Twenty years of cold chain

Chapter 7 is not a solitary journey.

"Don't worry about that. I mentioned the purchase of equipment a few days ago, and now the county committees of the three counties are taking it seriously. Qujiaying won't continue like this. What you wrote above hits the nail on the head. In the past few days, people from Qujiaying have been causing trouble, which constitutes a civil dispute. I will submit this material at tomorrow's meeting. Your professional knowledge is a great asset. The matter will definitely be resolved, and the result will only be the rectification of Qujiaying."

Without saying a word, Hu Shutong picked up a pen and wrote the three words "complaint" on the table, then signed his name with all his might at the bottom, and pushed it in front of Lei Xiaoxi without the slightest hesitation.

Lei Xiaoxi nodded secretly. This young man's straightforwardness was a sign that he had placed his bet on him, the director. If Qujiaying was not rectified, if there was no pressure from above, or even if the matter was not resolved thoroughly, the small Hu family would not be able to sell a single vegetable in the future. Luan Qizhen's words were not an exaggeration.

But you have to understand that although he had met Hu Shutong, Hu Shutong was meeting him for the first time. Perhaps it wasn't him who prompted him to put pen to paper. When he thought of this, Lei Xiaoxi couldn't help but feel a little moved.

If one is capable and dares to act, then one will surely achieve something.

Looking at the resolute signature, Lei Xiaoxi suddenly had something to say. "The school's head chef mistakenly thought the rotten vegetables were just thawed, Qujiaying mistakenly thought these vegetables were sent to a pig farm, and before you came back, Qingfeng Cold Storage also said they mistakenly thought every batch of goods was fresh. They're all blatantly lying. Misunderstanding, misunderstanding, they won't even come up with a reason that anyone can believe."

"Director Lei, this is a matter of handling the case, but also a matter of mindset. 'What's dirty won't make you sick, and diarrhea can even help reduce internal heat.'"

"Yes! Compared to whether what we eat is healthy, people care more about how much money they have in their pockets." Lei Xiaoxi sighed. "In this new century and new era, talents are emerging in large numbers, and the future is bright. Shutong, I will definitely work together with you."

Hu Shutong listened silently to these words, without uttering any impassioned remarks.

"As you know, our country's cold storage design standards were issued in 85, and most of them are just basic frameworks. So I want to make your revised plan a model for fruit and vegetable cold storage throughout the county and promote it throughout the county in the future. Of course, the county will also hold a meeting to discuss your contribution this time."

Hu Shutong nodded hurriedly, "If the county decides there are no problems after review, I have no objections."

With a heart full of practical knowledge and few words, Lei Xiaoxi felt a certain truth in Luan Qizhen's words about "taking a fancy to someone," and a thought couldn't help but arise in her heart: "Shutong, you'll be doing your senior year internship soon, right? Have you chosen an internship company yet?"

"It's not decided yet. Actually, the cold chain logistics direction is quite awkward. Working in a large company as a technician is not as good as working in a real food engineering major, and working in a cold chain logistics company is uncertain whether I can apply what I've learned."

"After graduation, are you considering developing your career in Mingjiang, or are you planning to return to Qingyan?"

Upon hearing this question, Hu Shutong fell silent. He had considered these things, but he hadn't figured them out yet. He didn't understand the full picture of the industry; he was simply doing what he could based on what he had learned. He didn't know what would happen during his internship, and he was even less certain about the future direction of cold chain logistics after the millennium. How could he possibly predict the future at this point?

Lei Xiaoxi also felt it was a bit abrupt, "I was just asking casually."

"Director Lei, the University of Minnesota has a master's program in food engineering. To be honest, I'm also hesitant about whether to pursue a master's degree. Besides, I still have a graduation thesis to work on, which will require a lot of effort. The University of Minnesota has very strict requirements for theses."

Lei Xiaoxi couldn't help but smile, as if she had heard such rumors before. "Indeed, the thesis requirements at the University of Ming are... truly terrifying."

These words immediately put Hu Shutong at ease. "Thank you for your understanding, Director Lei."

"You don't need to worry about Qujiaying anymore. Focus on preparing for your own event."

The two chatted for a long time, and Luan Qizhen finally found his tea.

When Hu Shutong was about to stay for dinner, he said that the post office was about to close and he needed to pick up some things. Upon hearing this, Luan Qizhen immediately stopped trying to persuade him to stay.

After waiting for many days, Hu Shutong finally received the package he had been longing for. It contained magazines and books; Luan Pingxin had sent more than a dozen of them, which Hu Shutong treasured.

On his way home, he didn't feel comfortable leaving the books on the back seat, so he tucked the package under his arm and pushed the bicycle slowly with one hand.

Since the incident at Qujiaying broke out, Hu Shutong felt particularly lonely. However, his silent father, Lei Xiaoxi who talked a lot, and the warm package beside him made him realize that he was not alone.

Upon returning home, Hu Shutong eagerly opened the package. A small card bore two lines of elegant handwriting: "The road is winding, but the future is bright"—words Luan Pingxin often used to encourage himself. The field of cold chain equipment research and development is similarly fraught with challenges and obstacles.

Advanced concepts from abroad have repeatedly instilled in Hu Shutong the six-word mantra, "from farm to table." This is the core of the cold chain, and every person working in the cold chain strives for this chain that maintains low temperatures throughout. These six words, though brief, represent an incredibly difficult journey. Some countries have had their cold chain development for over a century, with continuously updated equipment, optimized standards, and a constant influx of talent—all essential guarantees for a robust cold chain.

The books sent by Luan Pingxin contained a wealth of management experience from abroad, which gave Hu Shutong insights he had never had during his university years. He realized that even the most advanced equipment needs people to use it, and even the most advanced models need people to manage them. Management skills are also a great help in driving the entire chain.

This is undoubtedly a more macro perspective. In Hu Shutong's professional field, food biotechnology, polyurethane upgrading, cold storage processing technology, etc., may seem complicated, but they all fall under the scope of research and development and storage, while management belongs to another field.

For R&D personnel, the focus is on technological upgrades and equipment optimization from farm to table.

For a manager, the journey from farm to table involves a series of interconnected steps.

……