Chapter 213 20

Chapter 213: 20

As the investigation into the case progressed, new equipment and various confidentiality measures were gradually put in place, and the task force had been making particularly smooth progress recently.

On Tuesday afternoon, He Lin received news that a high-profile summit on the symbiosis of the digital economy and virtual AI would be held in the province, starting this Thursday.

The leadership felt it was somewhat related to their recent case and provided them with some passes to the summit.

Director Xu even made a special trip to speak with Li Shang and He Lin: "You've made rapid progress in the investigation, but remember to maintain a work-life balance. A case this significant can't be solved in just a few days. The fight against crime is no longer just about gunfights and hand-to-hand combat—it’s also a battle of wits, especially in areas like the internet and economy, where we absolutely cannot afford to lose. Our officers should focus on professional development, learn current technologies, network more with high-tech talent, and if suitable candidates are found, consider hiring them as external experts."

He Lin nodded in agreement repeatedly and chatted with Director Xu for a while.

Li Shang stood nearby, lost in thought.

After He Lin finished speaking, Li Shang asked Director Xu, "If we find suitable candidates, can we request a few slots to bring them on board?"

Li Shang sensed that, at this stage of the investigation, especially on the technical front, the current police force and resources were no longer sufficient to handle the case.

Director Xu quickly nodded: "Of course, as long as their skills are solid, we can use the special talent recruitment channel—for areas like cybersecurity, big data analysis, and AI technology. We already have a green channel for talent."

This is an urgent priority for enhancing modern policing capabilities, and the leadership is eager for talent.

Li Shang asked Director Xu for some details, including the number of slots and salary and benefits, and after clarifying everything, returned to the office.

He Lin had been going over case files until his head was spinning and, after a busy stretch, came over to chat with Li Shang. Holding the tickets, he asked, "Do you have time? Should we go check it out this Thursday?"

Li Shang, however, shook his head and declined: "The SWAT team has an operation. You can take Gu Niantang and some cyber police colleagues instead." He paused for a moment, then looked up and cautioned He Lin, "Also, be careful."

He Lin nodded: "Understood. It’s always wise to be cautious. I’m just going to collect some business cards—we can discuss specifics after we return."

Li Shang didn’t hold out much hope for inviting experts from the summit, as Director Xu had suggested. Instead, he felt a lingering worry.

In terms of technical expertise, that was the opponent’s territory. What if bringing in an expert meant stepping right into a trap laid by the other side? Then the case would be as good as dead.

Li Shang added, "Besides, I’ve been trying to reach out to some technical personnel through the base, but I haven’t received a response yet."

He Lin reassured him: "Let’s explore more options. We’ll definitely find the right people."

.

On Thursday, the summit opened.

Li Shang had matters to attend to in the morning, so He Lin brought Gu Niantang along to participate.

Compared to He Lin’s calm demeanor, Gu Niantang was incredibly excited, enthusiastically explaining the latest technologies to him throughout the journey.

He Lin had done a quick online search and found that this industry summit had gathered many well-known companies and so-called VIPs, making passes highly sought after.

The summit was hosted at a five-star conference hotel. There were numerous lecture halls, with founders and key technical staff from various companies in attendance.

Since it was a summit related to internet economy and AI technology, the venue was naturally filled with electronic screens and cutting-edge tech products.

Companies involved in VR, virtual reality glasses, smartwatches, and the Internet of Things were also present.

As soon as He Lin and the others entered the lobby, a greeting robot handed them promotional brochures. They consulted the materials and reviewed the summit schedule.

Robot dogs roamed the venue, their back compartments stocked with complimentary water and beverages.

Gu Niantang flipped through the pamphlet, still buzzing with excitement: "I definitely have to attend the third and fifth sessions. Also, the speech in the hall on the second floor should be good—the topic really interests me."

He Lin looked up. The largest screen in front of them was playing an introductory video. After a segment showcasing future cities and lifestyles, a guest interview caught He Lin’s attention.

The man in the video appeared to be in his thirties, in the prime of his life. He wore a formal suit, looking polished and sophisticated, every bit the successful professional.

He was being interviewed, speaking confidently to the camera with a self-assured smile.

On one side of the screen, his name was displayed: Chen Yanchu.

He Lin’s gaze fixed on the man’s face.

The name was unfamiliar, but the man’s face gave him a sense of déjà vu, as if he had seen him somewhere before.

Recent conversations and earlier dreams overlapped in his mind, and he felt something click into place.

The person before him seemed to merge with an image from his memory.

It couldn’t be…

What a coincidence?

Noticing He Lin’s fixed gaze, Gu Niantang turned to explain: "This guy has emerged over the past couple of years—a rising star in the internet industry. His company is said to have strong technical capabilities, and he’s participated in many speeches and tech exhibitions."

