Study Monster Cultivation System-Chapter 364 - 363 Stop dawdling, just do it!

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Scientific research is, likewise, a frenzied pursuit of hot topics.

That was Li Zheng’s impression during a lunchtime conversation with Zhou Yi and Shi Yang.

Outsiders may not care, but to those within the circle, especially in biology, the cryo-electron microscope has been a super-hot topic pursued for many years.

With the cryo-electron microscope technology winning the Nobel Prize three years ago, this topic reached its peak.

In layman’s terms, the greatest feature of this technology is the ability to easily and conveniently obtain three-dimensional holographic images of large molecular structures, which completely "eliminated" structural biology, much like point-and-shoot cameras "eliminated" traditional film photography studios.

In the face of this enticing technology, domestic universities immediately followed suit by introducing cryo-electron microscopes. The initial feeling was like welcoming a "lithography machine"—something sacred. Whether or not they had their own cryo-electron microscope had become a core measure of whether a biological research institute was top-notch.

In recent years, as the prices of cryo-electron microscopes have dropped, these devices, while no longer quite so sacred, are still hugely expensive.

Their purchase cost of five million to several tens of millions of yuan may not seem so exaggerated, but such equipment often requires several highly educated, top-tier research staff to operate and maintain it.

Scientific research is inherently an endeavor that does not necessarily yield results, but the burning of money permeates every moment of the process.

Such equipment, even in Ji University, amounts to only two: one high-end version at the Biology Institute and one older, standard version at the Chemical Institute.

Due to its scarcity, reservations are required for its use, precisely down to the hour. If several groups reserve it simultaneously, the decision on who gets to use it often relies on the subjective judgment of the institute’s heavyweights.

According to Zhou Yi, the chances of Li Zheng’s group getting access to the high-end cryo-electron microscope at the Biology Institute were virtually nil. There was a slight hope for the one at the Chemical Institute, which he could personally apply for, but even then, the available time would be limited, and it had to be done under the supervision and guidance of the maintenance staff.

Inadvertently, this also highlighted a dilemma in domestic scientific research.

To produce results, you have to buy high-end equipment.

To buy high-end equipment, you need a lot of money, but the overall budget is limited, and more money goes to institutions with better past results.

Less well-off institutions can’t afford the equipment and thus can’t produce results.

To produce results, you have to buy high-end equipment...

Beyond this vicious cycle, the advantage of studying abroad has also been clearly demonstrated.

In some developed countries, such equipment is not considered overly expensive or scarce and can often be frequently accessed during graduate studies.

Conversely, even at Ji University, most graduate students in related fields don’t even have the chance to look at such equipment from afar.

This layered logic, akin to Russian nesting dolls, links back to the plight of the biochemistry and materials circles.

Top graduate students proficient in using technologies like the cryo-electron microscope won’t struggle to find jobs; universities compete to offer them positions and benefits.

But the majority, with little to no chance to even touch the equipment, are trapped in low-tech, repetitive testing, gradually eroding their aspiring dreams in the tedium of their research.

In the cafeteria, Zhou Yi, coming to the end of the discussion, couldn’t help leaning back in his chair with a long sigh.

"Ah, the situation is already much better now. When the equipment was first introduced, to snag a researcher with experience using cryo-electron microscopes abroad, the major domestic universities were almost willing to offer houses. Nowadays, providing a household registration is sufficient..."

"Oh?" Shi Yang, voraciously eating, suddenly paused, chewed quickly, and swallowed before asking with a laugh, "So, Old Zhou, if I stick around for a while, will a bunch of universities start poaching me too?"

"Essentially, yes," sighed Zhou Yi with a smile, "You might think that just saying a few words would allow you to play around with cryo-electron microscopes, but that’s a one-sided view. The truth is, the project is going smoothly and I’m so supportive because you have already proven yourselves in your studies, proven that you are one in tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, one in a million top talents. Without this understanding, even by the time you graduate with a master’s degree, you might not have such an opportunity."

"I believe that," Shi Yang nodded towards Li Zheng, "Boss Zhou really is great, he’s always been like that. As long as I perform well, Boss Zhou is willing to provide any resources."

Li Zheng immediately raised his teacup, "Indeed, I don’t even know how to thank Teacher Zhou anymore, other than to let the results speak for themselves."

"Do your best," Zhou Yi raised his glass with a smile, "Although the project is very interesting, I don’t have high expectations. Don’t feel pressured; focus on training. It would already be great if you can produce a decent experimental report. If you fail, don’t take it to heart. I have only one request—don’t break the machine!"

"Speaking of machines..." Li Zheng took a sip of his tea, slowly setting down his cup with a slight frown, "Is it really that expensive?"

