924: Chapter 919 I Can't Give You

Shen Yan pointed to the equipment in the room.

"Don't leave a single screw behind. Take everything to the Shenyan Building."

"Also, help Teacher Lin handle his resignation procedures."

"Whatever the penalty is, Shenyan Group will pay double."

This string of commands stunned not only Director Zhao but also Lin Dong.

"Shen Yan, you..."

Lin Dong looked up, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Don't misunderstand. This isn't charity."

Shen Yan clapped the non-existent dust off his hands.

"I am a businessman. I don't do losing trades. What I'm interested in is what's inside your head."

After saying that, he glanced at the Patek Philippe on his wrist.

"You haven't eaten yet, right? Come on, I'll take you somewhere."

Ten minutes later.

Behind the school street was the Fatty Barbecue Shop.

This place was filled with the scent of everyday life. The smell of charcoal mixed with cumin was a unique memory for every Jinghai University graduate.

Shen Yan took off his suit jacket and casually draped it over the greasy chair back, rolling up his shirt sleeves to the elbow.

In that moment, the unattainable business tycoon disappeared, replaced by the Shen Yan of yesteryear.

Chen Guangke completely let loose, skillfully prying open several bottles of beer with a bottle opener, causing foam to spill out.

"Boss! Two hundred skewers of mutton, fifty skewers of tendons, and ten pieces of kidney! Make it extra spicy!"

He shouted over the noisy crowd.

Lin Dong sat opposite, looking somewhat helpless. He looked at the neat collar of Shen Yan's shirt, then at his own stained cuffs.

"Shen Yan, you don't have to do this."

Lin Dong grabbed the beer bottle and took a big gulp. The bitter liquid flowed down his throat.

"My project is dead."

"That's the prerequisite algorithm for neural networks. Current hardware computing power simply can't run it, and no one is optimistic about it."

"In their eyes, I'm just a fraud trying to swindle funding."

As he spoke, his eyes turned slightly red.

That was the despair of a genius being crushed by the mundane world.

Shen Yan picked up a freshly grilled mutton skewer and slowly took a bite.

The taste hadn't changed; it was still intense.

"Who said it's a dead end?"

Shen Yan put down the bamboo skewer and picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth.

"The reason current computing power can't handle it is because the architecture is wrong."

"What if it were a dynamic weight allocation algorithm based on brain-like computation?"

Lin Dong's hand holding the beer bottle suddenly trembled.

The beer spilled onto the table.

He suddenly looked up, staring intensely at Shen Yan, his gaze as if he had seen a ghost.

"How do you know about dynamic weighting?"

"That's purely theoretical! The current mathematical models don't even support it..."

"They do."

Shen Yan interrupted him. He took out his phone, brought up an image, and pushed it in front of Lin Dong.

It was a portion of the "Advanced Artificial Intelligence Algorithm Core Code Snippet" rewarded by the system.

It was only a dozen lines of code.

But to an outsider, it was gibberish; to an insider, it was the key to a new world.

Lin Dong's eyes fell on the screen. First confusion, then shock, and finally, fanaticism.

He snatched the phone and practically plastered himself over the screen.

"This... how is this possible..."

"The recursive logic here... a perfect closed loop..."

"My God, if feedback mechanisms were added at this node... the deadlock that has plagued me for three years would be solved!"

Lin Dong's hands were shaking, a violent tremor like Parkinson's syndrome.

He spoke incoherently, gesturing wildly over those few lines of code like a madman.

The surrounding diners looked at their table as if they were watching a lunatic.

Chen Guangke gnawed on a kidney while grinning foolishly.

He loved seeing people who had never seen the world before act like this.

Back in the lab, those old experts had the exact same expression when they saw the 'titan's Blood'.

Brother Yan makes a move, and he cures all kinds of arrogance.

"This is only a small part of the core algorithm."

Shen Yan retrieved his phone.

Lin Dong instinctively reached out to grab it, but his hand grasped empty air.

He looked at Shen Yan, breathing heavily, like an addict looking at his last packet of powder.

"The rest? Where is the rest?"

"It's in my head."

Shen Yan pointed to his temple.

"Lin Dong, I know what you're thinking."

"You want to build a real brain, not just various Artificial Morons that only search databases."

"You need computing power, you need money, you need the support of top-tier hardware."

"Jinghai University cannot give you these."

"But Shenyan Group can."

Shen Yan leaned forward, his deep eyes looking directly into Lin Dong's soul.

"I will build you the largest computing center in all of Asia."

"I will give you unlimited budget authority."

"I don't want your papers, and I don't want your patents."

"I only want you to build this 'brain' for me."

Lin Dong's Adam's apple bobbed violently.

These terms were too tempting.

For someone who had struggled in this field for many years and endured endless scorn, this was practically a deal with the devil.

He would gladly trade his soul for it.

"Why?"

Lin Dong's voice was hoarse.

"You are already the industry leader in materials and repair now."

"Why touch AI, this bottomless pit?"

"Because what I want is not just to make money."

Shen Yan leaned back, looking at the distant, neon-flickering night sky.

In that direction was the location of the Shenyan Building.

"Materials are the skeleton; AI is the soul."

"What I want to build is an industrial empire capable of self-evolution."

"And besides..."

Shen Yan turned his head, a faint smile curving his lips.

"Don't you think it feels great to watch those who once looked down on us end up having to look up to us?"

Lin Dong was stunned for a moment, and then he laughed. It was a slightly neurotic, yet relieved laugh. He raised the half-bottle of beer in his hand.

"Cheers."

No unnecessary chatter.

Two words decided the direction of the global technology landscape for the next two decades.

The glass bottles clinked together, making a crisp sound.

Chen Guangke quickly leaned in to tap his bottle.

"Count me in! Count me in! I didn't understand a word, but it sounded incredibly impressive!"

After three rounds of drinks.

Lin Dong's floodgates opened completely.

He was no longer the timid lecturer but had transformed back into the wild scholar who once commanded the world.

"Shen Yan, if the code you provided is real, I am confident I can produce the initial core version within three months!"

"By then, AlphaGo and Shenqian will be mere children compared to it!"

"I need to give it a name..."

Shen Yan listened quietly, occasionally interjecting one or two sentences that always hit the vital point.

He didn't need to fully grasp the technical details.

The intelligence and perspective provided by the system allowed him to oversee the entire chessboard from a God's perspective.

This was the composure of a cheat.

Just as they were eating, Shen Yan's phone vibrated once.

It was a WeChat message from his sister, Shen Ya.

"Brother, Sister-in-law is waiting for you at the company with Youyou. Youyou is crying for her dad."

Seeing that message, the indifference in Shen Yan's eyes instantly melted away, replaced by a trace of tenderness.