Mirabe gave a little smile and set her untouched ss of water back on the coffee table. She had a knack for picking up on things-her ears were just too sharp.


    Robert, about to say something, paused as they noticed Joen''s assistant rushing back in. "Sorry to interrupt, but Dr. Joen has an urgent situation to handle, so I''ll have to see you out," the assistant hurriedly exined.


    Robert caught the urgency in his voice and stood up, replying politely, "If Dr. Joen is busy, we''ll head out now. No need to escort us; we can manage."


    The assistant seemed relieved, not even bothering with a polite smile. "Alright then," he said.


    After guiding them downstairs, the assistant quickly turned back towards the research building.


    "Seems like something serious is going on," Robert mused, ncing back as they walked away.


    Mirabe nodded, fishing her phone out of her pocket. A message from Grady had juste in.


    Joen left the administrative office and headed straight for the research building. Upon entering hisb and seeing the wrecked equipment, it felt like his head might explode from the stress.


    He staggered back, nearly fainting from the shock. Those two pieces of equipment were his pride and joy, housing nearly twenty years of experimental data, the culmination of his life''s work. If they were gone, it was as if everything he had worked for was wiped out.


    With bloodshot eyes, Joen stumbled over to the micrputer, trying desperately to power it on, but the machine wouldn''t respond. That''s when he noticed the main unit, stripped down to its metal casing, with its hardware chip utterly destroyed.


    The damage was so extensive that even sending it back for repairs seemed hopeless. With the chip ruined, it meant the bulk of his life''s work had vanished.


    Joen''s hands shook, trying to understand how such devastation urred in the short time he was away. When the assistant returned and saw the scene, he gasped, fully aware of theb''s importance to Joen. He swallowed hard, not daring to step any closer.


    Clutching the destroyed chip, Joen''s eyes zed with anger. "Who could have done this?!"


    The assistant shivered, quickly


    saying, "The surveince in the


    building was taken out. Whoever did


    this was prepared and knew how to


    dodge the on-duty professor, which


    means they were familiar with the building."


    Joen suppressed the metallic taste of fury rising in his throat. "So, it was someone on the inside?"


    "That''s the most likely scenario," the assistant said, keeping his head down. "Plus, yourb has multiple security locks. Besides you, hardly anyone could get in."


    If it had been an outsider, they would have set off the rm just by touching the door, let alone destroying everything inside.


    Joen''s face darkened even more.


    The assistant nced at him and then said, "I''ll check the other floors, see if there''s anything else."


    Joen remained silent, his face grim, as the assistant quickly left the room.