Chapter Sixty-Eight: Versatile
When Lin Yu received Jiang Chuan's call, he was clutching his Shinkansen ticket stub, dragging his suitcase, and dizzily searching for the exit.
Japan's transportation network is as intricate as a spider web, and she, who has no sense of direction once she leaves her neighborhood, almost got lost in the surging crowds.
In March, the wind in Kyoto still carried a slight chill. She hunched her shoulders, buried half her face in the collar of her down jacket, and stood at the exit she had arranged to meet Jiang Chuan at, searching for that familiar figure in the crowd.
A familiar voice came from behind. "Banban!"
Lin Yu turned around and saw Jiang Chuan walking towards her through the crowd. He was wearing a dark gray cashmere coat, which made his figure appear even more upright.
Jiang Chuan naturally took her suitcase and casually ruffled Lin Yu's hair. "Are you tired?"
Lin Yu shook his head, grinned, and snuggled closer, wrapping his arm around Jiang Chuan's waist and nuzzling his chest. "Thank you for the sponsorship, Mr. Jiang!"
The first-class seats on the Shinkansen were spacious and comfortable, and as soon as Lin Yu sat down, the flight attendants brought him hot towels, drinks, and snacks. Lin Yu had been eating, drinking, and organizing his business trip documents the whole way, and before he knew it, the train had arrived in Kyoto.
This business trip was arranged a month ago. As the domestic waste-to-energy market gradually becomes saturated, the company has begun to turn its attention to the Southeast Asian market.
This trip was personally led by Dean Li and the leaders of the Overseas Business Department, who came specifically to investigate Japan's advanced waste incineration technology.
On Tuesday, after arriving at Haneda Airport, the company immediately visited several large incineration plants in Tokyo.
What impressed Lin Yu most during the visit was the planning concept of the Shinkoto Incineration Plant. The Japanese government packaged the incineration plant with public facilities such as parks, swimming pools, and botanical gardens.
This would allow nearby residents to enjoy free parks and recreational facilities built alongside the power plant. This would also make people more psychologically accepting of the waste incineration plant.
In theory, this is not a completely new concept, but it has rarely been introduced in domestic power plants because its cost is too high, which deviates from the original intention of small and medium-sized enterprises in China to make a profit.
Therefore, the focus of this business trip was, on the one hand, to discuss cooperation, and on the other hand, to focus on how to achieve more efficient technological improvements at a lower cost.
Lin Yu kept taking pictures with his camera, and his notebook was filled with technical parameters of the power plant's operating equipment.
The dean specifically instructed her to compile everyone's materials into a PPT and prepare for a special discussion at the institute after returning to the company next Monday.
After a packed three-day business trip, the boss gave the younger staff members a break. With three days left before returning home, Lin Yu suddenly had some free time. Back at the hotel, he couldn't wait to call Jiang Chuan.
The phone rang for a long time before being answered, the clinking of glasses and laughter filling the air, which Lin Yu could hear clearly through the phone. She joked, "Taking so long to answer, were you watching a show in the red-light district?"
Jiang Chuan chuckled softly from the other end of the phone. "Banban, this is actually quite hard to find in Kyoto. If you're interested, I'll take you to Shinjuku next time."
"Pah, it was clearly you who wanted to see it," Lin Yu said with a blush and a laugh.
Jiang Chuan and his colleagues were having a meal at a Wagyu beef restaurant next to Kiyomizu-dera Temple. The marbled beef sizzled on the charcoal fire, dripping with fat and emitting an enticing aroma.
The background noise gradually faded away, and the soft sound of a wooden door sliding closed behind him. Jiang Chuan, phone in hand, got up and left his seat, the camphor wood door closing silently behind him.
He walked through the corridor on the moonlit bluestone slabs and stopped beside a quiet courtyard with a dry landscape garden. In the distance, the clear sound of a startled deer striking a stone bowl echoed through the mist.
Lin Yu angrily gulped down a mouthful of matcha beer he'd just bought from the supermarket downstairs. "That's so unfair!"
She complained into the phone, "I'm working hard here, while you're taking your employees on a trip!" The beer tasted like bitter melon, and she reflexively gagged.
Jiang Chuan keenly caught Lin Yu's voice and asked with concern, "What's wrong?"
Lin Yu looked at the beer in his hand, which had a strange green hue, and said half-jokingly, "It's nothing, work is just too nauseating!"
The early spring night breeze swept through the courtyard, rustling the unopened branches of the maple trees, and the gravel gleamed with a cold white light under the moonlight.
"You need to catch the early bus tomorrow, so get some rest!" Jiang Chuan's voice was exceptionally clear in the quiet background.
They agreed to meet in Kyoto after Lin Yu finished her official business. Although Jiang Chuan was worried about her long journey, he suggested that she could take a later train.
