Chapter 242: Chapter 235 Strategic Scientist Chapter 242: Chapter 235 Strategic Scientist “Have you remembered everything you need to pay attention to?”

“I’ve got it all memorized. But boss, do we really need to make it so complicated? Although there were many people clamoring to take photos this morning, a lot of them were just talking and won’t actually show up in the afternoon, right?” The member of the working group jotted down the several points Xiao Guo had mentioned in a notebook and also expressed their concerns.

“That’s not for you to worry about; I’ll take care of it.” Xiao Guo didn’t seem worried at all. He patted the employee’s shoulder and asked them to set up the venue for the photo event in the afternoon.

After the employees left, Xiao Guo took the time to eat a few slices of watermelon. Although he had been busy since the day before and he was tired both physically and mentally, the rewards were significant, especially the performance in the morning. Although he had not gone to see it, he had heard from Charlie and others that of the ten cats, their Black Cat was the most popular.

The thought of how Charlie described the scene made Xiao Guo laugh. There were too many people yelling to go and take photos, which meant the lucky audience members who got to strike poses took longer than expected. After taking photos, they realized how well the cat cooperated and felt inspired to come up with new ideas, wanting to take a few more pictures while they had the chance, thus stretching out the time. Normally, the next group would quickly set up props during the current photoshoot, but the group following Zheng Tan had their props set for quite a while, and the photography hadn’t finished yet, leaving those waiting guzzling several bottles of mineral water in frustration.

Yes, they said there would be time in the afternoon for photos, specifically arranged for everyone to find the star cats to take pictures with. None of the winning cats from Saturday had left; the organizers had arranged a place for everyone to take souvenir photos. There were plenty of opportunities, but taking photos on the spot was free. In the afternoon, it would cost money. Some people didn’t care about spending a bit, but others couldn’t help chasing a bargain.

Xiao Guo had someone tally up those who had proactively contacted them to schedule a photo session in the afternoon. There were about a dozen, and some were still hesitating, not committed. However, Xiao Guo wouldn’t miss this excellent opportunity for publicity.

But…

Xiao Guo glanced at his phone. He had received a call from Professor Jiao earlier, saying he had already returned to the country. With Cat Dad back, getting that cat to help with anything in the future would probably face more obstacles. Regardless, he planned to seize this chance to gain as much popularity as possible.

After napping in the break room, Zheng Tan was taken to get ready for the photoshoot. Xiao Guo had told him that Mr. Jiao was back and would come over in the afternoon. Mr. Jiao had called on New Year’s Eve to say he might not return until the second half of the year, but now he was back unexpectedly. He had bought a plane ticket from Beijing to Lin Zhou for one in the afternoon. With a two-hour flight, he would arrive in Lin Zhou at three, but it was unclear what time Mr. Jiao would reach the venue.

Knowing Mr. Jiao would come made Zheng Tan’s already good mood even better, and he was more amicable to those asking for a photoshoot. There were a lot of people taking photos in the morning, including some children. Fortunately, those kids didn’t yank on Zheng Tan’s whiskers and were relatively well-behaved, so hopefully, the afternoon would go smoothly as well.

The morning competition didn’t rank participants, but the afternoon’s photoshoot reflected who was more popular. Xiao Guo had the venue set up at noon, and the photoshoot location looked quite professional now. The photographer in charge was a veteran who had worked with Zheng Tan multiple times, so they were familiar with each other.

A few young people, particularly some young men, came over and asked to take pictures with Jin Ling first, and Jin Ling didn’t refuse. This stirred the young people who had been lingering outside, and they quickly lined up to pay for photos, and thus, the queue grew as the people there for the cats and for Jin Ling added up.

This was where Xiao Guo’s sophistication shone through.

We might not beat the cats, but we sure can match up with the girls. We have to be strong on both fronts.

However, Xiao Guo made sure to tell everyone who came to take photos with the cat that they couldn’t just touch it any way they wanted, especially not the head. If they did and got scratched or bitten, there would be no responsibility taken. As long as they followed arrangements, everything would be perfectly safe.

For many who knew cats, the idea was to pet them more, scratch their chins, and get close. But the staff on site told them that this Black Cat was different, and it was hard to explain exactly why. However, everyone who had their photo taken knew that even though the cat seemed standoffish and had a black “face,” it was actually quite friendly when taking pictures, like voluntarily posing.

For 20 yuan a photo, the pictures weren’t large, but they were beautifully made. Moreover, on the back of the photo was the name “Green Wing” and the Pet Center’s name and address. Xiao Guo would not miss any promotional opportunity.

That’s how people are; when they see everyone else crowding to do something, they might not be very interested, but they’ll still want to join in the fun. Some people who only wanted photos with the famous winning cats also came over to join the queue when they had free time.

Next to the photoshoot area were some props and costume pieces. People waiting for their turn could select accessories. A six or seven-year-old boy excitedly picked out an outfit and then stood in front of the fitting mirror, admiring himself. He must have thought he looked extremely handsome in that outfit because what happened next was he actually peed himself.

Yes, he really did pee.

Zheng Tan heard laughter around him and looked over only to discover that the little boy in front of the mirror was pouting, and then burst into tears with a “wah,” his pants already wet, including a large damp patch of urine on the costume piece.

Sometimes, Zheng Tan felt that children’s thoughts could be quite quirky; if they didn’t tell you, you might never guess what they were really thinking.

