Twenty years of cold chain

Even before the Spring Festival, Hu Shutong received an invitation from the School of Food Science and Engineering of Qingning University, hoping that he could give a lecture at the school when the semester starts in March.

The college's invitation letter highlighted the significance of the lecture. Tongxing is both an Olympic supplier and a key logistics enterprise in the city, enjoying high recognition within the Food Science College, especially in the cold chain logistics major. They possess a wealth of firsthand experience that students can learn from and reflect upon. Furthermore, Hu Shutong is an early graduate of the same major, capable of directly imparting knowledge on technical equipment and cold chain system operations to the students, ensuring seamless communication in all aspects.

Hu Shutong readily agreed, which was actually part of the industry declaration at the time, including the establishment of special scholarships, market safety training, and campus talent development.

To this end, Hu Shutong spent nearly half a month personally preparing the lecture materials. All the content was typed out word by word. Apart from a few data points, there was no reference to other materials. The entire lecture was Hu Shutong's understanding of the current state of cold chain logistics.

Unlike my own university days, where the gap between us was used to motivate us and losses to serve as a warning, and unlike back then when everything abroad was considered good and we had to learn everything from them, today's cold chain teaching materials are already abundant. The college also compiles excellent domestic and international journals of the year. There is no need to mention things like the advantages of extruded insulation materials or the prospects of modified atmosphere packaging.

According to Hu Shutong, students should be told more about the importance of standardization, the necessity of low energy consumption, and the urgency of industry consolidation. We certainly still need to strive to catch up, but we cannot simply chase after others blindly. Our cold chain has already reached a considerable scale; now we need to develop our own pace, one that suits our industry and national conditions. Simply imitating foreign practices and believing that everything can be learned and imitated is not progress, but rather a sign of intellectual stagnation.

Furthermore, Hu Shutong emphasized to the students the overall landscape of the cold chain industry. He presented data illustrating the nationwide demand, dividing the explanation into sections covering aquatic products, meat, fruits and vegetables, and dairy products. He aimed to show the students that anyone willing to dedicate themselves to this field is a highly sought-after and valuable talent.

Moreover, we have already passed through the darkest years, and now the world is vast and open, awaiting flying fish and soaring eagles.

He also made no attempt to refrain from discussing representative cases of food safety issues, using the negative example to demonstrate how important standardization and formalization are, and what tragedies can result from their absence.

On the day of the lecture, the academic lecture hall of Qingning University was filled with students. Except for seniors who were doing internships, the other three years of students majoring in cold chain logistics were required to attend. However, it was not mandatory for students majoring in food science such as plant protein engineering and grain starch engineering.

Hu Shutong is undoubtedly a celebrity in the refrigeration engineering field. Whether it's case studies presented by professors in the classroom or industry reports online, Tongxing's presence has been ubiquitous in recent years, and its transformation is readily apparent. For students who harbor entrepreneurial aspirations, Hu Shutong is a true idol.

This is a very large lecture hall with one or two thousand seats. Apart from the college leaders and teachers in the first row, the students are all sitting close to the front.

Without any unnecessary steps, the lecture started on time. After a brief self-introduction, Hu Shutong got straight to the point.

Moving beyond purely academic theory, the presentation unfolds step-by-step according to the logic of practice, analyzing specific problems in specific ways, offering everyone a fresh perspective and revealing a different side of the cold chain. Furthermore, Hu Shutong possesses seasoned on-site experience, deeply understanding how to engage and inspire people.

Everything was new to the textbooks, yet built upon them. But cold chain logistics had never been so vivid, and the connection between academic studies and cold chain logistics had never been so clear. More importantly, throughout the process, Hu Shutong, through his firsthand experience and the birth and growth of Tongxing, instilled in students the value of high-level talent in higher education institutions, giving them a sense of being needed by the industry and the nation. The vast opportunities for application and the overwhelming demand for human resources provided a tremendous boost.

During the lecture, Hu Shutong noticed a student sitting alone in a corner at the far end, about 30 or 40 meters away from the students huddled together in front. Despite the bright lights, all that could be seen was that he was wearing a gray coat and kept his head down the entire time.

The nearly two-hour lecture didn't feel long to the students, who watched Hu Shutong leave amidst enthusiastic applause. Outside the lecture hall, Hu Shutong chatted with the college leaders for a while, politely declining the banquet that evening, as Tongxing also had a reception tonight, and he needed to rush back immediately.

As Hu Shutong walked toward the parking lot, someone followed him closely. In fact, while Hu Shutong was talking with the college leaders, he noticed that the person was standing under a tree, seemingly waiting. It was the student from that corner.

Hu Shutong glanced at the student and saw that he was looking down with his hands in his pockets. If it were nighttime, such a scene would probably frighten people.

And so, Hu Shutong walked as fast as he could, following him all the way to the empty parking lot.

Hu Shutong turned around, completely obscuring the student's face. His clothes were extremely simple, with cloth shoes that clearly showed his big toes were stretched thin. His head was half-lowered, giving him a deep and thoughtful appearance, and his hands, tightly clasped in his pockets, seemed to be clutching something, inevitably leading one to think of other things.

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Mr. Hu, I want to thank you."

As he spoke, he raised his head, and this raised head was significant. Hu Shutong's eyes immediately lit up. He saw that his neck was covered with dense black spots, or rather, a layer of grayish-black skin.

In a short while, Hu Shutong's wary expression disappeared. This was a strange disease called "ichthyosis," mostly caused by genetics. This disease is incurable and is most severe in late winter and early spring. It has no noticeable symptoms, and apart from its appearance, it is no different from a normal person.

However, it must be said that this disease can easily cause discomfort, especially for those who are afraid of snakes, who may scream if they get close to them.

"Thank me? Thank me for what?"

"I received the scholarship for last semester that you sent me the day before yesterday."

Hu Shutong smiled and said, "I didn't post that; it was set by the industry."

"I can only meet with you, and you represent the industry."

After saying that, he immediately lowered his head, rubbing his chin from side to side, as if he didn't want to reveal any gap.

"Mr. Hu, my name is Meng Qiangqiang, and I'm a freshman in college."

Although it was their first meeting, Hu Shutong understood many things. He took out a business card and handed it to Hu Shutong, saying, "My phone number is on it. You can contact me in the future, whether it's for your studies or anything else."

Meng Qiangqiang twisted his arms and rotated his shoulders, and after a while, he stretched out his hands. What came into Hu Shutong's view were a pair of hands that looked like those of a seventy or eighty-year-old man. He slowly took the business card, and then quickly put it in his pocket.

As the car drove away, Meng Qiangqiang did not wave goodbye.

Instead, he stood still and bowed deeply.

……

I've loved cold chain logistics for twenty years.