Circling Around

Autumn has passed and winter has arrived; it's the end of another year.

In Zabol, far away in the Gangge Republic, military power was firmly in his grasp, and with elite soldiers spread throughout the government army, his position became increasingly Taishan.

If there is any other goal, it is to gradually consolidate the powers that have been delegated to the provinces into the central government.

It's just a matter of time.

After all, those provincial leaders can't stay in their positions forever. Once they step down, won't their own people take over?

Around Christmas and New Year's Eve.

Cloud Sea Technology's first product, Cloud Motion, is about to be released, and the preliminary preparations and promotional work for this product are in full swing.

While remotely overseeing the overall situation, Zhang Yang also managed to steal moments to spend time with the girls.

Life was quite enjoyable.

Meanwhile, the concept of AI is already gaining immense popularity on the Chinese internet.

On short video platforms, there is a mixed bag of AI-generated videos, ranging from good to bad.

Netizens' opinions were polarized, and there was considerable criticism.

After New Year's Eve, on New Year's Day, Cloud Motion was launched.

On the same day, a netizen posted a short video asking for help on a short video platform.

"Hello everyone, I'd like to ask you for a favor."

"I've known this girl for several years and have always wanted to confess my feelings. Last night, I finally managed to get her to go out with me, but after all that, I was stunned because she told me she was going abroad."

"The only thing I mustered the courage to do last night was ask a passerby to take a picture of us together, and this is it."

"Please, everyone, can Photoshop us into holding hands. Please, please don't make fun of me."

The boy pleaded quite earnestly and even posted a photo of them together in the comments section.

In the photo, the two stand together, about a fist's width apart.

The girl smiled brightly and generously, while the boy was slightly shy, his eyes seeming to hold a thousand words, as if he still had many regrets.

The video immediately sparked heated discussions in the comments section.

[Dude, I gave you a chance last night and you didn't take it. Do you know what it means when a girl agrees to go out with you alone on New Year's Eve?]

[Exactly, you didn't seize the opportunity last night, and now you're asking netizens for help. I don't even want to talk to you.]

Please be kind with your words. I think I understand how the guy feels. If you can help, please do so. Don't let him have any regrets.

Opinions varied widely: some criticized, some were indignant and angry at his lack of self-confidence, while others stepped in to smooth things over and speak up for the boy.

But in the short term, she really couldn't help the boy.

Gradually, photos started appearing in the comments section.

[I tried my best, this is about it, just keep it as a souvenir.]

[This is the most I can do, um, it was done directly with AI.]

One by one, the images gradually appeared.

Some photoshopped images show the two people closer together, holding hands, but to say it's completely seamless is impossible; it's obviously a post-production edit.

There are AI-generated images that, at first glance, look quite plausible.

However, upon closer inspection, a sense of distortion can still be detected; to put it bluntly, it feels somewhat out of place.

In the comments section, the male protagonist kept thanking everyone for the photos they shared.

After an unknown amount of time, a comment appeared, gradually provoking public outrage.

[You guys have the nerve to give back to the blogger?]

[This is terrible, the pictures you guys made are awful.]

The comments below were filled with condemnation.

[Oh ho, you do it yourself if you're so capable! Don't just stand there talking without understanding the situation.]

What are you pretending for?

[Come on, I'm waiting. If you can produce a picture that truly convinces us, I'll call you dad.]

The comment replied to this post.

[No need to call me "Dad," I'll show you the pictures later.]

A chorus of urging voices came from below.

The search results quickly reached several hundred floors.

After some time, a photo appeared in the comments section.

The photo is still the same photo.

The New Year's Eve crowds, the fireworks in the background, and the male and female protagonists leaning against each other.

But this time, they held hands.

The female lead tilted her head slightly towards the male lead. The male lead still had the same face, but there was a hint of relief in his eyes, as if he had finally made up for some regret.

The entire photo is incredibly natural, no matter how you zoom in, look at it from any angle, or scrutinize it with the most critical eye.

This is a photo taken at the scene.

Flawless, without a single flaw.

The comment section was almost completely silent after the photo was posted.

The male protagonist was the first to step forward, appearing extremely grateful under the photo and showering it with praise.

