Code and Psalms
On Saturday, the city's Science and Technology Innovation Center was filled with an invisible, highly concentrated energy. The hall was brightly lit, and the names of the participating teams and the countdown scrolled across a huge electronic screen. Young people in colorful team uniforms moved among them, some discussing in hushed tones, others deep in thought, the sound of keyboards clicking like dense raindrops, forming a unique symphony of the digital age.
When Lin Wanxing and Su Xiao arrived, the competition was already in full swing. They found seats in the audience area, their eyes searching for that familiar figure among the many contestants.
"There!" Su Xiao pointed to a corner of the competition area.
Jiang Chen sat there, his back straight, intently staring at the three monitors in front of him. He wore a simple dark hoodie, which made him appear somewhat lonely compared to the other players around him who were wearing matching team uniforms, but his calm aura was undeniable. His fingers moved quickly across the keyboard with a steady rhythm. Occasionally, he would pause, pick up his now-cold coffee, take a sip, furrow his brow slightly, and then immerse himself in the world of code again.
"Wow, a serious man is definitely the most handsome," Su Xiao exclaimed softly, then looked around again. "Hey, where's Dr. Lu? He said he'd be here!"
Lin Wanxing's attention, however, remained more focused on Jiang Chen. She watched him immerse himself in his battlefield, that state of complete concentration, seemingly cut off from the world, so similar to her own feeling when she buried herself in ancient texts, searching for the subtle meanings within the words. It was a kind of focus she could understand and appreciate.
As the competition reached its crucial moment, the real-time rankings set up by the organizers flashed on the big screen. Jiang Chen's team, named "Chen," initially went unnoticed, but their ranking steadily climbed as they solved one difficult problem after another. The final half hour featured a comprehensive, challenging problem simulating a complex real-time data processing system, demanding extremely high efficiency and stability. Many teams were stuck, and the atmosphere in the room grew increasingly tense.
Jiang Chen slowed down as well. He leaned back in his chair, staring at the code for a long time, then closed his eyes, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on his thigh, as if constructing something in his mind. A few minutes later, he opened his eyes, a sharp glint in them, and leaned back again, beginning to type at an even faster pace, reconstructing some of the core logic.
"He seems to have found a way," Lin Wanxing said softly, involuntarily sweating for him.
Finally, the countdown reached zero, and Jiang Chen pressed the submit button. The rankings were finalized—"Chen" was in third place. For a solo participant, this was an exceptionally outstanding achievement.
During the awards ceremony, when the host announced Jiang Chen's name, he walked onto the stage and accepted the medal and certificate from the presenter. Applause erupted from the audience, but his expression remained calm. Only when his gaze swept across the audience and met Lin Wanxing's eyes did the corner of his mouth twitch almost imperceptibly upwards, as if confirming her presence.
"Congratulations." A calm and familiar voice rang out from the side. Lu Ziang had appeared beside them at some point. He was dressed casually, with a refined and elegant demeanor. He nodded slightly to Lin Wanxing, then turned his gaze to the stage. "His final algorithm optimization was brilliant, avoiding common performance bottlenecks."
When Su Xiao saw Lu Ziang, her eyes lit up instantly, and she immediately stepped forward: "Dr. Lu! When did you arrive? Was Jiang Chen particularly impressive just now?" She tried to find common ground.
“He’s only been here a short time,” Lu Ziang replied, his gaze still fixed on Jiang Chen, who was coming down from the stage. His tone carried an objective, professional assessment: “His logical thinking and underlying structural abilities have always been outstanding.”
Seizing the opportunity, Su Xiao blinked and asked with curiosity and admiration, "Dr. Lu, how do you, a doctor, know all this? You sound so professional."
Lu Ziang finally shifted his gaze from Jiang Chen, glanced at Su Xiao, and explained in a calm tone, "I've always been very interested in computers and programming. It's just that I studied medicine because of my family's requirements." He paused, as if stating a simple fact, "In my spare time, I follow some cutting-edge technologies, just to maintain a hobby."
