The Killer Queen

Lily explained, “Miss Noella is here for an experiment, not to visit Mr. Schnabel”

Experiment?

How old is this young girl? Does she even understand medicine? Know what a medical experiment is?

Noella looked past everyone’s stares and said, “I’ve got someone joining me, hope that’s cool with you guys?”

Everybody was shocked.

“Noella, do you think you’re on a picnic or something? Even if you are Mr. Schnabel’s sister, you can’t just disrespect science like that!”

Lily was in a bit of a bind too – Mr. Schnabel hadn’t mentioned Noella was bringing someone

along!

“Miss Noella, our lab has some pretty strict standards, and it might not be convenient for your friend to come in.”

“No worries, they should have an access pass.

The group of doctors exchanged puzzled looks.

What does this Noella think our lab is, a free–for–all? Does she think anyone can waltz in just

like that?

Like a bolt of lightning. Calvin zipped in from outside, worried sick about missing out on Noella’s experiment.

“Noella, I’m here, I’m here! You haven’t started yet, have you? I haven’t missed it, right? I don’t care! Even if you’ve started, you gotta let me in on it!”

“You’d be late if you were any slower. Come on in, but you can only be my assistant.”

Calvin nodded so hard you’d think his head would fall off. “Being an assistant is awesome! I’d be down to be your cheerleader just to see you experiment!”

Noella didn’t need a cheerleader for her experiment.

Calvin followed Noella into Ulrich’s lab, and the doctors were about to lose it!

This was Professor Calvin! Anyone in the medical research field would recognize him! And he’s so stoked about being an assistant to a high schooler!

The doctors who were looking down on Noella earlier were freaking out, rushing to ask Lily, “Lily, what’s the deal with Noella? How come we’ve never heard of the young lady having any scientific achievements before.”

“She’s Mr. Schnabel’s own sister, so could she be a genius like him? No way! We’ve gotta see

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this for ourselves!”

Determined, the group of doctors all followed into the lab.

“Miss Schnabel, can we watch your experiment?”

Noella nodded, “Sure, as long as you don’t disturb me.”

Ulrich’s lab staff were all his trusted soldiers; Noella didn’t mind them watching.

“Microscope, planar cutting of pills, make a hundred control samples.”

“Dissolve the reagent, to the centrifuge.”

“Use IHC, get the medical microscope.”

Calvin immediately started moving according to Noella’s instructions, totally unpretentious, and Lily, seeing him swamped, spontaneously joined in to assist Noella.

The group of doctors went from disbelief to amazement!

Noella was actually legit at conducting experiments, and the samples she was experimenting on were Nourishment Pills from the black market, worth millions!

Noella’s eyes were clear and focused as she turned to the dumbstruck doctors.

“Excuse me, anyone good at recording data?”

“Me! I’d be honored to assist you!”

“I need three hundred sets of sample slides.”

“Me! My slides are especially neat!”

Noella picked over a dozen doctors to join her experiment, and those chosen were as thrilled as if they’d just published ten papers in a row!

Two hours later.

Noella, holding the report in her hand, slightly frowned. “So it is, my hunch was right.”

Calvin looked at the string of data, utterly shocked!

“Who would’ve thought that besides the miracle herb, Paeonol Grass, there would be Mirage Grass in the Nourishment Pill!”

Mirage Grass, notorious on the black market as a hallucinogenic, also a banned substance. Overuse of Mirage Grass causes dependency and can render patients delirious. What’s special is that when patients are delirious for a long time, their mental state becomes chaotic, and no matter who speaks to them, they’ll think it’s their own consciousness talking! From NôvelDrama.Org.

On the deep web, Mirage Grass is known as a brainwashing tool, and many organizations inject their members with it to maintain control!

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“These Nourishment Pills vary in the content of Mirage Grass, which is quite minimal, not noticeable in early stages.”

“This is like a slow poison, Isn’t it? This stuff can’t be absorbed by the body and affects the nervous system. Long–term use leads to brain death!”

The Nourishment Pills Noella got had very low levels of Mirage Grass. If it weren’t for Sexton’s medication clashing with Paeonol Grass, no one would’ve noticed he was taking Nourishment.

