Chapter 54 The Adjustment Period 1

It was the fourth day since Chen Xueming officially joined the team.

At 7:20 AM, he pushed open the laboratory door right on time. This had already become his habit—arriving forty minutes before work started to review the previous day's data and clear his thoughts, so he could start working immediately once the others arrived.

Li Xiao was already inside.

This girl always seemed to arrive ten minutes earlier than him. Every time he pushed open the door, he could see her sitting in front of the computer, either typing code away or smiling at him while holding a bowl of porridge.

“Good morning, Dr. Chen!” Today was no exception as Li Xiao looked up. “The porridge is on the table, and so is the soy milk! We have fried dough sticks today!”

Chen Xueming nodded, walked to the table, served himself a bowl of porridge, took a fried dough stick, and sat at his workstation to eat slowly.

While eating, he looked over the experimental data Zhang Zhe had left behind yesterday.

Over these three days, he had completely gotten into the swing of things.

The task Lin Mo had given him was “battery engineering”—turning the high energy density samples of 1450 Wh/kg from the laboratory into a mature solution that could be mass-produced, replicated, and industrialized.

Simply put, it was moving from “being able to make it” to “being able to make it consistently.”

This wasn't an easy job. A single success in the laboratory might be the result of the right time, place, and people; however, industrialization required success every single time, with the deviation rate controlled within one-thousandth.

Chen Xueming liked this challenge.

As he ate and looked at the data, his brow gradually furrowed.

“Li Xiao,” he called out, “have you looked at Teacher Zhang's experimental records from yesterday?”

Li Xiao leaned over. “I did. What's wrong?”

“This cycle life data,” Chen Xueming pointed at the screen. “During the sixtieth cycle, the capacity decay suddenly accelerated, but then it stabilized again. Did Teacher Zhang mark this anomaly?”

Li Xiao took a look. “No. Could it be a measurement error?”

“Doesn't look like it.” Chen Xueming shook his head. “The decay curve is very smooth; it doesn't look like a random error. I need to ask Teacher Zhang.”

Just as he finished speaking, the door was pushed open.

Zhang Zhe walked in and nodded when he saw Chen Xueming already at his workstation. “Morning.”

“Teacher Zhang,” Chen Xueming stood up immediately and walked over with his tablet. “Did you notice this part in yesterday's data, at the sixtieth cycle?”

Zhang Zhe took the tablet and looked at it, his brow also furrowing. “I didn't notice this yesterday.”

The two huddled together and began to discuss.

Watching from the side, Li Xiao couldn't help but smile.

Over the past three days, this scene had occurred many times. Chen Xueming and Zhang Zhe, one an electrochemistry expert and the other a materials expert, could sometimes talk for over an hour when discussing a problem.

One would say, “It might be an issue with the electrolyte,” while the other would say, “But the separator is also suspicious.” One would suggest, “Should we adjust the formula?” while the other would counter, “Let's do a control experiment to verify first.”

Usually, it was Lin Mo who eventually came over to interrupt: “Gentlemen, it's time to eat.”

Only then would they realize with a start that two or three hours had already passed.

At exactly eight o'clock, Lin Mo pushed the door open and entered.

He scanned the laboratory—Li Xiao was at her computer, while Zhang Zhe and Chen Xueming were huddled together looking at data. Everything was normal.

“Morning,” he said. “Any progress today?”

Chen Xueming looked up. “There's an anomaly in Teacher Zhang's data from yesterday. We're discussing the cause.”

Lin Mo walked over and looked at the graph on the tablet. “The sixtieth cycle? The change in the decay slope is indeed obvious.”

“I suspect some kind of side reaction occurred in the electrolyte at a specific cycle count,” Chen Xueming said. “I want to design a set of experiments to verify it.”

Lin Mo nodded. “What support do you need?”

“I need a new set of samples with a slight adjustment to the electrolyte formula,” Chen Xueming said. “Also, I'll need to extend the testing time; we might need to run several hundred more cycles.”

“No problem,” Lin Mo said. “Get the samples from Teacher Zhang, and I'll coordinate the testing time.”

Chen Xueming nodded and went back to looking at the data.

Lin Mo watched him, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.

He had observed Chen Xueming's state over these three days. Arriving first every morning, leaving last every night, reading materials even while eating, and wanting to fill the entire blackboard when discussing problems with Zhang Zhe.

This was what someone who truly wanted to do scientific research looked like.

At lunch, Chen Xueming went to the cafeteria with Li Xiao as usual.

After getting their food and sitting down, Li Xiao suddenly asked, “Dr. Chen, when you were at Stanford, was the laboratory like this too?”

Chen Xueming was stunned for a moment. “Like what?”

“Just...” Li Xiao thought for a bit. “Everyone discussing problems every day, no one hiding anything, looking at data together, and sharing ideas.”

Chen Xueming was silent for a few seconds before saying, “It was a bit different.”

“How was it different?”

Chen Xueming took a bite of food and chewed slowly, seemingly organizing his thoughts.

