I Have A Super USB Drive

by <unknown>

  "That's up to you."

  Chen Chen changed the subject. "In most cases, the personalities of kids from single-parent families would have one flaw or another. You're no exception. Now, you're still young and you don't understand what a father's love is like. Perhaps from your perspective, your father is occupied with work all day and has little time to care for you, leading to a distant relationship between you two. In truth, deep down, there's no way you don't understand how much your father loves you."

  The girl was instantly silent.

  "Putting aside the age and gender gap, your relationship with him is in this state today mostly because of you. When you were little, you resented him for not spending time with you. Now, you resent him for not letting you continue your studies. To be honest, this is a display of immaturity."

  "So, you're saying I should give up on advancing my studies?" the girl questioned, somewhat dejected.

  "No, you should continue your studies."

  "Huh?" She stared at Chen Chen in surprise. Before this, she had almost been convinced by what he said.

  "A father's love is reserved. He won't tell you how much he loves and cares for you, but this doesn't mean that the love isn't there."

  Chen Chen explained, "It's simple enough to bridge this gap between you two. Over one meal, in one honest conversation, it can be resolved. But this doesn't mean that you should obey him by taking over the company.

  "After all, one's learning lasts a lifetime. Although you're not concerned about money, this endeavor represents your determination. If you want to repay your father, do so with the best version of you. Although a father's love is a great thing, you still have your own convictions."

  Having said this, Chen Chen exhaled and smiled at her. "That's what I think, anyway. Let go of your grudge and make things up with your father. Would that go against your determination to continue your studies? No, it wouldn't."

  "You're right!"

  The girl's eyes shone with a resolute glint and there was a trace of gratitude in her glance toward Chen Chen. "I must have my persistence and convictions!"

  'Ah, if you don't have any convictions, how can I carry out my experiments? When your relationship with your father is mended, I could get more funding…"

  Chen Chen smiled and looked at her with a steady gaze. There was no sign that his mind was on other things. "So, what do you think?"

  "Okay, I'm willing to try it!"

  The girl nodded vigorously until her tiny face was flushed. She reached out to Chen Chen with one hand. "You don't know my name yet, right? I'm Xia Yin from Grade 17, Biotechnology Class."

  'Summer dusk? Summer sounds? Oh, it's Xia Yin.'

  There was something special about this name.

  "Spring waters are like sapphire; summer grass is like a bed; autumn leaves are like butterflies; winter snows are like blossoms. What a beautiful name."

  Chen Chen shook her slender hand.

  "Wow, you remember that piece of prose?"

  The girl looked up in delight. "I'd thought you'd be like the rest…"

  "In what way?"

  "No, nothing."

  Xia Yin smiled awkwardly, then hastened to change the subject. "Oh, right, when do you plan on starting your experiments? How do I help you?"

  "It'll be winter break in a few days. I'll apply to stay on campus but if the lab includes an employee lounge, that'll be ideal."

  Chen Chen listed out the conditions. "That's number one. Number two, the lab must meet GMP standards, because some of the experiments I do will be related to stem cells. Therefore, the lab must have an ultra-clean workstation as well as micromanipulators, high-speed centrifuges, blood cell separators, biosafety cabinets, low-temperature refrigerators, and other equipment."

  "But I haven't rented a lab before…"

  Xia Yin looked troubled. "Other than the labs on campus, where else can I find one, and how do I rent it?"

  She was a pampered young lady who had everything done for her. She did not even know how to do this…

  "In that case, I'll do the renting."

  Chen Chen spoke carelessly, "Still, you'd better prepared a significant amount of money. After all, renting a lab like that won't come cheap."

  "So… How much money, roughly speaking?"

  Xia Yin wore a solemn expression, demonstrating her readiness.

  "A GMP-level laboratory would include at least five or six rooms of various functions, over three hundred square meters or so. According to the current market, renting one square meter would cost about RMB 5, so a lab like that would cost at least forty to fifty thousand a month."

