Chapter 1286

Thompson was stunned, then burst into laughter. "Oh, Mr. Corden, you're too naive! You must be joking! Don't you know what we're using the end products for? Didn't the boss tell you? If I told Lily the truth, do you think she'd want to continue working with us?"

"Why not?" Mike asked. "Just tell her it's for safety and the experiment's success. We've stopped using poisonous herbs. Only calming herbs will be used."

Thompson's eyes widened. "How is that possible?! Mr. Corden, are you telling me to lie to her? She won't be fooled! Besides, she's conducting the experiment. Lying to her is pointless!"

To Thompson, Mike seemed delusional. Did he really think fooling Lily was so easy? If so, Thompson wouldn't be so stressed.

"I'm not asking you to lie," Mike said with a faint smile. "I'm saying we stop using the poisonous herbs."

This shocked Thompson even more. "That's impossible! We're too far into the experiment. We can't stop now. The boss will never agree!"

Frankly, the boss had proposed the experiments with poisonous herbs. Thompson had objected, but the boss claimed he needed something to control his disruptive workers. Thompson had vehemently opposed inhumane ideas, but he couldn't achieve his goals alone. The school rejected his innovative idea; his colleagues considered him a lunatic for pursuing something impossible and pointless.

First, masking the distinct smell of the medicinal herbs, let alone blending them with conventional materials, was difficult. Second, many existing medicines achieved the same results. Why would anyone invest in this new invention?

Was it simply to ease patient suffering? To increase the number of patients treated daily? No one shared his vision or invested in him. Then the boss appeared. Thompson didn't know who he was, but he seemed experienced. The boss secured the laboratory, start-up capital, and later collaborators.

Only after the laboratory was established did he begin recruiting staff. Later, he approached La Beaute Group for investment, bringing Lily onto the team.

Thompson's journey hadn't been easy, and now, with success within reach, these accidents occurred.

"The boss won't agree!" he repeated. "You have no idea—those are his—"

"He will agree," Mike interrupted firmly. "Leave the boss to me. You handle Lily. She only cares about the relationship between the herbs and the end products. Everything will be fine if we remove the toxic herbs. If you're worried, wait. I believe you'll hear from the boss soon. But for the experiment's sake, tell her this 'good news' as quickly as possible." Thompson was speechless.

Mike stood and left. Thompson stared at his back, unsure whether to believe him.