Jiang Linyuan sometimes thought it would be great if he were a medical student.

Then he could just whip out that report and pull off the whole genius shock-and-awe routine.

But unfortunately, he wasn't. That heart report was a groundbreaking piece of technology—if he claimed it as his own, it would fall apart with one probing question.

He was a computer science student. A coder.

Wait. If someone who plays piano exceptionally well can be called a "human metronome,"

Then wouldn't someone who codes exceptionally well be called a "human coder-nome"?

Holy crap! A top-tier programmer is a "human coder-nome"! I'm never becoming a programmer after this!

No wonder the founding father, Turing, was into guys—just wonder if he was a 0 or a 1. Holy crap, now that I think about it, the binary world of computers is way too spicy!

A human coder-nome shuttling between all those 0s and 1s!

Jiang Linyuan didn't dare to keep thinking along that line and made up his mind: he would never become a top-tier programmer.

He pulled out his phone and started texting Jiang Zhiyao.

"Ah Yao, Ah Yao, your sect is in grave danger! Hurry and pledge your allegiance! I'm going to knock out your master and senior sisters and take them all as slaves!"

"…?"

……

Xingnan University, Faculty Housing.

A middle-aged woman in a white coat, her face etched with fatigue, pushed open the front door.

"Mom, you're back."

Hearing the bell-like voice by her ear, some of the weariness on her face melted away, replaced by a smile as she looked at the girl sitting by the door.

"Wanwan, is your father home?"

The girl held up her phone, typed a few words, and then the phone emitted a voice:

"Yeah, he's cooking in the kitchen."

So real. So real.

The woman touched the girl's face.

"Mom's going to help your dad. You stay put here, okay."

"Mom, I'm already sixteen."

The girl typed, and the phone spoke again, her expression helpless.

"Haha, your voice sounds just like when you were little. I can't help but treat you like a kid."

The woman chuckled and walked into the kitchen.

Inside, Zheng Qiu, wearing an apron, was chopping vegetables. He glanced at his wife.

"Back?"

"There were some things at the lab."

Gao Ting washed her hands and suddenly said,

"I'm planning to resign."

Zheng Qiu was stunned.

"What are you thinking? You've spent nearly your whole life in research. I've heard that some institutes in Yanjing were even planning to recruit you."

"I'm planning to work at a private pharmaceutical company."

Gao Ting said.

"No need. I just launched that voice AI I've been working on with my students, and it's about to bring in a huge income.

The hospital bills are completely manageable."

Zheng Qiu took his wife's hand.

Gao Ting shook her head.

"It's not just about the money. On another front, I want to try again. Wanwan's illness might not be incurable. I want to hear her speak again."

"You're almost forty now. Can you adapt to working outside the system?"

"For us researchers, forty is the golden age."

His wife had always been opinionated, and Zheng Qiu knew he couldn't persuade her, so he just asked,

"Have you thought about where to go?"

"Haile Biotech. The local one."

Zheng Qiu looked at her in surprise.

"You already found something that fast?"

"No, they contacted me. Said I was introduced by a student."

Gao Ting turned to look at him.

"He even wants to poach the entire research institute."

"The leadership isn't asking about it?"

"His name is Jiang Linyuan. Vice Principal Chen mentioned him once. What could the leadership ask?"

Zheng Qiu suddenly understood, and his expression turned strange.

"I... that AI of mine... he's the boss behind it too."

Gao Ting stared at him, and then they both suddenly laughed.

"What conditions did he offer you?"

Zheng Qiu asked.

"Great compensation, and a lot of freedom. Most importantly, he showed me a brief technical overview."

"And?"

"A bit far-fetched, but... I feel like if I saw the full report, I might change my mind."

"So you're going on intuition?"

"Pretty much."

……

"What did you want my teacher's contact info for?"

Jiang Zhiyao sat in the passenger seat, asking.

"To introduce her to a job."

Jiang Linyuan gripped the steering wheel, weaving through traffic.

"You... got my teacher a job?"

Jiang Zhiyao was surprised.

"She's a professor, you know?"

"So what? Don't professors need to eat?"

Professors have their own weaknesses, too.

Thank you, Haji Yao, for the intel. This Teacher Gao even has a daughter who lost her voice due to an acquired disease and can't speak.

Now I have to firmly tie her to Haile Biotech.

When the time comes, I'll hit her with a [Mother's Eye Gift] and another report, and force Teacher Gao to work for me!

"Oh…"

Jiang Zhiyao didn't press further. She could just ask her teacher later.

"It's so late. Where are you taking me?"

She asked again.

She hadn't even eaten dinner yet.

"You'll know when we get there."

Jiang Linyuan said.

"You're playing the surprise game with me now?"

Jiang Zhiyao pouted but didn't ask any more.

The drive was a bit long, but she kept her spirits high, pulling out her phone to snap pictures of the scenery along the way and occasionally taking photos of Jiang Linyuan.

She even hummed along with the car's audio system.

She watched as he turned left and right, then pulled into a residential complex.

"Don't tell me this is your surprise?"

Jiang Zhiyao covered her face, exasperated.

I thought it would be something romantic, like a wreath of roses.

"What's wrong? I bought a house! Isn't that a surprise?"

Jiang Linyuan pointed at the bright, spacious room in front of them.

"When did you buy it?"

Jiang Zhiyao sat on the sofa.

"Right after I got back."

Jiang Linyuan sat beside her, slouching back like a dead fish.

"Not living on campus anymore?"

"We'll see. You can come here if anything comes up. I'll tell you the door lock password later."

"Too lazy to remember a password. Might as well just register your fingerprint."

Jiang Linyuan said, pointing to one of the rooms.

"That one's yours."

Jiang Zhiyao looked over.

"It's a three-bedroom, two-living-room setup. Who's the other room for?"

"For my kid."

"You're asking for it!"

Jiang Zhiyao's face reddened as she smacked him.

"What?"

"I'm not talking to you anymore!"

Jiang Zhiyao got up and headed into the kitchen.

"What's for dinner?"

"Whatever."

A moment later.

The sizzling sound of frying eggs filled the room. It was as loud as rain, carrying a sense of peace.

"Jiang Zhiyao, I've only told you about buying the house so far."

"...So?"

"Don't go blabbing."

"You're the one who shouldn't blab!"

"That might be impossible. I still have to report to someone."

"I really want to hit you with a shovel."

Even after changing locations, their habits remained the same.