The Lab Dogs' Stories
Students know one thing when they pursue graduate studies: the influence and ranking of their supervisor in the industry are, to some extent, related to their future prospects.
Having a great mentor benefits students far beyond their graduate studies. Maintaining the mentor-student relationship can be helpful in the long run.
Shen Qi's influence and ranking are at a high level in the industry. The outstanding talents who come to Shen Qi Research Center are more or less motivated by some purpose, such as fame and fortune, scientific research ideals, life values, or the desire to let themselves go.
The research projects that Shen Qi approved were generally approved and funded by the relevant authorities.
Most of the talents recommended by Shen Qi have received promotions or related awards.
The papers produced by Shen Qi Research Center are generally published in well-known journals.
Staying at Shen Qi Research Center certainly has many advantages; the tasks for these outstanding talents are very simple: pure scientific research.
If you do the research you're supposed to do, everything else will naturally follow.
Some people say that with so many research institutions in China and the world, isn't it standard practice to achieve fame and fortune, realize one's ideals and values, marry a beautiful and wealthy woman, and reach the pinnacle of life by doing good research?
That's not necessarily true.
Every family has its own problems.
Therefore, the Shen Qi Research Center is hailed as a sacred place for scientific research in China. Whether researchers here can reach the pinnacle of their careers depends mainly on their academic achievements and actual contributions.
Faced with Shen Qi's questioning, Xiao Ming said, "I also went through the process step by step from undergraduate to master's and then to doctoral studies. After I turned twenty, I spent most of my time in the laboratory, doing all kinds of dirty and tiring work."
"Actually, we all know that there is only one true boss in a laboratory, and everyone else is just a lab dog serving the boss. Without a doubt, the true boss of our laboratory, and even the entire center building, is Director Shen. Anyway, we all serve Director Shen, so there is no question of us being anyone's assistant. We are all Director Shen's assistants."
"After careful consideration, I genuinely want to work on the platelet activation project. Although it's a very basic project, even the most basic work needs to be done, right? The receptor blocker project, even with an optimistic estimate, will take at least several more months to produce results. Give me a few months, and I can produce results on the platelet activation project. Then I can collaborate with the receptor blocker project team, which will be very beneficial to the overall progress of LPJK1. Therefore, Director Shen, please approve my request."
Seeing Xiao Ming's eagerness to escape the receptor blocker research group, Shen Qi's previous guess was confirmed to some extent. "Xiao Ming, tell me the truth, do you have any issues with Lao Tang and He Lin?"
Old Tang's full name is Tang Xin'an. He is a returnee from Cambridge University and one of the earliest senior members of the Central Chemistry Room. He was appointed by Shen Qi as the deputy director of the Central Chemistry Room.
He Lin is also a returnee from the UK; her tutor at Cambridge University was Tang Xin'an.
At the outset of the LPJK1 project, Shen Qi entrusted Tang Xin'an with full responsibility for overseeing the project.
Based on Shen Qi's strategic plan and his own understanding of organic synthesis design and chemical drugs, Tang Xin'an broke down LPJK1 into several smaller projects. Among them, the highly important receptor blocker project group was led by He Lin.
Xiao Ming had worked with He Lin in the receptor blocker research group for a year, and his current attitude indicated that he did not want to continue working in the same research group with this woman.
The central Chemistry Room is the most internationalized in the entire center. These overseas-trained chemistry PhDs from prestigious universities around the world gather together for internal meetings, much like a chemical drug symposium at an international academic conference.
What exactly happened between Xiao Ming, who returned from UC Berkeley, and Tang Xin'an and He Lin, who returned from Cambridge University?
Although the Shen Qi Research Center is an academic mecca, competition and even conflicts inevitably arise between individuals within it.
Shen Qi is also considered a returnee from overseas. He graduated with a PhD in the Princeton Mathematics Department and now manages a group of chemistry PhDs.
"There are absolutely no personal grudges between me and Professor Tang, Dr. He, or any of my colleagues at the center," Xiao Ming said. "It's just that I have some different opinions on professional matters. Professor Tang and Dr. He also have their own professional understanding, so I'll stick with platelet activation."
After several questions and answers, Shen Qi received the real answer.
Chemistry is an experimental science, and an extremely large one at that.
The LPJK1 project involves many branches, including organic synthesis, drug principles, and computational chemistry.
Even within the single field of organic synthesis design, there are many different schools of thought in the international academic community.
If mathematics can achieve Grand Unification, then theoretically, it is also possible to achieve a unified system for the four fundamental forces in physics.
However, Shen Qi believes that even if he reaches level 18, it will be difficult to achieve Grand Unification of chemistry.
The unique nature of chemistry as a discipline dictates that it will inevitably lead to a flourishing of diverse perspectives.
Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together.
This should be Xiao Ming's true inner desire.
Shen Qi pondered for a moment and said, "Considering the overall progress of LPJK1, what you're doing is indeed beneficial to the efficiency of the entire project, but for you personally, it may not be good or bad."
Xiao Ming took it in stride. "Since there's LPJK1, maybe there will be LPJK2 in the future. This time I'm working on a more basic and conventional topic, next time I might be doing a more cutting-edge and challenging one. That's normal, nothing to be ashamed of."
"You're quite conscientious," Shen Qi nodded. "Alright then, I appoint you as the leader of the LPJK1 platelet activation research group. From now on, Xiao Ming, you'll be responsible for advancing the platelet activation research. I'll talk to Lao Tang first. After I do, you can formally hand over your work to Lao Tang and He Lin."
"Okay, thank you, Director Shen!" Xiao Ming's request was fulfilled, and he happily bid farewell to Shen Qi and returned to his own office.
For Shen Qi, whether it's Dr. Xiao, Dr. He, or other doctors working on platelet activation, receptor blockers, or other research topics, it won't affect the overall progress of the "Wife's Health" project.
Because the overall framework of the "Wife's Health" project had already been set, the only person who could change the framework was the boss, namely Shen Qi.
The essence of overseas-returned PhDs is that they are highly paid lab dogs. Lab dogs can only mess around in a limited scope and cannot shake the core design of the overall project.
Shen Qi couldn't help but frown. In such a sacred place as Shen Qi Research Center, as the center continued to grow and expand, some small arrogance and prejudice emerged among the experimental dogs.