Chapter 732

Chapter 732

Give it a try

Several people who were discussing turned to look at them, causing Lu Yuan to instinctively step back behind Zhuang Guohua, though she didn’t know what she was feeling guilty about.

Her reaction also caught Zhuang Guohua’s attention, a glint of amusement in his eyes.

"What are you hiding from?" Lin Nannan couldn’t help but laugh as she asked.

Only when questioned did Lu Yuan realize how comical her behavior had been. She stepped forward and said sheepishly, "The way you all were staring was so intense, like you were about to eat someone alive—I got scared instinctively."

Who wouldn’t feel intimidated under the collective gaze of such big shots?

"Are these the ones you brought?" Mr. Hu stood up, looking at Zhuang Guohua beside Lu Yuan as he spoke.

"Yes, I’m Zhuang Guohua, in charge of this shipment," Zhuang Guohua stepped forward and introduced himself.

Yin Xu moved to Mr. Hu’s side and introduced everyone: "This is Mr. Hu, this is Researcher Lin Nannan, the lead in charge of this plant research project. I’m Yin Xu, the director of the research institute. And that’s Mr. Hu’s apprentice, Lu Yuan—you’ve already met her."

Zhuang Guohua shook hands with each of them, then looked at the plants he had brought and asked, "Were you all looking so closely at these plants earlier? Have you identified their origins?"

Mr. Hu nodded and said, "Yes, it’s amazing any survived. But these ones aren’t doing too well—they seem to be withering."

"Exactly, these are already showing signs of withering," Zhuang Guohua said with a serious expression. "These prized plants were deliberately destroyed during the most difficult times. What remains are the last of their kind, saved through a huge effort. But despite our careful nurturing, problems arose. When we discovered the issue, we did everything we could to save them, but nothing worked—they’re still dying..."

He paused before continuing, "We’re out of ideas, so we thought to bring them here for you to look at. If they can be saved, that would be ideal. If not, there’s nothing more we can do."

This was their last resort.

Yin Xu and Mr. Hu instinctively turned their gaze to Lin Nannan, waiting for her response.

Their focus was so obvious that Zhuang Guohua was surprised.

Even if he hadn’t met Mr. Hu before, he’d heard of him. So, seeing Mr. Hu’s attention fixed on such a young woman was pretty surprising.

Lin Nannan, of course, noticed Zhuang Guohua’s reaction, but she didn’t commit outright. Instead, she responded cautiously: "I’ll need to study them further. Whether they can be saved depends on the specifics."

"Is there hope?" Mr. Hu asked, a note of optimism in his voice. "This is the last surviving plant of its kind. If it can’t be saved, it will truly go extinct."

"It’s too early to say for sure, but if we don’t try, there’s definitely no hope," Lin Nannan replied frankly, without making any promises.

Making promises too easily would not only raise doubts but also make it seem like saving them was easy—which might complicate things later.

"Alright, then I’ll arrange for someone to move them," Yin Xu said directly.

Lin Nannan nodded, then glanced at Lu Yuan and said, "After walking so far, you must be exhausted. Take Researcher Zhuang Guohua to rest. Accommodations have already been arranged—just take him there."

Lu Yuan nodded, as she was really tired.

After all, she had spent the morning helping move a lot of stuff.

Seeing how worn out she was, Zhuang Guohua felt a bit apologetic. As they walked together, he said, "I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it was so far. I had you walk such a long way."

"It’s fine, I usually walk a lot too. It’s just that I was busy this morning, so I’m more tired than usual," Lu Yuan explained.

Relieved that she wasn’t upset, Zhuang Guohua asked, "That Researcher Lin Nannan from earlier... is she your sister-in-law?"

"Yes, isn’t my sister-in-law amazing?" Lu Yuan’s admiration was so palpable it was impossible to overlook.