Since being appointed as a technology confidentiality specialist, he seems to have found a new direction in his life.
"Parent plant No. 17, main stem height 42.3 cm, third true leaf unfolding 8.7 cm, no obvious signs of disease or pests."
Su Mingqiang read it softly, the pen tip scratching on the paper.
His voice was soft, yet it carried a long-lost firmness.
"The notes are very professional."
A clear female voice came from behind, and Su Mingqiang's hand trembled, almost knocking a leaf off.
He turned around and saw a young woman in a white lab coat standing at the entrance of the greenhouse. Sunlight formed a halo behind her, making her skin appear exceptionally fair.
"Sorry, I startled you."
The woman took a few steps closer and extended her hand.
"I am Zhou Xiaobai, a researcher sent by the Academy of Agricultural Sciences, responsible for assisting in variety protection work."
Su Mingqiang took off his gloves and shook hands with her. The moment his hand touched her fingertips, a strange warmth spread from his palm.
Zhou Xiaobai's hands were long and strong, with neatly trimmed nails that were not painted with any color.
"Su Mingqiang, the base's technical security specialist."
He gave a brief self-introduction, his voice a few decibels louder than usual.
Zhou Xiaobai smiled and nodded, her eyes curving into two crescent moons.
"I know you. Minister Wang specifically mentioned that your knowledge of these varieties is unparalleled."
She walked to the seedbed, bent down to observe the cucumber seedlings, and a strand of black hair slipped from behind her ear and fell beside her cheek.
Su Mingqiang noticed that her eyelashes were very long and had a faint brown tinge in the sunlight.
"This variety's cold resistance is truly amazing."
Zhou Xiaobai took a small detector out of his bag.
"Can I take a small sample of the leaf? I need to do genetic marker analysis."
Su Mingqiang hesitated for a moment.
"According to regulations, both Minister Wang and I must be present for any sample collection."
Zhou Xiaobai raised an eyebrow, then nodded in understanding.
"Of course, procedure is important. Shall we go find Minister Wang now?"
"He's at the experimental field in the eastern district."
Su Mingqiang glanced at his watch.
"This is the time to inspect the newly installed drip irrigation system there."
"Drip irrigation system?"
Zhou Xiaobai's eyes lit up.
"That's exactly what I wanted to see. I heard you've independently developed an anti-freezing system suitable for the northern climate?"
When technical issues were brought up, Su Mingqiang's expression visibly relaxed.
"Yes, we improved upon the Israeli design by incorporating a geothermal cycle..."
The two discussed technical details as they walked toward the experimental field.
Su Mingqiang discovered that Zhou Xiaobai's understanding of agricultural technology far exceeded his expectations. She could not only accurately point out the advantages and disadvantages of various systems, but also put forward practical suggestions for improvement.
What research area do you conduct at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences?
Su Mingqiang couldn't help but ask.
The combined application of plant genetic engineering and organic agriculture.
Zhou Xiaobai answered.
Simply put, it's about how to cultivate the best varieties in the most natural way.
Su Mingqiang frowned slightly.
"Organic farming? That yield..."
"I know what you want to say."
Zhou Xiaobai interrupted him with a smile.
"Most people believe that organic equals low yield, but our experiments have shown that, under scientific management, organic farming can produce yields that are equal to or even higher than those of traditional methods."
Su Mingqiang shrugged noncommittally, but he made a mental note of the idea and planned to check it out when he had time.
When they found Minister Wang, the soldier was squatting on the edge of the field inspecting the water pipe connections.
Seeing the two approaching, he stood up and patted the dirt off his hands.
"Researcher Zhou, welcome to Sujiatun!"
Minister Wang shook hands warmly.
"Has Technician Su already given you a tour?"
"Currently on tour."
Zhou Xiaobai smiled.
"We just happened to be discussing drip irrigation systems. Technician Su's understanding of the system was impressive."
Minister Wang gave Su Mingqiang an approving look.
"Mingqiang is one of our key technical personnel; he was the one who proposed the modification and design of this system."
Su Mingqiang's ears burned slightly; he wasn't used to such praise.
Since his release from prison, he had lived in self-doubt until he was given a job with classified technology, which slowly helped him regain some confidence.
"Researcher Zhou wants to collect some samples for gene analysis."
Su Mingqiang changed the subject.
"Your approval is required."
"no problem."
Minister Wang readily nodded.
"You two will be jointly responsible for sample collection and storage, and will supervise each other. This is the highest level of protection."
For the next few days, Su Mingqiang and Zhou Xiaobai were almost inseparable.
Together they collected samples, recorded data, and analyzed growth conditions.
Zhou Xiaobai brought advanced experimental equipment and technology, while Su Mingqiang provided in-depth understanding of the characteristics of the varieties.
One evening, while the two were organizing data in the lab, Zhou Xiaobai suddenly asked a question.
"Did you study agriculture? Your observation and data analysis skills are very professional."
Su Mingqiang paused for a moment, his eyes dimming.
"No... I worked in a steel rolling mill after graduating from high school, and I learned all of this through practice."
Zhou Xiaobai keenly noticed the change in his emotions, but did not ask any further questions. Instead, she pointed to the data charts on her notebook and explained.
"Look at this growth curve. Our variety performs 15% better than its Dutch counterparts at low temperatures, which is amazing."
Su Mingqiang gave her a grateful look and leaned closer to his notebook to analyze the data.
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