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

Chapter 391 High Above, a New Year's Big Announcement

Jiang Qing took Zhou Ye's hand and walked towards the dazzling Ferris wheel.

As they approached, the nearest carriage door opened silently, leaving Zhou Ye staring wide-eyed in astonishment.

"Please, Zhou Xiaoye, this is your personal ride."

Jiang Qing turned to the side, making an inviting gesture, her eyes reflecting the dazzling light of the Ferris wheel, her smile gentle.

Zhou Ye, his face full of anticipation, carefully stepped into the sedan chair.

"Wow!"

Upon seeing what was inside, she immediately let out a small gasp.

The interior of the elevator car is spacious, with a soft, circular sofa covered with thick plush cushions, and clear glass windows all around.

She was like a curious puppy entering a new home, touching and looking around.

"Jiang Qing, this cushion is so soft! Look at this window, it's so clean!"

She turned around, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him, pointing at the glass.

Jiang Qing followed her in, and the door closed silently.

Looking at her childlike happiness, he felt all the fatigue of the past few days vanish.

The car shook slightly and began to rise slowly.

"Ah! It moved!"

Zhou Ye immediately rushed to the window and clung to the glass with both hands.

The Ferris wheel ascends smoothly, and the view gradually opens up.

The night view of Wuwen Science and Technology Park unfolds beneath my feet, and further away are the myriad lights of Luyang City.

"Jiang Qing, look over there! Isn't that Swan Lake? I see that spire!"

"Wow! Can we see the pedestrian street where we just ate from here?"

Is that the University of Science and Technology of China over there?

She kept pulling Jiang Qing's arm, pointing in all directions, and talking excitedly.

Jiang Qing stood half a step behind her, patiently responding to her words.

His gaze mostly lingered on her vivid profile, watching her long eyelashes flutter, the corners of her mouth turn up, her chatter, and her various exaggerated expressions.

As the elevator smoothly reached its highest point, the city lights below seemed almost within reach.

The van paused slightly before coming to a steady stop.

Zhou Ye turned back to look at Jiang Qing with a puzzled expression.

"Huh? Why did you stop?"

Jiang Qing took out her phone and waved it.

"There's no malfunction. I just find the scenery here so beautiful that I want to stay a little longer."

Just then, the glass floor beneath their feet and the surrounding glass walls underwent a strange change.

The frosted texture slowly faded away like melting snow, becoming completely transparent!

"what!!!"

Zhou Ye was startled by the sudden change and cried out, instinctively shrinking back a bit, but was immediately captivated by the unparalleled view.

At this moment, they seemed to be suspended in the very center of the city's night sky, overlooking the entire night view of Luyang without any obstruction.

Just then, a pair of arms gently wrapped around her waist from behind, and a warm body pressed against her back.

Jiang Qing gently rested his chin on the top of her head, pulling her completely into his arms.

Zhou Ye's body stiffened slightly, but he quickly relaxed and leaned back softly into his warm embrace.

The excitement and elation from before gradually subsided, and a tranquil and reassuring atmosphere filled the space between the two.

No one spoke; they simply nestled together quietly, sharing this peaceful moment suspended atop the city.

After a long while, Zhou Ye gently turned around and embraced Jiang Qing face to face.

She buried her face in his chest, her voice muffled.

"How did you even come up with the idea to build this... and then you brought me here today... It makes my Christmas present seem so inadequate!"

Jiang Qing chuckled softly, gently stroking her back with his hand.

"Because I saw how bright-eyed a child's eyes were when they looked at the design drawings last time, I felt that it should be brought to life. As for choosing today..."

His voice softened a bit.

"I wanted to thank you. During this time, I didn't really pay much attention to what people were saying online, but you always found ways to make me happy."

Zhou Ye raised his head, his eyes bright and slightly moist.

"Because I believe in you!"

Her tone suddenly became serious.

"I know you definitely have your own plans and pace, it's not like what they're saying! They don't understand anything, they just blindly follow the crowd!"

She became increasingly sullen as she spoke, her lips pouting high.

"Our Dr. Jiang is the most amazing! You're only silent now because you don't want to speak. When you finally decide to, you'll give them a real shock! You'll shut all those who are criticizing you up!"

She spoke with unwavering conviction, her cheeks slightly puffed out, her eyes filled with unconditional trust, and a hint of indignation on his behalf.

Jiang Qing's heart melted completely when she saw her protective and earnest little face.

He pulled her closer, holding her even tighter in his arms.

"Yes, I feel a lot of pressure because of Professor Zhou's trust in me."

"You won't let me down."

Zhou Ye mumbled softly in his arms.