As He Lin listened, he watched for a few minutes before snapping out of it and looking down at the pamphlet. He found the session where this man was scheduled to speak: "I’m going to this one."

The two split up, with He Lin reminding Gu Niantang to collect as many experts’ business cards as possible for later screening of potential collaborators.

He Lin quickly toured several floors, running into quite a few cyber police colleagues and greeting them.

When the time was about right, he went to the second floor of the conference hotel, showed his conference badge, and was let in by staff. The hall was almost full, so He Lin took a seat in the last row and looked toward the stage.

The presentation had just begun. In front of the PPT background, the man stood on stage, speaking eloquently.

Some of the concepts and ideas he discussed were quite novel—some still in the conceptual stage, others under development.

The audience’s eyes were fixed on him, looking focused and admiring.

He Lin patiently listened, though the abundance of jargon left him struggling to keep up, forcing him to pause occasionally and search on his phone.

The presentation lasted two hours before nearing its end...

"Today, it’s hard to imagine what our daily lives would become if the internet, smartphones, and computers suddenly disappeared."

"But in reality, computers have only been around for about eighty years, the internet for less than sixty, and mobile phones for fifty. These things might not even be as old as some of our elders. In the grand timeline of human history, they’re but a blink of an eye."

"Yet, in these few short decades, they’ve transformed human society more profoundly than the previous several hundred or even thousand years."

"Our ways of working, learning, and living have changed, but more importantly, so has our way of thinking. The question is, where will these technologies lead us..."

The man left the ending open-ended, his gaze sweeping across the audience.

He Lin wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but for a moment, he felt Chen Yanchu’s eyes land on him.

Then, the man’s lips curved into a smile as he said, "Thank you all once again for listening. May the light of technology always illuminate the path ahead."

The room erupted into enthusiastic applause, lasting a full minute before people began to leave their seats and disperse.

He Lin’s eyes remained fixed on the man. For some reason, the man seemed to hold a peculiar attraction for him. He wanted to see him more clearly, to get a better look.

Against the flow of the crowd, He Lin stepped forward, gradually making his way to the stage.

The distance between him and the man shortened, until they were almost within reach.

The man removed his headset, exchanged a few words with the on-site staff, and then turned to see him.

Their eyes locked.

A gentle smile bloomed once again on Chen Yanchu's face as he said warmly to the person before him, "He Lin, long time no see."

Hearing this greeting, He Lin didn't feel warmth but rather a chill running down his spine, as if it had pierced through from a previous dream, reaching straight into his body.

His voice raspy, he uttered the name of the man from his memory: "Lv Yichen?"

Faced with He Lin's reaction, Chen Yanchu showed just the right amount of surprise before smiling gently. "I'm surprised our class monitor still remembers an old classmate like me."

He confirmed the identity.

What should have been a natural exchange of pleasantries was instead met with He Lin still staring at him blankly, as if a long-buried memory was slowly breaking through the surface. The figure before him gradually overlapped with the young man from his memories, providing a new anchor for his incomplete recollections.

He Lin didn't understand why, based solely on memories from their youth, he was so certain that the person before him was his old classmate. After all, the only resemblance Chen Yanchu bore to Lv Yichen was in the eyes and eyebrows. Beyond that, he seemed completely transformed.

Yet, after experiencing the transformations from Jiang Shangxue to Rong Qing and then to Li Shang, He Lin found Lv Yichen's change almost reasonable.

So many years had passed, and so much had changed over the years. Everyone faced their own hardships in life, so any transformation was only natural.

Perhaps it was the same for Lv Yichen. What circumstances had he encountered after graduating from university that turned him from the young man in He Lin's memories—always had a runny nose, hiding behind others, unable to speak in crowded settings—into the Chen Yanchu of today?

Dressed in a sharp suit, he stood with ease and confidence in the spotlight of the conference hall, delivering a speech without a trace of his former insecurity or timidity. Moreover, his offer to donate an entire building during the school anniversary was nothing short of astounding.

For some reason, He Lin found himself breaking out in a cold sweat and instinctively felt a sense of fear and discomfort in the presence of this man.

A reunion with an old classmate should have been warm and cheerful, but He Lin was clearly not in the right state of mind. In contrast, Chen Yanchu appeared much more at ease.

He warmly patted He Lin on the shoulder, asked about his recent life, exchanged a few pleasantries, exchanged phone numbers, and finally invited him to meet up sometime.

Polite, appropriate, and knowing exactly how to handle himself, he seemed flawless on the surface, yet He Lin couldn't shake the feeling of an invisible barrier between them. For a moment, even He Lin, who had encountered countless people, couldn't figure him out.

