Chapter 390

Evelyn Langley stood by the laboratory window, her fingers absently tapping against the frame.

She refused to believe only the three of them had noticed the issue in their research group.

But the ship had sailed—there was no turning back.

Most graduate students were here just for the degree, treating their theses as mere stepping stones for job hunting.

Professor Eleanor Roland suddenly overturning the research project wouldn’t affect those who had already graduated, but it would leave the current batch in dire straits.

They had already structured their theses around this flawed premise.

It wasn’t that Eleanor didn’t want to correct it—the reality simply wouldn’t allow it.

"It’s my fault for being hospitalized too long." Eleanor’s voice echoed in her mind. "By the time I realized the problem, it was too late. For the sake of that graduating class, I chose silence."

Now, they were stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"But I’m relieved you three caught it so quickly."

Evelyn’s nail left a faint scratch on the window frame.

"What do you think of Hannah and Liam?" Eleanor asked abruptly.

"In what sense?"

"Academic capability, research talent, personal integrity."

Evelyn pondered for a moment. "They’re both exceptional."

Both possessed sharp insight.

Instead of running from the problem, they had sought to verify it.

In the process, each had revealed their unique strengths—

Hannah Flores had a brilliant, agile mind and a photographic memory.

Liam Kalmien remained composed under pressure, with a broad, analytical perspective.

Eleanor smiled in satisfaction. "Seems I made the right choice."

"Since you’ve already identified the flaw, this project holds no further value for you."

"My suggestion—" She paused. "—is to start fresh. Draft a new proposal based on your findings."

"But the lab..." There was only one.

This facility was too small to support two major projects simultaneously.

Eleanor’s tone brooked no argument. "Apply for a new one."

A dedicated space for just the three of them.

——

After the meeting, Evelyn relayed the decision to Hannah and Liam.

Hannah bit her lip. "So we just let the error continue? What’s the point of research like this?"

Evelyn’s gaze was steady. "Mistakes are part of the process. Every conclusion deserves scrutiny."

"But we have a clearer path now. Instead of validating errors, we should pursue the truth."

That didn’t mean the former was meaningless.

Scientific progress was a flowing river—truth and error intertwined to form a complete ecosystem.

Like clear water needing the riverbed’s silt and the darting fish to become a true current.

Pure water alone could never make a river.

To be continued...