CH 75

The two found a Hunan cuisine restaurant nearby.

It was meal time, and the restaurant was full of people. The waitress led Jiang Chen and Shi Fengyue through the lively hall and into a booth with a separate space. After pouring tea and handing over the menu, she then left. The sizzling atmosphere downstairs and the rich aroma of fried Hunan dishes penetrated through the slightly open carved wooden window. Jiang Chen sniffed, looked at the menu and said, “That smells delicious just now, I wonder what it is.”

Shi Fengyue ticked two dishes: “Chili stir-fried pork and frog leg dry pot.”

Jiang Chen raised his eyes: “You can differentiate the smell?”

“Li Nanfeng likes this Hunan cuisine restaurant very much.”

“Then I’ll order these two dishes.” Jiang Chen put down the menu: “You can order some more dishes you like.”

Shi Fengyue checked a few more items on the menu, called the waitress, and handed the menu to her.

While waiting for the food, Jiang Chen and Shi Fengyue discussed the upgrade direction of the facial recognition system. Halfway through the conversation, Jiang Chen suddenly recalled Li Nanfeng saying that Shi Fengyue had designed a facial recognition system himself, and instantly became interested: “I heard Brother Li say that you seldom design programs by yourself after you went to college, why did you suddenly want to make a facial recognition system at that time.”

Shi Fengyue snorted lightly: “If I don’t answer, will you only owe me three meals?”

Jiang Chen laughed and waved his hand: “It’s still five meals, but you will owe me one too.”

Treating the other to a meal instead of answering a question could be traced back to more than a month ago when Jiang Chen came out of the laboratory that day and came across Li Nanfeng and Shi Fengyue who were chatting with the main researcher of the next-door laboratory in the lounge area. At that time, the topic they were talking about was holographic technology. Seeing Jiang Chen passing by, Li Nanfeng pulled him into the conversation as well.

Originally, this conversation could only be regarded as a light academic exchange between tea and coffee, but as the topic became more professional, the different opinions of the three gradually sparked a small debate, which was interlaced with a short-lived peace at Li Nanfeng’s joking. Only to become more intense when there were differing opinions again. The three of them held to their own opinions, and didn’t agree with the other two.

Of the three people who insisted on their own opinions, the main researcher of the laboratory next door graduated from a top prestigious school in country A. Before coming to Li De, he had researched holographic technology for fifteen years. His current research and development project was also on holographic technology. So his understanding of holographic technology could absolutely be considered one the most expert in the world. And on the other side was Jiang Chen who majored in holography in his freshman year in his last life. After entering the laboratory, he also participated in the research of holographic technology. Later, his only friend Liao Zhe became the main researcher leading the federal holographic technology research. So in addition to artificial intelligence, holography was the field he knew best. Finally, there was Shi Fengyue who, at the age of fifteen, used special material technology to invent a new medium that could use light refraction to reproduce a scene in a certain period of time under a fixed air density, and thus gained a second patent besides the high-coverage military GPS. This medium he named “Mirage” was an indispensable material for the development of holographic technology.

The three of them did not give in to each other, and the atmosphere in the lounge room quickly changed from a tea party to an intense academic discussion. Li Nanfeng couldn’t understand a word, and nor could he even get a word in. But as the boss, he had to end this argument which was unlikely to yield unanimous results.

Therefore, he took advantage of his authority as the boss and proposed a method: the three people could take turns asking questions related to holography to the person on their left, and whoever couldn’t answer first would withdraw from the discussion first, and the last person left could ask the other two to treat him to a meal.

Li Nanfeng’s method was particularly effective. The rules he set only allowed them to ask questions and not add their own opinions. So from the beginning it avoided conflicts from reemerging. Being only allowed to ask questions in the professional field could convince the loser to admit defeat. And the last part regarding treating meals was to define this dispute as a discussion among friends, and it would not hurt the peace in the end.

The person who asked the first question was Jiang Chen. To his left was Shi Fengyue, and to Shi Fengyue’s left was the main researcher of the laboratory next door. After rounds of questions and answers, the three of them hardly met a question that stumped them. It was very clear that professional questions were difficult to stump the other two, and so they began to extend to other professional questions in the computer science field.