"Wow! Is it true that the worlds of top students are all interconnected?" Su Xiao immediately replied, her eyes filled with even more admiration.
Jiang Chen walked through the crowd toward them, holding a medal and a small paper bag with the sponsor's logo on it.
"Congratulations, Jiang Chen!" Su Xiao said first, with a bright smile.
"A wonderful match," Lin Wanxing said sincerely, looking at him. She noticed the faint bluish tinge under his eyes, but his eyes were exceptionally clear at that moment.
Lu Ziang stepped forward and bumped fists with Jiang Chen: "The method for solving the last problem was ingenious. It used a non-blocking asynchronous pipeline?"
“Yes, the traditional thread pool model is too expensive and not suitable for that scenario.” Jiang Chen nodded, and the two naturally exchanged a few words using technical terms.
Su Xiao listened intently from the side. Although she didn't quite understand, it didn't stop her from looking at Lu Ziang with admiration. She then patted Jiang Chen's shoulder and said, "No matter what, winning is amazing! Let's go, let's go, we have to celebrate! It's on me!" As she spoke, she looked intently at Lu Ziang with obvious anticipation.
Lu Ziang instinctively tried to politely decline: "I'll be home this afternoon..."
“Zi’ang,” Jiang Chen interrupted him, his voice not loud, but with a friendly insistence, “Let’s go together. It won’t take much time.” There was a rare, celebratory ease in his eyes.
Lu Ziang glanced at Jiang Chen, then at Su Xiao, whose face was full of anticipation. After a few seconds of silence, he finally nodded: "Okay. But I'll treat you to a meal as a celebration for your success."
"Wow! That's great!" Su Xiao cheered immediately, her smile becoming even brighter. "Then I know a really nice private restaurant nearby, with a quiet environment and exquisite dishes!"
The group arrived at the restaurant recommended by Su Xiao. The private room was elegant and isolated from the outside noise. When they sat down, Su Xiao naturally took the seat next to Lu Ziang, while Jiang Chen and Lin Wanxing sat opposite them.
After ordering, Su Xiao couldn't wait to steer the conversation back to Lu Ziang. "Dr. Lu, is your hospital particularly busy? Doctors seem to work so hard." She rested her chin on her hands, adopting a posture of attentive listening.
"It's alright. I'm used to it." Lu Ziang's answer was still concise. He picked up his teacup and took a sip, his posture upright, contrasting with Su Xiao's slightly casual sitting posture.
"Well... someone as outstanding and busy as you must not have much time to think about personal matters, right?" Su Xiao asked tentatively, staring intently at him, her heart racing. This question had already touched on a personal matter.
Lu Ziang paused, holding his teacup. He glanced at Su Xiao, his eyes calm and unwavering, as if he could see right through her. He put down his teacup, his tone as indifferent as if he were stating a medical record: "Currently single. Due to the nature of my work, I don't have much energy to spare... and I don't plan to consider these things for the time being."
Despite his cold attitude, the words "currently single" clearly reached Su Xiao's ears, making her heart leap with joy, as if she had received some kind of permission. She immediately followed up on the topic, saying, "That's true. Doctors save lives and heal the wounded, which is a great responsibility, and they need to be fully committed. But it's also important to balance work and rest. It's so nice to come out and have a meal with friends like today to relax."
Lu Zi'ang nodded slightly, acknowledging the statement, but didn't respond. Instead, he turned his gaze to Jiang Chen and naturally began discussing the trade-offs in several technical details from the earlier match. The tacit understanding between the two, based on shared interests and ways of thinking, was something Su Xiao couldn't intervene in at the moment.
She watched Lu Ziang's profile as he earnestly discussed things with Jiang Chen, his focused expression captivating her even more. Undeterred, she tried to steer the conversation towards him during a break, bringing up topics like medical anecdotes and health tips. While Lu Ziang maintained basic politeness and answered every question, his responses were often professional and brief, creating an invisible distance, making it feel more like a science popularization session than casual conversation between friends.
