Twenty years of cold chain

Chapter 23 The Road Ahead

While reflecting on Hu Shutong's words, Luan Pingxin also researched some materials on her own. In less than ten days, her thesis finally passed her supervisor's review, and the next challenge was her thesis defense.

Unlike Hu Shutong's paper, which delves into the entire industry, Luan Pingxin's paper focuses on the technical aspects, with the market aspect being merely icing on the cake.

Both universities attach great importance to graduation theses and regard them as high-level projects, because graduation theses often mean inspiration to a student. They are summative, forward-looking, and constructive, and can easily show a depth and height that is different from the past.

This motivation stems from rigorous assessments. Less than half of the papers are graded directly on the first draft by the two universities, and it is common for them to be revised two or three times. Some papers that are too unacceptable will even have their graduation delayed.

Hu Shutong had completed his task and was nearing his thesis defense. He planned to return to Mingda University to make final preparations. That day, Luan Pingxin treated Hu Shutong to a big meal as a token of her gratitude. After the meal, they strolled together at the famous Lin Guang Lake in Longyi City.

On the bluestone bench, willow leaves cast shadows. As they parted, Hu Shutong couldn't help but ask about something that had been on his mind.

"Pingxin, after graduation, are you going to pursue a master's degree or start working?"

"According to my personal plan, I will definitely pursue a master's degree, and my dad won't object to me doing a doctorate later. I need to excel in academics. With a master's and even a doctoral degree, the platform I have in the future will be different. One day, I can lead a research team on my own, just like my predecessors, to tackle difficult problems and shoulder heavier responsibilities."

Hu Shutong listened quietly, nodded, and remained silent.

"And to be honest, my year-long internship at Bayer Group was a frustrating experience. Working in R&D at a company can sometimes make it hard to be focused. You have to consider costs, supply chain relationships, and sometimes you have to compromise on parts for bidding."

"That's true. There are indeed many constraints on scientific research in enterprises, unlike in the laboratory where you can just bury yourself in a goal and work hard."

"Do you have any suggestions?" Luan Pingxin asked Hu Shutong.

No, no.

Luan Pingxin smiled slightly. Hu Shutong's stuttering was simply a sign that he wasn't keeping his mouth shut. "No suggestions, no agreement. It would be strange if you had nothing to say."

"Agreed, agreed," Hu Shutong said dryly.

"Sigh, if only there were a compromise," Luan Pingxin said with a sigh.

"What? You're willing to listen to a compromise?"

"If you have any, just say so."

"I am familiar with the on-the-job postgraduate program. It was introduced more than ten years ago because the degrees awarded by our country's higher education institutions often emphasized academic knowledge over practical skills, focusing on scientific research ability and academic standards. This gradually led to more theory than practice, more basic achievements than practical achievements, which did not conform to the original intention of the Degree Regulations."

"and then?"

"To meet the demand for application-oriented high-level talents in various industries, after years of pilot programs, our country's on-the-job postgraduate system has been improved, which means that you can complete your postgraduate studies in conjunction with your work."

"Academic work, academic work, learning comes first, application comes second. What does it mean to have more basic research than practical results? Why does that sound so unfriendly?"

"Pingxin, don't misunderstand me. I'm just suggesting a compromise."

Perhaps she was too eager to express herself, and her words didn't suit Luan Pingxin's ears. Thinking about her "resume" over the years, once she provoked Luan Pingxin's temper, there was basically no right or wrong to speak of. She thought she was just saying some standard, framework-like things, but Luan Pingxin connected them to her doubts. Suddenly, the lake was no longer calm, and the leaves were no longer still.

"Bai Leng agreed."

"Your heart isn't in it, so what does it matter if you agree or not? What can we do but not release him? Just follow your heart."

Luan Pingxin was looking at the lake in the distance. As she looked, the corners of her mouth turned down. When she slowly looked at Hu Shi, she suddenly had a tense smile.

This demeanor made Hu Shutong feel uneasy. In the blink of an eye, Luan Pingxin took out a reply letter from her bag, which clearly confirmed Luan Pingxin's application for a part-time postgraduate degree.

"you……"

Luan Pingxin laughed out loud, "I knew you would say that, but I didn't expect you to have done your homework. You wrote long passages because you were afraid you wouldn't be able to persuade me."

"Didn't you tease me enough back in school?"

"How can there be enough of this?"

Hu Shutong laughed, "So you had this planned all along."

Luan Pingxin rested her chin on her hand. "Don't you want to say anything when you see the reply date?"

"The day before yesterday?"

"On the third day after you arrived, I submitted my application to Bayern, and I didn't expect to get a reply so quickly. Actually, I almost gave up on this idea. Focusing on academic research also meets my supervisor's expectations of me. Only a sharp drill can break through hard stone."

"But your visit this time made me realize that your experience is my biggest weakness, because burying ourselves in our professional field can make us lose our sense of urgency, and research results may seem distant, sometimes even leading to a vicious cycle. The Olympics are coming, and the WTO may be coming soon. Just like you said, the needs of our era are very urgent."

"The supplementary content to this graduation thesis, what you and I have talked about, seems both unbelievable and academically unrealistic. The tragic explosion during an oxygen test leak is unimaginable in academia; no one believes that such a fool could exist, yet it truly happens. You will definitely try to eliminate these things through industry regulations."

Hu Shutong stared at Luan Pingxin, momentarily stunned. The lake stirred, the leaves stirred, and his heart was unsettled. "You've said everything I've thought of but couldn't say."

"You just don't like to talk about it," Luan Pingxin said with a smile. "You haven't changed at all. Sometimes you look bitter and resentful, but that's just a matter of age."

"Deeply grieved and filled with hatred? That's not the right word!"

Luan Pingxin chuckled, "It seems you don't care about age at all."

"Okay, you win again."

"When I was in middle school, I repaired machines for my family and never used a universal wrench. If I was missing a certain size, I would ask my dad to go find it, and if he couldn't find it, he would go buy it. As for me, I've forgotten this habit over time."

Hu Shutong was on the night bus. The bus station was only three or four kilometers away. The two of them looked at the time and chatted as they walked toward the bus station.

On the way, Luan Pingxin bought Hu Shutong ham sausages, instant noodles, bottled water, and hawthorn rolls, filling a large bag. After seeing him off, Luan Pingxin made a phone call gesture, and Hu Shutong waved from the car window as they said goodbye.

……