Chapter 1381

"Well..." Thompson was at a loss. Research on wilfordi roots had stalled. He looked at Mike Corden, seated beside him. Mike had attended the recent meetings, and Thompson sensed his boss held him in high regard. Crossing his legs, Mike lowered his gaze, holding a cigarette, avoiding eye contact. Helpless, Thompson looked back at his boss.

"Sir, about wilfordi roots and other herbs with stronger toxicity—"

"I've found a capable person to experiment with those herbs. I believe it'll succeed soon," Mike said abruptly, looking ahead with raised eyelids.

Thompson was stunned. Knowing nothing of this, he stared at Mike in astonishment. "You found someone else? Who is this person? How come I was unaware?"

"Professor Thompson, you should focus on your research. You're too unadventurous; this job isn't for you. Just leave it alone." Mike snuffed out his cigarette, frowning slightly as he exhaled smoke through his nose. He was dismissing Thompson from the wilfordi root research.

However, Thompson had worked diligently, and he wanted to see the project through. 'We've achieved so much because of my research data. How can I leave it now?' he thought. "I disagree. This entire project was my idea, a result of my creativity. How can you ask me to leave it alone? Besides, if I'm not participating, who will take responsibility if anything goes wrong?" He said it indignantly.

Mike curled his lips and gave him a sidelong glance. "Are you saying you'll bear sole responsibility if anything goes wrong?"

Thompson was taken aback; that wasn't what he meant.

"Enough!" Mr. R spoke impatiently, his voice husky. "Mike, who have you found to experiment? Didn't you say only Lily could do it? How did you find another candidate so soon?"

"That's right!" Thompson exclaimed, looking toward Mr. R. "If even Dominic Fike's secret apprentice failed, who else could you find? This person needs in-depth knowledge of medicinal herbs and expertise in raw materials."

This was Thompson's weakness; he lacked Lily's expertise in raw materials. He had invited Lily for technical support in that area, while he provided theoretical assistance on medicinal herbs. He soon discovered Lily needed little consultation from him. She seemed capable of handling everything independently. 'Though she kept getting incorrect results, each failure yielded a new conclusion, and after repeated adjustments, she finally succeeded. If she hadn't been pregnant and taken a break, she might have succeeded sooner.'

"The person I've found possesses similar capabilities to Lily," Mike said, smiling as he stubbed out his cigarette. "Besides, Professor Thompson, you know this person."

"I do?" Thompson was surprised. "Who is it?"