The Master's Mask Unveiled Again

Chapter 394: Chapter 393: Shadow Hunting Team Chapter 394: Chapter 393: Shadow Hunting Team After someone shouted out that name, several boys in the class gathered around the window, craning their necks to look outside.

They were on the second floor, and could just about see some of what was happening at the neighboring Zitan Pavilion.

The entrance to Zitan Pavilion had the very obvious flag of the Shadow Hunting Team, and along the cobblestone path, there was also a row of life-size standees, all from members of this team.

There were also several young men wearing the team uniform, looking stern and hurriedly walking towards the courtyard.

“What kind of luck is this?

Not only do I get to stay in such a hotel, but I also get to see my idolized team!”

“Look quick, there’s S God’s standee!

Ahhh, my idol!”

“Whoa there, the captain of the Shadow Hunting Team, Sniper!

S God!”

Some people were so bold as to run next to Lu Mian’s seat in order to have a look outside.

Lu Mian knitted her brows and squinted, also taking a glance outside the window.

The boys were all quite excited, whereas the girls seemed a bit lost, tip-toeing to see outside, seeing some handsome, vibrant male team members but not quite getting the excitement point for the boys.

“Shadow Hunting Team…what do they do?

E-sports?”

“That’s something you girls wouldn’t understand!” a boy said proudly, explaining, “Ever heard of CTF?”

The girls shook their heads.

“CTF is a type of capture the flag competition, within the field of network security, it refers to a form of competition where cybersecurity technicians compete in terms of skills.”

“Network security?”

“Let me put it this way for you, this competition is actually a competition among hackers, but the players are all righteous ‘hackers’ who are a group of people maintaining network security.

The Shadow Hunting Team is such a powerful and righteous team of hackers representing our country, participating in many events, advancing triumphantly, and they won the championship in last year’s CTF contest!

Of course, they had even more glorious times before, but…”

The speaker paused and did not continue, but soon someone picked up the conversation.

“Let me tell you, though they’re all a bunch of slobs, when they’re typing away at their keyboards, you can’t deny how slick they are!

Each one of them is a big-shot!”

The boys were particularly interested in this area and were extremely excited.

Some even waved and whistled towards the outside, but the distance was so great that nobody outside could hear them.

A girl said softly, “I suddenly remember watching an idol drama about the CTF contest!

It was so thrilling!

So sweet!”

At the mention of this, the girls felt a strong sense of relatability.

(PS: No offense intended to ‘Dear’ that drama series, purely wanting to increase a sense of relatability and understanding, please excuse us!)

“Exactly, I watched that too!

So the Shadow Hunting Team does that too…”

“Now I get what this competition is all about!”

“So many handsome guys!”

The boys: …

Indeed, it’s futile to discuss theory with the girls.

“I never expected to encounter the Shadow Hunting Team here, this hotel has really given us too many surprises!

Thanks to the dads who invested in the committee!”

“They’re probably here for training camp too, after all, they’re backed by a rich boss, staying at a place like this is peanuts for them!”

“Does that mean we might also meet a domineering CEO-like coach or boss?”

Their encounter with the Shadow Hunting Team here was not exactly a coincidence.

Since this hotel itself hosts a variety of team events, encountering other teams participating in training camps or team-building is not unusual.

The boys gawked at their idols, the girls ogled the handsome guys, each reveling in their excitement.

Lu Mian casually withdrew her gaze, a hint of coolness flashing through her eyes.

ƝονǤο.ᴄօ

She breathed a light sigh, barely parting her lips, the name “Shadow Hunting Team” quietly passing her lips.

Next to her, Zhang Yanyan turned her head, noticing something was off with her mood, and asked an extra question, “Lu Mian, you know them?”

Lu Mian didn’t speak, and the mockery in her eyes was rather obvious.

She stood up, ready to leave.

Fang Xilan came over from the front.

She wasn’t interested in that kind of team, and when she saw Lu Mian moving, she hurried over and greeted her warmly.

“Lu Mian, are you going to eat?

I’ll join you!”

She automatically categorized Lu Mian into a certain group: good at studying, poor at home, with no concept of what these city dwellers were talking about in terms of cybersecurity competitions, and neither understanding nor interested.

“No need,” the girl declined with a smile.

Fang Xilan paused there, twisting her clothes corner awkwardly, “Lu Mian, actually I did pretty well this time too, I ranked sixth.

You won’t look down on me, right?”

While she was saying this, Lu Mian was texting on her phone, not lifting her head, and casually responded with a “won’t.”

“That’s good then…” Fang Xilan smiled, and seeing the untouched materials and exercise books on the table, she asked with curiosity, “Lu Mian, aren’t you taking your books back to review?”

She didn’t even bring her physics textbook; was she really not going to look at the materials provided by the competition committee?

Lu Mian was still busy texting and didn’t speak.

Fang Xilan bit her lip, “Um, if you’re not going to look at those books, could we swap?

My cover is torn, and they intentionally gave me a damaged one…”

Disinterestedly, Lu Mian agreed, “Whatever.”

“Really?” Fang Xilan was delighted and happily swapped her books.

Taking advantage of the moment Fang Xilan was swapping books, Lu Mian took the opportunity to leave her seat with her phone in hand.

Zhang Yanyan glanced at Fang Xilan and then packed up his things, following Lu Mian out.

He walked beside her, glanced at Lu Mian, and noticed that her mood had turned a bit somber ever since the mention of the Shadow Hunting Team.

But he was clumsy with words and didn’t know what to say, so he just silently followed.

Lu Mian walked towards the dining area while staring at her phone.

She was messaging Su Qinghe and the old Mr.

Su.

The old man was typing as slow as a tortoise, taking ages just to reply with a few words.

Despairingly, she kept scrolling through their text conversation.

[Mr.

Su, what was the name of that team you introduced me to back then?]

Mr.

Su: [What team?]

And there was a smiley face at the end.

Even though his typing speed was already slow, he still made sure to type out complete sentences and add emojis.

Lu Mian: [The one you persuaded me to join in Jinjing, the team that played with computers, was it called the Shadow Hunting Team?]

Mr.

Su: [Yes, it’s the Shadow Hunting Team.

Mianmian, what’s going on?]

And there was a smiley face again at the end.

Lu Mian: [Nothing, just confirming it again.]

Mr.

Su: [Alright, contact me if you need anything.

Be careful in Jinjing, take good care of yourself…

Are you carrying the Talisman Card I gave you?]

He went on and on.

Lu Mian: [I am.]

After finishing this conversation, she put away her phone, and the curve of her lips became even more wicked and mischievous.

Zhang Yanyan suddenly shivered without reason and hesitantly asked, “Lu Mian…

Do you have something on your mind?”

“No.”

The girl raised an eyebrow, smiling very calmly, “It’s just that I find it, quite coincidental.”