She tilted her head back, her eyes like black grapes soaked in water, gazing at him with a wet look, and then suddenly stood on tiptoe and kissed his lips.

Jiang Qing was taken aback, then took the initiative and enveloped her lips with his.

At this moment, the transparent cabin suspended high in the sky seemed to become a sweet bubble independent of the world.

After a long while, Zhou Ye finally loosened his grip, panting, and groaned softly.

"Anyway... no matter what others say, I will always stand by your side."

"I know."

Jiang Qing pressed his forehead against hers.

"That's enough from Ono."

The two smiled at each other and embraced tightly.

Zhou Ye suddenly felt that it wouldn't be bad if time could just stop at this moment forever.

He quickly dismissed the idea.

Her Dr. Jiang still has a lot to do!
However, the online storm did not subside because of a sweet night.

In the days that followed, the tsunami triggered by ChatGPT continued to unfold globally. Its astonishing capabilities and explosive user growth served as a mirror, reflecting the gap between China's AI field and top-tier levels. A collective anxiety of "falling behind at one step means falling behind at every step," accompanied by a deep sense of powerlessness, spread throughout the country. At tech forums, the analyses of professionals became increasingly pessimistic, their words revealing a deep sense of helplessness.

"This isn't just a small gap; it's a generational gap!"

"We may be more than five years behind!"

"Behind OpenAI is massive computing power and long-term, unreserved investment. Which domestic company can match this scale?"

The statements from major internet companies also seemed powerless to change their minds.

Baidu announced its "ALL in AI" strategy, but its stock price immediately fell, and the comments section was full of sarcastic remarks like "Here we go again?"

Ali Cloud launched the Tongyi Big Model Project. The PPT was beautifully designed, but industry insiders jokingly called it "building a model with PPT".

Tencent maintained its usual caution, only saying "closely monitoring and actively planning," which was interpreted as "not having figured out how to copy it yet."

These statements, in contrast to the rapid progress of ChatGPT, not only failed to boost confidence but also exacerbated the sense of frustration that there was no hope of catching up.

This sense of frustration is even stronger among ordinary netizens, especially among many radicals who urgently need an outlet.

Naturally, the figure who was once elevated to a pedestal but is now unusually silent has become the target of public criticism.

On Douyin, the hashtag #ChallengeJiangQingClassicQuotes# has inexplicably become popular.

Countless bloggers imitated Jiang's demeanor and tone in variety shows and press conferences, but the content turned out to be completely different.

"I firmly believe that the future of artificial intelligence lies in... (pause, shrug) Uh, never mind, I'd better go film a movie first."

"Wuwen Technology's goal is (looking at the teleprompter)... Oh, sorry, I forgot the script, I'll talk about it next time."

The most upvoted comment under the video is: "The imitation is spot on! All that's missing is that confident aura that comes from being so ordinary!"

And "Stop criticizing, stop criticizing! What if Teacher Jiang uses AI face-swapping next time he acts? That would be a crossover collaboration, hahaha..."

A well-known tech content creator on Bilibili released a 40-minute video titled "From Peach Blossom Village to King: Jiang Qing's Path of Fall".

The video provides an in-depth analysis of Jiang Qing's journey, from her unexpected revelation of her identity in Peach Blossom Village, which shocked the entire internet, to her performance as Xiao Heyun in "The Beginning," which garnered recognition for her acting skills, and finally to her peak popularity with her role as Li Xun in "Ignite Me, Warm You." It also incorporates various discussions about AI at different times.

"We can see that Jiang Qing's time allocation speaks volumes. Variety shows, filming, various banquets... the exposure brought by these is real. As for AI research and development? It involves huge investment, extremely high risk, and a long return cycle. Especially after seeing a monster-level product like ChatGPT, choosing strategic silence or even abandonment is almost an inevitable business choice. The so-called original intention is vulnerable in the face of real interests."

The video's comments section was filled with sentiments like "That's the truth," "My youth is over," and "I really misjudged him back then."

Zhihu is more academic, but the atmosphere is equally oppressive.

Someone asked: "How can we objectively evaluate the actual level of Jiang Qing's published academic papers? Is there any overestimation of her abilities?"

The following seemingly professional answers begin to analyze Jiang Qing's past papers word by word with a magnifying glass, forcibly searching for "loopholes" and "shortcomings".

"Look at his paper on neural network architecture. Is the experimental data he used sufficient? Are the conclusions drawn too hastily?"

"This paper, which has been cited many times, actually borrows the framework of an early foreign paper, and its originality is questionable."

