Chapter 48

Many biology expert professors from the other top universities around the vicinity came to the second academic building today.

They came from eight top universities, including Tongji University, Fudan University, Jiao Tong University, Tungnan University, Nanking University, and more.

The academics could not help but rush over on purpose after learning that someone performed genetic modification on aphids successfully.

The crucial point was not on the aphids but on the genetic modification.

Non-academics were not that sensitive toward the term ‘genetic modification’ that carried a tinge of science fiction and fantasy. Nevertheless, the people in the Biology field saw genetic modification as something on par with changing ‘what is life’.

Every topic of conversation related to genetic modification would transform into the focal point of the biology field rapidly.

It was precisely due to this reason that when these experts found out that someone successfully modified aphid’s genetic structure, one could simply imagine how excited these biology experts were.

Had it not been for the fact that many expert scholars from the other top universities had yet to receive news of this issue, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the biology experts from all of China would come rushing over for this event.

Even though Zhou Wen was well aware of the genetic modification technique being extremely important, he did not have an intuitive knowledge of that.

When he saw the sea of people that filled the huge meeting room and also the scholars with gray hair seated at the front row seats, he felt like he was caught in a daze.

“These people… are all here to listen to the oral examination?”

It could be said that all the undergraduate students, graduate students, and also doctoral students in the biology program of the entire Jiangzhou University were here.

Someone noticed Zhou Wen’s presence soon. Then, a few hundreds of pairs of eyes looked over to him in unison.

The meeting room turned deadly silent for a moment, but then buzzing and chattering sounds were heard soon afterward.

Xu Shuangyu had already found a good seat and sat down earlier while Zhou Wen braced himself to walk to the front of the meeting room.

A senior in charge of running the event led Zhou Wen to the side seat located on the second row upon seeing Zhou Wen. Then, he whispered softly, “Please take a seat here for a moment. The teacher is about to arrive soon.”

Zhou Wen nodded.

The expert professors seated around him were staring at him in succession after learning about his identity. It made him feel uneasy.

He waited for about ten minutes or so before Wang Huiyao, and two leaders from the School of Life Sciences arrived altogether.

The professors seated on the front row stood up in succession.

“Hello, Professor Zhang.”

“Director Qian, it’s been a long time since we last met. I hope you’re doing fine.”

“Professor Zeng, I read the journal that you published previously; it’s inspiring…”

A group of expert professors and leaders flattered each other then they took their seats separately once again.

Two leaders walked toward the rostrum while Wang Huiyao walked to Zhou Wen’s side and said smilingly, “Follow me.”

Zhou Wen got up and followed Wang Huiyao to the rostrum.

The two leaders waited until Zhou Wen approached them, and then they nodded toward Zhou Wen, smilingly.

It was already a huge honor for Zhou Wen to receive such treatment. After all, they were not acquainted with each other prior to this.

Soon afterward, the leader seated on the main seat patted the microphone and said, “Firstly, I represent the School of Life Sciences of Jiangzhou University to welcome my fellow colleagues…”

“Clap, clap, clap…”

The leader was well aware that he was not the main character today. As a result, he behaved appropriately and passed the microphone to Wang Huiyao after giving a welcoming address.

Wang Huiyao did not spend too much time talking nonsense, either. He gave a short and simple speech before he diverted the topic of conversation back to genetic modification.

“Everyone knows that genetic modification is the act of separating deoxyribonucleic acid, also known as DNA, from a living organism using biotechnology techniques before reforming the DNA again. All sorts of techniques and methods are used to remove or add in different chromosomes and the modified genes will take effect inside the living organism’s body and intervene with the living organism’s hereditary traits…”

Wang Huiyao made a simple introduction about genetic modification before he made a sharp switch in the topic of conversation to his research on the hereditary gene modification technique on aphids.

Frankly, had it not been for Zhou Wen’s success in modifying rice root aphid’s genes, Wang Huiyao really did not have the courage to bring up this topic of conversation to the surface. Everyone was aware that he was just sailing under false colors in reality. As long as his secret was kept safe, he was not allowed to display and show it off because that would make him an easy hate target.

This was because not every professor was capable of receiving administrative funds. Many biology professors with poor social connections did not live a good life.

While others were living in poverty and munching down cabbage, he would be seeking trouble if he were to enjoy a meaty feast scrumptiously with loud smacking lips.

“Currently, we are mainly using heavy metal chemicals to produce mutation in the aphid’s genes…”

At this point, Wang Huiyao was blushing ever so slightly.

