Director Li patted her shoulder and said in a lowered voice, "Xiao Ye, hang in there. We did well in all other evaluations today, no worse than ZA. I really feel that we have a chance. You have to do well in this too. That way, our chances of winning will be even higher."

Ye Lu could only nod helplessly: "I understand. I will definitely do well in this experiment."

"Good. When you’re done, call a taxi to take you back to the city. It’s late at night, so be careful."

Director Li and his team left.

Third Young Master Jun suddenly walked up to her. Bai Sijia looked on, surprised.

His face was icy, and no flicker of emotion stirred in his eyes as he stared at her. "If you want to give up, you can do so now."

Ye Lu raised her head to look at him coldly, scoffing, "Why would I give up? I never regret the things I do, and I’m not about to start."

"Never regretting, that’s good. I hope you can say the same in the future."

Third Young Master Jun gave her a sarcastic glance and left with Bai Sijia.

Ye Lu’s chest felt heavy, but she was all the more determined. She refused to give up. This was her future and her financial assurance. She couldn’t give up so easily.

Back in the lab, Ye Lu took a deep breath and continued to work.

She worked till late into the night, inoculating the remaining three hundred. With only a few dozen left to redo, she would be done soon.

But she was exhausted, feeling almost dizzy. She walked out of the lab and into the garden for some fresh air, trying to clear her head.

Sitting on the dark flower steps, she gazed at the star-filled sky. She felt empty, lonely and tired. She just wanted to lie down and sleep. She was so exhausted, she felt as if all her energy had been drained.

Two lab staff walked by, doing their rounds to check if the lights were turned off and the equipment properly stored. They were chatting softly.

"Huh, that lab is still lit. It must be that FSA Company researcher. She’s really going all out. It’s three in the morning, and she’s the only one left. She’s pretty determined."

"FSA Company takes this project very seriously. That’s why their team is so committed. Overall, they’re actually doing pretty well."

"So what if they’re doing well? I heard from an insider that President Jun has already decided on ZA Company. No matter how outstanding the other companies perform, it’s all for nothing. That girl is pretty pitiful. She’s working so hard, but she doesn’t know it’s all for nothing. She’s basically out of the running."

"What did you say?" A shocked voice suddenly erupted.

The two lab staff jumped. The light turned on, revealing a girl with a pale face, staring at them incredulously.

It was Ye Lu from FSA Company.

Their faces changed drastically. They had assumed she was still in the lab. They hadn’t expected her to come out, much less overhear their conversation.

"You heard wrong, we didn’t say anything." Their faces turned pale too. This was something that absolutely couldn’t be made public. If word got out, they would be in big trouble.

But Ye Lu grabbed their hands tightly, urgently questioning, "I didn’t hear wrong. You said ZA Company was already chosen. Is that true?"

"Miss Ye, let go of me. We’re not sure, we were just talking casually. Finish your experiment and quickly head back home!"

They hurriedly pushed Ye Lu away and left in a rush.

Ye Lu stood there, her face pale as a sheet. Her blood ran cold, and she felt numb. Her mind was spinning with their words.

They had said ZA Company was already chosen. Everything she was doing was in vain.