Those words seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth. Chen Xu couldn't help but sigh; this was resentment!
Chen Xu nodded: "That's right, I am Chen Xu. The software called 'Babel Tower Translator' was developed by my teacher SMMH. I also participated in it."
"You!" Upon hearing the name of the Babel Tower translator, the girl Zhang Xuan's expression changed immediately. She clenched her teeth, wishing she could pounce on Chen Xu and bite off several pieces of his flesh!
After a long silence, Zhang Xuan finally said angrily, "Did you come here to laugh at me?!"
Chen Xu initially wanted to shake his head, but then he thought that if he softened his tone at this moment, who knew what the consequences would be? That would be worse than letting the girl hate him, especially since she currently had no will to live. And he needed to ignite her will to live! So, instead of saying anything soft and agreeable, he should try to provoke her!
Because this girl has lost the will to live, what she needs at this moment is to boost morale.
So Chen Xu nodded and said, "That's right, I just wanted to come up and see who's so spineless. Always threatening to kill themselves."
"you!"
Chen Xu looked at her calmly: "If I'm not mistaken, you must hate me and SMMH right now, right? Especially my teachers, you must really not want the Babel Tower Translator software to exist, right?!"
"Of course!" The girl glared at Chen Xu resentfully. "Do you know? I spent nearly twenty years learning English! Twenty years! Just because of that SMMH, he casually pulled out something and negated my 20 years of hard work!"
Seeing her terrifying, murderous look, Chen Xu wasn't afraid at all. He glanced at her and said, "This is entirely your own fault. Ha, it's really laughable. You don't study Chinese properly, but insist on learning a foreign language and spending so much time on it. If you have such thoughts, don't blame yourself for failing! Because you have absolutely no right to criticize me or my teacher. My teacher's great invention is contributing to all mankind. And you are trying to use your humble life to tarnish my teacher's illustrious reputation."
Chen Xu looked at her and said, "If you want to die, find a secluded place. Slit your throat or cut your arteries, but don't stand here looking like a pitiful Lin Daiyu, just to annoy people."
Chapter 260 Jumping Off a Building (Part 2)
Generally speaking, mediating a fight requires skill. It's said that when couples argue, you should advise them to reconcile, not separate. Similarly, when someone is contemplating suicide, you should at least advise them to live, not die. Therefore, Chen Xu's words immediately provoked the wrath of the crowd. Several girls standing behind him immediately started cursing… Was he even speaking human language?!
Zhang Xuan was also furious with Chen Xu. She thought to herself, "Fine, I'm being driven to the brink of suicide because of you two, and you're here making sarcastic remarks?"
This was Chen Xu's intention. He didn't think Zhang Xuan was deliberately posing to gain sympathy or create hype. Eyes don't lie; her eyes had been empty, the look of utter despair. Letting her sit there in that state might actually make her jump in a fit of rage.
But after Chen Xu's provocation, her eyes actually brightened up a bit.
"Are you saying I'm pretending on purpose to elicit sympathy?" Zhang Xuan couldn't help but ask back.
Chen Xu shrugged: "To be honest, I don't want to assume the worst about others, but there are just too many people trying to create hype these days. Do you think that by jumping off, you'll attract a group of supporters who will protest and boycott the 'Babel Tower Translator' software? Are you trying to put pressure on my teacher SMMH? Or on the country? Please wake up. Your death won't solve anything; it's an inevitable consequence of social progress. You'll only be used by some people with ulterior motives to create trouble for the 'Babel Tower Translator' software."
"So, according to you, I'm the one who did something wrong?" Zhang Xuan exclaimed excitedly, "You mean I used you guys to create hype?"
To be honest, Chen Xu was genuinely startled when she suddenly stood up. She was leaning against the edge of the roof, and one wrong step and she would have fallen. Chen Xu quickly and subtly took two steps back. He softened his tone and said, "I'll say it again: I don't like to assume the worst of others. My friend, I think we can discuss some things. My teacher considered the consequences the Tower of Babel would have on you students in the Foreign Languages Department when deciding to release this software. But because the software's impact is so significant, we had no choice but to sacrifice you. Of course, don't get agitated; my teacher still hopes to offer you some compensation. Company S is also holding some call for papers, right? If you're willing, I can translate so many classic texts. You won't starve, will you?"
"But... that's not the value of all my years of hard work! I didn't study foreign languages for so many years only to end up as a typist!"
"But you can't just end up dying after all those years of hard work. How can you face your family?"
Zhang Xuan fell silent after hearing this, because she knew how devastating her death would be to her family.
Seeing the hesitation on her face, Chen Xu reached out his hand and said, "Come back. I can assure you on behalf of my teacher. I will definitely find a way to make arrangements for you. You'd better trust my teacher's abilities. If you die like this, it might really be a pointless death."
