When He Yuan arrived, he saw Ji Shuyu lost in thought.
“Shuyu, what’s wrong?”
Hearing He Yuan’s voice, Ji Shuyu gently shook her head. Then, she reached out, took his hand, and had him sit on a nearby stool.
“He Yuan, look at this notebook. It was left by my… my mother.”
She almost slipped up but caught herself in time.
The notebook was passed into He Yuan’s hands. He looked at the words on the pages and slightly frowned.
“Professor Wang from Peking University…”
He pondered, “This professor might be a key figure. Also, ‘It is not unwillingness to fly, but inability’… It feels like she was forcibly restrained by someone or something.”
It was as if someone had blocked Su Wanning’s path to pursuing education.
Ji Shuyu nodded, her tone filled with confusion: “I never looked carefully at these later parts before. My mom… was definitely not as simple as she appeared on the surface. Her talents were buried, and it’s very likely it was against her will. I even suspect that Ji Guodong’s coldness and even disgust toward me might also be related to this.”
Otherwise, Ji Guodong wouldn’t have treated the original owner so poorly.
He Yuan closed the notebook, his expression serious. He grasped Ji Shuyu’s hand and spoke in a low voice.
“Leave this matter to me. I’ll immediately arrange for trustworthy people to investigate this Professor Wang from Peking University and what might have happened to your mother back then. As long as there are traces, we will uncover them.”
The wind leaves sounds; the wild goose leaves tracks.
Anyone who exists between heaven and earth is bound to leave traces.
His ability to take action was extremely strong. The very next day, he contacted comrades from his time in the military on the mainland and assigned them the investigation task.
This matter was like a stone thrown into a lake, sending ripples through unseen depths.
Meanwhile, work at the Materials Research Institute was also getting on track.
Relying on her advanced knowledge and the support of the Points Mall, Ji Shuyu quickly led the team in conducting preliminary analysis and characteristic testing on the collected unique seashell materials from the island.
The results were, of course, encouraging.
This seashell material was not only uniquely and magnificently colored, but its hardness, toughness, and workability far exceeded that of ordinary shells. After specific processing, it could fully become a new high-end military material, with potential applications even in certain special fields.
Ji Shuyu prepared some simple research findings as the institute’s first achievement display.
However, just as the institute’s work was beginning to show promise, trouble followed.
One day, several uninvited guests arrived at the institute.
Leading them was a certain Cadre Qian from the island, accompanied by several unfriendly-looking local residents. Among them was Uncle Ah Wang, who often collected shells on the open beach and sold them to outside tourists.
Cadre Qian spoke in bureaucratic tones: “Director Ji, it’s good that your institute is conducting research. But we’ve heard that you’ve collected the best shells from the nearby areas and even have some machines for processing? I’m afraid this isn’t very appropriate, is it?”
Uncle Ah Wang immediately chimed in loudly: “Exactly! Our families have been collecting those shells for generations, selling them to earn a little extra money! With your institute here, are you trying to cut off our livelihood? If you take all the good shells from now on, what will we have left to sell?”
The others also chimed in noisily, their words filled with dissatisfaction and suspicion towards the research institute.
Ji Shuyu looked at them, frowning as she explained, “There’s a misunderstanding here, everyone. We collected samples for scientific research, and the quantity is very small. It absolutely won’t affect your daily shell collecting.”
“Moreover, our research direction is to increase the added value of seashells. If successful, we might need large quantities of raw materials in the future, which could actually provide everyone with more stable and higher income…”
But with immediate interests at stake and someone deliberately inciting them, her explanation seemed somewhat weak and ineffective.
Cadre Qian said with a sly smile, “Director Ji, that’s what you say, but people aren’t seeing any actual benefits. Look, the resources on this island should, in principle, belong to everyone. Even though your institute is officially established, it shouldn’t harm the interests of us islanders!”
“How about you pause for now? Wait until we’ve discussed and settled on some rules?”
This was clearly deliberate harassment and obstruction.
Zhao Qiang happened to be there delivering supplies. Seeing this, he immediately stepped beside Ji Shuyu, glowering at the group. “What are you trying to do? The institute was established with approval from higher authorities! Director Ji is contributing to the island!”
Uncle Ah Wang snorted, “Contribution? We haven’t seen it! All we know is we used to be able to collect good shells and sell them, but now you’ve almost collected them all!”
The situation was momentarily deadlocked.
Ji Shuyu knew in her heart that this had disrupted some people’s established interest chains.
Some people on the island relied on selling native shell crafts to tourists. While the income was unstable, it was still a source of revenue.
The institute’s presence made them feel threatened, afraid this lucrative resource would be taken away, even though that wasn’t the institute’s intention.
In the end, Zhao Qiang managed to shoo them away. The matter temporarily came to an end, fizzling out without a resolution.
That evening, Ji Shuyu told He Yuan about what happened during the day.
He Yuan’s eyes turned slightly cold. “Someone is jealous, or has been stirred up. That Cadre Qian has always had a rather poor reputation. He’s probably accepted benefits from someone, or wants to profit from this himself. Don’t worry, I’ll handle it.”
He paused, then added, “It seems that for the institute to develop smoothly, just focusing on research isn’t enough. We need to make the islanders truly understand and benefit from it.”
“We need to find a way to bring them into this interest chain, not push them away.”
Ji Shuyu nodded thoughtfully. “I understand what you mean. Perhaps… we need to change our approach.”
There is no team in the world that is completely unbreakable. If there seems to be one, it just means the incentive offered isn’t big enough.
So, He Yuan had a firm talk with that Cadre Qian, making it clear that the institute’s work was a key project of their cooperation and no one was to obstruct it without cause.
This strong intervention temporarily quelled the overt harassment from these people.
On the other hand, Ji Shuyu also adjusted her strategy.
Using modern aesthetics, she designed several simple, easy-to-learn, and very beautiful small shell accessories, such as hair clips, brooches, and small ornaments.
Then, she proactively approached some islanders, including Uncle Ah Wang. She proposed that the institute would provide processed basic shell materials and design patterns, and hire them to help with processing and creation. The institute would pay them per piece completed, and the finished products would be collectively marketed by the institute.
This way, the islanders could obtain a more stable and higher income than their previous scattered sales, without needing to bear material costs or sales risks.
Furthermore, Ji Shuyu promised that if the institute’s research results were successfully translated in the future and required expanded production, they would be given priority for employment.
Initially, Uncle Ah Wang and the others were skeptical. But with guarantees from Zhao Qiang and Xiao Xin, and after seeing the tangible, beautiful samples and receiving advance payments, some people started tentatively taking on the work.
When the first group actually received payment several times higher than what they used to get from selling raw materials, the news spread quickly across the small island.
The resistance naturally diminished. Some people even started proactively asking if the institute needed more workers.
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