Part-131

  The day, as James arrived at sili approached his desk. A curious glint in her eyes, she greeted him with ahusiastic, "Hey James!"

  "Hey Mili," James replied, returning her smile.

  "So, I couldn't help but notice the tensioween you and Toya yesterday," Mili began, her voice filled with curiosity. "You guys seem to have some history."

  James hesitated for a moment, unsure how much to reveal. "I don't know her that well," he replied cautiously. "The only time we met was in the market a few months ago. I helped save her grandmother from a couple of thugs who were pretending to collect money for a cert."

  Mili's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? That's amazing! You're a hero!"

  James knew Mili was just putting on an act. Her surprise was feigned, and he could sense an underlying curiosity ione. "Why are you so ied in our iion?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

  Mili shrugged, a pyful smile on her face. "Just curious, that's all. You guys seemed to have some serious chemistry going on."

  James rolled his eyes. "We don't have any chemistry," he replied ftly. "She thinks I'm a thug because I fought those guys in the market."

  Mili burst out ughing. "That's your punishment for being a hero," she teased. "I'm actually gd she hates you. Serves yht fetting involved in other people's business."

  With that, she turned and walked back to her seat, leaving James aloh his thoughts. He couldn't help but smile at her pyful banter. It was a wele distra from the stress of the online scam iigation.

  After school, James, Ryan, and Sourov followed the address they had been given to a seemingly ordinary park. The location was ued; James had envisioned a dimly lit office building or a high-tech apartment plex, not a public green space.

  Sourov pulled out his phone and dialed the hey had been given. "We're here," he announced into the receiver.

  A few mier, a young boy emerged from the park's entrance. He couldn't have been more than five feet two iall, and his youthful appearance was at odds with the image of a skilled hacker they had jured up. Pronoy had mentioned someone five years youhan him, but this boy looked no older thaeen or twenty.

  fusion washed over the trio. This couldn't be the hacker they were looking for. They exged puzzled gnces, w if they had been given the wrong address.

  "Are you... him?" James mao stammer out, his voice filled with doubt.

  The boy, seemingly unfazed by their skepticism, nodded with a fident smirk. "The name's Dwip," he introduced himself.

  James, Ryan, and Sourov exged nervous gnces before polite greetings to Dwip. However, the young hacker seemed disied in pleasantries. "What do you want?" he asked bluntly, his tone leaving no room for ambiguity.