"So, settling in?" Bram asked with a smile. Darcy nodded. "Yeah, it's good. Less pressure than work." Bram laughed, "How much pressure is there at work? You're making me afraid to graduate!" "You'll find out. Work is the root of all evil," Darcy said with mock seriousness. Bram chuckled, "Sounds like I should aim for a post-doctorate and stay in academia." Their cheerful conversation didn't escape Mia's notice. She asked Caleb unhappily, "Why is Bram so close to Darcy?" Caleb scratched his head. "Not sure about the details. Last time, Bram just said Darcy might be our junior soon and asked us to look out for her." Then he glanced at Mia. He was blunt and didn't sugarcoat it. "Mia, c'mon—be real. Do you like Bram?"Mia's face flushed instantly. "D-don't be ridiculous!" She grabbed her tray and fled. Yeah, she did like Bram. But he clearly wasn't into her. She'd thought proximity would lead to affection, that she could take her time. But Darcy's arrival gave her a sense of crisis. She might not be as pretty as Darcy, but in terms of ability, she was confident. With that thought, she glanced over again. Darcy looks like all show and no substance. She can't have real skill. That top score on the written exam must have been Bram's help! Back in the lab in the afternoon, Darcy continued working on her patents. Halfway through, she got up to stretch. She saw Bram frowning at a document, surrounded by other students who also looked stumped.She walked over with a smile and tapped his shoulder. "Need help?" Bram's eyes lit up. "Right! I almost forgot you're here." He stood and offered her his seat. "Take a look. How do we implement this feature in code?" Darcy sat down, read the requirement document, then pulled out a pen and started sketching on a notepad. Mia, standing nearby, was unimpressed. Is she drawing? She clearly doesn't understand anything, just putting on an act. Seeing Darcy hadn't typed a single line of code after five minutes, Mia crossed her arms. "Darcy, do you even understand the document?" This is hilarious. Can she even read the specs? How embarrassing! Darcy remained silent, only glancing up at Mia briefly before continuing her notes. Suddenly, she stopped writing. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, typing lines of clean, efficient code. She clicked "Run." It worked! Bram was stunned for a second, then it clicked. "I see! You used a mathematical formula to solve the requirement! Brilliant!" Darcy smiled, "Lucky timing. I just studied that formula for the exam. It came to mind." The others were still confused. Bram explained the mathematical formula Darcy had sketched on paper. Finally, they understood. So that's how! Instantly, everyone's gaze towards Darcy was filled with admiration. "Wow, Darcy! You're a hidden gem! I almost doubted you!" "With a junior this strong, how are we supposed to keep up?""Darcy, where did you do your undergrad? What did you study? Why the part-time program instead of full-time?" Darcy, surrounded, answered each question calmly and confidently. Mia stood to the side, her face burning. Thankfully, everyone's attention was on Darcy, and no one remembered her earlier challenge. She tried to slip away, but Caleb called out to her. "Hey, Mia! You doubted if Darcy could even read the document. Not cool. Hurry up and apologize to her!" Suddenly, all eyes were on Mia again. She bit her lip, shooting a glare at Caleb. Can't you keep your mouth shut! Bram also looked at her. "We're all in the same lab now. We should help each other and learn from each other. No need for pointless friction." His words made it sound serious. Darcy quickly intervened, "It's fine. Mia was just concerned about the project. Okay, everyone, back to work." The others dispersed quickly. Mia looked at Darcy and muttered, "Thanks. I really didn't mean any harm. I was just thinking about the project." The last part was directed at Bram. Bram's response was cool. "Get back to work." Back at her desk, Mia grew angrier. What a two-faced show-off! Pretending to defend me, but just trying to look good in front of everyone. Disgusting! Just then, her phone vibrated on the desk. Mia checked the caller ID, grabbed her phone, and hurried to a conference room, closing the door before answering. "Hello, Zora," Mia answered, keeping her voice low. The voice on the other end came straight to the point. "So, what have you observed? Do you know why Darcy is at the institute?"