The elite class‘ students were the city’s top picks trained for major events, with their teachers rigorously evaluated at every stage. If a teacher failed, they faced the risk of immediate dismissal
Benjamin had already caused several teachers to leave because of this. He had originally wanted to keep Layla around, hoping she might eventually accept him.
But it became clear she had no intention of acknowledging him.
Benjamin pulled his phone out of his backpack and began fiddling with it under the desk.
As the school administrators took their seats and Layla prepared to start the lesson, a smug smile appeared on Benjamin’s face.
When the bell rang, Layla entered the classroom. Her voice was clear and crisp as she stood at the podium, greeting the room.
“Good morning, school administrators and students. Today, we’re going to discuss the classic chicken–and–rabbit problem. This type of question is a staple in the Math Olympiads.
“While many of you might already know the standard approach, I’m going to teach you a new method. It’s quick and straightforward, and you can solve these types of problems in under a minute. Please turn your attention to the screen.”
Layla turned on the computer and attempted to access the files on her USB drive, only to find them missing
Assuming it was a connection issue, she unplugged the USB and reinserted it several times. But no matter what she tried, the files were nowhere to be found
It quickly became clear. It wasn’t a connection problem. The files had been deleted
She was certain the files had been there earlier, and no one had touched the computer. How had they disappeared?
Facing seven or eight school administrators and twenty students, Layla felt a wave of tension. She looked up to gauge the audience’s reactions and immediately noticed the smug expression on Benjamin’s face
Layla instantly understood.
She knew her son better than anyone. His sensitivity to computers far surpassed that of most adults. She remembered Seth once saying that it wouldn’t be long before Benjamin surpassed even him.
By this point, Benjamin’s computing skills had exceeded her imagination. He was capable of hacking into others‘ computers and deleting files. Layla couldn’t decide whether to feel proud of his abilities or angry at his actions.
After a moment, she composed herself and smiled as she addressed the class, “Before we begin, I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge Benjamin. He has prepared a limle demonstration to welcome our visiting school administrators.”
Benjamin, who had been feeling triumphant, froze the moment he heard her words. His smirk vanished instantly.
He couldn’t understand why Layla was praising him after he had just deleted hèg files.
Without realizing it, Benjamin straightened in his seat, his eyes fixed on her, trying to figure out what she was planning
Layla continued warmly, “Benjamin has reached an impressive level of proficiency in computer science. Just moments ago, he used his phone to transfer my tiles. Let’s invite him to demonstrate how he did it.”
Hearing this, the students and school administrators all turned to Benjamin, their gazes filled with admiration and praise.
For a moment, Benjamin hesitated. He had thought about denying it, but the opportunity to show off his skills in front of so many people was too tempting. If Layla didn’t want him as her son, he could at least make her regret it.
Benjamin looked at her and asked, “And how are you so sure it was me?”
Layla smiled faintly. “Because I tracked an XP6o phone logging into my computer. Isn’t that your phone’s model?”
Benjamin smacked his forehead, realizing his mistake. In his haste, he had completely forgotten to mask his identity.
He couldn’t help but admire how quickly Layla had traced it back to him.
Seeing the expression on his face, Layla smiled and said, “Before we begin the lesson, let’s Invite Benjamin to demonstrate his hacking skills to
everyone
The classroom Immediately erupted in enthusiastic applause.
A’school administrator sitting near Benjamin patted him on the head and said, “You already understand hacking skills at such a young age. When you grow up, you’ll be a great asset to the country.”
Benjamin’s ears turned slightly red from the praise. Slowly, he stood up, connected his phone to the big screen, and demonstrated how he had transferred the files.
The school administrators we
were astonished by the advanced hacking skills displayed by a second–grader and couldn’t help but shower him with praise One of them said, “Incredible, With young talents like you, the future is bright.”
With the files restored, Layla siniled and said, “Not only does Benjamin excel in math, but his computing skills are equally outstanding. I’m confident
he’ll lead the way in the tech world one day. Let’s give him another round of applause.”
Benjamin had intended to cause treable, but he ended up being praised, which was something he hadn’t expected.
Children naturally love being praised. After this little incident, Benjamin was fully engaged for the rest of the lesson, which also gave the school administrators a glimpse of his true abilities.
After class, one of the school administrators approached Layla and said, “Ms. Jenkins, the atmosphere in your lesson was great, and your approach was very forward–thinking. It’s quite different from other teachers. I hope you can nurture more students like Benjamin.”
Layla smiled and said, “Benjamin’s talent isn’t something I taught him. He has a natural curiosity and loves exploring these things on his own. He’s a
Η
The administrator said, “That’s wonderful. With such talent, I’m sure we’ll bring home another gold medal at the national Olympiad. Ms. Jenkins, keep up the good work!”
Layla’s lesson earned praise from the administrators and even left Benjamin seeing her in a new light.
After class, Benjamin followed Layla into her office.
Daisy, who had been sitting alone and bored, immediately lit up when she saw him. She hopped off her chair, ran over to him, and threw her tiny arms around his neck like an affectionate kitten.
Feigning annoyance, Benjamin said, “Cat it out. You’re getting drool on me.”
Despite his words, a small smile tugged at his lips.
Daisy heard his complaint, looked at the damp spot on his neck, and used her chubby little hand to wipe it off. Then, she grinned at him
Layla watched the siblings‘ closeness and felt a pang of sadness. If Seth hadn’t betrayed her, the two of them could have lived openly as siblings without the secrecy that kept them apart
Layla glanced at Benjamin and asked calmly, “Did you come here to explain why you stole my files?”
