Chapter 341: Chapter 330 Improved Results Display_1
Zhou Ning was momentarily taken aback; almost sent away by the phrase "Uncle Zhou," he found the sensation indescribable as a girl a few years his junior looked up to him with admiring eyes and called him uncle.
Xia Momo tried to suppress a chuckle, nudged Zhou Ning’s arm, and tilted her chin towards him.
"Say something!"
Only then did Zhou Ning come to his senses, realizing he had just lost his composure, and nodded towards Cui Liwen.
"Hello, there’s no need to call me uncle, just call me Doctor Zhou. Have you two finished talking?"
Xia Momo nodded her head.
"We’ve finished talking. I’ll go through the formalities tomorrow, and Liwen will take the exam in the afternoon."
Zhou Ning was taken aback; he remembered Doctor Lu mentioning that they would schedule a selection process later.
"So soon?"
Doctor Lu leaned in.
"It has to be quick to avoid leaks. We want to select truly outstanding candidates who are eager to pursue this career, not just assigning research positions to teachers so that they can control students’ futures. Right, you’ll leave a bit later today; help me review the exam content. You’re the specialist after all."
Zhou Ning watched Doctor Lu a bit dumbfounded. What was this all about? A visit wasn’t complete without making the most of it, and Doctor Lu wouldn’t let him off easy. Thinking it over, Zhou Ning didn’t dare resist; after all, the compensation from Qin University was substantial enough that with his current savings, he could afford to buy two houses and still have money left over, a scenario he couldn’t have imagined before.
"Okay, let’s start the meeting first and see the effects of the software upgrade. That’s the most pressing issue. After all, we’ve already sold quite a few copies of the software. The operations haven’t fully normalized yet, so upgrading shouldn’t be too troublesome."
Cui Liwen quickly stepped back, bowed to the group.
"Uncle Zhou, Mr. Xia, and Mr. Lu, I’ll go back and study now. May I ask if the placement test will include forensic medicine material?"
Doctor Lu raised an eyebrow and looked mysteriously towards Zhou Ning, clearly hoping Zhou Ning would answer. But Zhou Ning was inwardly groaning; this was putting him in a tight spot. Despite being trained for two years by the system, his professional grades had been terrible, and having to create a test for non-specialists left him at a loss.
"I think there will be some, but with the knowledge you’ve learned, you should definitely be able to analyze and answer. Go back and hit the books."
After Cui Liwen left, the group moved to the conference room where the heads of the development and design teams arrived one after another. Seeing the large screen in the room made Zhou Ning quite envious. He only learned it was developed by Qin University after reading the small print at the bottom. The various sections of the screen displayed different contents.
Mr. Liu arrived at the last moment and gave an impassioned speech, much to everyone’s encouragement. The initiative in the room was sufficiently stirred up. Zhou Ning looked at the little old man and noticed he seemed much more vibrant than he was two years ago. That he had become the director was expected.
Going against common opinion back then, he had collaborated with Zhou Ning and the Qindao City Public Security Bureau, which were very advanced initiatives at the time. These bets paid off immensely for him in the end.
Doctor Lu, on the other hand, didn’t say much but let each department speak about their progress. The sixth phase was already in design, and everything was moving along smoothly. The rate of data collection and database expansion was 20% ahead of schedule, a result that exceeded expectations. By the end of the year, the sixth phase should be fully online.
The analysis data from the mechanics department, combined with animations, would automatically simulate the sequence of impacts at an accident scene, as well as the order in which they occurred. This would be applicable to traffic accident analysis and in analyzing large-scale major incidents, though this would require some preliminary data input.
After discussing these matters, Doctor Lu asked Zhou Ning for his insights and suggestions on the software development.
After giving it thought, Zhou Ning closed his notebook.
"In terms of design, my role has always been just to come up with ideas, while the true implementation has relied on the collective effort of everyone here. However, now that the development of the software is nearing the completion of its sixth phase, it seems to have reached a bottleneck in forensic medicine and traffic accident analysis.
I can sense your concerns, but I don’t see it that way. The software’s database still needs constant expansion, one aspect is moving towards the overseas market, which my mentor, Professor Li Chengbin, has already started to help us negotiate.
Another aspect to consider is the direction of our design. Archaeological survey and exploration work have long been carried out using quite primitive methods, with the Luoyang shovel still being their main tool to this day.
Combining our software with this field, could we expand into archaeology? One application could be in the restoration of skeletal remains, and another in aerial scanning analysis at archaeological sites. Although many metal elements can obstruct detection, we could analyze factors such as soil layer density and excavation traces.
Beyond that, I have another vision. Our university has been developing 3D printing technology, and many research institutions are considering cooperation with the medical field. However, there are significant barriers to its practical application.
Consider artificial bones, which are expensive and require individual customization, hindering the technology’s development. Could we combine our software technology with further development in 3D printing materials and even create relevant machinery and equipment? Of course, this would require applying for the necessary patents."
"Enabling more medical institutions to independently complete the production of bones in a short time based on data such as the patient’s missing bone parts, shape, size, and so on, ensures that surgeries requiring artificial bones to be completed quickly are not constrained by foreign technological barriers."
