The last two years seemed to vanish quickly.
Yasushi had accumulated considerable time at his job, and consequently, he received an increasing amount of work-related duties. His younger sister, Himari, had also reached the age of four, while his daughters, Yue and Advika, were now three years old.
The children possessed the ability to engage in interactive play and conversation, which they thoroughly enjoyed. Naturally, they maintained a strong affection for Yasushi, regarding him with a sense of admiration.
However, they were beginning to develop attachments to other individuals. This included Yasushi's parents, their own mothers, numerous staff members within their surroundings, and the senior colleagues of their parents and brother at their place of employment.
Furthermore, another significant point was achieved: Xinyi and Jingliu had officially joined the workforce.
They completed their academic programs some months ahead of their peers and then took a substantial break of several months before beginning their careers at the same location as Yasushi and their respective parents.
At this moment, preparations were underway for the global introduction of quantum technology and a more advanced form of artificial intelligence. The existing AI systems were relatively rudimentary, largely stemming from GYATChat, the leading corporation in the field.
However, the organization where Yasushi was employed, along with his parents, Jingliu's and Xinyi's parents, and Jingliu and Xinyi themselves, had successfully developed what could essentially be considered Artificial General Intelligence, or AGI.
This group had not yet formally named their entity. However, after a recent gathering, they had settled on the designation "Qualtoquanm Tech," a choice that Yasushi found somewhat odd, though he kept his opinion to himself. It appeared that everyone else was quite enthusiastic about the name.
The official launch to the public was scheduled to occur in less than a month. Furthermore, the devices would be available for purchase at relatively inexpensive prices, though there were different price tiers based on features.
But importantly, the company was strictly against any subscription-based models.
Yasushi, for his part, was also eagerly anticipating this launch. After a prolonged period of anticipation, the group would finally be able to reunite with their friends in Japan and China. Both Bhaqui and Alicia would also be joining them in Japan for the get-together.
+-+
"We've reached the twelfth iteration of these goggles and glasses, the seventeenth version of the equipment for both the police and fire departments, the twenty-sixth on the hoverboard, the ninth on the microphone, and the sixth on the earmuffs," Xinyi stated, as she reviewed some documents.
Every single product scheduled to be showcased in four weeks had gone through numerous significant improvements, revisions, and adjustments to enhance user experience. Their goal was to avoid releasing subpar or unfinished products to the general public.
While a few items were still undergoing testing due to unresolved issues — particularly the storage rings, necklaces, and other related quantum technologies — the products chosen for the unveiling were in their most stable and refined forms, with the least number of errors.
"They are at their peak condition for now, so we will present these to the world and provide glimpses of other items under development, but that will be it. We do have other projects in progress, but they're far from ready, still riddled with issues. It's a shame, I was hoping to reveal the hover car and lifespan-enhancing pills," Jamie added, joining the conversation.
"They'll be ready within the next few years, we simply need to maintain the same level of progress we've achieved so far," Yasushi stated as he entered the room, accompanied by Jingliu and carrying a stack of papers. "I've compiled additional data to review, having spent the entire day testing the prototypes."
He approached Xinyi's desk and placed the papers down, causing Xinyi to sigh audibly. "That's a considerable amount," she commented, before looking up at Yasushi.
Yasushi gave a tired smile and responded, "That's only a quarter of the total. I gave another quarter to Jingliu and I'm keeping the last half, you'll be alright."
Upon hearing this, Xinyi recoiled slightly, looking at the stack of papers with an expression of disgust. "How many glitches did you manage to find…!?"
Jamie chuckled at her reaction, adding, "You should be accustomed to this by now. Yasushi tends to uncover the most unusual errors in our inventions. It's actually beneficial, though, because if those glitches were present in the initial release of the finalized items, chaos would most certainly ensue."
Xinyi recognized that Jamie had a valid point and simply slumped back onto her desk. "Ugh…can I at least eat first?" she asked, expressing her reluctance to begin working.
Yasushi then took out a sandwich and a drink, placing them on her desk. "Eat while you work. It won't be this chaotic after the release… well…hopefully. If everything goes as planned, that is. If it doesn't, we'll be working late into the evening both after and during the release," he explained, causing Xinyi to groan in response.
Finally, she paused, looked up, and said, "At least we're being paid for this," before she began eating her food and sorting through the papers.
Everyone else stayed behind for a bit, conversing with each other before they went their separate ways. Jamie left on his own, while Yasushi and Jingliu proceeded down a hallway together.
