Jiang Chen raised his head and looked at Shi Fengyue quietly.
He said calmly: "That's not wrong. I am indeed a little curious about you."
Shi Fengyue leaned forward slightly, supporting his chin with one hand, his thick eyelashes reflected on his pupils, and there was only one person reflected in his eyes: "It seems that we all need to deepen our understanding of each other."
Jiang Chen looked directly at his teasing gaze and curled his lips slightly: "You may be curious, but there is no need to deepen your understanding."
Shi Fengyue: “Why?”
Jiang Chen: "Doctor Shi likes to get to the bottom of everything?"
Shi Fengyue: "Only things that interest me."
Jiang Chen bent his eyes: "Even if your interest will affect other people?"
Shi Fengyue said without hesitation: "Yes."
Jiang Chen leaned back, the smile in his eyes had faded, and his tone was calm: "This is the reason."
Shi Fengyue put away his smile, but Jiang Chen remained calm. When their eyes met, the air in the coffee shop seemed to be torn into two worlds: stagnation and noise.
Mo Xi looked to his left, seeing Li Nanfeng wiping his clothes after a heart-wrenching cough and latte gushing out of his nostrils. He looked to his right, seeing He Qianmin with a gloomy face and He Qianyu blinking her eyes with an innocent look. He shrank back cautiously, trying to reduce his presence as much as possible.
The waiter carried a plate and placed the drinks that Mo Xi and his friends had just ordered.
"Second brother." He Qianyu pulled He Qianmin's sleeve and said, "I want to eat your cake."
He Qianmin pushed the matcha mousse in front of him to He Qianyu, and swept his eyes across Shi Fengyue's face. He picked up the test book on the side, opened it, and said to Jiang Chen: "Brother, tell me more about this question."
Jiang Chen retracted his gaze, lowered his eyes to look at the question, and soon began to explain it seriously to He Qianmin.
A coffee table seemed to be divided into two worlds: on one side were He Qianmin and his two companions who were studying hard, and on the other side were Shi Fengyue and his two companions who remained silent.
Li Nanfeng finally wiped his clothes clean, as if he didn't notice the atmosphere in front of him, and smiled: "Jiang Chen, your grades should be very good."
He Qianmin glanced at him coldly: "What do you mean by very good? My brother has always been the first in the joint entrance examination."
"So amazing?" Li Nanfeng seemed to be interested and asked, "I heard from Mo Xi that you plan to study computer science in the future? What field?"
"AI." Seeing someone trying to ease the atmosphere, Mo Xi quickly answered for Jiang Chen: "There is no such major in undergraduate courses in China now. It is an option after studying for a master's degree. Jiang Chen can choose either computer science or mathematics at university."
"AI?" Li Nanfeng smiled and said, "My company is currently researching and developing this area. When you graduate, you can come to work in my company."
Jiang Chen raised his eyes and asked, "I wonder what the current research direction of Mr. Li's company is?"
"The biggest investment right now is in the mobile voice system." Li Nanfeng said, "We are also planning to develop a facial recognition system. Several small technology companies have produced finished products, but I'm not very satisfied with the results, so it's hard to say. In the future, we are likely to develop a facial recognition system on our own, but it's hard to find researchers. Booking one in advance now can be considered as a reserve of talent for the future. Jiang, are you interested?"
The pen spun rapidly between Jiang Chen's fingers. He lowered his eyes and pondered for a few seconds before asking, "Mr. Li wants a mature facial recognition system. Do you plan to buy it out?"
"Of course not." Li Nanfeng crossed his hands and placed them on the table, smiling, "The AI market is not mature now. Even mature scientific research results need to improve with the development of the times. What I want is not a result, but the people who develop the results, or the team. Only when the people and the team are there, can our company always stand at the top of the industry."
Jiang Chen: "Excuse me, but may I ask where Mr. Li is employed?"
"Reed Smith Group."
