No matter how crazy and skeptical those who knew Shi Qing's true identity were, Shi Qing's name quickly spread throughout the country.
Perhaps for some who didn't pay much attention to artificial neural networks, hearing this term for the first time might be a bit bewildering. But after understanding it, that initial bewilderment turned into longing and deep admiration.
Artificial neural networks, as the name suggests, are neural networks created by humans. So, what are they used for?
In simple terms, when a person controls their limbs, they do so by relying on the "commander-in-chief" in their brain, the motor neurons. The commander-in-chief issues commands, and the limbs move accordingly.
But when someone loses their limbs due to an accident and installs prosthetics, they can only move them like a framework, either through remote control or buttons, but it's impossible to control them directly with the brain.
Artificial neural networks, however, can reverse this impossibility.
They can allow those who have lost their body parts to intuitively feel what their prosthetics feel, and they can directly control them through the brain.
A needle prick, and the injured person can feel pain.
Placed in hot water, the injured person can also sense that their prosthetics are being submerged in hot water.
This is about restoring lost senses.
In other words, with artificial neural networks, people with disabilities can return to a normal life. Those who have lost their legs and could only sit in wheelchairs for the rest of their lives can walk again. Those with impaired arm function can continue to live like normal people. Even other senses, including hearing, can be restored through artificial neural networks.
Whether in the field of research or in medicine, this development is bound to shock the entire nation.
According to the rules of Huaguo, if the technologies developed by the Academy of Sciences are not intended for military use or to save lives, the developers can set their own prices for the first twenty years. After twenty years, the state can take over.
As long as Shi Qing wishes, this research is enough to make him more money than he could spend in a lifetime.
However, Shi Qing didn't even think about making money from it. He directly stated that after perfecting artificial neural networks, he would donate this technology to the country.
Donate!
To the country!
What a noble spirit of dedication!
This technology had been proposed and developed by others before, but it was still imperfect, and the cost of development was too high, so it hadn't made much progress.
But Shi Qing not only succeeded in developing it but also made it affordable. Not only was it cost-effective, he also expressed his intention to donate it to the nation.
In an instant, when Professor Shi publicly announced that he needed individuals who had lost limbs or senses that artificial neural networks could restore to help improve the system, identify bugs, or suggest improvements, participants would receive a personalized recovery package as a thank you.
On the day of registration, the registration website crashed due to overwhelming demand.
And Professor Shi Qing, still enjoying his boyfriend's fruit-feeding service, remained seated, content.
Since announcing the development of artificial neural networks, he had completed experiments on different individuals in various locations, and now he had washed his hands of it, returning to his previous lazy state.
He lazily got up in the morning, went home at noon, took a nap, and played games in the afternoon.
This lifestyle was consistent with his time at the Academy of Sciences.
The only difference was that in the past, when Shi Qing did this, his colleagues in the office would gossip behind his back, saying he had entered the Academy of Sciences through nepotism. How dare he be so lazy?
Now, when Shi Qing did this, his colleagues in the office said, "You're a guru; you can do whatever you want!"
Is this slacking off?⊥思⊥兔⊥網⊥
No!
This is independent style!
After all, geniuses are a bit different from ordinary people.
Tang Mingyi, another genius who loved his work, sneaked up to him and asked cautiously, "Professor Shi, are you really planning to donate this technology to the country?"
"This is the kind of artificial neural network that can make a global impact. Even if you don't profit for twenty years, there will surely be many people buying it every year."
The young Duke, Shi Shi Shi, leaned comfortably in his chair, looking like a pampered landowner, with a lazy voice:
"Am I the kind of person who needs money? My father's liquid assets alone are enough for me to live a carefree life for the rest of my life, not to mention his many other business assets."
Oh, right.
Tang Mingyi realized that Shi Qing was already the richest second-generation in the country.
Even if this technology could make someone a fortune, for Shi Qing, it would only be a very rich person becoming slightly richer. It wouldn't make much of a difference.
