Huayu 2021: Isn’t he in the technology field?

Chapter 227 The Direction of the Three Major Platforms, What to Cut?

At 11:23 AM, Wuwen Technology.

Zhang Jingyi felt as if she was in a futuristic technological world one second, but the next second the noise and rich aroma of food from the cafeteria instantly pulled her back to the mundane world.

In the huge space, white dining tables were arranged in an orderly manner, and employees in various uniforms came and went, their laughter, the clinking of plates, and the sizzling of food creating a lively background sound.

As soon as the group entered the cafeteria, they immediately attracted everyone's attention, and everyone stared at them.

Subconsciously, Chen Duling and Zhang Jingyi straightened their backs almost simultaneously, revealing a generous and proper standard smile.

Nobody wants to leave a bad impression on Jiang Qing's company.

Jiang Qing led them through the crowd with practiced ease and found a quieter spot by the window to sit down.

He got up and went to the window, and soon returned with several plates piled high with food. The most eye-catching were naturally two large portions of glossy, reddish-brown sweet and sour pork ribs coated in a thick sauce.

Wow! It really wasn't a lie!

Zhang Jingyi's eyes lit up instantly, and she couldn't wait to pick up the biggest piece and put it in her mouth.

He immediately squinted his eyes happily, his cheeks puffed out, and he exclaimed in a muffled voice.

"Mmm...delicious! The sweet and sour flavors are just right, and the meat is tender!"

Chen Duling also tried a piece. The ribs were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and the sauce was rich but not greasy. It was indeed of a very high standard.

"It seems that President Jiang's restaurant truly lives up to its reputation."

She smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Thank you for your recognition, both teachers."

Jiang Qing readily accepted her praise, picked up a piece of pork rib, and started a conversation while eating.

"I took a look at the test results of the newly developed AI script screening system during the meeting this morning. Tencent, iQiyi, and Kuzi have all signed customization agreements."

"Oh?"

Chen Duling became interested and put down her chopsticks to look at him.

"Is it the AI-powered script-selecting system you mentioned during your lecture at SMTH? If all three companies are using custom scripts, their focuses are different?"

"Ah."

Jiang Qing swallowed his food and explained slowly and deliberately.

"Tencent has deep pockets and a massive content library. Their core requirement is to accurately identify potential hits. They hope the system can act like a radar, quickly locking onto the next work that might ignite the market from a vast sea of ​​scripts."

"Kiwifruit is more concerned with stylistic matching. They hope that the system can accurately understand the unique tone of their platform's self-produced scripts, such as suspenseful, brain-teasing, youthful, sweet romance scripts, or in-depth realistic themes, and then follow the clues to find the scripts that best match their brand's style."

"Pants, huh..."

He paused, a hint of amusement in his smile.

"They are more pragmatic and require the system to include the controllability of production costs as a core weight when evaluating projects. In other words, they prioritize projects with good stories but that won't cost too much to film."

Zhang Jingyi was busy fighting with the second piece of pork rib when she heard this. She looked up at him, her lips still glistening with sauce, and her eyes were full of curiosity.

"That sounds amazing... So, in the future, will this AI be able to write, direct, and act in movies and TV series all by itself? Will all of us actors have to lose our jobs?"

She spoke half-jokingly, her tone revealing a barely perceptible hint of nervousness.

Seeing her like that, Jiang Qing naturally took out a tissue and passed it over the table.

The movements were so natural, as if they had been done a thousand times.

Zhang Jingyi took the tissue and pressed it to her lips, subconsciously shrinking her neck, her cheeks slightly flushed.

Chen Duling watched this scene with an unchanged smile, but a slight glint flashed in her eyes.

"can."

Jiang Qing casually withdrew her hand, her answer decisive, her gaze sweeping over Zhang Jingyi before settling on Chen Duling's thoughtful face.

"The day when a movie can be entirely generated by AI, with scripts, storyboards, and virtual characters performing, will come sooner or later, and it won't be too far away."

These words, like a small pebble, stirred a cool ripple in the hearts of Chen Duling and the other woman.

The two fell silent for a moment, and the noise from the cafeteria seemed to fade into the distance.

Jiang Qing's gaze swept across the two faces, and her voice continued unhurriedly, carrying a soothing gentleness.

"But actors won't lose their jobs, at least truly good actors will never be replaced."

He picked up his water glass and took a sip.

"AI can mimic facial expressions and simulate movements, and even analyze massive amounts of data to perform certain emotions, but it has no soul, no subtle sense of life like a real flesh and blood breathing in front of the camera, and no stories etched in eyes and body language that have been accumulated over a long period of time."

"It also lacks the kind of flashes of inspiration that actors can have at crucial moments, which cannot be pre-programmed."

He looked at them with a serious expression.

“Future actors may need to understand their roles more deeply, hone their basic skills more solidly, and even learn how to act alongside AI. The threshold will be higher, but the stage will always be reserved for those who can give a character a true soul. Those who are not ambitious and rely only on their looks or luck will be eliminated.”

The air was quiet for a few seconds.

Zhang Jingyi slowly put down her chopsticks, the playful expression on her face fading. She looked down at the remaining ribs on the plate, her fingers unconsciously picking at the edge of the table.

Chen Duling picked up her water glass and took a slow sip, her gaze drifting to the futuristic building outlines in the park outside the window, her eyes somewhat vacant.

Jiang Qing's words spread silently in their hearts like ripples on water, bringing a sense of anticipation for the future, as well as a sense of uncertainty about the unknown.

Lunch ended in a subtle silence.

Zhang Jingyi had to rush back to the film set to film in the afternoon, so Jiang Qing naturally had to go back with her.

"Dudu, let's go!"

Zhang Jingyi hugged Chen Duling, and Chen Duling regained some of her energy.

"I'll treat you to a late-night snack sometime if I finish work early!"

"Great, good luck with your filming."

Chen Duling responded with a smile, watching Jiang Qing and Zhang Jingyi walk side by side toward the waiting black van.

Jiang Qing glanced back at her before getting into the car and nodded almost imperceptibly.

A slight smile curved her lips.

The car door closed immediately, and the black car merged into the traffic.

After the vehicle drove away, Chen Duling took a taxi back to the hotel.

The afternoon passed by as I studied the script and took short breaks. The sky outside the window gradually turned twilight, and the city lights lit up one after another, like an overturned galaxy.

Her phone suddenly vibrated. She opened it and saw a WeChat message from Jiang Qing. The message was brief and direct.

"That's it for the day. I'll be at your hotel in half an hour."

There were no unnecessary formalities; it was all perfectly natural.

Chen Duling stared at the screen, her fingertips hovering over the keyboard for a moment before finally replying with just one word.

"Okay." She got up, changed out of her comfortable loungewear, put on the outfit she wore that morning, and tidied her slightly wavy long hair in front of the mirror.

Her eyes in the mirror were clear and bright, carrying a hint of expectation that she herself was unaware of.

As dusk fell, she quickly slipped into Jiang Qing's passenger seat. The two exchanged a smile, and then the car smoothly drove towards Binhu.

During the journey, Jiang Qing talked about the interesting things that happened during the afternoon's filming, and she listened quietly, occasionally chiming in with a few words.

She had actually wanted to visit Jiang Qing's house for a long time, after all, the news that the crew of the Lighter movie had a dinner party at Jiang Qing's house a few days ago had been trending on social media, which meant that Jingyi had already been to his house.

So she kept waiting.

The moment the door opened, Jiang Qing deliberately stepped aside.

What came into Chen Duling's view was a living room with an extremely open view. A huge floor-to-ceiling window took in the dazzling night view of Luyang, and the shimmering waves of the artificial lake could be faintly seen in the distance.

A quick glance reveals a modern minimalist style with clean lines and a predominantly gray and white color scheme, accented with dark wood furniture and metallic decorations, creating a high-tech feel while maintaining a warm and homey atmosphere.

Moreover, it's excessively clean and tidy, like a meticulously arranged showroom, lacking the real warmth and lived-in feel of everyday life.

“I’m not home often and I don’t cook much, so it looks a bit deserted.”

Jiang Qing saw through her thoughts, took off her coat and casually draped it over the sofa armrest as she walked towards the kitchen.

He opened the refrigerator door, turned around, and raised an eyebrow.