Zhou Yi spread his hands, "Nothing can be done about it. There are no domestic alternatives, and it’s unlikely to change within five years. Most high-end instruments are in this situation."

"Where’s the difficulty in the technology?" Li Zheng asked instinctively.

"That’s not my area of expertise," said Zhou Yi, waving his finger, "The teachers in the School of Physics and engineering fields might know something about that. Focus on one thing before thinking about the next; don’t get side-tracked with me here. Even Da Vinci couldn’t deal with the manufacturing of these sophisticated instruments. Just concentrate on the experiment and stop getting distracted by other thoughts."

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"Yes, yes, just curious," Li Zheng laughed.

If he hadn’t been identified as a Barrier by the Scholar Demon System, he would probably have already opened the engineering interface to study it.

…

On the other hand, Teacher Zhou Xiao, who was very interested in Li Zheng’s course project at the inquiry meeting, also went directly to the Biology Institute to find an old classmate with whom he had once co-managed a class.

Over a simple meal in the cafeteria, after Zhou Xiao explained the situation, the old classmate put down his chopsticks and explained everything thoroughly to Zhou Xiao.

"Zhou, this is the thing," he started.

"Pushing this forward isn’t about process."

"It requires the support of a heavyweight figure."

"Either your Dean Niu Gang himself finds our dean,

"Or you convince our Professor Bing that she absolutely must do it at all costs."

"Research is like this, at the end it’s a struggle for resources among a few big bosses."

"And the cryo-electron microscope is the most coveted resource in our Biology Institute."

"Zhang Shandong’s judgment is correct; no issues there. Let’s not get involved in this matter."

"Especially when a few undergraduates are messing around; if they cause an accident or damage the equipment, someone could face disciplinary action. And I’m not talking about disciplining the students, but us."

"Listen to me, just drop it. Even if you don’t, it’s useless."

By the end of this conversation, Zhou Xiao had lost his appetite, and he simply put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth.

"I just feel... this project really has potential."

"And Li Zheng’s abilities cannot be measured by ordinary standards."

"Besides, if he can handle something worth tens of billions like Yellow River-2, why couldn’t he handle a microscope worth tens of millions?"

"On this point, the recommendation from the aerospace veterans speaks volumes."

"What’s a recommendation letter worth?" the old classmate laughed. "What, if something happens, we pull in aerospace people to take the blame?"

"Li Zheng’s skills won’t cause any accidents."

"You willing to guarantee that?"

"I am."

"Alright, alright, even if you are willing, and the leaders believe you and give you the chance to take responsibility, even if nothing goes wrong, what then?" The old classmate clapped his hands. "Not counting the initial cost, do you know how much it costs to maintain a cryo-electron microscope?"

"How much?"

"I don’t know either, but just looking at the maintenance team and the materials they use, it must cost tens of thousands at least per day. If Li Zheng and his team occupy that resource, not to mention how much money is burned without results, how do you account for the delay in other projects? Isn’t everyone fighting against time? Doesn’t everyone have a big boss backing them?"

"…"

"Grow up, Zhou," the old classmate patted Zhou Xiao, "I know you went to Yingpei to teach because you truly believe in its philosophy and want to achieve something great, but it’s not worth risking your neck, like a moth to a flame, right?"

"How is it risking my neck? It’s not that bad." Zhou Xiao forced a smile and pushed the old classmate away. "Serving the students is my responsibility. I’m not trying to stir up big trouble, I just think that Zhang Shandong should at least report the situation to Dean Niu. We aren’t qualified to judge a project of this caliber; it should be decided by the dean."

"Heh," the old classmate waved his hand and laughed, "I don’t know how Dean Niu would react, but if you go through with this, Zhang Shandong would hate you for it, and who knows, maybe Dean Niu already knows about it and is just pretending not to."

"Why would he pretend not to know?" Zhou Xiao asked in disbelief. "Our Dean Niu isn’t that kind of person!"

"Ah..." The old classmate shook his head and stood up, "You’re not just too young, you’re downright naive..."

Zhou Xiao stood up as well: "It’s not that... As teachers, isn’t our identity clear? Aren’t you making this too complicated?"

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"It’s simple," my old classmate said as he picked up his tray with a nod and a smile, "where there are people, things naturally become complex, regardless of status or job. But you, you’ve always been a bit clueless, so do as you like. This is just greasy advice from experience, it may not even be right."

With that, the old classmate left, and Zhou Xiao stood amidst the bustling cafeteria, his thoughts as messy as the leftover food on the plates.

Originally, he intended to get a sense of the situation before reporting to Dean Niu.