"Jamie seems to be...doing okay, right?" Jingliu suddenly asked as they walked.
"...Yes, he's doing much better now. After his cousin passed away from cancer, he was quite depressed for a period. However, it appears that having friends who care about him has made the situation easier for him. Also..." Yasushi answered, his voice trailing off.
"Also?" Jingliu repeated, looking up at Yasushi with a questioning expression.
"He recently started dating someone. She joined the company at the same time as you and Xinyi. They seemed to connect well, and the two of them have been spending quite a lot of time together. Since our workplace does not have any policies against relationships between colleagues, they are free to pursue it," he explained.
Jingliu looked forward, then began trying to recall who it might be, before her eyes widened in realization. "Avani Aatreya? I never would have thought they'd get along at all…" she muttered, still in a state of disbelief.
Yasushi chuckled as they reached the intersection where their paths diverged, both of them coming to a stop. "Yes, they didn't get along initially, but once they stopped arguing and began communicating normally, they discovered that they had many shared interests…anyway, let's meet up after the work day and go on a little date."
Jingliu smiled and asked, "Okay, do you have any specific location in mind?"
Yasushi shook his head and replied, "I don't have a particular place in mind, but if you do, we can certainly go there."
She smiled and nodded. "I have a plan. Since it's an after-work date, it won't be too fancy or extravagant, but just leave it to me. I've been wanting to try this specific route for a while now, so…" She reached over and poked his cheek playfully. "Look forward to it." Then she departed to go to her own work area.
Yasushi let out a quiet breath after she had left. It had been several years, but contrasting her now to when he first met her was always amusing to him, considering how much she had changed. No, they both had changed, but witnessing the transformation was still very nice.
After standing there for a brief moment, Yasushi finally left the area to return to his own work, knowing he had a large quantity of paperwork to review.
+-+
Several hours later, with the sun about an hour away from setting, both Jingliu and Yasushi concluded their work for the day and left to go on their date. Xinyi had expressed a desire to join them, but Jingliu stopped her, stating that it was a date, which caused Xinyi to pout slightly.
However, Xinyi did not complain excessively and instead went home for the time being. The two of them traveled to a specific location in London, using Yasushi's motorcycle to get there.
The place was called Primrose Hill. Primrose Hill is a well-known and elevated park situated in London, on the northern side of Regent's Park. It is famous for its unobstructed, sweeping views of central London, which can be appreciated from the summit of the hill, approximately 63 meters above sea level. The region surrounding Primrose Hill is also recognized for its wealthy residential areas and its association with artists, writers, and well-known personalities.
They arrived at a small car park, where Yasushi parked his motorbike. After they paid the parking fee at the machine, they began walking towards the park, which was just a short distance away. The walk didn't take too long, only about five minutes, as they decided to take their time and enjoy the walk rather than rushing.
Upon entering the park through the main gate, they followed the worn stone path which seemed to lead directly towards a small hill that was visible in the distance. As they continued their walk, multiple lamps, which were placed alongside the path, started to turn on one after another from a distance as the sun slowly began to set below the horizon. Both of them remained silent, choosing to hold hands and just follow the designated stone path that lay ahead of them, enjoying the peaceful surroundings.
"I remember you saying that London was extremely crowded during the end of the day, and while I tend to agree with you on that point…places just like this one are constantly so very quiet and calming," Jingliu stated, softly breaking the peaceful silence that had existed between them.
"Everyone is always caught up in their own daily lives, after all. They all have desires to get their own tasks done as quickly as they are able to, wanting to reach a certain place or meet up with other people. We cannot really find fault with them, as we all tend to do the exact same thing ourselves," Yasushi answered her in a thoughtful manner.
The two of them kept talking, their conversation filled with both the trivial and the meaningful. They discussed many things from the intricate details of their respective work, to their long engagement with one another, and Yasushi's two daughters with Nandini and Yinhaie.
They even spoke on the more ambitious topics, such as how the world would drastically change thanks to the advanced quantum tech and Artificial General Intelligence that their company planned to reveal and sell to the world in less than a month's time.
As they walked, they also shared more mundane topics, showing the comfort they had with one another.
Eventually, after they passed by some other couples walking together, and groups of children and teenagers who were actively playing a game of football in the park with great energy, they started making their way up the hill.
The climb wasn't very long, and by the time they reached the top of the hill, they realized that only a few minutes remained before the sun disappeared completely beyond the horizon, and the darkness took its place.
