Chapter 84 Lovers 04

After the exam results were released, the Alliance's official authority published a score distribution table.

Over ten thousand candidates had taken the winter preliminary exam, and all of them could roughly gauge the competition based on their respective score ranges. Unanimously, everyone noticed an unexpected standout this year – someone had scored a perfect 750, with a thirteen-point gap before and after their score. The runner-up had only managed 737!

Lin Shuicheng was the first person in the past decade to achieve a perfect score in the Alliance's public service examination system.

As soon as the results were out, Lin Shuicheng received numerous calls from various departments seeking him for interviews. He politely declined each one.

In the application process, one usually filled in three different department preferences. Lin Shuicheng listed all three under the Police Department: Position 1, Criminal Data Investigation Unit; Position 2, Records Division; and Position 3, Information Security Department.

With Lin Shuicheng's choices made, Fu Luoyin checked the department codes and commented, "These departments do align with your major, but the most relevant would be the Crime Prediction Department. The ones you've chosen aren't very popular, so there might be limited promotion opportunities. Shouldn't you reconsider?"

Lin Shuicheng replied calmly, "I want to work in these departments. They will provide me access to the most extensive information, which is beneficial for my research. Besides, I won't stay for too long."

Fu Luoyin was taken aback. "Research... on the butterfly effect?"

Lin Shuicheng nodded. "Yes."

As Lin Shuicheng ran algorithms on his computer, a butterfly-shaped image emerged from the data modeling. Upon zooming in, it revealed a series of event lines, each labeled as cause and effect, branching out into countless possible scenarios.

Fu Luoyin didn't understand Shuicheng's algorithms, but he knew what Lin Shuicheng was researching, so it didn't hinder him from sitting beside Lin Shuicheng and watching.

Lin Shuicheng had chosen the model he had read to him before – the Torch Tragedy. He had simulated the entire event using data. The modeling tools available now were quite advanced, and Lin Shuicheng had even used public satellite scans to recreate the scene. The coordinates in the bottom left corner rapidly changed as the cursor moved, filling the screen with an intricate web.

Observing Lin Shuicheng think was fascinating. Fu Luoyin could tell by the way he stared at the paused computer data and the blank sheet of paper in front of him that he must have encountered some problem.

When pondering, Lin Shuicheng had a habitual gesture: he pressed his lips together, and his fingers would subconsciously twirl a pen.

It was a trick many boys in school would do. His slender, fair fingers with distinct knuckles had a certain nonchalant charm when spinning the pen, exuding an unintentional allure.

Softly, Fu Luoyin asked, "What's wrong?"

Lin Shuicheng pointed at the model on the computer screen. "Look at this. This is a standard butterfly effect model."

Fu Luoyin replied, "Mm-hmm."

Lin Shuicheng switched to another page, showing him the model he had created – using the Torch Tragedy as an example, the model Lin Shuicheng had produced differed vastly from the standard butterfly effect model. "This is mine."

Fu Luoyin inquired, "Where does the issue lie?"

Lin Shuicheng said, "Data, I don't have more data. Quantifiable data like the temperature that day, wind speed, traffic conditions... These might be a bit troublesome to obtain, but they're at least achievable. But there's so much more, like people's thoughts, human actions, national policies... To recreate an actual event, you'd have to go back in time and record even the tiniest details, like the movement of an ant—because even the smallest link could be part of the butterfly effect. These are things that can't be ignored but also can't be projected onto computer modeling. Compared to the real situation, I can only recreate about 40% with my best effort. There are also many parallel events, which may be cause and effect or just noise interference. This is another challenge in calculations. In reality, within a major butterfly storm, there are countless minor ones."

Fu Luoyin pondered, "So this is different from the meteorological activities when you conduct risk assessments. Meteorology has a clear starting state, but the butterfly effect doesn't—you can't find the starting point, nor can you input all the information unless you can completely simulate the singularity data from the birth of the universe. But that would be quite a detour."