Hearing Chen Xu say this, Zhang Xuan hesitated, glanced back hesitantly, and subconsciously took two steps forward.
Just then, Chen Xu pounced out like a leopard. He grabbed her and pulled her backward, throwing her onto several of her female classmates behind him.
In those few swift movements, no one had time to react. When they looked again, Zhang Xuan was already firmly held by her classmates, temporarily out of danger.
A gasp rippled through the students below. Thankfully, no one was killed. Aside from a very few psychopaths who shook their heads, sighed, and cursed Chen Xu for meddling, everyone else breathed a sigh of relief.
As Chen Xu went downstairs, he heard several girls thanking him.
Just a moment ago, he looked like he wanted to tear him apart, but now everyone knows that Chen Xu's purpose was to deliberately provoke him. After all, he ultimately saved a life.
After going downstairs, Chen Xu saw Guan Yi's ambiguous smile coming towards him from the crowd: "Oh, a hero saving a damsel in distress?"
Chen Xu gave a wry smile. Zhang Xuan wasn't pretty; she had the kind of face that you'd easily blend into a crowd. He asked, "In your opinion, should this translator even exist?"
Guan Yi smiled: "That's beyond doubt. The significance of translators far outweighs the negative." She leaned closer and whispered: "Actually, everyone knows now that the real reason why foreign language college students can't find jobs is the mistake of national policy. Because even if SMMH doesn't step up, in another ten or twenty years, there will probably be genius-level programmers who create this product. By then, at least one or two generations will be completely ruined."
Chen Xu looked at Guan Yi in surprise. This woman had hit the nail on the head… indeed, the software "Babel Translator" was destined to be invented within the next few decades.
But Guan Yi smiled and said, "Actually, the country is gradually starting to pay attention to this aspect. The fact that degree certificates are no longer linked to the CET-4 certificate is a reflection of the country's policy. It's just that I didn't expect the SMMH boss to be so quick." After a pause, Guan Yi looked at Zhang Xuan, who was being helped downstairs by the crowd, and sighed, "But to be honest, this generation of students who focused their energy on foreign language learning has basically been ruined."
Chen Xu also sighed: "Is there any way to help them?"
Seeing Guan Yi give him a deep look, Chen Xu shrugged: "No matter what, it was my teacher who did it. We can't just ruin a generation like that."
Guan Yi sighed and said, "There's nothing we can do about it. The online translation service offered by Company S is good; it can at least sustain us for a while, since many foreign works haven't been translated yet. But it's definitely not a long-term solution. The real long-term solution is for them to learn new skills to make a living, but all their previous efforts will have been wasted."
“How about letting them relearn?” Chen Xu said, “Yi Shuihan’s S Company is planning to do just that. They’ll sponsor some universities and let these foreign language majors who can’t find jobs study other majors for two years. S Company will cover the tuition. That way, if they still can’t find jobs after they’ve studied, they can’t blame anyone else.”
Guan Yi nodded and said, "That is indeed a method. Anyway, SMMH is making a fortune now. Taking out a portion of the money to do this kind of thing can also earn a lot of goodwill. After all, this matter is still okay in China, but it has caused a huge uproar abroad."
Chen Xu nodded to indicate that he understood.
While the current censorship in China is a relief, a quick glance at some forums reveals a chorus of angry criticisms. Some are attacking the translation software, while others are criticizing government policies—why elevate English to such a high level only to bring it down? Undoubtedly, some internet trolls are fueling this fire. But such behavior is undeniably discordant.
But it's not that simple abroad.
Learning a second language is indeed a very troublesome and time-consuming task, especially in non-Roman-speaking Asian countries. Therefore, protests in Japan and South Korea are escalating, with people marching or staging sit-ins in front of government buildings daily. These protests are either against the government or against the "invasion" of translators.
But to put it simply, the significance of the Translator software is basically an "inevitable trend." No country can ignore the convenience it brings, which is why Yi Shuihan and his team dared to price Translator so high... They had no choice but to buy it!
It's said that an international reward of one hundred million US dollars has been offered for cracking this software, but Chen Xu has always been extremely sensitive to the security of anything that can make him money. He's reinforced the Babel Tower Translator's shell with an additional layer, making it virtually impossible for anyone in the world to crack... at least not for the next forty years.
As for some countries clamoring about accusations of "monopoly," Yi Shuihan casually replied, "If you think it's a monopoly, then we will stop exporting software to your country."
As soon as those words were spoken, there was silence.
The most important issue now is that translator software is simply too convenient; no country that wants international exchange would refuse it. So they either obediently pay up, or they simply don't use it!