  "Phew, that's not a lot."

  When she heard this, Xia Yin sighed in relief.

  "That's just the rental, not including the funds for the experiments."

  Chen Chen shook his head. "I can carry out three experiments at once. If all goes well, they'll be completed in three months. The funds plus the rental might come up to around three hundred thousand."

  "That much?"

  Xia Yin gasped sharply and Chen Chen's heart clenched tightly.

  Just when Chen Chen thought she was going to change her mind, Xia Yin suddenly exhaled with a righteous, generous expression. "Looks like I can't hold on to this year's New Year's money…"

  "..."

  [ol][li data-annotation-id="72ab06f3-d441-cf53-cdd9-02a5a15ffcef"]In Chinese, Xia Yin sounds identical to the words for 'summer dusk' and 'summer sounds'.[li data-annotation-id="46677821-61f1-a99e-71dc-c21aa1cbf528"]"Xia" means summer, "Yin" means bed. Hence why Chen Chen is quoting this line.[li data-annotation-id="00e7647c-5241-7e39-94a7-51c548f9ef43"]Good manufacturing practices. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_manufacturing_practice[/ol]

  Chapter 16: GMP Laboratory |

  "The fifth floor here is the bio lab."

  After two hours, Chen Chen and Xia Yin followed a man into a building called Mongan Pharmaceutical Company.

  The man looked around forty. He was dressed in a tailored suit and leather shoes, and had a rather charming appearance. Only, the Mediterranean Sea shaped bald patch on his forehead had completely shattered his charisma.

  "The laboratory is on the fifth floor of the building. It was originally the laboratory of our company's internal department but the research was suspended recently. Our chairman was worried the equipment will have problems if left idle for too long, hence the decision to rent it out."

  Mr. Mediterranean continued explaining while leading the two out of the elevator, "After coming out from the elevator, the basic lab will be on your left side and the machine room on your right. This area is the dirty area, you can enter after changing into slippers."

  Chen Chen put on the disposable slippers and entered the basic lab. He saw four worktables in the lab with common lab tools laid on them.

  "Can you see the safety door at the back? That's the entrance to the GMP Laboratory."

  Mr. Mediterranean pointed at the blue alloy door in front. "Would you two like to head inside to take a look? I have the keys with me but the procedure can be a bit tedious though."

  "Sure, of course." Chen Chen nodded. "This is what we came here for."

  "Very well, come with me."

  Mr. Mediterranean retrieved an IC card and swiped open the large alloy door. What was revealed behind the door was a narrow corridor. There was a door right in front and another door on the left side.

  "The buffer corridor is on the left. There are transferring windows inside that are connected to every lab. Remember to use the transferring window when bringing things into the lab."

  Mr. Mediterranean pushed open the door in front as he spoke, "And this is the changing room, each level is separated by a negative pressure device. Males take the left door and females take the front door into the second section. We'll wait for you in the third section."

  The final statement was directed at Xia Yin.

  Xia Yin nodded. Chen Chen and Mr. Mediterranean first washed their hands in the sink and then put on a n
ew set of disposable slippers.

  After they got rid of the dust on their body, the two of them walked into the second section.

  "We have different regulations from regular GMP labs here. You'll have to put on a protective isolation suit. That way, you won't need to change your clothes. Pretty convenient right?"

  "Protective? Positive pressure protection suit?"

  Chen Chen raised an eyebrow.

  "Heh, you know a lot. That's a top student of Jiao Tong University for you."

  Mr. Mediterranean flicked his thumb and took off his jacket and pants. He then put on a large white coat which was already prepared in the room. After that, he sanitized his hands with alcohol disinfectant before putting on disposable gloves.

  Chen Chen followed suit. After that, the two of them entered the third shift room.

  There were several protective suits laid out in the third shift room. They were the complete self-containing type protective suit.

  Chen Chen lifted one of them to take a look before asking, "These protective suits are usually used for hazardous microorganisms, is that right?"

