Pitbabe S2, Chapter 25 pg 1

 Pitbabe S2, Chapter 25 pg 1

   CHARLIE:

   “Man… I thought it was someone else.”

   That’s what Dr. Chris said when he saw Phii North walk into the lab. I couldn’t tell if it was just a casual remark or one tinged with disappointment. But whatever his motive, it wasn’t the point. What I could say with certainty was that I knew this big brother could definitely help me.

   Phii North seemed quite surprised when I suddenly called him, but he didn’t refuse to lend a hand. Of course, back when we were teammates, he and I spent hundreds of hours training together—more than I ever did with Babe. (In fact, Babe didn’t like training with me much; he said I distracted him too much.) Beyond serious track practice, Phii North was also a Phii who acted like a true friend. That’s why I sometimes called him “Phii” and other times just his name, even though he’s several years older than me.

   Speaking of Phii North, one thing few people know is that besides being a racer and a YouTuber, he’s also an exceptionally skilled programmer—or, to put it bluntly, a hacker. Phii North graduated with a software engineering degree from a prestigious university, with grades that were far from shabby. But he doesn’t like to boast about it, claiming it’s “embarrassing.” I don’t see what’s embarrassing about it—if it were anyone else, they’d be bragging left and right about their degree and skills. But this young engineer says he feels more comfortable acting like a goof. (He plays the part so convincingly, in my opinion.) Being a goof means carrying far less expectation than being a genius, and if you’re goofy enough, you might not have to carry any at all. I totally agree with that.

   Our main problem right now is being restricted from using social media, our primary channel for communicating with the outside world. We’ve tried every method we could think of—creating new accounts, connecting to different internet networks, borrowing accounts from outsiders, and more—but nothing worked. I knew it was possible to do something like this, but I never imagined it could be used against ordinary citizens, and so abruptly, without any (official) warning. This could mean our actions are causing enough internal chaos for them that they can’t wait any longer, resorting to such brazen tactics.

   Even if we went out in person now, we wouldn’t achieve much. Without prior notice, we’d only gather a handful of people. Relying on the social influence of passersby wouldn’t work either, as it seems every post related to us is being blocked—search terms, keywords, even our faces. If any of us appear in any media, it’s deleted within seconds. Honestly, I never thought our country had people capable of pulling this off. If I hadn’t become a victim myself, I’d never have realized how terrifying the talent in our own country could be.

   “Can he really do it?” Liu whispered. Right now, we were all crammed onto a single couch, staring at Phii North’s back as he sat at the computer, trying to solve our problem for nearly half an hour. “I mean, he seems skilled, but skilled enough to hack a government system?”

   “I think he can,” I replied calmly, and that was my honest belief. “North is way more talented than people realize.”

   “If even Charlie says he’s good, how can we doubt him?” Dr. Chris chuckled. “There aren’t many things Charlie can’t do, but this is one of them—and this guy can.”

   “True,” Liu nodded in agreement. Phii Touch, sitting beside her, nodded along as if afraid to miss the train. “If Charlie says he’s good, he must be insanely good.”

   “Why do you have to use me as the benchmark?” I asked, feeling weird every time people acted like I’m supposed to know everything and can do anything. It’s impossible. If I were really that capable, I’d have already created the sense-dissolving drug on my own by now, without dragging others into this mess.

   “Because you’re a monster,” Phii Touch replied with a blank expression, casually lifting his coffee mug to his lips for a slow sip. His eyes, though, were sharp, fixed intently on Phii North’s back. “If a monster says someone’s impressive, that person must be even more monstrous.”

   “Agreed,” Dr. Chris chimed in. “Monster Charlie.”

   “Monster Charlie,” even Liu joined in.

   “This doesn’t make me feel good, you know.”

   “It’s not supposed to. We’re calling you a monster,” Phii Touch said simply, his words cutting deep without holding back. Honestly, everyone here has a sharp tongue. I used to think Team X was savage with their jabs, but hanging out with these nerds? Those racers seem downright kind in comparison. This place is full of stone-faced people ready to gut you with words at any moment. If you’re not mentally tough, you wouldn’t survive. “You’re terrifying, Charlie. Don’t turn into a jerk, okay? Or we’re all done for.”

   “Don’t say stuff like that. It’s creepy,” I said, grimacing. I never imagined others saw me as that dangerous. “What could someone like me even do to anyone?”

   “Hah!”

   All three of them snorted in unison, glancing at me with matching side-eyes before turning to each other, shaking their heads with expressions that screamed, Listen to this guy.

   So, what, I’m actually a monster?

   Never even crossed my mind.

   “Whoa!”

   Suddenly, our makeshift programmer let out a soft exclamation during our monster Charlie talk, after sitting there looking stressed for a while.

   “What?” I asked, excited. “Did you do it?”

   “Maybe…” Phii North said softly, still sounding unsure. He tapped the keyboard and clicked the mouse four or five more times before finishing his sentence. “…Got it.”

   All four of us leapt off the couch in sync, no coordination needed. We rushed to crowd behind Phii North’s chair, eyes glued to the computer screen. It showed that the post Phii North had just published from our account was still up on the feed. He refreshed the page again to confirm it hadn’t been deleted, and as the screen loaded for a few seconds, our collective gulp echoed like a choir.

   “Yes!”

   The young programmer snapped his fingers, then turned to hug me, overjoyed like when his favorite football team won a championship. I was just as thrilled, like the first time I crossed the finish line in second place (first was Babe).

   “I knew you could do it,” I said, patting my awesome big brother on the shoulder with overwhelming gratitude and pride.

   “I’m racking my brain like this because you asked me to, you know,” Phii North puffed out his chest with a wide grin. “My favorite little bro.”

   “Phii North?” I narrowed my eyes at the guy who’d suddenly invented a weird title for himself.

   “What? Can’t I be a big bro for once?”

   “Leave that for me to call you. It’s hilarious when you call yourself that.”

   “Hey! You little—!”

   “Thanks a lot, North,” Dr. Chris cut in. On the surface, it seemed like a polite gesture, but it was probably more about keeping the peace. “I had no idea you were into this stuff. Charlie kept saying you’re super talented, and now I believe it. You’re the real deal.”

   “It’s not that big a deal,” the young programmer said, scratching his cheek shyly at the compliment from someone else. “I just helped Charlie with some small stuff before. He doesn’t know much about this, so when he saw I could handle it, he wouldn’t stop hyping me up.”

   “Helped with what?” Liu piped up. Even though the vague “some stuff” should’ve been a clear hint that the topic wasn’t up for details, the doctor-mom wasn’t about to let it slide. “Have you had North hack something for you before?”

   Phii North and I exchanged a glance, trying to communicate through our eyes. I shot him a look that said, “Don’t you dare say anything.” He fired back with, “Then what the hell do I say?”

   “Never,” I said with a dry laugh, pretending to stare at the walls and ceiling to seem casual. But judging by the intense stares from everyone, my little act wasn’t fooling anyone. “Why would I have North hack anything? What kind of person do you think I am?”

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