Twenty years of cold chain

Under Hu Shutong's advocacy, Luan Pingxin's Refrigeration Technology Research Institute received substantial support from the Qingyan industry. Meanwhile, Lei Xiaoxi was also actively applying for technical research projects. In terms of personnel, there were more than ten experts from the Refrigeration Society, and Hu Shutong also applied to Qingning University to form an advisory team specifically for the Refrigeration Research Institute.

For the Luan family, Luan Pingxin's return was a great joy. Luan Qizhen strongly supported his daughter's career, providing substantial financial support for the renovation of the old newspaper office and various technical investments.

Thus, in early May, through the combined efforts of all parties, the Refrigeration Technology Research Institute was finally completed. This is the first refrigeration technology research institution in Qingyan City. This field has a bright future but a shortage of talent. Luan Pingxin, a graduate student from Longshan University, and his various research and development experience have attracted the attention of relevant municipal departments, who also delivered a speech on the day of the unveiling to encourage him.

Busy Hu Shutong did not attend the unveiling ceremony. He arrived at the research institute on the third day. The institute was a small five-story old newspaper building that had been renovated. The first floor was used for exhibitions and receptions, while the other floor was used as an office area and equipment area.

For months, Hu Shutong had been running around and making various contacts for the refrigeration research institute, and he had not broken his promise to Luan Pingxin. Now that he had finally witnessed its birth, Luan Pingxin should have been overjoyed to see Hu Shutong, but beneath her calm demeanor, there was a hint of unease.

Hu Shutong immediately sensed something was wrong. "Pingxin, what's wrong?"

"Shutong, Director Lei has approved it, and the research and development funds can be allocated in batches according to the progress of the research and development."

"That's a good thing, why are you still so melancholy?"

"This project is a special case, and I may not be able to focus on refrigeration work for a while."

"What kind of project is it?"

Luan Pingxin hesitated for a moment, then hesitated to speak. "It's a medical freezer project from the provincial department. In the future, it will be provided to the disease control centers in various counties and towns, specifically for immunization programs."

Luan Pingxin found it difficult to speak about this because the establishment of the research institute was deeply intertwined with cold chain logistics. Hu Shutong, relying on the promising prospects of this field, secured cooperation agreements between various cold chain parks and the research institute. The strong support from the industry could also be considered a significant qualification for the research institute. All these factors combined led to the granting of this provincial project.

However, he didn't see a trace of disappointment on Hu Shutong's face. Instead, he asked with bright eyes, "Is it because of this?"

"Yes, I've been worrying about it all night and I don't know how to tell you."

"Pingxin, this is a refrigeration technology research institute, not a food refrigeration or cold storage technology institute. What are you worrying about?"

"I understand all of that, but I know how this research institute got started. How are you going to explain those things to them?"

Hu Shutong smiled slightly, seemingly unconcerned, "We're already up, what's the big deal about smoothing things over? Just focus on the provincial project, don't worry about anything else."

If Hu Shutong can't even understand this, he's far too narrow-minded. Food safety is important, but isn't disease control and prevention equally important? Both are top priorities for people's livelihood. The mission of this research institute is refrigeration technology, which should be applied to all industries. It should start from a core point and develop refrigeration technology research in various fields, rather than being an appendage to any one field.

As the cold chain industry has developed to its current state, it would be too short-sighted for someone in the industry to think that the term only refers to food. Besides food cold chains, our country is also exploring and making progress in areas such as pharmaceutical cold chains, liquefied natural gas cold chains, and emergency cold chains.

All of this hinges on the fundamental premise of "coldness." After some further thought, a sense of encouragement welled up in Hu Shutong's heart. The lagging support for the food cold chain was, in his mind, not worth dwelling on. This medical freezer incident, in fact, gave the Refrigeration Research Institute a new purpose, undoubtedly allowing Luan Pingxin to fully unleash his potential!

He used to worry about the potential for disappointment after Luan Pingxin's return, but now he no longer needs to. He's in charge of the refrigeration technology, and Luan Pingxin will reap the rewards of her independent achievements and immense satisfaction. Thinking about it, this is truly a grand vision for the cold chain industry!

Looking at Hu Shutong's silent smile, Luan Pingxin felt an indescribable sense of relief. She realized that her worries were unnecessary; the future envisioned by the person before her was even more glorious and exciting than she had anticipated.

Putting aside these distant matters, for them personally right now, it's no longer a matter of flying thousands of miles; it's more like, you're in the city and I'm in the suburbs, you're making refrigeration and I'm making cooling. After so many years, they've finally settled down, their hearts are completely at peace, and they no longer have to face the worries of both sets of parents every day.

The two of them ate lunch in the afternoon, sitting by the window in a restaurant. The weather wasn't very good today; there was an indescribable gloom, the trees weren't swaying, and the clouds weren't moving.

Suddenly, everyone felt a slight tremor, not very strong but enough to be frightening.

"Earthquake! Earthquake!" people shouted one after another.

By evening, the news had spread throughout the country!

Epicenter: Wenchuan!

……

I've loved cold chain logistics for twenty years.