  "Uh, I think so. I don't have details about what exactly the company is working on. I just handle the business side of things."

  Mr. Mediterranean chuckled. "But you won't have to worry, they have been sanitized thoroughly. There's nothing inside them."

  Chen Chen nodded and did not pursue further.

  After the two of them put on their protective suits, Xia Yin, clad in a large white coat, walked out from the door on the side. The changing rooms were separated into different genders to avoid awkward situations.

  After the three of them put on their protective suits, Mr. Mediterranean opened the final door leading to the laboratory.

  "After passing through this door, we'll officially enter the cleanroom area."

  Mr. Mediterranean explained with familiarity, his voice was filtered through the protective suit and became slightly distorted. "These walls are made of colored steel laminboard. There's a set of air purifying systems in the lab. It has strict controls over the humidity, temperature, and gas content in the air. The room temperature is set at approximately twenty degrees Celsius, ensuring the air is fresh and uncontaminated."

  The two of them looked down the corridor. There was an incandescent lamp overhead every five meters, the light emitted was bright but not blinding. The walls were entirely wrapped in alloy, reminiscent of futuristic sci-fi.

  The floor in the laboratory was painted light blue. It was very straightforward and not a speck of dust could be seen. It served to lighten the heavy mood in the laboratory.

  "The first room up the corridor is the quality control room. The cleanness level is class ten thousand. It's well equipped with quality control instruments for use."

  Mr. Mediterranean continued. "The second, third, and forth room leading up the hallway are cell culture rooms. Each room is separated into a class one thousand buffer area and a class one hundred operating room located further inside.

  "Moving on, there are the preparation room, decontamination room, and storage in the back. You won't have to worry about the instruments, you should've everything you need."

  Chen Chen nodded before entering the first cell culture room. As promised, he saw the fully complete setup.

  "These should be the flow cytometer and PCR machine. There are also the centrifuge and separator over there." Xia Yin walked ahead and identified the machines based on what she knew.

  Chen Chen walked to a PCR machine and opened it to inspect it.

  Even though Chen Chen had never conducted GMP grade experiments, he had already figured out how to use these devices from reading the manual. He was just not very familiar with them yet.

  Chen Chen continued inspecting several devices. After around fifteen minutes, Chen Chen nodded to himself before gesturing toward Mr. Mediterranean. "Give us a better discount."

  "It's already very cheap. I have already lowered the price to five renminbi per square meter, seeing that you two are students. I really cannot go any lower than that." Mr. Mediterranean waved his hands helplessly.

  "Alright." Chen Chen nodded toward Xia Yin. As far as GMP laboratories go, this was a fair price.

  "Alright, after you two have finished surveying, we can head out to sign the agreement." Mr. Mediterranean suddenly became refreshed.

  "We're already done, let's go."

  Chen Chen took the lead and headed outside. After going through the three steps procedure, the three of them walked out of the laboratory and began to look at the prepared agreement.

  The agreement Mr. Mediterranean had prepared was seven to eight pages long and contained hundreds of clauses. This was a department that Xia Yin was not familiar with. Chen Chen took a look at them. Even though he was not very informed on these matters, he managed to ask all the right questions. Even Mr. Mediterranean had a difficult time dealing with him.

  Finally, the agreement was finalized after dozens of amendments were made.

  The general detail of the agreement was that Xia Yin would rent the GMP laboratory located on the fifth floor of the building at the price of five renminbi per square meter per month. The rental period would last three months. However, the rental would not begin from the current date but on the day that winter break started in school.

  The entire building was three hundred and fifty square meters, rounded down, the monthly rental was fifty thousand.

  After signing the agreement, both parties were delighted. Mr. Mediterranean then happily escorted the two out of the building.

  By the time the two of them left the laboratory and returned to school, it was already evening.

  "Now that we have rented the laboratory, the rest is up to you, junior."

  Xia Yin was jumping up and down excitedly along the way here. A lot of her stress was lifted off her shoulders, knowing that there was hope for her postgraduate.

