Chapter 597
Elton sensed something was off and quietly advised Charlotte, “Maybe you should check the price of that flower first. What if it’s really expensive?”
Charlotte’s expression darkened. “What’s wrong? Even you’re looking down on me now? No matter how expensive it is, I can afford it.”
She then turned provocatively toward Melody and added, ” Don’t worry. I would never try to weasel out of this. Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. You’re just clinging to that wildflower to buy time.”
Melody shrugged, adopting a nonchalant attitude about Charlotte’s words.
Charlotte found this ugly woman’s nonchalance rather irksome, but she turned and urged Orion. “Mr. Riley, stop just standing there and get on with it. There are a lot of herbs here that are stored improperly.”
Orion was displeased with Charlotte’s attitude and didn’t respond. His gaze slowly swept over the herbs on the shelves.
Many of these herbs were unfamiliar to him, stored in unusual and bizarre ways.
For example, a plant with petals that resembled a human face was kept in a container of quicklime.
Noticing Orion’s pause at the face-like plant, Rowan immediately stepped forward and pointed at it, “Mr. Riley, do you see? Who would store herbs in quicklime?”
Orion hesitated, finding it odd.
However, after several encounters with Melody, he developed a strong sense of trust in her, so his first instinct was to look to Melody for an explanation.
Sensing Orion’s gaze, Melody stepped forward and explained, “Mr. Riley, you may not know this, but this herb is called the Face Flower. It is highly effective in treating gout and is also reputed to have longevity benefits. Its growing conditions are unique, and the best way to preserve it is indeed in quicklime. However, the Face Flower is extremely rare, nearly extinct, and therefore very expensive. Just this single plant is worth millions of dollars. Colin happened to find it at a market in Althan and decided to bring it back for his collection.”
Rowan immediately took out his phone to look up the Face Flower.
The online records confirmed Melody’s description exactly, noting that it was indeed a rare and treasured item among collectors.
Anyone who obtained a single plant would make headlines, and just as Rowan was searching, he stumbled upon a news article that prominently mentioned Colin’s acquisition of one.
Seeing this news, a chill ran down Rowan’s back.
The price of such an inconspicuous flower was actually over millions of dollars.
‘How much are those weeds I impulsively pulled out worth?’ he thought anxiously.
At this moment, Melody noticed that several carefully cultivated Velvet Grass had been violently uprooted.
She immediately furrowed her brow and asked, “Who pulled these out?”
Rowan’s eyes darted away, and he suddenly regretted coming to Herbathrive.
Not only had he potentially lost the money Charlotte had given him, but he might also face additional financial liability.
Orion glanced at the damaged grass under the lights and suspected that these seemingly insignificant plants might also be valuable. He coldly asked Rowan, “Did you pull these out during your inspection?”
“No, no… I didn’t know about this,” Rowan said, avoiding eye contact with Orion, clearly uncomfortable.
His reaction caught Melody’s attention.
She narrowed her eyes and said with a faint smile, “It’s fine if no one admits to it. Almost all the herbs in the storage room are quite valuable, so there are cameras everywhere. Every corner is under surveillance. I’ll check the footage shortly.”
Rowan broke into a cold sweat and stammered, “Um… are these grasses as expensive as the Face Flower?”
“Not as expensive as the Face Flower,” Melody replied.
Rowan breathed a sigh of relief, but just as he was about to admit his mistake, Melody continued, “These are Velvet Grass, a new variety jointly developed by the Halcyon Medical Institute and the Agricultural Institute. They have properties similar to ginseng but are extremely difficult to cultivate.
“Mr. Herbert is known for his exceptional cultivation skills, so the Agricultural Institute entrusted him with this task. They are about to invite both parties to inspect the plants as they are nearly ready for harvest. Now that half of them have been violently pulled out. I imagine Mr. Herbert will be even angrier. After all, this involves a lot of people’s hard work and multiple technological developments. The Agricultural and Medical Institutes might even pursue legal action.”
At this point, Rowan could no longer hold himself together. His legs gave out, and he collapsed to the floor, his face turning ashen.
Melody, inwardly sneering, maintained a facade of concern and confusion as she asked, “Mr. Turner, what’s the matter? Why did you suddenly collapse? Should I check your pulse to see if you’re suffering from heatstroke?”
“No, no…” Rowan tried to speak, but his voice trembled uncontrollably.
At this moment, he was no longer thinking about the closure of Herbathrive; his only concern was finding a way to address the issue with the Agricultural Institute.
Others quickly rushed over to help Rowan up, but he seemed almost lifeless and could barely stand without support.
Charlotte, observing Rowan’s condition, immediately understood what was happening.
She sneered disdainfully, thinking to herself how pathetic Rowan was.
‘He is so terrible. So what if it’s the Agricultural Institute and the Medical Institute? My grandfather knows them. Although he’s stubborn, he won’t ignore me,’ she thought. With this in mind, Charlotte stepped forward, showing a sense of righteousness. “I was the one who pulled the grass. I will take the initiative to contact them for compensation.”
Rowan’s eyes immediately brightened at her words, and he regained enough composure to stand firmly.
Melody let out a soft laugh and turned to Charlotte with a leisurely gaze. “Ms. Wallrich, are you certain you pulled the grass?”
“Of course I’m certain. What’s there to be uncertain about?” Charlotte replied, curling her lip in annoyance. “You’re so nitpicky. Let’s deal with these things after the inspection. Mr. Riley, Mr. Turner, please focus on the main issues and continue your investigation.”
Her impatience was palpable.
With Charlotte willingly taking on the responsibility, Rowan quickly regained his composure and led Orion to the areas he had previously thought might be problematic.
However, each time they inspected an area, Melody was able to use her expertise to explain why their storage methods were perfectly acceptable.
Rowan wanted to accuse Melody of being evasive, but upon checking the records, he found that her explanations were accurate.
Soon, every corner of the storage room had been thoroughly inspected, and no issues could be found.
“This is impossible…” Charlotte murmured, unwilling to accept the outcome as she raised her voice. “There must be something that’s been overlooked. Mr. Turner, are you sure you’ve checked everything thoroughly?”
Rowan glanced at Orion’s face and, with a stiff expression, replied, “We’ve checked everything… and indeed, there are no issues.”
Even the storage of the ginseng, which they had initially considered the most problematic, was found to be properly explained.
Everything was found to be in compliance with regulations.