These days, Shi Yiyi has been questioning her life choices continuously. Especially when she found out that almost all her colleagues unanimously praised Shi Qing as a good person, treating his colleagues very kindly.
Is delegating the follow-up work on artificial neural networks to others considered being friendly? Clearly, Shi Qing is just too lazy to do it properly!
But no matter how much Shi Yiyi complained, no one believed her, and they even thought that the reason she persistently spoke ill of Shi Qing was because he disagreed with her involvement in the follow-up work.
Is she even interested in this small-scale research and development? She couldn't care less!
However, no matter how much Shi Yiyi expressed her frustration and disinterest, no one had the time to listen to her anymore. This was because people who had signed up for the artificial neural experiment plan had started to arrive.
All of these individuals had been carefully selected, with different issues, varying ages, from elderly people in their nineties to young children, all gathered in the city after being chosen.
This plan had gone through the approval process and was ultimately selected to be conducted at the People's Hospital.
First and foremost, the prosthetics used couldn't be the regular ones on the market; they needed to be professionally processed prosthetics that could receive signals like real limbs. It was also necessary to check if the individuals receiving the prosthetics had any adverse reactions.
Every expense incurred during the preparation and execution of the experiment was meticulously recorded. This wasn't to make these people pay for the costs but rather to inform those who might want to install prosthetics or improve their hearing about how much money they might need when the experiment was successful.
You could say it was very considerate. And this considerate idea had actually been suggested by Shi Qing, who should have been above worldly affairs.
For a moment, more and more people began to think that Shi Qing was actually a genuinely kind person who didn't put on an act.
He might look gruff on the surface, but in reality, he secretly helped his colleagues in his own way.
He seemed indifferent to others, but he thought about recording the expenses so that the injured people who wanted to become normal again wouldn't be left in the dark.
Such thoughtfulness, they had really misunderstood him before.
However, Qin Yunsheng knew why Shi Qing had proposed this idea. Since he had some free time, the young marquis had started openly slacking off, spending most of his time dragging Qin Yunsheng into their dormitory.
What were they doing in the dormitory?
Reading various news and comments praising himself.
The young marquis had a special fondness for such things. Every time he saw someone praising him, he would happily bring it over to show the officer. His handsome face would light up with a proud expression, as if saying, "I'm truly the best."
And at these times, Qin Yunsheng never hesitated to praise him, elevating the young marquis to even greater heights. Though it was the truth.
Shi Qing had recently been fond of eating candy. He had bought a basket full of fruit candies and would grab Qin Yunsheng after finishing one.
After sharing the sweetness he had eaten with his lover, the young marquis would affectionately ask what flavor Qin Yunsheng had just eaten. Even if he couldn't guess, it didn't matter. It was Shi Qing's way of enjoying the process, not the outcome.
Moreover, what Shi Qing liked to do the most was teasing Qin Yunsheng deliberately and watching him get flustered despite being unable to take any action. Qin Yunsheng would stand or sit upright, looking helpless and indulgent as he watched his mischievous lover.
This restrained yet helpless expression was truly captivating.
And Qin Yunsheng was the type who was straightforward.
He enjoyed Shi Qing's closeness but never spoke about his own feelings. He wanted them to become closer, yet he didn't make any moves.
For example, right now, with Shi Qing holding a tablet against his chest, using him as a cushion, occasionally finding news articles praising himself and joyfully passing them to Qin Yunsheng.
As he handed things over, his hands, his arms, and even his "jiojio" would always accidentally or intentionally brush against the still, upright man sitting on the soft sofa.
The young marquis, raised in luxury from a young age, had soft, tender fingers. When he "accidentally" touched Qin Yunsheng, he would apologize and then, as a sign of remorse, gently caress the spot he had touched a moment ago.
In one second, he could caress for a whole minute. You can imagine a solemn officer sitting at the edge of the bed with a delicate young marquis lying in his arms.
The young marquis wasn't short in stature, but he had a slender frame and soft, touchable skin that left red marks even with a gentle touch. He liked curling up in his lover's embrace. In every way, he was someone you couldn't help but want to cherish and pamper.
However, the officer dared not embrace him too tightly because the young marquis's skin was incredibly delicate. He feared that he might apply too much pressure and hurt Shi Qing. After all, when Qin Yunsheng gripped his wrist, the slightest increase in force would make the young marquis feel pain.
So, despite his passionate desires and the way his heart raced with each of Shi Qing's movements, Qin Yunsheng had to restrain himself and withstand all of the young marquis's provocations.