The star of this celebration banquet was undoubtedly Jiang Chen. Lin Wanxing ate her food quietly, occasionally exchanging a few words with Jiang Chen about their thoughts on the competition. Her gaze would occasionally sweep over Su Xiao, who looked somewhat "strenuous," and Lu Ziang, who remained calm and composed. She felt a little amused, but also a little sympathetic for her friend's "long road ahead."
After the meal, the group added each other on WeChat. As expected, Lu Ziang insisted on paying the bill. "I have to go to the hospital, so I'll be leaving now." He stood up and said to Jiang Chen, "The competition was very exciting." Then he nodded politely to Lin Wanxing and Su Xiao, "Please enjoy your meal." His movements were clean and efficient, without the slightest hesitation.
Watching his departing figure, Su Xiao felt not discouraged, but rather invigorated. "Did you see Wanxing?!" she whispered excitedly. "Single! High IQ! Handsome! Strong professional skills! And so principled! He's practically perfect!" Her eyes burned with a determined fire. "I must win him over!"
Lin Wanxing smiled helplessly as she watched her friend rubbing her hands together in anticipation. Jiang Chen, on the other hand, silently sipped his tea, neither commenting nor denying Su Xiao's declaration of wanting to "win over" his good friend, only a faint hint of "good luck" flashing in his eyes.
After leaving the restaurant, Su Xiao received a work call and hurriedly left. Jiang Chen and Lin Wanxing walked side by side on their way back to school. The warm afternoon sun of autumn filtered through the thinning leaves of the sycamore trees, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
“This,” Jiang Chen stopped and handed the small paper bag he had been holding to Lin Wanxing, “is for you.”
Lin Wanxing paused for a moment, then took the paper bag and opened it. Inside was a light gray cashmere scarf, soft and delicate to the touch, with an elegant and warm color.
“It’s one of the prizes for the competition,” Jiang Chen explained, his voice as steady as ever, “I noticed the weather is getting cooler, and I thought you might need it.”
Lin Wanxing held the scarf, the soft warmth from her fingertips seeming to travel through her veins and into her heart. She remembered the lamp he had fixed, the breakfast he had prepared, the umbrella he had tilted in the rain, and now this scarf that she needed so perfectly. He always offered just the right amount of silent warmth when she needed it. This gift wasn't about monetary value, but about the thoughtful observation and the care he had kept in his heart.
“It’s very warm,” she said, gently pressing the scarf to her cheek, looking up at him with a smile, a glimmer in her eyes. “Thank you, Jiang Chen. I really like it.”
Seeing the genuine smile on her face, Jiang Chen's gaze softened for a moment, and he said softly, "I'm glad you like it."
The two continued walking, the atmosphere peaceful and harmonious. As they passed a bookstore window, Lin Wanxing inadvertently caught sight of a guide to a computer professional certification exam. She remembered seeing similar materials on his desk earlier.
"Are you planning to develop in this direction in the future?" she asked casually, her gaze falling on the books in the shop window.
Jiang Chen followed her gaze, paused for a moment, and then nodded: "Hmm. I'm thinking about it. Getting some certifications will make it easier to find a job." There was no confusion in his tone, only a clear plan based on reality, "I want... a more stable income."
His words were simple and unpretentious, without any grand pronouncements, yet Lin Wanxing sensed his strong sense of responsibility and earnestness towards the future. He wasn't just fulfilling an "agreement"; he was diligently managing his own life. This realization deepened her admiration for him.
"You will succeed," she said softly, her tone resolute.
Jiang Chen turned his head to look at her, the golden light of the setting sun reflecting in his eyes as if stars had fallen into them. He didn't speak, but the corners of his tightly pressed lips seemed to soften a little.
The soft cashmere scarf was now being carefully held in Lin Wanxing's hands. It was more than just a gift; it was like a silent promise, and a warmth that quietly blossomed in this autumn, a warmth that transcended any agreement.
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