cooperate

The charred switch port lay like silent evidence of a crime on the cold floor of the electrical room, emitting a pungent smell of mixed plastic and metal. The confirmation of physical damage abruptly tangibly materialized the laboratory's security risks from the virtual digital world into a real, tangible threat. Those who could freely enter and leave this floor… this group, though not large, was like an invisible thorn stuck in everyone's heart.

The center's security department intervened in the investigation, collecting fingerprints and reviewing surveillance footage, creating a tense atmosphere. While cooperating with the investigation, Shen Zhiyan requested a three-day closure of Laboratory A, citing "equipment maintenance and upgrades." This was both to protect the scene and to buy some breathing room.

At this tense moment, the recording of the new episode of "Science Meets Art" proceeded as scheduled. Due to the negative impact of the previous inspection and cyberattack, the production team hoped that this episode would emphasize a more positive and collaborative tone, and the theme they set was "From Confrontation to Cooperation: Synergies in Scientific Research." This unexpectedly became an opportunity to break the deadlock and proactively shape a shared image in the public eye.

On the day of filming, Jiang Mo chose a white suit skirt that combined sophistication and competence. Her makeup was light yet highlighted her features, making her look radiant. Shen Zhiyan, on the other hand, wore his usual dark shirt, only with a slightly lighter-colored tie. When the two met in the dressing room arranged by the production team, Jiang Mo noticed the faint dark circles under his eyes and casually handed him an unopened bottle of energizing oil roll-on.

"Thank you." Shen Zhiyan took it and naturally put it in her pocket.

"Are you nervous?" Jiang Mo asked, raising an eyebrow.

“State the facts and share knowledge; there’s no need to be nervous.” He answered methodically, then added, “The process has been checked three times, and the probability of an accident is less than two percent.”

Jiang Mo couldn't help but laugh. This was Shen Zhiyan—always using data and preparation to deal with uncertainty.

As the recording began, the host's questions initially revolved around interesting anecdotes from the show and the feelings of the two working together. Jiang Mo responded appropriately, occasionally using humor and self-deprecation, eliciting bursts of laughter from the audience. Although Shen Zhiyan was concise, with Jiang Mo's skillful guidance and supplementation, she was able to explain complex scientific principles in a relatively easy-to-understand way.

When the host asked, "How do you view the outside world's skepticism about your cross-industry collaboration?" Jiang Mo's smile faded, and she looked calmly at the camera.

“Questioning is part of the scientific spirit, and we welcome it. But the premise is that questioning should be based on facts and logic, not on fabrication or personal attacks.” She paused, her tone becoming firm, “I believe that the core of both science and art is the relentless pursuit of truth and beauty, and the attempt to understand and express the world we live in. On this path, mutual understanding and learning from each other are far more powerful than stagnation.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Shen Zhiyan chimed in, his tone as steady as ever, yet carrying an undeniable authority: "Ms. Jiang Mo's intuition and learning ability in data processing and pattern recognition have exceeded our initial expectations. Scientific exploration requires the collision of different ideas; closed systems will eventually lead to entropy increase and disorder."

He didn't use any fancy words; it even sounded more like an academic evaluation. But the phrase "exceeded expectations," coming from him, was already a very high level of recognition. Moreover, he explicitly categorized her as part of a collaborative effort for "scientific exploration."

The host clearly caught this point and immediately followed up with, "So, Professor Shen believes that this kind of cross-disciplinary collaboration is a process where '1+1>2'?"

Shen Zhiyan pondered for a second before answering rigorously: "From the perspective of information theory and system complexity, the cross-integration of knowledge from different fields may indeed produce synergistic effects that go beyond linear superposition. Specific numerical values ​​need to be modeled and calculated, but the direction is certain."

A burst of laughter erupted from the audience, both for his meticulousness and for this unexpected tacit understanding.

Later in the recording, the host brought up the recent online controversy surrounding affective computing technology. Jiang Mo seized the opportunity to improvise:

“Actually, I think the most valuable aspect of affective computing is not the cold analysis of your micro-expressions and heart rate, but rather how it helps us better understand the complexity of human emotions.” She turned her head to look at Shen Zhiyan with a sly smile. “For example, Professor Shen probably thinks that what I just said was full of emotional ‘noise,’ but he has to admit that this ‘noise’ also contains rich human information that algorithms cannot fully interpret yet.”