At first, Shi Qing found this teasing and playful, but after many days of teasing and seeing that Qin Yunsheng remained motionless, he grew unhappy.
The devilishly handsome young marquis, dissatisfied, would roll around in the officer's arms, sensing his body stiffen, not like a lover but like someone nervous around a dangerous creature.
When the officer didn't respond as he wished, Shi Qing sat up and extended his tender fingers to poke Qin Yunsheng's muscles, sounding displeased. "Why don't you ever hug me?"
Qin Yunsheng was momentarily taken aback. He asked, "Do you want me to hug you?"
The young marquis clicked his tongue, burying his face in the officer's chest and feeling his body tighten due to his actions. Qin Yunsheng didn't dare to move. Shi Qing said, "You don't even hug me. What kind of relationship are we in?"
This statement finally prompted Qin Yunsheng to make a decision. He cautiously extended his strong arm and placed it on Shi Qing's back, even though he had the power to easily lift a person. However, now he was gentle and delicate.
Shi Qing said, "You didn't even put any pressure on me; I didn't even feel it."
Indeed, although the officer's hand appeared to rest on the young marquis's back, in reality, there was a millimeter of space between his palm and the young marquis's back.
Hearing the young marquis's dissatisfaction, Qin Yunsheng's throat moved up and down, and his deep, magnetic voice, though usually steady, revealed a touch of unease: "I'm afraid of hurting you."
His hand was heavy, and Shi Qing was so soft and fragile. What if he accidentally applied too much pressure and hurt him?
Shi Qing asked, "Are you afraid of hurting me?"
Qin Yunsheng sighed in frustration. "I know that training can build up strength, but I don't know how to train to make it gentler."
The delicate young marquis said sweetly, "Well, in that case, can we not exercise together in the short term?"
Qin Yunsheng nodded sadly.
Shi Qing felt he had to encourage his less enthusiastic lover. The tender and delicate young marquis said, "Don't worry! If you're concerned about this, it's a problem that can be solved. How about this, if you don't mind, I can tie you up so you won't hurt me."
The handsome and composed officer widened his eyes and even stuttered, "T-Tie me up?"
The young marquis looked devilishly beautiful, and his eyes sparkled as if they were filled with countless stars. "Yes, tie you up!"
"I've even figured out how to do it."
He handed the officer a tablet, on which he had found a picture and passed it to Qin Yunsheng.
Qin Yunsheng looked at the picture of a crab tied up like a shish kebab and said, "..."
He imagined a future where he would also be tied up like this. But what was even more unacceptable was that while he was tied up like this, Shi Qing would want to exercise with him.
Qin Yunsheng said, "Isn't it a bit too soon to consider this?"
Shi Qing responded confidently, "No, I think it's about time."
Qin Yunsheng's face turned red. Of course, he had thought about it. But what if he accidentally hurt the delicate Shi Qing? He was even afraid to embrace him right now, let alone exercise together, where they would be in close contact.
Qin Yunsheng said, "Are you afraid I'll hurt you?"
The delicate young marquis sweetly replied, "Then, if you're worried about that, it's a problem, but problems can be solved. So, if you don't mind, I can tie you up, and then you won't be able to hurt me, right?"
Qin Yunsheng: "I'm going to train myself today."
Young Marquis looked at him skeptically, "Can you really do it?"
The officer nodded seriously, "I can."
Young Marquis pursed his lips, "Are you sure?"
The officer replied quickly, "I'm sure."
"Well," Shi Qing's expression seemed a bit regretful. He extended his fair fingertips and poked the officer's firm muscles. "Then, before artificial nerves are fully available on the market, you must practice."
"I believe in you."
Qin Yunsheng believed in himself too. For the sake of love, wasn't it just a matter of short-term training to learn how to control his strength accurately? No problem! Absolutely no problem!
The time left for Qin Yunsheng was not much because almost all the participants in the experiment had reported that there was no problem.
A compilation of interview videos with various experiment participants appeared on the internet and quickly became popular.
The footage began with a smiling elderly man: "I've been without my right arm for twenty years. I'm a retired police officer, and I lost my arm when I was chasing a suspect during a mission. Although I received compensation from the government and my life is comfortable, my arm still hurts from time to time. Sometimes, I watch others play basketball while I can only sit on the sidelines, and it feels quite uncomfortable. My daughter signed me up for this experiment, but I'm not very good with smartphones. At first, I thought she was being scammed until she showed me the news, and I realized it wasn't a hoax. However, I still had my doubts."