The spinning pen paused, and Jiang Chen raised his eyes: "Li De?"
Li Nanfeng curled his lips: "I am the general manager and head of the R&D department of Lide."
Li Nanfeng, Lide...
For the first time, Jiang Chen took a serious look at the seemingly cynical young man in front of him. Unexpectedly, the only rival in the book who could compete with He Qianjian, and the only one who made He Qianjian fall countless times but could only suffer in silence, was sitting opposite him.
That novel is more like a biography written from a bystander's perspective than a novel. There are few dramatic plot twists and psychological descriptions in the book, but it is more about the description of what the protagonist He Qianjian has done.
Jiang Chen knew everything He Qianjian had done, but he could not know in detail how he did things, because most of the time the book only described the reasons why He Qianjian did something and the results of doing that thing, and there was very little about the process in between and his mental journey with others.
He Qianjian's mental journey will only be described in detail when something happens that is related to two people, one of whom is Jiang Chen himself, and the other is Li Nanfeng.
Therefore, Jiang Chen was impressed by Li Nanfeng, who made He Qianjian extremely jealous, and the Lide Group, which brought great pressure to He Qianjian. He had thought that he might have a chance to meet the enemy of his enemy in the future, but he did not expect that this meeting would come so early.
"What?" Li Nanfeng asked, "Surprised?"
Jiang Chen nodded and chuckled, "I am indeed very surprised."
Shi Fengyue raised his eyes and his gaze gently passed over Li Nanfeng.
Li Nanfeng coughed softly and said, "After you graduate, you can come to our company. When the time comes, you can find me and you can join directly without an interview."
Jiang Chen tapped the table with his fingers, looking thoughtful.
"I have a business deal I want to discuss with Mr. Li. When will Mr. Li be available?"
Li Nanfeng: "What business?"
“Voice Systems and Face Recognition.”
Li Nanfeng was stunned for a rare moment, then stepped back, looked Jiang Chen up and down, and said jokingly, "You don't mean to say that you have mature research results in your hands."
Jiang Chen nodded and looked at him quietly.
The boy's calmness made the smile on Li Nanfeng's face fade slowly. He sat up straight and said with a smile: "From a normal person's point of view, your age is really not convincing, but who can blame me for having a man who holds three patents at the age of fifteen? So - I am willing to give you a chance to arrange a time to discuss this cooperation, but let's make it clear in advance that friendship is friendship, and the result will all depend on what you have in your hands at that time."
Jiang Chen stretched out his hand, and curled his lips slightly: "You can see it now."
Li Nanfeng's eyes fell on the sliding button mobile phone in Jiang Chen's hand.
“This phone?”
Jiang Chen placed his phone in the middle of the coffee table and long-pressed the hands-free mode. After a few seconds, a mechanical male voice sounded:
——"Dylan, do you need help?"
Li Nanfeng suddenly opened his eyes wide, and the eyes of the others quickly turned to the center of the coffee table.
Li Nanfeng looked at Jiang Chen and said with a hint of excitement: "What is this?"
Jiang Chen put his finger to his lips and said, "Please help me open the album."
Within a few seconds, the phone screen changed from the home page to the photo album.
The voice on the phone asked, "Do you need help retrieving the photos?"
Jiang Chen saw He Qianmin's surprised and excited expression from the corner of his eye, and said with a smile: "Please help me find Qianmin's photo."
"Searching. There is one photo of He Qianmin. Do you want to open it?"
"Open."
A photo of He Qianmin, pursing her lips and eating hotpot with a look of grievance, appeared on the screen. In the steam rising from the side, there was Jiang Chen looking at the camera with a faint smile on his face.
He Qianmin's ears instantly turned red, and he reached out to pick up his phone, "Brother! Who took this photo? It's so ugly!"
"Chen Xu took the photo." Jiang Chen betrayed Chen Xu without hesitation.
