The elevator was filled with an eerie silence.
In all his life, Xie Xi had never been told to 'shut up' by anyone, yet he had actually fallen silent.
For a moment, he felt as if he were back in school, with a teacher at the podium trying to maintain order.
By the time he snapped out of it, the person in the corner had fallen silent and said nothing more, with only the faint sound of breathing proving she was still there.
The big star Xie felt utterly humiliated.
She told him to shut up, so he was determined to speak.
However, talking to her again was out of the question.
After a while, a clear and melodious singing voice began to resonate within the elevator.
Xie Xi, whose fee for singing a single song on stage could reach a million, was now casually singing in the dark elevator just to salvage his pride.
After finishing one song, the other party showed no reaction whatsoever. Xie Xi started a second song, determined to annoy the person in the corner.
Inside the sealed elevator, without any musical accompaniment, there was only the pure, clean sound of a male voice.
After finishing the second song, Xie Xi finally realized that he seemed to have... let her get the better of him.
Just now, two million worth of songs had been sung.
He regretted it immensely.
Xie Xi immediately stopped singing, crossed his arms, and turned his back to Ye Qiusuo.
From the very first line Xie Xi sang, Ye Qiusuo had stopped thinking about the data from her project. She lowered her gaze to the floor, quietly listening to him sing.
He truly lived up to his early reputation in the book as the 'Million-Dollar Singer.' He sang so beautifully, yet he ended up with such a fate in the end.
"You sing very well," Professor Ye suddenly said.
A long time passed after she spoke before a disdainful snort finally echoed in the elevator.
Another half hour later, Xie Xi's assistant and personal manager, Sister He, arrived with a group of people. It seemed they had brought a whole crowd, and it was very noisy outside.
"Xixi, the whole building has lost power. We'll get you out soon," Sister He shouted from outside.
"What about their backup generator?" Xie Xi asked from inside the elevator.
A TV station building like this usually has a backup generator to prevent sudden power outages. After all this time, it seemed the generator hadn't kicked in.
"The generator is broken," Sister He replied, masking her anxiety and trying to sound nonchalant.
They had been on the 33rd floor when the power went out suddenly. It took them a while just to get down the stairs. The building itself was very tall with a large footprint, and there were at least ten elevators. The security team brought the elevator repair crew, but it wasn't enough.
Only after some people managed to get out did they realize that only the TV station building was without power. The person in charge called the power company and found out there was no outage in the area at all.
The entire building was without power, and the backup generator wasn't working. This immediately put the TV station on high alert. They were busy comforting those trapped inside and helping them evacuate while also having security investigate.
Apart from a few key personnel, no one knew what was happening. Everyone was being escorted out of the building. Sister He and the assistant were also blocked outside. Initially, knowing the rescue and repair teams were insufficient, they went to hire additional help. By the time they returned, Xie Xi's phone was unreachable, and the TV station wouldn't let them back in.
After all the back and forth, it was only now that Sister He could finally bring her own people over.
Just as the repair crew managed to open the elevator doors, the TV station finally restored the main power and fixed the generator. They also apprehended the former employee who had deliberately sabotaged the power supply.
"The power's back on," the assistant said, looking up from outside the elevator shaft.
Sister He quickly crouched near the elevator opening. "Xixi, come on out."
Xie Xi didn't reach for the hands offered from above. Instead, he turned to look at the person in the corner. Now, with the light from outside shining in, he could see her clearly. She was indeed quite good-looking.
She just seemed like a bit of a fuddy-duddy.
Not a hint of the entertainment industry vibe about her.
"Hey, you go up first," Xie Xi said generously, letting her go ahead, not holding her 'shut up' remark against her.
Ye Qiusuo didn't argue either. She stepped forward and was pulled out by someone.
Xie Xi looked up and told the people above to make way. With his long legs and height, he easily pushed himself up with his arms on the ground.
By the time he got up and scanned the surroundings, the person who had told him to shut up had already disappeared.
"Sister He, where did the person who came up just now go?"
Sister He was taken aback. "I didn't notice. Dongzi, did you see?"
"No."
Their attention had been entirely on Xie Xi; they had been worried sick, how could they have paid attention to anyone else?
"What's wrong?" Sister He asked.
Xie Xi changed the subject. "I want to go back and rest."
"Um... Xixi, the program director came to apologize earlier. He said he won't give special treatment to contestants anymore. Please finish recording this show properly. We just won't accept his shows in the future," Sister He said cautiously, observing Xie Xi's expression.
Xie Xi was a big star, and the penalty for breaching the contract was astronomical. If he quit filming, the cost would be extremely high.
Sure enough, upon hearing this, impatience flashed across Xie Xi's face. "It's just singing. If he's going to manipulate the votes, then he should just pick the winners himself. Why bother inviting me?"
"I've already spoken to the director about this. Our contract is very clear. If he does it again, we can leave directly."
...
Heavenly Sphere Technology Company high-level meeting room.
"Three votes against, three votes in favor, and two abstentions," announced the person at the head of the round table during the Heavenly Sphere high-level meeting.
"If this project's development is successful, it will have decisive significance for the company's other projects," Ye Qiusuo stated calmly from the right side. "It could save a significant amount of investment funds in the future."
"Professor Ye, you said 'if successful'," a middle-aged man across from her asked sternly. "But what if it fails? One-third of our company's liquid assets would be consumed by your project."
