rubbed his stubble, grinning. "Let me tell you, Elbert, no matter where he is, I must catch him! Otherwise, I..."
"Good luck!" Elbert chuckled dryly, feeling a bit helpless inside.
'Eric, this guy, hadn't changed a bit in his personality!' thought he.
In the crowd at the banquet, people often glanced at Elbert and Eric. Emily had a complicated expression, only daring to steal occasional glances at Elbert, while Alex had a face full of resentment. Many female classmates were full of surprise at the first sight of Elbert.
They were stunned to see him so handsome and with a unique aura! Many single female classmates felt a flutter in their hearts.
The most dazzling among the women was the former campus queen of Wavehaven University, Calliope Sage. Standing nearly 5'7", she wore a tight, sequined long dress that showed off her perfect, slim, hourglass figure.
After graduation, she leveraged her looks and figure to make her way into the film industry slowly, and she became a somewhat famous actress and goddess among countless fans.
Calliope frequently glanced back at Elbert, making most of the men in the class very jealous.
They wondered why the goddess wasn't looking at them but instead at the guy smoking in the corner.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a classmate who encountered misfortune after graduation!" A deep male voice rang out, instantly gathering everyone's attention.
Caleb Harris, the class president during their university days, was the one who had spoken. His father was a factory owner, and he took over his father's business after graduation, making him a wealthy man.
"Speaking of this classmate, I'm sure everyone knows who he is," Caleb said, his eyes deliberately looking down. "He was the genius we all admired during our university days, predicted by the teachers to achieve far greater things than us after graduation! Unfortunately, just after graduating three years ago, he met with a sudden disaster and became disabled! His brain also got damaged, turning him into an obscure, unsuccessful ordinary person! He is our dear classmate—Elbert!"
He added, "Look, he doesn't even dare to meet us now! I suggest we all go over and console our poor, disabled classmate!"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's expressions varied. Many showed looks of pity. The female classmates who earlier had girlish fantasies also instantly sobered up. No matter how handsome he was, no one would fantasize about a romance with a fool.
Human nature was just like that. When you were high and mighty, people admired and flattered you. But when you were unfortunate, more people would gloat. When people knew they couldn't defeat you, they hoped you'd encounter misfortune. Best if you fell to the lowest point! Only then could they satisfy their twisted psychology.
In the crowd, only one person's expression was strangely complex—Alex, who had been thoroughly crushed by Elbert in the fight for 'Lab Graveyard.' Only he knew Elbert was far from being as mediocre as he appeared. But Alex said nothing.
He just smirked as he watched the crowd slowly approach Elbert. He didn't move. He knew that even if all the assets of everyone present were combined, they couldn't compare to Elbert! Elbert was someone who could casually throw around 5 billion.
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