"Of course, these are all my aspirations. Everyone needs goals and imagination. If it wasn’t for Doctor Lu realizing my vision back then, today’s software would not have been launched. And the sixth phase of the software’s development is not an end."
"I believe this is just a beginning. Perhaps in the near future, mentioning Qin University will signify the breeding ground for all cutting-edge technologies, making the once-proud international universities inferior.
"Moreover, within our research institute, we can establish a reward mechanism, proposing new directions and intentions. Once adopted, one could receive rewards like dividends, inspiring everyone’s creativity. That’s all I have to say for now. I believe my abilities are limited, but our collective creativity is boundless."
As Zhou Ning’s voice trailed off, Mr. Liu and Doctor Lu both stood up, followed by everyone else in the room, one by one.
After a long round of applause, the excited expressions on the faces of each elderly gentleman spoke volumes. As Mr. Liu, he was acutely aware of what everything Zhou Ning spoke of meant. Wasn’t it his ultimate dream?
"What Director Zhou mentioned exactly matches my thoughts. I am someone about to retire, and yet I feel the blood boiling in my veins. Rest assured, we will start researching the reward system tonight. As for the direction of development, I think archaeology is very promising, especially since an old friend of mine is an expert in that field.
"He was inquiring about the software a few days ago, wondering if it could be applied to their archaeological work. I think we can talk to him later to understand their needs in detail and combine them with the software, just as Director Zhou suggested, avoiding metallic interference and expanding our thinking from the content of various substances in soil layers. I am quite supportive of this point."
Doctor Lu laughed. Every time he met Zhou Ning, he was presented with new opportunities. After speaking his thoughts, he looked toward Mr. Qu and slapped his forehead, continuing:
"I was too busy being happy. Mr. Qu, please introduce the application of the software’s upgrade, and it would be best to give a live demonstration."
Mr. Qu, visibly nervous, approached the podium. Those in technology often found such presentations challenging. Once he connected his laptop to the big screen, he began explaining, pointing at a damaged skull with a laser pen:
"First, I’ll demonstrate a part of the bone reconstruction from phase five. This skull was found during a case Zhou Ning and I dealt with in Rudong City. The skull was severely damaged, with less than 55% preserved, and almost completely collapsed on one side.
"The police tried to look for the bone fragments, but due to ten years of weathering and severe gnawing by small animals, it was impossible to piece together. This limited our system’s ability for autonomous restoration.
"Afterward, Director Zhou and Mr. Xia tried a symmetrical repair method. Although there were some discrepancies, it allowed us to reconstruct the bone based on its overall framework and avoid any technical issues that could affect the comparison results. Let’s now look at the improved demonstration process."
Mr. Qu swiftly operated the system, but to Zhou Ning, he seemed to have slowed down his actions.
Once the skull scan was displayed, an analysis frame appeared next to the software, which then began automatic calculations. After completing the calculations on the relatively intact side of the skull, it replicated data and then merged it onto the other side.
However, this wasn’t a mindless copy and paste, but a skeletal analysis based on the heights at the point of damage. Continual calculations were performed below, and after completion, green lines flashed across the surface of the skull on the screen.
A selection box appeared below, asking whether to manually modify the data. Mr. Qu hurriedly explained:
"This step allows for manual modifications. If any important facial bone characteristics were found at the scene that needed modification, one could complete it here. It’s not overly complicated; adjusting various lines can achieve the alteration. Of course, if the adjustments exceed a reasonable range, the system will prompt a warning. Please watch!"
Mr. Qu dragged the lines around the eye socket downwards by about a centimeter, causing the screen to flash immediately. A prompt dialog box appeared, warning that such a modification exceeded the skeletal structure of a normal human and suggested caution.
Mr. Qu canceled the change and moved to the next step. The skull repair was completed, and then, based on the state of the bone, the software analyzed the age. Options on one side included hair color, hairstyle, eye color, skin tone, professional features, and more—there were over twenty options.
"The options here can be searched vaguely, but the region still needs to be selected. After all, the character generated by the system will be built referencing regional characteristics. Let’s now look at the generated facial images and a comparison with real photographs!"
As he spoke, he displayed four generated images alongside the real photo of the deceased, enlarged to full screen, prompting a collective intake of breath from the audience.
Zhou Ning paid close attention. Inside that option box, there was a setting for the year of birth, which was quite useful. After all, the nutritional intake of people born after the 1990s is completely different from that of those born in the 1960s, making it a point worth analyzing.
Glancing at the comparison image, he exchanged glances with Xia Momo, acknowledging that the software’s analytical capabilities had indeed significantly improved after the update.
However, there was a limitation. If the deceased were a person with well-proportioned features, at least a 50% completeness of the facial bones was needed. And if there was damage on both sides, the resemblance after repair would be very low. But if that level of completeness was achieved, then there would be no need for repair in the first place.
Seeing Mr. Qu finish, Doctor Lu raised his head toward Zhou Ning.
"Director Zhou, how do you think this section has improved?"
Zhou Ning waved his hand dismissively.
"This phase five is faultless, but what about phase four’s ’galloping’... that micro-expression recognition, has it been improved?"