"I knew it was him!" He Qianmin quickly clicked on the delete button, but hesitated for a long time with a dark face before pressing it. This seemed to be the first photo of him and his brother. He hesitated for a moment and sent the photo to his mobile phone via MMS.
Li Nanfeng tried his best to suppress the excitement that was rising up in his body, but his anxious voice inevitably revealed a little: "Is it the system or the chip in your phone? Did you develop it yourself?"
Jiang Chen's eyes curved: "Voice system and face recognition system, this phone model cannot support my latest system, this is just the initial version."
"It's just the initial version..." Li Nanfeng stood up suddenly, put his hands on his head and walked back and forth in the aisle several times. Suddenly, he turned around and walked back to the coffee table, supported his hands on the table and asked: "How do you plan to cooperate?"
"You have already seen some of the results." Jiang Chen glanced at Yang Yun who was walking across the street and said, "Let's arrange a time to discuss the details."
Li Nanfeng could no longer hide his impatience: "I have time now, let's talk today!"
Jiang Chen smiled: "Today is not a good day."
"Why?" Li Nanfeng said without hesitation: "What's the matter? I'll help you solve it."
Jiang Chen tilted his head and motioned for him to look behind him.
Yang Yun pushed the door open and walked towards this side with a smile.
Li Nanfeng paused, and realized belatedly that now was not the time to discuss cooperation. However, he had to fly abroad tomorrow, and it would take at least five days to return home. If he didn't immediately discuss this matter and sign the contract, he would not be able to go on a business trip with peace of mind.
Because he understood better than anyone how big a storm Jiang Chen's skills would cause once they were known to others. He was afraid that when he came back, he wouldn't even be able to eat the dregs, let alone the soup.
Jiang Chen knew Li Nanfeng's concerns. That was the reason why he had not released what he had and had not looked for anyone to cooperate with. After experiencing two lifetimes, he knew very well how unpredictable the impact would be if the research and development results fell into the hands of unreliable people.
Even now, he chose to cooperate with Li Nanfeng, but he still didn't think Li Nanfeng was a trustworthy person. However, at this moment, Li Nanfeng was the best choice compared to others.
"You can rest assured." Jiang Chen said, "I have no plans to make the results public for the time being."
Jiang Chen's confidence calmed Li Nanfeng down. He wanted to ask something, but thinking of the current occasion and time, he turned back the words: "I'm on a flight this morning and will be abroad on a business trip for a few days. I will be back next Wednesday at the earliest. That day happens to be He Qianyang's birthday, and I must be there, so how about we meet at the He family's party then?"
Jiang Chen: "I can wait——"
"Xiaochen is also going to Qianyang's party?" Yang Yun happened to hear Li Nanfeng's last words and said in surprise: "That's great, Auntie will ask the driver to pick you up at your house then."
The early contact with He Qianmin and his family has disrupted Jiang Chen's plan. Before he truly comes of age, he hopes to avoid contact with more members of the He family as much as possible to prevent any complications. However, in this situation, repeated refusals would be inappropriate.
"Thank you, Auntie, but that's not necessary." Jiang Chen swallowed the refusal that was about to come out of his mouth: "I can go by myself when the time comes."
Yang Yun smiled gently and said, "Then Auntie will wait for you at home then."
"It's settled then." Li Nanfeng breathed a sigh of relief.
Jiang Chen nodded: "See you then."
Seeing that they had a good relationship, Yang Yun politely invited Li Nanfeng and the other two: "It's time for dinner, let's have dinner together."
"No." Thinking about whether the cooperation could be successful in a few days, Li Nanfeng wanted to fly back to the office immediately to explain everything and use every minute as an hour. He stood up hurriedly and said, "Thank you, Aunt Yang, but I have some work to do and need to go back right away."
Seeing that he was really anxious, Yang Yun said sympathetically, "Go to work quickly, and come to our house for dinner when you have the chance."
