Miranda greeted him, “Dr. Jefferson, good evening. Why are you just getting back now?”

Miranda replied, “I spent some time at the library.”

As they spoke, the two had already reached the seventh floor.

“Oh, right. I’ve already washed the lunchbox. Hold on for a minute…” Miranda entered her apartment and came out with the lunchbox quickly. Paul reached out to take it.

Suddenly, he asked, “Has Dr. Young been asking you guys to work on her research project?”

“Yes, but the progress is…”

“I discussed it with her before. There are some issues with her approach, but you know her personality. She won’t give up unless she has reached the final stages of verifying everything.”

Miranda had noticed that as well. She even brought up this issue with Christine. However, Christine insisted that without sufficient data to support a change in research direction, her past two years of effort had been in vain.

“Are you free this Saturday? We could have a meal together and discuss how to convince her,” Paul asked.

“Saturday…” Miranda pursed her lips. “I’m sorry, I already have plans.”

Paul paused for a moment. “No worries, we can reschedule when you’re free.”

“Alright.”

That Saturday, Miranda and Madison met up at Sebastian’s place.

He had sent them a message through WhatsApp, “I’ve already called the property management. Just mention my apartment number when you enter.”

Miranda looked up at the condominium before her, while Madison gaped in amazement. “Sebastian’s really rich.”

The condo was purchased, not rented. Furthermore, Sebastian’s name was listed as the owner. They had seen his name when they registered upon entry.

Sebastian’s condo was on the 12th floor. The smart lock on the door clicked open as soon as Madison and Miranda approached. Sebastian opened the door and greeted them casually, “Come on in. Here are some disposable slippers. What will you have to drink?”

Madison’s eyes lit up. “Do you have Coke?”

“Yes. Do you want regular or diet Coke?”

“Regular, of course! What’s the point of drinking diet Coke? It’s practically soulless!”

Sebastian didn’t respond and turned to Miranda. “What about you?”

“Plain water is fine.” She wasn’t picky about drinks.

After changing into slippers, Miranda glanced around the condo. The interior style was dominated by black, white, and gray colors. The design resembled Sebastian’s personality—simple and straightforward.

Madison boldly took a tour around the place and finally stopped in front of a cabinet. She pointed to something inside that resembled a specimen or a bookstand. “What’s this bone for?”

Sebastian replied, “Decoration.”

“It looks so unique! Where can I buy it? Can you share the link?”

“You can’t buy it.”

“Why not?”

“It’s a human bone.”

“What?”

What kind of person would use human bones as decoration? Madison immediately stepped back in a hurry.

Sebastian’s lips curled slightly when he saw her reaction. “I’m just kidding. I’ll send you the link later.”

Madison was speechless. Sebastian was really messed up! What a psycho!

Meanwhile, Miranda had already taken out her laptop. “We need to go through three sets of data. It’s not too much, but not too little either. It would be better to get started earlier.”

“Alright.” Both of them turned serious.

They worked for the entire morning. Their efficiency exceeded what Miranda had expected.

Unsurprisingly, Sebastian’s accumulated knowledge and abilities were impeccable. What really surprised Miranda was Madison’s performance.

Although her foundation wasn’t as solid as Sebastian’s, her memory was excellent. She was also good at drawing inferences from a single concept. Her mind was far more agile than her body’s movement.

Madison was at a loss for words. She wasn’t sure whether that was a compliment or an insult.