Chapter 230 - 196: Son, Dad’s Back

Chapter 230: Chapter 196: Son, Dad’s Back

"Have you all chosen your project topics yet? If you have, come discuss the feasibility with me first before you formally start. Don’t waste a bunch of time on something for nothing." Professor Yu sat on his bed, looking at the four students standing before him as he rambled on with his instructions. "For those who haven’t decided, hurry up. The funding application has already been submitted, and the money should arrive in about half a month. I’ll have a lot more on my plate then, so I won’t have time to look after you..."

RING—RING—

A sudden ringtone interrupted Professor Yu’s lecture. He had no choice but to close his mouth with a sigh, set down his teacup, and pull out his phone. The caller ID showed it was his old friend from Hai City Nautical College.

"Hello, Old Zhou! Calling me at this hour... you planning on treating me to dinner? I’ve got five mouths to feed over here. Your salary won’t be enough to cover us!"

Professor Yu started the call with a bit of teasing, but the person on the other end didn’t play along. His tone was serious, with an underlying urgency.

"The test results for the second batch of samples you sent are in." Old Zhou took a deep breath before continuing. "Actually, they came in the day before yesterday, but the data was a bit abnormal. I wasn’t sure if it was an operational error, so I ran the test twice more. The results were identical to the first time."

Professor Yu was completely baffled by this, but upon hearing that the data was abnormal, his expression couldn’t help but turn serious.

"Abnormal in what way?"

"...The levels of bromine, iodine, and metasilicic acid are extremely high... and it’s rich in five elements: potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, and zinc... We’ll need professional equipment for an on-site survey to be certain, but based on the current information, my guess is there’s a volcanic fissure in the sea near where you took the samples..."

’A volcanic fissure? A volcanic fissure!’

Professor Yu covered the phone’s mouthpiece and looked at his four students. He asked, "When we went for the second round of sampling, on that mudflat where there was so little plant and animal life, did any of you notice anything unusual?"

Professor Yu’s expression and tone were so severe that all four of their hearts skipped a beat. ’Could there be some kind of radioactive material in that area that’s harmful to humans?!’ Their minds raced as they tried to recall every action and sensation from that day. ℯⅇ𝙡.

"The mudflat felt a little warmer than the shore?" Huang Yan’s tone was full of uncertainty; he wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination.

"Anything else?" Professor Yu’s gaze fell on Huang Yan.

"The Jumping Fish were too fat?" Huang Yan recalled the Jumping Fish he had caught that day. They were all exceptionally plump, each one weighing nearly two ounces. That also seemed a bit unusual.

Professor Yu was rendered speechless. His eyes filled with exasperation. Finally, he just waved his hand, signaling for Huang Yan to stop talking. Then he uncovered the mouthpiece and said to Old Zhou, who was still rambling on about the data, "I’m heading to your university now. Don’t go anywhere."

After hanging up, Professor Yu walked straight out of the room, leaving the four students to stare at each other in bewilderment.

’So, is there really a problem with that mudflat? Should we continue with our topic? Should we even write the proposal?’

「On the food street outside Hai City University of Technology.」

Liu Zhaowen was pulling a small handcart down the food street. Stacked on the cart were two insulated boxes containing the fifty-five pounds of braised snacks he had just purchased from Xu’s Braised Shop.

’Today, he, Liu Zhaowen, a voluntarily unemployed person, was going to make a grand attempt! He was going to see just how well consumers would receive the braised dishes from Xu’s Braised Shop!’

Perhaps because of the large words "Questionnaire Survey" taped to the cart’s railing, Liu Zhaowen passed by without any obstruction. The other vendors merely glanced at him before looking away, letting him pick his preferred spot on the food street.

After five minutes of careful selection, Liu Zhaowen finally chose the gap between the second and third stalls near the entrance to the food street. The spot was obviously too small for a normal-sized stall, but for him, it was just right.

Vendors on a food street like this usually have unwritten rules. If you’ve been using a certain spot for a long time, everyone else will subconsciously avoid it when they set up. Even if a newcomer wanted to set up there, they’d get a "friendly reminder" from the neighboring stall owners.

Pulling the handcart into the gap, Liu Zhaowen quickly set up shop. He opened the top insulated box, revealing it was full of ice and pre-packaged, half-pound bags of braised snacks. From behind the box, he pulled out a crude sign made from a torn piece of cardboard and placed it at the very front of his cart, about four inches forward.

The piece of cardboard, swaying in the breeze, instantly attracted a lot of attention, and everyone took in the hand-drawn words on it.

"Hey, is this survey a hassle? Can we fill it out right here, or do we have to go to some little room? How much of the braised snack do we get? Is it really free?" The promise of a reward was all it took. Liu Zhaowen had his stall set up for less than thirty seconds before two students stopped in front of it.

"Not at all, not at all! It’s just three questions: what do you think of the taste, what do you think of the price, and would you buy from this braised snack shop if it opened near campus?" Liu Zhaowen flashed the most welcoming smile of his life, pulling a questionnaire from his shoulder bag and handing it to the two students. "My messenger ID is listed at the bottom. If you’re interested in the snacks and want to pre-order or anything, you can use that to contact me."