Tang Mingyi, who was devoted to research, had no interest in Shi Qing's wealth. After understanding Shi Qing's intentions, he obediently returned to his seat and continued working.
But someone who overheard their conversation, Shi Yiyi, was seething with anger.
Shi Qing, that clueless fool!
How much money could this technology make!
Even if he didn't understand, couldn't he have handed it over to the Duke to handle?
So much money!
Bright and shiny, and he just watched it fly away like that.
Of course, Shi Yiyi knew that Shi Qing's money was his own, and she had no connection to it.
But she had always harbored the dream of becoming a part of the Duke's family since she was a child, so in her heart, she had already treated the Duke's family wealth as her own.
Shi Qing's money was just the money of the Shi family, which was, in essence, her money.
So much money!
If it were all given to her...
Shi Yiyi had been heartbroken since she received the news, and she still felt that way now. The only thing that made her feel slightly better was the anticipation of the Duke's likely reprimand of Shi Qing. After all, he had given away such a huge fortune to the country without even consulting the Duke. The Duke had been involved in various investments since he was young, so it was impossible to say that he didn't care about money. Now, seeing his son foolishly give away such a large sum of money, how could he not be angry?
Thinking about the possibility of Shi Qing and his father's relationship deteriorating to an all-time low because of this, Shi Yiyi felt some comfort in her heart.
And...
She glanced at the military officer who was tenderly peeling oranges for the young Duke, a hint of satisfaction flashing in her eyes.
It was also time for the Duke to know about the fact that his son was in a relationship with another man.
Shi Qing crunched on a potato chip, finished it, and said to his boyfriend beside him, "Look at the way Shi Yiyi is looking at us; she's up to no good again."
Qin Yunsheng gave a distant look at Shi Yiyi, watching her expression, and slightly furrowed his brows.
Previously, before he and Shi Qing got together, he had no interest in the legal disputes between the siblings, nor did he want to get involved.
But now...
The military officer's voice was deep and gentle as he asked, "Should I try to get her transferred to another institute? Since she has conflicts with you, I can keep her far away so that she won't have any contact with you."
"That won't work."
The young Duke firmly rejected the idea, his beautiful eyes shining like stars. He was clearly smiling with mischief, but it somehow made Qin Yunsheng find him adorable.
Because of the last time when Shi Qing had pinned him against the tea room wall and forced him to kiss him, he had seen this mischievous expression before, and his ears turned slightly red at the memory.
Shi Qing smirked like a fox who had stolen something precious, "Hasn't Shi Yiyi always liked to use my actions as leverage? My father, well, as long as he doesn't do anything illegal, he won't interfere with what I do."
"His top priorities are the country, then the protection of the Queen, and I come third. He doesn't have time to break us up."
Qin Yunsheng, born into a royal family himself, understood the unspoken rules among the nobility. For instance, how women were considered inferior and how being in a relationship with a man could tarnish one's reputation.
Of course, these beliefs were mostly held by the older generation, and the younger generation was less influenced by such conservative ideas.
After all, the Queen was still reigning, and anyone who dared to speak ill of women or accuse them of being inferior would quickly fall out of favor.
Who would dare to say that women were inferior when the Queen was on the throne? The Queen would be the first to remember that.
Qin Yunsheng didn't care what others thought of him, but what about Shi Qing?
Even if their relationship wasn't good, he was still Shi Qing's father.
Qin Yunsheng's hands had stopped because he was lost in thought. Shi Qing, curious, took his hand and his delicate fingertips explored Qin Yunsheng's palm as if fascinated, "Shi Yiyi is the type of person who always uses everything against me. My father, he prioritizes the country, the Queen, and then me as his son. He doesn't have the time to break us up."
"Hearts, the most important thing to him is the country, second is the Queen, and third is his own son. He doesn't have time to separate us."
Qin Yunsheng couldn't help but be mesmerized by the way Shi Qing's fingers gently explored his palm. "If you think it's fine, then it's fine."
