Chapter 41: Chapter 41 Wrong Door_1
The person nodded, seemingly very satisfied with Zhou Ning’s explanation.
"Actually, setting up our own database is just a bit troublesome in the early stage of experimental data, but once it’s combined with AI’s autonomous learning function, the entry of these data will not be a problem. As Doctor Zhou said, we only need to collect data for a certain period."
Zhou Ning didn’t understand this; he had only read about the technology in a literature review.
For him, today’s scene was unimaginable. During his university days, he had only seen the president in group graduation photos. Who would have thought that one day he’d be sitting at the same table with these people, discussing his project proposal?
Zhou Ning suppressed his excitement and calmly began to answer the remaining questions from the attendees. Xu Dayuan came over once since so many people had suddenly appeared, and he was curious. However, after listening for a while, Xu Dayuan left due to other business without joining in further.
It wasn’t until outside the window had completely darkened that Liu Yongxin reminded everyone:
"It’s getting late; how about we have a quick dinner?"
Doctor Lu consulted with Mr. Liu and then apologetically looked up:
"It’s indeed very late today. We’ll go back for now. Let’s skip dinner. However, we should still sign the letter of intent so that we can go back and start setting up the project team. Once everything is ready, we’ll officially sign the cooperation agreement, okay?"
Zhou Ning was stunned. Wasn’t this supposed to be just a project assessment?
The discussion had just been about the data collection and development methods for the software; now they were suddenly moving on to signing a letter of intent. This was all beyond his expectations. Liu Yongxin kicked Zhou Ning under the table, and Zhou Ning then nodded passively.
"Oh, okay, I’ll sign."
In Zhou Ning’s bewildered state, the letter of intent was signed, and Doctor Lu and Mr. Liu left satisfied. After seeing them off, Liu Yongxin was all smiles as he folded his arms and looked at Zhou Ning.
"Young man, you’re still a young man. You still need your master to watch out for you."
Zhou Ning looked at Liu Yongxin, who was perusing the letter of intent. The clauses regarding the ownership of the software left him somewhat puzzled.
"Master, I don’t quite understand. Does this mean the software is no longer mine, or does it mean I still retain all ownership rights?"
Liu Yongxin leaned in and took a careful look.
"It says here you retain 20% ownership of the software. Whether it’s sold or promoted, minus related expenses, profits will be distributed according to this share."
Zhou Ning nodded earnestly, carefully put away the letter of intent, and wound the file bag’s string around several times.
"So, I don’t need to invest any money, and I’ll still get paid, right?"
Liu Yongxin: ...
Zhou Ning’s response left Liu Yongxin at a loss for words.
The kid was focused on money, similar to the time he received his first payment for a manuscript. He wasn’t complacent about being published in a prestigious journal and only cared about whether he had to pay any fees. It seemed the youngster had faced his challenges from a young age.
"Stop thinking about it and get ready to go home. There’s plenty to do later. Isn’t there a detailed plan for developing several parts of the project? If the software really succeeds, you’ll gain both fame and fortune. What’s there to worry about money? Come on, you should at least treat your master to a good meal."
Zhou Ning felt slightly embarrassed, but he’d been brought up by his grandfather and uncle who provided for him, so he tried to solve his own problems without reaching out to them for help as much as possible. Although his studies weren’t exceptional, he had worked plenty of part-time jobs.
Thus, he’d developed such a frugal habit, but indeed Liu Yongxin had worried over him today. It was not often that a mentor got to see his protégé flourish and feel a sense of pride. Such mentors who elevate their juniors were rare to find.
"Let’s go, Master; I’ll treat you to dinner. Any stall on Qindao Road; take your pick."
Liu Yongxin rolled his eyes and shook his head at the mention of a food stall, probably thinking this was the most generous Zhou Ning had ever been.
"Forget it, I’m going home for dinner. Otherwise, I’ll have to ask for leave from my wife. My blood pressure hasn’t been well-controlled these past few days; I’ve been on a vegetarian diet."
After saying that, Liu Yongxin drove off in his newly purchased Alto.
Holding the file bag, Zhou Ning quickly walked home, calling his grandfather on the way. His grandfather must have seen the news and expressed concern. Of course, he also didn’t forget to mention that he would introduce Zhou Ning to potential partners over the Spring Festival. Zhou Ning didn’t refuse this time and, after reassuring his grandfather, he made it home.
He cooked himself a bowl of clear soup noodles with two wontons, a sprinkling of coriander and green onions, an egg, seasoned with pepper powder and seafood soy sauce, topped off with a few drops of sesame oil, and enjoyed the warm meal.