Li Nanfeng confirmed the agreed time with Jiang Chen again, then took Shi Fengyue and Mo Xi, whose expression had been blank since Jiang Chen's phone rang, and strode away.
After watching Li Nanfeng and the other two leave, Jiang Chen also stood up: "Aunt Yang, I..." He had just started to speak when his cell phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, a smile instantly welled up in Jiang Chen's eyes. He apologized in a gentle voice and walked aside to answer the phone.
Yang Yun's eyes followed Jiang Chen involuntarily. His eyes fell on his profile with his eyes lowered and smiling, and his gentle and clear voice entered his ears.
"mom."
——The person who called was his mother.
"What good day is today? You actually made braised meatballs."
——Jiang Chen likes to eat braised pork balls.
"What cake? The one across from the park?"
"Okay, I'll be careful, but it's your and dad's anniversary, so it's not appropriate for me to go back so early, right?"
——Such an intimate and casual tone shows that he has a very good relationship with his parents.
"I understand. I'll be back soon. Bye."
Jiang Chen hung up the phone and turned around, only to meet Yang Yun's gaze. He paused, ignoring the strange feeling in his heart and smiled softly.
"Auntie, I'm sorry, my mother has already prepared my dinner, I can't eat with you."
Yang Yun had already guessed it, but when she heard Jiang Chen say this, she still felt a little disappointed: "Since your mother has already prepared dinner, let's eat together next time. Do you want your aunt to take you home?"
"No thanks." Jiang Chen declined, "This place is very close to my home, and I have to buy some things for my mother, so I can just walk back."
Yang Yun could only nod: "Then be careful on the road."
Jiang Chen smiled, said goodbye to He Qianmin and his sister in a gentle voice, then turned and left the cafe.
The Jiang family’s home is indeed not far from here. If you don’t walk on the road, you only need to cross a park and then walk along the street for seven or eight hundred meters to reach the community where the Jiang family lives.
Jiang Chen carried a cake in one hand and walked around the bamboo forest in the center of the park, occasionally stopping to admire the night view, leisurely and not hurried. Although it would be closer to go through the bamboo forest, today was his parents' 20th wedding anniversary, and he wanted to give them more time together.
At the end of the bamboo forest was a lake shrouded in moonlight. The melodious sound of a piano came, flowing quietly along with the ripples. Jiang Chen stopped and looked in the direction where the sound came from. After a moment, he followed the increasingly soft sound, walked through a short path, and in the middle of the open space, stood a young man playing the piano.
The young man did not notice the arrival of outsiders. His fingers skillfully changed the position of pressing on the strings. His eyes were gentle and clear, and the sound of the piano revealed deep longing.
Jiang Chen stood there, unable to help but stop and listen.
When the song ended, the young man lowered his head and stroked the piano in his hand. His profile looked quiet and lonely under the moonlight.
Jiang Chen didn't want to disturb them, so he left quietly. Before he walked out of the path, he suddenly heard a suppressed sob. He paused, and the sobs mixed with vague and repeated words were intermittent. Jiang Chen stood there for a few seconds, then turned back.
A clean handkerchief appeared before my eyes.
The boy squatting on the ground looked up in a daze. After a few seconds, he finally reacted. He hurriedly wiped away his tears, stood up and said, "Thank you, but it's okay."
Jiang Chen took back the handkerchief: "I heard you playing the violin when I passed by just now, and I couldn't help but listen for a while longer. I'm sorry if I disturbed you."
After apologizing, Jiang Chen nodded slightly, turned and left.
"Wait." The boy called him.
Jiang Chen turned around, looking puzzled.
You Jiuyu tightened his grip on the violin, his ears turned red, and his voice became dry with nervousness: "Can you listen to me play another song?" After a pause, he seemed to muster up his courage, looked into Jiang Chen's eyes and said word by word: "I want to try what it feels like to have an audience."
