Twenty years of cold chain

Chapter 3 Cold Storage Solutions

The weather wasn't good, the room was dark, and the afternoon wind wasn't strong, making it feel stuffy and oppressive.

People were all talking at once, saying all sorts of nasty things.

Hu Shutong hung his head, a sense of indescribable frustration welling up inside him. He knew Shi Qingfeng must have been having trouble speaking, so he simply handed over what he had written to him, thus implicating the wholesale market. Who else but the college student from the Hu family could have come up with such an idea? In doing so, the conflict was actually diverted.

Even so, Hu Shutong never imagined that he would find himself standing on the "opposite side of justice".

Cold chain is a relatively new term introduced from abroad. Currently, we're far from even achieving cold chain technology, let alone a true cold chain. Hu Shutong is well aware that this path is difficult, but its direction inspires a willingness to strive for it. For food safety, to ensure people can eat with peace of mind, and to reduce waste caused by transportation—this is Hu Shutong's academic ideal and the meaning behind his dedication to this industry.

However, this situation was like an incredibly surging wave crashing against a newly piled sandbag on the shore, leaving him powerless and helpless.

"Young expert, Qujiaying is a matter of great importance. You'd better understand that if something really happens, countless families will lose their vegetables! Can you bear that responsibility?"

"You should explain away your own terrible idea, otherwise, that hundred thousand yuan won't escape your family, Old Hu!"

Upon hearing this, Hu Shutong ran out despite his mother's attempts to stop him.

"Who can say for sure how far diarrhea is from food poisoning from what we eat! It's okay to have less meat and fewer vegetables, but you can't just stir-fry and serve spoiled food! Our students are from the county and township—their own families, relatives, friends, and neighbors. How can you take this so lightly!"

No one noticed that while the commotion was raging, the two of them were holding their bicycles and watching from a short distance away.

"Director Lei, that person is Hu Shutong, from the School of Food Engineering at Mingjiang University."

"The program specializes in cold chain logistics and started enrolling students in 97. He was in the first cohort and was probably one of the earliest formally trained students in the field."

"Director Lei, I didn't know you knew so much about this."

"You only truly understand someone when you meet them in person."

"What should we do? We can't just let these people cause trouble here."

Suddenly, Director Lei raised his chin and pointed into the distance. "Look, the people who came to our rescue have arrived. Let's go back first and talk to him another day."

Drip!Drip!

A black Santana pulled up in front of the door, and a middle-aged man wearing sunglasses poked his head out. "Shutong, when did you get back?"

"Uncle Luan?!" Hu Shutong immediately stepped forward.

In an instant, the people outside the courtyard also smiled and looked over.

This man is named Luan Qizhen, and he holds an extraordinary position in the county. Factory Director Xiao is the richest man in the county, but without Luan Qizhen's supply, the juice factory wouldn't last long. Years ago, Luan Qizhen contracted a thousand acres of large orchards, and the title "King of Ink Fruit" was not given lightly; in terms of reputation, no one in the county could match him.

"Hey! It's Boss Luan!"

"Does anyone know that guy surnamed Bao? Please pass on a message to him: if he's not going to pay, give him a straight answer so we can start the lawsuit quickly."

"Boss Luan, Boss Bao has been trying to meet with you, but you refused, which is why things got complicated..."

"Who are you? Do you think I have anything to say to you?" Luan Qizhen adjusted his sunglasses, then looked at Hu Shutong. "Shutong, I have something to discuss with you. Why don't you get in the car and come sit at my place?"

Once Luan Qizhen appeared, people dared not make any further decisions. When Hu Shutong got into the car, the crowd dispersed.

Sitting in the car, Hu Shutong, having calmed down, felt uneasy. He and Luan Qizhen had a good relationship because his profession was closely related to food, refrigeration, and transportation. Every holiday, Luan Qizhen would ask him many questions, and Hu Shutong would personally go to the warehouse to offer him advice.

However, upon returning this time, Hu Shutong was somewhat afraid to see Luan Qizhen, which inevitably brings us to Luan Pingxin. Luan Pingxin is the only daughter of the Luan family and was Hu Shutong's classmate in junior high and high school. Since starting university, Luan Pingxin has only returned home during her first winter break; during the rest of the holidays, she has been busy with various experiments and even studying abroad.

