Chapter 1162
The atmosphere between the two men fell silent. Colby stared at the experiment, his mind racing. He couldn't allow Jack and Roxanne to interact further. He needed a solution.
Suddenly, Jack's phone rang. He checked the caller ID, smiled apologetically, and excused himself. "My grandfather is calling. He likely wants an update on the experiment."
Roxanne nodded. Jack soon left the facility. Roxanne moved to help, but Colby waved her away. "You can rest. The reaction has begun; I can monitor it." There wasn't much for them to do besides observe and ensure no accidents occurred.
Roxanne complied. She couldn't shake the memory of Jack's earlier gesture. Though she couldn't decipher his intentions, she felt a need to maintain distance.
Meanwhile, Colby glanced at Roxanne, then subtly added a colorless, odorless liquid from a bottle on the bench to the flask. His actions were swift.
When Roxanne approached to inspect the reaction, she noticed nothing amiss.
Soon, Jack returned. "Grandpa told me to assist you both fully, now that the experiment is progressing smoothly," he said, beaming at Roxanne. She nodded silently.
Colby abruptly turned. "Should this phenomenon be occurring?" he asked, his voice laced with confusion.
Roxanne and Jack rushed to the bench. A cold glint flickered in Colby's eyes as he stepped aside. White smoke billowed from the flask; the stopper shook violently, threatening to explode.
"What's happening?" Roxanne exclaimed, bewildered. She'd never seen this in pre-tests. "Did we add too many materials? Did the reaction conditions fail?"
Driven by curiosity, Roxanne stopped the reaction and opened the stopper, neglecting safety precautions, as she knew the reaction shouldn't produce harmful substances.
Colby's pupils constricted at the sight of the unstoppered flask. He reached out, then hesitated and retracted his hand.
Jack, however, reacted instantly, pulling Roxanne to safety. "Be careful!" he warned, detecting a familiar, highly toxic, poisonous gas.
Roxanne, too close to the flask, inhaled a large amount. Dizziness immediately set in. She gasped, "Something's wrong! Tell everyone to evacuate!"
Jack looked at Colby, who immediately began evacuating the facility. Jack helped Roxanne retreat.