Chapter 536: Farewell

Chloe Sinclair found it a little amusing.

Joel Quincy might seem strict usually, but when it came to handling new people, he was a bit out of his depth.

So she nodded. “Alright. I’ll be out of the main lab for a few more days, so I can help you train the newcomers during that time.”

Then, Chloe Sinclair added, “I’m going to the office to change into my lab coat first.”

Joel Quincy nodded, his eyes looking a little weary. “Go ahead.”

When Chloe Sinclair returned to her office, Nathan Trenton happened to be there.

With so many people in the research department now, their offices had been merged.

Chloe Sinclair took her white lab coat from her locker. She put on a cap, and after donning the coat, she pulled on a pair of special rubber gloves.

After they both finished changing, they walked out of the office together.

The two walked side-by-side down the hallway. Nathan Trenton watched the setting sun shine through the glass walls, its crimson rays illuminating the young woman’s face.

“I heard you took a leave of absence from school?”

He was one of Chloe Sinclair’s course instructors, and the news of her leave of absence had already spread throughout the faculty group chat.

If an ordinary student took a leave of absence, no one would think much of it, or perhaps they might feel a tinge of regret.

But with Chloe Sinclair taking a leave, the professors in the department weren’t the least bit worried about her missing classes or falling behind on her studies.

They only felt honored.

Everyone knew who Chloe Sinclair was. By now, her name was famous throughout the scientific research community.

The moment anyone heard the name “Chloe Sinclair,” they would exclaim, “Ah, the Chloe Sinclair from Emberfall University!”

He knew what this leave of absence meant for her.

So, Nathan Trenton just paused for a moment before saying, “Work hard. When will you be finished?”

Chloe Sinclair was silent for a moment. “In about a year.”

‘By then, my sophomore year will be over.’

Nathan Trenton said, “Then I’ll see you in a year. If you need anything, you can call me, and I’ll bring it to you.”

After a moment, a thought occurred to him, and he asked, “Are you allowed to have your phone?”

Chloe Sinclair replied, “Yes.”

As they talked, they finally arrived at the main laboratory.

The lab was filled with countless beakers, flasks, and various pieces of equipment.

Chloe Sinclair glanced around and suddenly felt that all this high-tech equipment was actually a bit outdated.

She wanted to bring out the reaction apparatus she had learned about on the first floor, but she held back in the end.

‘Some procedures are still beyond the reach of current technology.’

‘And some things just have to be done one step at a time.’

The arrival of Chloe Sinclair and Nathan Trenton immediately drew the attention of many people. Some even stopped what they were doing to look their way.

Chloe Sinclair frowned.

Her gaze landed on a tall, thin young man with black-framed glasses.

“Hey, don’t look at me. Focus on your work.”

Chloe Sinclair’s tone was very serious. The male colleague immediately snapped to attention, his face turning red.

“S-Sorry.”

Before Chloe Sinclair could say anything else, a female student muttered, “It was just a glance. It’s not like something bad is going to happen, is it?”

The student’s voice wasn’t loud, but in the quiet laboratory, it was heard crystal clear.

Chloe Sinclair’s dark eyes shifted to her. She wasn’t angry, but she said earnestly, “What if your beaker has a reaction while your attention is elsewhere? If you notice it early, the team might be able to proceed to the next step sooner. But if you miss it, the entire experiment might have to be started over from scratch.”

“Everyone here is an intern and an outstanding student from Emberfall University. You’re all also my seniors. Logically, you’ve done just as many experiments as I have, so I trust you understand what I’m saying.”

“Professor Quincy is very strict, but it’s for everyone’s own good. If you can’t handle it here, you can submit your resignation. If you’re unhappy with the work, you can try to adjust your mindset. If you really can’t adjust, you’re free to leave. But I still hope that all of you will go on to achieve great things in your future careers.”

Chloe Sinclair’s long speech was a sudden wake-up call for many of them.

Most of them were doctoral candidates. In the past, they had participated in various research projects for their dissertations and for the money.

However, in those projects, they had only ever been assistants. Almost none of them had ever been responsible for monitoring a project on their own.

This was why they had found the first few days so exhausting and frustrating.

Hearing Chloe Sinclair’s words was like a sudden moment of enlightenment, and it strengthened their resolve.

Seeing that her words had been effective, Chloe Sinclair breathed a sigh of relief.

‘I’ve said all I can. How far they go from here is up to them.’

However, the young woman who had muttered hadn’t expected to be overheard, and her expression turned a bit sour.

She actually thought Chloe Sinclair had a point, but being lectured in front of everyone made her feel a little resentful.

The student gave a cold snort and said nothing.

Chloe Sinclair didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

She could understand the student’s feelings.

‘After all, working yourself to the bone all day for a salary that might not even reach ten thousand a month is tough.’

In Zenthia, unless you were a top-tier scientist, it was really difficult for an ordinary researcher to earn a high salary.

A smile touched her eyes. “If you have any questions in the future, you can ask me on QQ. I’ll definitely reply when I have time.”

The moment they heard this, any lingering displeasure vanished from the minds of those who had been unhappy. All eyes, now sparkling, were fixed intently on Chloe Sinclair.

Some people even pulled out their phones on the spot.

