Chapter 71

Zhou Wen maintained a professional smile as he pulled out his phone, the screen still glowing. "Professor Klein has approved it." He handed the device to Evelyn Laurent.

Evelyn took the phone, her fingers gliding over the screen. Professor Benjamin Klein's reply was clearly visible. She gave a slight nod and stepped aside. "Proceed." Her voice was soft but carried an unmistakable warning. "But maintain distance. Do not touch any equipment."

The instruments on the lab bench emitted a faint glow, their data cables arranged with spiderweb precision. This optical system had taken her three sleepless nights to assemble. The slightest vibration could render a week's worth of data useless.

Zhou Wen immediately straightened. "Understood." He turned to the students behind him. "Everyone, observe only. No touching."

The students nodded in unison. Sophia Lowell lingered at the back of the group, her brow furrowed. That voice earlier... She shook her head. It must have been her imagination. There was no way Evelyn could be here.

As the group moved forward, the full layout of the lab came into view. Sophia's pupils constricted sharply. The slender figure standing by the lab bench, holding a clipboard—wasn't that Evelyn?

Her nails dug into her palms. Impossible! How could Evelyn be in a national-level research lab?

Zhou Wen had already begun explaining the equipment's principles, but Sophia didn't hear a word. Her gaze was magnetically locked onto Evelyn. Only when she noticed the broom in Evelyn's hand did her tension ease slightly.

"Just a janitor," Sophia sneered inwardly, finally taking in the lab's grandeur.

The silver precision instruments gleamed coldly under the lights, their intricate piping arranged like works of art. Zhou Wen warned the students again. "Optical alignment requires extreme precision. Any contact will ruin the experiment."

Everyone took a step back—except Sophia, whose attention snagged on the metal plaque on the wall. When she read the engraved words, her breath stopped.

Lab Director: Evelyn Laurent.

"You've got to be kidding!" Sophia nearly blurted aloud. Her eyes burned into those three words as if trying to incinerate them. This had to be a mistake. It had to be!

The lab lights suddenly felt blinding. A wave of dizziness hit her. She forced herself to look away, only to find her hands trembling uncontrollably.