You're Bad

Having secured the venue and computing power, Chen Zhi felt that everything was going unexpectedly smoothly.

This was the true value of having a powerful backer to lean on.

If it were his previous life, setting aside whether he even had that much money, just sorting out the power supply and cooling for these hundreds of A100 graphics cards would have drained a massive amount of his energy, not to mention having to swallow his pride to negotiate with the industrial park's property management.

Unlike now, where a single word from the university president granted them direct access to a basement level built to national laboratory standards.

"Boss, so what's our next move?"

Dai Damai held the newly approved slip in his hand. "We have the hardware, but the software is lagging behind. With just the two of us, even if I don't sleep and type until my keyboard breaks, we won't be able to catch up with the schedule."

Indeed, Moss needed a massive amount of investment right now.

Data cleaning, model fine-tuning, RLHF (Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback)—which of these didn't require throwing a ton of manpower at it?

"Now that these issues are resolved, it's time to recruit."

"Where do we recruit?" Dai Damai looked a bit worried. "We're just a startup right now. We don't even have a proper official website, and the talent we need isn't your run-of-the-mill kind."

Nowadays, which top-tier tech guru isn't being eyed by the big tech giants?

ByteDance offered stock options, Tencent offered residency permits, and Alibaba offered high salaries.

What did their Deep Space Technology have?

Besides a few hundred graphics cards and a boss who only knew how to make empty promises, they had absolutely nothing.

They didn't even have a product officially launched yet.

Chen Zhi looked at Dai Damai as if he were looking at an idiot.

"Lao Dai, did coding fry your brain?"

Chen Zhi pointed at the floor beneath their feet, then pointed out the window at the students rushing by with their backpacks.

"Where are we?"

"Peking University."

"Exactly! We are in the place with the highest density of IQ in all of China, and you want to go outside to recruit?"

Chen Zhi walked to the window. Looking at the young faces below, a wicked, capitalist smile crept onto his lips.

"Do you know what the most expensive cost is for a startup?"

Dai Damai asked tentatively, "Servers?"

"Wrong. It's people."

Chen Zhi wagged a finger. "But here, that logic is broken."

"Look at these people down there. They are the smartest brains in China, top scorers from every province, and gold medalists in academic competitions. Their learning ability is incredibly strong. With just a little bit of studying, it won't take them long to master the most cutting-edge frameworks."

"And the most crucial part is—"

Chen Zhi lowered his voice.

"They are cheap!"

"Often, as long as you give them a dream of 'changing the world,' or an opportunity to publish a top-tier paper, they would even be willing to pay you to let them work!"

Dai Damai was dumbfounded.

"Also, think about it," Chen Zhi continued his pitch. "If you open a company out there, you need to provide top-notch benefits to recruit this kind of talent, right? You have to cover their room and board, pay for their social security and housing funds, and rent an office building, right?"

"But at Peking University..."

Chen Zhi spread his hands, looking intoxicated by the thought.

"The dormitories are free employee apartments, with water, electricity, and internet all included."

"The cafeteria is a cheap employee dining hall where they can eat well and get full for just a few bucks."

"The library is a free database."

"Even commute time is saved. They step out of the dorm and into the lab. When they're tired, they go back and crash; when they wake up, they come right back to work. This is a perfect model born for 996... oh wait, born for striving for greatness!"

Dai Damai's mouth hung wide open.

He stared at Chen Zhi as if he were seeing his junior for the very first time.

Man, even hardcore capitalists would shed tears upon seeing you; they might even start feeling that they've been too merciful.

Using the university as an incubator and treating your schoolmates as nuclear-powered beasts of burden.

Who runs a startup like this?

"What if we can't find qualified people at Peking University?" Dai Damai asked subconsciously.

"Go out and turn left." Chen Zhi pointed toward the neighboring campus. "The Wudaokou Vocational and Technical College is right across the street. There are even more STEM guys over there, and they are even more durable. We call this establishing a foothold in the Yan Garden, radiating across Haidian, and harvesting the higher education dividends of all Beijing."

Chen Zhi patted Dai Damai on the shoulder and spoke earnestly.

"Senior, I'll leave the recruiting to you. Just pick people from those who have published papers in top-tier journals, or poach from the ACM training team. Show them what we're doing; I'm sure they won't refuse."

"The temptation of this is much stronger than that little bit of overtime pay from ByteDance."

Although Dai Damai felt it was a bit shameless, after thinking about it carefully, it actually made a hell of a lot of sense.

For tech nerds, sufficient computing power and top-tier projects were indeed more attractive than money.

"Alright, leave it to me." Dai Damai gritted his teeth. "I'll go contact those juniors right now."

"That's the spirit."

Chen Zhi checked the time, in a great mood.

The company was on track, and his partner was fired up.

It was time to handle some personal matters.

"Senior, I've already set the general direction for the company's operations. Keep an eye on the specific execution. I have a major matter concerning the company's future strategic layout to take care of."

Chen Zhi said with a straight face.

Dai Damai was filled with awe. "Are you going to meet investors? Or to negotiate future graphics card supplies with Nvidia?"

"Close enough."

Chen Zhi adjusted his collar, acting mysterious. "I'm going to meet an important strategic partner."

...

Half an hour later.

Chen Zhi stood at the East Gate of Renmin University.

This was the location of his so-called strategic partner.

He had to admit, the university circle in Haidian was incredibly convenient. From Peking University to Renmin University, you could just ride a shared bike.

Chen Zhi took out his phone and swapped in a newly registered campus SIM card.

Li Zhiyi hadn't saved this number, so she wouldn't recognize it when he called.

The phone rang twice and connected.

"Hello?"

Li Zhiyi's soft, sweet voice came through the receiver.

Just hearing this voice, Chen Zhi could picture her obedient and gentle demeanor in his mind.

This girl had never spoken loudly since she was a child. Even when bullied, she would only hold it in with red eyes, making people want to protect her behind them, yet also irresistibly want to tease her a little more.

Chen Zhi cleared his throat, lowered his voice, and put on an authentic Beijing accent.

"Hello, is this Ms. Li Zhiyi?"

"Ah, yes. And you are?"

"Delivery. Your takeout is here. Please come down and pick it up. I'm right by the yellow delivery lockers at the East Gate."

There was a second of silence on the other end; she was clearly a bit confused.

"Huh? But... but I didn't order any takeout."

Li Zhiyi's voice carried a hint of bewilderment.

"You didn't?"

Chen Zhi held back a laugh and continued to bluff. "Then maybe your friend ordered it for you. I see the order note says... the sender's surname is Chen. It's a guy."

"Surname Chen?"

The breathing on the other end noticeably quickened.

Immediately after, Li Zhiyi's voice came through, sounding somewhat pleasantly surprised and joyful.

"Ah! Then... then that should be it! Please wait a moment, I'll be right down!"

Without even waiting for Chen Zhi to reply, the phone hung up with a beep.

Chen Zhi looked at his phone, a huge smile spreading wildly across his face.

Silly girl.

Getting this excited just from hearing the surname Chen?

Chen Zhi found a spot under the shade of a tree, perfectly overlooking the path that led from the girls' dormitory to the East Gate.

Not even five minutes later.

A slender figure appeared in his line of sight.

Li Zhiyi was running in a hurry.

Today, she was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt, a simple pair of jeans, and a pair of little white sneakers.

Despite her simple outfit, her beauty and aura still made her the most eye-catching person in the crowd.

That scholarly, gentle elegance couldn't be faked by any outfit.

She ran to the delivery lockers, panting slightly.

Li Zhiyi first looked around but didn't see the delivery driver, so she started searching the lockers.

Checking them one by one.

Chen Zhi stood right across the street, watching his childhood sweetheart whom he hadn't seen in a long time.

Li Zhiyi searched very earnestly.

She stood on her tiptoes to check the top lockers, then squatted down to check the bottom ones.

"It's not here..."

She muttered softly, her brows furrowing.

She looked around again.

Still nothing.

Her originally joyful expression slowly faded, replaced by a hint of panic.

