Chapter 188: Receiving the Award! Major Upgrade!

Chapter 188: Receiving the Award! Major Upgrade!

Zhang Lin observed the scene and made a guess, "Are these the five colors of the mutated Bougainvillea?"

"Yes!" Ma Jun nodded and explained, "Currently, there are researchers working on multi-colored Bougainvillea, but no one has achieved a five-color variant yet. We've only managed to extract the mutation factor. Once I figure out how to artificially synthesize this factor and use it to modify regular Bougainvillea, the five-color variant will cause a sensation in the horticultural world."

Zhang Lin, naturally aware of this, asked, "Ma Jun, how long will it take to complete the research?"

Ma Jun explained, "If we get lucky and successfully extract the mutation factor, the subsequent research shouldn't be too difficult. It shouldn't take too long."

"Alright!" Zhang Lin nodded and asked another question, "Will this factor work on other plants?"

Ma Jun shook his head, "I've tried, but it doesn't work on other plants. It's only effective on Bougainvillea. So, if you want to cultivate other multi-colored flowers, it might be faster to wait for another mutation to occur in the field."

Zhang Lin nodded and then reviewed Ma Jun's research before leaving. He knew nothing about research and could only hope Ma Jun would complete his work soon.

Time passed quickly, and Saturday afternoon arrived before he knew it.

After finishing a document, Li Mengyao entered to report, "Mr. Zhang, the hotel rooms in the province have been booked. We have three rooms, and they're not far from the Provincial Research Institute."

"Let's go then!" Zhang Lin stood up and said to Lin Mengyao.

The two left the office and walked to the Mercedes S-Class, where Ye Ling was already waiting by the car.

Zhang Lin handed him the car keys, and Ye Ling took the driver's seat.

Lin Mengyao got into the passenger seat, and Zhang Lin sat in the back.

The journey from You City to the Provincial Agricultural Research Institute would take at least three hours, and he had no intention of driving himself, as it would be a nightmare.

He also knew the risks of having a female driver, so Ye Ling was recruited to drive. As the security captain and a game recruit, Ye Ling was reliable and could double as a bodyguard.

"First, let's go to No. 1 High School!" Zhang Lin instructed.

"Yes, boss!" Ye Ling immediately started the car and headed toward No. 1 High School. As they approached, Zhang Lin sent a message to Fu Yao.

The girl soon rushed out.

Zhang Lin opened the back door for her.

"Uncle!" Fu Yao got in and happily put down her backpack. "I need to change my clothes; I'm still in my school uniform."

"No need to change. We'll buy you some new clothes when we get to the province," Zhang Lin said, taking her backpack and setting it aside. "I haven't bought you any clothes yet."

"Uncle, I have money!" Fu Yao quickly pointed out. She had earned wages from her summer job at Linyuan Farm and from helping in the operations department by filming videos, so her savings were quite substantial.

"Are you silly? Shouldn't your boyfriend pay for your clothes?" Zhang Lin said, slightly annoyed. When a man has money, he doesn't hesitate to buy clothes for his girlfriend and is often quite domineering about it.

Money is confidence.

"Manager Ye, Sister Mengyao," Fu Yao greeted the two in the front.

Lin Mengyao smiled and responded, "Yao Yao, you look even more beautiful after a few days."

She knew that being sweet was always a good idea. This girl could very well be the future boss's wife.

Ye Ling started the car again and turned on the navigation. He was a game recruit and wasn't very familiar with the highways in Fujian Province.

By the time they hit the highway, the sun was almost setting.

The evening glow excited Fu Yao and Lin Mengyao, who began taking photos of the beautiful sunset.

Zhang Lin didn't have much feeling for sunsets; he seemed immune to such things. However, since his girlfriend enjoyed it, he joined in, praising the beauty of the sunset while gently placing his arm around her waist.

"Uncle!" Fu Yao felt his action and whispered softly, not resisting or saying more.

Girls get used to being held by their boyfriends.

The three-hour journey felt both long and short. For Zhang Lin and Fu Yao, it wasn't long at all. They chatted and played a few mobile games, making the trip seem to fly by.

For Lin Mengyao, however, it felt very long. She endured the couple's displays of affection, hesitated to watch videos on her phone loudly, and tried not to disturb her boss. To her, the trip was a real ordeal.

Finally, they arrived in the province and checked into the hotel. The four of them then went out for a big meal, which Lin Mengyao had already reserved nearby.

She had attended university in the province, so she was familiar with the area. This time, she planned to meet up with some old classmates the next day.

After dinner, Zhang Lin took Fu Yao shopping for clothes, and Lin Mengyao led them to the nearest women's clothing mall, where they found a wide variety of styles.

