The Million-Dollar Heart

The guests exchanged excited glances and raised their glasses in celebration, the atmosphere buzzing with energy.

"How should we pick the ten people?" someone called out from the crowd.

Karen flashed a small smile, microphone in hand, and slowly said, "There will be a raffle drum on stage filled with lots of cards, each bearing four different symbols. Those who scratch off the orchid symbol will be the lucky participants! Of course, there are only ten orchids."

With a gentle gesture, a crimson raffle drum was brought up and placed center stage.

Guests lined up, taking turns to draw their lots, each one eagerly scratching their card, hoping for the orchid.

Karen, with a light voice, announced, "Now, those who have found the orchid symbol, please come up and state your wish. I'll do my best to fulfill it."

The first to approach was a middle-aged man in a dark blue suit, sitting across from Karen. His pale, slightly gaunt face betrayed his anxiety as he hesitated, "Can you really solve any problem?" Karen's eyes shone with a calming light, "I'll agree to one request. Speak freely, within my means."

I break out in cold sweats, and my skin erupts in crimson blisters covering my body,

many was a monumental act of

directly addressed it, "The blisters have reached your neck. Within a month, they'll cover it, and then the ones

neck, panic-stricken, "Can

serene, asked to examine

until those near the stage encouraged him,

then a white vest, revealing his torso. The sight of

"April Blossom," not commonly found but available through the Linklater family. She instructed him to mix these with other herbs and apply

was palpable, his

confident prognosis reassured the audience, who nodded

postdoctoral researcher from M State Newford College's Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, he sought Karen's insight

research before sharing her own experiences with iPSCs and their potential in studying Parkinson's disease, a subject of her