However, considering that he had to fly back to Shanghai on Sunday night, Lin Yu was unwilling to waste time sleeping, so after thinking it over, he decided to buy a ticket for the earliest Shinkansen train.
After picking up Lin Yu, the two had a simple meal nearby. During the meal, Jiang Chuan asked her about her business trip. Recalling what she had seen and heard along the way, Lin Yu had a sudden thought, feeling that perhaps she could get some new ideas from him.
“You know, power plants abroad are really different from those in China.” Lin Yu put down his chopsticks, thought for a moment, and said, “Their plant areas are cleaner, and the level of automation is also very high.”
“That’s normal.” Jiang Chuan wiped his mouth and smiled slightly at Lin Yu. “Waste-to-energy technology has been around for decades or even centuries in places like Japan.”
"Domestic design standards and technical levels are definitely relatively lagging behind. Therefore, the initial focus is mostly on waste treatment capacity, with less emphasis on refined operations."
"You know this too?" Lin Yu exclaimed in surprise, his eyes widening in genuine admiration.
“I need to know a little about your situation.” Jiang Chuan smiled, his tone gentle. “The gaps you mentioned are often limited by policies, regulations, and economic factors, and can’t be rushed. However, the pace of catching up in China over the past few years has been very fast.”
Lin Yu nodded in agreement and continued, "That's right. Take the dry and wet waste sorting as an example. Unlike in the past, foreign countries rarely mix high-moisture kitchen waste in and burn it directly."
"Therefore, their waste calorific value will be more stable, and the entire combustion process will be more controllable and easier to predict."
For this reason, domestic power plants have to be more meticulous and complex in their staffing, and often rely more on experienced operators for manual intervention and adjustments.
"Didn't you say you wanted to get a professional title?" Jiang Chuan pushed the teacup in his hand in front of Lin Yu and added slowly, "The automation level problem you just analyzed is a very good research direction and breakthrough."
In the past, the labor cost of adding a few operators was likely far lower than investing in a complex, fully automated control system. Therefore, from an economic perspective, companies did not deliberately reduce their workforce but instead focused on cultivating a more advanced automation ecosystem.
However, this situation is rapidly changing due to rising labor costs. In recent years, China has been vigorously developing waste sorting and management, and the cleanliness of waste will only continue to improve. Cities like Shanghai have even begun to catch up with international standards.
Lin Yu suddenly understood. His company had its own independently developed boilers and laboratories, which were natural advantages. Perhaps it was time to utilize these resources and focus on refining the control system.
Jiang Chuan rented a four-wheel drive Land Rover in downtown Kyoto and drove straight to Hakodate Mountain after dinner. Lin Yu sat in the passenger seat, fiddling with the Switch that Jiang Chuan had bought for her in Tokyo, inserting the game cartridge into the console's slot.
The car sped along the highway on the west bank of Lake Biwa, and the scenery outside the window flowed like a scroll painting, gradually changing from the ancient capital to the natural landscape of Lake Biwa.
In March, spring is in the air in Japan. Early cherry blossoms adorn the mountains that have not yet shed their winter coats, and the surface of Lake Biwa is as wide as a mirror, with the occasional waterbird flying by during the winter. Willows along the Kamo River sprout tender green buds, creating a picturesque scene against the backdrop of lingering snow on the mountainside.
"I should have brought a telephoto lens." Lin Yu looked up from the game interface and sighed softly as he gazed at the ever-changing scenery outside the car window.
As we entered Takashima City, the altimeter readings steadily climbed. The setting sun gilded the surrounding mountains and forests, and as evening approached, the Land Rover finally pulled into the onsen hotel we had booked in Egawa.
The hotel is situated on the shores of Lake Biwa, very close to the cruise ship port. Although the decor retains the ostentatious style of the last century, almost all the rooms face the lake, and one can still feel the exuberance of the economic bubble era.
Jiang Chuan's reserved suite featured a private open-air hot spring, offering a panoramic view of the shimmering lake. However, Lin Yu, weary from his journey, had no time to enjoy it. He quickly took a hot shower and then sank into the fluffy bedding, falling into a deep sleep.
When she opened her eyes again, it was already completely dark outside the window.
She rubbed her sleepy eyes and saw Jiang Chuan leaning against the armchair by the French windows, a half-read copy of "The Blade" resting on his lap. He was engrossed in playing Lin Yu's game console.
The iron-gray lake reflected the moonlight, casting a lonely silver halo on his silhouette.
"Attorney Jiang is truly multi-talented." Lin Yu found it fascinating, got up and leaned against the headboard, her voice still soft from just waking up.
Jiang Chuan closed his book, placed the game console on the table beside him, walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed, took her small hand, which was warm from the blankets, and asked softly, "Are you hungry? Shall I take you to eat?"
