Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation
Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Zhang Shuguang took Zhou Wen to the fifth floor of the PCR laboratory.
They walked through a corridor over ten meters in length until they arrived at the end, where an aluminum alloy door greeted them.
They entered through the door and walked through a brightly-lit internal corridor that was brilliant enough to reflect one’s image.
The PCR laboratory was located on one side of the corridor. One could see through the transparent glass that it was a luxury PCR laboratory with a separate reagent preparation room, sample preparation room, gene amplification room, and product analysis room. The total area was over 100 square meters. Moreover, a small changing room was available at the door of each preparation room.
Zhou Wen exclaimed in his heart, ‘This is how a m*th*rf*cking PCR laboratory should look like, unlike that PCR room in the university! Everything, including reagent preparation, sample preparation, amplification, analysis rooms, and more, was squeezed into a tiny room of less than 20 square meters.’
Zhang Shuguang stood at the sample preparation room door and asked, “Are you skilled in the PCR test?”
Zhou Wen nodded and said, “Yes.”
He criticized secretly in his heart, ‘Since you’ve already brought me here, why do you still bother asking if I’m skilled? Yikes, this old man is too evil.’
At the same time, he rejoiced in his heart, ‘Luckily, I practiced it once yesterday. Otherwise, I will make a fool of myself today.’
Zhang Shuguang pointed to the reagent preparation room on the opposite side and said, “Go inside and show me.”
Zhou Wen answered with a “hmm”. He headed to the sample preparation room’s entrance with the icebox.
First, he changed into a brand new sterile gown in the changing room. Then, he put on a mask and gloves before he entered the preparation room.
This place was not the university’s laboratory. This laboratory amplified all sorts of unknown viruses, bacterias, and fungi taken from strange specimens. If he were not cautious, the consequences of exposure would be dire.
Zhou Wen sized the preparation room up for a moment. The vortex mixer, centrifuge, and biosafety cabinet were on the left while the water bath, refrigerator, and sink were on the right. A pass box was set in each side’s center while a sterilization trolley was parked on the opposite wall.
At present, there were two people in the sample preparation room extracting samples on the workbench. They heard the movement at the door, so the shorter man turned around and glanced at Zhou Wen.
They could not see each other’s expression nor facial features due to the masks. However, he saw Zhang Shuguang standing on the outside of the glass window.
Zhang Shuguang made a hand gesture at the short man. He immediately understood and gestured an ‘okay’ sight to Zhang Shuguang. Then, he waved his hand at Zhou Wen. “Come.”
Zhou Wen made his way over there. The man smiled and said, “Hello, my name is Dai Haidong. You can use any equipment over here at your expense and tell me if you need anything.”
Zhou Wen nodded and replied, “Thank you; I’m Zhou Wen.”
Dai Haidong nodded and said “you’re welcome”, then he turned around and got busy again with his task.
Zhou Wen placed the icebox down and began to bustle about too.
He told the people in the next reagent preparation room of the reagents he needed. Then, he began to make his DNA template.
He felt slightly anxious in his heart. In the university’s laboratory, some of the procedures were carried out for the sake of looking the part. He relied on his gut feelings entirely, for the most part, and that was why it felt very relaxed.
However, it was different in a standard laboratory. Every procedure must be strictly carried out accordingly. One was not allowed to do anything as one pleased, especially when it came to preventing contamination.
Zhou Wen began to feel somewhat restricted, but he fell in love with the precise, rigid strictness soon.
This was how it felt like being in a real laboratory. The university’s laboratory always made him feel like a playhouse.
Zhang Shuguang stood outside and watched him for a while before he turned around and left.
He had a smile on his face when he left.
He still stood by the same principle. The university could produce countless masters and Ph. D. graduates alike, but it was hard to sculpt a good seedling like Zhou Wen. Hence, he was willing to cultivate Zhou Wen with close attention.
The organization structure was nothing to him. Within his scope of ability, he could even grant Zhou Wen the title of ‘specialist’.
As long as Zhou Wen could display sufficient potential, he could be flexible too.
…
Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was already half-past five in the afternoon.
Zhou Wen had already completed the amplification procedure. He observed the high concentration level of the white mouse’s DNA strands in the PCR tubes through his Truevision. However, it was useless for him to be able to see it. The result was only valid after product analysis.
He placed the PCR product into the icebox and maintained it at 4℃ before sending it to the product analysis room next door through the pass box and waited for the electrophoresis analysis.
Then, he left the amplification room. Zhou Wen changed back to his clothes and headed to the sixth floor.
The phone in his pocket rang when he arrived at the door of the laboratory. He took it out to see Chen Ziyuan calling and picked up the phone. Chen Ziyuan said, “Deer Maiden said that you’re treating us to dinner tonight. What’s going on? Have you made a fortune?”
Zhou Wen laughed and said, “I haven’t made a fortune, actually, but I found a job.”
“Oh, I see. Congrats, congrats. Where is it?”
“The First Hospital’s laboratory department.”
