Genius Club

Chapter 42: Stealing and Theft

Xu Yun picked up the manuscript, his actions tinged with a sense of desperate irony. “Desperate times call for desperate measures,” he murmured to himself.

The idea that a student from an art college might solve the complex ice crystal issue was as ludicrous as imagining Van Gogh repairing a lithography machine. Nevertheless, Xu Yun adjusted his glasses and began to pore over the manuscript with intense focus.

Initially, he thought the young man had simply conducted a decent amount of research. However, as he delved deeper, his expression grew more serious.

“He understands this? How did he come up with this?” Xu Yun muttered in disbelief.

He cleared his cluttered lab table, placed the manuscript squarely in front of him, and sat up straight, ready to delve into the finer details.

“Something is missing here,” he mumbled, puzzled. “How did he arrive at this conclusion? The process seems a bit disjointed, but it somehow connects.”

The manuscript appeared fragmented and somewhat incomplete. He flipped through it carefully, checking for any pages that might have been misplaced or bound incorrectly. Finding none, he scratched his head and continued his analysis.

Beads of sweat formed on Xu Yun’s forehead as he progressed. “This manuscript… it’s truly remarkable!”

As a seasoned professional, he recognized from just the initial pages that, despite its logical leaps and occasional flaws, this was a legitimate piece of research. It wasn’t a fabrication or the work of a novice; it was underpinned by experimental data and real scientific parameters.

The first part of the manuscript was straightforward, covering basic concepts. Yet, the latter sections introduced “novel ideas” that Xu Yun had never contemplated.

He turned another page, revealing sections dense with chemical equations, formulas, molecular structures, and experimental data—this was the treasure he had been seeking!

Without hesitation, Xu Yun sprang into action. He cleared his mind and began meticulously following the experimental data and procedures outlined in the manuscript. It provided detailed parameters and reaction formulas, which facilitated straightforward replication.

Though some equations seemed disjointed and there were noticeable gaps in the methodology, Xu Yun’s extensive background in this field allowed him to bridge these gaps intuitively.

It didn’t take long for him to prepare the anti-ice crystal substance, reputed to bond deeply with water molecules. Xu Yun set up a microscope and a freezing box, prepared to conduct a live cell experiment.

Taking a deep breath, he initiated the temperature reduction in the freezing box.

3°C, -8°C, -17°C, -27°C…

As the temperature plummeted, Xu Yun’s heart raced. Ice crystals began to form on the glass walls of the freezing box, but the live cells under the microscope remained active. The cytoplasm still flowed slowly, showing no signs of freezing or crystallization.

Xu Yun was astounded. “Bring in the liquid nitrogen!” he exclaimed, then remembered he had no assistant. He dashed to the storage room, grabbed a bottle of liquid nitrogen, and cautiously introduced it to the system.

Liquid nitrogen, with its temperature hovering around -200°C, represents an extreme cold that few substances can withstand. As Xu Yun carefully incorporated it into the freezing box, the temperature displayed on the computer screen plunged.

-87°C, -156°C, -187°C…

Finally, the temperature stabilized at -191°C. Under the microscope, the live cells had almost ceased movement but remained unfrozen. Minute movements were still detectable, and the intracellular fluid showed no signs of crystallization; it flowed exceedingly slowly.

“No ice crystals… no ice crystals!” Xu Yun exclaimed, almost incoherently thrilled. “At -200°C, the cells are still active without forming any ice crystals!”

Overcome with emotion, Xu Yun collapsed onto the floor. Years of frustration, countless failures, and a decade of professional isolation flooded his mind. He thought of his daughter, frail and bedridden.

“Yi Yi… Dad finally succeeded…”

It took a moment for Xu Yun to compose himself. Standing up, he cradled Lin Xian’s manuscript like a sacred text. The experiment had validated its accuracy.

“Solving the ice crystal problem means we’re just one step away from perfecting the hibernation chamber fluid,” he realized excitedly. “This manuscript took just two pages to resolve the ice crystal issue… the remaining pages must contain the formula and method for preparing the chamber fluid.”

But a larger question loomed in his mind.

“Where did this manuscript originate?”

Xu Yun knew instantly that Lin Xian, who had delivered the manuscript, was not the original researcher. It was too sophisticated for someone simply relaying information.

“I remember… that young man’s name was Lin Xian?”

Recalling his conversation with Lin Xian:

“Do you understand hibernation technology?”

“Just the basics…”

“Where did you get this information?”

“That’s something I can’t disclose.”

“Can’t disclose?”

Xu Yun paced around the lab, deep in thought. Lin Xian had never claimed the research as his own and admitted his limited knowledge.

So, the manuscript had to have come from another source.

“It must be that Lin Xian received this from someone else,” Xu Yun speculated.

He considered two possibilities:

1.Lin Xian was entrusted by someone to deliver the manuscript.

2.Lin Xian had illicitly copied confidential data from a foreign research institute.

“Both scenarios seem implausible.”

Xu Yun frowned, continuing to ponder. He knew no other domestic research into hibernation technology besides his own. If a leading scientist wanted to assist him, why use such a roundabout method?

And stealing secrets from a foreign institute? Lin Xian was no spy capable of such feats.

For now, these mysteries remained unresolved.

Xu Yun returned his attention to the manuscript, focusing on the chemical and molecular formulas. If he followed the steps exactly…

“Can I really create the hibernation chamber fluid in one attempt?”

This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation