Chapter 69 Chen Xueming in Charge

Three days after the state approval, Lin Mo called Chen Xueming to his office.

"Dr. Chen, please sit." Lin Mo pointed to a chair and sat down opposite him.

Chen Xueming was a bit confused—usually, Lin Mo would talk to him directly in the laboratory; he rarely made such a formal appointment in the office.

"There's something I want to discuss with you," Lin Mo said, getting straight to the point. "I want to put you in charge of the Lithium Extraction from Seawater project."

Chen Xueming was stunned.

"Me?" He pointed to himself. "Teacher Lin, you're not joking, are you?"

Lin Mo shook his head: "I'm not joking. You've been involved in this project from principle verification to experimental design. You led the Adsorbent route, and you also spearheaded the Magnetic Field Separation experiments. Technically, you know more than I do."

Chen Xueming opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.

Lin Mo continued: "Besides, I still need to keep an eye on the Lithium-Sulfur Battery side; I can't handle both at once. Lithium Extraction from Seawater needs a person in charge, someone who can devote themselves entirely to it. After thinking it over, you're the most suitable."

Chen Xueming was silent for a few seconds, then said:

"Teacher Lin, you know about my past... no one has ever let me lead anything. At Stanford, I was just an assistant. After returning to China, every project I applied for was rejected; I didn't even get a chance to lead."

He looked up at Lin Mo:

"Now that you're handing such a large project over to me, aren't you afraid I'll mess it up?"

Lin Mo smiled:

"Will you mess it up?"

Chen Xueming paused, then shook his head: "No."

"Then that's it." Lin Mo stood up and walked to the window. "Dr. Chen, this project is a national strategy; it's very important. But it's also your stage. How you build the team, set the direction, and assign tasks—it's all up to you. I only have one requirement."

Chen Xueming asked: "What requirement?"

Lin Mo turned to look at him:

"When you need me, just say so. When you don't need me, I won't interfere."

Chen Xueming was stunned.

He had seen many leaders—some liked to micromanage, some liked to take credit and shift blame, and some liked to treat subordinates as tools. But no leader had ever said to him: This is your stage, I won't interfere.

He stood up and looked at Lin Mo, his eyes feeling a bit warm:

"Teacher Lin, I..."

Lin Mo waved his hand: "Don't 'I' this and 'I' that. Go back and think about what people you need, what support you need, and make a list. We'll have a meeting tomorrow for the formal handover."

Chen Xueming took a deep breath and nodded:

"Alright."

After leaving the office, Chen Xueming stood in the hallway for a long time.

Outside the window, the sunlight was just right. The distant Kunlun Mountains stood majestically, their snow-capped peaks glittering in the sun.

He looked at the mountains, an indescribable surge of complex emotions rising in his heart.

Four years.

Four years of hitting walls, four years of struggling, four years of doubting himself. He once thought his life would be like this—a non-conforming troublemaker, a failure who hit walls everywhere, an outsider who would never have a chance.

But now, Lin Mo told him: This is your stage.

He took a deep breath and turned toward the laboratory.

Pushing open the door, Li Xiao was typing code at her computer, and Zhang Zhe was organizing samples nearby. Seeing him enter, Li Xiao looked up: "Dr. Chen, what did Teacher Lin want with you?"

Chen Xueming thought for a moment and decided not to keep it from them:

"Teacher Lin said he's putting me in charge of the Lithium Extraction from Seawater project."

Li Xiao was stunned for a moment, then let out a "Wow!": "Really?! That's great!"

Zhang Zhe also looked up, a rare smile appearing on his face: "Congratulations."

Chen Xueming felt a bit embarrassed: "Don't congratulate me too early; I haven't figured out how to do it yet. I'll need your help."

Li Xiao patted her chest: "Of course! Just say the word, Dr. Chen, what do you need me to do?"

Chen Xueming thought for a moment, walked to the whiteboard, and picked up a marker:

"Let's make a list first. The Lithium Extraction from Seawater project is divided into several directions..."

He began to write, faster and faster:

1. Adsorbent route optimization (continue to improve adsorption capacity and cycling stability)

2. Scaling up the Magnetic Field Separation device (from micro-scale to Pilot-scale production)

3. Superconducting Magnet engineering (coordinating with Academician Wang's team)

4. Seawater intake and pretreatment system (considering biofouling prevention)

5. Subsequent treatment of lithium-enriched solution (how to convert it into Lithium Carbonate)

6. Environmental impact assessment

After finishing, he turned to look at Li Xiao and Zhang Zhe:

"Teacher Zhang will continue to be responsible for the Adsorbent part. I need an assistant for the Magnetic Field Separation experiments. Data management will still be Li Xiao. For the Superconducting Magnets, I need to coordinate with Academician Wang's team—does anyone know anyone over there?"

Li Xiao raised her hand: "Me! I helped them solve a database problem last time, and I'm quite familiar with their Xiao Zhou!"

Chen Xueming nodded: "Good, then you'll be in charge of the coordination for now."

Zhang Zhe suddenly spoke: "Should we recruit someone new for the Adsorbent route? I can't handle it all by myself."

Chen Xueming thought and nodded: "That makes sense. I'll talk to Teacher Lin about recruiting a Master's or PhD student in materials science."

Li Xiao raised her hand again: "I can help post the recruitment info! I know several groups for materials science majors!"

Chen Xueming looked at her and couldn't help but smile.

This girl was always so energetic.

In the afternoon, Chen Xueming organized the list into a formal proposal and took it to Lin Mo.

Lin Mo flipped through it page by page and nodded:

"It's very clear. Let's go with this."

He looked up at Chen Xueming:

"If you need to hire people, hire them. If you need equipment, report it. As for the budget, the state has approved special funds; there's no need to be frugal."

Chen Xueming nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then asked:

"Teacher Lin, are you really comfortable letting me do this?"

Lin Mo smiled:

"Dr. Chen, do you know what I admire most about you?"

Chen Xueming shook his head.

"Your meticulousness," Lin Mo said. "You're meticulous with data, meticulous with experiments, and meticulous with results. A meticulous person won't mess things up."

He looked at Chen Xueming and said seriously:

"Besides, I can see your dedication to this project. You're the first to arrive every day and the last to leave, and you don't even rest on weekends. If I don't give someone like you a stage, who would I give it to?"

Chen Xueming was stunned.

So Lin Mo had seen everything.

"Alright," Lin Mo stood up, "Go get to work. If you have any problems, come find me anytime."

Chen Xueming nodded and turned to leave.

At the door, he stopped and looked back at Lin Mo:

"Teacher Lin, thank you."

Lin Mo waved his hand: "Don't thank me. You earned it yourself."

Over the next few days, Chen Xueming seemed like a different person.

He used to work hard before, but that was the hard work of an executor. Now it was different—he was the leader, the person in charge, the one who made the final calls.

First, he had a deep talk with Zhang Zhe to clarify the next steps for the Adsorbent route. The two of them stood in front of the whiteboard for two hours, discussing everything from synthesis processes to testing plans, material characterization to data analysis, in great detail.

Then he found Li Xiao and asked her to help design a data management system to integrate all experimental data, literature, and test results for easy retrieval and comparison. Li Xiao didn't say a word and came up with a plan that very evening.

Next, he contacted Wang Zhenguo's team and arranged a visit to their superconducting materials pilot production line next week to discuss the collaboration details for magnet engineering.

Finally, he wrote a recruitment notice and gave it to Li Xiao to help spread. The notice was written very sincerely:

"Hiring Research Assistants in Materials Science to participate in a national-level strategic technology project. We need meticulous people who are willing to do something truly valuable together."

After reading it, Li Xiao smiled and said, "Dr. Chen, this recruitment notice is really heartfelt."

Chen Xueming felt a bit embarrassed: "I'm just telling the truth. We need meticulous people."

A week later, Chen Xueming received the first resume.

He held that resume and looked at it for a long time.

It was the resume of a young man, a Master's graduate whose research focus was Manganese Oxide materials; he had several papers and good grades. At the end of the resume, there was a sentence:

"I am willing to be meticulous. Please give me a chance."

Chen Xueming looked at that sentence, his eyes feeling a bit warm.

He thought of himself a year ago. Back then, he also wanted to find someone to say to: I am willing to be meticulous, please give me a chance. But no one gave him a chance.

Now, he could give others a chance.

He picked up the phone and dialed the number:

"Hello, is this Xiao Wang? I'm Chen Xueming, the head of the Lithium Extraction from Seawater project. I've seen your resume; are you interested in coming in for a chat?"

That evening, Chen Xueming returned to his dorm and sat at his desk, lost in thought.

The proposal and the stack of resumes were spread out on the desk. Moonlight streamed through the window, casting a silver glow on the desktop.

He remembered what Lin Mo had said: This is your stage.

He used to think that a stage was something given by others. Now he understood that a stage is something you earn. If you do well enough, someone will naturally be willing to give you a stage.

He picked up a pen and wrote a line on the title page of the proposal:

"Lithium Extraction from Seawater Project—Turning Seawater into a Resource."

Then he put down the pen and looked out the window.

In the distance, the lights of the laboratory building were still on. Zhang Zhe might still be working overtime, Li Xiao was likely staying up late coding, and Lin Mo might still be in his office.

But tomorrow, there would be newcomers.

More people would join this stage.

Early the next morning, as soon as Chen Xueming arrived at the laboratory, he saw Lin Mo standing at the door waiting for him.

"I heard you received a resume?" Lin Mo asked.

Chen Xueming nodded: "One. A Master's student, the research direction is quite relevant. I've scheduled an interview with him for next week."

Lin Mo smiled: "Moving fast."

Chen Xueming hesitated and asked: "Teacher Lin, do you have any suggestions for the interview?"

Lin Mo thought for a moment and said:

"Just one—see if he's a meticulous person."

He looked at Chen Xueming:

"Technique can be learned, experience can be accumulated, but the trait of being meticulous cannot be changed. If you hire someone who isn't meticulous, you'll have headaches later."

Chen Xueming nodded and took note.

Lin Mo patted his shoulder and turned to leave.

Chen Xueming stood at the door, watching his back, a warm current rising in his heart.

This man hadn't just given him a stage; he was also teaching him how to build it.

In the afternoon, Chen Xueming called a small meeting.

Li Xiao and Zhang Zhe were there, and the three of them sat around the whiteboard.

"There's an interview next week," Chen Xueming said. "Xiao Wang, Master's, materials direction. If there's anything you want to ask, list it out first."

Li Xiao raised her hand: "I can ask about his attitude toward data! To see if he's truly meticulous!"

Zhang Zhe thought for a moment: "I want to ask about his previous experiments—how many times he failed and how he analyzed them."

Chen Xueming nodded and wrote it all down.

After finishing, he looked at the two of them and suddenly felt a bit emotional:

"What do you think our team will become in the future?"

Li Xiao thought and said seriously: "We'll get better and better! Dr. Chen, you'll be in charge of the direction, Teacher Zhang will handle the materials, I'll handle the data, and with a few more newcomers, everyone will have their role—it's exciting just thinking about it!"

Zhang Zhe spoke up rarely: "The important thing is not to lose the tradition of being meticulous."

Chen Xueming nodded:

"Right. No matter how many people join, the tradition of being meticulous cannot be lost."

Outside the window, the sunlight was just right. The distant Kunlun Mountains stood majestically, their snow-capped peaks glittering in the sun.

He looked at the mountains and thought silently:

This mountain won't move.

But the seawater will flow here.