Lin Ziyan watched his departing figure, shaking her head and chuckling.

"Ren Donglai seems to have unlocked his full potential now; he walks with a spring in his step," Fang Jie said with a raised eyebrow and a smile.

“He’s naturally better suited to going out and about. With him leading the way, Wei Ting and the others won’t be like headless flies, running around aimlessly,” Lin Ziyan said casually.

As for the factory manager, she had already found someone.

Fang Jie rested her chin on her hand and looked at Lin Ziyan, feeling that her arrival today was like a pre-arranged task.

"Are you going to Germany?" Fang asked as soon as she thought of it.

There's no need for them to hide anything from each other; they can speak openly and honestly.

Otherwise, the two wouldn't have hit it off so quickly, partnering to open an electronics store and then a factory.

The electronics factory was solely invested in by her and Lin Ziyan, and it was separate from the electronics mall.

"Yes, something might have happened to my uncle." Lin Ziyan has been staying at home most of the past two days to deal with the electrical appliance factory matter ahead of time.

She was originally supposed to keep a close eye on the R&D team after it was established.

But plans can't keep up with changes, so for now we can only leave it as it is, set up a reward and punishment system, and let them do what they want.

"This one is from the electronics store, and this one is from the electronics factory. We can only rely on you for Yueji Youpin." Lin Ziyan handed her the two documents.

Fangjie nodded, her fingertips tracing the surface of the blue folder as she fell into deep thought.

She didn't want Lin Ziyan to go to Germany unless absolutely necessary, as things were very chaotic there right now.

She wrote down an address, a number, and a name, then pushed it to Lin Ziyan, saying calmly, "If you ever need a gun, you can contact this person."

"If you pay enough, they might step in and resolve the issue."

Lin Ziyan paused for a few seconds, and when she saw the name on it, her pupils contracted slightly.

This is the dark force over there, and it persisted into later generations.

Fang Jie said, "They helped me a lot to be able to return to China smoothly."

…

On the other side

Students are gradually moving out of the temporary dormitories in Haibi Village.

Shen Hai wore a straw hat, had a full beard, and a deep, dark look in his eyes.

He had just returned from Beijing when his superiors refused to continue paying research funding, citing a lack of output.

This research team is about to disband.

What does it mean to have no output?

The data they obtained has been collected and is being used to promote shellfish farming in coastal areas.

Now shrimp farming has resumed, and the farming techniques are gradually maturing.

However, those in power felt that this data could be obtained in university laboratories, and there was no need to maintain an additional research team.

In less than a year, they wanted a big return.

If scientific research is simply a matter of investing time, then anyone can become an expert.

Secretary Qin squatted in the corner, smoking, and sighed softly.

Living off the sea, with the research team here, they have the confidence to continue developing tidal flat aquaculture.

The shadows of the trees fell on him, leaving dappled patterns of light and shadow.

"Old Tan, I've done my best with this. I'll bring a team to the village again if I have the chance in the future." Shen Hai was in low spirits, with a deep sense of frustration that lingered in his heart.

As the chubby girl passed by carrying a bamboo basket, she saw the two men's unpleasant expressions and walked over.

"Teacher, why are you squatting here instead of going to the fish farm?"

She looked into the room, paused for a few seconds, and saw it was completely empty.

Shen Hai forced a smile, "Our research team is going to disband."

"The higher-ups won't approve the funding."

The chubby girl froze, “…”

She always thought that moving here meant staying permanently.

I didn't expect that it would be withdrawn in less than a year. Will she have no teachers after that?

The chubby girl put down her basket, pulled up a chair, and sat down.

"So, do the people in your team still want to stay?"

Shen Hai shook his head; he was unaware of what the others were thinking.

But the others are all university teachers with jobs, and it's impossible for them to give up their teaching identities to stay.

He had considered collaborating with the company before, but gave up on the idea when he thought about it.

Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice; his savings couldn't cover the expenses of the research team's laboratory.

The chubby girl's expression was complicated, and she swallowed back the words she was about to say.

Her father agreed to raise yellow croaker, saying that with this research team around, they wouldn't be afraid of any problems they might encounter in raising fish.

Now that the research team has left, her father is probably going to be very upset.

The chubby girl was preoccupied with something, and her steps became heavier.

The weather was still hot, but there was a slight chill in the wind, and my skin was starting to feel dry.

"Fatty, did you just go pick vegetables?" Lin Ziyan, carrying a cloth bag, turned a corner and saw the person walking on the road.

The chubby girl stopped and waited for her to come over before walking side by side with her.

Both of them walked along the shady side of the eaves, but they were soon drenched in sweat.

The wind was cool, but only occasionally; the sun was scorching and blinding, so it was still hot.

"Professor Shen and the others are leaving. I just passed by the village committee, and the dormitories were all empty." The chubby girl walked to the Lin family's door and sat down on the stone bench to rest.

Lin Ziyan looked at her friend in surprise, "Because the higher-ups didn't allocate any funds?"

She knew about it before the banquet was held.

Before Professor Shen left for Beijing, he came to deliver a congratulatory gift and mentioned it in his speech.

However, he was confident that he could persuade his superiors at that time, since they had obtained a lot of practical data that was very valuable in their first year there.

This is much better than in the school lab.

Moreover, data obtained in a laboratory environment is incomparable to data obtained in practice.

"Hmm, Professor Shen looks very dejected." The chubby girl took out the rapeseed flowers from her basket and started picking them.

Her belly is getting bigger and bigger, and it's uncomfortable for her to lie down at home or sit for a long time. Walking is the most comfortable thing for her.

Lin Ziyan pulled up a stool, sat down, stretched, and thought to herself, "A low stool is the best for stretching."

"What do you think if I invest?"

The chubby girl blinked, then shook her head. "Professor Shen may have thought about it too, but the others probably can't stay in the village permanently, since they are all university teachers."

"Who asked them to stay permanently?" Lin Ziyan said with a smile.

Farming is also seasonal.

For example, mantis shrimp and crayfish are at their fattest and most delicious in spring and summer.

The teacher has two long holidays, which is enough.

When problems arise, they are resolved; otherwise, one doesn't need to stay in the village for extended periods.

How can you conduct research if you're not based there permanently?

A familiar voice came from behind them, and the two of them turned to look at the same time.

Shen Hai walked to the doorway, sat down, opened his thermos, took a few sips of water, and then continued.

"Tell me, how can you conduct scientific research if you don't stay here permanently?"

Lin Ziyan's lips curled slightly, "We don't need to check on the shellfish in the mudflats every day, but we only need to record data frequently during the fish fry stage..."

She slowly and methodically explained her thoughts, citing various examples.

Shen Hai fell silent after hearing this; what Lin Ziyan said was true.

They were used to laboratory observation methods and couldn't see what was needed in practice.

"Professor Shen, please consider this. I will cover the research team's funding. As for the research results, priority should be given to our shrimp farm and fish farm."

Shen Hai glared at Lin Ziyan, almost rolling his eyes. Did he expect her to make selfless sacrifices?