Harold smiled faintly. “We’ll see about that, then. Take Ms. Vivian into the lab, Seven.”
“Yes, Mr. Horton. Please come with me, Ms. Vivian.” The man referred to as Seven immediately escorted Winnie into the laboratory.
The room was small with an experiment desk full of bottles and lab apparatus right in the center.
Against the walls were racks filled with an array of chemical reagents and ingredients. There was also a surveillance camera on the east corner of the ceiling.
Observing Winnie’s every move behind the camera was Harold.
“Do you really trust this woman, Mr. Horton?” a bodyguard keeping his eye on the surveillance footage next to Harold asked.
Harold narrowed his eyes as his lips played into a malicious smirk. “I would most prefer to, but if she dares try to fool me, I’ll make her life a living hell.”
Back inside the laboratory, Winnie had already scanned everything she could lay her eyes on and matched them with the recipe ingredients she had in mind.
Even while doing so carefully, she didn’t forget where she was.
The woman had noticed Seven leave as soon as he led her in here.
Two other people inside the laboratory had also left right away, but there was still one more person remaining in a corner.
Winnie didn’t think this was a mistake on that person’s end. Rather, she believed that Harold had deliberately planned it.
He’s probably arranged for this guy to assist me or steal my recipe.
Still, she played it cool, pretending to put all her attention on her task at hand.
It was only when she proceeded to grab some methadone hydrochloride that she acted as though she had just spotted someone else inside the room, for the rack containing the chemical so happened to be right behind that man.
“Who are you? What are you doing in here?” she yelled.
“I’m here to assist you,” the person replied at once.
“Assist me?” Both their voices came out sounding slightly distorted due to the gas masks they were wearing.
Winnie had a difficult time discerning whether this person was of young or old age, nor could she confirm if he was, in fact, Professor Riley White.
“When did I say I needed an assistant? You’re a drug maker too! Do you think I don’t know what you’re up to? Don’t take me for an idiot! Seriously, I can’t believe you’re trying to steal my recipe!”
The woman pretended to be furious, even going as far as to remove the person’s gas mask.
The latter clearly hadn’t expected her to lash out directly like that and was caught off guard.
As a result, his face now lay bare in front of Winnie, who recognized him instantly.
It’s him! This is the man I’ve been looking for, although he looks so different in person compared to the photos.
Winnie had already scrutinized his pictures before setting out, but all the images she came across were from five years ago.
The pictures portrayed Riley as a man who looked to be in his fifties despite actually being over sixty. Not only that, but his skin looked especially well-nourished, and there wasn’t a single gray hair on his head.
However, his face was now full of wrinkles, and all his hair had turned gray. He had also lost an ear, and his eyes looked bleak.
Winnie couldn’t help but frown when she saw the state Riley was currently in.
What on earth could these guys have put a chemistry professor like him through for him to turn out this way?
With a clench of her fists, Winnie turned and walked in the direction of the surveillance camera.
She then looked up and removed her gas mask before making the rage in her voice known to Harold.
“Mr. Horton! Don’t you think you’re being very unreasonable right now? We haven’t even started working together, but you’re already getting someone to watch my every move? Are you going to have me killed once this guy figures out the recipe?”
“I think you’ve misunderstood my intentions, Ms. Vivian,” replied Harold. “I let my subordinate stay and assist you because both he and I figured that you may not be accustomed to a new environment like this. But if you really don’t need any help, I can send him away. To be honest, I really enjoy working with someone like you, Ms. Vivian. You’re the type who says exactly what’s on your mind instead of keeping it to yourself. I understand your worries, so I’ll do my best to address anything you regard as a problem right away. Please have faith in my sincerity. Have I not brought you to my laboratory, after all?”
Winnie scoffed in response, “You sure are eloquent, Mr. Horton.”
“This has nothing to do with eloquence, Ms. Vivian. If you approach the other two, those brutes aren’t going to be as easy to deal with as I am. Besides, don’t you feel the safest when you’re here?”
Winnie glared at the camera in brief silence. “You’re a sly one, aren’t you, Mr. Horton? But I’ll have you know that I’m extremely pissed off right now—so much that I have to do something to vent.”
“Of course,” Harold said with a chuckle. “You can do whatever you want as long as you give me the goods. You can even go outside and tear this building apart when you’re done.”