Shi Qing, of course, thought it was fine.
In his words, he had competed with Shi Yiyi since childhood, and as soon as Shi Yiyi opened her mouth, he knew what she was going to say.
Shi Qing said, "I bet Shi Yiyi is definitely going to tell my father that I have a boyfriend."
The military officer's face, which had been lightly smiling, froze for a moment.
He was a little nervous.
He himself came from a royal family, and although he was from a side branch and his parents were no longer alive, he was well aware of the unspoken rules among the nobility.
More specifically, the rules for side branches.
For example, women were considered subservient, and being in a relationship with a man would damage one's reputation.
Of course, these beliefs were mostly held by the older generation, and the younger generation was less influenced by such conservative ideas.
After all, the Queen was still on the throne, and young people were less affected by these old-fashioned thoughts.
Qin Yunsheng didn't care what others thought of him, but what about Shi Qing?
Even if their relationship wasn't good, he was still Shi Qing's father.
Qin Yunsheng's hand had stopped due to his contemplation, and it was gently pulled away from his palm by the young Duke.
Shi Qing seemed to be playing with something interesting, and his delicate fingertips were quite interested in exploring Qin Yunsheng's palm, "She's the kind of person who would use this as leverage. My father, well, as long as he doesn't do anything illegal, he won't interfere with what I do."
"His top priorities are the country, then the protection of the Queen, and I come third. He doesn't have time to break us up."
Qin Yunsheng's mind gradually relaxed.
But at the same time, because of his little lover's words, a desire began to rise in his heart.
So when it was time for their lunch break, after eating, Qin Yunsheng carefully coaxed the young Duke to take a nap. Only then did he silently get up from the bed and gently covered him with the blanket before leaving the room without making a sound.
As the colleagues who had finished their meals in the cafeteria passed by the courtyard, they could see the military officer running in circles from a distance.
In broad daylight, why was he running in circles?
Curious, someone approached and asked.
Qin Yunsheng's response was quick, "Shi Qing has a good character, he's talented, and even in this state, he's still diligent. As his boyfriend, I need to work harder to match up to someone as outstanding as him."
The group of people: "..."
Having talent, they could agree with. But having a good temper and being diligent...
Qin Yunsheng had described Professor Shi Qing, who had developed artificial neural networks and then left everything to others, going to bed at 10 a.m., taking a nap at noon, and playing games in the office from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. every day, as if he were the complete opposite of the Professor Shi Qing they knew???
The military officer, seeing the skeptical expressions on their faces, guessed roughly what they were thinking.
He understood. After all, not everyone could see through appearances to the essence of things.
But people could evolve.
Although Shi Qing himself didn't care about what others thought of him, every time Qin Yunsheng saw people misunderstanding the young Duke, he couldn't help but feel sorry for him. The reason why the young Duke was now indifferent to others' misunderstandings, and even intentionally acted in a way that could lead to misinterpretation, must be because he had been hurt in the past.
Although Shi Qing didn't often talk about his childhood, Qin Yunsheng could make some educated guesses based on Shi Yiyi's treatment of her cousin and the fact that Shi Qing and his father had no contact in all the time they had spent together.
The young Duke had lost his mother at a young age, and his father was busy with his own affairs. His cousin had even thought of using him as a stepping stone. He must have had a very tough childhood, which was why he developed such a peculiar personality as an adult.
The military officer, imagining the image of a "neglected young master," let out a deep sigh. Even though he could pamper Shi Qing to his heart's content, a young Duke as excellent as him should receive adoration from all quarters.
Qin Yunsheng decided that in the future, he would clarify the misunderstandings about Shi Qing for those people. Even if the truth was as they believed, he would find a reasonable explanation to elevate Shi Qing's image and let everyone know that Shi Qing wasn't what they perceived him to be.
With this in mind, the military officer's gaze fell on the group of people in front of him. He decided to start with the people in front of him.
Qin Yunsheng began, "You've misunderstood Shi Qing. He didn't act this way to be lazy."
