115: Chapter 115 The Era of Biological Computing!

"Perhaps there's a bit of talent."

"But more than that..."

Facing the curious gazes of the audience, Zhao Yang adjusted the microphone, his tone very firm.

"It's the thirst for truth, and the Library late every night."

"It's hard work! It's extreme earnestness! It's the desk lamp still lit at midnight every night, waking up at six in the morning to exercise, and using the time others spend relaxing, playing games, or dating to cherish every minute reading books and skimming papers."

Zhao Yang's voice was steady and powerful, echoing in every corner of the lecture hall.

There was no other way; at a time like this, he could only serve up some 'chicken soup for the soul'.

Otherwise, what could he say? That he had a system in his head? Or that he was reborn with memories of the future?

Moreover, although Zhao Yang's words were a bit like 'chicken soup', if one thought about it carefully, they weren't entirely false either.

The system did indeed give him a super-high IQ, an eidetic memory, and magical skills, but the system didn't directly instill knowledge of Informatics or Biology into him.

Nor did it help him make any breakthroughs in mathematical knowledge; learning these basics was all on him!

Over the past five months, from morning till night, the books Zhao Yang read, the papers he skimmed, and the days he spent cooped up in the Library—even without resting in the dormitory—he was either reading or on his way to read. This effort couldn't be faked!

The system merely amplified his efforts several times over, but if he didn't work hard himself, zero would always be zero; no amount of amplification would matter.

Below the stage, Gu Qing was standing by the side, clutching her notebook tightly.

She understood Zhao Yang's words more deeply than anyone.

She truly knew how hard Zhao Yang pushed himself.

The Library, the laboratory, even the 6 AM exercises—Gu Qing had seen them all. In these places, the Zhao Yang she saw was always meticulously and earnestly doing everything.

...

After the press conference ended, Zhao Yang rejected all requests for exclusive interviews from the media.

His reason was high-sounding: "Scientific research requires a quiet mind; I don't want to be an academic star."

Although the school leaders felt it was a pity, they also greatly admired Zhao Yang's indifferent attitude toward fame and fortune.

But only Zhao Yang knew that he was doing this out of a guilty conscience, as well as being clear-headed.

Walking along the tree-lined path back to the dormitory, as the clamor gradually faded, Zhao Yang exhaled a long breath of turbid air.

"It's such a waste of time."

He knew very well in his heart that since he obtained the system, less than five months had passed in total.

During these five months, he indeed absorbed knowledge frantically like a sponge, and the system had provided immense help.

But in all fairness, excluding those advanced future memories and special skills, his current true academic level was, at best, equivalent to an excellent, yet-to-graduate Doctoral Student.

There was still a long way to go before reaching the level of a true professor.

That TIP paper was based on his memories from his previous life, and that Biology paper relied on the Super Vision cheat.

"If I'm put on too high a pedestal now, once I encounter a real challenge or the system's tasks get stuck, it'll be easy to get exposed."

Zhao Yang kicked away a pebble by his foot, his eyes calm; he hadn't let the surging fame and popularity go to his head.

"The current fame is enough—sufficient to protect my wealth and subsequent plans. Next, I should settle down and truly transform the system's abilities into my own internal strength."

To forge iron, one must be strong oneself.

He needed more time to accumulate, to read, and to experiment until one day, even without the system, he could stand at the pinnacle of world science relying on his own brain.

...

By the time he neared the boys' dormitory building, the sky had turned completely dark.

Under the dim yellow halo of a streetlamp stood a familiar figure.

She wore an off-white cashmere coat and a plaid scarf. Although her face was without makeup, her complexion was much better than a few days ago. The aura of decadence and despair had vanished, replaced by a sense of relief from having survived a disaster.

It was the Counselor, Li Yan.

"Are you waiting for me here?"

Zhao Yang stopped in his tracks, slightly surprised.

"Congratulations!"

Li Yan turned around and saw Zhao Yang, a sincere and brilliant smile blooming on her face. "I saw the school's news push—TIP Editor's Choice and the special approval for your double degree. Zhao Yang, you're the pride of our school now."

It was currently the peak time after classes, with people coming and going below the dormitory building.

"Let's talk somewhere else."

Zhao Yang didn't want to be stared at and pointed to a relatively secluded flowerbed bench next to the dormitory building.

Li Yan nodded, and the two walked over.

"Were you at the press conference just now?" Zhao Yang asked curiously after sitting down.

"Yes, I stood in the back row and listened to the whole thing."

Li Yan tidied her wind-blown hair, her eyes filled with admiration as she looked at Zhao Yang beside her.

"Back there, when I heard you talk about the Era of Biological Computing, I really... how should I put it, felt my blood boiling."

"Actually, I'm somewhat of an insider. I did my master's in Computer Application Technology, specializing in Data Mining. I understand the weight of the TIP journal better than most people."

"You have a Master's in Computer Science?"

Zhao Yang was truly surprised this time.

He had always thought Li Yan studied education or management, since she had always held an administrative Counselor position.

"Yeah, I don't look like it, do I?"

A hint of loneliness flashed in Li Yan's eyes. "Back then, I also wanted to pursue a doctorate or go to a big tech firm to write code. But... you know my family's situation. They forced me to start working and earning money early, saying there's no use for a girl to study so much and that it's better to find a stable job to take care of the family."

"So I tested for a Counselor position. Although the salary isn't high, it's a permanent post and stable."

These days, the Internet is still in its infancy, and the demand for Internet talent isn't very high because there aren't that many positions.

In just two more years, when the Internet begins its massive boom, a Master's in Computer Science like Li Yan would find a good job with ease!

"I'm really happy to see you published in TIP."

Li Yan took a deep breath and looked at Zhao Yang, a smile in her eyes.

"It's like seeing my former ideal self being realized through you."

"By the way, how are things going with your family..."

Zhao Yang changed the subject.

"It's all been handled."

At the mention of this, Li Yan's expression became somewhat complex.

"After that day, I did as you said and blacklisted all their numbers. My younger brother did change his number and call a few times, even threatening to cause a scene at the college."

"I just told him straight out that my salary card had been taken by debt collectors, that I'm penniless and even have to sell a kidney to pay the debts. If he dared to cause trouble at the school and cost me my job, the debt collectors would go to him to settle the score."

Li Yan couldn't help but laugh as she reached this point—a laugh of relief. "You wouldn't believe it, but that trick really worked. As soon as he heard the debt collectors were looking for him and would call the police for extortion, he got so scared he hung up immediately and hasn't dared to harass me since."

"As for my parents... I've also made peace with it. Filial piety isn't blind devotion; I have to live like a human being first before I'm qualified to talk about anything else."

"Thank you, Zhao Yang."

Li Yan turned her head and looked into Zhao Yang's eyes, saying very seriously, "If you hadn't scolded me awake that day, my life might have been ruined."

"You saved yourself."

"I only gave you a reminder."

Saying that, the atmosphere between the two fell into silence.

P.S.: Thanks for the active support, brothers. The total donation amount has reached 21 yuan. I also hope everyone can give this book a five-star review; it's very important to the author. If you're not busy, you can also read a bit slower. Please, please. By the way, to avoid ruining everyone's reading experience, I'll try not to speak at the end of chapters in the future. Once the donations hit a certain point, I'll automatically add more chapters. Thank you for your support!"}],