The Secret Investment Formula of a Chemical Genius - Chapter 151



Only Krnovel

Episode 151 San Joaquin Valley

“I’m a little… … embarrassed.”

Professor Jennon Smith listened to me and smiled broadly.

“When I first came across the carbon adsorption method created by a professor, I was also very confused.”

The lighthearted joke slightly eased the tense atmosphere between us.

“I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw it. I never imagined that carbon dioxide could be removed in that way.”

“My approach may be a bit unusual, but I know other companies are also researching ways to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.”

“That’s trash.”

A determined look came over Professor Jennon Smith’s face.

“If we emit 120 units of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere to remove 100 units of carbon dioxide, then if that’s not waste, then what is?”

“If it’s a problem of efficiency, isn’t it a problem that time will solve?”

“That’s true. But the problem is that there isn’t much time left.”

A different side of Professor Jennon Smith that we’ve never seen before.

“Professor Han.”

“Please speak.”

“Why did Professor Han study the chemical formula to remove that carbon dioxide?”

“… … Of course, it was to make money.”

Professor Jennon Smith smiled slightly at my answer.

He took off the glasses he was wearing, raised his dull eyes, and looked up at the sky.

“Although our research fields were a bit different, there was one friend I got along with very well. He was like a child who enjoyed looking at the sky through a telescope every day, despite his age.”

Past tense.

“Is that person you’re talking about… …”

“That’s right. He died three years ago. He committed suicide. I didn’t know because he was usually cheerful, but I think he was suffering from deep depression. After he passed away, I thought back on the conversation I had with him at the funeral, and there was only one time when he confided his feelings to me.”

“What did that guy say?”

“A vast sea of ​​stars whose end cannot be seen, and within that sea, an existence called ‘I’ that is worse than a speck of dust.”

“… … .”

“The abyss-like universe that he peered into every day was eating away at his inner self. The more he studied the universe, the more he questioned his own existence. And finally, he came to the conclusion that the worst answer was suicide.”

It seems like sand blown by the sea breeze got into my eyes.

Professor Jennon Smith wiped his face with his palm, put his glasses back on and turned his head towards me.

“As much as you know, you can see. I’m sure even Professor Han could see it clearly. How the future will unfold. That’s why I studied the chemical formula.”

“I’ll say it again, I’m only doing this because of the money… … .”

“No. I think Professor Han himself knows that that’s not the case. I watched every single one of Professor Han’s lectures floating around on the Internet. And I could tell that he was having the same concerns as me.”

“… … .”

“I thought there was no hope for me in this world, so I decided to die a long time ago. Should I say I gave up on myself? I thought that living however I could wasn’t a bad thing, so I didn’t get married until I got to this age and just watched like a bystander. Even if I wanted to do something, my aged body wouldn’t cooperate.”

A bitter smile appeared on Professor Jennon Smith’s lips.

“Just then, I happened to see a chemical formula made by a professor. I was so surprised when I saw it. It was like a blind man seeing the light for the first time.”

A light gradually appeared in his eyes.

Pure madness.

A pure obsession that only someone who has devoted their entire life to one field can show.

“That’s when I realized. What should I do with the little time I have left?”

Professor Jennon Smith stared at me.

“… … The topic of conversation is heavier than usual.”

“It was just the ramblings of an old man who will soon disappear from this world. Don’t take it too deeply to heart.”

As if relieved, his shoulders, which had been raised, dropped.

After looking at the sight for a moment, he slowly opened his mouth.

“But, Professor.

“Huh? Why are you like that?”

“What I said earlier was not a lie.”

“What do you mean, it’s not a lie?”

“Carbon is essential for human survival.”

If we look closely at the human body, it is composed of 65% oxygen (O), 18% carbon (C), 10% hydrogen (H), and 3% nitrogen (N).

The element that makes up the most of the mass in the human body is oxygen.

The same was true for most animals, including humans.

Nevertheless, scholars called the species that exist on Earth ‘carbon-based’ life forms.

Not an ‘oxygen’ based life form.

“Although other elements are also important, it is not wrong to say that carbon is almost essential for the survival of organisms.”

Eat, wear, and use.

In fact, humans utilize carbon in all areas.

“So I thought about it carefully. Where can I get that carbon?”

“… … .”

Looking at the old professor who had his mouth tightly shut, he continued speaking slowly.

“But there were already a lot of them. Around us. So I started thinking. How can we extract them effectively? The answer that came out was that chemical formula.”

Professor Jennon Smith, who had been quietly listening to me with his head bowed, shook his shoulders.

“Yeah… … That’s it!”

He rolled his eyes after hearing my story and burst into laughter for a long time.

The gaze that is focused on us for a moment.

“‘Utilization’ rather than ‘elimination’… … That’s the difference! After all, humans are beings that aim for ‘development’ rather than ‘survival’! I overlooked that fact for a moment… …!”

Professor Jennon Smith muttered something to himself like a madman.

When people’s gazes start to become burdensome little by little.

He stopped laughing with a bang and looked up at me.

Clear eyes, the madness from before gone.

“It was an Italian blue crab.”

“… … Are you sorry?”

“Not long ago, a crab was introduced into Italian waters. It may look small, but it is notorious as an apex predator. It eats oysters, clams, mussels, and other foods that Italians love, and its population exploded. The Italian government, realizing the seriousness of the situation, hurriedly spent millions of euros to eliminate the crab, but for some reason, its population continued to grow.”

“… … .”

“But surprisingly, something similar happened in Korea before. I think it was Busan? A type of crab called saw-bladed crab, similar to the ones that were introduced to Italy, was introduced. Do you know what happened to Professor Han?”

