Xu Zifan's mission is to avoid being "captured" (conquered/romanced), prevent the "capturers" from taking revenge on society, and destroy the system.
He knew that the strategist possessed many skills that defied scientific explanation. In his view, the original owner's eventual love for the strategist stemmed not only from the strategist's calculated yet unpredictable nature, which genuinely made the original owner feel special, but also, and perhaps more importantly, from those skills. Lin Li's earlier statement that he was moved by Lin Siyan's singing and couldn't help but cheer for her made him feel something was amiss.
Lin Li is a musical prodigy, and it's true he values talent, but he shouldn't be this excited about seeing a promising young musician. He suspects Lin Siyan must have used some kind of skill on Lin Li. This is also why he's been reluctant to meet Lin Siyan; until he's certain of the power of her skill, he must be cautious. Never underestimating any opponent is one of his principles.
Assistant Ji surprised him a bit. He couldn't explain too much to her because he was a law-abiding citizen and couldn't let his subordinates think he was some kind of pervert with ulterior motives towards Lin Siyan. Unexpectedly, Assistant Ji's every move was perfectly arranged to his satisfaction. Regardless of her intentions, the result was that Lin Siyan was frustrated and enraged—excellent. Presumably, Lin Siyan was running out of patience now, and those who lose patience reveal more flaws. Now that he was certain the system wasn't omnipotent, he felt more confident about this mission.
Xu Zifan thought for a moment and decided to give Assistant Ji another bonus. Someone who had inadvertently helped him so much deserved the best treatment. As for the system, that was beyond his capabilities. He reviewed the recently compiled data and then called Assistant Ji again.
"Assistant Ji, please contact Dr. Chen Qinglin for me. I am very interested in her brain-computer interface theory and would like to meet with her to discuss the investment research institute."
Ji Yawen had just arrived home when her boss called. She assumed he wanted to ask about Lin Siyan and had even prepared her response, but the conversation suddenly jumped to the theory of artificial intelligence. Excuse me? Artificial intelligence? Isn't that something from space movies?!
Ji Yawen said in a calm voice, "Okay, Chairman, I will arrange a time with Dr. Chen tomorrow."
"Okay." Xu Zifan was about to hang up when he suddenly thought of Assistant Ji, a 22-year-old girl who had worked overtime until 11 p.m. for his personal matters. She must have worked hard. As her boss, he should show her some concern. So he said, "Assistant Ji, you don't need to come to the company tomorrow morning. You can come to work in the afternoon. Work is important, but your health is more important. Take good care of yourself."
Ji Yawen was changing her shoes with one hand when she heard this and almost tripped. She subconsciously replied, "Okay, Chairman!"
"Okay, you should get some rest."
Listening to the dial tone on the phone, Ji Yawen felt like she was hallucinating. Otherwise, why would her boss's last sentence sound even better than any online voice actor's? It was almost like her ears were pregnant! She quickly shook her head, trying to banish the memory from her mind. As an excellent assistant, she absolutely couldn't fantasize about her boss. Although her boss was handsome, rich, had a fantastic physique, was abstinent yet intelligent—better than any other man in every way—falling in love with her boss would mean losing her job. She would never like her boss.
Thinking about the half-day off her boss would give her tomorrow, Ji Yawen cheered "Long live the boss!" and happily ran off to take a bubble bath. She decided to finish watching the anime she hadn't had time to catch up on today, and then sleep in late tomorrow.
Ji Yawen hummed a song as she finished showering, then snuggled into bed to watch anime on her tablet. But whether it was an occupational hazard or something else, she couldn't concentrate for a long time; her mind was filled with "Dr. Chen" and "brainless theory." A few minutes later, she let out a groan, tossed the tablet aside, made herself a cup of coffee, and went to the study to search for information about Chen Qinglin.
Chen Qinglin is 38 years old this year. Her resume is incredibly impressive; she's a highly intelligent person who seems uninterested in anyone or anything, completely absorbed in her research. However, she hasn't become a particularly well-known figure because she proposed the theory of "intelligent brain" ten years ago, and has been researching it ever since. Of course, she hasn't succeeded. Her best achievement so far is a condensed version of an advanced intelligent computer, falling short of her theoretical expectations and lacking practicality. Therefore, she receives virtually no investment, making her research very difficult, and one could say she's somewhat down on her luck.
But she was single-mindedly focused on this research, stubbornly refusing to change direction. Ji Yawen read through many of her published papers, staying up until dawn, and gained an understanding of her theories. It was undeniable that Chen Qinglin was a genius; after reading her papers, she was practically brainwashed, almost believing that humanity should now use AI—it was so convenient, encompassing all other electronic devices, and incredibly safe and protective. If Chen Qinglin were to develop such a system now, she would be the first to buy it.
Someone who values brain research so much would likely accept investment offers readily; no problem. Ji Ya-wen drank several cups of coffee that night, and even by dawn, she felt too tired to keep her eyes open. She quickly printed out the relevant materials and went to sleep.
She set her alarm for 11 a.m., slept all morning, took a shower and felt refreshed. Then she made several phone calls to Chen Qinglin, talked to her about the theory of the intelligent brain, and said that Chairman Xu was very interested in it, intended to invest, and wanted to meet with Chen Qinglin.