Despite being so busy, Luan Pingxin still went to Mingyuan City to see Hu Shutong at the beginning of summer this year, and even stayed there for a week. For Hu Shutong, the matter was very simple. Luan Pingxin majored in mechanical and electrical engineering, and specialized in the research and development of refrigeration equipment. Mingjiang University had more authoritative data on food experiments, so she went to Hu Shutong to exchange ideas.

But when Luan Qizhen heard about this, he couldn't help but overthink, which was what made Hu Shutong nervous.

Luan Qizhen took off his sunglasses, and immediately appeared less imposing than before. On the way, he advised Hu Shutong not to be anxious about what had just happened, assuring her that a solution would soon be found.

The Luan family owns a large duplex in the county center. The lower floor alone is about 150 to 160 square meters. The house is decorated in an antique style, with many handicrafts and porcelain vases. The ceiling lights are the kind of European murals that I have only seen in books.

There was also a special place to drink tea. Looking at the jade cups the size of bull's eyes, Hu Shutong's mind was filled with the five-pointed star white lacquerware jar at home.

"Shutong, although your business is quite large, I have always known the principle that some things are permissible and some things are not."

"Uncle Luan, please feel free to tell me what's on your mind."

Luan Qizhen leisurely poured Hu Shutong a cup of tea, which made Hu Shutong feel even more apprehensive. "Uncle has come to see you this time because there is something important I want to talk to you about."

Hu Shutong rubbed his hands together secretly. "Uncle Luan, please speak."

Luan Qizhen took out a stack of papers from the drawer and slowly pushed them in front of Hu Shutong. "Uncle wants to build a new warehouse. This is a planning proposal from a design agency in the city. Can you take a look and see if those guys are really professional?"

In an instant, Hu Shutong's mind made a complete 180-degree turn. He breathed a sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly, then began to carefully examine the blueprints without further ado.

Under Luan Qizhen's unwavering gaze, the young man opposite him gradually frowned...

About ten minutes later, Hu Shutong looked up. Luan Qizhen knew there were many problems. "Shutong, something's not right."

"Uncle Luan, are you familiar with the qualifications of this design agency?"

"Forget about qualifications, finding a company is already a good thing. I originally wanted to find a cold storage contractor to do it directly, but this warehouse is mainly intended for storing off-season fruits, so there's not much need for a freezing room. The main thing is to make the cold storage room bigger and better. So I think, this is probably not going to work out with a mold."

"Uncle Luan, there's a problem with their capacity calculations. You want to build a warehouse with a capacity of two thousand tons, but this plan might not be enough. The formula they used is correct, but it doesn't account for the shelf space. If you use four-tiered shelves, this layout can store a little over a thousand pallets. But after converting the pallet positions and the volume of the goods, the actual tonnage is just over a thousand tons."

"That's a huge difference!" Luan Qizhen exclaimed in surprise.

"If this plan is implemented, the reduction in cold storage capacity will be one aspect. On the other hand, the load value of the refrigeration system and the number of fans will be designed according to a capacity of 2,000 tons. This is how a lot of waste in cold storage is generated."

Luan Qizhen nodded repeatedly. This was precisely what he valued in Hu Shutong. Although college students were rare, he had seen quite a few. What he wanted was practicality—someone who could help him even if they didn't have to teach him. In Hu Shutong, he saw the true application of knowledge.

Just then, the phone rang. Luan Qizhen got up to answer it, his expression immediately shifting from reproach to delight. "Your mother's cooking, and it's been so long since she thought to call? Your father's building a new warehouse; should I hire an expert to look into the equipment?"

"Okay, it's good that you're willing to take it to heart. Next time you call, just tell me the plan directly."

"Pass on a message? No need for that, just tell him directly."

Luan Qizhen held the phone in his hand, weighed it in his hand, and looked at Hu Shutong.

"Shutong, what are you doing in my house?"

Luan Pingxin's voice came from the other end.

……