Ye Qiusuo frowned. "I will succeed. It's only a matter of time."
Another person said with difficulty, "The annual investment for this project is so huge. Over a few years, it could completely cripple our company. Professor Ye, it's not that we don't trust you, it's just that the company really can't afford that much money. It's a bottomless pit."
At the end of the meeting discussion, no one could convince anyone else. The 'New Artificial Brain Neural Synapse' project could only be temporarily shelved.
After leaving the meeting room, the person who had announced the votes came over. "Yezi, let's put this on hold for now. Once Heavenly Sphere Tech's profits increase, we'll invest in it for you."
"Now is the best time," Ye Qiusuo said, then fell silent.
Zhang Chengjue rubbed his forehead and let out a long sigh. "The shareholders will never agree to a project requiring such a massive amount of funds. I'll lobby for you some more, but at most we can only get half."
Back when they had founded this company together, Ye Qiusuo provided the plans, established projects, and delivered results, while Zhang Chengjue handled the investment. Now that the company was growing bigger, there were also more constraints.
Ye Qiusuo suddenly said, "Half is fine too."
Zhang Chengjue was startled. "What about the other half?" Heavenly Sphere Tech couldn't possibly let other companies invest in the project.
"I have some money of my own."
Zhang Chengjue immediately understood. "You want to put in all the money you've earned these years?"
Ye Qiusuo nodded, looking up at Zhang Chengjue. "If the project is delayed by a year, the chance of others achieving it first increases."
Zhang Chengjue frowned. "Even with all your savings, it still won't cover the entire project cost."
Professor Ye, who had never before worried about project funding, fell silent for a moment. "...I can earn it."
The man standing beside her at the railing smiled and, before leaving, said, "Alright, I'll help you gather half the funds as soon as possible."
Ye Qiusuo stood upstairs, gazing down thoughtfully. The building's main structure was white, with railings spiraling half-turn by half-turn up each floor, corridors staggered on different levels, surrounded by transparent glass. Looking down, one could see people coming and going on the floors below. Every detail symbolized technology—cold, rational, yet filled with a powerful, awe-inspiring force.
This building had cost a considerable sum, designed by a renowned architect.
She and Zhang Chengjue had argued about this matter for a long time back then. He thought it unnecessary to spend money on such things, but Ye Qiusuo wanted a building that would integrate offices and laboratories for the future. History proved her decision correct.
In just a few short years, Tianqiu Tech's projects had multiplied. Thanks to the solid architectural foundation laid initially, converting spaces into laboratories was now remarkably convenient.
Ye Qiusuo stood in the corridor for a while longer. Just as she was about to leave, her gaze paused: Was that Wan Yurou downstairs?
She took another look, then headed to her own laboratory, paying it no further mind.
The female lead might be important, but her experiment could not be postponed.
...
This was Wan Yurou's second visit to Tianqiu Tech. In truth, her previous visit had only been a tour of the first-floor lobby.
At Tianqiu Tech, floors above the second level were off-limits to non-project personnel, and researchers from different projects couldn't freely access other floors either.
Professor Ye Qiusu brought Wan Yurou up to the fourth floor via elevator, where her project laboratory was located. However, after exiting the elevator, there was another security gate requiring a temporary employee card to pass through.
"Professor Ye, do you usually work here?" Wan Yurou asked curiously. Entering this space evoked a solemn atmosphere, from the surrounding equipment and decor to the quiet people coming and going.
"Aside from teaching classes, I'm currently working here all the time," Professor Ye Qiusu replied, leading Wan Yurou on a tour of the fourth floor's peripheral areas. She didn't let her enter the laboratories, as Tianqiu Tech explicitly forbade all external personnel from entering them.
"How has your experience been collaborating on a project with Tianqiu Tech, Professor Ye?" Wan Yurou asked, seemingly offhandedly, as she stood by the corridor railing looking down.
"It's more complex than previous projects I've collaborated on. The standards here are quite high, but I can manage," Ye Qiusu said, though an undisguised pride seeped through her words.
In the past two years, Tianqiu Tech had become a benchmark in the industry. Any professor who secured a collaborative project here would see their professional standing increase by more than double afterward.
"Professor Ye, let's take a photo together." Wan Yurou stopped in the very center of the corridor, turned, and pulled Ye Qiusu over for a picture, making sure the Tianqiu Tech logo above the main entrance was perfectly framed in the background.
"Wait a moment." Ye Qiusu smoothed her hair and positioned herself at Wan Yurou's side before allowing the photo.
Wan Yurou took several shots in a row and handed her phone to Professor Ye Qiusu. "Which one do you think looks best?"
Ye Qiusu looked through the photos repeatedly, unable to decide.
"Professor Ye, you look wonderful in all of these—elegant, intellectual, with the natural bearing of a scholar," Wan Yurou said sincerely beside her.
Everyone enjoys hearing compliments. Pleased inwardly, Ye Qiusu pointed to a photo with good angles and lighting. "This one will do."
Wan Yurou used an app to retouch the photo slightly, making both of them look even better. Then she asked, "Professor Ye, would you mind if I posted this photo on Weibo? Meeting you today was so exciting, I'd like to share it with my fans."
Ye Qiusu laughed. "You young girls always enjoy doing these things."
Having gotten what she wanted, Wan Yurou discussed it with her manager that evening. They decided to post the photo on Saturday, the day of the program.
