At those words, Ji Yanzhi immediately let out a derisive snort.
Worried about you?
Ji Ear was doing perfectly fine with his experiments here. What was there to worry about? Was the Laboratory going to explode out of nowhere? They were just making excuses!
He shot another disgruntled glare at the two faces on the screen, then turned to Ji Ting. "Ji Ear, ignore..."
Before he could finish, a soft beep sounded, and the Laboratory's titanium alloy doors slid silently apart.
"You...?!" Ji Yanzhi choked on his words.
Ji Ting turned at the sound. "What's wrong?"
Ji Yanzhi's brows knitted so tightly they could have crushed a mosquito. "Can't it just be the two of us? Do you have to let them in?"
"Since all three of you are here, I need to investigate why only you can receive my 'inner voice.' I might discover new correlations between variables. Sample diversity is important."
The justification was so legitimate it could have gone straight into a research grant application. Ji Yanzhi was left with his indignation lodged in his chest, unable to offer a single rebuttal.
While they were talking, the elevator indicator had already jumped to "3." Without warning, Ji Yanzhi sprang from his chair and darted to Ji Ting's side.
His movement stirred up a gust of air, followed immediately by a muffled groan. Ji Yanzhi abruptly doubled over, clutching his lower back with one hand as his face crumpled.
Startled by the sudden movement, Ji Ting instinctively caught his arm. "What happened? Did you hit something?"
"I'm... fine." Ji Yanzhi gritted his teeth, squeezing the words out between them. "Got up too fast. Tweaked my back."
Ji Ting frowned slightly and was about to bend down to check-
Ding!
The elevator doors slid silently apart like stage curtains.