"If you're talking about installing a mechanical arm that you can control like a robot, then I believe it. But attaching a fake arm that can be controlled just like a real one, I thought it was nonsense. It's not a part of your body; how could it move just because you thought about it?"
"But when I had this fake arm attached, they told me to move it just like I would my good arm. So, I tried to move it, and it actually moved. I was stunned at that moment. My daughter even screamed 'Ah' when she saw it."
At this point, the elderly man, with his wrinkled face, moved his prosthetic limb and wore a satisfied smile. "On the first day, I used this arm for everything, fetching water, picking up things. I used it for everything. The next day, I thought I had just dreamed and then woke up. Honestly, I never thought I'd have a day when both of my hands could work together."
The interview camera then shifted back to the reporter: "Alright, thank you, Mr. Ge. Now, let's take a look at another participant, who is just eight years old but has been without one arm for three years..."
Once this news was broadcast, the online discussions that were already in progress exploded.
"It really looks almost the same as a real human arm. This technology is unbelievable!"
"I heard it was developed by a young professor who hasn't even turned thirty this year."
"Yes, I remember there was an interview back then. Ah, lemons on the lemon tree, I sat beneath the lemon tree. A person who becomes a professor before turning thirty is truly extraordinary."
"This development should be enough to get that professor into the textbooks!"
"Add one for the textbooks."
"Add another for the textbooks."
Shi Qing was pleased to see these comments, but Shi Yiyi, on the other hand, was not in a good mood.
The more famous Shi Qing became, the worse it was for her. She was already unhappy, and the young marquis wore an expression every day that seemed to say, "Isn't it natural that I'm so outstanding?"
And Qin Yunsheng was blindly in love. Even though he took care of Shi Qing every day as if he were taking care of a big baby, he still acted like they were deeply in love.
Even others thought that these two were exceptionally affectionate.
Seeing Shi Qing leaning against the officer, holding his phone, and acting like he was getting too few new followers, saying things like, "Oh my, my follower count is increasing so slowly. It only went up by ten thousand in half a day," Shi Yiyi was gnashing her teeth in hatred.
She couldn't help it and paid someone to write an article. The gist of it was: Shi Qing is a second-generation elite with a noble background, and the title of professor was bought, hinting at who the real developer of this research might be. Unfortunately, her attempt at mischief didn't go well. Almost as soon as the article was published, a barrage of criticism flooded the comments section.
"What's wrong with being a noble? Can't nobles work hard or be geniuses?"
"Do you think others are fools? Research can't be stolen. It's not the time when nobles could order commoners' heads to be chopped off. People who can get into such places, can they be so foolish?"
"I think the OP has a problem. Agree if you do."
"I remember Professor Shi also worked on a military chip research recently. Why doesn't the OP mention that this chip was also stolen?"
"To be honest, a while back, a bunch of bigwigs at the Institute of Technology were praising Professor Shi for independently developing artificial neural technology. OP, did you not see that news?"
"Everyone, just disperse. People can get jealous when someone is too outstanding. Clearly, the OP is jealous of Professor Shi, who has reached the pinnacle at such a young age."
People are easily swayed, and most of the comments in the comment section were bashing the OP as being brainless. Shi Yiyi, who was deemed brainless, thought to herself, "Are all these people blind?!! How can they have no doubts at all? Can Shi Qing brainwash them through the internet?!!"
Just as she was fuming, Shi Qing entered the office. The young marquis proudly exclaimed to the officer in a loud voice, "Many people are saying I'm handsome and from a good family. Even though I could have relied on my title and good looks, I still chose to rely on my talent. Now, many people are following me. I can gain 10,000 followers in just an hour."
Shi Yiyi: ... Damn it!
She had clearly intended to harm Shi Qing, but how did she end up helping him instead?!
Just as she was about to bang her head against the wall in frustration, her phone rang. It was a call from her father, and almost simultaneously, she received a text message.
"I'm sorry, but today, a few people in uniforms came to my house directly, asking who had me write that article. I ended up revealing your name."
Shi Yiyi: ...
Her face turned pale.
Meanwhile, Qin Yunsheng gazed indulgently at the young marquis who had just taken a seat and went outside to answer a call.
"How's it going?"
On the phone, his retired military buddy, who ran a company specializing in online propaganda, smiled confidently.
"Don't worry, Qin ge, it's going smoothly. As long as we strike quickly, Professor Shi's reputation won't be tarnished. You can rest assured. If situations like this arise in the future, we can handle it within half an hour."
"High-quality online propaganda, you deserve to have it!"
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