A Distinctive Style

Laboratory 401.

Shen Qi showed some samples to Old Yan: "This is what I synthesized. Theoretically, it's a drug for treating immune diseases. Analysis shows that its components are the same as Le Luo Xian Fen, but its safety, toxicology, and metabolic properties need further verification through animal experiments."

"Can I see your route?" Old Yan asked.

"Here." Shen Qi unfolded a piece of paper, on which was drawn a route map of Le Luo Xian Fen.

Designing efficient synthetic routes for complex organic molecules is one of the most challenging problems in Organic Chemistry. Route design is the first and most important step in synthetic work.

In English literature, descriptions involving Organic Synthesis Route Design often use terms such as "strategy" and "art," indicating that Organic Synthesis Route Design has risen to the level of strategy and art.

Shen Qi's version of the Le Luo Xian Fen strategic route begins with the reaction of benzoate esters with amines and ends with the sterically hindered Le Luo Xian Fen obtained through a metal-catalyzed coupling method, with an overall yield of 43% and a total of 30 steps.

Old Yan was intently studying Shen Qi's route design when he exclaimed in admiration, "A 43% overall success rate with only 30 steps—that's incredible!"

Shen Qi with some regret, "Indeed, there are too many routes. If we could keep it under 20 steps, the overall yield would be even more impressive. But there's nothing I can do. This is a knock-off of Le Luo Xian Fen, and it's impossible for my strategic route to be exactly the same as the original Eli Lilly and Company. I believe their route design is definitely simpler and their overall yield is higher."

The design of strategic routes for organic synthesis differs from mathematical and physical calculations. Mathematics and physics have fixed formulas and theorems, while organic synthesis offers greater flexibility.

Any synthetic route that can synthesize the desired compound is reasonable.

However, there are significant differences between reasonable synthetic routes. Some synthetic routes have high yields at each step, but the overall yield is less than 1% because there are too many steps.

"Boss Shen, what do you need me to do?" Old Yan habitually reached into his pocket, where his cigarettes were kept.

Shen Qi reminded him, "Hey, are you having a craving for a cigarette again? It hasn't even been 30 minutes. Can you control yourself? You're a chemist, don't you know it's dangerous to smoke in the lab?"

"When I get into an academic mindset, I feel like smoking." The Old Yan still had professional ethics; he just touched the cigarette pack but didn't take it out.

"Have you heard of Condo Caren?" Shen Qi took out a bottle of medicine.

Old Yan took the medicine bottle, opened the cap to look at the medicine inside, and read the instructions, "Condo Caren, a Swiss medicine for treating anemia. This medicine is quite expensive, isn't it?"

Shen Qi assigned the task. "This imported drug costs twelve thousand yuan a bottle, Old Yan, synthesize it."

Old Yan exclaimed in surprise, "Boss, are you kidding me?"

Shen Qi said seriously, "Do I look like I'm joking?"

"Are you opening a fake pharmaceutical factory?" Old Yan wondered if he had been ripped off by a shady business.

Shen Qi explained, "First, we are only performing reverse analysis followed by forward synthesis; it's experimental in nature, and we don't operate a pharmaceutical factory or engage in sales. Second, what we synthesize is not counterfeit drugs; at most, it's a generic drug, and it won't enter the market; it's solely for research purposes."

"After reverse engineering, we proceeded to forward synthesis. The target drug is extremely complex, which is almost pushing the limits of my academic abilities." Old Yan rubbed his hands together solemnly and said, "But for the sake of establishing the central smoking area, I accept this challenge."

"Okay, if you encounter any problems during the synthesis process, you can communicate with me." After assigning Old Yan's task, Shen Qi went to the animal laboratory next door.

Before Old Yan came to the center, Shen Qi had already studied his past academic achievements, personal experience and other detailed information.

Old Yan studied at the Chemistry Department for both his undergraduate and graduate degrees, and spent a year as an exchange student at Stanford University.

Although he didn't pursue a PhD, Old Yan's laboratory experience was sufficient.

To Shen Qi's surprise, Old Yan graduated with a master's degree at the age of 24 and is now 28 years old. In the past four years, he has published as many as 15 chemistry papers, but does not own a single chemistry patent.

Many of Old Yan's papers are wildly imaginative, with grand aspirations but few practical applications.

Shen Qi didn't think that Old Yan was all talk and no action. Old Yan was a thoughtful, imaginative, and somewhat mischievous person. His personality could be seen from the hand-protecting friction-type cigarette lighter material that Old Yan made himself.

Once you reach a certain level in organic synthesis, a doctorate becomes irrelevant; this experimental discipline relies on imagination, observation, and logical reasoning. Shen Qi believed that Old Yan possessed these qualities, which is why he hired him.

"But Old Yan's smoking habit is really too heavy," Shen Qi complained. Old Yan's file said "healthy, no bad habits," but two packs of cigarettes a day? Healthy?

