771: Chapter 766 My Theory is Correct

The driver didn't ask any more questions.

The black sedan cut an arc across the slick, wet street.

Ten minutes later, the car stopped at an inconspicuous alley entrance.

The neon sign was buzzing, and only half of the cat's head on the 'Black Cat' bar sign was still lit.

Shen Yan pushed the door open and got out.

The alley was filled with the smell of cheap beer and vomit.

He pushed open the heavy wooden door.

The sound of a jazz saxophone mixed with the clamor of voices rushed out to meet him.

The lighting was dim, and smoke curled in the air.

Shen Yan didn't need to search hard, because an argument was taking place in the corner.

A man wearing a plaid shirt was shoved to the ground.

The man was thin, wearing thick-rimmed glasses, his hair messy like a bird's nest, and he was tightly clutching a laptop covered in tape.

That was Chu Li.

Standing opposite him was a middle-aged white man in a full suit, his face flushed, still holding half a glass of whiskey.

"Listen, Chu."

The white man looked down at Chu Li on the floor, spitting wildly as he spoke.

"The lab doesn't need your garbage code."

"What 'implanting fear into the Artificial Intelligence'?"

"Are you trying to destroy our servers?"

deep blue was one of the largest Artificial Intelligence labs in Europe, and it was also the industry benchmark that An Ran had mentioned before.

The surrounding patrons were watching the spectacle, and some even whistled.

Chu Li struggled to stand up, his glasses askew on his nose, making him look somewhat ridiculous.

"That's not garbage."

His voice was small, but stubborn.

"That is the direction of evolution."

"Only by understanding fear can intelligence grasp the meaning of survival."

"Just give me computing power..."

"Computing power?"

The white man reacted as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.

He burst into exaggerated laughter.

"Give you computing power?"

"Let you simulate those crazy brainwaves?"

"Stop dreaming. This is your termination letter."

The white man pulled an envelope from his chest.

He threw it fiercely onto Chu Li's face.

"Also, the lab will sue you for the server cluster you damaged."

"Get ready for the compensation, or go to jail."

The envelope slid onto the floor stained with spilled drinks.

Chu Li didn't pick it up.

He just held the old computer, as if clutching a last piece of driftwood, his eyes slightly unfocused.

In this academic circle where rationality reigned supreme, no one wanted to listen to the ravings of a madman.

The white man adjusted his tie, preparing to turn and leave.

A hand stopped his path; the hand was very steady.

A Patek Philippe watch on the wrist reflected a cold light under the dim illumination.

The white man paused for a moment, looked up, and saw a young Asian face.

Shen Yan showed no expression, merely looking at him faintly.

"Who are you?"

The white man frowned, with a hint of drunkenness and disdain.

"Move aside."

"I don't like your attitude."

Shen Yan's voice wasn't loud.

"Nor do I like someone blocking my way."

The white man was about to flare up when he saw two burly bodyguards step out from behind Shen Yan.

They were the security personnel Wu Ya had arranged to be hidden.

Black suits, sunglasses, and one could even see a bulge at their waists.

The white man sobered up halfway.

He dealt in academic administration, not gang fights.

"We... we are handling internal affairs."

The white man's imposing manner weakened.

Shen Yan ignored him and walked straight past him.

His leather shoes stepped on the somewhat sticky floor, making a dull sound.

He walked up to Chu Li and squatted down, extending his hand.

Chu Li instinctively flinched, like a frightened stray dog.

But what he saw was not a fist, but a clean open palm.

"Can you still code?" Shen Yan asked.

Chu Li froze.

He looked at Shen Yan through his crooked lenses.

No one had asked him this question in a long time.

Everyone asked him, "Can you be normal?" or "Can you just get lost?"

"Yes."

Chu Li nodded as if possessed.

"Then get up."

Shen Yan stood up.

He didn't spare the white man another glance.

"Take your computer."

"I will give you computing power."

Chu Li scrambled up from the floor, not caring about the dust on his clothes.

Clutching the computer, he followed Shen Yan like he had grasped a life raft.

"Wait a minute!" The white man reacted; this person was here to poach talent.

Although Chu Li was 'scrap,' this concerned the lab's reputation.

"He is the person we are suing!"

"You can't take him!"

Shen Yan stopped, turned his head slightly.

"How much?"

"What?"

"That server, and the so-called breach of contract fee."

Shen Yan took out a checkbook from his coat pocket.

It was a cash check from the Standard Chartered Bank.

"Five hundred thousand Euros? Or one million?"

The white man's mouth opened.

That server had only blown a few capacitors, worth a few thousand Euros at most.

But he couldn't swallow this insult.

"This isn't about money, this is about principle..."

"Swish."

Shen Yan tore off a check, holding it between two fingers.

He presented it to the white man.

"One million Euros."

"Buy out his contract, and that supposed lawsuit."

"Take the money and scram."

The surroundings fell silent.

Even the saxophone player stopped playing.

One million Euros.

To buy out a madman who was just thrown out on the street?

The white man's Adam's apple bobbed.

Greed instantly overcame his so-called principles.

He trembled as he took the check, carefully examining the number and signature.

It was real.

"De... Deal."

The white man quickly stuffed the check into his pocket, afraid Shen Yan would change his mind, and even stepped aside to clear a path.

Shen Yan led Chu Li out of the bar.

The rain outside had lessened slightly.

A gust of cold wind blew.

Chu Li shivered.

He looked at the tall figure walking ahead, feeling like he was dreaming.

"Boss..."

Chu Li didn't know how to address him.

"Are you... are you really going to fund my research?"

"I mean, that research on Artificial Intelligence emotional logic?"

"Everyone says that's pseudoscience."

Shen Yan walked to the car.

The driver opened the door.

He turned around and looked at the uneasy Chu Li.

He took out the ledger he had bought at the auction from his trench coat pocket.

"Put out your hands."

Chu Li hesitantly extended both hands.

Shen Yan placed the ledger in his hands.

"Open it and look."

Chu Li used the streetlight to see.

He flipped open the first page.

At first, his expression was confusion.

Then, shock.

Afterward, his hands began to tremble.

This trembling was more violent than when he was humiliated earlier.

He saw those few pieces of parchment.

He saw those distorted musical notes.

In his eyes, that wasn't music; it was a string of instruction sets pointing directly into the depths of the soul.

It was the missing piece he had dreamed of, painstakingly deriving countless late nights.

"This..."

Chu Li suddenly raised his head.

His eyes were red.

His breathing was ragged, as if he were suffocating.

"This is the source code!"

"This is the emotional interaction protocol based on frequency resonance!"

"My theory is correct!"

"If I integrate this into the core, I can make machines learn how to 'cry'!"