As they ate hotpot and drank alcohol, Lu Zhe felt his tongue becoming increasingly numb.
But I have to admit, it was really fun.
He didn't even need to look in the mirror to know that his face must have turned red long ago. And the mature woman sitting opposite him, whose face was originally as beautiful as a flower on a high mountain, was now as delicate and beautiful as a rose.
While eating and drinking, the two chatted about everything under the sun. From a highly praised game to other forms of entertainment, and then to the various benefits of working in the entertainment industry…
And so, the conversation turned to the topic of career choices.
“It’s hard to find a job that’s absolutely safe,” Xia Xiaobing summarized. “Many of the jobs in society today would have been unimaginable a hundred years ago. For example, programmers, online shop owners, moviemakers, game developers, engineering budgeters, and so on.
Lu Zhe nodded: "I remember some data that said that at the beginning of the founding of the United States, more than 90 percent of the residents were farmers. But two hundred years later, less than 3 percent of the entire United States are engaged in agriculture."
Xia Xiaobing: "This is an improvement in production efficiency. Nobody knows which direction technology will change in, but we can guess. Where do you think the next big trend is?"
Lu Zhe looked at her, a sudden idea striking him: "I think it's artificial intelligence. The internet and big data have already provided a fertile ground; the next step might be for AI to take center stage."
Xia Xiaobing smiled and said, "Yes and no."
Lu Zhe took another sip of his drink and casually remarked, "Can you please stop being a riddle teller?"
Xia Xiaobing: "Even in the future, there will never be artificial intelligence that is truly like a human. All artificial intelligence is designed to do a specific professional thing. AI will become a force driving society forward, but most people will ignore its existence. You can say that artificial intelligence will become the protagonist, but it will be subtle and silent, an invisible protagonist."
Lu Zhe smiled and said, "You're talking so confidently, it's like you've seen the future with your own eyes..."
Xia Xiaobing was stunned for a second, frozen in place.
However, Lu Zhe did not notice her unusual behavior and simply said slowly, "According to you, our company has a bright future ahead of it."
Xia Xiaobing sighed: "Not necessarily. There are more than just one or two companies working on artificial intelligence, and they all focus on different areas. Even if I'm certain that the path I've chosen is the right one, it doesn't necessarily mean I can outmaneuver the big shots with capital. Maybe, halfway through the startup, I'll have to sell the company."
Lu Zhe: "Aren't you a big shot who controls capital?"
Xia Xiaobing chuckled self-deprecatingly: "Not at all. I started this business with investment. Have I ever told you that my hometown is Chongqing?"
Lu Zhe: "You said that..."
Xia Xiaobing: "But my home is not actually in the main urban area of Wudu. Wudu is a municipality directly under the central government, and there are many towns and villages around the main urban area. My home is in one of the villages there."
Lu Zhe was somewhat surprised: "I couldn't tell."
Xia Xiaobing couldn't help but laugh again: "Let me tell you, from elementary school to university, I was always the most unfashionable girl in my class. My family wasn't the worst off, but all I knew was studying and reading random books. I had absolutely no idea how to dress up."
Lu Zhe: "Looking at you now, you've changed so much. Why do you look so good now?"
"Maybe it's because I have a good foundation..." Xia Xiaobing smiled slyly, "But I digress. To get back to the point, my family isn't well-off. Other bosses might be lying when they say they rely on their own hard work, but for me, it's definitely not a lie."
Lu Zhe: "And then you got rich in the last two years?"
"I guess so... but for me, this journey has only just begun."
After saying that, Xia Xiaobing raised her wine bottle again and clinked it against Lu Zhe's.
After taking a sip, Lu Zhe said, "Actually, there's something wrong with what you said before about no profession being safe."
Xia Xiaobing: "What?"
Lu Zhe held up one index finger: "Boss. Being a boss is very safe. As long as the company doesn't go bankrupt, you won't lose your job. So you're really something. Starting your own business is the way to escape this predicament."
Xia Xiaobing shook her head: "But do you know how low the success rate of starting a business is?"
Lu Zhe: "When you say that, it sounds so Versailles-esque..."
Xia Xiaobing laughed and took another sip. The beer in the bottle had been sitting there for a while, and was now almost room temperature. The food in the hot pot was almost all gone, and the fire under the pot had been turned off.
Drinking is no longer about suppressing the spiciness; it's simply about drinking. As long as you meet the right people, there's no time limit for chatting and drinking; it seems like you can do it all night long.
After finishing the sip, Xia Xiaobing realized the bottle was completely empty. Turning her head to look at where the bottle had been, she saw only an empty bottle left.
She looked at the bottle of wine in Lu Zhe's hand and asked, "Want to drink some more?"
Lu Zhe was taken aback: "You want to order more?"
Xia Xiaobing: "Are you going to work tomorrow morning?"
It was rather strange that the boss would bring up this question so directly. However, neither Lu Zhe nor Xia Xiaobing were drunk after a few beers, but they certainly weren't as rational as usual. That's why he was able to say what he was about to say.
Lu Zhe slammed his fist on the table: "Go to work? Go to work my ass!"
Xia Xiaobing laughed heartily: "Okay, four more bottles, please!"
After saying that, she stood up and was about to ask the waiter for drinks. But after taking only two steps, she suddenly remembered something.
In Lu Zhe's eyes, she must have sprained her right ankle and couldn't walk like that!
So, after taking only three steps, when her right foot touched the ground again, Xia Xiaobing stumbled, as if her right foot could not bear the weight, causing her to fall to the right.
Because she controlled it well, her right shoulder just happened to hit the pillar, preventing her from actually falling to the ground.
Immediately afterward, Lu Zhe rushed over and helped her up.
"Sister Xia, why don't you go back and sit down? I'll go get the wine."
"Alright..."
And so, Lu Zhe helped her back to her seat, and then asked the waiter for four more bottles of chilled beer.
When Lu Zhe returned with the wine bottle and sat down, he asked, "Would you like to order some more food?"
As Xia Xiaobing opened the bottle of wine, she asked, "What do you want to eat?"
Lu Zhe: "I already..."
As the bottle cap hit the ground, Xia Xiaobing waved her hand with the bottle opener: "Don't say nonsense like 'I can do anything.' If you really can do anything, I'll give you some houttuynia cordata."
Houttuynia cordata, also known as fish mint, is a common ingredient in the Chengdu area, but it is something that Lu Zhe resolutely avoids.
Lu Zhe: "Houttuynia cordata? Then I choose death."
Xia Xiaobing laughed heartily, picked up the bottle and clinked it against his, then continued to drink straight from the bottle.
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