After a shower, Zhou Ning didn’t rush to bed but instead opened his computer and created a new document. The facial reconstruction technology he had obtained from the system had been reviewed countless times. With each keystroke, every idea landed on the keyboard.
...
In the following half a month, Zhou Ning stayed busy like this.
The team received two traffic accident responsibility cases. Whether it was the site investigation or the subsequent liability reports, Liu Yongxin didn’t involve Zhou Ning but took care of them himself.
Xu Dayuan reported Zhou Ning’s situation to the sub-bureau, and the leadership took it very seriously. After all, if the matter succeeded, it would be like adding glory to the bureau, so naturally, they were very supportive. However, the only support they could offer was to replace the old and worn-out computers in the forensic doctor’s office.
Zhou Ning wasn’t dissatisfied; after all, this was support for his work.
Today was the last day of 2010. Early in the morning, he received a call from Doctor Lu, asking him to go to Qindao University to sign the formal contract.
Zhou Ning didn’t prepare anything. He said hello to Xu Da and Liu Yongxin, then took a bus to Qindao University. Doctor Lu had previously mailed him a work badge. At the entrance, Zhou Ning put on the badge and went straight to the security for registration.
After registering, he walked towards a college, as directed by the security uncle. As he was about to reach the entrance, a speeding car brushed past Zhou Ning, grazing his backpack and causing it to fall to the ground.
Zhou Ning frowned, surprised that someone would drive so recklessly on campus, wondering what kind of people they were.
Dusting off his backpack, Zhou Ning picked it up and walked to the front of the college’s office building, where the car was also parked. Two men in suits got out of the car. Despite the weather, they weren’t wearing coats and carried laptop bags as they walked up the steps.
It seemed they noticed Zhou Ning’s watching gaze, and the older one gestured to him.
"Young man, this is the Computer Science College’s office building, correct?"
Zhou Ning was puzzled; was this man blind? Couldn’t he see the giant sign at the entrance?
Or was he just too busy speeding to notice where he was?
Still, being called a student while being outside meant at least he still looked young. He nodded slightly and hummed in affirmation before stepping up the stairs.
The two men behind him frowned deeply, the older one visibly dissatisfied.
"What’s with the young people these days, all so disrespectful?"
The younger man replied with a forced smile.
"That’s true. Mr. Peng, let’s head up, the signing ceremony is starting in ten minutes."
Without further ado, they followed Zhou Ning into the office building. According to the room number provided in the text message, Zhou Ning went straight to the conference room on the second floor.
The door to the conference room was open, and on the east side, there was a row of cameras and video cameras, with dozens of people wearing vests and holding microphones, seemingly adjusting equipment. On the west side were three rows of desks and chairs, with nametags attached to the chair backs.
On the most western table, there was a desk with two chairs behind it, and of course, a podium to the side.
Zhou Ning was startled by this setup. What was this for?
Did it look like a news release event, like those held after international cooperation or investment attraction?
He glanced around but didn’t see a familiar face; not Doctor Lu or Mr. Liu, none of them were there.
Zhou Ning took a step back instinctively, checking the room number on the conference room door; room 230 was correct, right?
As he stood there baffled, the two suit-clad men had already approached. The younger bumped into Zhou Ning and impolitely gestured for him to move, "Get out of the way, why are you following us into everywhere?"
The disdain on the man’s face was undisguised. With that push, Zhou Ning bumped into an open door, creating a loud bang. Everyone’s attention turned to him as his backpack fell to the ground again.
He had endured the earlier brush with the car and didn’t mind the murmuring behind him when asking for directions. But this attitude and bullying behavior made Zhou Ning angry. Just as he was about to speak up, a person rushed over from behind, their voice preceding them.
"Doctor Zhou, you’re here! I had my assistant go to the school entrance to pick you up but didn’t see anyone; you must not have come through the south gate, right?"
Zhou Ning suppressed his anger, turning to look at Doctor Lu, who had spoken.
"Yes, I got off the bus and came straight in through the east gate."
At this moment, Mr. Liu, the vice dean, also came up, bending down to help Zhou Ning pick up his backpack, patting him on the shoulder.
"Doctor Zhou, please come in. We didn’t get a chance to notify you in advance due to the rushed timing. We only recently received the notice from the city to hold a news release for the signing. Don’t worry, to not affect your future work, I’ll instruct the TV station’s staff to avoid close-up shots as much as possible. I hope you can understand!"
This response made those two men in suits freeze, their hands extended towards Mr. Liu and Doctor Lu ignored, standing there awkwardly.
Zhou Ning suddenly felt much better, smiling at Mr. Liu and Doctor Lu.
"I’m young and don’t understand these matters, I’ll follow your arrangements!"
