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

Chapter 429 Extra Chapter: Seashell
2016, December 6.

Jinling.

The auditorium of China Southern Airlines was packed with people, and the atmosphere was lively.

The graduation ceremony is underway.

"Next, please welcome Chen Duling, a representative of outstanding graduates, to the stage to speak."

The host's voice carried throughout the auditorium through the microphone.

Amidst enthusiastic applause, a slender figure rose from her seat and walked gracefully to the center of the stage.

Chen Duling wore a simple white shirt with the collar neatly buttoned up, exuding a refreshing student-like vibe.

She paired it with a black pleated skirt, the hem swaying gently with her steps, outlining a youthful rhythm.

Beneath the pleated skirt were a pair of straight and slender legs, clad in clean white socks and classic black flat leather shoes.

Her long, soft hair cascaded over her shoulders. She wore minimal makeup, which only accentuated her fair skin and delicate features.

As soon as she stood in front of the microphone, a murmur arose from the audience, accompanied by the sound of camera shutters clicking.

As the undisputed campus beauty of China Southern Airlines, Chen Duling was already used to this kind of reaction.

Her expression was calm, a faint smile playing on her lips as she glanced at the audience.

"Respected leaders, teachers, and dear students, good morning."

The voice was clearly transmitted through the microphone, the tone was steady and poised.

"It is an honor to speak here as a representative of the graduates. Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, we are about to bid farewell to our familiar campus and embark on our own journeys to the stars..."

The speech was well-organized, expressing both a sincere nostalgia for the past four years of study and a vision for the future. The words were earnest and demonstrated independent thinking.

When she finished speaking and bowed slightly, the audience immediately responded with even more enthusiastic applause than before.

The applause continued until the host took over the conversation.

Chen Duling smiled as she walked off the stage and returned to her seat.

Beneath the calm surface, her thoughts had already drifted far away.

Two months have passed since that debate.

But that person's image, and that smiling "Your face is reasonable," seemed to be etched in her mind, popping up from time to time, and even appearing in her dreams several times.

At first, she thought she was just admiring an outstanding peer.

But as time went on, the feeling of her heart racing and her cheeks burning whenever she thought of that person made it impossible for her to deceive herself any longer.

She realized that her feelings might be more than just attraction.

It seems she's fallen for that boy named Jiang Qing.

This realization made her somewhat flustered.

After that, she specifically asked someone to inquire about more information about Jiang Qing.

Although she already knew he was a renowned AI genius at the University of Science and Technology of China, it wasn't until more specific details came in that she realized his excellence far exceeded her expectations.

Not only did he have near-perfect academic performance, but he also demonstrated remarkable research abilities and a boldness beyond his years, even starting his own business during his undergraduate years.

He was like a rapidly rising star, dazzling in his light, making her look up to him.

The more she learned about him, the more an indescribable sense of inferiority quietly grew in her heart.

Although she was considered the school beauty by others and was also academically excellent, she seemed to be separated from the high-tech world he lived in by a great distance.

It's daunting.

Chen Duling couldn't help but recall a quote she had once seen: "Don't meet someone too amazing when you're young, or you'll just settle for less for the rest of your life."

It seems that she encountered such a person by sheer coincidence.

What should I do next?
Should I muster the courage to approach him, or silently bury this budding feeling?

Chen Duling stared at the banner hanging in front of the auditorium, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

She sat in the lively auditorium, surrounded by the laughter and chatter of her classmates, a mix of excitement about graduation and reluctance to leave behind their university life.

Yet I felt as if I were inside a bubble, completely out of place in this scene.

-

Meanwhile, in Luyang.

Inside an office building, however, a different scene of bustling activity unfolds.

"Old Jiang, the code here is working! Come over and check the results!"

With his messy hair, Zhao Quan peeked out from behind the computer screen and shouted excitedly.

"coming!"

Jiang Qing responded and quickly walked from her workstation to look down at the data stream on the screen.

His dark circles were quite noticeable, but he was highly focused.

The company was newly established, and in order to develop, they took on many projects, from corporate websites to small application development, doing everything.

As a key player in core technology, Jiang Qing is extremely busy every day.

He brought in his roommates Zhao Quan and Zhang Bin. Zhao Quan was in charge of the front end, while Zhang Bin, being meticulous, was in charge of testing.

Most of the other employees are also alumni of the University of Science and Technology of China.

Even Yang Wei, who only wanted to lie down and relax, couldn't escape Jiang Qing's clutches.

"Hey, stop slacking off and double-check this requirements document. The client needs it this afternoon."

Jiang Qing threw a stack of documents at him without looking up.

Yang Wei let out a wail and slumped into his chair.

"Old Jiang... no, Brother Qing! Please let me go! I just finished working all night, my eyelids are drooping! You, a perfectly good academic achiever, had to give up being a business owner and become a boss, and to make matters worse, you dragged us down with you..."

He kept complaining, but his body betrayed him by sitting up straight, picking up the document and quickly browsing through it, his fingers tapping and checking on the keyboard with remarkable speed.

Jiang Qing smiled and ignored his complaints.

He knew that Yang Wei was all talk and no action, but he was reliable when it came to work.

Yeah, I just have to twitch every now and then.

Jiang Qing not only had to worry about all the big and small affairs of the company, but also couldn't neglect the projects in the school laboratory. She often went between the company, the laboratory, and the classroom, like a spinning top that never stopped.

Occasionally, when he was walking back to his dormitory alone after finishing overtime work late at night, or when he was watching the instruments running in the laboratory, a figure would flash through his mind.

