Prof Gao nodded. “Huo Yulin isn’t around though.”

“Why isn’t he here?” Yuan Huan felt puzzled.

“Uh huh. I heard that someone from the virus research department needed his help. He hasn’t even come to the institute recently.” Prof Gao was completely unsuspecting. There were slightly over ten research institutes in the city and it was common for them to help each other.

Yuan Huan nodded and asked. “That’s quite a coincidence then.”

“Hmm?” Prof Gao did not quite understand what Yuan Huan was driving at, so he could not help looking at Yuan Huan.

Yuan Huan simply smiled in response. “Nothing. Do we need to review the data?”

“Yeah. Even though Huo Yulin isn’t around, his colleague has already sorted out the data and he will be sending it over shortly,” replied Prof Gao as he took off his protective gear. “Let’s call it a day with the experiment. See you in my office.”

Yuan Huan pondered. He turned to glance at the apparatus before leaving the laboratory.

They were heading upstairs, so Yuan Huan pressed the lift for the third floor while still in deep thought.

Prof Gao and the other professors glanced at him. Yuan Huan explained politely. “I’m going to the surgery room to check something and take a look at the test subject while I’m at it.”

They nodded unsuspectingly.

Before long, the lift stopped on the third floor. Yuan Huan nodded before walking out of the lift.

…

The surgery room was already cleaned up by the cleaning staff, and all the equipment was back in place.

After entering the surgery room, Yuan Huan glanced around before heading to the changing room.

The trash can in the changing room was now empty. Every single cubicle was spotless and sanitized. Everything seemed completely normal.

Yuan Huan turned the ring on his finger as he contemplated. Since he could not find anything unusual, he turned to leave the room.

Just as he was about to exit, Yuan Huan paused briefly. He raised his brow and went over to the medical supply storeroom.

Staff was employed to man the medical supply storeroom. When Yuan Huan went over, someone greeted him. He did not enter the medical supply storeroom and just asked the staff. “We had a procedure a couple of days ago. Do you still have a list of the medical supplies we used?”

The staff nodded. “Uh huh. One moment, please.”

Yuan Huan smiled and thanked the staff.

Before long, the staff got onto the computer to pull the records for the surgery as requested by Yuan Huan.

Yuan Huan looked at the screen and went through the list line by line until he got to the cardiac stimulant.

They had taken two vials for the experiment and one was used.

Yuan Huan narrowed his eyes. If his memory served him right, no cardiac stimulant was used on the test subject. Yet the computer records proved otherwise.

He asked the staff member. “Was there some mistake about the cardiac stimulant? We didn’t use it during the surgery that night.”

The staff leaned forward to look at the computer. “Is that so? I doubt there’s anything wrong with our records. Hang on. Let me check the storeroom.”

If the numbers did not match, he would be in trouble during the audit.

“Okay,” acknowledged Yuan Huan. He leaned against the door as he waited for the staff to come out.

They had no intention of using cardiac stimulants during the surgery previously, but Huo Yulin insisted on adding a couple of vials on standby. Yuan Huan felt puzzled by this, and had even questioned Huo Yulin about it. After listening to Huo Yulin’s explanation, he had agreed that it made sense, so he dropped it.

Yuan Huan could smell blood on Huo Yulin and there was something fishy about this missing cardiac stimulant.

Huo Yulin had been away from the institute for a few days. Also, he was initially on the list of suspects. This was starting to feel like too much of a coincidence to Yuan Huan.