Chapter 131 A Subtle Sense of Unease
The testing workshop was filled with a hot, stuffy air that mixed the smells of sweat, engine oil, and the distinctive odor of fermentation liquid.
Gu Baobao stood in front of the control panel of the modified penicillin fermentation tank, her white shirt sleeves rolled up to her elbows, revealing a section of her fair but not slender, strong forearm.
Her fingers flew across the dashboard, her brow furrowed, her gaze as focused as if she were performing a delicate surgical procedure.
“Here, the pressure value is increased by another 0.05 Pa.”
Without turning her head, she spoke to the old craftsman standing beside her, her voice soft but clear and strong.
"Maintain this for three minutes, then return it to its original value. Observe the changes in the viscosity of the bacterial solution."
"Okay, all done!"
The old master craftsman is now completely convinced by her and carries out her orders without any hesitation.
Factory Director Zhou Youde stood a little distance away, hands behind his back, watching Gu Baobao give instructions in an orderly manner.
Beneath the graying eyebrows, the eyes that had originally held scrutiny and doubt were now completely replaced by amazement and admiration.
He had worked in the pharmaceutical industry his entire life, rising from a junior apprentice to the head of a factory, and considered himself quite knowledgeable.
It's unheard of for a young woman like this to be so familiar with the details of pharmaceutical processes, even able to spot problems that these veteran workers had overlooked and propose practical remedies and optimization solutions...
What's even more remarkable is that she doesn't have the arrogance or bossiness that young experts often possess.
Identify the problem, point it out, and then immediately provide a solution, rolling up your sleeves and personally getting to work on the debugging.
Sweat trickled down her smooth forehead, but she simply wiped it away with the back of her hand, her attention entirely focused on the constantly fluctuating instrument needles and the slowly flowing fermentation liquid.
He's down-to-earth, has real skills, and doesn't put on airs.
The initial reservations that Factory Director Zhou had about the other person's age and gender had long been smoothed out by the solid work he had done that morning, replaced by a sense of appreciation for talent and relief.
Fortunately, such a genius is on the side of his own country.
Gu Baobao had no time to try to figure out what Director Zhou was thinking.
Her entire focus was on the production line. Following her adjusted parameters, this batch of fermentation broth, which had previously yielded poor results, was undergoing final, emergency optimization.
If successful, it will not only save the country valuable raw materials and time, but also prove the feasibility and great value of the improved process she provided.
However, for some reason, the unease that had been lingering in her heart ever since she acquired the Crisis Intuition skill...
It feels like things are going too smoothly?
She subconsciously looked up, her gaze quickly sweeping across the workshop.
The workers were each doing their jobs. Huo Zheng was talking quietly with Factory Director Zhou at the door, while Lu Zhanming...
Her gaze fell on the figure standing tall like a pine tree in the shadows of the corner of the workshop.
Lu Zhanming did not approach or disturb her work; he simply stood there, like a silent and steadfast guardian.
His gaze lingered on her most of the time, his eyes filled with concern, appreciation, and a hint of... she didn't dare delve too deeply into the weighty implications.
Occasionally, their eyes would briefly meet in the air, and he would nod very slightly or give a reassuring look.
Without a word, it strangely eased the tension in her nerves caused by intense focus.
He seemed eager to help, but worried that his lack of expertise might cause more trouble, so he could only stay by his side and offer his support in his own way.
Gu Baobao's heart stirred slightly, and a strange warmth quietly flowed through her.
She quickly looked away, forcing herself to focus her attention back on the dashboard.
Don't get distracted!
The most important thing now is to ensure smooth production.
As time passed, the monitoring instruments showed that the key indicators of the fermentation broth were slowly and steadily changing in a positive direction.
"It's done!"
The young technician responsible for recording the data couldn't help but gasp softly, his voice filled with surprise.
"Engineer Gu! The accumulation rate of the active ingredients has increased! The impurity peaks are decreasing!"
A suppressed cheer erupted in the workshop.
The veteran craftsmen looked at Gu Baobao with undisguised admiration.
Factory Director Zhou also breathed a sigh of relief, a relieved smile spreading across his face. He stepped forward:
"Colonel Gu, you've worked hard! This morning's work has been more effective than several days of our efforts! It's almost lunchtime, let's go to the canteen for lunch first, and continue this afternoon!"
Gu Baobao checked the instrument panel, confirmed the data was stable, then straightened up, stretched her stiff neck, and nodded.
"Okay, let's let the fermentation tank run stably for a while, and then we'll come back this afternoon to take samples for testing."
She turned to grab the coat hanging to the side.
At almost the same time, Lu Zhanming stepped forward, naturally took the coat from her hand, and helped her unfold it.
Gu Baobao paused for a moment, then looked up at him.
Lu Zhanming's face showed no particular expression, and his movements were extremely natural, as if he were just doing it on a whim.
But his slightly lowered eyelashes and the way his knuckles gripped the fabric of his coat betrayed a hint of barely perceptible tension.
Gu Baobao pursed her lips, said nothing, and obediently turned around, putting her arms into the sleeves.
His fingers occasionally and inevitably brushed against her shoulder or arm, bringing a warm and rough touch through the thin fabric of her shirt.
Her ears felt uncontrollably hot, so she quickly pulled up her collar and buttoned the top button to try and hide her discomfort.
Lu Zhanming took a half step back, looking at her slightly reddened earlobes, a very faint smile flashing deep in his eyes, so quick that it was impossible to catch.
The brief, silent interaction between the two was noticed by Director Zhou and several experienced workers, who all tacitly looked away, pretending not to see it.
They're young, and they're a handsome couple, so it's normal for things to start to look promising.
The group chatted and laughed as they walked out of the workshop.
As soon as she stepped out of the workshop and onto the relatively empty factory road, Gu Baobao's unease suddenly intensified!
It was like a cold needle, piercing my heart unexpectedly!
My heart is pounding, a violent heartbeat!
Accompanied by a strong urge to return to the workshop immediately!
[WARNING! Strong malice and direct destructive intent detected against the host! Approximately 50 meters away! Direction: Inside the experimental workshop!]
The system's urgent alarm sounded almost simultaneously with her intuition!
Fifty meters!
Inside the workshop!
Someone hasn't left?!
What needs to be destroyed?
Gu Baobao's expression changed instantly. Without thinking, she turned around abruptly and rushed into the workshop!
"Baby?!"
Lu Zhanming reacted extremely quickly, catching up the instant she turned around. He didn't ask why, but instantly went into alert mode, moving even faster than her.
He always kept a half-step distance behind her, so that he could protect her at any time without blocking her way.
"Hey? Colonel Gu? Commander Lu? You guys..."
Factory Director Zhou and Huo Zheng were stunned by this sudden turn of events. Seeing the two men's serious expressions and their frantic running away, they knew something was wrong. They didn't even bother to eat and hurriedly followed them back.
Gu Baobao's lungs ached from running, her heart was pounding, and only one thought occupied her mind:
We can't let anyone sabotage the production line!
That represents the hard work of countless people and is the hope for medicines that the country urgently needs!
She rushed into the experimental workshop and immediately saw the control panel of the fermentation tank, which should have been empty.
A figure in a blue janitor's uniform, with a hunched back, was facing away from the door, one hand seemingly about to turn a knob on a dashboard!
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