“Ha!” Winnie was amused. “Of course I’m not capable of doing that, but you know my temper. I can’t wait that long, so you wouldn’t mind if I just punched him a couple of times, right?”
She stopped talking to Harold at once and walked straight toward Riley.
The latter appeared slightly dumbfounded after hearing what she had said, but he had no intention of running away at all.
With her back against the camera, Winnie furrowed her brows at Riley before throwing a punch at his stomach.
There was quite some force involved, and the man immediately fell to the ground, writhing in pain.
Then, Winnie pulled him back up from the floor and swiftly whispered something into his remaining ear.
Riley’s eyes gleamed as soon as he heard her words.
He turned to her in disbelief.
Winnie hastily stepped aside to block the camera from detecting the change in Riley’s expression.
“Get your ass home and look after your grandkids instead, you old geezer! What are you even still doing here inside a lab at this age?” she spat before hurling him toward the door.
While sprawled out against the door, Riley couldn’t help but glance at her.
She had just mentioned his granddaughter, Yulissa, whom he had not seen for a long time.
The only way he could obtain any news on Yulissa was through Harold, who would only feed him tiny snippets of information about her each time.
After Riley left, Winnie poured all her attention back into work.
As the latter two were constantly under Harold’s watch, they only communicated when it was part of the act.
Halfway through lunch, Harold suddenly requested Winnie to make another batch of goods at a much larger volume.
“No,” the woman said without a second thought. “That’s impossible.”
Harold’s expression clouded over in an instant. “Why not? Didn’t it turn out well just now?”
Winnie sliced a piece of meat and put it into her mouth, not glancing at the man even once.
“I could do it because I wanted to show you that I was able to, Mr. Horton. But now that I’ve already proven my abilities and worth, why should I do it again? To be frank, we haven’t discussed the terms and conditions either. I can’t do anything until we’ve negotiated what’s in it for me. I hope you understand.”
Harold paused briefly before breaking into a smile. “So that’s what you mean. I thought there was a problem with the formula. Sure. Name your terms.”
“Okay.” Winnie put down her fork and knife before turning to Harold. “I want half of the proceeds from every subsequent trade.”
Harold frowned. “Did I hear you wrongly, Ms. Vivian? You want half of the proceeds?”
“You heard me loud and clear, Mr. Horton. I’ll provide the goods, and I don’t care about anything else. But I want half the proceeds, so it’s fifty-fifty between you and me.”
The crease between Harold’s brows deepened. “Let’s get this straight, Ms. Vivian. I’m providing you with the place and all the ingredients. I’m also in charge of sourcing our clients while at the same time having to bear all the costs of any injury or death that occurs during the trading process. How can I look after my men if I have to give you half the proceeds?”
“But I’m the only one who can provide such quality goods,” Winnie insisted while beaming and rising to her feet. “I have to use the restroom. Give it some thought, Mr. Horton.”
Someone placed a gun against her head the moment she stood up.
Winnie took a deep breath. “I hate it when someone points their gun at me. It dirties my hair.”
While speaking, she stepped back and grabbed the gun.
“Shoot me in my hand instead of my head. I won’t be able to make the goods if my fingers are gone.”
“What the hell are you doing? Put the gun down!” Harold ordered, refusing to let anything happen to this woman whom he now regarded as highly important. “Didn’t you hear Ms. Vivian say she has to use the restroom? Hurry up and take her there.”
Winnie smiled at the subordinate. “Let’s go.”
In truth, she was just trying to stall time. The formula’s wrong, and the goods will react to each other and fail if made in large quantities. But the weight’s calculated in kilograms.
She was aiding and abetting evil with every batch she made.
That was why she had cited such drastic terms. She knew that he would never agree; if he didn’t, they could continue their negotiations, and she could then use the opportunity to draw more useful information from him.
Harold’s gaze darkened as soon as Winnie left.
“What do you think of this woman?” he asked Christopher while continuing to peer at her back with narrowed eyes.
Christopher frowned furiously. “She’s nothing but a pompous ingrate! She would’ve long been dead if she weren’t actually of use.”
Harold gritted his teeth and scoffed, “It’s always the capable ones who have such fiery tempers, but since she likes you, do your best to please her. It’ll be even better if you manage to get your hands on the recipe. Hang in there, and follow her closely when we get back. I’m leaving her to you.”
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