She extended her slender finger, pointing from a distance at Flash's left hand, which was still covered in foam.
"If I remember correctly, laboratory regulations state that highly reactive metallic sodium must be stored in kerosene or paraffin oil to isolate it from air. Thompson, there is a distinct layer of oil floating in the foam on your hand."
Upon hearing this, Mr. Cobbwell immediately strode over, ignoring the disgusting foam, and grabbed Flash's wrist.
Sure enough.
Mixed into that purple-red foam were cloudy, pale yellow oil stains.
That was the protective liquid that only comes from the metallic sodium bottles taken out of the hazardous chemicals cabinet.
Even more damning, as the teacher moved, an empty brown wide-mouthed glass bottle rolled out from the pile of foam, clattering onto the floor.
The yellow label with black text on the bottle looked particularly glaring amidst the mess.
The evidence was irrefutable.
"Enough, Thompson!"
Mr. Cobbwell picked up the bottle, his face livid.
"Prying open the hazardous materials cabinet without permission, stealing metallic sodium, and attempting to create a dangerous reaction. Now, immediately, go to the principal's office. Also, stay after school and clean up the lab. If there is even one floor tile left with this disgusting pink color, you can expect detention."
Flash Thompson, like a defeated rooster, or rather, a pink poodle that had fallen into the water, slunk out of the classroom amidst the laughter of his classmates.
As he passed Alice, he glared at her viciously.
Alice curled her lip in disgust.
The bell rang.
The students poured out of the classroom, discussing the pink volcano from earlier.
Peter Parker deliberately slowed down his packing, and when Alice walked by, he lowered his voice, his tone full of irrepressible excitement.
"That was phenolphthalein earlier, right?"
Peter's eyes were shining, as if he were looking at an idol.
"And that smell of ammonia, did you intentionally make his foam change color? That angle of impact, and the timing of adding the reagent, how did you calculate that the bottle would fall into his graduated cylinder instead of on the floor?"
Alice stopped and looked at this future Spider-Man.
At this moment, Peter was just a nerd who was ostracized because of his love for science.
What he saw in Alice was not some superpower, but the radiance of a kindred spirit.
"Just basic physics of parabolas and chemical reaction kinetics, Parker."
Alice said indifferently, but her tone was a bit gentler than before.
"As long as you know the contact area of the reactants and the reflex nerves of the human skeleton, the result is predictable. Rather than calculation, it's more about observation."
Then he added, even more impressed: "That's so cool. You know, I'm also writing a paper on biology, about the stability of RNA in interspecies gene recombination."
He scratched his head, a bit embarrassed, as if he felt the topic was too boring.
"Dr. Connors, he's a university Professor and my idol, recently published an article on reptile limb regeneration. I'm thinking, if we could solve the problem of gene rejection between different species, wouldn't that benefit many people?"
Alice's heart stirred.
Interspecies gene recombination, limb regeneration?
Isn't this Dr. Connors' research direction?
And the spider mutation that Peter is about to experience is essentially a successful interspecies gene fusion.
In this field, Ai Haibara is definitely at the level of a founding grandmother.
After all, she is the genius who developed a drug that can make cells reverse their growth.
"The biggest difficulty in interspecies fusion is not gene editing, but the control of telomerase activity."
Alice blurted out.
"If you cannot suppress the foreign genes from devouring the host cells, then what you create won't be a regenerated limb, but out-of-control cancer cells, or a monster driven by instinct."
"Telomerase, God, why didn't I think of that? I've been struggling with the immune system's rejection response, but ignored the collapse at the cellular level."
Peter was so excited he almost jumped up.
"Alice, you're so right. If you can't control the speed of cell division, it's a disaster. If you don't mind, can we continue talking about this after school? I have so many ideas."
"Of course."
Alice nodded and smiled.
"It just so happens that I'm also very interested in the gene sequencing of the Super Spider project at the Osborn Group. Perhaps we can use that as an example to discuss the gene fusion you mentioned."
"That's great, I'll wait for you." Peter clenched his fist excitedly.
Watching Peter's back as he left happily, the smile in Alice's eyes gradually faded, and she touched the compartment of her schoolbag.
Inside were a few micro-sampling test tubes with lead-coated inner walls that she had specially prepared last night.
Peter didn't know yet that the theoretical interspecies fusion he spoke of would soon be playing out for real in his own body.
And, it would be a perfect fusion.
"Osborn Group, I hope that destiny-changing spider's gene sequence can bring me some new inspiration."
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