But now, he was beginning to feel uncertain.

In his confusion, his phone rang.

"Hello..."

"Yes, at the cafeteria, Director Zhang."

"On a business trip?"

"Oh… alright, no problem."

"Okay, I’ll go find him right away..."

After hanging up, Zhou Xiao heaved a sigh and took a long time to carefully craft his words before sending out a text message.

[Li Zheng, it’s Zhou Xiao, the Zhou Xiao from the inquiry meeting.]

[I asked at the School of Biological Sciences, and it’s very difficult to secure the equipment we need.]

[I also suggest that you consider projects with lower resource requirements.]

[If you insist on continuing, I’m afraid you’ll truly have to rely on your own resources.]

[I’ll be away on a business trip for two months. Whether you decide to persist with the current project or start a new one, you can reach out to me with any issues.]

As soon as he had sent the message, before he could even put his phone away, Li Zheng responded immediately.

[Thank you, Teacher Zhou. You did the right thing. I have my own methods, so you shouldn’t have any regrets.]

[You must be a great teacher.]

[Li Zheng.]

Seeing the reply, Zhou Xiao finally managed a faint smile.

Perhaps it was for that very statement that he had chosen to stay at the university.

…

Zhou Yi, not only did he look like a thriving lad, but he was also extremely successful in his pursuits, as it only took him three days to finalize the details of the experiment.

Starting from September 8th, they would have one week, from 7 PM to 11 PM each night, a total of four hours of usage rights, plus a number of consumables.

One week, twenty-eight hours – clearly a far cry from his initial estimate of forty-five days. However, he believed that if the experiment went well and showed even the slightest hint of potential results, he could continue to apply for more time.

Li Zheng was, of course, extremely grateful and used every possible means to prepare for the experiment.

Team Science Frontier was now in full preparation mode.

This felt like a group of people wanting to race cars but couldn’t afford one, and only had a single chance to prove to Ferrari that they were capable.

So, they practiced simulation driving by every possible means before the test drive.

Just like memorizing every turn of the race track, they learned each step of the experiment by heart.

Just like learning from experienced racers, they devoured every experimental paper and the very limited videos available both domestically and internationally.

By the end, even Lin Moming couldn’t help but shout out—

"No one understands cryo-electron microscopy better than I do!"

The main reason she actually shouted it out was to vent her frustration.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freёnovelkiss.com.

For several days, she had been cooped up in the basement discussion room, translating scholarly articles under Li Zheng’s watchful eye, until she was almost sick of it!

The primary reason was Mo Nian’s poor English skills. Due to his direct admission, his English was still at a middle school level.

In this cutting-edge field, as a key member of the experiment team, it was impossible to be competent without delving into English materials.

Why?

Because even the top domestic papers are available only in English.

In the relentless process of translation, even Lin Moming completely mastered the subject.

In a way, it was also an indirect gain in science education, as Xiao Lin’s academic prowess visibly grew.

As for the leader, he also developed an even more miraculous function.

That was to assemble a simulation experiment platform.

Based on the legends of the cryo-electron microscope, he sourced materials from all over and somehow constructed a mock apparatus in the basement, even managing to procure liquid nitrogen.

After thorough preparation, the day of September 8th finally arrived.

As twilight deepened, each member of Team Science Frontier awoke in turn.

There was no other choice; there were only four hours each night.

They had to rest well during the day to fully utilize the limited time at night.

At 6:40 PM, outside the Chemical Institute.

A loner nerd who took pride in being aloof had been waiting for some time.

Shi Yang waited here, intending to make a show.

But upon seeing Lin Moming, his whole demeanor fell apart.

"Whose kid is this? No matter what, we can’t involve children in this!"

Lin Moming glared back at him with hostility, repeating her latest mantra, used for venting, "No one understands cryo-electron microscopy better than I do!"

After a quick explanation, Shi Yang swiftly returned to his usual self.

That meant not daring to speak up, his face turning as crimson as a snack cracker while he kept sneaking glances.

Feeling nervous, he even took a trip to the restroom.

Fortunately, he managed to return to the front of the cryo-electron microscopy lab just in time at 6:58 PM.

Here, a team of six was poised and ready.

Their hearts raced with excitement, but it was still within manageable limits.

Even though they had never seen the actual equipment, no one knew cryo-electron microscopy better than they did.

This seemingly simple experiment had been silently practiced for hundreds of hours.

Especially Mo Nian.

He dreamt of conducting experiments, and when awake, he was still in a dream.

The practice of the Power of Meditation found its first real breakthrough on this occasion.

Seeing everyone so determined, Li Zheng gave one last intense look.

"No more dithering, let’s fucking do it!"

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