Twenty years of cold chain

Chapter 4 Old Majors, New Directions

"Let me take a look at Uncle Luan's cold storage plan."

"Then I'll trouble you to check it out for him. My storage is different from the regular frozen vegetables and meat; the preservation of fruit is the most important."

"Don't worry, I will make modifications based on the actual situation."

"Thank you in advance. Please keep an eye on the post office these next few days. The foreign academic journals and integrated cold chain system analysis tables that I sent you should arrive soon. I also managed to get you the English versions of the latest academic papers from the Cold Chain Expo."

Hu Shutong was overjoyed. The latest academic content from abroad was often several years old by the time it reached him. For him, only Luan Pingxin, who frequently traveled abroad to study, could obtain such up-to-date information, and she had truly put in the effort for him. "Pingxin, thank you so much."

"Don't mention it. By the way, have you decided on your internship company yet?"

Luan Qizhen was waiting on the side, but seeing how the conversation was going on, he sat down on the sofa and started drinking tea.

"It's not decided yet. There are two food companies and one cold chain logistics company involved. What do you think?"

Luan Pingxin was silent for a moment, "I can't give you any advice on this. If it were three cold chain logistics companies, I could compare them for you."

Hu Shutong smiled. "And you? Where are you planning to intern?"

"I've already started my internship; I've been at Bayern for over a month now."

Hu Shutong nodded repeatedly. Baileng Group is a leader in the domestic refrigeration equipment R&D industry. With Luan Pingxin's talent, that is the place where she can put her skills to good use.

"We're going to Southeast Asia next month to promote equipment, and to be honest, I'm a little nervous. Anyway, remember to leave your phone number at my dorm after you start your internship; I'll need your help when I'm working on my graduation thesis!"

Before Hu Shutong could say anything more, the call ended abruptly.

Hu Shutong sat down next to him, and Luan Qizhen crossed his arms and glanced out the window for a moment. "When you were little, I hoped you would be successful when you grew up, not stuck in this small county town, just orchards and vegetable gardens. I wanted you to go to big cities, broaden your horizons, and pursue the careers you wanted. Now look what's happened, you've flown so far that you've forgotten to look back at your old home."

"Uncle Luan, Pingxin, don't you know? Longda has many exchange and learning platforms, and she would never miss an opportunity to visit and exchange ideas abroad with her mentor team. She said she rarely has time for herself. There's nothing we can do; we started late, so we can only try our best to catch up."

"You guys go ahead and do your thing. I wouldn't have even remembered her if I hadn't seen you." Luan Qizhen snorted. "By the way, where were we?"

"How about this? I'll revise this plan a bit, and then you can communicate with the design agency. If the design agency has any objections, we can discuss it further."

Without saying a word, Luan Qizhen pushed a stack of materials directly in front of Hu Shutong.

The kitchen was filled with the enticing aroma of food. Hu Shutong stood up. "Uncle Luan, Yuntong should be home by now. He had an upset stomach a while ago, so I'm going back to check on him."

"The food is almost ready; it's not too late to leave after you've eaten."

Hu Shutong said with a smile, "As long as it's during this summer vacation, you can call me anytime if you need anything."

Luan Qizhen offered to drive Hu Shutong home, but Hu Shutong declined, saying he still needed to go to the department store. As Luan Qizhen saw Hu Shutong off, he said, "Take this home and study it carefully for me. Mark it down, and I'll go to the design agency to revise it item by item. Don't worry, kid, you'll get your share of the benefits."

Hu Shutong didn't say much, just nodded and left.

After leaving the Luan family, Hu Shutong originally intended to take the bus back, but holding the thick cold storage plan made him restless, so he decided to stroll back while thinking about something.

Hu Shutong is someone who enjoys spending time on the road; it's a habit of his. When you're active, your mind works. In his view, this proposal has many problems, far more than just a few words have described so far.

Hu Shutong is studying Food Science and Engineering at Ming Chiang University, which is a well-established major, but the addition of "Cold Refrigerated Transportation" makes it quite novel.

Not to mention that the industry is still in its exploratory stage, even professional education is only just beginning. If Hu Shutong had scored ten or more points higher on the college entrance exam, he would not have been able to enter this major. He had very strong physics and chemistry skills and always wanted to work in the chemical engineering field. It was only because his Chinese score dragged down his overall score that he was assigned to the refrigeration engineering major.

During her university years, Hu Shutong not only studied general food science and engineering and participated in food science experiments, but also studied refrigeration as deeply as possible. In the first year that the University of Minnesota established the refrigeration engineering major, conditions were very difficult. At that time, there were only two textbooks. In order to enrich class time, the college organized a lot of practical activities such as visiting cold storage, planning cold storage, and simulating operation.

It wasn't until after 98 that Hu Shutong came across textbooks such as "Cold Storage and Preservation," "Cold Processing and Transportation," and "Quality and Safety of Cold Refrigerated Foods," but the content mainly consisted of foreign cases, with little practical application.

Hu Shutong was very confident in revising the cold storage plan. Because of the transfer to another major, he had been determined to prove himself in this relatively cold field since he entered university. He worked exceptionally hard during his university years and gained a deep understanding of the technology, planning, management, and equipment operation of a cold storage facility.

Entering the 21st century, the times are progressing rapidly, and recognizing the gap is also a form of progress. Our country's refrigerated transportation level lags behind Europe and the United States by at least thirty years, resulting in alarming losses and waste.

But this also points the way for everyone in the industry to strive. With the advancement of technology in all aspects, the improvement of people's awareness of refrigeration, and the general trend of the times, Hu Shutong believes that this path will soon see the light of day.

The "Hygiene Management Measures for the Catering Industry" issued this June is an encouraging development; the attention paid by relevant departments is the strongest guarantee for the progress of the entire industry. Thinking about this fills me with excitement.

Lost in thought, Hu Shutong arrived home before he knew it, when his father's loud shout immediately brought him back to reality. His younger brother, Hu Yuntong, stood obediently by the table in the yard, head bowed, rubbing his hands together, his face looking as if he had been scratched by a cat.

Hu Wankui kept scolding him, repeatedly saying "good-for-nothing," but Hu Yuntong remained silent. He was very familiar with this situation; as long as he didn't talk back, his father wouldn't keep being so domineering.

……