Lost and Found: Return of My Mysterious Fiancee by KIKI

Chapter 882: The Online Lottery The guests exchanged glances, cheering and raising their glasses in celebration. The atmosphere was lively, buzzing with excitement. "How will the ten people be chosen?" someone in the crowd called out loudly.

Natalie smiled faintly, holding the microphone in her hand. Her voice was calm and steady as she explained, "There will be a lottery box on stage. Inside the box, there are many cards, each featuring one of four different designs. The lucky audience members will be those who scratch off a card with an orchid pattern. There are exactly ten such cards." With a gentle wave of her hand, a red lottery box was brought onto the stage and placed at its center.

The guests lined up one by one, each taking their turn at the box, eagerly scratching off their cards, hoping to reveal the orchid pattern.

Natalie picked up the microphone again, her voice clear and light. "Now, those who find the orchid pattern, please cup on stage in order to state your request. I will do everything in my power to fulfill it." The first to cforward was a middle-aged man. He wore a deep blue suit, his slightly gaunt face pale to the point of being unsettling. Sitting down across from Natalie, he hesitated, his lips trembling as he finally asked, "Can you really helpwith anything?" Natalie's gaze was steady, her eyes calm. "I'll grant you one request. Speak freely, and I'll do my best to help." The man, clearly not holding much hope, decided to take a leap of faith. "I've been sick. I've seen countless renowned doctors, but none could help me. When it strikes, I feel flustered and break into a cold sweat. My skin develops clusters of blood-red blisters that cover my body, sparing only my face and neck. The blisters on my chest have already ruptured and begun to fester. Can you help me?" As he spoke, it was as if he had used up all his courage, exposing his wounds in front of so many people. It was clear he had no other options left.

Natalie's eyes lingered on his neck. She pointed with her index finger and said directly, "The blisters have already spread to your neck. Within a month, the skin there will also be covered. At that point, the blisters on your legs will start rupturing." The man panicked, frantically touching his neck with trembling hands. "Can you cure me?" he asked anxiously. Natalie remained composed, her voice steady. "Don't worry. Letfirst take a look at your chest." The man hesitated but eventually nodded. However, seeing the crowd around him, he was reluctant to proceed. Those near the stage called out teasingly, "You're a grown man. Don't be shy. If it makes you feel better, the ladies here can step aside." Encouraged, the man stopped hesitating. He removed his suit jacket, revealing a black shirt underneath. Beneath that was a white undershirt, which he also took off.

When his chest was finally exposed, the crowd recoiled. Blood-red blisters oozed yellow pus, clustered densely together in a horrifying sight. Sof the blisters had already ruptured and begun to rot, emitting a foul stench that filled the air. Those standing close to the stage were visibly nauseated, covering their noses and backing away. Many averted their eyes, unable to bear the sight.

Natalie examined the man's chest without any sign of discomfort or emotion. Her expression was calm as she said, "The blisters are bright red. Typically, this is accompanied by symptoms such as dry mouth, bitterness on the tongue, irritability, and a red tongue with a yellow coating. Open your mouth so I can check." The man, his face brightening with hope, obediently opened his mouth. Natalie nodded, her observations confirming her diagnosis.

She pulled out a silver needle and swiftly inserted it into one of the man's acupuncture points. The blood-red blisters swelled rapidly as if responding to the needle. She withdrew it and replaced it with another, targeting the spoint. This time, the blisters burst open, oozing yellow pus.

The stench worsened, causing even the man to gag.

Natalie remained unaffected, calmly taking out a pen and paper to write down a prescription. "You won't find Mayweed on the market. However, the Pace family has a few plants in their herb garden. Follow Tina later to pick one. Grind the Mayweed into juice, extract the liquid from its petals, and mix the two together. Apply the mixture to the affected areas along with the other herbs listed here." "Apply it every two days. In about two weeks, you should be completely healed." The man took a deep breath, his voice trembling. "Two weeks? That's all it will take?" His face lit up with joy.

"If it doesn't work, feel free to cback toanytime," Natalie replied with confidence.

The guests exchanged glances, nodding in agreement at her assured demeanor.

The second person stepped up. This was a tall, slender man with a sharp, cold presence. He wore gold-rimmed glasses, which glinted under the stage lights. In his right hand, he held a stack of academic papers.

Sitting down politely, he introduced himself with a refined tone. "Miss Natalie, my nis Smith Johnson. I am a postdoctoral researcher in Molecular and Cellular Physiology at Stanford University. Recently, I've been struggling with a problem in one of my research projects." His introduction, filled with scientific jargon, left most of the audience bewildered.

Natalie sipped her tea, her expression calm. "Go ahead," she said simply.

"Our team has been studyi a estion that wa first raised years ago: How can skin cells be transformed into nerve cells?" Natalie smiled faintly, gesturing for Mr. Johnson to hand her the academic papers. He complied, passing her the documents.

She flipped through the pages quickly, scanning the content with remarkable speed. When she reached the dynamic analysis graphs, she paused to study them carefully. Handing the papers back to Mr. Johnson, she asked, "Is that all?" "You... you read it all already?" Mr.

Johnson stammered, clearly stunned.

"Years ago, I conducted research on this very topic. At the time, the prevalence of Parkinson's disease was rising sharply. One of the major challenges in medical research was the lack of a model system for m studying Parkinson's disease." "Our research team discovered that induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) could be used to study Parkinson's. iPSCs can be reprogrammed from a patient's skin cells into embryonic-like cells. However, they have a limitation: cells derived from iPSCs often resemble those found in embryos or fetuses, rather than in adults or elderly individuals. Functional neurons can be generated directly from adult skin fibroblasts, making them ideal for research." Mr. Johnson listened intently, though even with his advanced degree, he found it challenging to fully grasp her explanation. Nonetheless, he understood the core idea.

Natalie took another sip of tea before continuing. "In other words, the goal is to induce human skin cells to acquire the characteristics of neurons." Mr. Johnson's eyes widened in realization, as if a light had suddenly been switched on in his mind. Natalie's final remark had provided him with a clear direction for his research.

Picking up his academic papers again, Natalie flipped to a specific On page and pointed to a section. "Here, you overlooked an important factor. You failed to account for the diversity within cell populations." She grabbed a pen, quickly sketching a diagram of dynamic cell differentiation. The diagram was detailed, with every number and label meticulously marked.