“Well, I’m not really interested in that.”

A smile spread across Professor Jennon Smith’s face.

“Contrary to expectations that they would disrupt the ecosystem, the blue crabs that were introduced to Busan are now in danger of extinction.”

“… … .”

“Rumors spread that it was delicious, so everyone started catching blue crabs. Busan even set a closed season to prevent blue crabs from going extinct… … Isn’t that funny? Completely different results from similar situations?”

… … Koreans do like crustaceans.

Professor Jennon Smith stifled a laugh.

“In Italy, herring was seen as an obstacle to be ‘removed,’ so the process was bound to be tedious and painful. On the contrary, in Busan, blue crabs were seen as a food to be ‘utilized’… … Perhaps those seemingly small differences are what created such different results. Just like a professor who sees carbon dioxide as a material to be ‘utilized’, while I see it as an obstacle to be ‘removed.’”

“… … You really know a lot about Korea.”

“Since I learned about Professor Han, I have been searching for Korean broadcasts and materials every day.”

A burdensome gaze.

When we changed the subject, Professor Jennon Smith also responded by pretending not to notice.

“I feel like I’ve taken up too much of Professor Han’s time.”

“No, it was a very useful conversation.”

“The aftereffects probably haven’t completely worn off yet, so go in and rest.”

“Take a look inside.”

Professor Jennon Smith smiled faintly and his steps seemed lighter than before.

* * *

“… … Are you here?”

When we returned to our hotel room, Taekang greeted us with a voice that was almost dying.

“How are you feeling?”

“It’s just like that. But why did you take such a long walk?”

The guy glanced at the clock on the wall.

“We just chatted about this and that and time passed quickly.”

“Is that so?”

The guy frowned and stuffed the bottle of water into his mouth.

“I heard that when the professor returns to Korea, he will lend me a private plane… … .”

“All right! What the hell is this private jet? That damn turbulence!”

Taekang clenched his teeth as if he was about to gnash his teeth.

To be honest, the guy seems like he’s being a bit too sarcastic.

It was quite dizzying at the time.

It was only a fleeting moment, lasting only a few seconds.

Because the plane, unable to overcome the turbulence, was shaking like crazy.

“No, why is there so much turbulence? Is that how it is supposed to be?”

“Because the climate has changed a lot compared to before.”

Global warming has messed up the flow of air.

The increasingly stronger turbulence is also due to that reason.

“Uh, I don’t know about that. After all, people need to live with their feet on the ground.”

Taekang dived into the bed and rubbed his face against the pillow.

* * *

“I arrived safely in America.”

– Yeah, you’ve worked hard. Is the food to your taste?

“People live here too. The food is just okay.”

– Koreans have to eat rice, but there, they only have wheat flour.

Mother clicked her tongue lightly.

… … There is rice in America too.

“What about the kids?”

– I’ve been waiting to talk to you anyway.

As their mother stepped aside for a moment, Eun-soo and Natasha peeked their heads in.

Let’s look at the children.

A little while ago.

My nerves, which had been tense, relaxed after talking to Professor Jennon Smith.

“Did you have fun today?”

– ……huh.

Nod nod!

“Okay, if you listen to what your mother says, I’ll buy you a present when I go home.”

The two children’s eyes sparkled at the word “gift.”

– You should rest now, sir. Let’s talk again later. Don’t worry about the kids. I’ll take good care of them.

“Please.”

After finishing the video call.

I also leaned back comfortably on the bed.

Come to think of it.

In a few months, the children will be old enough to enter elementary school.

Apart from the fact that the two children became so close that they spent every day like glue.

They also had a strange sense of competition with each other.

Should I say I’m following along?

If Eun-soo goes to elementary school, Natasha will definitely want to go to school too.

Should I send my child to elementary school in Korea or… … .

While worrying about this and that.

Before I knew it, my eyes slowly closed.

* * *

Let’s have a quick breakfast with room service and then go down to the hotel lobby.

Professor Jennon Smith was waiting for us.

“How are you feeling?”

“It’s easy!”

Taekang showed off his strong arms and smiled confidently.

“It’s good to be young. In just one night. I was worried because you didn’t look well yesterday. Fortunately, you’re not.”

… … It’s probably not because you’re young.

“Then, will you be able to complete today’s schedule without any problems?”

“Of course.”

We loaded ourselves into a pre-arranged SUV.

And then he moved somewhere for a while.

“Where is your destination?”

“Do you know the San Joaquin Valley?”

“I know.”

California, located in the southwest, is one of the representative grain producing regions of the United States.

The San Joaquin Valley is the largest wine-producing region in California, and produces a variety of crops in addition to grapes, including almonds, asparagus, cotton, tomatoes, and oranges.

“Wine?”

The scenery continues to be the same.

Taekang, who had been looking indifferent, raised his head at the word wine.

“We’re not going out to eat.”

“Who said what?”

The grumbling guy turned his head out the window again.

How many hours did you run like that?

“… … Is this really the San Joaquin Valley?”

“That’s right. It’s a bit different from what you expected, isn’t it?”

“It looks more… desolate than I thought.”

Instead of endless fields of green crops.

A wasteland where only red clay flutters.

“The drought has been so severe for the past three years that farming has become impossible. The farmers who stayed here and held out until the end have finally left this place recently due to an emergency order from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern to restrict water use.”

The blazing sun.

The land underneath is cracked and split.

On the withered trees, only dried brown leaves dangled feebly in the wind.

“Professor Han. So what I’m saying is… … .”

Professor Jennon Smith stopped his car for a moment and looked at me.

“Do you have any intention of saving this place?”

“… … !”