Chapter 1298

With his colleagues' persuasion and Austin's approaching voice, Devon finally released his grip. Fresh air rushed into Thompson's lungs. He gasped, clutching his chest. His legs felt weak; he barely supported himself, unwilling to yield to Devon.

"Professor Thompson, don't say I didn't warn you. Your time is running out! If this experiment fails, no matter how stubborn you are, you can't deny that medicinal herbs are not simply garbage!" Devon snorted. "Let's go!"

Several people left the room, leaving Thompson alone.

Austin, having searched unsuccessfully, was about to descend the stairs when he saw a figure emerging from the stairwell's corner. The figure staggered, one hand braced against the wall, the other at its throat.

"Professor Thompson!" Austin recognized him instantly and approached. "I've been looking for you! I have something to discuss. I've reviewed the experiment, and after careful consideration, I don't think it's impossible. I propose this: you hand the experiment over to me. I guarantee I'll finish it, and better than Lily would have." He added confidently, "If she can't do it, it doesn't mean I can't."

Thompson, still recovering from the near-suffocation, heard Austin's words as distant murmurs. Once he felt stronger, he stopped, turned, and looked at Austin with furrowed brows. "What did you say?"

"I said, leave this experiment to me. I'll do better than Lily!"

"You?!" Thompson questioned incredulously.

"Professor Thompson, I may not be as skilled as Lily at creating commercial scents, but I'm far superior at formulating herbal medicines. While incorporating raw materials is essential, the core selling point is the medicinal properties, isn't it? The current experiment's failure stems from the instability of those properties—either too much or too little. That's where my expertise lies!"

Despite limited hands-on experience, Austin had reviewed all lab reports, noting that most failures stemmed from unstable herbal properties. Solving this shouldn't be difficult. After years of studying medicinal herbs, this was the perfect opportunity to showcase his skills. As for scent fusion, he would consult perfumers. He was confident in finding someone more skilled than Lily, even if it meant searching the entire country.

Thompson remained silent. He still hoped Lily would return, but her repeated refusals had cost precious time he couldn't afford to lose. Austin's proposal, however, seemed reasonable. Thompson still considered Austin Dominic's apprentice, and he knew Austin excelled with medicinal herbs. While fragrance fusion was challenging, stabilizing the herbal properties was paramount.

"Then..." He looked up uncertainly. "Do you want to try?"