The girl in the black suit who was hosting the debate.

Jiang Qing felt a pang of regret when she recalled the somewhat frivolous things she had blurted out in an attempt to get her attention.

At the time, I was only thinking about showing off in front of her; looking back, I realize I may have been too forward.

He thought that when he was less busy, he might find an opportunity to get to know her properly, and at least apologize for his previous rudeness.

But more often than not, this idea is interrupted by pressing technical problems, new client demands, or urging from lab supervisors.

His heavy workload consumed almost all his energy, leaving him no time to ponder such romantic and trivial matters.

Several months passed quietly in the midst of busy work.

Chen Duling ultimately made a decision that surprised many of her friends: to enter the entertainment industry and become an actress.

On the one hand, her dream of becoming an aerospace engineer was almost shattered when her classmates posted her ID photo online during her internship at the design institute.

There's another reason... naturally, it's Jiang Qing.

Her idea was actually a bit naive, or even foolish, of taking a desperate gamble.

She thought that if she found a job related to her major, her life trajectory would most likely drift further and further away from that dazzling artificial intelligence genius, and perhaps they would never cross paths again in this lifetime.

But if she enters the entertainment industry and stands in the spotlight, will she have more opportunities to be seen by him?

Is it possible that one day, when her figure appears on the screen, she will accidentally catch his eye?
Even if the chance is extremely slim, she wants to give it a try.

This became her motivation to muster her courage.

Time flies, and November has arrived, with less than a week until Jiang Qing's birthday.

Chen Duling hesitated for a long time before carefully selecting a fountain pen for him.

She dared not sign her name. After carefully packaging the gift, she looked at the plain gift box and felt that something was missing.

After thinking for a moment, she walked to her desk, opened a delicate little box containing some trinkets she had collected.

She picked out a white seashell she had found near Gulangyu Island. The seashell was small, but its shape was unique, with natural textures.

I gently placed the seashell into the gap in the gift box, as if sealing away an indescribable feeling within it.

She then mailed the anonymous package.

-

A few days later, inside the Cognitive Intelligence Laboratory at the University of Science and Technology of China.

Jiang Qing was intently staring at the waveforms jumping on the oscilloscope, his fingers flying across his notebook as he took notes.

"Jiang Qing, there's a package for you at the door!"

A student from a lab called out from the doorway.

"OK, thanks."

Jiang Qing responded, somewhat puzzled, as he didn't seem to have bought anything recently.

As I approached the door, I saw a small package; the sender's information was anonymous.

Curious, he opened it. Inside was a dark blue cardboard box. Inside, a high-quality-looking black fountain pen lay quietly on a velvet lining.

Picking up the pen, I noticed a white seashell lying at the bottom of the box.

Jiang Qing picked up the seashell and examined it under the laboratory lights.

The seashells were clean, bearing the marks of the tides.

He frowned slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

Who would anonymously send him a birthday gift?

It also comes with a seashell?
However, before Jiang Qing could come up with a solution, the instrument next to him beeped, indicating that a new data sample had been collected.

He had no choice but to put the seashells and pen aside for the time being and throw himself back into his demanding work.

This mysterious gift, like a pebble thrown into a lake, caused a ripple before quickly sinking to the bottom.

The following year, before Jiang Qing's birthday, Jiang Qing received another anonymous package.

This time, it contains a classical music vinyl CD.

Inside the package, a seashell still lay quietly.

This one has light pink patterns.

Jiang Qing glanced at the mailing address; it wasn't in the same city as last time.

The same thing happened again in the third year.

There was still a seashell in the box, but its shape was different from the previous two.

The address has changed again.

Jiang Qing held the third seashell, rubbing it between her fingertips for a moment, and looking at the different mailing addresses, the initial doubt in her eyes gradually faded away.

A slender figure and a cold face suddenly appeared in my mind.

Jiang Qing's lips twitched slightly upwards, revealing a belatedly realized, wistful smile.

He didn't say anything, but carefully put away all three seashells.

At this time, Wuwen Technology had gotten on the right track, gained a good reputation in the industry, and was developing rapidly.

A few days later, at a cocktail party, Jiang Qing chatted with several familiar investor friends in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows.

These people have a wide range of interests, and as they chatted, they started talking about some recent investment projects in the film and television industry.

Jiang Qing held her wine glass, listening quietly to their conversation. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she smiled casually and spoke, drawing everyone's attention.

"Speaking of which, I have a friend who's also an actor. If it's convenient for you gentlemen in the future, could you please give him a hand?"

His casual tone suggested it was simply because their topic had come to mind.

The group all smiled and agreed, considering it a simple favor.

One of them asked curiously.

"A friend of President Jiang? What's his name? We might have heard of him."

Jiang Qing smiled, his expression somewhat blurred under the lamplight.

A name was drowned out by the background music.

-

In the evening, Chen Duling finished a day of filming and returned to the hotel where the film crew was staying.

After washing up, she leaned against the window, gazing at the flashing neon lights and the endless stream of cars outside.

Lost in thought, I couldn't help but think of that spirited young man standing on the debate platform.

With such a vast world separating them, will they ever have a chance to meet again?

Under the same night sky.

Jiang Qing had just finished a video conference and rubbed her temples wearily.

He walked to the office window, stretched, and looked down at the ever-flowing streetlights below.

In a daze, I seemed to see again that girl standing behind the stage, wearing a slightly oversized black suit, with a serious expression, but her ears were quietly turning red.

Will I receive seashells again next year?

He felt a strange sense of anticipation.

(End of this chapter)