Chapter 1135:
Rylie sank into her chair, abandoning the search for a moment while her fingers tapped thoughtfully against the table. She distinctly remembered leaving the notebook on top of the document pile before she left. The cleaners avoided that area entirely, which meant the notebook could only have been taken by someone inside the lab.
She stood and exited the library, unexpectedly crossing paths with the research team as they arrived.
Professor Kane Frazier, the group’s lead, paused and asked the researcher beside him, “Is this the one Dominic spoke so highly of?”
The researcher answered promptly, his tone respectful. “Yes. She’s spent the past few days reviewing our archived studies in the library. If she extracts anything valuable from them, she’ll be granted lab access.”
J𝗼𝗂𝗻 t𝗵𝗈𝗎ѕa𝗇𝘥𝗌 𝗈𝖿 f𝘢𝗻𝗌 𝘰ո 𝗴al𝗻𝘰𝘃𝘦ls.𝗰о𝗆
Kane gave a restrained nod, his expression unreadable. “Then we’ll evaluate her output. If her conclusions meet our standards, she can stay.”
With that, the group proceeded into the library together.
Kane appeared to be in his early fifties, his hair immaculately groomed, thin gold-rimmed glasses resting neatly on his nose. His crisp white lab coat reinforced his academic authority, though the faint arrogance behind his gaze revealed more than his attire suggested.
“You’re Rylie Owen—the student Dominic recommended?” Kane asked, his voice level and detached, devoid of curiosity or warmth.
“Yes,” Rylie replied, her posture calm and unshaken.
“I hear you’ve kept yourself busy,” Kane continued, strolling toward the stack of documents. “Reviewing our past setbacks, filling notebooks with observations.” He picked up the notebook on top, flipped through several pages without really looking, then dropped it back onto the pile. “Yet there’s nothing here. It’s completely blank. Where are your notes?”
Rylie’s expression remained unchanged. “My notebook was stolen.”
“Stolen?” Kane echoed, one brow lifting slightly. “Are you suggesting that inside this laboratory, one of my researchers deliberately stole a student’s work? You’re accusing someone here of theft?”
Meeting his gaze steadily, Rylie nodded once. “Yes. We can review the surveillance footage.”
As soon as she spoke, several researchers nearby broke into sharp, derisive laughs.
A bespectacled young researcher scoffed openly. “Surveillance footage? Rylie, are you confusing this place with some crime show? This is a high-level biomedical facility—not a retail store. There are no cameras in the library, or in any shared research areas. It’s standard protocol to protect intellectual property and privacy. Everyone here knows that.”
A senior researcher shook his head slowly, his voice thick with sarcasm. “You lose your notes, and suddenly it’s theft? In a stack that huge? Rylie, did you ever produce anything of value, or was it so weak you couldn’t stand by it? Now you’re just faking confidence.”
“Exactly,” another chimed in. “Professor Frazier expected real progress today, yet it looks like you don’t even care about learning.”
“Frankly,” a third added, “the candidate Dominic sent this time doesn’t seem anywhere near as competent as we were told.”
The library filled with a chorus of overlapping voices, sharp remarks and open mockery echoing from all sides.
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