Shen Tingzhou listened attentively, his brows furrowing slightly. After a moment's thought, he said, "Nian'an, nothing in life is ever smooth sailing. It's normal to encounter difficulties. When I was in the army, I often faced unexpected challenges, but as long as you don't give up, you can always find a way to solve the problem."
He paused, then continued, "The problem you're facing now is essentially a compatibility issue between materials and carriers. Since nano-coatings cannot form an effective protective film on porous food surfaces, is it possible to try a different approach? For example, pre-mixing nanomaterials with food ingredients to form a protective network inside the food, rather than just adhering to the surface?"
Shen Tingzhou's words were like a wake-up call, instantly enlightening Shen Nian'an. "That's right! How come I didn't think of that?" he exclaimed excitedly. "If nanomaterials are pre-mixed with flour, fillings, and other ingredients, during the food preparation process, the nanomaterials will be evenly distributed inside and on the surface of the food as the ingredients are mixed and shaped, forming a three-dimensional protective network. This can effectively prevent the invasion of oxygen and microorganisms!"
Seeing the light rekindled in his son's eyes, Shen Tingzhou smiled with relief: "This is just an idea. Whether it will work or not, you'll need to verify it through experiments. But remember, when you encounter difficulties, don't go down a dead end. Learn to think from a different perspective, and you might just find a way out."
"Yes! I understand, Father!" Shen Nian'an nodded emphatically, the confusion and frustration in his heart vanishing, replaced by a strong thirst for knowledge and a desire to explore. "Thank you, Father! Your reminder has enlightened me. I'll go back to the lab now and redesign the experimental plan according to this idea!"
"Don't rush," Shen Tingzhou pulled him back. "It's already very late. Health is the foundation of everything. Go home and rest first, and you can devote yourself to the experiment tomorrow."
Shen Nian'an glanced at his watch; it was already past 1 a.m. He smiled sheepishly, "I was so focused on the experiment that I forgot the time. Dad, let's go home."
Back home, Lin Wanqiu hadn't rested yet and was waiting for them in the living room. Seeing her son return, she immediately went to greet him, saying with concern, "Nian'an, why are you back so late? Are you hungry? I left you a midnight snack."
"Mom, I'm not hungry," Shen Nian'an said with an excited smile. "I just encountered a problem, but thanks to Father's reminder, I now have a solution!"
He couldn't wait to tell Lin Wanqiu about Shen Tingzhou's suggestion and his new ideas. Lin Wanqiu listened and a relieved smile appeared on her face: "Nian'an, your father is right. That's how research and development is. You need to keep trying and innovating. I believe in you. As long as you persevere, you will definitely succeed."
"Yes!" Shen Nian'an nodded, her heart filled with confidence.
The next morning, Shen Nian'an couldn't wait to arrive at the research and development center. Following the new approach, he redesigned the experimental plan: mixing nanomaterials with flour in different proportions to make osmanthus cake bases, then baking, cooling, packaging, and finally testing their preservation performance.
To obtain experimental results as quickly as possible, Shen Nian'an devoted all his energy to the task. He arrived at the laboratory early every day to prepare raw materials, debug equipment, and conduct experiments. At noon, he would only eat a few bites of boxed lunch before immediately returning to work. His colleagues in the research and development team were also inspired by his enthusiasm and actively joined the experiments. Some helped prepare raw materials, some assisted in testing, and some analyzed the experimental data together.
Thanks to the team's joint efforts, the experiment progressed very smoothly. When the first batch of osmanthus cake samples made using the new process entered the 25th day of preservation testing, the test data showed that the number of microorganisms in the samples was still within a safe range, the moisture loss rate was only 5%, and the texture remained soft and delicate, almost indistinguishable from freshly made osmanthus cake.
"Great! The preliminary experiment was a success!" Shen Nian'an looked at the data on the computer screen and was so excited he almost jumped up. His eyes glistened with tears; all the hard work and effort of the past few days had turned into a great sense of accomplishment.
However, Shen Nian'an was not complacent. He knew that the initial success of the experiment was just the beginning; a series of problems needed to be solved before this technology could be applied to actual production. For example, how to precisely control the proportion of nanomaterials added? Would adding them affect the flavor and nutrition of the product? How to optimize process parameters for large-scale production?
To address these issues, Shen Nian'an embarked on a new round of experiments. He designed multiple sets of different nanomaterial addition ratios to comprehensively test the flavor, nutrition, texture, and preservation performance of the osmanthus cake. He used gas chromatography to analyze changes in the product's flavor compounds, used spectrometers to detect the content of nutritional components, and organized a professional sensory evaluation team to score the product's taste, color, and aroma.
In this process, Shen Nian'an encountered another challenge. When the proportion of nanomaterials added was too high, although the preservation effect was better, the osmanthus cake would become somewhat hard and would also have a faint metallic taste, affecting the consumer's eating experience; while when the proportion added was too low, the preservation effect did not meet expectations.
"It seems the proportion of nanomaterials added is key; we must find a balance," Shen Nian'an thought to himself. He fell into deep thought once again, constantly flipping through materials and consulting industry experts, trying to find a solution to the problem.
At this moment, Sister Li, a senior researcher at the R&D center, walked up to him. Seeing his worried look, she smiled and said, "Nian'an, are you having some trouble? I've noticed you've been struggling with the proportion of nanomaterials you're adding these past few days."
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