Everyone was incredibly excited.

‘Chloe Sinclair is young, but she has so many achievements!’

The number of awards she’d won across so many fields…

Chloe Sinclair herself had probably forgotten most of them.

But any single one of those awards represented a level they could only dream of reaching.

“Can I add the team leader’s WeChat?”

“Yeah, what young person still uses QQ these days?”

“We want to add the team leader’s WeChat.”

“Me too.”

“What’s the team leader’s WeChat ID?”

Chloe Sinclair was the team leader, but because she was so young, everyone had affectionately started adding the word “little” to her title.

Over time, everyone had gotten used to calling her that.

Hearing the rising clamor in the lab, Nathan Trenton coughed twice. “You should be glad to get her QQ. You want her WeChat, too?”

‘Several professors from the university haven’t even gotten our little junior’s WeChat friend request approved yet.’

At Nathan Trenton’s words, everyone quieted down, looking slightly disappointed.

But on second thought, getting her QQ number wasn’t bad either.

So, after Chloe Sinclair recited her number, the phone in her pocket began buzzing nonstop.

Chloe Sinclair accepted the requests on the spot. After confirming there were no loose ends, she began to guide everyone in their research.

The newcomers had mostly only ever worked as assistants before; in reality, very few of them had ever completed a research project independently.

But with Chloe Sinclair and Nathan Trenton there, everyone immediately felt much more at ease.

For the entire day, no one got scolded by Joel Quincy.

By the time they clocked out, everyone was starting to feel that maybe the problem really had been with them all along.

For five consecutive days, Chloe Sinclair was in the lab.

Five days later, Jasper Shaw finished up his business.

The two of them prepared to go to the old master’s laboratory.

Because she would be gone for a long time, Chloe Sinclair returned the apartment key to Gabriel Sinclair before she left.

Gabriel Sinclair didn’t yet know about Chloe Sinclair’s involvement in “Project Nine Chapters.” He only heard that she was returning the key, and he immediately grew anxious.

“Why are you giving me the key? I already gave you the apartment.”

Gabriel Sinclair thought his little sister was refusing his gift.

Chloe Sinclair explained, “Jasper Shaw and I are going away for a while. We probably won’t be back during this time. This way, if you need to come back in the future, it’ll be more convenient for you.”

Gabriel Sinclair replied instinctively, “I have a key…”

Then, as if remembering something, he fumbled through his pockets.

Suddenly, things got a little awkward.

It seemed he had lost his key.

Seeing his reaction, Chloe Sinclair immediately understood. She raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong?”

Gabriel Sinclair opened his mouth, his tone a little aggrieved. “I lost it again.”

Chloe Sinclair wasn’t surprised at all.

After all, this was a regular occurrence for Gabriel Sinclair.

So she handed the key to Gabriel Sinclair and said seriously, “The big key is for Jasper Shaw’s place. When you have your place cleaned, have them clean his too. It’s not a large area, but it’s detailed work. Make sure to pay the cleaner extra on those days.”

“Also, when you’re filming, think before you act. Don’t be impulsive.”

Chloe Sinclair felt like she was nagging him like a mother hen.

But in truth, she really was worried about Gabriel Sinclair.

However, Gabriel Sinclair’s current film shoot would probably take about half a year, and the cast and crew were already set, so Chloe Sinclair wasn’t too concerned for the time being.

“You’ve been working for so many years, Gabriel. You can take a good rest after this role is finished.”

Gabriel Sinclair had the same idea.

His company had recently signed two other male actors who had become breakout stars. Their personalities and acting skills were both solid, so he decided that after he finished this role, he would focus on promoting the two of them.

He was also planning to gradually transition to a behind-the-scenes role in the coming years, pulling the strings from there.

Chloe Sinclair’s words were exactly what he had been thinking.

“Then you have to take care of yourself while you’re away. If any colleagues bully you, call your big bro, and I’ll go beat them up for you!”

“What if it’s a woman?”

Gabriel Sinclair was taken aback. “Of course I’d still beat her up! You’re our family’s little princess. I can’t just let her off the hook because she’s a woman, can I?”

If someone bullied his sister, he didn’t care if they were a woman. Even if they were a kathoey, he’d chase them all the way to Ayotha to get even.

Gabriel Sinclair’s words sounded a bit absurd, but they warmed Chloe Sinclair’s heart.

“Okay, if I get bullied, I’ll tell my big bro, and you can beat them up for me.”

Gabriel Sinclair readily agreed.

He thought to himself that tomorrow, he would definitely have Ms. Mayfield sign him up for a Muay Thai class and maybe join a “manly” reality show to toughen himself up.

‘Otherwise, when the time comes, forget beating anyone up—I’d be the one getting beaten up.’

Of course, Gabriel Sinclair couldn’t let his little sister know this. So, he threw a couple of punches in the air, his form looking surprisingly decent.

After a few moves, Gabriel Sinclair blinked. “So? Pretty good, right?”

Chloe Sinclair: “…”

If she didn’t know how to fight herself, she almost would have been fooled by him.

But Gabriel Sinclair’s eyes were sparkling with such expectation that it was hard for Chloe Sinclair not to nod.

So, Chloe Sinclair nodded. “Very impressive.”