Crushing

Stark's suburban mansion.

Tony Stark was enjoying breakfast when JARVIS's voice rang out.

"Sir, I think you should take a look at this news report."

The large screen on the dining room wall lit up, broadcasting news about Cathy Dale.

"According to our latest reports, Cathy Dale's home computer was indeed hacked. However, the racist remarks in her emails were all genuinely her own words. Major talent agencies, including CAA, as well as Hollywood's leading film and television companies, have now unanimously decided to jointly blacklist Cathy Dale..."

Watching the news report on television, Tony Stark nearly laughed out loud.

"Who would have thought that after only a few years apart, my former girlfriend would end up in such a state?"

There was a hint of schadenfreude in his tone.

Not many women were memorable enough for Tony Stark to remember, and Cathy Dale, who had once been with him for two years, had clearly left a deep impression on him.

Judging by his expression, though, those memories were probably not pleasant ones.

"Sir, would you like to help Miss Dale?"

JARVIS asked.

"JARVIS, you're getting smarter and smarter!"

Tony Stark praised it first before answering JARVIS's question. "Everyone should be responsible for their own words and actions. Cathy Dale isn't worth helping! Still, I am rather interested in the hacker mentioned in the report—JARVIS, find out his real identity for me."

"Yes, sir!"

JARVIS immediately began carrying out the command.

Meanwhile, Tony Stark continued eating breakfast at an unhurried pace, clearly full of confidence in JARVIS's abilities.

Clem Street.

"Wonderful! That bitch Cathy Dale finally got what was coming to her!"

After seeing Cathy Dale's fate on the television news, Rosalie excitedly threw her arms around Mark beside her and planted a fierce kiss on his cheek. "Mark, thank you for standing up for your mother!"

"Mom, now that no one is suppressing you anymore, production crews should start reaching out to you soon. You need to be ready."

Mark encouraged Rosalie.

"Ah, I hope so..."

Rosalie sighed.

After years of hardship and suppression, she had lost her edge. She was no longer the girl who had dared to venture into Hollywood alone for nothing more than the dream of becoming a star.

"Ring, ring, ring..."

Just then, Rosalie's phone rang.

She picked it up and glanced at it, discovering that it was Caleb—the director who had filmed Rosalie and Mark's infant formula commercial back then.

The two sides had worked together several times over the years and were now quite familiar with each other.

"Rosalie, it's Caleb! I've recently been preparing a film about a single mother at the bottom of society struggling to make a living while raising her child."

As soon as the call connected, Caleb delivered some good news to Rosalie. "I think you and Mark would be perfect for this film! What do you think? Would you bring Mark to star in my movie?"

"Really?"

Rosalie was initially unable to believe it, then nodded repeatedly in excitement. "Director Caleb, thank you for giving us this opportunity!"

"But let me make this clear first... this is a low-budget film, so your and Mark's pay won't be very high. Together, it will only be twenty thousand dollars. Can you accept that?"

Caleb continued somewhat awkwardly.

Clearly, aside from believing that the two of them suited the roles perfectly, he had taken the initiative to invite Rosalie and Mark as the leads because their pay was lower.

"No problem. We can accept that."

Rosalie agreed immediately without the slightest hesitation.

To her, being able to play the lead in a movie was enough. She would have accepted even without any pay at all!

"Then you and Mark should come to Bell Film Company for an audition in three days. Once you pass, we can sign the contract directly."

Caleb then gave Rosalie the company's address.

"Congratulations, Mom!"

After the call ended, Mark happily stepped forward to congratulate her.

He knew Rosalie had always dreamed of becoming a star. She had worked hard and waited far too long for this day!

"Mom should thank you too!"

Rosalie still could not calm her emotions and excitedly hugged Mark.

She knew that this opportunity had actually come because of Mark.

There were too many young and beautiful actresses in Hollywood. She simply had no competitive advantage.

But boys as pretty and adorable as Mark, who also knew how to cooperate with a director during filming, were exceedingly rare.

Caleb had probably given Rosalie the chance to play the female lead because of Mark.

"Beep, beep, beep..."

Just as the mother and son were overjoyed by this opportunity, the computer in the room suddenly emitted a piercing alarm.

"Oh no!"

Mark's expression changed, and he hurried over to operate the computer.

The alarm was a tracking alert he had set up online.

Once someone tried to trace his real IP address, it would trigger the alarm.

But Mark had long since disguised and hidden the real IP address of their home computer. Normally, others could only trace one of several hundred relay IPs.

The other party was clearly a top hacker no weaker than Mark to have tracked down his real IP through so many relay IPs.

Just as Mark touched the keyboard, the piercing alarm abruptly stopped.

A somewhat mechanical voice came from the computer speakers. "Hello. Please forgive this uninvited visit."

Mark had no choice but to stop what he was doing, a look of shock and confusion appearing on his face. "How is this possible? No normal human could possibly invade that quickly!"

With Super Brain's learning speed, Mark believed that his internet skills were already no weaker than those of the world's top hackers.

Yet from the moment the other party tried to trace his real IP, to locking onto it, to breaking through his defenses and hacking into his computer, the entire process had taken less than five seconds. That was simply not something a human could do!

"Mark, what's going on?"

Rosalie looked utterly confused, still unaware of what had happened.

"Someone probably followed the clues I left on the computer at Cathy Dale's house and traced us back here."

Mark had gradually regained his composure and gave his analysis.

"Ah, then what do we do? Will the police come looking for us?"

Rosalie looked worried.

"Mom, did you forget? I'm only five years old. Even if the police come, they can't do anything to me."

His age was both Mark's weakness and his protective disguise.

After reassuring Rosalie, he looked toward the camera in front of him and asked, "Who are you?"

"You can call me JARVIS."

A gentle male voice came from the speaker beside him.