Chapter 1244

Anastasia turned and left, then paused after two steps. She looked back at Lily. "By the way, I'm having a birthday party next week. Please come with Mr. Russell!"

Lily, previously uninterested in attending Alexander's party, changed her mind. "It would be an honor!"

Anastasia smiled and departed.

The Institute of Medicinal Herbs' newly renovated laboratory hummed with activity. The Blossom project was underway, and the air thrummed with a blend of nervous energy and focused intensity. Numbers flashed on computer screens, reagents dripped methodically from test tubes—a silent ballet of scientific precision punctuated only by the soft beeps and gentle trickling.

Three test tubes sat on the experimental table. As the computer timer reached zero, extraction concluded. But instead of relief, tension tightened. The result remained uncertain.

Two senior researchers, glasses perched on their noses, approached the test tubes. They carefully dipped a test strip into one, sniffed, and their expressions remained impassive, though their brows furrowed slightly.

Moments later, two sneezes erupted. Heads shook, faces fell. Failure, again.

"You can still smell the herbs," one researcher declared, discarding the test strip. "The essence only intensifies the smell. This is awful! We're not essence experts. Each herb has unique properties, making perfect fusion difficult. We don't specialize in this," a staff member added.

Initially, the project had generated much enthusiasm. The concept seemed sound on paper, but untested. Success would represent a major breakthrough. Yet, countless failures had bred discouragement. Lily had even suggested abandoning the collaboration. Despite her absence, Professor Thompson insisted they continue using existing data.

They failed again—for the 288th time in a few days.

"We need Lily! She's an essence expert. Without her, we're going nowhere!" someone exclaimed.

The lab door swung open, revealing Austin, lab coat billowing. He surveyed the room. "She's an essence expert, but we're medicinal herb experts. We may lack essence knowledge, but her herbal expertise is superficial. If she can do it, why can't we? Why this self-deprecation?"

Silence descended. His logic was sound, yet the project's history—and Lily's past contributions—remained undeniable. She had often provided crucial interventions, adjusting minute details to transform the final product. Seeing no response, Austin's expression hardened, and he entered the lab.