The two took the elevator to the top floor of the hotel, where a waiter led them to the floor-to-ceiling window, pulled out a chair for Lin Yu, and handed her a bilingual menu.
Omi beef is a specialty here. Although he couldn't understand Japanese very well, the pictures of the marbled beef made Lin Yu's eyes widen.
She pointed to the two pictures with the most meat, expressing to Jiang Chuan her determination to eat a whole cow. Seeing her eager expression, Jiang Chuan smiled and ordered a Wagyu beef set meal for two from the waiter.
The meal lasted nearly two hours. Jiang Chuan rested his chin on his hand and watched Lin Yu put the last piece of sea bream covered in golden egg liquid into his mouth. His Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.
"Watching you eat, even your miso soup tastes like it's from a Michelin-starred restaurant."
"Of course." Lin Yu wiped his mouth with a tissue, pointed to the spot where his wisdom tooth had been extracted, and chuckled with lingering relish, "If you were to go on a seven-day fast like me, eating nothing but bland food, you could taste the full Manchu Han Imperial Feast even from the soles of your shoes!"
The next morning, after having breakfast in his room, Jiang Chuan received a call from the concierge, informing him that the adjusted ski equipment had been loaded onto the shuttle bus.
The hotel is located at the foot of Mount Hakodate, just a three-minute walk from the ski resort. The two guests were transported by a private shuttle through a VIP channel directly to the ski resort's operations center.
Inside the rest area, Jiang Chuan leaned his skis against a bench and changed into a black ski suit that had been prepared in advance.
He pulled his mask up to his nose and put his goggles over his helmet, leaving only his narrow, sharp eyes visible. He looked like a sword sheathed in its sheath.
He looked down at Lin Yu, who was wearing a pink snowsuit and sitting in a chair with her hair tied into two braids.
Jiang Chuan walked over, knelt on one knee in front of her, tightened the straps of her overalls, took her snowshoes, flicked open the tongues, grabbed Lin Yu's calf with one hand, and slipped her foot into the boots.
With his other hand, he skillfully pulled the buckle on the ski boot until the metal parts clicked shut, precisely locking Lin Yu's ankle. Lin Yu shifted her legs restlessly, the restraint of the ski boot making her want to break free.
"Don't move!" Jiang Chuan lowered his head, his brows furrowed slightly, grabbed her unruly calf, and skillfully fastened the buckle of her other snowshoe with his slender fingers, as if he were adjusting some precision instrument.
"When you fall, remember to turn to the side to absorb the force, and never use your hands to brace yourself!" Jiang Chuan stood up, supporting himself on his knees. His tall figure loomed over him. He put on his snow goggles, and his gaze pierced through the lenses as he looked at himself.
"Got it?"
"Okay, Teacher Jiang!" Lin Yu deliberately dragged out the last syllable, jumped up and threw herself into his arms, her nose bumping against his cold snowsuit.
The two sat facing each other in the spacious cable car, which slowly ascended towards the summit. The entire mountain silently exuded dense, dry white ice crystals with each breath, shimmering with a delicate diamond-like luster in the morning light.
As the cable car reached its destination, Lin Yu jumped off, the snow spray that hit her face carrying the fresh scent of pine needles. Wearing heavy snowshoes, she moved forward comically like a penguin, leaving two rows of clumsy footprints in the powdery snow.
Lin Yu walked ahead, stepping on the soft snow. He tilted his head back and took a deep breath. The crispness of the pine trees and the purity of the first snow intertwined, invigorating him.
The snow scene before us was breathtakingly beautiful. The entire snowfield shimmered under the azure sky, stretching along the pristine white slopes all the way to the shores of Lake Biwa.
The mirror-like lake water, like the shadow of the sky, is embedded in the pure white world, connecting with the horizon, and shimmering with a dreamy blue light in the morning glow.
Jiang Chuan followed behind at a leisurely pace, carrying the two of them on their snowboards. The VIP passage allowed them to avoid the crowds, and the vast ski resort was so quiet that the rustling of the wind through the pine trees could be heard.
The smooth snow surface had only a few tracks left by the snow groomer. The beginner slopes facing the camp were gentle and of moderate width, making it the perfect place for a novice like her to regain her feel for skiing.
Lin Yu turned to look at Jiang Chuan as he unloaded his snowboards on the snow beside him, and asked, in a very considerate but belated manner, "Is it heavy?"
"Sink!"
Jiang Chuan pulled his mask down a little, revealing half of his high, straight nose.
"My hands are so sore, I need my girlfriend to massage them!"
His answer was a handful of snowflakes flying towards him. Lin Yu watched the snowflakes bloom on his snowsuit, then proudly raised his chin. "Dream on!"
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