Others looked puzzled, wondering what else it could be if not laziness.
One of them said, "Qin-ge, you don't need to explain. It's not a big deal. Professor Shi is so talented that even if he's slacking off, his contributions are still greater than ours."
The military officer furrowed his brow seriously and continued, "Think about it carefully. If Shi Qing is not doing the work now, who will be responsible for improving the artificial neural system? It will be all of you."
The group responded, "Us."
Qin Yunsheng said, "Although I'm not well-versed in some of the technical aspects, I know that only by participating in the improvement can you have your names associated with the artificial neural project. Isn't this a valuable opportunity for you, both in terms of recognition and career advancement?"
"That's right."
Qin Yunsheng continued, "If Shi Qing didn't appear to be slacking off, could you all have the chance to participate? Could you leave your names in the history books regarding artificial neural development?"
"With a talent like Shi Qing, shouldn't I strive to become more excellent to match up to him?"
The expressions on the faces of the group gradually shifted from confusion to contemplation and then to realization. Finally, they settled on embarrassment.
Indeed, Professor Shi was doing this for their benefit! Otherwise, why would he, the creator of the artificial neural system, let them do the work? They were the ones who had misunderstood him and thought he was lazy.
They felt ashamed and began to express their gratitude. "Thank you, Qin-ge, for making us realize that Professor Shi did this for our sake."
"Yes, I used to think Professor Shi was too lazy, but now I feel like I owe him an apology."
"Now that I think about it, Professor Shi didn't participate in our research projects because they were too simple for him. If he had participated, what would be left for us to do?"
Someone else chimed in, "When I was in school, there was a genius who didn't write a single word in an exam because he thought the questions were too easy. He said it was a waste of time."
"That's right, geniuses are like that. The more of a genius you are, the less you like conforming to norms."
"Professor Shi didn't participate in our research before because it was too easy for him."
As they talked, they realized that their previous perception of laziness and not fitting in with the group had transformed into the genius's pity for them.
Previously, they had thought Professor Shi was leveraging his connections and entering through the back door, but now they understood that he was simply indifferent to what others thought.
Qin Yunsheng nodded as he listened. That's right; Shi Qing was like that. In the past, if it weren't for his encouragement, Shi Qing wouldn't even bother to clarify.
Qin Yunsheng used to think that Shi Qing avoided interacting with ordinary people because he considered himself a noble while others were commoners. However, it seemed that Shi Qing was just avoiding people because they were too ordinary for him to engage with.
Qin Yunsheng's eyes softened at the thought. How could there be such an adorable person in the world?
He was proud and intelligent, yet this adorable person favored him, Qin Yunsheng.
The military officer's eyes were filled with tenderness as he thought about how the young Duke, who usually appeared noble and aloof to others, would curl up in his arms during naps, sleeping with the sweet appearance of a little prince. His heart softened into a puddle.
This person was so delicate, had a good temper, cared for his colleagues, and was friendly to everyone. Qin Yunsheng couldn't help but feel a deep sense of affection.
※※※
Shi Qing was busy cracking sunflower seeds. Since he didn't see Qin Yunsheng when he woke up, he decided to drop by the office and watch TV. He had an innate elegance, so even while snacking on sunflower seeds, he appeared as if he were dining on a gourmet meal.
As he was enjoying his snack, a system notification popped up: "Ding! Qin Yunsheng's Rejection Level: 0/100." The system was astonished. This was the first time it had seen an instance where the host initiated a conversation, and the remaining rejection level spontaneously dropped to zero.
Shi Qing remained calm, watching TV and munching on sunflower seeds. Just then, Shi Yiyi walked in. She noticed that the office only had Shi Qing in it and didn't bother hiding her gloating expression. She went straight to the young Duke and flaunted her phone, shaking it:
"Shi Qing, it seems you're quite relaxed. I wonder if you'll still have the mood to watch TV after you receive a call from your uncle."
