"Then what will you do if you give me your clothes?" Deanna asked with concern.
She couldn't possibly wear his clothes and let him freeze.
Deanna's concern made a glimmer of light appear in Lionel's previously somber eyes. He smiled faintly and said, "Don't worry. I anticipated having to work overtime once the research institute started up, so I brought a change of clothes. Wait here for a moment; I'll go get a jacket."
With that, he turned and left.
Deanna watched his departing figure with a slight smile. She hadn't expected Mr. Grant to bring a change of clothes, planning to camp out at the institute. His dedication was impressive, even surpassing her own.
A few minutes later, Lionel returned wearing a new jacket, and the two of them entered the cold storage room.
After some verification, Deanna realized that the batch of precious medicinal herbs might not be enough for her needs.
Lionel had been watching Deanna's expression closely. Seeing her frown, he asked with concern, "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with the herbs?"
"The herbs are fine, but the quantity might not be enough," Deanna shared her thoughts.
Hearing this, Lionel felt a bit embarrassed. After all, he was responsible for procuring these herbs, and now it seemed they weren't enough.
"In that case, I'll contact the herb suppliers and ask them to send another batch. This oversight is on me."
"Mr. Grant, there's no need to blame yourself. I only knew how much we needed after reviewing the core data my master gave me. You didn't have that information, so it's already impressive that you managed to get this many precious herbs," Deanna said, shaking her head.
Although Lionel was a core researcher invited by her master, only she had been given the core project data. Lionel understood this but felt happy that Deanna was willing to speak up for him.
Knowing these herbs were in high demand, Lionel quickly suppressed his emotions and said seriously, "I'll contact the herb suppliers now; otherwise, it might be too late to order these herbs."
Deanna nodded and walked out of the cold storage room with him.
In his hurry to contact the suppliers, Lionel quickly said goodbye to Deanna after stepping outside.
Watching him walk away, Deanna realized she hadn't returned his jacket. She wanted to call out to him but saw he had already disappeared down the corridor. She decided to return it later.
However, before she could find him later, Lionel came back with a serious expression.
"Miss Jones, I'm afraid I can't complete the task you gave me."
"What happened?" Deanna asked, though she had a vague idea.
Lionel explained, "I contacted our previous herb suppliers, but their remaining stock has already been sold. I also reached out to several other regular suppliers, but none of them have these herbs."
Deanna wasn't entirely surprised by this news. Those herbs were rare and difficult to cultivate, with low yields. They were usually pre-ordered by pharmaceutical families or companies as soon as they matured.
"In that case, it's okay. If they don't have them, we'll ask other suppliers," Deanna said.
"I'm worried that other suppliers might not have them either," Lionel said anxiously.
Deanna had considered this but remained optimistic. "Maybe we'll get lucky and find a supplier who has these herbs."
Seeing Lionel still worried, Deanna decided to take on the responsibility herself. "Mr. Grant, don't worry about this. I'll handle the herb situation. Your most important task now is to set up the project team."
Lionel couldn't let Deanna handle such a difficult task alone. But before he could say anything, Deanna seemed to read his mind and smiled. "Mr. Grant, trust me. I'm not one to make empty promises. If I say I'll handle it, I have a way."
Seeing Deanna's confidence, Lionel finally held back his words.
They then discussed the project launch plan before going their separate ways to work.
The rest of the day was hectic. Deanna was so busy that she barely had time for lunch.
Fortunately, by evening, she had finished her tasks.
After saying goodbye to Brent and Lionel, she left work.
Outside the research institute's entrance, she saw Lance's car parked by the street.
Once inside the car, she leaned back and relaxed, exhaustion evident on her face.
Seeing this, Lance's eyes filled with concern. "You must be exhausted today. Lie down on my lap; I'll massage your shoulders."