Chapter Summaries

Wu Chen used Chen Beitao’s research to complete an identity mapping algorithm and advance the mathematical foundations of attention, then resumed teaching as the semester approached. The chapter ended when an unusually early third-year student arrived and Wu Chen saw that she was a beautiful girl.

• Wu Chen studied Chen Beitao’s paper, developed the identity mapping algorithm, and sent her the completed work along with new research directions.
• Wu Chen urged Chen Beitao to stop researching SNN, and she soon sent him papers on graph convolutional networks for molecular property prediction and variational inference convergence.
• After absorbing Chen Beitao’s work and combining it with his positional encoding research, Wu Chen established the mathematical foundation for the attention mechanism.
• Wu Chen taught C programming to first-year students, found that most had not set up a development environment, and prepared for his afternoon class.
• A third-year girl arrived early at the lab, and Wu Chen admired her appearance.

Wu Chen began teaching artificial intelligence to his software engineering students and noticed that Min Xinrou was especially attentive. After class, she asked whether artificial intelligence could bring a person back to life inside a computer.

• Wu Chen recognized Min Xinrou as the famous undergraduate campus belle and spoke with her before class.
• Wu Chen introduced the future importance of artificial intelligence, took attendance, and taught the class its basic principles.
• After class, Wu Chen noticed Min Xinrou reviewing her notes and invited her to ask the question she had been holding back.
• Min Xinrou asked Wu Chen whether artificial intelligence could bring a person back to life inside a computer.

Wu Chen discussed whether an AI copy could truly be the same person with Min Xinrou, who wanted to recreate her late father’s voice. After hearing her father’s recording, Wu Chen offered to make her free software that could reproduce his voice and emotions, asking only that she eat properly.

• Wu Chen told Min Xinrou that a replica with someone’s memories would not truly be that person, and explained that Poincaré recurrence might allow people to meet again after trillions of years.
• Wu Chen invited Min Xinrou to dinner and explained the development of artificial intelligence while they ate at the QZ Cafeteria.
• Wu Chen noticed Min Xinrou crying, and she explained that her father had died recently, leaving her family in debt, and that she longed to hear his voice again.
• Min Xinrou played a voice message from her father, and Wu Chen offered to create software that could make him say anything in his voice and tone.
• Wu Chen told Min Xinrou the software would be free if she promised to eat properly every day.

Wu Chen earned 40 Skill Points for completing a week of teaching, then went to a Saturday meeting and secretly tried to catch Wang Hongfa and Liu Ping together. While eavesdropping, he heard Wang Hongfa planned to recommend Yang Yuanjing for graduate school and learned about an upcoming department merger, before Liu Ping asked whether Wang had slept with Yang.

• Wu Chen received 40 Skill Points for completing his teaching assignments and decided not to spend them yet.
• Wu Chen saw Wang Hongfa call a Saturday morning meeting and suspected he was using the gathering as cover to meet Liu Ping.
• Wu Chen arrived early and followed Liu Ping, hoping to record her rendezvous with Wang Hongfa.
• Wu Chen overheard Liu Ping ask how Wang would handle Yang Yuanjing's threats, and Wang said he would recommend her for graduate school.
• Wang Hongfa told Liu Ping that the Information Engineering department would merge with the School of Software and that he hoped to advance; Liu then asked whether he had slept with Yang Yuanjing.

Wu Chen learned that three of his first-author papers had been published online and then faced Wang Hongfa’s public challenge at a university meeting. The chapter ended with Wu Chen calmly revealing that he had papers in top journals.

• Chen Beitao congratulated Wu Chen, and he confirmed three online publication notices in his email.
• Wu Chen remembered sharing his first paper’s acceptance with his parents in his previous life and replied modestly to Chen Beitao.
• Wu Chen entered the conference room, where Wang Hongfa criticized staff over research, funding, and publication requirements.
• Wang Hongfa singled out Wu Chen and asked whether he was worried about having no results.
• Wu Chen told Wang Hongfa that he had papers in top journals.

Wu Chen’s colleagues laughed when he claimed to have published three first-author papers in top journals, but Huang Ruijie discovered the papers online and exposed the truth. Wang Hongfa confirmed the publications, collapsed in shock, and Wu Chen calmly reminded him that he had already said so.

