Library Conversation

A month later.

Without realizing it, time had passed from late autumn into winter.

By late January, final exams for every subject had arrived one after another. The campus was filled with the feeling of vacation approaching, a jubilant atmosphere of finding joy amid hardship.

Meanwhile, in Shangdu, dark clouds formed by colliding cold and warm air masses blanketed the skies over the southern region of Central Continent. Snow had begun falling across the Yangtze River Basin, and the Meteorological Observatory issued a cold-wave warning.

At that moment, Chen Chen, sitting in the library, had just set down a copy of Lippincott's Illustrated Reviews: Biochemistry and let out a long breath.

This meant that his month-long, grueling study plan had finally come to an end.

Of course, this was only the first stage.

Over the past month, Chen Chen had not only mastered the key concepts of Cell Biology, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Genetics, and several other subjects, but had also delved deeply into stem cells and biochemistry, raising his knowledge to the master's level and coming up with several ideas.

For example: "If an experimental subject's medulla oblongata is severed to separate the head and neck, then treated with its own Neural Stem Cells, could the nervous system be reconnected while maintaining its physiological functions?"

Another example: "If radiotherapy and chemotherapy are used to destroy the senescent stem cells in an elderly experimental subject's bone marrow, then the Homing function is used to inject cultured autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cells and Mesenchymal Stem Cells to rebuild the Immune System, could some of the elderly subject's organs be rejuvenated?"

And another: "If part of an experimental subject's brain is removed, could Brain Nerves be rebuilt by using its own Neural Stem Cells to create a structural framework?"

Chen Chen felt that even the subfields within the branch of adult stem cells alone held enormous potential.

If he were given a laboratory right now and allowed to freely conduct a few experiments, then publish several SCI papers, he could easily make his debut in the biological academic world. That would be a killing blow.

But he couldn't publish them.

Chen Chen pondered silently. It was unrealistic for him to start a project right now. He was only a first-year student; not only would the university never grant him the authority to establish a research project, but even the professors' research groups would not want him.

Without conducting experiments himself, he could not write papers. And without papers, he could not make a name for himself in research.

Chen Chen could not help frowning. He did not have much time left.

But just then, Chen Chen suddenly noticed someone beside him poking his arm with a finger.

He remembered the person beside him. After spending enough time in the reading room, one started seeing familiar faces, and this girl beside him was also from the School of Life Sciences. He often saw her looking up related books.

But she was probably a fourth-year student, because he always saw her computer screen paused on her graduation project page.

"Hello, I saw you reading books on Biochemistry. Could I borrow a little of your time to ask a question...?"

The girl opened her large eyes, bit her lip, and asked somewhat nervously.

"Go ahead." Chen Chen closed the book in his hands and looked at her openly.

Faced with Chen Chen's gaze, the girl unconsciously looked away.

As early as one or two weeks ago, she had noticed Chen Chen's arrival. Although this man did not have especially handsome features, he had still drawn quite a bit of attention.

Not for any other reason, but because the man before her carried an indescribable air about him.

It was an aura of having everything under control. Every movement and expression of his appeared so frank and composed, brimming with confidence. Especially his eyes—they seemed to hold stars and oceans within them.

Handing over the exercise sheet in her hand, the girl carefully moved her chair beside Chen Chen's, keeping a safe distance between them as she waited obediently for his explanation.

A faint fragrance drifted from her body—the scent of expensive perfume. Chen Chen glanced at her instinctively before lowering his head to look at the question.

[There is a polypeptide whose primary structure may be linear or cyclic. Devise the simplest possible method to distinguish between the two, and provide a detailed procedure.]

"This question is very simple."

After giving it a brief thought, Chen Chen said, "Reflux it in 6 molar hydrochloric acid or 4 molar sulfuric acid for twenty hours to obtain L-amino acids without causing racemization. Analyze its amino acid composition, then choose a suitable proteolytic enzyme for hydrolysis based on that composition. If it doesn't work the first time, try a few more times..."

"Then use the original sample as a control for Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis to separate the proteins and oligonucleotides... You should know what comes next, right?"