Chen Qinglin listened to her, who spoke eloquently and clearly had done her homework beforehand, and agreed immediately, making plans to have dinner with her.
Ji Yawen cooked herself lunch, and as soon as she got to work, she reported the meeting results to Xu Zifan, "Chairman, Dr. Chen has been contacted. Is it alright if we have dinner at Juxiang Pavilion at 8 pm tonight to discuss the matter? You don't have any other social engagements on your schedule tonight."
Xu Zifan nodded. "Okay, when you mentioned investment to her, was her reaction excited or indifferent?"
Ji Yawen calmly replied, "Dr. Chen is very..."
"I'm excited and eager to meet with the Chairman to explain the potential success of our brain research. From what I understand, Dr. Chen has been working on this research for ten years and is deeply engrossed in it. She has already made some progress, realizing part of the theories in her paper. Judging from the current situation, she will likely continue."
Xu Zifan looked up at her in surprise. From her words, it seemed she had seriously studied Chen Qinglin's theories? Although Ji Yawen was wearing makeup, a closer look revealed very faint dark circles under her eyes, indicating she had stayed up late after receiving his call last night. Xu Zifan had never been an assistant before, but he knew that to gain something, one had to put in double the effort. He had always felt that Assistant Ji was more to his liking than the other three assistants, presumably because of her hard work.
Xu Zifan couldn't quite remember how many bonuses he was supposed to give Assistant Ji, so he simply said, "Assistant Ji, your work performance has been outstanding lately. Your bonus was a bit low, so I'll give you triple your salary this month."
Ji Yawen's eyes lit up instantly, and the corners of her mouth turned up. "Thank you, Chairman!"
"Since you have some understanding of Dr. Chen's theories, then come with me to see Dr. Chen tonight. After the investment, you will be in charge of the project. Be prepared."
"Yes, Chairman!" Ji Yawen's eyes lit up even more. The boss clearly valued this investment highly. Being able to take charge of this project alone was definitely a great opportunity given to her by the boss. The boss is truly a wonderful boss!
After Ji Yawen left, Xu Zifan stroked his chin and chuckled. He realized he probably had some misunderstanding about his assistant. She was indeed composed and elegant, but she certainly didn't lack the energy of a 22-year-old. Just a moment ago, looking at her, he felt like he was looking at a little pug that had just snatched a bone; he suspected that if she had a tail, it would wag happily. It was quite amusing.
That evening, Xu Zifan and Ji Yawen went to see Chen Qinglin. Meanwhile, Lin Siyan decided not to wait any longer. She used 2000 points to buy Xu Zifan's exact location, intending to bump into him. Two months had passed since their last encounter, so another chance meeting should be plausible. She could also apologize for being implicated in the rumors and feign innocence. Most importantly, this time she planned to use several skills to make Xu Zifan develop feelings for her.
Lin Siyan had followed Xu Zifan there, so when she arrived, Xu Zifan had already gone into the private room. Although Lin Siyan knew he was in that room, she waited for a long time without seeing him come out, so she didn't want to approach him too obviously and could only wait while eating. She had an appointment with Sister Wang, so it wasn't awkward. It's normal for celebrities to have a meal with their managers to build rapport, and it's a good opportunity to discuss career paths. Sister Wang is her manager, and she can't replace her anytime soon, so she feels that Sister Wang is very important and wants to maintain a good relationship with her, hence her extra effort.
Furthermore, if she were to bump into Xu Zifan later, she could use a few skills to attract his attention, allowing Sister Wang to see that she knows Xu Zifan and that he treats her specially. Presumably, Sister Wang would then reconsider the contract issue more carefully and treat her better. Perhaps she could even take the opportunity to express her feelings for Xu Zifan to Sister Wang, since in the video, Xu Zifan helped her out of a difficult situation, and it's normal for a young girl to have feelings for such a handsome man. This way, it wouldn't seem strange if she inquired about Xu Zifan or mentioned him in conversation later.
Lin Siyan had a brilliant plan and thought it was perfect. Her mood improved, and she chatted and laughed with Sister Wang while enjoying the food. But she waited and waited, and Xu Zifan still didn't come out!
Xu Zifan was discussing the theoretical knowledge of the AI with Chen Qinglin in the private room. He used to be a genius, and although he wasn't interested in academic research, he had an almost photographic memory. All the knowledge he had learned was stored in his mind, and he could keep up with the conversation even when talking to a professional like Chen Qinglin.
Chen Qinglin became more and more excited as they talked, especially since Xu Zifan was the only investor in all these years who believed she could succeed. She felt like she had met a mentor and began to elaborate on her views.
Ji Ya-wen smiled elegantly beside her, feeling her intelligence being challenged once again. What were these two talking about? She only half understood. Dr. Chen was understandable, after all, he was so much older than her and had always specialized in that one field. But how could her boss completely outclass her? Her boss was only a year older than her, wasn't he? He hadn't even finished his studies to take over the family business, and he handled so much work every day, how did he still have time to learn these things?
She glanced at Xu Zifan beside her, a feeling of admiration welling up inside her. A true male god; she had never really known her male god boss before.