By the time He Lin snapped out of it, the man had already moved on to his duties. He looked down at the business card Chen Yanchu had handed him, which contained his phone number and various other contact details.

On the back of the card were several company logos.

He Lin frowned as he looked at them.

He recognized two of them: one was the development company of a police tracking system he had once used.

The other was from when they were in Yuncheng. The municipal police bureau had implemented a new lock system requiring facial scans. He and Li Shang had missed it, and Wu Yunsheng had asked them to make up the scan, handing him a business card with the company's name at the time.

As He Lin was examining the card, his phone rang. He answered instinctively, and Li Shang's voice came through: "How's it going on your end?"

Hearing Li Shang's familiar and steady voice, He Lin's thoughts, which had been floating elsewhere, were finally pulled back to reality. He let out a heavy breath, tucked the business card into his pocket, and calmly replied, "Nothing much yet. I just finished listening to a presentation. How about you? Any discoveries?"

Li Shang hummed in acknowledgment. "I've made some progress. Are you coming out with me this afternoon, or are you staying at the summit?"

He Lin answered almost without hesitation: "I'll come find you."

Gu Niantang and other officers were still there. He had already gathered most of the basic information.

Most importantly, he wanted to leave the venue as soon as possible. Reuniting with Lv Yichen seemed to have agitated his fragile mind, and the blood vessels in his brain were throbbing again, as if overloaded.

Adding to that, the air conditioning was turned up too high, and the chill made He Lin feel uncomfortable.

"I drove here," Li Shang said. "I'll pick you up."

.

Fifteen minutes later, Li Shang parked the car steadily outside the conference hotel. He Lin got in. He had checked the map earlier and knew there was some traffic, so he expected it to take at least twenty minutes. He was surprised Li Shang had arrived so quickly.

He Lin couldn't help but remind him, "You should still drive safely."

Li Shang chuckled lightly, reached over to adjust He Lin's seatbelt, and said with a hint of barely noticeable pride, "The navigation was inaccurate. I took a shortcut with no traffic lights."

He Lin simply hummed in response and said nothing more.

Li Shang glanced at He Lin and noticed he seemed listless and pale. He asked with some concern, "Did you find out anything? Why do you look so unwell? Are you feeling okay?"

"Nothing particularly useful. We can check Gu Niantang's summary later." He Lin shook his head and gently pressed his temples. "I have a bit of a headache. Probably didn't sleep well last night."

He paused before adding to Li Shang, "I met someone today. It was quite unexpected."

"Who?" Li Shang asked.

He Lin replied, "Lv Yichen. He's changed his name now to Chen Yanchu."

"Lv Yichen?" Li Shang was also surprised by this news. After all, they had just discussed this person recently, and now they had run into him. Instinctively, Li Shang felt something was off.

He quickly followed up, "What was he doing there?"

He Lin still felt as though he were sleepwalking, his brain seemingly in an overloaded state. "I just listened to one of his speeches. Gu Niantang said he's some kind of..." He recalled the term, "Internet mogul."

Then, despite his headache and discomfort, He Lin briefly recounted everything that had happened that morning to Li Shang, including the matter of the logos on the business card.

Li Shang listened as he drove, his well-defined fingers gripping the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. But He Lin knew Li Shang was taking in every word.

"Too much of a coincidence, right?" He Lin leaned back in his seat, eyes closed, massaging his temples, his tone weary.

Their investigation seemed to be gradually stepping into a pre-set program. An old classmate they had just mentioned not long ago had now appeared at the exhibition, almost as if it were some kind of algorithm's recommendation.

In response to He Lin's question, Li Shang didn't answer directly but remained deep in thought.

He Lin then changed the subject and asked, "What progress did you make on your end?"

Li Shang finally replied, "I got in touch with Anlan University. They have a relevant doctoral program, and a few of their students are quite talented. I reviewed their self-developed projects and want to give them a try."

Hearing this, He Lin felt a surge of excitement.

Anlan University was a well-known institution in the province, renowned for its innovative programs. It was also the first of its kind in the country to offer such a doctoral program. The students there were rigorously selected, and the graduate and doctoral students were all exceptionally gifted.

Although these students were still in the ivory tower and hadn't yet entered society, they were bright, had time for independent research, and most importantly, had straightforward social connections.

He Lin exclaimed with delight, "Did the base help with the connection?"

Li Shang hummed in affirmation. "The base once needed a program developed. They sought bids from several external companies, but none met the technical requirements. Eventually, they collaborated with Anlan and they managed to complete it." He added, "This time, Lin Hui helped screen the résumés."

They had all seen Lin Hui's skills, which were absolutely trustworthy. If even he thought these students were talented, they must truly be exceptional.