Chapter 690
Alexander genuinely didn't care, much to Lily's amusement. She hadn't taken the perfumer certification exam initially because she found it overly formal. Her decision to take the perfumer's grade exam stemmed from a desire to prove her competence as a newcomer, while also bolstering her confidence. Nathaniel's encouragement also played a significant role; his new business needed a head of R&D, and a certification would benefit the company, regardless of the perfumer's reputation.
Ironically, Nathaniel knew little and cared less about the certification. Lily's research revealed the syllabus to be largely rigid and theoretical, a stark contrast to the creative nature of scent creation. She abandoned her studies after a week, discovering numerous errors in the reference books. Furthermore, she had no intention of challenging established industry veterans.
Throughout her career, she'd only worked for two companies: MN Inc., and later, Rebirth, after parting ways with Nathaniel. No one had ever requested her certification; it remained largely irrelevant. The current situation was the first time anyone, including the Perfumers' Society, realized she lacked the basic certification, despite her international competition wins and awards. The suggestion that her achievements be revoked was absurd.
"Oh, right, back to your earlier question," Lily began, pausing thoughtfully. "Poisoning perfume isn't impossible, but it's not a major consumer concern."
"Hm?" Alexander raised an eyebrow, awaiting her explanation.
"Regarding Grandpa's case, I used your Sapphine lab a few days ago. I experimented with adding toxins to ingredients. It's feasible, and barely affects the natural scents. Poisoning someone undetected is possible. However, there's a weakness: poor shelf life."
She continued, "Perfume ingredients are volatile. Even with proper sealing and storage, shelf life is limited, let alone exposure to the environment. Air exposure causes rapid degradation. The ingredients are inherently unstable. Consider the time from factory production to market—the ingredients reach consumers after a considerable period."
"The crucial point is: even if I could do it, I only handle research and development. The factories handle production. If poison were present, factory workers would be the first victims, wouldn't they?" Lily smiled wryly. "Besides, what would I gain?"
Alexander's curiosity was satisfied by her explanation.
"The public is easily misled by online information. This issue might escalate if someone stirs it up internally. But such lies are short-lived. The only thing to address is the person spreading the lies."
No one in the Russell family would stoop to such tactics. However, his recent focus on his own business and the Lodge family in Sapphine had left him neglecting potential troublemakers.