Chapter 413
Chapter 413:
He had always intended to delegate such drudgery to someone else—ideally, new members to the team like Yelena and Erica.
This time, the burden fell on Yelena since she offered to help.
He nodded at her and stepped aside. Yelena settled into the chair, rolled up her sleeves, and dove in. Her fingers flew across the keyboard with a precision that seemed almost instinctual, requiring no further input from him. Corbett, meanwhile, had been thinking about another round of experiments in the lab while Yelena sorted out the data for him. But as he glanced over at Yelena, her sheer speed froze him in place.
To the untrained eye, her movements might have resembled chaotic typing, a frantic blur of fingers. Yet, somehow, the results spoke of a mastery he couldn’t fathom.
This wasn’t just any dataset, either—it was a labyrinth of information, leagues more intricate than anything Yelena or Erica had tackled before. Corbett was certain it would slow her down. It didn’t.
Corbett gawked at Yelena, his voice laced with disbelief. “Did you really finish that in record time again p>
Yelena shrugged casually. “Actually, I was slower earlier p>
His brow furrowed. “Wait, so you just… master things this fast p>
Before Yelena could respond, Erica interjected, leaning back with a smirk. “Corbett, that’s not the case. Yelena’s always been a speedster. She only slowed down earlier to help me keep up p>
Corbett narrowed his eyes, skeptical. He suspected Erica might be exaggerating, but the undeniable efficiency Yelena had displayed indeed left him impressed.
A grin crept onto his face as he thought to himself, “With Yelena and Erica around, I might finally escape the hell of sorting through all that mind-numbing data p>
“Right,” he said briskly, clapping his hands together. “I’m heading to the lab p>
As he moved toward the door, Corbett noticed Yelena and Erica exchanging glances, their eyes lighting up like kids spotting a candy store. His grin faltered. They wouldn’t dare—would they?
The lab was full of expensive equipment, and the thought of these newcomers fiddling around unsupervised made his stomach churn.
Turning back, he raised a finger for emphasis. “The lab isn’t a playground. You should wait until you’re familiar with the protocols. I’ll talk to Professor Hoffman then and arrange for you to observe me during experiments p>
Both nodded obediently, though Yelena’s enthusiasm lingered in her gaze.
“Since we’re free now, can we at least go inside and take a look around?” Yelena asked eagerly, clearly itching to explore.
Corbett hesitated, but before he could reply, Erica shifted awkwardly.
Yelena caught it instantly. “What’s wrong, Erica? Got something on your mind p>
Erica perked up, a sly smile tugging at her lips. “Actually, yes! There’s an event at the auditorium today—one of our most famous alumni is about to give a speech or something. It starts at four, and if we head there now, we can still make it p>
Erica’s enthusiasm wasn’t just about intellect—it was about the prospect of seeing yet another celebrity crush in the flesh. He must have been quite the looker if just the thought of him could make Erica gush like that.
Yelena hesitated, her interest in Corbett’s experiments far outweighing Erica’s enthusiasm for the speech.
“You go on ahead,” she told Erica firmly. “I’d rather watch Corbett work in the lab p>
Erica wasn’t having it. “Yelena, seriously? You can see experiments any time, but this speech—this is the event of the semester! It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity p>
Corbett shot Erica a baffled look, his mouth opening slightly in protest. What gave her the idea that he was always in the lab doing experiments?
Erica ignored him entirely, leaning closer to Yelena with a conspiratorial grin. “And did I mention? The alumnus giving the speech is insanely handsome. Like, movie-star handsome p>