The Boss's Demeanor

Zhang had a medicated patch on his face, and the bruising near his nose was already starting to fade.

"Mr. Oaks, I didn't know you were also an expert in pharmacology!"

Looking with pure reverence at Oaks, who was organizing his medical kit, Zhang wasn't some bookworm who knew nothing outside of his studies; he recognized common medications when he saw them.

"A miracle drug like this would absolutely cause a sensation in the medical world!"

"Well, it's biological research. In truth, my research into botany is just a little more in-depth than my work in zoology."

Oaks finished packing the kit and turned to glance at the patch on Zhang's face.

"You can peel this off tomorrow morning. If you don't want to end up in a headline like 'Government-sponsored exchange student gets face clawed up after failed attempt to pick up girls off-campus to prove he isn't gay,' I suggest you wait until tomorrow to go back to school for your luggage."

"..."

Zhang clutched his chest tightly.

"Mr. Oaks, are Americans really this fond of exaggeration?"

"There will probably be three or five different versions of the story. Even at a university, harassing Asian students is one of their favorite pastimes."

"Ah, I have two feet, and neither of them wants to go to school."

"..."

"Ah, sorry, Mr. Oaks. Although my major is environmental science, Mr. Zhou is my faith."

"Heh, are you sure that isn't blasphemy?"

With a sharp, sarcastic retort, Oaks walked over to a cabinet, opened it, and took out several small vials filled with a beautiful, emerald-green liquid.

"This is the same rapid-healing agent you just used. It's my exclusive research, though no one else has tried it yet... You're the first."

Seeing Zhang's complexion turn a shade of green, Oaks chuckled.

"I'm kidding. I was the first test subject. It's pure plant extract—green, eco-friendly, and healthy. It's perfectly fine."

Zhang's face returned to normal, and he curiously took the small vial Oaks handed him.

"Pure plant extract? Is this traditional Chinese medicine? You understand TCM as well?"

"It shares some common ground with TCM, but it's still different. If you want to make it sound more mysterious... let's call it alchemy."

Oaks shrugged and sat down across from Zhang. Goose trotted over, curled up in his lap, and began to purr.

"You should know that the alchemy of ancient legends, whether Eastern or Western, is essentially chemistry under our current scientific framework. So, this counts as an experiment in the field of biochemistry."

"You really are a genius!"

Zhang was genuinely impressed, then suddenly realized something.

"Are you planning to make this product public?"

"Small-scale testing. I just posted on a small forum yesterday to test the waters, so people will probably come by to buy some in the next few days. I'll show you the ropes around the shop over the next few days. I plan to head out on the first of next month for about a week; you can help me watch the shop when you don't have classes—three or five hours a day is plenty."

Zhang nodded in understanding. He wasn't surprised that Oaks would trust a foreign student he'd only just met today with his shop.

Never mind the big orange cat; the restorative agent itself was enough to make him die of curiosity!

Besides, his major and Dr. Lin's biological research had a great deal of overlap—could there be a more wonderful off-campus job than this?

This was essentially like having a master-level mentor outside of school!

Of course, all of this was predicated on him performing well enough to satisfy the man.

As it stood, the start was looking pretty good.

"No problem, Mr. Oaks, you can count on me!"

Zhang immediately patted his chest in assurance.

"I'll treat the customers properly, and I'm quite good at math—I won't mess up the accounts!"

"..."

Oaks found himself speechless, though it was clear the young man was gradually opening up—which was a good thing.

If he could maintain this mindset, he would gain much more.

Oaks couldn't work alone forever, and this young man, met by pure coincidence, might be worth cultivating.

The plan just needed a slight adjustment.

"Since you're in the environmental science department, you should know that issues like atmospheric, soil, and water pollution, desertification, and soil erosion are no longer just threats to human survival."

Oaks lined up the remaining vials on the table and looked at Zhang, who was listening intently.

"They have become a disaster... natural disasters triggered by human activity, the backlash of Mother Nature."

Zhang nodded with a solemn expression.

"Yes, Mr. Oaks... that is exactly why I chose to study environmental science. The environmental situation in our country is currently very severe. In the years spent preparing for this year's Olympic Games, the nation has come to a deep realization of this problem. The Olympics were a success, and following this, a surging wave of environmental protection will sweep across the entire country."

"However, the massive gap in environmental knowledge and talent reserves is a problem we must face squarely."

"Indeed. New York has also been pushing the PlaNYC2007 initiative to improve the city's green environment, and the world is rapidly awakening to environmental awareness—"

"I have already joined the '1KP' (One Thousand Plant Transcriptomes Initiative) starting this November."

"Come to think of it, although the initiator of this project is a Canadian scientist, the gene sequencing is done by BGI in Shenzhen, China, and the data is also stored in the China National GeneBank's life big data platform."

"Next month, I'll be heading to the South American rainforest for preliminary fieldwork."

Zhang had clearly heard of this project; it was a world-class, monumental scientific endeavor that benefited multiple disciplines.

His gaze toward Oaks grew even more reverent:

"You actually chose to do sample collection?"

"Science stems from practice, so I will likely be heading out at irregular intervals later on. As the project progresses, I will also be conducting my own research."

"From my professional perspective, plant improvement is precisely the safest, most efficient, lowest-cost, and most economically viable method to solve the aforementioned environmental problems."

"So your research is focused on environmental protection?"

Zhang suddenly realized. Indeed, the root of all these environmental problems was human encroachment on vegetation; if the vegetation issue were solved, more than half of the environmental problems would be resolved.

"That's right... I did say my research in botany is just a little bit deeper than my research in zoology."

With a mysterious smile, Oaks gently placed the sleeping Goose aside; she let out a yawn and continued to sleep:

"The green plants in my shop aren't ordinary varieties, either—would you like to see for yourself?"

"It would be my honor!"

While excited, Zhang finally realized something he had been overlooking all along:

"I usually have a bit of rhinitis, but I don't feel a thing right now... Do you have an air purifier in the shop? But the windows are open!"

"I don't have anything like that."

Oaks stood up, thought for a moment, and smiled again:

"Well, if you want to call it that, I suppose you could... but it's purely natural and doesn't consume electricity."

Leading Zhang from the lounge to the front display area, Oaks showed him his merchandise:

"The air in New York is not only not sweet, but the pollution is also quite severe."

"However, the air in my shop is comparable in quality to the Alps!"

Oaks's expression turned peculiar:

"In a few years, air of this quality will be selling for over a hundred bucks a liter!"