[It's perfect.]

Thank you, thank you so much, brother. You made my regret come true.

It was clear that he was extremely satisfied, almost to the point of being incoherent.

"[Hey, where are all those people who were dissing me in the comments section? Come out here!]" The person who posted the picture stepped forward and said smugly.

I don't know how much time passed.

[I'm impressed, I'm impressed, how did they do that...]

[I couldn't find a single flaw even with a magnifying glass; it's absolutely perfect and natural. Truly a master's work.]

[When facing a master, one should admit defeat. I'm impressed.]

Those who are stubborn are, after all, in the minority.

Faced with overwhelming strength and almost unanimous praise, naturally no one stepped forward to be the conspicuous first responder.

Everyone was awestruck by the flawless photograph before them.

[I wouldn't presume to call myself an expert; I didn't Photoshop this myself, I used AI tools.] The person who posted the photo spoke the truth.

How is that possible?

[Seeking tools/tools.]

Everyone got excited and started asking for the tools in the comments section.

After a while, the tools still hadn't arrived.

Unexpectedly, that person posted another short video created by AI.

This time, everyone fell silent again.

It's the same photo from before, but now it's a video that seems incredibly real.

Amidst the fireworks, the boy seemed to muster his courage, glanced at the girl, and then gently took her hand.

The girl paused for a moment, then smiled with a mixture of joy and reproach, her eyes sparkling as if they had been filled with fireworks.

Everyone was stunned by the short video in front of them.

Perfect in both form and spirit!

This video is absolutely perfect in both form and spirit!

Was this created using the same AI tool?

Everyone felt an overwhelming desire to know immediately what this AI video tool was and where it came from.

Fortunately, the person involved didn't keep everyone waiting too long.

Instead, they openly and generously released the tools.

The Cloud Motion.

Supports downloads on all platforms, ad-free, free of charge, simply download and use – simple and convenient.

In fact, this was just a marketing campaign meticulously planned by Cloud Sea Technology's marketing staff, but now it seems that the campaign's effectiveness is simply extraordinary.

Similar cases were unfolding almost simultaneously across all platforms and corners of the internet.

For example, someone who always regretted not having taken a photo with their family members was able to reunite with them in a different way with the help of Cloud Motion.

For example, two completely unrelated pictures can be merged together to create a cross-dimensional connection between two people.

Frankly speaking, in terms of functionality, these features are available on the market.

However, the advantage is that Cloud Motion is extremely easy to use, and the synthesized images, GIFs, or short videos are so realistic that no one would know they are AI-generated without someone pointing it out.

Among the countless AI video tools available, Cloud Motion quickly stood out.

Downloads grew exponentially.

Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions... even topping the weekly download charts for the same category.

Good wine needs no bush, and Cloud Motion is currently enjoying soaring popularity across the internet, with its exposure almost at its maximum.

At the headquarters of Cloud Sea Group, Zhang Yang, sitting in the chairman's office, remotely listened to reports from senior executives of Cloud Sea Technology on the progress of the product launch one week prior.

According to various data...

Burst

Popular

Cloud Motion's initial launch was undoubtedly a great success, sparking heated discussions within the industry and among relevant user groups.

"When will Cloud Motion 2.0 be released?" Zhang Yang asked.

"Chairman Zhang, continue to the middle of next month, which is roughly before the Spring Festival," the person in charge of Cloud Motion reported remotely.

Zhang Yang nodded.

The current Cloud Motion 1.0 is just an appetizer; it essentially only perfects the functions of existing AI tools on the market. The real game-changer, the kind of disruptive features, has not yet been released.

That is, based on a text, the system automatically interprets it and generates images, or even videos, that match the question.

Of course, to proceed gradually, he plans to limit the number of words in the initial version of the text description. After all, if there were no limit, it would be too much of a bug and would have an impact on countless industries in the market.

Later, as the product gradually developed and the number of users increased, the restrictions were gradually lifted.

The difference in difficulty between generating a video from a single line of text and from a hundred or even a thousand words is like climbing to the heavens with each step.

After the meeting ended, Zhang Yang focused on entering the system.

A new year means the acquisition of new technologies.