“The laboratories at Stanford are very competitive,” he said. “Everyone has their own project, their own data, and their own paper schedule. There are discussions, but they're more like mutual probing—you reveal a little, I reveal a little, and no one dares to show all their cards.”

Li Xiao blinked. “Why?”

“Because resources are limited,” Chen Xueming said. “The supervisor's attention is limited, funding is limited, and space in top journals is limited. Helping someone else is equivalent to training a competitor for yourself.”

Li Xiao frowned. “That sounds so exhausting.”

Chen Xueming smiled. “It is quite exhausting.”

He paused, then added, “But it's not entirely like that. There are people willing to share and teams that truly cooperate. It's just...” He thought for a moment. “It's just that you have to prove you're trustworthy first.”

Li Xiao nodded, lost in thought.

After a while, she asked again, “What about after you returned to China? What were the CAS laboratories like?”

Chen Xueming was silent for even longer.

“More complicated,” he said, his voice dropping. “There are those who truly do research, and those who just drift along; those who want to get things done, and those who only want to get projects. When I first went back, I didn't know anything and thought I just needed to do my own research. Later I found out...”

He didn't finish, but Li Xiao understood.

She didn't press further, but simply picked up a piece of braised pork from her bowl and placed it in Chen Xueming's. “Dr. Chen, eat up!”

Chen Xueming looked at the piece of meat, dazed for a moment, and then smiled.

“Thank you.”

In the afternoon, Chen Xueming went to find Zhao Gang.

It wasn't that he wanted to go of his own accord; Lin Mo had sent him—“Engineering requires coordination with security. Some materials need to be reported when entering or leaving. Go find Old Zhao to handle the procedures.”

Chen Xueming stood at the door of Zhao Gang's office and knocked.

“Come in.”

He pushed the door open and entered. Zhao Gang was looking at some document; he looked up and saw it was him, his expression faltering slightly before returning to normal. “Dr. Chen? Something the matter?”

“Teacher Lin told me to come and handle the reporting procedures for materials entering and leaving,” Chen Xueming said.

Zhao Gang nodded and took a stack of forms from a drawer. “Fill these out. What materials you need to bring in, when, the quantity, and the purpose—everything needs to be written clearly.”

Chen Xueming took the forms, sat in a nearby chair, and began to fill them out.

Zhao Gang continued reading the document. The office was so quiet that only the sound of the pen nib gliding across the paper could be heard.

Halfway through, Chen Xueming looked up. “Captain Zhao, to what extent should I write this ‘purpose description’?”

Zhao Gang walked over and took a look. “Just write it simply; it doesn't need to be too professional. It's mainly so the guards know what the stuff is for, so they don't block you when the time comes.”

Chen Xueming nodded and continued filling it out.

Zhao Gang stood nearby. After a few seconds of silence, he suddenly asked, “I heard you arrive at the laboratory at 7:20 AM?”

Chen Xueming looked up. “I'm used to it.”

“Was it like that before too?”

“Before...” Chen Xueming thought for a moment. “Before, I wanted to arrive early, but the laboratory wasn't mine. Sometimes even if I went early, I couldn't get in the door.”

Zhao Gang didn't speak, but his expression softened slightly.

Chen Xueming finished the forms and handed them to Zhao Gang. Zhao Gang took them, looked them over, and nodded. “Alright, no problem. Starting tomorrow, the materials you need can go through the green channel directly. You don't need to report every single time.”

Chen Xueming was stunned. “Thank you.”

“No need for thanks,” Zhao Gang said. “Lin Mo instructed me, saying those materials of yours are for urgent use.”

Chen Xueming was silent for a second, then asked, “Is Teacher Lin... like this with everyone?”

Zhao Gang looked at him, a trace of complex emotion in his eyes. “He's like this with everyone. As long as you're genuinely working.”

After saying that, he returned to his seat and continued reading the document.

Chen Xueming stood for a few seconds before turning to leave.

When he reached the door, Zhao Gang suddenly said, “Dr. Chen.”

Chen Xueming turned back.

Zhao Gang looked at him with a serious expression. “I value Lin Mo more than anyone. He's good to you not because you're Chen Xueming, but because he thinks you can get things done. If you keep getting things done, he'll keep being good to you.”

Chen Xueming met his gaze without flinching. “I know.”

Zhao Gang nodded. “Good then.”

Chen Xueming pushed the door and went out.

The corridor was very quiet, with the faint roar of machinery coming from the distance. He stood for a few seconds and then slowly walked toward the laboratory.

He understood what Zhao Gang meant.

It wasn't a warning, but a reminder.

A reminder that this trust was hard-won, so he shouldn't let it go to waste.

At seven in the evening, Chen Xueming was still in the laboratory.

He stared at the data on the screen, his brow tightly knit. The experimental plan he designed in the afternoon was theoretically fine, but he always felt like something was off.

“Not leaving yet?”

Lin Mo's voice came from behind him.

Chen Xueming turned around and saw Lin Mo walking over with two cups of coffee. He handed him one. “Try this. Li Xiao bought it online; she says it's imported.”