"What would you like to eat? You can order."

Chen Duling put down her bag, rolled up her sleeves, and walked to the spacious island counter.

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do. I trust Dr. Jiang's skills, but... do you need any help? I can lend a hand."

Her gaze swept over the gleaming kitchen utensils.

"That's best."

Jiang Qing didn't stand on ceremony with her and took out some vegetables from the refrigerator and handed them to her.

"Could you please wash and chop these for me, Teacher Chen? I'll go prepare the fish."

"no problem."

Chen Duling accepted it with a smile.

Jiang Qing glanced at her, then tied on her apron and deftly began to prepare the sea bass.

Chen Duling was carefully washing the vegetables by the sink.

The water gurgled as she gently turned the small green vegetables under the flowing water, her movements unhurried and deliberate.

The two of them each did their part, and the kitchen gradually filled with the fresh aroma of the ingredients themselves.

Jiang Qing focused on scaling and gutting the tomatoes, while Chen Duling picked up a sharp kitchen knife, placed the washed tomatoes on the cutting board, and prepared to cut them into small pieces.

The knife blade made a soft rustling sound as it touched the smooth skin of the tomato.

"Is the knife easy to use?"

After Jiang Qing finished preparing the fish and washed his hands, he walked over while drying them and stood naturally beside her.

He glanced at it, then picked up another tomato and a knife, ready to start cutting it as well.

"quite fast."

Chen Duling responded and focused on her hands.

The two stood side by side in front of the spacious central island counter, their arms occasionally brushing against each other due to the movement of their arms.

The space was clearly large, but the close proximity and shared focus created an invisible and subtle tension.

For a moment, the only sounds in the air were the sounds of food being processed and the two people's shallow breathing.

Jiang Qing picked up the tomato chunks that Chen Duling had cut and prepared to pour them into a spare glass bowl next to her.

Chen Duling happened to reach for an empty plate placed between the two of them. Their fingertips fell almost simultaneously above the rim of the plate, touching each other lightly.

It feels slightly cool to the touch, moist with moisture, and exceptionally clear.

Time seemed to freeze for a fraction of a second due to this unexpected touch.

Both of them paused for a moment.

Chen Duling's fingers felt as if they had been stung by a tiny electric current. She instinctively tried to pull them back, but in the next second she firmly gripped the other side of the plate.

She raised her eyelashes, her gaze meeting Jiang Qing's.

Under the bright overhead light in the kitchen, his eyes were exceptionally deep, like undercurrents hidden beneath a calm lake. There was no surprise there, only an indescribable focus, as if he had already anticipated that brief touch.

All the surrounding sounds became blurred, leaving only the heartbeats of the two people in this small space, and the faint sound of water about to boil in the pot.

The sounds grew more frequent and muffled, like some kind of emotion that was building up and about to burst forth.

Jiang Qing did not look away, nor did she loosen her grip.

He held the other side of the plate with a steady grip, his fingertips even unconsciously brushing against the edge of her slightly cool fingertips—a very subtle movement, yet carrying an undeniable presence.

His gaze was fixed on her intently, as if five years of time had passed and the dust had settled in the present moment.

The water in the pot finally boiled completely, bubbling and making a joyful and enthusiastic noise, and white steam suddenly rose up, filling the space between the two of them.

The steam, carrying heat, blurred a corner of their vision, but it made the light in each other's eyes even clearer and brighter.

Where eyes meet, a silent undercurrent, more turbulent than boiling water, is being conveyed; something sealed away by time is quietly emerging amidst the lively atmosphere of this moment.

"Dudu."

In the utterly silent place, Jiang Qing called out softly.

"Ah."

Chen Duling didn't back down, looking directly at him.

A faint sense of anticipation stirred within me.

"you……"

Jiang Qing hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

"how do I?"

Chen Duling leaned closer to him, her long eyelashes trembling slightly.

A subtle, alluring smile flickered across her eyes and brows, and her voice softened.

Jiang Qing hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth.

"Um... your makeup is caked up."

The ambiguous atmosphere vanished abruptly.

Chen Duling stared blankly at the man in front of her, her smile frozen on her face.

She suddenly had a strong urge to swing the knife at hand and chop something!
(End of this chapter)