• Wu Chen named three journals where he said he had recently published first-author papers, and Wang Hongfa and the other teachers laughed at him.
• Wang Hongfa turned the meeting into a long account of his own career while Huang Ruijie checked the Chinese Journal of Computers website.
• Huang Ruijie found Wu Chen’s newly published paper and showed it to Yin Hao, who accidentally knocked over a cup while reacting.
• Yin Hao told Wang Hongfa about Wu Chen’s paper, and Wang Hongfa checked the journal listings and confirmed all three publications.
• Wang Hongfa collapsed in shock, then steadied himself and stared at Wu Chen, who replied, “Nuo.”

Wu Chen and Jiang Nan took over a bankrupt camera factory to begin manufacturing the Little Jiang No. 2 industrial inspection camera. When Wu Chen proposed a production-line modification, technical supervisor Zhao Hengrui dismissed his idea, leaving their disagreement unresolved.

• Wang Hongfa fainted after Wu Chen addressed him at the previous day's meeting, and Wu Chen was relieved that he survived.
• Jiang Nan drove Wu Chen to the newly acquired Hazelnut Technology factory and explained that its existing camera production lines could be adapted.
• Wu Chen told Jiang Nan he wanted to keep manufacturing in-house because he expected foreign pressure once his business grew.
• Jiang Nan introduced Wu Chen to technical supervisor Zhao Hengrui and the other factory staff.
• Workshop manager Chen Yongkang listed problems with the existing equipment, and Wu Chen proposed adding a positioning fixture to improve placement accuracy.
• Zhao Hengrui sneered at Wu Chen's proposal and claimed the fixture could not meet the requirements.

Wu Chen gathered the factory workers’ concerns about starting production and promised to find affordable solutions by Wednesday, while Jiang Nan learned he planned to dismiss Zhao Hengrui after the immediate crisis. Their drive home ended with Jiang Nan asking whether Wu Chen had made a girl cry in the cafeteria.

• Zhao Hengrui challenged Wu Chen’s proposed fix for the pick-and-place machine’s positioning errors, and Wu Chen suggested using industrial cameras and image analysis instead.
• Wu Chen invited the workers to raise their concerns and told them they could leave if they lacked confidence in him; Chen Yongkang applauded and continued listing production problems.
• Wu Chen listened as the workers identified practical difficulties, then concluded that he would solve them before Wednesday while Jiang Nan prepared materials for production.
• Jiang Nan asked Wu Chen why he intended to dismiss Zhao Hengrui, and Wu Chen explained that he would tolerate the veteran technicians until the factory overcame its immediate difficulties.
• On the drive home, Jiang Nan asked Wu Chen whether he had made a girl cry in the cafeteria.

Wu Chen and Jiang Nan planned to trap Wang Hongfa into investing in a failed research project, while Wu Chen focused on fixing the production line. After redeeming the required samples, Wu Chen raised his engineering skill to level 1 and earned a random draw opportunity.

• Wu Chen told Jiang Nan about Wang Hongfa’s affair with Min Xinrou and proposed luring him into a costly partnership that would leave him desperate enough to embezzle funds.
• Jiang Nan agreed to help and devised a plan to make Wang Hongfa more confident in SNN by pretending to approach Wu Chen first.
• Wu Chen paused his work on speech emotion synthesis and researched production-line fixes, raising his engineering progress from 22% to 52% and unlocking two samples.
• After a long day of classes, Wu Chen completed his research, unlocked and redeemed the samples needed for the production line, and raised his engineering skill to level 1.
• The system awarded Wu Chen one random draw opportunity for increasing his engineering level.

Wu Chen gained practical engineering skills and drew a Complete Pharmaceutical Database, which led him to choose semaglutide research as his next goal. The next afternoon, someone interrupted his AI class, and Wu Chen found Teacher Jiang waiting at the door.

• Wu Chen reached engineering level 1 and gained practical skills that helped him understand the Little Jiang No. 2 production documents.
• Wu Chen used his final random draw and received a Complete Pharmaceutical Database, stored in his mind and on a secure USB drive.
• Wu Chen considered several drug research directions but decided to focus on developing semaglutide.
• Wu Chen taught an artificial intelligence class, and Min Xinrou arrived just before it began.
• Min Xinrou told Wu Chen that someone was looking for him, and Wu Chen found Teacher Jiang outside the classroom.

Wu Chen helped a student after class while Jiang Nan waited for him, leaving Min Xinrou unable to ask him about her research or invite him to dinner. At the cafeteria, Min Xinrou encountered Yang Yuanjing, who loudly spread a rumor that she was involved with a male teacher and had been confronted by his girlfriend.

