In fact, when their computers were subjected to inexplicable hacker attacks earlier, Nick had already realized the importance of security.
Although the firewall he wrote himself could block the vast majority of attacks, to be safe, he had wiped clean all the code, programs, and data that were originally stored on the laptops.
Not only that, but the programs inside the drones and coordinate base points had also been completely cleared.
This was the reason why they were able to remain so calm after hearing that the computers and drones had been stolen.
As someone who had long worked on the security front lines, the nature of Robert's work had caused him to develop a specific professional habit.
He had developed an instinct to always observe everyone's facial expressions and behavior, looking for readable information within them.
At first, he didn't think much of it, but when he turned back to carefully observe Nick, he clearly noticed that the young man's demeanor was unusual.
So he said to him, "I don't see a trace of panic or worry in your eyes. Is it because you have strong nerves, or is there another reason?"
"Hmm?" Hearing Robert's words, Bill and Zion also turned their heads to stare at him.
Seeing this, Nick nodded and said, "Indeed, for the sake of security, we prepared a backup plan in advance."
"A backup plan?" Robert's eyes lit up, and he immediately asked.
If Nick and his team could make security preparations in advance, he could go all out without any worries.
This was clearly very favorable for the entire dragnet operation, which was why he asked so eagerly.
Nick smiled slightly and said, "The stolen laptops and drone equipment did not have our system programs installed."
"Hmm?" Not only Robert, but Bill and Zion also showed expressions of surprise.
Zion asked him in surprise, "So you mean you had already realized this and uninstalled and cleared these system programs in advance?"
Nick nodded and said, "After our first demonstration, we were subjected to inexplicable hacker attacks. So, for the sake of security, I cleared the system programs from the computers and equipment."
"Haha, good lad, your vigilance is high enough." Bill let out a sigh of relief and then jokingly chided him.
However, Zion was a bit puzzled and said, "Didn't you hold a technical press conference later? Did you reinstall everything to demonstrate and then uninstall it again?"
Hearing Zion's question, Bill also looked at him.
The workload of reinstalling and then uninstalling so many drones was very heavy. How Nick and his team managed to complete the installation and uninstallation in such a short time was something they were very curious about.
Hearing this, Nick looked at the two and smiled, "Actually, after being attacked, I modified the program."
"We store the entire system program on a USB drive. After starting, the program automatically uploads to all drone devices via connection, and it automatically uninstalls and clears itself once finished."
"This way, even if someone obtains this drone hardware, it's useless."
"So you're saying those stolen items are useless?" Robert asked.
He didn't really understand the technology, so he quickly asked about the things he cared about.
Nick smiled and shook his head, "I wouldn't say that. Our computers also stored quite a lot of our experimental data and some related documents."
"If you could help us get them back, that would be great. We are all poor students, and this computer equipment cost us quite a bit of money."
Hearing Nick's answer, Robert was speechless.
He thought to himself, you have things worth hundreds of millions, why do you still care about this?
However, he was still quite concerned about the data and documents Nick mentioned earlier.
Although they weren't as important as the core technical programs, if they fell into the hands of those people, they might find something valuable and cause a leak, so it couldn't be ignored either.
Thinking of this, he nodded at Nick and said, "Don't worry, we will do our best to help you get them back, but I suspect these people might cause damage in order to get to what's inside. Even if it's just the drones, they're your stolen property after all."
"It's fine, just do your best. Sorry for the trouble." Nick thanked him.
Hearing Nick's words, Robert nodded, then sized him up and said, "So you knew from the beginning that the items weren't 'lost' in the way we thought, but you still called the police and didn't tell them the truth. Why?"
Nick was a bit embarrassed by Robert's words and said, "We didn't lie. Four laptops and some drone hardware equipment were indeed lost, and they are worth quite a bit of money."
"Besides, we called the police for safety reasons. This was something we discussed beforehand. In case we encountered any accidents, we would call the police immediately. What if these people didn't find what they wanted and came back?"
"Pretty clever!" Robert praised and then laughed.
He wondered what kind of expression the notorious X would have if he knew he had been fooled by a few kids.
Thinking of this, he stood up and said to the group, "Alright, since the things aren't lost, I can rest easy. Bill, Deputy Director Zion, I'll be going now. There are matters waiting for me over there."
"Rest assured, I will arrange for people to keep watch here to ensure your safety."
Upon hearing this, Nick quickly stood up and said, "Um, I wonder when we will be able to leave? We bought train tickets for tomorrow morning and need to rush back to attend our graduation defense."
Hearing Nick's words, Robert was speechless.
But since Bill and Deputy Director Zion were present, he had to reply, "Don't worry, you won't be delayed. You can leave after the operation is over."
After saying this, Robert walked out.
Seeing this, Nick let out a sigh of relief and then turned his gaze to Bill and Zion.
As for Bill and Zion, they also relaxed and focused their gaze on Nick.
"Nicholas, I'll just call you that."
Zion smiled at Nick and said, "Actually, we wanted to contact you a long time ago, but at that time you were receiving too much media attention."
"My status and that of Doctor Bill Dye are quite special. If we had contacted you directly, it would have caused some unnecessary trouble and speculation."
"Furthermore, we were about to organize personnel to evaluate your technology. Only then could we apply for the relevant permits and resources to cooperate with you."
"It's just unexpected that there would be so many twists and turns."
"But fortunately, everything is safe, and we have finally met."
Nick nodded upon hearing this. To tell the truth, he didn't know what to say. He had always had some concerns and worries about interacting with these two.
Clearly, Zion saw this. He glared at Nick and said irritably, "Don't worry; we won't steal your technology."
"If it were that easy, we wouldn't have gone to such trouble; we could have just taken it directly back then."