He bought her over a dozen outfits.

"Uncle, that's enough, really!" Fu Yao protested when Zhang Lin wanted to keep shopping.

"Since we're out, why not buy a few more things?" Zhang Lin said with a smile.

"Uncle, you can barely carry what you have. It's enough already." Fu Yao's lips curved into a happy smile. This was the first time the young girl had experienced the joy of her boyfriend taking her shopping and helping her carry things.

Seeing this, the group decided to head back to the hotel.

As soon as they entered the room, Zhang Lin put down the luggage and handed Fu Yao a set of pajamas that had been sterilized by the mall: "Go take a shower and change into these!"

"???" Fu Yao stared at the pajamas in disbelief.

They were clearly a very embarrassing type of nightwear. When did Uncle get these...

She definitely didn't buy such pajamas.

"What's wrong?" Zhang Lin asked, feigning innocence.

"Uncle, you're so naughty." Fu Yao took the sexy pajamas with a pout and headed to the bathroom.

Zhang Lin enjoyed this kind of innocent, slightly awkward dating with his young girlfriend.

While many people loved playing the role of a cunning old fox, he was still young, only 18.

When Fu Yao emerged from the bathroom, Zhang Lin couldn't help but admire her in the bunny-themed nightwear. She pushed him into the bathroom with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance: "Uncle, it's your turn to shower."

When Zhang Lin came out, the girl was already tucked into bed, looking nervous as he approached.

Zhang Lin scooped his little girlfriend into his arms.

"..."

...

The next morning, sunlight filtered through the hotel curtains into the room.

"Uncle, what time is it?" Fu Yao murmured.

"7:30!" Zhang Lin smiled. "We have to go to the Provincial Agricultural Research Institute to receive an award. Do you want to stay here or come with us?"

"The Provincial Agricultural Research Institute? I want to go too!" Fu Yao was intrigued. After all, this place wasn't accessible to just anyone. In an agriculture-focused country, the research conducted here was sacred.

"Get up and change," Zhang Lin said with a smile.

After freshening up, the two of them met up with Lin Mengyao and Ye Ling and headed to the Provincial Agricultural Research Institute.

As the center for agricultural research in the province, the entry was strictly controlled. Zhang Lin and his group underwent a thorough inspection and had to register their information before being allowed in.

As the award-winning unit, they received a special plaque and a designated seating area.

The award ceremony was held in a grand hall on the north side of the institute, near the research center's emblem.

The hall was already filled with about 10 groups, all dressed modestly. They were likely agricultural researchers, making Zhang Lin and his group of four stand out a bit.

Unlike other award ceremonies, the one at the agricultural institute was quite simple. A gray-haired elder took the stage and gave a brief speech about the spirit of agricultural research, followed by the award presentations.

Journalists from the agricultural industry were present, taking photos of the stage.

Each winning unit was announced, and their research product, achievements, and reasons for winning were read out.

Finally, the host stepped forward and said, "The next recipient of the Outstanding Contribution Award is well-known to everyone. It's Liyuan Farm from Youcheng City, Ming Province. Their winning project is the whitening sweet potato."

This announcement caught everyone's attention.

Indeed, the whitening sweet potato had become a sensation. Almost everyone in the agricultural research community had heard about it, and some in their own institute had already started trying to replicate it.

The benefits of the whitening sweet potato were immense, but it seemed that no one could crack its secrets in the short term.

The host continued, "I'm sure you've all heard about the whitening sweet potato, the hottest product in our entire agricultural industry. It's not winning because of its powerful whitening effect, but because it has transformed the sweet potato variety."

"In simpler terms, it's no longer just a sweet potato; it's a new variety that could potentially help with other agricultural research. Now, please welcome a representative from Liyuan Farm to the stage to receive the award."

Lin Mengyao, who had been briefed, walked to the stage, drawing everyone's attention and the cameras of the journalists.

The journalists didn't delve into the details of the research units; they simply focused on whoever was on stage.

Lin Mengyao was prepared for this moment, so she held the certificate with a warm smile. After receiving the award, she walked back down.

As the host announced the next winner, Lin Mengyao handed the certificate to Zhang Lin.

The certificate had a red cover with the exclusive emblem of the Provincial Agricultural Research Institute, symbolizing its high value.

Almost as soon as he took the certificate, the game system's notifications started to chime one after another:

[Congratulations, you have met the upgrade conditions. Your game level has been upgraded to Level 5!]



[Congratulations, your level has been upgraded. Employee recruitment has been enhanced, and you can now set up an automatic payment system for employee salaries!]



[Congratulations, your level has been upgraded. You can now build 2 more structures.]



[Congratulations...]



[Congratulations...]

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end