NCCnovel Chapter 285 Research Progress
Chapter 285 Research Progress
The person who came was wearing flip-flops, and the rubber soles of their shoes made a "tap-tap" sound as they hit the smooth floor tiles.
Upon hearing the distinctive footsteps, Shi Shui knew who was approaching.
He slowly turned his head to look.
It was indeed his mentor—Professor Xu Zhengguo.
Professor Xu remained as unconventional as ever, showing no airs of someone in charge of a national-level research project.
Aside from wearing flip-flops in the research room, his clothes were the simplest old-man shirts, and his pants were even beach shorts.
This outfit would look perfectly natural even if you threw him onto an island.
Professor Xu, sporting a full beard, smiled at Shi Shui.
Having been confined to this research institute for so long, Professor Xu has become even more unkempt than before.
At first, when Shi Shui saw Professor Xu's wild-man-like state, she even wondered if his mental state was okay.
But as time went on, he gradually got used to it.
To ensure the mental well-being of researchers, the authorities regularly arrange psychological tests for them.
Despite Professor Xu's seemingly abnormal appearance, he consistently scores full marks in psychological tests.
Some seemingly normal young people, perhaps unable to withstand the closed environment of the research institute, or perhaps due to excessive research pressure, failed the psychological test for various reasons and were forcibly taken away by the institute to rest for a few days.
However, this rest period is limited to staying inside the research institute and is not allowed to go out.
No one may leave the research institute until the research project has yielded results.
As a result, Shi Shui's vinyl record could not be passed on to Bai Li, and he didn't even have the conditions to produce records within the research institute.
We can only supply the white pears after the research is completed.
Having been confined here for so long, even Shi Shui couldn't help but feel homesick and longed to do something other than research, and to see the people she wanted to see.
Fortunately, Shi Shui is already a person who is very good at managing his emotions.
Perhaps because he had faced things a hundred times more difficult than this before, he was still able to maintain a good mental state, and the results of his psychological tests were consistently good.
Of all the people in the research institute, only Shi Shui passed Professor Xu's standards in both academics and character. He not only became his new apprentice but also served as the deputy for this research project.
At this moment, Professor Xu slowly walked to Shi Shui's side, looked at the sky outside, and sighed, "A sun shower, that's a good omen."
Shi Shui listened and nodded in agreement.
Just moments ago there was a fierce storm, but just before the experimental results were about to be released, the weather cleared up. Isn't that a good omen?
Today is a very important day for the research institute.
The researchers have been working hard on this research for so long, and the results are finally coming out!
If the results are in, the project will be successfully completed, and they will be freed.
All the researchers were eager to get out of there, and almost all of them were silently praying that the system would produce positive results!
But no one can say for sure what the final outcome will be.
Because their research focuses on artificial intelligence, the research often requires a large amount of computation.
Although the advanced equipment in the research institute has saved them a lot of time, the amount of computation is still enormous.
Even with the world's most advanced equipment system built within the research institute, it still takes half a day to get results.
For the rest of the day, all they could do was wait anxiously and pray fervently.
Professor Xu rubbed his hands together, his voice tinged with anticipation: "Let's leave the results to the machines and the goddess of fate."
Shi Shui was somewhat surprised.
Professor Xu is extremely rigorous in his academic pursuits and adheres to the highest scientific standards. He doesn't seem like a superstitious person; he can make machines understand things, but...
"Leaving it to Lady Luck or something doesn't really seem like your style, Master," Shi Shui said honestly.
Professor Xu said calmly, "It's better to believe it exists than not to believe it doesn't. Sometimes, it's okay to believe in a little metaphysics."
He's not the kind of inflexible old-fashioned person.
As a middle-aged man who is not young, he can keep up with the latest fashion trends of young people.
His apprentice, however, was much more rigid than him, despite his young age.
Every day they either bury themselves in data writing in the lab or just sit here gazing at the sky, lacking any of the vigor that young people should have.
I'm getting a bit tired of this old guy's place, and sometimes I need to talk to someone.