Old Tu, the animal lab manager, said, "Many male researchers smoke. I've been at Yenching University for twenty years, and most of the science and engineering guys I've met aren't good at socializing, nor do they have time for it, because scientific research is very time-consuming. But people always need to relax. Drinking can lead to mistakes and upsets, and a heavy drinking session also takes up a lot of time, so many people smoke. They can smoke for a few minutes, then continue their scientific research, which is fine."

"I understand that, but I still advocate for a healthy lifestyle and cultivating other interests and hobbies among researchers." Most of the researchers Shen Qi has come into contact with are in this situation; their social circles are small, and their social relationships, apart from their parents and relatives, are basically limited to colleagues and peers in their own field.

Researchers who dedicate themselves to scholarship and projects don't really have much time for parties, shopping, or socializing. Their lives are relatively monotonous: home-laboratory-home.

"Come on, Old Tu." Shen Qi chatted with Old Tu for a few minutes before getting to the point.

The subject was injecting two female monkeys, Xiao Hong and Xiao Mei, with Le Luo Xian Fen.

After anesthetizing the animals, they were injected with experimental drugs—this was standard procedure, and Shen Qi and Old Tu worked together to get it done quickly.

Next, Shen Qi will need to conduct toxicology, pharmacokinetics, and drug metabolism tests on Xiao Hong and Xiao Mei regularly. This process will last for several months, during which time several additional female mouse subjects will be added to obtain more sufficient experimental data.

At five o'clock, Shen Qi drove to the School of Mathematical Sciences to pick up Ou Ye and went home.

Ou Ye suddenly said, "Show me the 1017 baby names you've come up with."

Shen Qi: "In the glove box."

Ou Ye opened the glove box with great interest, found a notebook, took it out and flipped through it.

An ultrasound can determine the sex of the fetus when the woman is three to four months pregnant.

The state does not allow fetal sex determination for non-medical purposes, but Shen Qi wife certainly have ways to find out the sex of the fetus in advance, if they want to.

However, Shen Qi and Ou Ye decided to keep the suspense until the delivery in August, and they did not know the baby's gender in advance.

Looking at the baby name list compiled by Shen Qi, Ou Ye was speechless.

The notebook says:

Boy, Shen Differential, Shen Integral Calculus equations, Shen Number Theory, Shen Mathematical Analysis, Shen Complex Analysis, Shen Calculus of Variations...

Girl, Shen Quantum, Shen Atom, Shen Proton, Shen Neutron, Shen Ion, Shen Soliton...

Ou Ye completely understood the baby naming rules compiled by Shen Qi; it was just copying from math and physics books, no wonder she could copy out 1017 professional terms.

Although she understood, Ou Ye could not accept it.

"Shen Qi, can't you be serious for once?!" Ou Ye roared, his emotions running high, using three exclamation marks in succession.

"Honey, I'm serious!!!" Shen Qi used four exclamation marks. He wasn't joking; this was his true feeling.

"Shen Qi, you son of a bitch!" Ou Ye angrily slammed her fist on the dashboard, berating Shen Qi: "He's a scumbag father, Scientist Shen, and you're a scumbag son!"

Shen Qi was still aggrieved. "How did I harm the baby? Was the name I chose for the baby unpleasant, too tacky, or just too low-class?"

"My colleague in the office next to mine had a boy named Liu Haoxuan. The baby girl downstairs from us is named Zhang Zixuan." Ou Ye cited real-life examples, saying, "Honey, can we name our baby something more mainstream? Haoxuan and Zixuan sound quite nice."

Shen Qi had his theoretical basis. "Wife, you must trust my professional expertise and forward-thinking vision. I've done mathematical statistics, and the names you mentioned, Haoxuan and Zixuan, are the most frequently used names for newborns right now. Haoxuan ranks first for boys, and Zixuan ranks first for girls. Haoxuan and Zixuan sound nice now, but in a few years, the streets will be full of 'Grandpa Haoxuan' and 'Grandma Zixuan,' which won't be unique at all."

Thinking about it, it makes sense. Haoxuan and Zixuan appear too frequently. In a few years, Haoxuan might be 01-08 and Zixuan 01-18 in kindergarten, and parents might easily get them mixed up. Ou Ye is still insisting, but she's starting to soften. "Then why don't you use mathematical or physics terms for your names? Would that be more unique?"

"It is indeed unique, but... it's super unconventional, okay!" Ou Ye was speechless. If her child were named Shen Number Theory or Shen Integral Calculus, it would be understandable if he grew up to be a top student, but if he turned out to be a poor student, it would be extremely embarrassing.

Shen Qi asked, "Wife, if you absolutely had to choose a name from my list, what would you pick? Of course, as the child's mother, you have the right to reject all my suggestions. Shen Haoxuan and Shen Zixuan sound good too. If you insist on the mainstream and popular name Haoxuan and Zixuan, I will respect your choice."