There were certain things that he could still bluff the outsiders, yet the people sitting below the stage now were all his colleagues. Moreover, there were also the authoritative experts in the industry, so he was really becoming too embarrassed to speak anymore.

After all, he still had to take care of his reputation.

Wang Huiyao covered his mouth and let out a cough before he said, “Next, we shall invite our student, Zhou Wen, to give an exciting explanation to everyone.”

“Clap, clap, clap…”

Warm applause echoed through the meeting room.

Zhou Wen stood up and spoke in a slightly anxious tone, “Dear respected leaders, teachers, and also students, good morning…”

After giving his opening speech in his mother tongue, Zhou Wen explained the rest of his thesis completely in English.

The study of Biology was different from other subjects. A large number of English terminologies were used in the course, especially in genetic engineering. There were way too many terms that could not be translated into Chinese.

“Firstly, I would like to urge everyone to memorize a concept which will help you to understand what I’m about to tell you next. The conservativity of inheritance is relative and not absolute. There are still mutation phenomena found commonly in nature. The relative stability of genetic information is the molecular basis for the constancy of a species. However, it doesn’t signify that there is no difference between the individuals of the same species…”

Zhou Wen narrated his train of thoughts in modifying the genes of rice root aphids. It was mainly attributed to genetic engineering which was the most cutting-edge knowledge in the international scene for the time being. Then, he added some information related to genetic codes which made his speech sound deep and beyond fathomable.

The scene was deadly quiet, with a few hundred expert professors and students listening to Zhou Wen’s explanation without even blinking their eyes. However, more than 80% of them were dumbstruck with bewilderment. They did not have the slightest idea of what Zhou Wen was telling them.

Out of the remaining 20% of the audience, some did understand, and they had also managed to pick out some issues with Zhou Wen’s explanation, but no one voiced out their queries because it would not be too late for them to keep their questions until the final Q&A session later.

Zhou Wen did not talk about the experiment process after he was done narrating his train of thoughts. He knew that it was not an important part when everybody else was waiting for the experiment results.

Zhou Wen took out a USB flash drive from his pocket and made his way to the side of the projector in a corner.

He inserted the USB flash drive into the projector and brought up his Powerpoint Presentation slides.

“Everyone, please take a look at the huge screen. This is a sample of second-generation aphids. Look at their wings; there were a large number of deformed insects that appeared amongst them under the effect of heavy metal chemicals…”

He made a demonstration of the aphids’ genetic mutation.

Other than Wang Huiyao, who had studied the experiment data in detail, everybody else on the scene was shocked by the photos displayed in the PPT slides.

Such complete genetic modification data was extremely precious, and it played an extremely positive role in driving the genetic engineering field of learning in China.

Of course, most importantly, it was because the genetic modification was a success.

If it was a failure, an oral examination like this would never have happened. No one in the world would show care to a loser.

Zhou Wen released the experiment results at the end of the presentation.

“I added some biopharmaceutical to the heavy meal chemical originally, which successfully reduced the reproduction rate of the aphids by at least 30% in the end… Take a look at the screen, everyone.”

Following the groups of data composed of photo combinations appearing on the screen, the meeting room broke into a clamor.

The professors seated in the front row were whispering and chattering to one another.

There were excited, curious, dubious, and even suspicious; they were their expressions on their faces.

Other than the professors seated on the front row, the students behind were all gasping in surprise and admiration without exception.

They were gasping in astonishment at Zhou Wen’s rich, sturdy, theoretical foundation while the unintelligible Biology formulas and genome database that felt incomparably exhausting to understand even for doctoral students.

Moreover, Zhou Wen was just an undergraduate student!

Chen Ziyuan, Deer Maiden, and Liu Yukun came over to attend Zhou Wen’s presentation. They could feel their curiosity had piqued.

They were closest friends who were acquainted with each other for a long time. They knew about Zhou Wen’s English proficiency more than anybody else. He had only just passed CET4 after putting in a great deal of effort, just like them.

Yet, judging by how Zhou Wen gave the presentation in full English with skill and ease, his proficiency level was definitely not CET4 but it was obviously on par with a TOEFL score of 114. With one point less from 115 just so he would not get too cocky.

“F*ck, since when did Old Zhou learn English in secret? His English proficiency level is simply amazing.”

“His English proficiency level is nothing to the value of his speech just by looking at those professors’ expressions seated at the front row.”

“Yikes, yikes, yikes. Do you think that Old Zhou is using some cheat code just like the lead character in those online articles…”