The reason why you can always get a perfect score on the official "psychological test" is simply because "practice makes perfect".
He has done so much research over the years, and participated in several classified projects, but he has never changed this set of psychological test questions.
He could recite the entire question bank by heart, so getting a perfect score was a certainty.
Furthermore, having participated in so many years of closed research, he has a firm grasp of his own mental state and does not require official monitoring.
But for young people like Shi Shui, every question in the "psychological test" is unfamiliar, and their answers can most accurately reflect their current psychological state.
Shi Shui, that kid, manages to get high scores every time.
At this very moment, everyone in the research institute was anxiously awaiting the experimental results, but he was so calm that he could retreat to a corner and drink coffee. He was incredibly composed.
Speaking of psychological tests...
Professor Xu's eyes flickered.
I heard that Shi Shui's deduction criteria are very consistent.
—They are all about emotions.
It certainly makes people's imaginations run wild.
Thinking of this, Professor Xu stroked his chin and asked with a hint of gossip, "Do you have a girlfriend?"
Hearing such a direct question, Shi Shui's hand holding the coffee trembled slightly, and after a long pause, she finally answered, "...No."
"Eh...that's strange. The psychological report shows that your deviations are all related to emotions. I thought you had some girlfriend you couldn't let go of." Professor Xu deliberately raised his voice, speaking in an exaggerated manner, sounding somewhat like a hermaphrodite.
Shi Shui's expression cracked. He didn't have many female friends, so where would he get a girlfriend?
When I was a child, I was busy studying and going to school. When I grew up, I was busy paying off debts. I didn't have the time or the inclination.
But what Master said was indeed true.
His deductions in the psychological test were indeed all related to questions on emotional themes.
The questions in psychological tests are extremely roundabout.
Sometimes, the problem can be completely repackaged in a completely different way.
Before tackling these questions, he had no idea that they were emotional in nature.
It's simply impossible to guard against.
When taking the test, he was already trying his best to discern the deeper meaning of the questions and choose the correct answer, but he still lost points in the end.
Therefore, Shi Shui could not give a definite answer to Professor Xu's question at this time.
He finally decided that he would be more careful next time he did a problem.
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time flies.
Whether the research project will be successful remains to be seen.
Even if the outcome is successful, the outside world will not know it immediately in a short period of time.
The researchers will also need to go through a long period of confidentiality and will not be able to be discharged from the hospital so soon.
If the experiment fails, the project's timeline will only be extended again.
Even though Bai Li was the donor to this advanced research institute, she couldn't know the progress and results of the classified projects immediately.
Only when the research results become commercially viable will Shirai learn about the relevant research content and achievements.
Now, all she can do is wait.
Fortunately, she wasn't completely clueless about the future.
Bai Li has an entry for "[Business Insights]".
This entry allows her to have a keen sense of various business opportunities and quickly discover untapped business opportunities and profit points.
That is why she was so convinced of the commercial value of this research, and believed that it would make her a fortune.
It's just a matter of time.
……
The semester has ended, and with the start of summer vacation, the sweltering summer has officially arrived.
Ying Xiangyang has already gone to the competition venues abroad.
Meanwhile, in Bai Li's area, the film crew of the feature film "Tian Gong" has officially started shooting.
At this time, in an extremely remote place in northwestern China.
As usual, the area was shrouded in yellow sand.
The sparse vegetation and unique basin topography make this area prone to hurricanes of level 8 to 9 throughout the year, and even occasionally gales of level 10.
Although the environment is harsh and unsuitable for long-term human habitation, it is an excellent site for power generation.
Giant wind power stations rise from the ground here. Looking out over the horizon, there is almost no obstruction to the view. As far as the eye can see, there are only these white windmills that look like giants.
Not only is it windy here, but the temperature difference between day and night is also astonishing.
Even when you're covered with a quilt at night, your feet feel cold, but the midday sun is so scorching it could turn you into a dried-up corpse.
Ironically, this very place became one of the important filming locations for the TV series "The Craftsman".
