"Woof! Woof!"
Less than two minutes later, faint barking came from outside the garage. It seemed the vegetable salad had been a pretty effective deterrent for Hulk.
Soon, Hulk came bounding inside.
However, he wasn't carrying the test tube Li Si had asked for. Instead, Gwen followed behind him, looking a little tired, with a test tube full of red liquid in her hand.
"You could've just had Hulk bring it over. Why did you come all the way up here?"
Seeing how tired Gwen looked, Li Si felt a pang of concern. He spoke gently as he quickly fetched a round stool and gestured for her to sit.
"Am I not allowed to come up for some fresh air?"
Gwen didn't sit. She handed the test tube to Li Si, then rolled her eyes and chided him, "I'm starting to regret agreeing to this. Not only do I have to help run your company, I also have to help you with your research."
"Uh... That's not what I meant. I just thought you looked exhausted..."
Li Si realized he'd misspoken and awkwardly tried to explain.
"All right, I'm only teasing."
Gwen smiled and said, "The Regeneration Serum has been adjusted and prepared according to your instructions. How are things going here? Do you need any help?"
"No, it'll take a while to finish anyway. I can handle it myself."
Li Si crouched down and patted the stool. "Sit down and rest for a bit."
Gwen didn't refuse again. She sat on the little round stool and watched Li Si get back to work with a cheerful smile, occasionally teasing Hulk.
That lazy mutt had found himself a good way to slack off. He sat beside Gwen and wouldn't make a sound no matter how much Li Si called him.