The young Duke picked up a double-layered milk pudding from the side, didn't spare her a glance, and focused on the TV while indulging in the dessert. It was pure bliss.
This blatant disregard left Shi Yiyi seething with anger. She sat down at her desk, her face filled with indignation, and hoped to hear the phone conversation clearly, as if she had grown long ears.
Shi Qing cast a sidelong glance at her, raised an eyebrow, and then activated the speakerphone function on his phone.
From the other end of the line came Shi Qing's father, as always, with his calm and composed voice: "I heard from your cousin that you have a boyfriend?"
Shi Qing responded confidently, "That's right, he's a military officer responsible for my protection."
Shi Qing's father paused for a moment, as if reminiscing, and then said, "Ah, him. He's indeed a fine young man. Are you serious about him?"
Shi Qing affirmed, "I'm serious."
His father replied, "Good, I understand."
The phone then faintly picked up a respectful voice saying, "Duke, there are some documents here that require your attention..."
Shi Qing's father acknowledged, "Alright, leave them here."
He then said to his son, "Since you're serious, get along well with him. If you ever have intentions of marriage, let me know in advance. I'll make time to attend the wedding."
"Alright, I'm busy now. We'll talk another time."
The call ended.
Shi Yiyi was left stunned.
Even though Shi Qing's father had always spoken like this with her before, wasn't that because she was his niece? But his son had just come out, and he acted as if this were a completely normal thing and was more concerned about work?!!
The young Duke put down his phone, shook his head triumphantly in Shi Yiyi's direction, and said, "The inquisition is over. Let me check the time; oh, it's time to go to work. I'll go to the pantry to get some milk tea."
Shi Qing left the office with an air of self-satisfaction. He didn't return for quite some time. This was common for Professor Shi; after all, even before he created the chip, he would often disappear when he went out.
Colleagues began to arrive one by one, but Shi Qing was nowhere to be found, which meant he was likely slacking off somewhere again.
The military officer, who had just finished exercising, opened the door briefly but left when he realized the young Duke wasn't there. It was clear that he had gone to find his boyfriend.
Still seething with anger and unable to calm down, Shi Yiyi decided to take the route of sowing discord.
She first targeted a colleague who appeared busy, pretending to be casual, and said, "Shi Qing is really going too far. Everyone is working tirelessly, and he's still loafing around. You all are the ones responsible for these tasks, but the credit ends up going to him."
Colleague one replied, "You don't understand. Professor Shi independently completed the artificial neural system project. If it weren't for his generosity in letting us participate, we wouldn't even have the chance to put our names on it."
Shi Yiyi: ???
She gritted her teeth and turned to someone else.
She sighed dramatically, "Aren't you all exhausted these days? Shi Qing is really too much. He watches TV when he should be working. I saw him watching TV just now. What time is it, and he's still out there? It's so unreasonable."
Colleague two responded, "You don't understand. Professor Shi is doing this for our own good."
Shi Yiyi: ...What?!!!
What?!!!
Late arrivals, early departures, slacking off at work - this was all for their own good?!!!
Another colleague chimed in, "Yes, Professor Shi is putting in so much effort for our benefit."
Colleague four added, "I've never seen Professor Shi be so kind."
Colleague five said, "Yiyi, I know you have conflicts with Professor Shi, but you shouldn't spread rumors. Professor Shi is such a good person. Your words are really going too far. Since we have a good relationship, I won't say much, but if you continue to slander Professor Shi like this next time, I'll be really angry."
Shi Yiyi: ......
She slandered Shi Qing?!!
Her! Slandering! Shi Qing?!!!
Had these people lost their minds?!!!
Did Shi Qing still need her to slander him?!!!
Wasn't she stating the obvious facts?!!!
Colleague six concluded, "In any case, Professor Shi is a good person. Don't speak ill of him."
Other colleagues echoed, "Right, he's a good person."
Shi Yiyi: ................
She felt like it wasn't her who had lost her mind, but rather the world had gone mad.
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