"Yes."
Lenore nodded, a smile on her face, feeling quite satisfied and pleasantly surprised.
After Fred arrived here, his progress hadn't stalled but had instead accelerated even further.
He was like an insatiable sponge.
And knowledge flowed like water.
He continuously absorbed knowledge, never letting any leak out but taking it all in completely.
He was practically a human-shaped monster.
Thinking of the phrase Naturals often used to describe them, Lenore now felt like applying it to him.
It was just too unbelievable.
"However, the recent experiment failed again. It will probably take a few more days to sort out the reasons and data."
This was why this experiment had completely failed.
The unexplained Chlorosis meant that even if the test subjects hadn't all died, it would be difficult to continue the research unless a miracle occurred later on, which was clearly impossible.
As for developing a solution, it would still take several days.
By that time, those crops would already be dead.
So they could only analyze the causes and prepare for the next experiment.
"Hmm..."
Hearing this, Patrick also sighed inwardly.
But these things couldn't be rushed.
After all, he understood the difficulties involved, and it wouldn't be right to pressure his wife.
So he could only remain silent.
However, before Patrick could make any arrangements, Lenore's device chimed with a notification.
"It's a message from Fred."
Lenore wasn't surprised.
After all, both of them were workaholics and often communicated about work via messages.
Especially since the experiment had just failed today—analyzing the reasons was inevitable. Fred sending a message was completely within Lenore's expectations.
"Hmm."
Hearing this, Patrick patiently quieted down.
However, unlike usual where Lenore would continue chatting after replying to a message, her expression grew increasingly grave today.
As a devoted husband, Patrick sensed something unusual from this.
The more serious Lenore looked, the more shocked she was.
And right now, she seemed as if she'd been hit by a stun grenade.
"Lenore, what's wrong?!"
With concern, Patrick quickly asked.
"Well... Fred says he's going to develop a cure."
"What cure?"
"For the microbial flora and the crops..."
Hearing Lenore's words, Patrick was momentarily speechless.
Only after a long pause did Patrick continue.
"Is it true?"
"Not sure, but he really is preparing the synthesis."
Lenore collected her thoughts, which had scattered in shock, and replied.
"I'll go help him now."
"Alright, good luck."
Watching his restless wife, Patrick didn't stop her.
After all, he knew her well—seeing a report like Fred's, she wouldn't be able to sit still.
And not just Lenore—he was feeling a bit restless too.
If Fred really had such capability, how much sooner could their crops be realized?
He didn't even dare to imagine.
"I know, I'm heading out now."
Watching the screen go dark, Patrick narrowed his eyes into slits.
They still didn't have the ability to protect these crops.
Even with this development, they needed matching strength to maintain balance.
Otherwise, it would only escalate tensions.
This crop was like a precious treasure.
Without strength, nothing can be protected.
When the time comes, Blue Cosmos will surely be in an uproar.
"Fred's ability?"
Thinking of Fred's previously demonstrated talent for modifying the Engine, Patrick sighed with frustration once again.
...
That night was destined to be a sleepless one.
With Lenore's assistance, the balanced microorganisms were quickly synthesized.
Early the next morning, in the experimental field where only the two of them were present, Lenore watched as the newly synthesized colonies were injected into the soil. She turned to Fred and asked, "How did you manage to create this?"
If she had harbored doubts before, after a night of work, Lenore was now almost certain: Fred truly had a plan and genuinely understood which specific elements the crops were lacking and what issues existed within the microbial colonies beneath them.
"It's just intuition."
"Intuition, huh..."
Lenore didn't know how to refute his words.
If she dismissed intuition as an excuse, she couldn't find any other plausible explanation.
Moreover, this world had delved deeply into the study of human genetics, and they were aware that certain inexplicable phenomena existed within human genes—perhaps evidence of their extraterrestrial origins. Even their mentor had published papers on the subject.
It was entirely possible to attribute such inexplicable things to intuition.
After all, Fred himself was already unnaturally capable.
"We still don't know if there will be any improvement," Fred calmly added.
"Yes, that's true."
The fastest test results would take about three hours to complete.
Lenore, of course, had no intention of going home now. Her eyes sparkled as she gazed at the crops before her, looking energetic and not at all like someone who had pulled an all-nighter.
As for Fred, he was even more so.
After all, he had the Golden Finger, allowing him to clearly see that the condition of the crops was indeed improving.
This move of his had saved a considerable amount of time for the experiment.
More importantly, his breakthrough had allowed him to make further strides in the study of cosmic crops, enough to draw the attention of others. With food as a foundation, the next step was power.
Research on MS had likely already begun.
He needed to enhance his abilities, acquire more resources, and secure a higher status.
Otherwise, his future plans would be impossible to carry out.
Lost in thought, Fred withdrew his gaze from the crops and pulled out a textbook to read.
Beside him, Lenore, who had been feeling tense, wanted to ask Fred about his research. But when she turned, she saw him engrossed in his book, his focused expression leaving her speechless.
Does this guy ever feel nervous?
In just three hours, his so-called intuition would be put to the test.
Yet here he was, reading—and not even pretending to do so. His eyes were fixed intently on the pages, and as a teacher, she could tell he was fully immersed in the ocean of knowledge, leaving her at a loss for words.
"Never mind..."
She could always ask him later, depending on whether the experiment succeeded or not.
As Lenore muttered to herself, in the laboratory above them, groups of researchers began trickling in to start their work.
Most people's faces bore traces of drowsiness.
After all, even for those shouldering heavy responsibilities, even for Elite Coordinators.
For the majority, waking up early for work remained thoroughly disheartening.
Expecting beaming smiles was simply unrealistic.