The two walked into the academic building together, Yao Feng quickly unfastened his scarf and hat, shook them off, and when he saw Zhou Ziang still holding the coat in his hand, he could tell that he had braved the snow just to deliver a coat and couldn’t help but smile. This young junior seemed young but acted in a measured and proper way, which was quite good for someone his age.
While they were talking, Dr. Shangsel, Yao Feng’s mentor, approached them. Dr. Shangsel was a balding German botanist in his early fifties who had been working at Cornell University for over a decade and had a good reputation in the academic community.
"Oh, Yao Feng, have you already found a new partner? I received a call from Zheng Hao this morning saying he got a severe cold last night and can’t make it to today’s experimental report meeting." Dr. Shangsel had just received the call and came downstairs to find Yao Feng.
This sudden news shocked even an experienced person like Yao Feng. How could Jack come down with a severe cold? Yao Feng had knocked on his door this morning when he got up, reminding him not to be late. Thinking back on it now, it seemed that no one had responded from Zheng Hao’s room.
"I..." Yao Feng knew that explanations would be pointless, and Dr. Shangsel didn’t stay long, he went to his office to find the people from Mengshan Company and the school who were jointly responsible for the evaluation today.
In the biting cold, Yao Feng was sweating profusely, standing as if stripped bare in the snow.
A green card, and a girlfriend who had been waiting for him at home for seven years... He hurried to the public phone in the lobby, fumbling in his pocket for some coins to call his classmates. The coins seemed to wrestle with his fingers, slipping back after being touched, making a cold, clanking sound.
With a "clack", coins were inserted into the coin slot, Zhou Ziang stood by, a glimmer in his eye that steadied Yao Feng’s heart. He pulled out his phone book and flipped through it slowly. After a while, the coins fell out of the coin slot. Yao Feng sighed and put away the phone book. "It’s useless, this project has always been handled by Zheng Hao and me; others, even if they want to help, cannot assist."
"Senior Brother Yao, I don’t have classes today, if you don’t mind, I can be your assistant," Zhou Ziang’s tone was sincere, sounding like a shot of adrenaline. Nevertheless, Yao Feng knew that his day was ruined. As another group of researchers Helen and Mitchell walked past him, they gave him a disdainful look.
Agree or not agree. Zhou Ziang was just a freshman, hadn’t even touched real botany courses, didn’t know various experimental data and utensils, he could only be the simplest assistant.
Yao Feng gave a wry smile, glanced at the floor clock in the lobby, which pointed to nine o’clock, "Okay, today’s project is about leaf-falling agent. Leaf-falling agent is a common herbicide mainly used for..." After quickly speaking a few sentences, Yao Feng took Zhou Ziang into the reporting room, an upgraded laboratory.
"Zhou Ziang" had some residual memories from his previous biology and chemistry classes, this was Yun Guanzi’s first encounter with a real laboratory. The lab contained microscopes and various chemical solvents. Unlike the general plant science majors, Dr. Shangsel studied applied botany, combining both chemistry and biology fields.
Zhou Ziang entered the lab, another group of researchers, Helen and Michelle, were ready, standing in front of the experiment table. Upon seeing them, they jeered: "Benjamin, this isn’t a Chinese hometown association, where did you find such a little junior? You Chinese are not very meticulous," Helen secretly gave Michelle a thumbs up, surprised that she had really fooled Zheng Hao into sacrificing his career and missing this experiment.
"He is also a student of plant ecology, here to take charge of the experiment," Yao Feng was also feeling a bit panicked, holding a measuring cup about to start the experimental base solution when his fingers ached, and the cup fell and shattered on the floor.
The tap was immediately turned on, Zhou Ziang quickly washed Yao Feng’s hand under cold water, Yao Feng frowned, his fingers had cracked open, and concentrated nitric acid solution was being washed away in the water.
"Sorry, it seems we need to exchange some experimental utensils," Zhou Ziang suggested switching out the experimental utensils.
"What’s with all the fuss, I bet you don’t even know how to use them," Michelle and Helen laughed and sneered, happily watching Yao Feng whose fingers had swollen. He should thank them; if it had been sulfuric acid, his whole hand would have been gone.
Those two foreign female students had tampered with their experimental utensils.
"If you won’t switch, then please use our utensils." Zhou Ziang said, putting on gloves, trying to switch the utensils from both sides.
"Really, no gentleman manners," Helen glanced at the door and had to allow Zhou Ziang to get another set of experiment apparatus from the classroom’s closet. Zhou Ziang switched the utensils and still held some gauze and bandages, quickly bandaging Yao Feng’s hand.
Dr. Shangsel—different from many other proud foreign mentors who admired the hardworking and perseverance of Chinese students—entered with today’s evaluation team members, seeing Yao Feng’s bandaged hand, he was taken aback. He had praised Yao Feng before the evaluation; what happened today?
Zhou Ziang also caught a few looks. Two came from Michelle and Helen, another from a stern-faced Northern European man with a hook nose, and the last from an American girl.
Aisha and the representative from Mengshan Company were sitting together, noticing Zhou Ziang.
She was first surprised that the participant applying for the research looked even younger than her, but soon she recognized the young man, who had left his class schedule in the library the day before.
"Zhou, I’m sorry, my hand might not be suitable for experiments today, today’s evaluation is to concoct an improved leaf-falling agent, the end product should be roughly orange, can you do it?" Yao Feng’s fingers throbbed with pain, his skin already deteriorating, but he insisted on finishing the experiment and explaining the report before going to the infirmary.
Zhou Ziang did not try to dissuade him further; Yao Feng was a stubborn person, today, not just an injured finger, even if he had broken his hand, he would still persist.
(To be continued. If you work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for the recommendation ticket and monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation.)