12: Chapter 12: Rejected?

By the time he left Professor Zhang's office, the sky had already turned dark, and the winter twilight, carrying a chill, quickly enveloped the surroundings.

Senior Student Wang Zhe was very responsible; he didn't let Chen Youhua go back immediately but instead took him to the experimental building for an on-site inspection.

Life Science Building Block A, Laboratory 501—the doorplate was clearly visible under the dim corridor lights.

Wang Zhe pulled out his ID card and swiped it against the access control with a "beep." Inside, the lights were bright, but it was empty, with only the standby indicator lights of the instruments flashing silently in the gloom.

"Here it is. You'll be able to swipe in from now on. Professor Zhang should have already granted you access."

Wang Zhe stepped aside to let Chen Youhua in and closed the door behind them.

Chen Youhua followed Wang Zhe into the lab, his gaze quickly scanning the space where he would be spending much of his time in the future.

The air was filled with the faint scent of disinfectant and the distinct aroma of organic solvents.

Wang Zhe walked quickly and spoke fast, pointing as he went.

"This side is the cell room, the Clean Bench is inside, and the rules are very strict. Over there is the molecular experiment area—PCR machines, Electrophoresis tanks, and such. That way is the Microscopic imaging room, which houses the expensive instruments. This row consists of the reagent refrigerators and public lab benches..."

Chen Youhua followed silently, making an effort to commit the layout and names of the various sections to memory.

When they reached the central lab bench area, Wang Zhe stopped, his expression turning serious.

"Junior, in the lab, safety comes first, and the rules are paramount."

"There are some things books won't tell you, and even if they are written down, you might not realize their importance. But they are all experiences gathered from lessons learned through blood and tears."

"Come, let's look around as we walk. Ask me anytime if anything is unclear."

He walked over to a row of white coats and pulled one out, handing it to Chen Youhua.

"This must be worn when entering the lab, no matter how troublesome it is. Got it?"

"Got it, Senior Student." Chen Youhua took it and nodded.

Wang Zhe then pointed to a nearby cabinet.

"Gloves and goggles are standard equipment, just like the white coat, especially when handling organic solvents or strong acids and bases."

He picked up a pair of gloves that were noticeably thicker.

"You must wear these corrosion-resistant ones, and you must never take off your goggles. Why?"

Chen Youhua answered immediately, "To prevent corrosive damage to the skin and eyes."

"Correct!" Wang Zhe nodded.

"Safety is no small matter. Now look at the reagent bottles." He picked up a bottle from the shelf.

"Which three things must you check clearly on the label?"

"Name, concentration, and date." Chen Youhua's gaze was focused.

"Very good. What do you do if you're unsure?"

"Under no circumstances touch it."

"And after using it?"

"Cap it tightly immediately and put it back in its original place." Chen Youhua responded fluently.

"The waste liquid barrels have different colors; pour things in according to their classification. Absolutely no mixing! Got it?"

"Got it."

Wang Zhe picked up a Pipette, his movements gentle. "This thing is our lifeblood. Can tips be mixed between Pipettes of different volume ranges?"

"No."

"The tips should be discarded after use, but what about the Pipette itself?"

"Adjust it back to its maximum volume range."

"Anything else?" Wang Zhe pressed further.

"Handle with care," Chen Youhua added.

Wang Zhe showed a hint of satisfaction and walked toward the entrance of the cell room, pointing through the glass at the Clean Bench inside.

"Before entering here, the UV light must be on for long enough. After entering, what's the first thing you do before operating?"

"Wipe the bench and your hands with alcohol," Chen Youhua answered.

"Range of movement?"

"It should be small to avoid creating air currents."

"Placement of items?"

"Orderly, without blocking the airflow."

"In the cell room, aseptic awareness must be etched into your bones. Opening and closing the door?"

"Must be fast."

"Your own cells and items?"

"Label them well and never touch anyone else's."

"Why so strict?" Wang Zhe followed up.

"To avoid cross-contamination and delaying the entire group's progress." Chen Youhua deeply understood its importance.

"Exactly! If you contaminate the cells, expect a scolding." Wang Zhe's tone grew heavier.

"Finally, hygiene. Your own lab bench?"

"Clean it up myself and dispose of trash promptly."

"Public areas?"