Moreover, the plot unfolds in this setting, which constitutes a significant portion of the story.
This means that the entire crew, including the director, actors, and other staff, will have to endure a long filming period on this land that alternates between a "furnace" and an "ice cellar".
The sun was particularly fierce today. At noon, the temperature soared to a terrifying 45°C. Not only were people unable to bear it, but the filming equipment was also on the verge of breaking down, forcing the crew to wrap up early.
The two young actors returned to their makeshift rest area side by side and took off the cloth strips on their heads to protect themselves from the wind and sand.
As the cloth strips shook, they scattered countless grains of dust.
—A small strip of cloth can really save a life.
The sandstorms here are so strong that they sting your face; you can't go out without wrapping yourself in cloth.
The air conditioning in the rest area dispelled the sweltering heat.
Inside, many actors were already resting. Some were lying on deck chairs covered with blankets, closing their eyes to rest, while others were chatting with staff members while holding watermelons, their laughter coming from time to time.
The two took the bottled water provided by the crew from the supplies area, exchanged a few pleasantries with the people around them, and then sat down on the ground. They tilted their heads back and gulped down most of the bottle of cold water before finally recovering from the brink of dehydration.
"Oh dear, I'm so exhausted!" One person wiped the sweat from his forehead and sighed deeply.
The other person couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief: "Phew, I'm finally alive..."
……
Seeing them covered in sweat, a staff member nearby couldn't help but ask with concern:
"Where have you two been since you finished work?"
Then, frowning, he reminded her:
"This place is far from any village or shop, so don't wander off."
Upon hearing this, the two quickly waved their hands, eagerly defending themselves: "We didn't run around."
How could they dare to run out at this time?
High temperatures, barrenness, hurricanes...
Either of them could easily take their lives.
Going out at this time would be suicidal.
“We just came back from Director Saiweng’s place. The next scene, our scenes, need to be changed,” one of them explained.
Scripts are not static and are often adjusted according to the specific circumstances on set or the overall progress, which is perfectly normal on a film set.
Upon learning that the two had not left the team without permission, the staff were relieved.
His advice was absolutely correct.
This place is indeed sparsely populated, with nothing but power plants; there's little infrastructure and the signal is quite poor.
Especially during hurricanes or extreme heat, cell phone signals become unstable. While they may not completely disconnect, the internet speed is only enough for chatting or reading novels; watching videos smoothly is simply impossible.
To help everyone pass the time and relieve boredom, the production team specially organized some recreational activities, such as board games, playing cards, and Werewolf.
So, taking advantage of the free time at noon, someone organized a UNO match, which attracted a lot of onlookers.
But instead of joining in the fun, the two took out the new script they had received from the director and, while reviewing their previous performances, tried to interpret the new content:
"You should react more strongly here..."
"Okay, I will cooperate with you..."
……
After much deliberation, the two finally "mastered" the new script, and then they began to talk about the unusual thing they had noticed in the director's room earlier.
"Director Saiweng specifically instructed us to perform this scene well this afternoon. Why is that?" someone asked, puzzled.
"Could this scene be particularly important?" another person guessed.
"I didn't notice either... We're both just minor actors, it's not like we had any important scenes added, it's just a small change in dialogue."
"That's true..."
Suddenly, one of them seemed to remember something and lowered his voice, saying, "But did you notice? On the way back, the air conditioner unit in the VIP room was turned on."
"Huh? Really?" The other person's eyes widened.
It's important to know that the director and VIPs' rest area is not the same as theirs.
They could understand that the director had a separate dressing room.
But they really couldn't understand why they needed to set up a VIP lounge.
What kind of distinguished guest could possibly travel all this way from such a remote and desolate place?
Moreover, the VIP room has remained unused since filming began, which many people feel is a waste.
"If the outdoor unit in the VIP room really was turned on just now, does that mean some important guest has arrived?"
"Director Sai said to perform well in the afternoon's scene. Could it be because we have a distinguished guest?"
The two exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes.
Who could be the distinguished guest on the film crew?