  "I can't do it by myself. I'll need two assistants." Chen Chen asked, "Do you have any suitable candidates?"

  "No…" Xia Yin shook her head blankly.

  "How about your roommates?"

  "I don't have a roommate. I live by myself," Xia Yin answered in a hushed tone.

  Chen Chen's eyes bore into Xia Yin.

  Xia Yin felt like she was going to be sucked in by his deep gaze, a tinge of panic suddenly rose in her heart.

  After a while, Chen Chen turned around. "Then I'll ask my roommate."

  "Will there be any more expenses?" Xia Yin's expression instantly turned sour. "Pretty much all of the money I saved up went toward the rent. There's really not much left."

  "No need for money." Chen Chen shook his head. "Just providing food, accommodation, and second authorship will do."

  "Oh, right…"

  Xia Yin heaved a sigh of relief. The two of them then exchanged phone numbers and WeChat. They agreed to discuss the experiment procedures tomorrow before going on their own way.

  [ol][li data-annotation-id="025f0cee-1109-c3cb-978e-76453608ff95"]The common area in laboratories is referred to as 'Dirty Area' as the process of thorough sanitization is not required before entering[/ol]

  Chapter 17: I Heard You Don't Want to Put in Effort Anymore? |

  Approaching the end of the semester, most of the classes had been suspended. Most students were just waiting for the break after the examinations. As a result, the atmosphere in the dormitory building was more vibrant than usual.

  Pushing open the door to 404, only Li Bo and Zhou Jie were in the dorm. The two of them were lying down on Chen Chen and Wang Wei's bed respectively. They were tapping away on their phones, indescribable sounds kept coming out of their phones.

  "A sword's poor company for a long road."

  "Face Yasuo!"

  Chen Chen glanced at Li Bo's phone screen. "What rank is Lil Bo?"

  "Gold, why?" Li Bo did not even bother raising his head. Suddenly, he screeched. "F**k, Nostril what did you take my red for? You're just a spellcaster. What do you even
need red buff for?"

  Zhou Jie retorted immediately, "I'm low and have no TP, can't you just take the red to heal?"

  'You make a good point, I have nothing to say…'

  Chen Chen was speechless. Mobile LOL had been released for nearly half a year and these two still could not figure out that the red buff did not give health regeneration.

  It was certainly true that blue buff could help recover mana but red buff did not recover health…

  "Teamfight, teamfight!"

  Zhou Jie followed up. "Lil Bo, quickly come to teamfight."

  "You still want to teamfight?"

  Li Bo called out, "Master Yi is pushing high ground. I'll go defend. You guys teamfight, go win a fight!"

  Midway through his sentence, the chilling voice of Yasuo came from his phone, "Wuju? Hmmph, never heard of it!"

  What came after was a mixture of chaotic battle sound effects.

  "Ah---!"

  Finally, a horrified shriek signaled the end.

  At the same time, a round of shrieking also came from Zhou Jie's phone as well as the announcement of "DEFEAT".

  Li Bo: "…"

  Zhou Jie: "…"

  In an instant, the entire dorm seemed to have fallen into a dead silence.

  "Ahem, where's Brother Wei?"

  Chen Chen broke the awkwardness in the air with his question.

  "Where else could he be other than the basketball court?"

  After losing the game, Li Bo became extremely dejected. "I'm done, I'm done. I can't carry a moron like Nostril!"

  "Your dumba** is the moron!"

  Zhou Jie stood his ground. "I said I'm done, that means I'm done. I'll play a round with Lil Chen!'

  "No, I'm good."

  Chen Chen quickly gestured his hands. "I'm just here to ask something. Any of you planning to stay in school during winter break?"

  "Stay in school?" Both instinctively looked up. Li Bo's eyes immediately turned wide as he exclaimed, "That's crazy, at least wait till junior year to prepare for the postgraduate entrance examination. What's with the rush?"

  "I'm preparing to conduct an experiment and a thesis on the findings."