This is absolute technological superiority, which is also the problem that Organization X is most worried about... Once such a futuristic technology emerges, it will no longer be something that any tycoon, family, or power can solve with their power and money. Because so-called power and money are completely meaningless in the face of such futuristic technology... Because whoever possesses this technology will be able to obtain a large amount of money and greater power, and no one can stop them.
When Forbes made an exception and included SMMH's name in its "Top Ten People of the Year" list, people were eagerly anticipating... when would this internet god, who has no real identity but only a title, surpass Bill Gates, who is currently ranked number one on the list?
Chapter 261 Where to go for summer vacation?
The incident involving the Babel Tower translator was finally quelled by a series of policies and measures implemented by the government and Company S.
While it's true that national policies caused harm to an entire generation, there's nothing that can be done about it. Time can't be turned back; we can only try to make amends from the future… It's like current environmental policies: they first create a mess and then expend even more effort to clean it up.
Company S announced that it would use the profits earned by translators, especially their overseas profits, to implement a policy of "one software program to help one student," thus creating the S Learning Fund.
The purpose of the S Study Fund is to provide a guarantee for students who graduate from foreign language colleges but cannot find a job. It helps them pay for two years of tuition so that they can continue to study other majors at university and then graduate with a new identity and find a job.
This practice stems from national policy, which provides an opportunity for foreign language college graduates who cannot find employment to choose and study other majors. Tuition is fully waived, with part of the cost covered by the school and the other part by Company S.
As for college assignments, it's based on their own wishes... Actually, this policy isn't necessarily fair, because even within the same school, different majors have different admission scores. But to accommodate these foreign language majors, there's no other way but to let them choose freely.
However, they were very strict about these students graduating, but that's another story.
However, these measures were quite effective; at least most of the students' confusion and questions were resolved. As for the few who were still protesting, well, there was nothing we could do but let them make a fuss. Besides, given the level of media control in China, they couldn't cause much of a stir.
These people are simply unlucky ones paying the price for a policy mistake by the government. In fact, there are many such unlucky individuals, from all walks of life… for example, those who don't own a house now. The government's decision to make real estate a pillar industry was never a wise one, but local governments all hoped to use real estate to boost local GDP. This led to continuously rising land and housing prices, far exceeding the purchasing power of ordinary people… but there's nothing the government can do; it needs to.
So there's no need to elaborate on this anymore. After all, the benefits brought by the translator software are immense. At least students don't have to waste time learning other languages, which has immeasurable significance for future generations. The country has now announced the abolition of mandatory English learning in schools, replacing it with self-study... but now practically no one is learning it anymore, because many have sadly discovered that even if they study for a lifetime, they might not be able to catch up to the translation level of the Babel Tower translator... In that case, what's the point of learning the language?
This was indeed one of the most devastating defeats ever suffered by an international language like English, and the whole of Britain hated SMMH to the core. But hatred alone is useless... There are now so many people around the world who hate SMMH and S company, so it doesn't matter if there are too many lice to bite or too much debt to bear.
As the storm gradually subsided, it was already July. In other words, with the summer vacation approaching, Chen Xu and his classmates would officially have completed a quarter of their university life and would be welcoming their first summer vacation in university.
For Chen Xu and his classmates, this was just the end of their freshman year, but for the graduating seniors, it marked the end of their university life.
These past few nights, the private rooms at the restaurants near the school have been packed. Every night, I see groups of drunk people helping each other walk down the street. Some are even drunk and causing a ruckus, crying, laughing, shouting, and making a scene.
Is this what parting is like?
Chen Xu felt a pang of anxiety watching these scenes. He had heard from Wang Dong, the senior student, that a couple from their department had broken up just yesterday… They had been together almost since the beginning of their freshman year. They had dated for nearly four years, and had done practically everything they could. Everyone thought they would walk down the aisle together, but unexpectedly, they broke up decisively because of work issues.
It must be said that Chen Xu still maintains an almost fairytale-like devotion to his current life.
What are fairy tales like? The prince, the princess, and all the supporting characters live happily ever after... until the prince grows old and becomes a bald king. The princess becomes a jealous queen, and then continues to persecute the next generation of princes and princesses, or perhaps raises a few more dragons... Well, that's how Western writers pad their word counts.
But to be honest, Chen Xu found it hard to accept that everyone was separated now... especially when Guan Yi, Gao Xiaojie, and Zhan Jing were no longer by his side... that feeling made Chen Xu feel uneasy.
He hates goodbyes!
But he also knew that all good things must come to an end.
So Chen Xu was terrified, unsure how to face today, three years from now... In another three years, his university life would be over. And now, a quarter of it was already over.