Lin Shuicheng nodded. "That's why I need to go to the police department for a large amount of real cases and data feedback. Even if I can only improve the recreation by 1%, it's still progress. Quantum computers, due to their limitations, can't predict the butterfly effect, but I want to explore if there are other ways. Earthquake systems are also chaotic, but through extensive data analysis, humans have found certain patterns, like Gutenberg-Richter law, where earthquake magnitude and frequency follow a power-law distribution. Recent advancements in crustal energy measurements have made prediction possible, just like how weather forecasts have become more accurate. Before the laws of nature and the universe, humans will always find ways to mitigate harm, no matter how clumsy these methods may seem."

Fu Luoyin asked, "Are you sure quantum computers won't work?"

Lin Shuicheng nodded. "I'm sure—this is what you asked me to be sure of."

There were no true gods in the world, and if he couldn't find a solution with current technology, RANDOM wouldn't either.

Fu Luoyin was flattered.

He thought for a moment. "To access information data in the Alliance's national database, you'll need at least B-level clearance. If you submit a research proposal to the police department and they approve it, they'll grant you that authority."

Lin Shuicheng nodded again. "I've consulted Su Yu, and that's the plan."

"What can I do to help you?" Fu Luoyin asked.

Lin Shuicheng was taken aback by the question, then he pondered for a moment. "I want to create a holographic sandbox at home. The simulations on the computer aren't very intuitive, so a sandbox would be more convenient."

He glanced at Fu Luoyin. "If it's done, it might take up half of the living room. There... might not be much space left for other things."

Fu Luoyin chuckled. "That's not a problem. Just go ahead with your project, but just make sure Chief and Little Gray don't jump or climb around it."

He had given the gray kitten a name—Little Gray.

However, the kitten never responded to this nickname. Fu Luoyin suspected that Lin Shuicheng's second cat was a bit slow-witted, but the cat was incredibly intelligent in other aspects. He could only attribute this to the cat's unique personality.

Lin Shuicheng's interviews were scheduled for New Year's Day. With three positions requiring three separate interviews, by the end of it all, it was already pitch dark outside.

During the day, Fu Luoyin returned home for lunch, which counted as celebrating the holiday with his parents.

In the afternoon, he drove to the police department to pick up Lin Shuicheng, took him out for dinner, and asked about his interviews.

Lin Shuicheng simply replied that he didn't know.

Fu Luoyin was even more anxious than him, so he had already informed Dong Shuoye beforehand to keep an eye on the hiring process. Dong Shuoye found the situation amusing. "Minus Two, Minus Two Brother, with your word, do you think our people would dare to stop Sister-in-law? If someone who scored 750 in the initial exam isn't hired by the police department, how will we recruit anyone else in the future?"

Only then did Fu Luoyin feel reassured.

While awaiting the job offer, Fu Luoyin and Lin Shuicheng ordered a large-scale sandbox holographic projection material, filling up Lin Shuicheng's tiny rental apartment.

The sandbox turned out to be much larger than Lin Shuicheng had initially mentioned. After setting it all up, there was barely any space left in the living room for anyone to turn around. Fu Luoyin chuckled and said, "We'll have to build a few labs when we buy a house in the future. The workspace in that house outside Star University is too small."

He spoke about their future together so casually, as if they were just any ordinary couple.

Lin Shuicheng lowered his gaze and smiled without saying anything.

Fu Luoyin brought over some hot water and reminded him to take his medicine. Today, Lin Shuicheng's medication was a yellow pill.

"Little Lu has finished his course, so the doctor said we can try stopping this medication for now. Once you've passed this stage, you won't need this—uh—Vitamin B," Fu Luoyin explained. "All that's left is this little yellow one. This is lutein, and you only need to take this. But if you start feeling unwell again, we'll resume taking Little Green, okay?"

Lin Shuicheng replied, "Okay."

Neither of them brought it up if the other didn't. It was an unspoken understanding between them.

Under Fu Luoyin's watchful gaze, he took his medicine, then watched Fu Luoyin navigate around the sandbox materials to clock in.

"Greetings, the medication has been administered successfully." A gentle melody filled the air.

Fu Luoyin turned around and caught Lin Shuicheng's gaze, smiling. "Initially, when you said you wanted to continue with the butterfly effect, I was quite worried."

Lin Shuicheng wasn't sure why he brought this up but remained silent, holding his teacup and observing him.

