Adler froze for a moment, instinctively replying, "Not too... busy."


    "Alright then, I''ll head back. Catch youter," Mirabe said, pretending not to have heard his answer. She waved at him and walked into the residential area.


    Adler stood there, watching Mirabe until she disappeared from sight. Only then did he pick up his small suitcase, get into his car, and buckle his seatbelt. As he did, a thought struck him.


    They met up, and she didn''t even suggest grabbing a meal together?


    Adler nced out the car window one more time. The entrance to the residential area was empty. Scratching his head, he finally started the car engine, feeling a bit down.


    **


    The next morning, Mirabe received the blood test results Adler had sent her.


    He had attached a picture of the numerical values and several voice messages. Since Mirabe was in ss, she only opened the picture without listening to the voice messages.


    As expected, the total white blood cell count in the blood sample had decreased, and the radiation parameters were sky-high.


    The radiation source wasn''t a natural radioactive element but an artificial one. If the levels of this element exceeded a certain threshold, it could damage the human immune system, potentially causing chronic radiation sickness in people with pre-existing health issues.


    So, Mr. Owen''s illness wasn''t just a typical heart condition; it was mainly due to the radiation exposure.


    Mirabe was less interested in the source of the radiation and more intrigued by the illness itself. Given the current limits of medical technology in treating chronic radiation sickness, Mr. Owen was a perfect candidate for her to test some cutting- edge methods.


    Mirabe simply replied to Adler with a "Thanks" and put away her phone.


    *


    Around noon, after much deliberation, Adler decided to call Mirabe again.


    He had actually detected the abnormal values in the blood the previous night, which he found quite astonishing. That was why he hadn''t sent the results to Mirabe right away.


    When he arrived at the research institute that day, he specifically dug through some documents. Although he didn''t find any information about the radiation source, he vaguely remembered that the institute had previously done some specific research on this topic.  swnovel


    that


    It seemed that during an experiment, improper use of this radiation


    source had nearly caused a


    significant error, leading to the. dismissal of several researchers.


    Later, Dr. Ray had even issued a ban


    on researching this topic.  swnovel


    "Hey, where did you get this blood sample?" Adler asked as soon as Mirabe picked up the call.


    Mirabe was still eating, her reply muffled, "Why do you ask?"


    Listening to her indifferent tone on the other end, Adler hesitated for a couple of seconds before saying,


    "Nothing much, it''s just that hig


    radiation levels in blood usually indicate the person has been exposed to radiation. I was just curious about where this sample came from."  swnovel


    Mirabe didn''t respond immediately.


    Adler paused, then without pressing further, he simply said, "Anyway, be careful."


    Mirabe, fiddling with her fork, replied lightly, "I know."


    After a few more words, they ended the call.


    Mirabe hung up and sat thinking for a while before putting away her phone.


    **


    Meanwhile, in the academic building.


    After returning from Mr. Belcher''s office, Calvin spent half an hour organizing documents in his own office. He then sealed an important experimental document


    in a ziplock bag, secured it, and walked out.


    He headed upstairs to the document room.