Chapter 130 Gu Baobao joins the factory with exceptional professionalism

It was already past eight in the morning when the jeep bumped its way into the provincial capital.

The streets are wider than on the island, with more pedestrians and vehicles, and bicycle bells ringing everywhere. Bright slogans are painted on the walls along the street.

The air was filled with coal smoke, the steam rising from breakfast stalls, and a kind of urban vitality that was slightly murky.

Gu Baobao looked out the window with curiosity; this was the first time she had truly seen the cityscape of this era.

"The military district guesthouse is just ahead."

Lu Zhanming slowed down the car.

"Old Zheng and the others will go ahead to arrange check-in and inspection. We'll go directly to the pharmaceutical factory; Comrade Huo Zheng and Director Zhou should already be waiting."

"Um."

Gu Baobao looked away and straightened her clothes and hair.

Next, it's time to get to work.

The car turned onto a relatively quiet street and stopped in front of a rather old-fashioned gray brick building. The sign on the door read "Provincial First Pharmaceutical Factory".

At the factory gate, Huo Zheng and an elderly man with gray hair and black-rimmed glasses, wearing a dark blue Zhongshan suit, were already waiting there.

The old man stood with his hands behind his back, his brows slightly furrowed, watching the approaching jeep. His face was expressionless, appearing somewhat serious.

Lu Zhanming parked the car, got out first, and went around to the other side to open the car door for Gu Baobao.

Gu Baobao got out of the car, stood still, and looked at the old man—presumably Director Zhou.

Huo Zheng greeted him with a smile:

"Comrade Bao, you must be tired from your journey! This is Director Zhou Youde of the pharmaceutical factory, a senior figure in our country's pharmaceutical industry."

Factory Director Zhou Youde looked Gu Baobao up and down, his gaze lingering on her excessively young face for a moment before sweeping over the colonel's epaulets on her shoulders, his brows seeming to furrow even more.

He reached out his hand, his voice somewhat hoarse:

"Colonel Gu, welcome. The factory conditions are basic, I hope you won't mind."

The handshake was firm, with the roughness of an old technician.

Gu Baobao shook hands with composure and confidence:

"Director Zhou, you're too kind. I'm the one who's bothering you. I want to learn from you and the experienced workers in the factory."

He was humble in attitude but composed in tone.

Zhou Youde grunted in response, said nothing more, and turned to walk into the factory.

"Come in. The production line has been initially adjusted according to your previous requirements, and we're just waiting for you to come and see it."

Huo Zheng gave Gu Baobao a wink, signaling her not to mind the old factory director's attitude.

Gu Baobao shook her head slightly, indicating that she was fine.

It's normal for senior tech professionals to have a temper; the key is real skill.

The group entered the factory area.

The factory buildings were tall and spacious, filled with a faint smell of mixed medicinal herbs and disinfectant.

The machines roared, and the workers, dressed in uniform blue overalls, were busy at the assembly line. When they saw them come in, they all curiously peeked at them.

Factory Director Zhou led them directly to the entrance of a relatively independent workshop with a sign that read "Experimental Workshop".

"This is it."

Factory Director Zhou pushed open the heavy iron door.

"Following the process guidelines you provided, we modified the original penicillin fermentation tank and adjusted the extraction line. But the results..."

He paused, then looked at Gu Baobao.

"Not ideal. The yield is lower than expected, and the impurity rate is too high. Colonel Gu, are there any areas in your suggestions for improvement that... still need discussion?"

That was said politely, but the meaning was clear:

The solution you provided may have problems.

Several experienced workers in the workshop also looked over, their eyes filled with scrutiny and suspicion.

After all, Gu Baobao is too young, and she's still a woman.

These veteran pharmaceutical workers, who had spent their entire lives working in the pharmaceutical industry, were already resentful of having to change the production line under the orders of a young girl.

Lu Zhanming took half a step forward and stood behind Gu Baobao in a protective posture, but he didn't say anything.

This is a technical situation, and he cannot overstep his bounds.

Huo Zheng looked at Gu Baobao with some nervousness.

Gu Baobao's face remained expressionless.

She had anticipated the questions.

She didn't answer Director Zhou's question immediately, but went straight to the modified fermentation tank.

He bent down to carefully examine the connecting pipes and instruments, then gestured to the experienced worker next to him to open the sampling port. He used a clean glass rod to dip a little fermentation liquid, brought it close to his nose to smell it, and then examined its color against the light.