Chen Xueming took the coffee and took a sip. It was bitter with a hint of roasted aroma.

“How is it?” Lin Mo asked.

“It's alright,” Chen Xueming said.

Lin Mo sat down beside him and looked at the data on the screen. “Stuck?”

Chen Xueming nodded. “The experimental plan I designed this afternoon—I always feel like there's a loophole. But I can't figure out what's wrong.”

Lin Mo looked at it for a few minutes and said, “Are you worried about the interaction between the electrolyte and the separator?”

Chen Xueming was taken aback. “How did you know?”

“Just a guess.” Lin Mo smiled. “You study the electrolyte, and Teacher Zhang studies the separator. You each manage your own area, but a battery is a whole unit. If you adjust the electrolyte, it might affect the performance of the separator; if he changes the separator, it might also affect the stability of the electrolyte. Have you two considered this coupling effect?”

Chen Xueming stared at the screen, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.

“Exactly!” He stood up abruptly. “That's it! I only thought about optimizing the electrolyte, but I didn't think about whether the optimized electrolyte would conflict with the existing separator system! We need to do a set of cross-experiments!”

Lin Mo looked at him with a smile. “Discuss it with Teacher Zhang tomorrow and do it together.”

Chen Xueming nodded, then suddenly remembered something and turned to look at Lin Mo. “Teacher Lin, how do you know everything?”

Lin Mo shook his head. “I don't know everything; I just observe a lot. When you two discuss things, I listen and end up remembering it.”

Chen Xueming was silent for a few seconds, then said, “Teacher Lin, I have a question I want to ask you.”

“Ask away.”

“Why do you trust me?” Chen Xueming looked at him. “We've only known each other for a few days. Aren't you afraid I'll mess things up?”

Lin Mo didn't answer directly but asked him back, “Are you afraid of messing up?”

Chen Xueming was stunned for a moment, then shook his head. “No. If I mess up, I'll just start over.”

“That's enough then.” Lin Mo stood up. “Who in scientific research hasn't messed up? What's to be feared isn't messing up, but not daring to try.”

He patted Chen Xueming on the shoulder. “Go back and rest early. Tomorrow, design the experimental plan together with Teacher Zhang.”

With that, he left.

Chen Xueming sat there, watching his departing back, and didn't speak for a long time.

Then he lowered his head and continued looking at the data.

But a faint smile unconsciously appeared at the corners of his mouth.

Early the next morning, Chen Xueming arrived at the laboratory at 7:10 AM.

Pushing open the door, he found that Zhang Zhe had actually already arrived.

The two looked at each other, both stunned for a moment.

“Morning,” Zhang Zhe said.

“Morning,” Chen Xueming said.

Then both spoke at the same time:

“I want to do a cross-experiment—”

“About that data from yesterday—”

They both stopped at the same time.

Zhang Zhe gave a rare smile. “You go first.”

Chen Xueming didn't stand on ceremony and walked straight to the whiteboard to start drawing. “Teacher Lin reminded me yesterday that there might be a coupling effect between the electrolyte and the separator. I want to design a set of experiments to test combinations of different electrolyte formulas and different separator modification schemes to see if there are synergistic or antagonistic effects.”

Zhang Zhe watched the diagram on the whiteboard, his eyes growing brighter. “This is a good line of thought. I've always been worried that the compatibility with the electrolyte would change after the separator was modified, but I never thought to verify it.”

“So, shall we do it together?” Chen Xueming asked.

“Let's do it together,” Zhang Zhe nodded.

The two began to discuss the specific experimental plan, getting more and more involved in the conversation, completely losing track of time.

At 7:30 AM, Li Xiao pushed the door open and entered. Seeing the two huddled in front of the whiteboard, she couldn't help but laugh. “Dr. Chen, Teacher Zhang, just what time did you two get here?”

The two turned back at the same time.

Chen Xueming glanced at the clock on the wall and was stunned. “7:35? I thought it was only a bit after six.”

Zhang Zhe was also stunned. “Me too.”

Li Xiao laughed heartily. “You two really are...”

She walked to the table and opened the thermal container. “Come, come, come, eat breakfast first! You can chat more after eating!”

Chen Xueming and Zhang Zhe looked at each other and both laughed.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling on the three of them, on the dense formulas and diagrams on the whiteboard, and on the steaming bowl of porridge on the table.

A new day had begun again.

At noon, Zhao Gang came to the laboratory looking for someone and happened to run into Chen Xueming and Zhang Zhe discussing at the whiteboard again.

He stood at the door for a few seconds and then walked to Lin Mo's office.

“Those two,” he gestured outside with his chin, “are they like this every day?”

Lin Mo looked up and smiled. “Every day.”

Zhao Gang was silent for a few seconds before saying, “This kid really works his tail off.”

Lin Mo looked at him. “Are you relieved now?”

Zhao Gang snorted. “We'll see.”

But there was clearly a faint, almost imperceptible smile at the corners of his mouth.

Lin Mo looked out the window. The sunlight was just right, making the whole laboratory feel warm and cozy.

The adjustment period would eventually pass.

He believed so.