After a glam session with Guan Yu, Jian Qingshan gets into the car and makes her way to the party. On her way there, she watched the broadcast of the product announcement on her laptop.
"—and, it was with this new perspective that our hologram AI was developed. We call her 'Amber', and we hope to release her to the general public in a year's time."
Listening to the man's word, she felt her hunch was right. The Amber in his home really was the new product they're going to load with a virus.
The instant video footage of Amber starts to play on the large screen above the stage, the audience breaks out into uproarious applause and flurry camera flashes. It was at that moment that she gets an incoming call from the boss.
"Qingshan, looks like the announcement has finally been made. 'Amber,' a holographic AI. Wang Zhixin has shocked the world again, just like when WGTC released the first smartphone."
"It uses its own uniquely designed projector to project an image of the AI helper into midair."
"It's like something straight out of the world of science fiction."
Despite Amber's advanced features, the product was being developed for personal home use. Amber was a masterpiece, the perfect marriage of holographic projection technology and WGTC's advanced artificial intelligence.
"It uses their existing voice recognition technology, and it seems to have a conversation mode as well."
"Yes. And its conversational ability seems fairly advanced."
"Hm? Qingshan, don't tell me, did you?"
"I found a functioning Amber at Wang Zhixin's place the other day. It was a fairly large unit. It's definitely the prototype."
"Wow, you never fail to impress me. Brilliantly done."
"I'm afraid my brilliance pales in comparison to that of Wang Zhixin's mind. Amber is light-years ahead of other home AI units I've interacted with."
"Ha-ha. Well, they don't say Mr. Wang is going to change the world for nothing."
Jian Qingshan nod admiringly.
On the screen of her laptop, her enthusiastic earns a sigh from the boss.
"He's an impressive man, Wang Zhixin. But putting that aside issues of good and evil, he's a great man. And tonight, you're that man's date."
"Yes." Jian Qingshan answered. She's staring at the screen, feeling pained when the boss raises his powerful voice to make one last comment.
The product announcement is ending. It was nearly time for the patron party. She had to make sure everything goes the way Wang Zhixin and her discussed. She needs to play the part of his soon-to-be fiancée in front of Li Bai and the other executives, but she can't unnecessarily attract the attention of other guests.
"You can't relax until you're procured Code X and crash Amber. Good luck, Qingshan."
"Thank you, Boss."
Jian Qingshan closes her laptop and quickly takes a deep breath. With the party venue outside the window visible out of the corner of her eye, she carries out her usually last step and mentally put on her Wu Nianzhen mask.
-
Inside the venue.
"Man, this is amazing, Zhixin. You've got me feeling like a little kid at Christmas. I never know what you're going to come up with next."
"Thank you."
With the announcement for the new product complete, everyone moves to the venue for the patron party. The party venue was bursting, not only with people from the tech world, but also with international celebrities. In fact, the foreign man speaking secretively to Wang Zhixin, was the former CEO of a large software company.
Jian Qingshan hangs back behind the man, staying out of the way and smiling quietly at the people who walks by.
"How are you doing, Zhixin?"
"Long time no see, Elizabeth."
Elizabeth Yen, the media mogul.
"You've got a lovely girl on your arm tonight, Zhixin."
"I'm Wu Nianzhen. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Nice to meet you, Miss Wu. But you're made a big mistake."
"Oh?"
"You should have gotten him to go with 'Nianzhen' for the name of his new product."
"That was a missed opportunity."
Nianzhen (a belief in truthfulness). That was a boldfaced lie, yet he delivered it without skipping a beat. Then again, the man has an obligation to act a certain way at parties like these.
After Elizabeth leaves, a steady stream of people drops by to say hello. But the time they finally got a break, Jian Qingshan was feeling a little tired.
"Care for some champagne?"
"Perfect timing. Thank you."
"Well, if it isn't you from before."
"Long time no see."
"…"
"The Amber announcement was a big success."
"But you went with monotone colors. Again. Why don't you ever spice it up?"
"I'm not going to let you tell me what to do."
Xi Yuanjun and Jing Ke, these men again.
"Nianzhen, these two don't work for me, but they are the two most annoying people I know. Treat them like you would with my executives."
Like his executives. In other words, she had to act like she's his girlfriend.
"Got it." Jian Qingshan smiles back at him after he whispers in her ear.