Fu Luoyin continued, "You're so persistent in delving into intricate details, especially with this butterfly issue, which led you to take Little Green and Little Yellow, and now even involving the police department. I was genuinely concerned. For you, it's just a straightforward academic question, isn't it?"

He gazed intently at Lin Shuicheng, awaiting his response.

After a moment, Lin Shuicheng softly acknowledged, "Mm."

Fu Luoyin maintained his gaze.

The chief, sensing proximity, approached and noticed the steaming cup in Lin Shuicheng's hand. It reached out a paw to rest on his knee, peering inside. Finding nothing edible, it hopped away.

"I…" Lin Shuicheng still found it challenging to discuss this subject.

Under the influence of the medication, the suppressed hallucinations and despair seemed to be on the verge of erupting again, but he held onto the glass firmly, suppressing them with all his might. Nevertheless, his fingers still trembled visibly.

Fu Luoyin approached and wrapped his arms around him, patting his back soothingly.

Lin Shuicheng regulated his breathing and whispered, "In the past, it was an emotional burden, now it's academic. I want to face it, so I want to solve it – my father's situation, my brother's issues, and..."

He didn't continue.

Fu Luoyin stroked his hair gently and said warmly, "That's good."

"Fu Luoyin," Lin Shuicheng whispered, "I had a boyfriend during college, and we were very close."

He felt Fu Luoyin's hand on his head freeze abruptly.

"I've seen your profile, and you didn't mention this," Fu Luoyin's voice was stiff, taken aback by Lin Shuicheng suddenly bringing up this topic. He wasn't sure how to react for a moment.

It was as if something had suddenly collided into his mind, bursting open and splattering with a sour and sticky residue.

—Lin Shuicheng wasn't a novice in love?

This realization almost knocked Fu Luoyin off balance. He was at a loss for words to describe the shock he was experiencing.

He had always believed that everything with Lin Shuicheng was their first time together, that he was Lin Shuicheng's first man. This wasn't because Fu Luoyin had any particular attachment, but rather, he cared about the fact that his precious treasure had been discovered and cherished by someone else before him.

This understanding drove him mad with jealousy.

The only reaction he was aware of and should have shown was to hide his emotions, maintain an encouraging expression, and look at Lin Shuicheng, forcing himself to say, "It's okay, go on. I'm fine."

"When we were in love, no one knew. Later, he passed away in an accident." Lin Shuicheng struggled to get these words out. "After... after I've recovered a bit, can we talk about this seriously? About my boyfriend, and yours, I think we..."

"I understand, I understand," Fu Luoyin noticed Lin Shuicheng trembling more and more. At this point, he couldn't afford to dwell on Lin Shuicheng's past relationship. He held Lin Shuicheng tightly, soothing him gently.

"After that incident, I couldn't bear to hear the word 'accident' again. I changed my major because of him, for him, and for my dad and others," Lin Shuicheng said. "Let's talk about it later when we're..."

"Later, later, don't talk about it now," Fu Luoyin softly kissed his lips, applying a bit more pressure, with a hint of aggression. "If it hurts, don't say anything."

"Mm," Lin Shuicheng replied. "We'll talk about it next time."

He gradually calmed down, responding to Fu Luoyin's embrace. He gently nibbled on the skin of Fu Luoyin's neck. In this moment, he seemed particularly obedient.

The embrace was tight, and the atmosphere gradually intensified.

Fu Luoyin spoke in a hoarse voice, "I want to make love to you."

Lin Shuicheng didn't find his request too abrupt; instead, he remained obediently nestled in his arms, "Okay."

Fu Luoyin gently held his chin, suppressing his emotions, "I'll be rough, it will hurt a lot, and you'll cry because of me."

Lin Shuicheng glanced at him, becoming even more compliant, still responding, "Okay."

Fu Luoyin lifted him up horizontally and walked towards the room.

He was so eager to assert his dominance over Lin Shuicheng, and now he realized that even a casual remark from Lin Shuicheng could still provoke all his insecurities.

Dark and ominous thoughts surfaced at this very moment.

He had to take this person back, lock them up. He couldn't control what happened before meeting Lin Shuicheng, but he could control – making sure this person belonged to him for the rest of their life.