Pills.

“Grandma Ashlyn’s Nourishment Pills have the highest content of Mirage Grass.”

Calvin’s face grew serious too.

Long–term use of Nourishment Pills leads to addiction to Mirage Grass, Increasing the craving for it.

Meaning, Ashlyn’s been popping Nourishment Pills for quite some time!

Noella picked up the report, signaling Calvin to sign it.

Calvin was confused and looked at Noella.

“What are you looking at me for? This is high–level drug analysis; what’s up with you signing. it?”

This isn’t her lab after all, and the report needs to be kept on file.

“But you did the experiment, and I’m just the assistant!”

“I’m not certified.”

Medical experiments require a license from the Harmonia Country Pharmaceutical Research Institute, and Noella, finding it a hassle, never got around to it, so technically, she’s been winging it without a license.

Calvin got the picture!She invited him to the experiment not for a scholarly debate, but to take the fall for her.

After all, this is the Nourishment Pill. Calvin could already foresee the Institute calling him up in a few days with questions!

She was not leaving any trouble for herself, was she!

“Why don’t you let your brother sign it?”

“How could I leave such a hassle for my own family? Sign it, or don’t bother coming to my next experiment.”

Calvin just flamboyantly signed his name for the lead experimenter!

“Let’s hit the road. Could you give Ulrich the heads–up that I’ve got some stuff to take care of? Hand him a copy of the lab report.”

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Lily’s totally in awe of this high–maintenance gal–flat out worshiping the ground she walks on!

“Sure thing! Don’t be a stranger, missy! Our lab’s gear is top–notch in the nation! Don’t even think about stepping foot in Professor Calvin’s lab!”

Calvin was like, hello? I’m still standing right here! Is it really cool to diss my lab like that?

Stepping out of Ulrich’s lab, Noella’s eyes land on the man standing by the road.

He’s wearing a turtleneck sweater, giving off a whiff of sex appeal with that Adam’s apple peeking out, and his khaki trench coat is fluttering in the breeze–oozing a ‘back off vibe, icy as can be.

Seeing Noella emerge, Palmer strode over.

“All done with the experiment?”

“Yep, what are you doing here?”

“Came to grab a bite with you, remember? Where’s our brother?”

Noella thought, why does it sound like he’s mentioning her family so naturally, like he’s not an outsider at all!

“He’s in surgery. Here’s the experiment data.”

Sexton’s another victim of the Nourishment Pill, so Palmer’s got every right to see the analysis. “Mirage Grass? How did that stuff make a comeback? I recall Northstone plunged into chaos over it three years ago!”

“Yeah, that’s the one, I suspect Toxic Monarch’s collaboration with Thorpe has something to do with it, considering the cash it rakes in.”

Palmer furrowed his Brow at the report. “Why’s Professor Calvin down as the main experimenter?”

“He ran the experiment.”

Palmer was clued in that Noella didn’t dig the spotlight and didn’t want the world in on her Phantom Surgeon ID.

The Phantom Surgeon’s rep was way too hot to handle, even for Imperial City–it’s like a magnet for bad mojo.

If she runs into trouble and he’s not around, that’d be bad news!

Thinking back, Calvin must’ve been talking about her when he mentioned bumping into a med whiz kid.

Palmer smoothed out his expression and gallantly opened the car door for Noella.

Settled in the car, Noella was all cool and collected.

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“A single Mirage Grass plant was going for eighty mil a few years back. Despite the hefty price tag, it’s super rare, and for Toxic Monarch and Thorpe, that kind of money is chump change. Thorpe’s hankering for Mirage Grass has got to be more than just money.”

. Palmer caught on to her drift in a flash!

“Like, say, needing Mirage Grass for a family member’s illness, and the only person in the world who’d use Mirage Grass is Phantom Surgeon Lunaris!”

Thorpe had been spamming the deep web with offers for the Phantom Surgeon Lunaris. Bids hitting the billion–dollar mark!

Noella shook her head. “That’s not it. Besides the Phantom Surgeon, there’s at least one other person who knows their way around Mirage Grass.”

“The person whipping up these Nourishment Pills?”

“Yep!”