Xi Yuanjun smirks. "What are you two whispering about?"
"It's very weird to see you acting this way, Xinxin. What's up with you two? Now I feel like I really need to know."
Smiling suggestively, Jing Ke tugs on Wang Zhixin's arm.
"You can see for yourself 'what's up' with us."
"Really? You've found yourself a new girl?"
"But since when? Don't tell me this all happened right after meeting at that party."
"Actually yes. We both felt like it was fate." Jian Qingshan tried to explain.
"Fate?" Xi Yuanjun smirks a little wider. "I'd love to hear about that in more detail."
"We can talk about it another time." Frowning, Wang Zhixin discourage his friends while the corner of Xi Yuanjun's mouth quirks up in evident amusement.
"She's beautiful though. Just as radiant tonight as she was the first night I've met her. It's a lovely night. If you're going to spend it with a man, it might as well be me."
The man gently takes her hand and presses a kiss to the back of it.
"I'm flattered, but no thanks. I don't like flirty men. So, even if I did spend the night with you, I'm sure I'd get bored eventually."
"…"
"Ha-ha, you don't take anything from people, do you? I'm starting to understand why Xinxin's with you."
"I hate to tell you guys what to do but, do you think you could take it east with the jokes?"
After nonchalantly brushing off Xi Yuanjun's hand, Jian Qingshan interlace her fingers with Wang Zhixin. She smirks, and Xi Yuanjun and Jing Ke laughs as well.
"That reminds me, Xinxin. I saw 'you know who' earlier." Xi Yuanjun kindly informed his friend.
"…"
"I mean you both are in the same industry. It would have been weird not to invite him." Jing Ke also add.
"Good luck with that. Later."
Even after the two men have left, the troubled look on the man's silent face remains.
"If I asked you about this mysterious 'you know who' would you tell me who he is?"
"It doesn't have anything to do with you."
"Are you sure? I am your girlfriend. It worries me sick to hear things like this."
"Give me a break." Realizing she was joking; the man smiles at her faintly.
"Wow. I didn't realize that sullen face of yours was capable of changing expressions. I've got to say I much prefer this one to the last one."
"T-thanks."
Jian Qingshan was conversating with Wang Zhixin when she catches a glimpse of her idol. The man who passing by over on the other side was no other than Lu Junyi. Once again, Qingshan was starstruck. Her heart races, and she hears a curt, composed voice nearby.
"Don't forget what you're really doing here. I can't have you getting distracted."
The man truly has sharp senses. Jian Qingshan's mind was only occupied for merely a second and the man notices.
"I know why I'm here. But I also just saw one of my favorite people in the world. People normally react with joy when they get a chance to meet someone they admire."
"You're being silly. I don't care how much you admire the guy. The strength of your feelings along isn't going to bring him any closer to you."
"Then how do you get close to people you admire?"
"I've been trying to figure that out for a very long time myself." The man makes that face every once in a while. It stands out to her because he has such a different vibe from usual when he's like that. Jian Qingshan wonders what it's about.
She was trying to decide whether she should ask him about it or not when—
"You got the jump on us, developing an AI for daily home use. That's the Zhixin I know. You never fail to impress me."
"…"
Taking a look, Jian Qingshan knew the man. He was no other than William Li, also known as Wei Li from FEX Incorporation.
FEX Incorporation was an up-and-coming, rapidly growing tech company that offers new kinds of web services. The man was the CEO.
Wei Li had also graduated from Oxford, so in Jian Qingshan's mind, there was no doubt the two knows each other.
Xi Yuanjun and Jing Ke also went to Oxford. Therefore, Wei Li was probably the 'you know who' the three men were referring to.
"First of all, allow me to congratulate you on the announcement of your new product. You're just as talented as you were when we first met. I'm impressed."
As Jian Qingshan glances at Wang Zhixin, it was weird to see the man bracing himself. It was unusual to see him react to someone in that way.
Her instincts immediately recognize that subtle signal as a sign of danger. A second later, she felt like she senses something flash behind Wei Li's smiling eyes.
"But you only got this far because of the power of the forces driving you. You still haven't gotten over the death of your parents, huh?"
"…"
The death of his parents.
To Jian Qingshan, no matter how much research she had done, she still could never manage to find anything on his family.
Was the man hiding his history because his family was gone?