Chapter 65

"Right, Ziye, after you go back, give me Jie Han's and your bank card numbers, then go to the Finance Department to claim some labor fees, fifteen hundred each."

"Although it's not much, our research project funds must not be wasted; whatever you can save, I can give a bit to you guys."

Yuan Weihong said this, carefully covering his chest: "This money isn't easy to get; you have to learn to use it sparingly."

This counted as an unexpected delight.

But Fang Ziye knew that his cell experiment technique had upgraded to Level 3, with proficiency sky-high, saving the research group a lot of funding; current experiments all succeed on the first try, directly achieving pretty good results, with no reagent or other waste.

Actually Yuan Weihong still had more money he could disburse, and it wouldn't affect project progress.

But money like this can't be used that way; after all, it's national special grant funding for research projects — either used for preliminary research on follow-up projects, or as other research support funds, like paper publication fees and such, all useful.

"Rest assured, Master, in the lab I'm already extremely thrifty!" Fang Ziye rubbed his palms together slightly with both hands.

Yuan Weihong thought for a moment, shut the door, saw no patients coming in, then elbowed Fang Ziye down onto the stool and asked: "Thrifty is thrifty, but it can't be kept as a nest egg; why are you being so thrifty?"

"Saving up to marry a wife?"

Fang Ziye trembled violently, thought a bit, and replied: "Master, this? No, I don't!"

Yuan Weihong also sat down at this moment, arms crossed, elbows propped on the computer desk, and asked in a low voice:

"These past ten-odd days you've basically bought no reagents or instruments, always mooching off your other senior brothers; although it's win-win for everyone and you don't waste theirs either."

"But your master here manages the accounts. You leaving this much project funding unspent — are you trying to make your teacher commit an error or what?" Yuan Weihong spoke in soft whispers, not a trace of reproach.

Yet the tone of his words was clearly the gossip-eating, auntie-style meddling.

National special grant funds cannot be diverted for other use; at project completion, not only must your results come out, but your fund expenditures, invoices, etc., must all match up one by one.

Off by a few hundred yuan, or a few hundred left over — that's fine; after all, no one can budget precisely down to the thousands.

But if you finish a project and, good fellow, you've actually got fifty or sixty thousand or even one or two hundred thousand left — what are you trying to do?

Of course, if Yuan Weihong wanted to use it, he could definitely spend it all — buy more cell lines, instruments, or send something out for tumor specimen staining or whatever, and it'd be spent.

But Yuan Weihong naturally still had to ask what this student of his was being so precisely calculating for.

Fang Ziye's eyeballs immediately tracked Yuan Weihong's speech, swiveling one circle, then two more: "Master, the special grant funding can be used for continued projects and preliminary or mid-course research for other projects, right?"

A person, without preliminary research startup funds, might be finished — that's common knowledge in academia; so the project funds Yuan Weihong secured, as long as they complete the corresponding projects, the surplus left over, whether used for student labor fees or for the group's other preliminary experimental research.

No one will care, as long as you don't stuff it into your own pocket!

Yuan Weihong was sitting, but felt the posture a bit tiring, so he stood up again, neither confirming nor denying: "Being thrifty isn't bad, but money must be spent with proper justification; our own project funds, besides you, me, and Jie Han — the three of us — to outsiders it all counts as borrowed, you know?"

Fang Ziye nodded heavily.

"I know, Master."

"Borrowed means it must be returned."

"Our project still has a nude mouse tumor-bearing experiment — that fixed expense you absolutely cannot touch; aside from that, however much is left on the books, you manage it yourself?"

"Remember one big premise: damn it, absolutely do not divert it for personal use; no matter what benefits material suppliers offer you, you cannot take them, heard me clearly?" This admonition from Yuan Weihong already counted as cursing.

"Master, actually it won't be wasted much; if experiments are done in a standardized way, basically one to two times, at most two times and you can see pretty suitable results."

"No need for excessive repetition."

"But borrowing money is still unreliable; I'm thinking we can use the group's existing funds to do more preliminary experimental research, casting a wide net." Fang Ziye answered quite cautiously.

Fang Ziye would of course not put the money in his own pocket; rather, through his own superb technique, Fang Ziye discovered that the research group's — that is, Yuan Weihong's — grant funds could be used for two purposes with one penny, even three.

As long as his own cell experiment operation technique is superb enough, no money will be wasted; and without wasting experimental materials, one project's funding can basically be repeated two to three times with no problem.

After all, there's a lab — no need to spend your own money buying big instruments like building a cell room, flow cytometer, etc.; having a lab to depend on, that's where the benefit lies.

Yuan Weihong immediately turned serious.

If Fang Ziye hadn't produced any results, Yuan Weihong could think he was bragging, but Fang Ziye's current achievements are quite substantial; his own project completion timeline is four years.

This is only the third year; Fang Ziye has been at it just over a month and progress is rapid; at this pace, by March next year at the latest, all the experimental results that should come out will have come out.

Papers can start being written and submitted; his own previous experiments have already been published.

Thus Yuan Weihong couldn't help but believe Fang Ziye's basic research talent is really high.

Fang Ziye wasn't thinking of lending the money to others, but of doing more preliminary research for projects, fully preparing for grant applications — this is a good thing that can bring in more money!

Yuan Weihong relaxed: "Use it well, put the money where it matters most. Keep your own accounts straight!"

"One more thing: remember to apply for more project grants together with Jie Han; that'll be extremely beneficial for your future applications for the Youth Fund, Provincial Fund, and General Fund."

"Also, perform more, strive for a chance to get into Professor Xue's Orthopedics Bone Tumor Specialty; Professor Xue holds the 863 Major Project, the group's funding is huge, tens of millions."

"As long as you have sufficient achievements and capability, he'll be very happy for you to go over there and wreak havoc on the funds."

"Ah?" Fang Ziye froze instantly.

Tens of millions in project funding — what kind of project is that?

"Stunned, huh?" Seeing Fang Ziye's expression, Yuan Weihong was very happy and very willing.

(Chapter End)