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These were all children she had taught. Some had graduated many years ago, yet they still remembered her and were willing to travel from afar to celebrate her birthday. 

How could her heart not be moved! 

The students, upon seeing Adriana, were also filled with emotion! 

Back when they studied under Adriana, they had suffered through countless papers and data, and had often com- plained about her behind her back, calling her ruthless. 

But it wasn’t until after graduation, when they entered their respective fields, that they realized it was Adriana’s high standards that allowed them to maintain a diligent and meticulous attitude and scientific spirit at work, achieving re- markable results. 

So, their attendance today was a sincere wish to congratulate Adriana on her birthday! 

As Adriana’s students, now all restoration experts at major research institutes, the best gifts they could offer were nat- urally related to their own specialties. 

Most of the gifts they brought were damaged, unknown antiques—not enough to cause Adriana any trouble. But they had each used their unique skills to restore the damaged parts. 

As the person in charge of the birthday banquet, Claudine had arranged for staff to set aside a separate room to dis- play these gifts. 

With her experience in setting up auction previews, she was able to find the best spot for each gift, using light and shadow to showcase the most beautiful side of each exhibit. 

However, she did all this to surprise Adriana, so apart from the staff, neither Adriana nor the guests knew about this part of the event. 

“Prof. Nixon, we’ve prepared a surprise for you. Please close your eyes.” 

As she spoke, she took Adriana’s hand and gave her a reassuring look, 

Adriana smiled and said, “You and your endless ideas!” 

Though she complained, she still closed her eyes trustingly and let Claudine lead her forward. 

The other guests at the banquet followed behind. 

They walked down a long corridor, its surroundings pitch black, as if it had no end–mysterious and inviting explo- 

ration. 

“Is there something on the wall?” 

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Someone in the crowd suddenly spoke, and everyone began to examine the walls. 

“It’s oracle bone script! And… cuneiform!” 

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When someone touched the writing on the wall, it was as if a code had been unlocked. Blue phosphorescence gradu- ally appeared, and soon the entire wall was covered in glowing light. 

Adriana slowly opened her eyes. 

“Is this… lapis lazuli blue from the 6th century AD?” 

Claudine nodded. 

“Prof. Nixon, please keep going. There’s another surprise inside.” 

At this moment, everyone in the corridor marveled at the ingenuity of the arrangement. 

Such technology, if applied to mural restoration, would surely be a major innovation in the field. 

Who would have thought that after so many years away from the industry, Claudine had not regressed at all. 

As everyone walked down the corridor, the pigments on the walls made the entire passage feel like a time tunnel, as if they were traveling through the river of time. 

Following the ancient characters on the wall, everyone arrived at a room. 

It was only then that they realized all the gifts they had brought were displayed in this room. 

They had just been admiring Claudine’s ingenuity, but now they realized she was using the gifts they had prepared for Adriana to curry favor! 

Audrey said, “So, the surprise Claudine mentioned was just putting all the gifts we prepared for Prof. Nixon together. 

“Isn’t this… offering flowers that belong to someone else?” 

Audrey’s voice was not loud, so only a few people nearby could hear her. 

Among them were some who were equally dissatisfied, and one outspoken person cursed. 

“What do you mean, offering someone else’s flowers! This is like peeling the skin off the left cheek and covering the right–shameless on both sides!” 

“She has no ability, her studies are lacking, so she just takes the gifts we prepared, arranges them, and presents them to Prof. Nixon, claiming it’s a special surprise!” 

“Exactly! Prof. Nixon, these things were clearly prepared by us for you!” 

In an instant, as if someone had torn open a wound, the crowd’s accusations and insults suddenly found an outlet and came pouring down on Claudine. 

Adriana, standing nearby, also showed a hint of displeasure on her face. 

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After all, her old friends and colleagues were present, and what should have been a joyful birthday banquet had turned into infighting among her students. How could she not be angry? 

“All of you, be quiet!” 

Adriana shouted. 

“Prof. Nixon, if you insist on shielding Claudine and disregarding our feelings, you might as well say it outright, so we can give up completely!” 

In an instant, what was supposed to be a birthday celebration turned into a tribunal. 

Adriana’s face was cold, and her breathing grew heavier than ever. 

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