Shen Zhiyan was clearly taken aback by her sudden turn of attack and paused for a moment. The camera immediately zoomed in, capturing his rare, slightly stunned expression. He adjusted his glasses, seemingly quickly dealing with the unexpected situation, then looked very seriously at the host, then at Jiang Mo, and began to speak:

“What she said makes sense.” He paused, as if searching for a more accurate expression. “Perfect, noise-free data models only exist in theory. The complexity of the real world is precisely the challenge that science needs to constantly face and analyze. Moreover…” He paused for a rare moment, his gaze meeting Jiang Mo’s, where a very faint smile, seemingly both helpless and indulgent, seemed to flash. “Sometimes, ‘noise’ itself may be part of the signal.”

"Wow!" the host exclaimed, and the audience responded with enthusiastic applause. This statement, carrying a double meaning, and his fleeting eye contact, were faithfully captured by the camera, proving more convincing than any deliberate interaction.

The recording ended in a warm and harmonious atmosphere. The two walked side by side to the lounge. In the quiet corridor, Jiang Mo finally couldn't help but chuckle: "Teacher Shen, your last sentence, 'Noise may be a signal,' could be considered the best impromptu response of the year."

Shen Zhiyan's ears turned slightly red, but her face remained calm: "I was just stating an objective fact."

Back in the lounge, the staff were still busy tidying up. Taking advantage of a moment when no one was looking, Shen Zhiyan took a thin file bag from his briefcase and handed it to Jiang Mo.

"What is this?" Jiang Mo asked, taking the item with some confusion.

“Some supplementary analysis on the flow of funds overseas for the foundation, and… some preliminary investigation ideas on the internal security of the laboratory.” Shen Zhiyan’s voice was very low. “It’s not convenient to look at it in detail here.”

Jiang Mo immediately understood and carefully put the file folder into her bag. This simple action was full of unspoken trust.

Just then, Xiao Chen rushed in excitedly with two bottles of water: "Teacher Shen, Ms. Jiang, you were amazing on stage just now! Everyone online is talking about your 'noise and signal' meme, saying you're 'intelligent heterosexual couples,' a two-way race of IQ and EQ!"

Researcher Zhou walked in with a smile and patted Shen Zhiyan on the shoulder: "Not bad, Zhiyan, you can even say 'we' on the show now, you've made rapid progress!"

When faced with her colleagues' teasing, Shen Zhiyan was clearly uncomfortable and only gave a vague "hmm" without denying it.

Jiang Mo's phone vibrated; it was a message from Linda, her tone excited and tinged with relief:

"MoMo! The video clip is trending! Several brands that were wavering before have come back to me! But... there's something strange. Lu Yan suddenly contacted several media outlets and urgently removed the press releases that were originally going to smear you, as if he received some kind of order. Also, I heard that Mingyan Capital suddenly held an emergency board meeting this afternoon, and Shen Huaiming reportedly got very angry at the meeting."

Jiang Mo frowned slightly as she read the message. Lu Yan's sudden retreat was definitely not a sign of a change of heart. Was it because Shen Huaiming was furious about the show's success, or was this seemingly unexpected board meeting somehow connected to the physical destruction of the laboratory?

She looked up and saw Shen Zhiyan also checking his phone, his expression gradually becoming serious. He quickly walked to the window, dialed a number, and spoke in a low voice:

"Mom, what's going on with the board meeting?... I know, but I need to confirm things are going well at the lab..."

The rest of the conversation was inaudible, but Jiang Mo noticed that Shen Zhiyan's knuckles were turning slightly white as he gripped the phone. Researcher Zhou and Xiao Chen also sensed something was amiss and gathered around.

Just then, the lab's landline rang shrilly. Xiao Chen ran to answer it, and a moment later, he put down the receiver, his face pale, and looked at everyone:

"It's the center's security department... They said that while checking the recent whereabouts of all laboratory personnel, they found an abnormal record on Researcher Zhou's access card last night at 8 PM, which coincides with the time of the short circuit in the power distribution room. They want you to come over now to explain the situation."

Researcher Zhou's eyes widened suddenly: "Impossible! I left the lab at seven last night! I've had my access card with me the whole time!"