• Jiang Nan came to meet Wu Chen after his class, prompting students to tease him about their relationship.
• Wu Chen helped a student fix an algorithm error, then offered Min Xinrou encouragement before leaving with Jiang Nan.
• Min Xinrou regretted not asking Wu Chen about the voice emotion model or inviting him to dinner, then headed to Yangxian Mansion.
• Yang Yuanjing saw Min Xinrou at the cafeteria and told her roommates that Min Xinrou was having a secret relationship with a male teacher.

Yang Yuanjing and her roommates publicly spread rumors about Min Xinrou and Wu Chen, pushing Min Xinrou to confront them. The confrontation turned violent until Wu Chen intervened, and he ended by asking Min Xinrou why she had not dodged.

• Yang Yuanjing and her roommates mocked Min Xinrou and spread rumors about her and Teacher Wu in front of a crowd.
• Min Xinrou confronted them, but Yang Yuanjing taunted her and accused her of secretly looking at Wu Chen’s photo.
• Min Xinrou shoved Yang Yuanjing, who fell into a trash can and was covered in leftover food.
• Enraged, Yang Yuanjing grabbed a steel chopstick and lunged at Min Xinrou’s neck.
• Wu Chen caught Yang Yuanjing’s wrist, stopped her, and threw the chopstick away before asking Min Xinrou why she had not dodged.

After Yang Yuanjing spread rumors that Wu Chen was dating Min Xinrou, Wu Chen and Jiang Nan calmed the cafeteria crowd and denied the allegations. The group went to the academic affairs office, where Dean Wang Hongfa unexpectedly arrived as the school handled the incident.

• Jiang Nan comforted Min Xinrou while Wu Chen and Jiang Nan learned that Yang Yuanjing had been spreading rumors about Wu Chen and Min Xinrou.
• Zhou Fan and the security staff arrived, but a disguised voice reignited the crowd by accusing the school of covering up a teacher-student relationship.
• Wu Chen told the crowd he was pursuing Jiang Nan, and Jiang Nan confirmed that Wu Chen had no improper relationship with another student.
• Wu Chen and Jiang Nan agreed to hold those responsible for the rumors accountable, then headed with Min Xinrou and the others to the academic affairs office.
• Dean Wang Hongfa and several school officials arrived at the academic affairs office, surprising Wu Chen and Jiang Nan because the incident only required a level III response.

At a university disciplinary meeting, Wu Chen refused to let Yang Yuanjing’s attack on Min Xinrou be dismissed as a minor dispute, despite Wang Hongfa’s efforts to control the proceedings. Yang Yuanjing then accused Wu Chen of repeatedly sexually harassing her, leaving the meeting facing a far more serious allegation.

• Wang Hongfa warned Li Lan that the incident threatened Xiaoheshan University of Technology’s bid to join the 2011 Project.
• Zhao Lei reported the cafeteria incident and presented the chopsticks Yang Yuanjing had tried to use against Min Xinrou, while Wang Hongfa insisted they not be called a weapon.
• Wang Hongfa demanded that Wu Chen explain what happened, and Wu Chen recommended that Yang Yuanjing receive probation and publicly apologize.
• Wang Hongfa accused Wu Chen of violating professional ethics, but Wu Chen challenged him to name the violation.
• Yang Yuanjing apologized to the leaders and Min Xinrou, then accused Wu Chen of sexually harassing her multiple times.

Wu Chen faced a university inquiry after Yang Yuanjing accused him of sexual harassment and coercing her into sex, while Wang Hongfa urged her on. Knowing that denials would not be enough, Wu Chen told Jiang Nan to retrieve equipment he had prepared as evidence.

• Wu Chen challenged Yang Yuanjing to explain how he had harassed her, and Wang Hongfa pressured her to speak.
• Yang Yuanjing accused Wu Chen of staring at female students and keeping girls after class, while Li Lan questioned whether her claims were true.
• Yang Yuanjing claimed Wu Chen had threatened to fail her unless she slept with him, and Wu Chen denied it.
• Jiang Nan and Min Xinrou tried to defend Wu Chen, but he stopped them and asked Jiang Nan to bring equipment from his car.

Wu Chen used a long camera recording and Jiang Nan’s QQ chat history to disprove Yang Yuanjing’s accusation, but Wang Hongfa tried to dismiss the evidence and protect her. Wu Chen then revealed that he had overheard Wang Hongfa discussing a graduate-school guarantee, leaving both Wang and Yang shaken.