"What are your plans for summer vacation?!" Just as everyone was preparing to buy train tickets to go home, Guan Yi suddenly jumped out and asked, "Are you all in a hurry to go home? Otherwise, how about we go on a trip together?"
Dear readers, you should all be familiar with Guan Yi's thoughts and feelings.
This woman was different from Chen Xu and the others. She had made a deal with her father to have four years of free time, naturally including summer and winter vacations. She didn't want to waste the long two months of summer vacation, so she couldn't resist asking Chen Xu to go out and have fun together. Or to put it more bluntly, she wanted to make the most of this summer.
Looking at the situation, ever since the incident where Miwad and Xu Facheng attempted to assassinate Chen Xu, the relationship between Chen Xu and Guan Yi has become anything but innocent. Although no one witnessed the kiss, both parties were well aware of what had happened. However, after Chen Xu's mother suddenly appeared and caused such a huge misunderstanding, coupled with the increasingly ambiguous relationship between Chen Xu and Gao Xiaojie, everyone pretended not to understand their complicated entanglement. Everyone continued to interact as before, and no clear clues emerged.
Guan Yi originally wanted to spend this summer vacation alone with Chen Xu, but now she feels a little reluctant.
Because this is love.
Guan Yi has a bit of a spoiled princess temperament. According to her, she doesn't care about other people's feelings when she wants what she wants. But gradually, she realized that she might really have fallen in love with Chen Xu, so she couldn't help but think from Chen Xu's perspective... If she were with him, what would happen to Chen Xu after three years, when she graduated from university and her free time was over?
So Guan Yi is now caught in a deep dilemma. She's certain that if she and Chen Xu are alone together this summer, something inappropriate for children will definitely happen… and that will be difficult to handle. So this woman came up with a plan…
"Hey, let's all go on a trip together! Look, this is a rare opportunity!" Guan Yi magically produced four plane tickets, saying smugly, "This young lady is incredibly lucky, I've won the grand prize, haha, two of them! A seven-day round-trip trip to Dubai, one for each of us, are you in? Are you in?" These "four" people naturally referred to Chen Xu, Gao Xiaojie, Zhan Jing, and Guan Yi herself. As for how she got the tickets... well, it goes without saying, this woman is certainly not short of money.
As for why there were four people? Because it was summer vacation, and business was clearly slow, so Princess Cake Shop didn't need to stay open for the time being. Therefore, Wu Yuan insisted on dragging Bi Xuan home with him… which was essentially like going back to meet his in-laws!
Actually, Wu Yuan's mother had already met Tang Bixuan. She had a very good impression of her... A beautiful and lovely girl like Bixuan, who is also very innocent, is easily liked. So Wu Yuan's mother strongly urged Bixuan to come with them during the summer vacation, and in the end, Bixuan went back with Wu Yuan.
Er Ya's holiday started earlier, and she went back to Xi'an. Only Guan Yi, Chen Xu, and the other two were left in the house, packing their luggage and not yet leaving.
As for why the four of them had to go together, that was Guan Yi's little scheme at play.
She's conflicted. She likes Chen Xu but doesn't dare to be with him, yet she also doesn't want him to smoothly and legitimately become lovers with either Gao Xiaojie or Zhan Jing. So, she's trying to involve both Gao Xiaojie and Zhan Jing, so that all three girls are with him at the same time, maintaining a perfect triangle structure, just like usual, preventing Chen Xu from truly falling for any of them.
Sigh, these are some of the very strange thoughts of a young woman. They seem a bit ridiculous when you talk about them, but when you think about them carefully, there is a bit of contradictory melancholy in them.
Dubai, located in the heart of the Gulf region, is known as the Pearl of the Gulf and is a world-renowned tourist destination and business mecca, as well as the trade center of the Gulf region. The world's only seven-star hotel... the Burj Al Arab, shaped like a sailboat, is located there... Actually, the highest officially recognized hotel level in the world is only five stars, but the Burj Al Arab is simply too luxurious... it used forty tons of gold for decoration and is also the tallest hotel in the world... taller than the Eiffel Tower, reaching a height of 321 meters. The hotel provides exclusive luxury Rolls-Royces for guest transfers, and if you wish, you can consider taking a helicopter directly from the hotel's rooftop.
Of course, the hotel prices aren't cheap either. Even in the off-season, a regular room costs around $1,000 a day, and now in July, it's peak tourist season, so the price is naturally even higher.
"Holy crap, $18,000 a night?!" Chen Xu counted on his fingers. $18,000 a day, a week's stay would be $126,000, and a month's stay would be $540,000... and in US dollars!
However… it's cheap, only $540,000. Selling 108 copies of the "Translator" software will make it back…