His movements were practiced and his expression focused; he was clearly an expert.

The experienced workers exchanged glances, their disdain lessening slightly.

After observing for a moment, Gu Baobao straightened up and looked at Factory Director Zhou:

"Director Zhou, the general direction of the renovation is correct. But there are a few details that may have been overlooked."

She walked to the process flow chart next to her and pointed to one of the spots:

"Here, the temperature control range. The information I provided emphasized that a brief 'low-temperature stimulus' is needed during the middle of fermentation to promote the accumulation of specific metabolites. However, the actual records show that you maintained a constant temperature."

Factory Director Zhou looked at the master craftsman in charge of temperature control.

The experienced worker was taken aback, quickly checked the operation log, and his expression changed:

"Yes...yes, I thought temperature fluctuations might affect the stability of the gut microbiota, so...so I didn't follow that procedure."

Gu Baobao then pointed to another spot:

"And here, the stirring rate. The timing of the speed-up was half an hour too late, causing some of the bacteria to age and autolyze prematurely, affecting the release of the active ingredients and subsequent extraction."

The experienced worker in charge of stirring also lowered his head.

"in addition,"

Gu Baobao walked to the extraction device and touched the outer wall of the pipe.

"Is the temperature of the cooling circulating water two degrees higher than required? This will directly affect the purity of the crystals."

Even Director Zhou's expression changed.

These details are impossible to spot at a glance unless you are extremely familiar with the process!

Gu Baobao turned around to face the crowd, her tone calm yet carrying an undeniable professionalism:

"Director Zhou, fellow veteran workers, what I'm providing isn't a rigid blueprint, but a dynamic biological process that requires precise control."

Every change in any parameter will affect the final result. A small difference can lead to a huge error.

She paused, softening her tone:

"Of course, this is not everyone's fault. This improved process is indeed more demanding and refined than the existing one. We need to work together to calibrate every step to its optimal state."

Instead of blaming others, she pointed out the problem and took the initiative to take responsibility for exploring it together.

Factory Director Zhou's tense expression relaxed considerably. He adjusted his glasses, and when he looked at Gu Baobao again, the doubt in his eyes faded, replaced by a more serious look.

"Colonel Gu is right. Our work wasn't thorough enough. So, in your opinion, how should we adjust it now?"

Gu Baobao didn't stand on ceremony and immediately gave specific instructions.

"First, reset the temperature curve strictly according to the data I provided, and then adjust the stirring rate and calibrate the timing."

Check the cooling water system to see if there are any blockages or insufficient heat exchange efficiency.

Additionally, I suggest trying an additional feeding of this batch of fermentation broth. I'll write down the formula right away to see if we can salvage the yield.

She speaks quickly, her thoughts are clear, and every instruction she gives is specific and feasible.

Factory Director Zhou no longer hesitated and immediately waved his hand:

"Did you all hear that? Do as Colonel Gu says! Xiao Wang, go get some paper and pen!"

The workshop instantly sprang into action.

Gu Baobao took the paper and pen, quickly wrote down a supplement recipe, and handed it to the master chef in charge.

Then, she rolled up her sleeves, took off her military jacket which she had already taken off and hung to the side, revealing a white shirt underneath, walked to the control panel, and personally adjusted the instrument parameters.

Sunlight streamed in through the tall skylight, falling on her focused profile. Fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, which she casually wiped away.

Those eyes, fixed on the ever-changing dashboard, shone with an astonishing brightness.

Lu Zhanming stood not far away, watching her quickly integrate and command with ease. The softest part of his heart felt as if it had been gently tickled by a feather, both itchy and full.

His baby is radiant when he's working.

Huo Zheng also breathed a sigh of relief, a relieved smile appearing on his face.

He knew that Gu Baobao had used her expertise to overcome this most difficult first hurdle.

However, while everyone's attention was drawn to the production line adjustments, no one noticed that...

In a corner of the testing workshop, an elderly worker with a hunched back, responsible for cleaning, was slowly wiping the floor with his head down.

His ears twitched slightly, engraving every word and instruction Gu Baobao spoke into his mind.

A barely perceptible glint flashed in his cloudy eyes.

A cold, icy light.

The first day in the provincial capital seemed to go smoothly.

But the eyes hidden in the shadows have already quietly opened.

A new contest began silently in the workshop, which was filled with the smell of medicine.