Jiang Chen walked to the bench at the edge of the open space and sat down, smiling slightly, "I'm looking forward to it."
The young man followed him with his eyes, accidentally bumping into his smiling face, and then turned his eyes away. He took a deep breath, rested his left cheek lightly on the chin rest, closed his eyes and began to play.
When the song ended, the boy opened his eyes, his anticipation and anxiety clearly visible.
Jiang Chen expressed his feelings truthfully: "It's very nice. Although I don't understand music very well, I can hear the feeling of longing in it."
"Missing..." The boy didn't know what he was thinking about. He lowered his eyes and said nothing. After a while, he looked up at the night sky and whispered, "If you are not in a hurry, can you listen to three more songs? In the past, every time I missed someone, they would listen to me play all five songs."
"certainly."
The young man turned around, smiled, and lowered his eyes to continue playing.
Three violin pieces of completely different styles flowed out from his fingertips. When they were over, Jiang Chen still felt a little unsatisfied.
The boy smiled shyly, sat down next to Jiang Chen, and carefully put the violin into its case.
"Thank you. This is the first time in ten years that someone has listened to me play the violin."
Jiang Chen smiled: "It's my honor."
The young man raised his eyes to the sky and said softly, "It is my honor for you to listen to me play the violin. In fact... just now for a moment, I thought you were the one my mother sent to comfort me."
Jiang Chen also raised his head and smiled: "She must be comforting and supporting you in her own way, where you can't see."
The boy's eyelashes trembled, and he turned to look at Jiang Chen. For some reason, facing a stranger, he suddenly wanted to confide in him: "My mother is a violinist..."
The boy's mother was a famous violinist who performed all over the world. Unfortunately, she died in a car accident on her way back from a performance. His father, who loved his mother deeply, did not want to be saddened by the sight, so he did not allow anything related to the violin to appear in the house, including sound. Since then, he has never practiced the violin at home again. He only brings his violin to the park to practice when he misses his mother, day after day, and it has been ten years now.
Jiang Chen said in a calm and gentle voice: "Have you ever thought about talking to your father?"
The young man smiled bitterly and shook his head: "My father thinks I have no talent for playing the violin. In his eyes, no one in this world can match the music my mother plays. Of course, I think so too..."
"Does your mother feel the same way?"
The young man was startled, turned to look at him, and after a long time, he said: "My mother once said that I was the most talented violinist she had ever seen, but that is only the attitude of a mother towards her child..." His voice gradually became lower and his expression became gloomy.
"Your mother is not only a mother, but also an excellent violinist. You should believe in the fairness and professionalism of her evaluation. Most importantly..." Jiang Chen turned around and smiled, "The violin pieces played tonight are the most beautiful and touching music I have ever heard."
"Really?"
Jiang Chen pursed his lips and smiled: "Of course."
The young man stared at him blankly, until Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows in confusion, he suddenly retracted his gaze: "Thank you, thank you, and for your comfort..."
"I'm telling the truth, not just to comfort you." Jiang Chen glanced at his watch and placed another buy-one-get-one-free cake next to the boy: "This is the reward for touching people's hearts. I believe you will have more audiences in the future. I have to go now. See you again when there is a chance."
The boy's eyes fell on the cake box. In his peripheral vision, Jiang Chen had already walked out of the open space. He quickly stood up and chased after him, calling him: "Can I know your name?"
Jiang Chen looked back and smiled: "Jiang Chen."
"My name is You Jiuyu." You Jiuyu walked up to Jiang Chen, looked into his eyes, stretched out his hand and said, "Nice to meet you, Jiang Chen."
Jiang Chen held his hand and smiled, "I'm glad to meet you too, You Jiuyu."
The author has something to say: You Jiuyu has been in the outline and character design for a long time, and finally it came out.
He is a supporting character with quite a lot of scenes in the later part. If I say more, it will be a spoiler, but in short, the doctor doesn't like him very much.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com