That was something Chen Zhi had ordered for her.

How could she not find it?

Could someone else have taken it?

Li Zhiyi was so anxious she was spinning in circles.

She pulled out her phone and dialed the number that had just called her.

Chen Zhi answered the call.

"Hello? Sir, I'm so sorry, I... I've been looking at the delivery lockers for a while now, but I can't find the order you mentioned."

Li Zhiyi's voice already carried a hint of a sob. "Are you sure you left it at the East Gate?"

"I did."

Chen Zhi lied through his teeth. "I put it right in the locker. I didn't lock the door, either. Could someone have taken it by mistake?"

"Ah?"

That little "Ah" was enough to break anyone's heart.

"Taken by mistake? Then... what should I do?"

Li Zhiyi stood frozen, helplessly pinching the hem of her shirt, her eyes turning red.

If it were a normal delivery, losing it wouldn't be a big deal.

But this was from Chen Zhi.

It was something he had remembered to order for her even while being so busy at Peking University.

"Then... could you help me check the security cameras? Or... or what did the delivery look like?"

She sniffled, her voice overflowing with grievance, sounding utterly pitiful.

Seeing her on the verge of tears, the playful teasing in Chen Zhi's heart instantly turned into an ache of sympathy.

This girl, how could she be so gullible?

"Don't panic, don't panic."

Chen Zhi didn't dare tease her anymore. "Why don't you call that guy surnamed Chen and ask? Maybe he sent it to the wrong place?"

"I can't..."

Li Zhiyi shook her head. Even through the phone, Chen Zhi could feel her resistance. "He's so busy, I don't want to bother him over such a trivial matter... Besides, besides, it's my own fault for not keeping an eye on it..."

Silly girl.

Chen Zhi felt his heart turn soft and a little sour.

This was Li Zhiyi.

Always so sensible, always so cautious, swallowing all her grievances herself for fear of causing him even the slightest bit of trouble.

Chen Zhi sighed.

He hung up the burner phone in his hand.

The next second.

The other phone in Li Zhiyi's hand began to ring.

The name on the screen read: Chen Zhi.

Startled, Li Zhiyi frantically answered the call.

The tears she had been trying to hold back instantly broke free the moment she heard that familiar name.

"Chen Zhi..."

She spoke with a nasal voice, sounding incredibly pitiful, "I'm sorry..."

"What's wrong?"

Chen Zhi asked knowingly, his voice gentle. "Why are you apologizing the moment you pick up the phone?"

"I... I lost the delivery you sent me..."

Li Zhiyi stood by the side of the road, her head bowed, tears falling drop by drop. "I came down so quickly, but... but I just couldn't find it... I'm such an idiot..."

She sobbed as if she had committed the greatest sin in the world.

Chen Zhi stepped out from the shade of the tree, crossed the road, and walked step by step until he was right behind her.

"What did you lose?"

"I don't know, the driver said you ordered it..."

"Then it really is quite precious."

Chen Zhi stood about two meters behind her, watching her trembling shoulders. "Why don't you turn around and look? Maybe it's right behind you."

"Behind me?"

Li Zhiyi froze for a moment.

She subconsciously turned around.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

That bad guy she had been thinking of day and night was wearing a simple white T-shirt, standing less than two meters away from her.

"Excuse me, miss."

Chen Zhi tilted his head and waved the phone in his hand.

"The childhood sweetheart you ordered has been delivered."

"Although there was a bit of traffic on the way, he's still piping hot."

"Remember to leave a five-star review."

Li Zhiyi stared at him blankly, still clutching her phone.

The tear stains on her face hadn't yet dried, and crystal-clear teardrops hung from her eyelashes. Her expression shifted from shock, to disbelief, and finally to immense joy.

"Chen Zhi!"

Li Zhiyi shoved her phone into her pocket and dashed toward him.

Chen Zhi felt a soft, fragrant body crash into his embrace.

She buried her face in his chest, her delicate little fists lightly thumping against him.

It was so light, it felt just like a tickle.

"You're so mean!"

The next chapter will be out in about two hours.