Chris drummed his finger on his thigh leisurely, every movement of his was weak yet refined. Chris studied Laurel, he didn't know if she was telling the truth or if he was getting scammed.
He had seen a lot of doctors who claimed miracles to him… yes miracles, because his illness was one that he believed could never be cured, and it had been proven through all the years of research.
His parents had funded every research, and it seemed he too, had inherited that from them, but it was never fruitful. So why did Laurel think he would fund her research when she had not even proven her skills?
Yes, she was able to identify some of his problems from merely looking at him, to him that wasn't enough to blindly fund her.
'But do I have a choice? She does look cute, just as her sister had described her, she is as innocent as a doe. Should I give her the money? I don't care if she can develop the drug, as long as I can get close to her again.' Chris thought to himself.
Laurel cleared her throat to gain Chris's attention. She creased her brows, at the sudden blank look on his face.
Laurel wasn't a hundred percent sure that Chris would agree, after all she hadn't shown any competence, but that was because she wasn't with her tools.
"What do you say, Mr. Lennox?" Laurel finally broke the silence.
"I agree to your terms. I won't interfere with anything, I'll give you your privacy and I will make sure this is between us. If you feel more at ease, we can sign a contract." Chris replied calmly.
Laurel's eyes sparkled at his words. "Great, your treatment will start tomorrow. Even if I can't develop the drugs now, I have other means to combat the illness."
Chris's eyes narrowed slightly. 'It seems like she really believes she can heal me.'
"Here you go, this card has 3 million dollars. You can start the research with this." Chris casually brought out a card from the inner pocket of his suit.
Laurel collected the card from him, she couldn't really believe it worked. "Thank you, Mr. Lennox, it's a pleasure doing business with you."
Chris nodded and stood up to leave. Laurel suddenly remembered that during the apocalypse she had caught Camile giving him the wrong drugs. She had brushed it off because Camile claimed she didn't know it was the wrong one.
"Mr. Lennox, are you with your medication?"
Chris paused for a moment and nodded his head. He reached into his pocket and brought out a small bottle of drugs.
Laurel quickly took it from him. She opened it and poured some of the drugs on her palm, her frown deepened. As expected, it was the wrong drugs, Camile had been giving him the wrong drugs even before the apocalypse.
"Is something wrong with the drugs?" Chris asked with an indifferent expression.
"This medication is wrong for your health. Who the hell administered it to you? He should be sued and his license revoked." Laurel spat angrily before handing the bottle of drugs back to him. "You can investigate if I'm right about it." She added.
"But… how is this possible?" Chris muttered to himself. His eyes hardened at the thought that Camile was the one who normally picked up his drugs from his doctor. And she had been doing so for the past six months.
His expression remained calm. "I understand Mrs. Wayne. I'll take care of this, and I won't be taking the medication from now on." Chris walked past Laurel, stopping at the door. "See you soon." He said before walking out of the room.
Laurel exhaled deeply, her tensed shoulders relaxing. "Camile…"
She paused the moment her eyes fell on the card, and a smile formed on her lips. She brought the card closer to her lips, kissing it before holding it to her chest.
She glanced back at the door. "Camile I hope you like my gift." She muttered under her breath. She hoped Chris got what she was trying to imply.
"That went more smoothly than we expected. I guess he has some use." Ling Xuan chipped in.
"Yes, it did."
[Soul Sync Compatibility: Synchronization between hosts 45%…. 50%… 55%]
[Hosts' compatibility has increased and I am pleased to inform the hosts that the ability to access missions has now been officially unlocked.]
[Farmer: Laurel Wayne/ Ling Xuan
Age: {22/ 27}
Gender: {Females}
Class: {Beginner}
Level : {1/100}
Abilities: {Unknown}
Weakness: {unknown}
Expertise: {Unknown}
Speed: {Unknown}
Success Rate : {Unknown}
Intelligence: {Unknown}]
"System, what does that mean?" Laurel asked.
[Answering host question. That information is used to identify hosts across the world. It would be useful when you collaborate with other farmers or would like to sell your crops. More information would be unlocked as hosts' abilities grow.]
"Oh okay."
[Mission 001: Claim the first field
Minimum size: 1,000 square meters
Land must contain one natural resource: water/ river/ fertile soil / existing vegetation.
Time remaining: 3 days
Reward Points: 10
Failure result: Farming system remains locked. No further mission will be issued.
Time starts now.]
"Is this how it works? I thought we have to farm in the space before going to the real world?" Laurel asked, a bit confused. "And why only 10 points? Isn't it too low?"
[Soul Sync farming Space is only accessible when hosts have reached the expert level. As for the points… that's how the system works.]
Ling Xuan yawned as if bored by the conversation between Laurel and the system. "System, I prefer something active, farming is why below my status."
[Hosts have 71:54:30 remaining. I'll appear when the mission is completed.]
And with that the system disappeared.
Laurel stood up, putting the card in her bra as she didn't have any pocket on her. "Let's find a plot of land and a warehouse for stockpiling before we complain about the status of farming."