Although these doubts were quickly refuted by more professional people as "far-fetched" and "pretending to know what you don't," the doubts themselves were like pebbles thrown into a lake, creating ripples in the public opinion that "so his academic achievements are also questionable."

The top-rated answer expressed a pessimistic view: "We once thought Jiang Qing was an exception, capable of breaking the curse of 'the prodigy who failed to live up to his potential' and leading us to achieve a leapfrog development. But now it seems he may just be another 'prodigy who failed to live up to his potential,' and in a field where we need real strength the most. This sense of disillusionment deepens our despair at this moment."

This sentiment continued to spread, reaching its peak in the last few days of 2022.

When CCTV broadcast its annual science and technology review special, devoting a large portion to reporting on ChatGPT and its far-reaching impact, but making no mention of Wuwen Technology and Jiang Qing, a wave of acquiescing mockery with the phrase "Just as I expected" arose online.

"Even CCTV is excluding him; the official stance has been that he belongs to this category."

"The once-prodigy was ultimately just a flash in the pan, what a pity."

"I suggest Jiang Qing stick to being an actress. The tech industry isn't for you, and stop exploiting everyone's feelings."

……

Time passed amidst this escalating, almost one-sided public opinion storm, until January 1, 2023, New Year's Day.

On the first day of the new year, the morning sun shone through the thin mist onto the earth.

The internet is filled with year-end summaries and New Year's outlooks, which are still mixed with ridicule and doubts about Jiang Qing. People seem to have become accustomed to using him as an outlet for their feelings of helplessness.

However, on this seemingly ordinary morning...

At 9:00 AM sharp, Wuwen Technology's official Weibo account and website quietly updated their status simultaneously.

There are no lengthy explanations, no flowery words, only a line of simple yet weighty text, paired with a visually striking poster that leaves much to the imagination!

"Intelligence unlocks all possibilities; the future is here."

"Global Witnessing on January 12, 2023"

The poster background is a deep and boundless cosmic spiral, resembling a galaxy in the process of being born.

The center of the star is not a physical entity, but rather a giant eye composed of countless streams of shimmering code and data, as if it were slowly opening.

The pupils resembled both the heavenly eye containing the ultimate truth of the universe and the cold, all-seeing mechanical eye, so deep they were breathtaking, yet seemingly able to see through the past and the future.

Deep within the pupils, stars rise and fall, data flows, and there is an indescribable, overwhelming sense of intelligence.

Below is only a simple date, the Wuwen Technology logo, and no other words.

This post was like a silent yet incredibly powerful vacuum bomb, instantly silencing the ocean of the internet filled with anxiety, mockery, and helplessness!

The fans who had been waiting anxiously for Jiang Qing arrived immediately, so excited that they were speechless.

"He's here! He's finally here! I knew it!!"

"This poster! It gives me the creeps!!"

"Those eyes... I dare not look directly into them, it felt like they could see right through my soul!"

"I waited a month, and this is what I was waiting for?! It was worth it!"

Those who had initially mocked the onlookers were, after a brief moment of astonishment, plunged into an unprecedented division.

Some of those who were the most vocal in their mockery are still stubbornly refusing to admit their mistakes.

"Playing tricks! Anyone can make a cool poster, but it'll be even more embarrassing if you can't produce anything on the spot!"

But many people's attitudes began to waver, or even change.

"This...this aura is weird, bro...I'm starting to panic."

"Every move Wuwen Technology makes is always backed by solid, substantial content. This teaser... feels even more aggressive than all of their previous ones!"

"January 12th! Damn, I suddenly don't dare to say anything carelessly anymore, let me wait and see..."

The tech, investment, and media circles were instantly abuzz!
Countless phone calls, emails, and messages began to be frantically transmitted, inquired about, and analyzed.

The eight characters “Wisdom opens up all things, the future has arrived” have been the subject of countless speculations in a very short period of time.

Is it a new generation of large-scale AI models?
Is it the prototype of strong artificial intelligence?
Or is it a fundamental revolution in human-computer interaction?
What does that giant pupil symbolize?
Omniscient and omnipotent?

To see through everything?

The post under Wuwen Technology's official Weibo account saw its reposts, comments, and likes skyrocket, instantly becoming the number one trending topic, followed by a bright red "Explosive" sign!

Thunder breaks out from the ground!
All eyes were instantly drawn to Luyang, to Wuwen Technology, which had suddenly made a stunning announcement after a month of silence, and to the young man behind it, Jiang Qing, who had remained calm amidst widespread skepticism and had now dropped this bombshell.

The first major event of 2023 seems to have only just begun.

This time, only one person stood in the center of the stage.

And the eyes of the whole world will be focused on this.

(End of this chapter)