This time it is:

Bite!

Congratulations, host. You have acquired all the technologies related to humanoid robots, which are expected to be fifty years ahead of current world technology.

Bite!

Given that the host has acquired such advanced technology and the amount of work involved is enormous, the system will provide 500 scientist templates with each new technology the host acquires, allowing the host to freely choose which scientists to support.

Template-related benefits include: loyalty boost, enhanced professional skills, and increased stamina.

Zhang Yang's eyes lit up.

The robotics technology I just acquired is incredibly vast, encompassing multiple fields such as mechanics, electrical engineering, computer science, cybernetics, biology, anthropology, and sociology.

It's too advanced. Even if the technology were readily available, it would be impossible for an individual to digest it overnight.

Any one of these technologies, taken alone, would be enough to shock the world.

Therefore, the system thoughtfully provided five hundred scientist templates. With these templates, Zhang Yang essentially had five hundred absolutely loyal top scientists at his beck and call.

"By the way, if we combine artificial intelligence technology, wouldn't these robots be..." Zhang Yang's heart suddenly raced.

That future... just thinking about it is captivating.

This technology is too advanced; it's better to research it quietly, achieve success, and not reveal it.

According to the system's description, even if we digest the existing technology, it will be difficult to produce a finished product within three to five years; we can only do our best.

Zhang Yang's thoughts were racing, and he thought about many things in a short time.

A moment later, he called Zhou Zhaodong in. Zhou Zhaodong was absolutely loyal to him, so entrusting such a momentous matter to him was naturally no problem.

What is the most important thing?

Naturally, the next step is to begin recruiting relevant talent.

With the right talent and template in place, we began to research this newly acquired technology.

As for the issue of robots developing self-awareness and threatening humanity, as mentioned in countless science fiction movies, firstly, even with the artificial intelligence technology he possesses thirty years from now, it is impossible for them to develop self-awareness.

No matter how advanced artificial intelligence is, or how well it can simulate human thought processes, its essence is different.

Zhang Yang sometimes even doubted whether the system in his mind possessed self-awareness.

The answer is that he's not sure either.

As for artificial intelligence, it is ultimately just artificial intelligence, not artificial intelligence life.

Secondly, the underlying logic of artificial intelligence technology is to serve humanity, and the artificial intelligence technology in his hands has a principle that Zhang Yang has absolute control over.

Therefore, even if he were to create a humanoid robot in the foreseeable future that is so realistic that no one could tell the difference between the real and fake, it would be impossible.

All of these robots' actions will be guided by his willpower.

In the afternoon, after assigning all the tasks, Zhang Yang looked down at his phone and suddenly smiled.

Ms. Luo is back.

His words, spoken during their parting in London, gave Ms. Luo enough courage.

Therefore, she decided to return to China.

She sold her house and risked Magic City and go overseas, but now she's back in China, all because of a promise made by Zhang Yang.

He certainly wouldn't let Luo Xinyu down.

Later, he chose to drive his own Cullinan directly to Pudong International Airport to pick up the person.

··

It was afternoon outside the airport.

Zhang Yang leaned against the Cullinan, waiting quietly.

After an unknown amount of time, a figure slowly emerged from the crowd in the distance, dragging a suitcase, and looked around for something.

Suddenly, her gaze froze, and she smiled gently.

Zhang Yang smiled too.

In the sea of people, two figures stood still, gazing at each other across the distance, oblivious to the surging crowds and the ceaseless flow of time.

"Young Master Zhang is picking me up in person?" Ms. Luo asked, tilting her head slightly as she stood in front of Zhang Yang, dragging her suitcase.

"Welcome back to China." Zhang Yang smiled and opened his arms.

The next second, Luo Xinyu dropped her suitcase and hugged it tightly.

··

After picking up Luo Xinyu, Zhang Yang took her straight to Cloud Sea Club.

This was an unintentional creation of his, but now it has almost become synonymous with the most prestigious clubs in Magic City, and is considered by countless wealthy people to be the most unattainable social venue.

Relying on Cloud Sea Club, Zhang Yang further established his own super network of relationships.

It covers almost the entire circle of top wealthy individuals in the Yangtze River Delta region.