The computer field was extensive, and the researcher next door ended up admitting defeat first, while Jiang Chen and Shi Fengyue were evenly matched. Shi Fengyue’s knowledge covered a wide range of fields, and there were almost no questions he couldn’t answer. And Jiang Chen, as the head researcher of artificial intelligence in the federation, the depth of his knowledge in the computer field was unparalleled, so Shi Fengyue lost.

Shi Fengyue owed Jiang Chen a meal, and he paid it back at noon the next day. But every subsequent discussion began to follow this rule. No matter what reason was the source, the person who was finally stumped would owe the other party a meal.

At the beginning, Shi Fengyue and Jiang Chen’s discussions were limited to computers, and Jiang Chen had never lost in these discussions. However, as the two gradually became closer, the topics were no longer limited to computers, but involved various topics and fields and even all sorts of weird questions.

For example, the first meal that Jiang Chen owed Shi Fengyue was because of a painting in Li Nanfeng’s office. Shi Fengyue asked Jiang Chen if he knew the artist of that painting…..So, now both Jiang Chen and Shi Fengyue had developed the habit of being prepared to owe a free meal when the other party asked a question.

“I developed the facial recognition system at the time because He Qianjian has a special attitude towards you.”

Jiang Chen didn’t expect this to be the reason, and a trace of astonishment flashed in his eyes.

Shi Fengyue’s long eyelashes were lowered half-way as his index finger tapped on the table, his tone inexplicable: “The first time I met He Qianjian was at his tenth birthday party. At that time, he surprised everyone with a piece of piano music. But the strange thing was that it copied my piano playing style exactly.”

“What’s even more interesting is that on his twelfth birthday, he once again perfectly copied Waller’s violin skills. Not only the skills, but even Waller’s habit of fingering the bow after playing a piece was exactly the same.”

“He Qianjian used to be the most interesting person I’ve ever met.” The sound of knuckles knocking on the solid wood tabletop stopped, and Shi Fengyue raised his eyes and smiled lightly: “He is full of contradictions all over, but not the slightest flaw can be found by others, except in regards to you.”

Jiang Chen’s eyes flickered slightly: “That’s why you designed the facial recognition system to investigate my relationship with the He family.”

Shi Fengyue tapped the desktop with his index finger: “The facial recognition system was just to confirm my guess. Your relationship with the He family does not require special investigation. What He Qianjian has done speaks for itself.” He leaned forward slightly, his eyes at the same level as Jiang Chen’s: “I’m curious, how did you and He Qianjian know your true identities?”

Jiang Chen didn’t look away, and said with a faint smile, “What did you find out?”

Shi Fengyue stared at him quietly for a moment, then said lazily, “I didn’t check.”

Jiang Chen: “Why?”

Shi Fengyue said mildly, while leaning back: “You won’t like it, isn’t that so?”

Jiang Chen froze for a moment, and his heart seemed to be brushed by something light and ticklish, but it disappeared before he had time to truly feel it. His fingers curled slightly at this fleeting but novel feeling.

Knock, knock, knock.

The waitress pushed open the door and entered, and the dishes were quietly served before she exited again, leaving only the strong aroma of food lingering in the air.

Jiang Chen picked up the chopsticks, and when he saw the dishes on the table, he paused: “You ordered those?”

Shi Fengyue chuckled lightly. He tilted his head slightly to look at him, with a playful smile in his eyes.

Jiang Chen also knew that he was asking the obvious, so he coughed and changed the subject: “How do you know what I like to eat?”

“I know after eating together a few times.” Shi Fengyue filled a bowl with meatball soup and handed it to Jiang Chen, with a faint smile in his eyes: “Who did you learn the habit of drinking soup before eating from?”

“My dad. My grandparents are from the south.” Jiang Chen thought for a while and said, “Do you prefer Jiangsu and Zhejiang cuisine? I noticed that you have a sweet tooth.”

Shi Fengyue paused with his chopsticks, and the smile on the corner of his mouth faded a bit: “I just have low blood sugar.”

Jiang Chen recalled that Li Nanfeng had said that Shi Fengyue was in poor health when he was a child. He thought about it and asked, “Then what do you like to eat?”

Shi Fengyue: “You want to know?”

Seeing Jiang Chen nodding, Shi Fengyue chuckled lightly: “I’m not picky about what I eat, I’ll eat anything.”

Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows and smiled, “I remember Brother Li saying that you were very picky about eating when you were a child.”

“He also said that was when I was a child.” Shi Fengyue said indifferently: “At that time, I often had to take medicine and injections, and could only eat slightly bland food, so I was always picky. After getting used to it, there is not much difference.”

Jiang Chen picked up a piece of fish with chopsticks and put it in Shi Fengyue’s bowl: “Try this.”

Shi Fengyue put it into his mouth, chewed it slowly a few times, and swallowed it.

“Is it tasty?”

“Tasty.”

Jiang Chen picked up another piece of fried pork with his chopsticks: “Try this one.”

After Shi Fengyue finished eating, he still replied the same: “It’s tasty.”

Jiang Chen was curious: “Which one do you think is tastier?”

“They’re both tasty.”

Jiang Chen thought for a while, picked up a chopstick of light flavored vegetables and put them in the Shi Fengyue’s bowl.

Shi Fengyue: “It’s also tasty.”

Jiang Chen paused, thinking to himself that Shi Fengyue really didn’t seem to be picky about food at all.

Seeing Jiang Chen stop, Shi Fengyue raised his chin: “I want to eat fish.”

Jiang Chen subconsciously picked up a piece of fish for him, and Shi Fengyue continued: “The frog leg dry pot looks very delicious.”

Jiang Chen, “Isn’t that in front of you?”

Shi Fengyue: “I still want to eat fish.”

Jiang Chen: “Serve it yourself.”

……

After the two of them ate, they returned to Li Nanfeng’s office only to find that Mo Xi had also arrived.

He was lying on the sofa playing with his mobile phone. When he saw Jiang Chen and Shj Fengyue coming in, he sat up in a jerk, said hello, and then rushed to the farthest place from them.

Jiang Chen glanced at Mo Xi who was sitting in the corner and peeking over at them from time to time, and asked curiously, “What’s wrong with him?”

Shi Fengyue walked to the sofa, picked up a pillow, and lazily said: “Forget about him.”

Jiang Chen looked away, saw Shi Fengyue looking like he was going to fall asleep at any time, and reminded: “Sleeping right after eating is not good for the stomach.”

Shi Fengyue closed his eyes: “Twenty minutes has already passed from the restaurant to Li De.”

Jiang Chen was speechless. He turned to look at Li Nanfeng, and just as he was about to say something the phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, he raised his eyebrows lightly.

“Manager Chen?”

“Today?”

“Okay, thanks.”

Seeing Jiang Chen’s expression changing, Li Nanfeng closed his laptop, curious: “What’s wrong?”

“I bought a house in Wugu Village before.” Jiang Chen smiled and said, “The official document for the development of the 5A scenic area has come down today.”

Li Nanfeng already received the news last night, but the development of Wugu Village was kept a secret before, and it was too late for him to get involved now, and even if he wanted to keep a house for himself, he was rejected obscurely. Unexpectedly, Jiang Chen actually had a house there. Li Nanfeng knew what kind of people might live there in the future and with this premise, the value of the house could even be ignored.

His eyes fell on the young man’s bright and handsome features, and he had no choice but to be convinced: “You really have the foresight.”

Jiang Chen smiled slightly: “It’s just luck.”

Li Nanfeng paused, glanced at Shi Fengyue on the side, and said sourly: “I understand, there are always some people who are exceptionally lucky, earning profit on whatever they invest, and getting whatever they want.”

Mo Xi couldn’t help interjecting: “You are so sour.”

Li Nanfeng clicked his tongue lightly, and thinking of something, a gloating smile floated on his face: “I’m not sour, it’s not yet time for me to be sour, and the way I see it, some people don’t know anything and can’t do anything, so it’s hard to say if I will have a chance to be sour.”

Mo Xi didn’t understand, so he asked, “Who can’t do anything?”

The two pillows flew in two directions and hit Li Nanfeng and Mo Xi respectively. The man on the sofa warned in a lazy drawl: “You have a lot to say?”

Mo Xi shrank back, and made a gesture of cutting his neck at Li Nanfeng, mouthing: You disturbed him from his nap.

Li Nanfeng rolled his eyes, threw the pillow to the side, and mouthed back slowly and clearly: Dumb. Ass.

AN: Jiang Chen: What are you guys talking about? I can’t understand a word.