The girl nodded repeatedly, a look of realization appearing on her face.

"You should take less Estazolam."

Chen Chen offered a reminder, pointing to his head. "That stuff affects your thinking."

"How did you know...?"

The girl froze at his words and asked in surprise.

"Even though you used glasses to cover your face, if one looks closely, there's still slight puffiness in your face."

Chen Chen explained quietly, "At the same time, your dark circles are quite severe, the bloodshot veins in your eyes have increased, and your skin is producing excessive oil. Those are all side effects of taking Estazolam. The book I was just reading had a case like this."

"O-Okay..."

The girl gave an awkward smile, looking as though she wanted to cry.

"Ahem!"

A cough came from the row in front of them, seemingly reminding them that they were speaking too loudly in the library.

"If possible, you should find a way to quit sleeping pills,"

Chen Chen continued. "Otherwise, you won't make it to the postgraduate entrance exam retest."

"You know I'm taking the postgraduate entrance exam?" The girl was even more surprised.

"The list of students recommended for postgraduate admission comes out at the start of the first semester of fourth year. If you had been recommended successfully, you wouldn't be taking Estazolam, and you wouldn't have asked me that question just now."

Chen Chen continued explaining, "Besides, a bachelor's degree in Life Sciences is not particularly useful. At the very least, a master's degree gives you some room to be useful. Anyone with even a little ambition would choose to continue studying, so postgraduate entrance exams are your only path."

The girl nearly cried. "I'm just too stupid. No matter how desperately I worked, I couldn't qualify for recommendation, and I basically bombed the written exam too..."

"Are you planning to apply to our university? I suggest asking classmates with good grades for advice. Don't waste your time on your graduation project. If you still can't get in that way... you can try again next year."

"Ahem!"

A heavy cough came from the back row.

"But what if I can never manage to write my graduation project?"

The woman pursed her lips and completely opened up. "And besides, I'm just trying to get a graduate degree to show my dad. If I don't pass on the first try, I probably won't have the patience to keep trying..."

"Is it only a matter of patience?"

Only then did Chen Chen properly study her. She was not unattractive, but she wore no makeup and had a pair of black-framed glasses, making her look rather unremarkable.

However, no one would think that after seeing the brands she wore.

Though she was dressed in dark casual clothes, a closer look revealed that they were all brands like Celine and Hermes. Even her laptop was an Alienware.

Even her silky, satin-like long hair was clearly not something ordinary shampoo could produce.

"There's still hope, actually."

Chen Chen pondered for a moment before speaking again. "Students who achieve outstanding academic research results during their undergraduate years, or earn exceptional results in major academic competitions, can apply for recommendation-based admission to graduate school through academic talent."

"Recommendation-based admission through academic talent?"

The woman murmured under her breath. Hope had just risen in her heart, but her expression quickly fell again. "But even if I join a supervisor's project team, and the team produces outstanding research results, I still won't get first authorship..."

Chen Chen shook his head and smiled lightly. "If you have sufficient funds, you can rent a laboratory off campus. I happen to have several experiments in mind. If they succeed, I can give you first authorship."

"You?"

The woman immediately became wary and instinctively shifted back. "If you want to do experiments, why don't you go to a supervisor?"

"I haven't been assigned a supervisor yet."

The woman's eyes widened at once. She pointed at the large stack of English materials in front of Chen Chen. "You're a freshman?"

"Ahem!"

Coughing immediately came from both sides.

"Class 2, Grade 20, School of Life Sciences. My name is Chen Chen."

Chen Chen took out his campus card and waved it. "Forget about the university labs. The experiments I want to conduct will take at least months. I'm not a professor, so the university can't possibly let me occupy one for that long."

"But you're only a freshman..."

The woman was tempted, yet hesitant. "Are you one of Zhiyuan College's top students?"

"No." Chen Chen shook his head.

"Then why should I believe you can help me?"

"I'm only making you a suggestion. If you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do."

Chen Chen said indifferently, then turned his attention back to the book in his hands.

"..."