"Take turns on duty and never slack off."

"Very good."

Seeing Chen Youhua taking notes seriously, Wang Zhe's tone softened slightly, but he soon lowered his voice, speaking with the earnestness of someone who had been through it all.

"And the boss... Director Zhang is a good person and top-tier in his field, but he's extremely strict."

"The lab notebook—for experiments done that day, all parameters, phenomena, and results must be recorded clearly on the same day."

"I'll teach you the standard way to write them. The boss will do spot checks. Can you think about making it up later?"

"Absolutely not," Chen Youhua said resolutely.

Wang Zhe was momentarily stunned, then laughed and patted Chen Youhua firmly on the shoulder.

"Not bad, Junior! You're quite perceptive! Remember, the boss has a sharp eye. He knows exactly who's putting in the effort and who's just going through the motions. Attitude is everything!"

"Thank you for the reminder, Senior Student. I'll keep it in mind." Chen Youhua responded solemnly.

"Alright! That's it for today."

Wang Zhe checked his watch.

"Come directly to the lab at nine tomorrow morning. I'll teach you how to prepare Basic culture media and perform Cell subculturing—hands-on practice."

After saying goodbye to the responsible senior student, Chen Youhua walked out of the experimental building alone.

The campus streetlights were dim and yellow, and pedestrians were few; only the sound of the cold wind sweeping through the bare branches could be heard.

Back at the dorm, it was indeed empty.

Zhao Lei, Li Fan, and Wang Pengfei—the three of them were probably out looking for fun together again.

The dormitory was pitch black and silent.

Good.

Chen Youhua turned on the light and washed up briefly.

The hot water washed away the day's fatigue, but the sense of weariness from high-intensity mental work deep within his brain remained.

He had received too much new information today.

The lab layout, the complex rules, the senior's advice, and the invisible pressure from Professor Zhang.

Even he felt a bit of mental exhaustion.

After brushing his teeth, he climbed into his bunk.

The silence of the dorm made him feel comfortable.

He took out his phone, which had been nearly silent all day.

The screen lit up, and sure enough, there were several unread messages.

Most of them were from his parents.

"Youhua, have you eaten? It's cold, wear more clothes."

"Are you tired from studying today?"

"Do you have enough money? If not, tell Mom."

A few photos of home-cooked meals.

An article link titled "Man orders takeout 2.5 times a day on average; at 34, he needs lifelong medication."

He typed a quick reply:

"I've eaten. Not cold. Not tired. Enough. Everything's fine. Don't look at clickbait accounts. You guys take care of yourselves too."

Concise and to the point, the information was conveyed.

Then, there were messages from Xiao Wen:

"The weather is so cold today. Is the library heating turned up high enough?" followed by a shivering emoji.

"I saw a stray cat under the Law School building. It's quite chubby; someone's feeding it." followed by a blurry photo of a ginger cat.

"What did you have for dinner? It wasn't the cafeteria again, was it?"

"What are you doing? Still 'cultivating' in the library?" followed by a snickering emoji.

Chen Youhua looked at this series of messages, filled with the flavor of daily life and tentative inquiries, his finger pausing on the screen.

Only the sound of his light breathing filled the dorm.

He was silent for a few minutes, seemingly organizing his words or perhaps making up his mind.

Finally, he opened the input box and typed word by word.

"Xiao Wen, thanks for sharing."

"Although I don't quite understand your thoughts, I'll clarify things in advance."

"At this stage, all my energy is focused on my studies and the lab. I have no intention of dating."

"I can't say for sure about the future, but most likely, I won't then either."

"If you want to be ordinary friends and chat, that's fine."

Send.

No emojis, no extra flourishes—it was as straightforward as an experimental report.

The notification sound for the successful message delivery was exceptionally clear in the quiet dormitory.

Chen Youhua didn't even glance at the reply again; he simply held down the power button.

The phone screen darkened instantly, falling into pitch blackness.

He stuffed the phone under his pillow, pulled up the quilt, and closed his eyes.

The lingering lab layout, the key points of Pipette operation, the cell room disinfection process...

Like scattered puzzle pieces, they floated aimlessly before his consciousness blurred.

Physical exhaustion finally took complete control.

Almost the instant his head hit the pillow, his breathing became steady and long, and he drifted into a dreamless sleep.