Twenty years of cold chain

Chapter 25 I have no problem

Hu Shutong first gave a brief self-introduction, and then began to explain his thesis. This process did not need to be very detailed, as the members of the defense committee had prepared for each thesis in advance.

The defense process is the real highlight.

Everyone received a copy of Hu Shutong's graduation thesis, which was at least twice as thick as everyone else's.

"First, I'd like to ask a question: How does Hu understand the cold chain?"

"Students believe that the cold chain is a collaboration between upstream and downstream partners, rather than a matter of the order of cold and chain. All equipment, technology, and standards are designed for smooth collaboration. It is a chain where equipment systems engineering and human systems engineering complement each other. I believe the core of this chain is collaboration."

"Could you elaborate on what you mean by human resources systems engineering?" the teacher from another school continued, following up on this question.

Hu Shutong's eyes flickered slightly. Just as others had said, this defense committee member was not easy to deal with. This issue could be thoroughly explored as a special topic. Even if the entire half-hour defense time was used up, it might not be possible to explain it clearly.

Hu Shutong had not prepared for this, but he had thought about it before. After thinking for a while, he spoke up, "At the level of institutional norms, national and local norms are established, and enterprises implement the norms. In terms of human resources reserves, we should accelerate professional training and cultivate targeted talents. I think the human resources system is mainly reflected in these two aspects."

"Hu, your paper covers a wide range of topics; it's the most detailed account of the current state of the industry I've ever seen. However, its scattered nature means it lacks depth. While the content can deepen our understanding of the current situation, it lacks more concrete practical significance. What do you think?"

Hu Shutong never expected his thesis to face such a real-world challenge. It was absurd. The thesis, though seemingly scattered, was precisely because the industry itself was disorganized and riddled with problems. As for its lack of practical relevance, that was even stranger. He had already included real-world examples; how much more specific could it possibly be? Was he planning to turn his thesis into a collection of stories?

Hu Shutong took a deep breath. He couldn't let the quiet, even oppressive atmosphere envelop him. Since it was a defense, he had to answer and argue. "The equipment is the heart of the cold storage, but its operation is chaotic, there are many potential safety hazards, and it's old and poorly maintained. The cold storage is the city's refrigerator, but in Mingyuan City, none of the ten cold storage facilities are high-temperature storage. The city has a supply of frozen meat, but how can the safety of vegetables and fruits be guaranteed? Refrigerated trucks are supposed to be mobile cold storage, but at a glance, they are all second-hand container trucks with chaotic and non-compliant dimensions. The space for original equipment manufacturers is being squeezed out, and there is even competition among peers."

"This is why this paper seems disjointed. Analyzing the current state of cold storage and the refrigerated truck market could be written as a new unit, but that would lose the chain I want to explain. The cold chain has individual problems, but ultimately we need to think about and solve them using a chain-like approach."

The audience fell silent for a moment, and he had temporarily passed this hurdle, but unexpectedly, his case was also questioned.

"Hu, in your thesis, you included stories about a small county wholesale market, a thousand-ton cold storage facility, and a seaside fishing village. We'd like to know how representative these stories are, and how many of them raise real-world issues worth exploring."

Hu Shutong was somewhat overwhelmed, because the questions from these people were contradictory, while not a single professor from the University of Minnesota asked any questions from beginning to end.

"Mr. Hu, let me put it more clearly. Have you considered that your overly specific description might be misleading to the industry?"

"My thesis doesn't explore the issue of representativeness, but rather the question of existence. What constitutes representativeness? The 'no cold chain' industry is representative. With school food poisoning, cold storage ammonia leaks and explosions, and the massive waste of rotting fish and shrimp at the beach, students hope these misleading incidents will draw attention to the issue."

The questions about reality and representativeness are illogical and overly general. When Hu Shutong heard the word "misleading," he was very displeased and his words became harsher.

A vice dean from the School of Food Science smiled slightly and turned to look at the person who had just asked the question. "Don't mislead our students. We've been pointing them in this direction for four whole years."

A few laughs rippled through the defense committee, easing the tension considerably.

On the contrary, the professors in the School of Food Science and Technology did not ask any questions about Hu Shutong's paper. The vice dean turned to Pang Shiyou and asked, "Professor Pang, what do you think?"

Pang Shiyou slowly put down his pen, stood up and looked behind him. "Everyone's questions were quite original. I wouldn't have heard these things if I had asked them. But I feel that this thesis shouldn't just be presented to the defense committee. It's a solid thesis, and I hope you can immerse yourselves in reading it."

Pang Shiyou then looked down at the blank paper that was already covered with writing, and then looked at Hu Shutong.

Pang Shiyou's eyes lingered on Hu Shutong's brows for a moment, as if he were scrutinizing something. He saw a pair of resolute and composed eyes, yet they concealed a radiance like that of morning dew.

The old professor gave a barely perceptible smile. "Student Hu, I have no questions. Your defense is now concluded."

"Thank you, professors."

As Hu Shutong stepped out of the defense room, a middle-aged man in a white shirt and black pants chased after him.

"Hu, this is Xiao Wu, Professor Pang's assistant. Are you free tonight?"

Yes, yes.

"That's good. Professor Pang would like to speak with you privately."

Hu Shutong was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly, "Okay, okay."

"Professor Pang has been delayed in many ways because of Leng Yun's thesis defense. There are still a few students defending their theses, so it probably won't be finished until six o'clock. Professor Pang's flight is at eight o'clock, so could you accompany him to the airport? You can talk on the way."

"No problem, I'll wait for the professor at the school gate at six o'clock."

Thank you for your understanding.

There were still three hours until six o'clock, but Hu Shutong felt an exceptionally long time. He paced back and forth in his dormitory, occasionally clenching his fists to encourage himself. Meeting and chatting with Professor Pang was something Hu Shutong had been dreaming of. Thinking of the food science lab he had missed at the beginning of the year, and the immense regret hidden in his heart, Hu Shutong's emotions were turbulent and difficult to calm.

……