• Jiang Nan brought Wu Chen his backpack, and he connected its camera to a computer to show footage from the weekend.
• Wu Chen challenged Yang Yuanjing to identify when he had allegedly forced her, and she gave conflicting answers about the time.
• Wu Chen showed footage that contradicted Yang’s account, but Wang Hongfa claimed the recording and chat could have been faked.
• Jiang Nan showed her QQ chat history with Wu Chen and confirmed that she had sent the message seen in the footage.
• Yang called the video spliced, and Wang backed her up, but Wu Chen quoted Wang’s private words about guaranteeing Yang a place in graduate school.

Wu Chen rejected Wang Hongfa’s proposed punishment for Yang Yuanjing and demanded expulsion, an apology, and compensation for Min Xinrou’s computer. After securing an apology and a promise of compensation, he left with Jiang Nan and Min Xinrou, then headed to meet President Xu, leaving Min Xinrou wondering whether he was going because of her.

• Wang Hongfa backed down and proposed a demerit, disciplinary probation, and a public apology for Yang Yuanjing.
• Wu Chen demanded Yang Yuanjing’s expulsion and compensation for Min Xinrou’s computer, and insisted counselor Zhang Wei apologize for his failures.
• Yang Yuanjing apologized to Wu Chen and Min Xinrou, who accepted but demanded payment for her computer.
• Wang Hongfa agreed that Yang Yuanjing would compensate Min Xinrou within three days and said the expulsion request had to go to the university.
• Wu Chen left the office with Jiang Nan and Min Xinrou, then called President Xu and headed to the administration building.
• Min Xinrou hurried after Wu Chen and asked whether he was meeting the president because of the trouble she had caused him.

Wu Chen went to meet President Xu Jianping about his research papers while avoiding unsupported accusations against Wang Hongfa and Yang Yuanjing. Xu Jianping heard Wang Hongfa’s account, slowed Wu Chen’s promotion to lecturer, and redirected resources toward three AI PhDs, unaware of what Wu Chen might achieve next.

• Wu Chen reassured Min Xinrou that his meeting with the president had nothing to do with her, then told Jiang Nan he would avoid making unproven accusations against Wang Hongfa and Yang Yuanjing.
• Xu Jianping considered fast-tracking Wu Chen’s promotion to associate professor because of his three top-journal papers and the university’s need for computer science talent.
• Wang Hongfa told Xu Jianping about Yang Yuanjing’s planned expulsion while omitting key details, and Xu Jianping agreed to promote Wu Chen only to lecturer because of the scandal risk.
• Xu Jianping recruited three AI PhDs from an old friend and cut planned funding for Wu Chen and other young lecturers to cover their costs.
• Wu Chen arrived at Xu Jianping’s office.

Wu Chen discussed his research and promotion with Xu Jianping, then explained his conflict with Wang Hongfa. The meeting ended with Chen Beitao telling Wu Chen that Peking University wanted to hire him as an associate professor.

• Wu Chen explained his three papers to Xu Jianping, who praised his research and discussed potential academic connections.
• Xu Jianping offered to promote Wu Chen from a level-13 teaching assistant to a level-8 lecturer and promised to help with research funding.
• Wu Chen reported Wang Hongfa's improper relationship with Liu Ping and the false accusation arranged through Yang Yuanjing, and Xu Jianping said he would handle it.
• Chen Beitao called Wu Chen and announced that Peking University wanted to hire him as an associate professor.

Wu Chen turned down the chance to go to Peking University and accepted Xu Jianping’s generous offer to stay at Xiaoheshan University of Technology. After two other university presidents tried to recruit him, Xu Jianping claimed Wu Chen was dating Jiang Nan to stop them from poaching him.

• Chen Beitao called Wu Chen about doing research together, and Wu Chen ended the call by pretending he was busy.
• Xu Jianping offered Wu Chen increased funding, a lab, an apartment, and a path to tenure; Wu Chen chose to stay at Xiaoheshan University of Technology.
• Xu Jianping moved 150,000 yuan from Wang Hongfa’s discretionary project funds to Wu Chen’s allocation.
• Tang Guoming asked to borrow Wu Chen for Hangzhou Dianzi University, but Xu Jianping refused and said Wu Chen had turned down Peking University.
• Luo Wenbin also asked to bring Wu Chen to Gongshang University for a temporary exchange, and Xu Jianping claimed Wu Chen was dating Jiang Nan to deter him.
• Luo Wenbin exclaimed, “What! Lend you both of them?”