Chen Ziyuan mistakenly heard the word ‘hospital’ instead of ‘First Hospital’ and assumed that it was just some small hospital. He laughed and said, “Then, you shall work there first and change to another profession later if it doesn’t work out.”
“Hmm, hmm, hmm…”
“Alright then. Tell me the address later. I’m at Juyli Cafe now.”
Upon saying that, Chen Ziyuan hung up the phone.
Zhou Wen kept his phone away and pushed open the door of the laboratory. He walked into the room.
Wei Zhaogong and the rest were about to leave work. However, it felt as if the air was suddenly frozen when Zhou Wen came into the room. They stared at him with a strange gaze.
Zhou Wen subconsciously felt his face and asked strangely, “Why? Is there something on my face?”
“Cough cough cough…” Wei Zhaogong let out a cough to break the silence in the air. He laughed in an unnatural manner and said, “Uh… So you went to perform the PCR test, huh? How was it?”
“It went rather smoothly.”
“Great,” said Wei Zhaogong. Then, he said, “We finish work at half-past five. We’re leaving; bye.”
Zhou Wen nodded. “Hmm. I will leave when I get the electrophoresis analysis result. Oh, right, I’m not free tonight. I shall treat all of you to dinner tomorrow.”
“Hmm, sure…”
“Bye…” Zhou Wen gazed after the departing silhouettes. He could feel that there was a feeling of estrangement with them. They were not behaving as naturally as before.
Just as he was reminiscing about how strange it was, Wu Yan came over.
They chatted casually, so Zhou Wen told her about the puzzlement he felt in his heart.
Wu Yan smiled through her pursed lips. “That is because they found that you’re being hired as a formal employee while we aren’t. What do you think? Won’t everyone be jealous of you?”
“Oh, that’s the reason, huh?” Zhou Wen was blinded by the mission such that he failed to consider his colleagues’ feelings.
However, there was nothing he could do. He could not just give up on the permanent position just so he could take care of their feelings, right?
Meanwhile, Wu Yan said thoughtfully, “Don’t worry. Everyone will surely have some ideas of their own in the beginning. As long as you can show your capability so that everyone is convinced, I can guarantee that no one else will dare to comment anymore.”
“Hmm, hmm, hmm. You’re right, senior.”
Wu Yan smiled and then turned around to look toward the electrophoresis equipment on the workbench. “How much time is left until completion?”
“It should be soon, I guess.”
They waited for more than half an hour, and it was now ten minutes past six; the electrophoresis analysis report was out.
Wu Yan took it and took a glance. She cracked into a big smile soon and gave Zhou Wen a big thumbs up. “Awesome!”
Zhou Wen burst out laughing and felt relieved.
…
Deer Maiden and Zhang Wei were well aware of Zhou Wen’s situation. As a result, they chose an excellent yet reasonably-priced Szechuan restaurant outside the university in consideration of Zhou Wen’s financial status.
Moreover, they did not bring anyone else along.
By the time Zhou Wen arrived, everybody had already gathered. Excluding him, there were eight people, including four from his dormitory room and four from the laboratory. The group from the laboratory included Shi Lei, Yang Yudong, Gu Hongyun, and Lin Jiayi. Unfortunately, there were two more people that could not be contacted.
Lin Jiayi was here because of Gu Hongyun. Gu Hongyun made sure to tell Zhou Wen in advance.
Gu Hongyun knew that there was a small conflict between Zhou Wen and Lin Jiayi, but they had been working together for almost a year now. There was no deep enmity between them, so it was unnecessary for them to completely isolate themselves from one another.
Zhou Wen agreed. They were about to graduate soon, so he should let bygones be bygones. They would not be meeting each other much after this anyway.
By the time he sat down, Liu Yukun asked, “I thought you had said that one more person is coming. Where is that person?”
“She is…” Zhou Wen was about to tell them not to wait when he received a text message on WeChat. He took out his phone and saw that the message came from Xu Shuangyu.
Xu Shuangyu wrote, “There are too many people; it’s better for me not to join you this round.”
“Alright, forget about it.” Zhou Wen typed out that message first but felt that it sounded inappropriate, so he deleted it and typed again, “Okay…” Then, he sent the message.
Deer Maiden, who was seated next to him and sipping tea, saw it coincidentally. He laughed and snorted the tea.
“Cough… Cough cough…” Deer Maiden continued to laugh despite the violent coughs. “Yikes, what the f*ck. Zhou Wen, you damn s*n *f a b*tch. You deserve to be single.”
Meanwhile, Chen Ziyuan asked in surprise, “What’s going on?”
Deer Maiden laughed maniacally and said, “The girl wants to come over for dinner, but she is too shy to do it. She wants Zhou Wen to try to persuade her. However, he rejected her.”
The whole group roared with laughter at once. Even Lin Jiayi could not refrain from laughing aloud.
“F*ck you! C*nt…”
“Hah-hah; Zhou Wen, you’re too blunt.”
“He is a relationship killer…”