There were lots of people taking photos, and for Zheng Tan, it wasn’t too troublesome. He just had to strike a pose, and he even received a few kisses from ladies, though the “ladies” ranged widely in age, from eight to sixty-eight. Zheng Tan was inadvertently “smooched” on the forehead. Another two or three-year-old left a trail of drool on his head just before the “smooch,” leaving Zheng Tan wondering what the little kid was thinking at the time.

Upon seeing this, Charlie quickly came over with a tissue and then wiped it a few times with a wet towel. Seeing that Zheng Tan didn’t lose his temper right then and there, Charlie breathed a sigh of relief.

During this time, some organizers came to watch the photoshoot, and there were also photographers. The organizers got in touch with Xiao Guo and asked him to bring the cat to the closing ceremony for a group photo. The cats in the photo were all winners from the event, and Zheng Tan was the only family cat that hadn’t won an award; the other three family cats were the top three in the family cat category. However, in terms of popularity at the venue, Zheng Tan was far ahead of them.

Around four in the afternoon, when the event was near its conclusion, the number of people taking photos had dwindled. Those who had paid and were in line could still get their photos taken, but anyone arriving later was informed that the session had ended.

“Hey, sir, I’m sorry, but the photo-taking has already finished. If you’re interested, you can visit our shop later. If you have a cat at home, you can also check out our own brand. The quality is absolutely guaranteed!” A staff member at the photo area stopped a passerby, but before he could finish, someone from the event team came over.

“Huh? Mr. Jiao, what are you doing here? Are you here to pick up your cat?” The person approaching was Xiao Guo, an old acquaintance from their Pet Center and one of the few who knew that Zheng Tan was with the Jiao family.

The previous speaker, recognizing that everyone knew each other, stayed silent and let Professor Jiao go through directly.

Zheng Tan, while taking a photo with someone, caught sight of Mr. Jiao standing on the side. However, Mr. Jiao signaled him to continue “working,” so Zheng Tan didn’t go over, although his mind wasn’t really on taking photos anymore.

After the last photo was taken, Mr. Jiao came over and picked up Zheng Tan like a small child, tossing him up into the air twice, “You’ve gained weight.”

Zheng Tan: “…” As expected of someone in scientific research, a slight tremble of his hand could probably measure down to three decimal places. However, Zheng Tan did indeed put on a circle of fat over the New Year that he hadn’t completely shed.

Mr. Jiao didn’t take Zheng Tan away right away. He had heard that Zheng Tan would have to go up on stage later during the closing ceremony to take a photo with the award-winning cats, and the photo would be posted on the organizing bodies’ event records as a keepsake.

There were far fewer people at the closing ceremony than at the opening ceremony, with only staff from related organizations and the cats’ owners present.

Zheng Tan stood on the stage where there was a stepped arrangement. The award-winning cats were placed upon it. Cats, unlike dogs, do not respond as well to commands, so they had to work quickly before the cats became impatient or started to fight.

Zheng Tan was positioned towards the back and a bit towards the center, next to a long-haired, bulky feline which had been planning to squeeze into the center but, upon meeting Zheng Tan’s gaze, unconsciously shifted in the opposite direction – as if feeling that wasn’t safe enough, it moved even further away.

Mr. Jiao, watching from below, laughed and took out his camera to take photos.

The emotions of the cat owners below the stage seemed to mirror those of parents watching their children receive awards on stage after a performance or competition.

The person standing beside Mr. Jiao saw him taking photos and asked, “Is your cat up there too?” Before Mr. Jiao could answer, the person continued, “My son is up there, the champion of the kitten group. Heh heh, this little guy has been showing off his champion quality despite his small size!”

Mr. Jiao looked in the direction the man was pointing, but with only three kittens on stage, it was unclear which one was the man’s cat.

Just as Mr. Jiao was guessing who it might be, he heard the man next to him shout towards the stage, “Huang Shang, look this way, daddy is here!”

Mr. Jiao: “…”

Out of the three kittens, only one was ginger-yellow, likely the one the man was referring to. The kitten named “Huang Shang,” whether it heard or not, had a typical Garfield’s flat face that looked rather stern, but its eyes were wandering around, giving it quite a ‘Spiritual Energy.’
After the closing ceremony, Mr. Jiao left with Zheng Tan first. They would meet up later in the evening with Xiao Guo at the hotel they had booked and head back to Chuhua City together the next morning.

The reason Mr. Jiao took Zheng Tan away separately was that he had run into Fang Shaokang with his child and pet outside the venue before entering the event. Fang Mengmeng wanted to take a photo with Zheng Tan, and since Fang Shaokang did not want to interact with people from the Pet Center, he asked Mr. Jiao to take Zheng Tan out if he was free and then have a meal together.

While Fang Mengmeng was taking photos of Zheng Tan and Da Mi with Fang Shaokang’s DSLR camera, Mr. Jiao chatted with Fang Shaokang on the side.

“You should be able to get rid of the ‘Associate’ in your title soon, right? Congratulations in advance,” Fang Shaokang said.

“Thank you. But after shedding ‘Associate,’ the challenges I’ll face will be greater. There are many talented people around now,” Mr. Jiao replied with a smile and a shake of his head.

“That’s true. Even in famous domestic universities, there are quite a few who are ‘strategic’ scientists.”

Fang Shaokang said “strategic scientists” with an obvious sarcastic tone. Mr. Jiao understood what he meant. Fang Shaokang wasn’t talking about scientists like Qian Xuesen, who had a strategic vision. He was poking fun at the growing number of people who only talk strategy without doing scientific research, making a fortune by leveraging their connections to obtain national projects. (To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes or monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep