Chapter 203

203 The Fear Was Gone
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“We’re out of time,” said one of the Molvania team leaders. “I’ll take the blame, but if we wait any longer, we won’t be able to recover from this.”
There was no other option. The group held a quick vote. The majority ruled.
A few Molvania staff rushed in carrying a secure, steel lockbox.
When they opened it, inside was nothing but a single USB drive.
This tech conference had been about showcasing advanced systems from different nations. While there were restrictions, bringing personal tools like this wasn’t considered outright cheating–more like a gray
area.
So the Molvania team didn’t even bother hiding what they were doing.
They plugged the USB into their main terminal.
Their team leader smiled–a slow, smug grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“I’ll give you credit,” he said, looking directly at Alice. “You pushed us further than anyone has before. That’s impressive.”
He gave her a slight nod of admiration.
“You’re a brilliant woman. If you ever decide to switch nationalities, we’d welcome you with open arms.
“But this time … No more games. You’re going to lose.”
Then he turned back to his computer, confidence oozing from every movement.
With a cocky snap of his fingers, he announced, “And now–it ends.”
In theory, at that exact moment, every device on the floor–except for Molvania’s–should have shut down completely.
And for a second, it looked like that’s exactly what happened.
All other countries‘ terminals flickered, screens fading to black.
But then… Alice’s equipment stayed on. Fully lit. Fully functional.
Molvania’s team froze. Their leader’s grin faded.
He leaned down and whispered sharply to the technician handling the operation.
“What happened?”
The man was drenched in sweat, furiously typing, unable to answer.
The leader straightened up, his face red with embarrassment. But he couldn’t afford to lose face in front of the cameras and crowd. So he forced a chuckle and said loudly,
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203 The Fear Was Gone
“Just a little warm–up joke. The real match begins now!”
He took a deep breath, then looked at the virus operator and barked, “Do it. Now!”
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Molvania supporters watching the livestream tried to jump in to defend their side, flooding the chat with praise.
“That’s Dr. Stewart–our most renowned cyber expert!”
“He never fails. No worries!”
“The earlier joke was just to lighten the mood. Normal.”
“Every time he shows up, he stuns the world. Today will be the same!”
But the viewers from Chanaea weren’t having it.
“So now lying is part of your national identity?”
“Are we even watching the same livestream?”
“Must be those Molvania–made phones–they come with a history–editing feature.”
“Honestly, not their first time rewriting history.”
“What history? Do they have one?”
“If he talks again, I’m gonna lose it.”
Molvania’s online crowd was fuming–but each time they tried to post, the Chanaea users shut them down hard.
Some Molvanians were so frustrated that they rage–quit the stream entirely.
Back in the venue, something unexpected happened.
The Molvania technician suddenly let out a breath of relief. “It’s done!”
He even stood up in excitement and slammed the Enter key with pride.
At that exact moment, Alice calmly took her hands off the keyboard.
Everyone held their breath.
No one moved.
All eyes were locked on the screens.
Then…
Molvania’s equipment began to buzz loudly, like a swarm of flies.
And before anyone could react, the massive screen above the stage lit up, showing Molvania’s system.
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Not just a screen share, but an actual live feed of their virus installation and how it attempted to breach international networks–step by step.
The entire audience gasped. A wave of shocked voices rose across the room.
“You can’t do this! That virus is banned by international law!”
Molvania’s team looked stunned. They had no idea how the exposure happened.
But it was too late.
Their leader quickly tried to cover it up, laughing coldly.
“You’re mistaken. That’s not the banned version. This is a brand–new virus we just developed.”
But why didn’t it work on Alice’s system ?
Why was hers untouched ?
What went wrong ?
He was losing it.
Alice, still calm and elegant, slowly snapped her fingers, mocking his earlier move.
Molvania’s people were fuming. One of them even stepped forward aggressively, as if ready to attack.
But Eric, who had been watching in silence, raised a hand. Immediately, his bodyguards stepped in and surrounded Alice and her team.
His voice was cold, firm.
“You’re on Chanaea’s soil now,” he said. “You play by Chanaea’s rules.
“If not… I’d be happy to discuss extradition laws with Molvania’s government.”
Everyone knew what that meant. Traveling with a passport was one thing.
Extradition meant they’d be charged with crimes.
The message was clear. Try anything, and you’ll be leaving in handcuffs.
The entire room erupted into thunderous applause.
For years, Chanaea’s tech teams had been pushed down by Molvania.
Not because they lacked skill, but because they feared losing access to cutting–edge systems if they fought back. Now, that fear was gone.
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