"I do really like the United Kingdom, even though we have only ever spent our time in London. But as I said back then…I really do want to live in Ginsukimura, but I also wouldn't mind at all having an additional home here," Jingliu said as she leaned against Yasushi, showing how comfortable and connected they were with one another.
Before Yasushi could even begin to offer a reply to her, their attention was suddenly caught by a bit of a commotion that was happening behind them. They turned around, both confused and curious as to what was going on, and what they witnessed in front of them left them both with a mixture of mortification and amusement.
A group of teenagers, who looked like they were around the age of fifteen or sixteen, were gathered together in a small group. It became obvious that one of the more rowdy members of the group was extremely excited and had started running around without any clothes on.
His private parts swung around wildly in the air as his friends laughed and proceeded to record him with their phones.
"This is… just dumb. It's so cold outside for that," Jingliu commented, squinting her eyes at the scene in front of her as her face held a look of disapproval. "… Also, that's incredibly small," she added, making Yasushi snicker to himself as he heard her comment.
Being rather crude in nature, Yasushi smirked at her with a playful glint in his eyes, and then said, "Yeah, well, you're used to me after all, so that's how things go. It's always heaven for you when it's just us two, huh?"
Jingliu's face turned a deep shade of red as she quickly looked up at Yasushi, her lips twitching with both embarrassment and annoyance at his joke before she started to repeatedly smack her forehead gently against his shoulder, trying to hide her flushed cheeks and overall embarrassment.
Eventually, the police were called by someone nearby, and they arrived at the scene very quickly. Upon seeing the arrival of law enforcement, the group of teenagers scattered and ran away in all different directions. However, the young man who had been running around without any clothes on ended up tripping over himself, which resulted in him being easily apprehended by the authorities.
"Really? Why on earth would you even consider doing something like this?" the police officer asked the young teen with a noticeable tone of confusion and disbelief.
The young teen smirked arrogantly and moved his private parts up and down in a rather crude manner, making them flop and swing back and forth. "Live life to the fullest you old dying goat! Who says that I have to become a miserable old fuck when I get older!?"
The police officer, appearing both tired and annoyed, just sighed at the teen's rather ridiculous display and then forced him to stop moving like that. "You will eventually understand when you get older," the officer said with a tone of resignation, before they walked down the hill, taking the teen away from the scene.
"That was…certainly interesting to watch," Yasushi remarked with a slightly confused tone as he noticed that the sun had fully disappeared below the horizon and darkness was now beginning to cover everything.
"It makes me wonder…what are your thoughts on the words that the teenager had said earlier?" Jingliu asked, which came as a surprise to Yasushi since she didn't usually make these types of comments.
Yasushi paused thoughtfully for a moment, humming softly before offering his reply, "I'm sure that I mentioned this a few years back, but the idea of keeping your inner child alive and never fully growing up is completely fine by me. If we were all to end up just like the typical older generation where we feel the need to be miserable and complain about every single thing, would life really have any fun to it?"
Yasushi chuckled softly to himself before continuing his explanation, "The world would be incredibly boring if that were the case. It's the exact same idea as when people say 'why doesn't everyone just pursue their dream job or dream,' and the most logical answer is simply because no one would then be working those mundane jobs that we all need. How would you get your daily coffee at that shop if there wasn't a single person who worked there? The world keeps turning and working because everyone is at their own specific point in their own life."
Jingliu listened carefully to his words, her gaze focused on Yasushi, before asking, "So, what you're saying is that let's say ten years down the line…you'll still be the same Yasushi that we all know so well? Maybe a few things change over time, and you mature in certain ways, but that small part of you that loves to cause trouble or goof off and have fun will always exist, regardless of your position in the company, right?"
"Bingo," Yasushi replied with a grin, before both of them turned their attention to look at the view that was stretched out in front of them from the top of the hill where they stood.
They both quietly began to walk down the hill, preparing to continue the remainder of their short date. But Jingliu had several thoughts swirling around in her mind, particularly about the topics they had just discussed between the two of them.
How exactly would she change in the coming years? Did she even want to keep her current way of thinking about things? Should she attempt to grow up even more than she already has? Would she eventually turn into one of those miserable people that they had spoken about? She really didn't want to become like them, but also at the same time, she didn't want to be viewed as immature by her future age group of friends.
These thoughts continued to churn within her mind as they eventually arrived back at the car park, ready to go to their next destination for the date.