Chapter 44 Proof of Strength

The China-EU Economic and Trade Forum was held as scheduled on Friday morning.

The meeting was held at the National Convention Center, where the main hall, which can accommodate over a thousand people, was packed. Government officials, business leaders, and scholars from both China and Europe gathered to discuss important issues such as trade, investment, and technological cooperation.

The simultaneous interpretation booths were located on the second floor of the venue, offering a panoramic view of the entire venue through the glass windows. Song Zhiyi sat in the French simultaneous interpretation booth, wearing headphones, with a shorthand notebook and a professional dictionary in front of her.

Her shift was in the afternoon. Zhang Li was in charge in the morning.

The meeting went smoothly. Zhang Li, as expected of a seasoned translator, spoke fluent French, used accurate terminology, and maintained a good pace. Song Zhiyi listened attentively, occasionally taking notes in her notebook.

During the lunch break, Zhang Li took off her headphones, rubbed her temples, and said to Song Zhiyi, "The afternoon's topics are more specialized, involving the regulation of artificial intelligence and the digital economy. Are you familiar with this part?"

Her tone was normal, but Song Zhiyi detected a hint of probing.

“I’ve attended several related conferences in Geneva,” Song Zhiyi replied. “I have some basic knowledge.”

Zhang Li nodded and said nothing more. But the "I'll see what you're capable of" look in her eyes was very clear.

The afternoon meeting started on time.

The first speaker was the European Commissioner for Digital Economy, a Frenchman who spoke rapidly with a heavy Marseille accent. He discussed the EU's latest regulatory framework for artificial intelligence, which involved a great deal of legal terminology and technical concepts.

Zhang Li put on her headphones, ready to start translating. But after listening for less than two minutes, her expression changed.

The commissioner's speech was far more professional than she had expected, and he cited many internal EU documents and cases, using many terms she had not prepared for.

She translated with difficulty, but her hesitation and stumbling were clearly audible. She even used the English for several key terms because she couldn't find suitable Chinese equivalents.

Inside the meeting room, some Chinese representatives who understood French began to frown.

In the simultaneous interpreting booth, Song Zhiyi looked at the cold sweat beading on Zhang Li's forehead, and then at the dense notes in her own shorthand notebook—the result of her week's preparation, including all possible technical terms and their corresponding translations.

Zhang Li's shift was supposed to be half an hour, but after twenty minutes, she signaled to switch.

It was Song Zhiyi's turn.

She put on her headphones, took a deep breath, and then spoke.

The voice is clear, steady, and the speaking speed is moderate.

More importantly—professionalism.

Every term was translated accurately, every legal concept was explained clearly, and she even accurately translated the numbers and contents of some internal EU documents cited by the commissioner.

It was as if... she had seen those documents beforehand.

In fact, she had indeed read them. This week, she not only reviewed the Chinese documents but also, through her connections in Geneva, obtained the latest versions of the relevant EU documents and studied them overnight.

Inside the meeting room, the Chinese representatives who had initially frowned gradually relaxed. Some even began to nod.

On the EU side, several representatives who understood Chinese also showed expressions of surprise—the level of translation exceeded their expectations.

The half-hour shift passed quickly. Song Zhiyi translated fluently and almost without pause.

When the switch occurred, Zhang Li's gaze towards her completely changed—no longer the previous disdain and probing, but shock, and a hint of...shame.

The afternoon meeting continued. Song Zhiyi had two more turns, each time flawlessly.

Even when a Chinese representative quoted an ancient poem, she not only accurately translated its meaning but also explained its cultural connotations in French, which made the French commissioner nod repeatedly.

As the meeting adjourned, the deputy director came to the simultaneous interpretation booth and patted Song Zhiyi on the shoulder: "Well done! You've made our director proud!"

Song Zhiyi simply smiled and said, "It's only right."

As she packed her things to leave, Zhang Li walked over, paused for a few seconds, and then said, "Zhiyi, thank you for today..."

These words were difficult to say, but very sincere.

Song Zhiyi looked at her calmly: "Teacher Zhang, you're too kind. We're working as a team."

She didn't mention how well she had prepared or how much effort she had put in. A simple "teamwork" was all it took to give the other person the utmost respect.

Looking at her, Zhang Li finally understood why the deputy director valued this young woman so much.

It's not because of any background or relationship.

It's simply because—she deserves it.

---

That evening, Huo Yanli saw a report about the forum in the financial news.

The scene was solemn and dignified, with delegates listening attentively. The camera panned across the simultaneous interpreting booth, pausing briefly for a second—just enough to capture Song Zhiyi's profile.

She wore headphones, her head slightly lowered as she looked at the documents in front of her, her fingers quickly jotting down notes in her notebook. Her expression was focused, her eyes clear, and she exuded a calm yet powerful aura.

It was just a one-second shot.

But Huo Yanli stared at the screen for a long time.

The news anchor was explaining the forum's findings, but he wasn't listening to a word.

He just stared at Song Zhiyi's profile in the image, recalling the words in the assistant's investigation report, the photos of her parents' sacrifice, and the focused look in her eyes when she administered acupuncture...

Finally, recalling her sitting at the lowest seat at the Huo family banquet, she calmly said, "I will go when work requires it. But compared to the dangers faced by the local civilians every day, our working conditions are already much better."

At that moment, Huo Yanli suddenly understood.

It's not that she doesn't care about the rumors, or the contempt and prejudice.

She just... had more important things to do.

It's so important that all irrelevant noise can be ignored.

It is so important that it can tolerate all injustice and misunderstanding.

Because her gaze was always fixed on something further away.

Huo Yanli turned off the TV and walked to the window.

The lights of Beijing were dazzling in the night, but he suddenly felt that the lights were a bit too bright.

Compared to the light in Song Zhiyi's eyes, these worldly glories seemed so... pale.

My phone vibrated; it was a message from Ji Yun: "Did you see the news? Your wife shone brightly at the forum! My company's vice president, who attended the forum, kept praising her afterward, saying her French translation was amazing!"

Huo Yanli looked at the message but did not reply.

He just stood there, looking at the city outside the window, for a very long time.

Something is quietly changing somewhere inside me.

Like a frozen river, the first crack begins to appear under the spring sun.

Subtle, but real.