Chapter 52

The next morning, Du Ruo was jolted awake by a flood of message pings.
She was still deep in a dream, but fumbled for her phone, groggily unlocking the screen and playing the new voice message. Jing Ming’s lazy, husky voice spilled in: “Du Ruo~ time to get uuuup~~”
A shiver ran down her spine; she snapped awake, dazed for two seconds, then hit play again.
“Du Ruo, time to get uuuup~~”
Her heart pounded. So that’s what he sounds like half-asleep? Way too sexy.
She was about to type, but decided instead to reply with a voice message herself: “Whatcha want”
Huh?
Was her voice always this soft and squeaky when she first woke up?
She hit play; out came her little baby voice from the phone: “Whatcha want~~”
She smothered her eyes, rolling into her pillow, face blazing as she tried not to laugh out loud.
Her phone pinged again.
He sent a sticker of two hands squishing a cat’s chubby cheeks with glee.
She shot back a side-eye sticker.
He texted, “Come run with me.”
“‘Kay.” She jumped up in a flash, stretching with a big “awoo.”
One more ping,
This time, he sent a sticker of petting a cat: Good girl
She replied with a smiley “go away” sticker.
By the time Du Ruo reached the track, Jing Ming was already jogging laps.
It was peak summer, early morning, the whole place deserted save for them.
She crept up behind him and gave a gentle shove to his back, giggling. He stumbled a bit, turned, and promptly tousled her hair into a bird’s nest.
She yelped and kicked at him, but he dodged away with his long legs and arms.
Du Ruo tidied her hair with her fingers, quickly falling in beside him. She took the inner lane, he took the outer, and soon enough, they settled into a comfortable running rhythm, not talking or goofing around, just circling the track, side by side.
Back in the lab, Prime’s project charged ahead as always. This was the final grind, everyone laser-focused, distractions off.
In just a few days, their investor, Mr. Yan Ruoyu, would be coming for a visit.
Jing Ming and Du Ruo spent hours together every day in the same space, but outside of talking tech, they each worked intently on their own tasks. Only once in a while, if he happened to glance up, he’d let his gaze rest on her for a few moments, then return to his work.
She was just as oblivious, sometimes catching herself looking his way, then quickly glancing away.
August. Sunlight streaked in broad swathes across campus, bright and sharp, like a shattered mirror.
At last, the day of Mr. Yan’s visit arrived.
Du Ruo got up early, washed up, and spent ages debating in front of her closet, finally settling on a navy-striped blouse and this year’s trendiest embroidered denim skirt. Simple, clean, with just the right student energy, fresh and lively.
When she walked into the lab, Jing Ming was already there: crisp white shirt, perfect jeans. Like her, dead-on minimalist style.
The rest of the crew wore simple tees or shirts, no fuss, all business.
Du Ruo snuck a look at Jing Ming’s wrists, yep, he was wearing the understated cufflink she’d given him. The inside of his shirt sleeve had a blue-gray stitched line that, unbelievably, matched the cufflink so well it looked custom-made, totally seamless.
She pressed back a smile, warmth rising inside.
He caught her eye and winked from across the room.
Two minds, one secret. Both looked away, pretending nothing happened.
Nearby, He Wang turned around and pantomimed stabbing himself in the chest with his fist. He couldn’t take this undercover office flirting anymore. Acting like he didn’t know was pure torture, he deserved a raise just for surviving this.
Wan Zi’ang just chuckled and shook his head.
The meeting was set for the afternoon.
At exactly 2 p.m., Mr. Yan Ruoyu arrived with a young man and woman in tow, his aides.
Jing Ming stepped forward and shook the old man's hand firmly.
Mr. Yan beamed at everyone and greeted each team member one by one. No tea, no small talk, he was like an excited kid, insisting they start the lab tour immediately.
Jing Ming and the others showed him around. “We’ve wanted to invite you since the May expo, but we were swamped preparing for the speed trials.”
Mr. Yan waved it off; when he smiled, his face crinkled into a kindly, lovable mess of wrinkles. “Focusing on your real work is the right call. I watched your Shenzhen race live, beating the U.S. AD team made my whole week.”
The female aide grinned. “He was bouncing around like a child watching that stream! Nearly scared us half to death.”
The team cracked up.
“I knew I was right about you all. Young people these days, ” Mr. Yan turned and nodded to his assistant, voice warm. “You’ve got promise!”
Li Wei replied, “You flatter us. We’re just a team going all-in for our shared dream.”
Jing Ming showed Mr. Yan the engine system, visual sensors, and AI brain intended for Prime No. 2.
“Engine output is 230 horsepower, 5300–6400 rpm… Top speed 240 km/h, six-point-seven seconds to hit 100… Rear camera at 70 megapixels… The AI has basic self-learning and awareness capabilities…”
He explained every spec in detail while the old man listened carefully, nodding and occasionally firing off questions that the team answered one by one.
Mr. Yan was impressed. “You all hold yourselves to such high technical standards!”
Jing Ming grinned. “If we don’t break new ground, what’s the point of tech?”
Mr. Yan laughed heartily. “Exactly. Well said!”
After the tour, the whole vibe of Prime, high standards, real talent, and a tight-knit team dreaming big, clearly moved Mr. Yan.
His aide said to everyone, “There are a ton of young startup teams seeking Mr. Yan’s investment, over a hundred this year alone. But look, after six months? He only picked you.”
Jing Ming bowed his head. “Thank you.”
Mr. Yan cut in, shaking his head. “It goes both ways. If you weren’t up to par, this old guy wouldn’t bet on your dream. Kids, ” he grew solemn, “Autonomous driving is a revolution. One day, it’s going to cover the whole world. We can’t let others get ahead. If we want to win this race, we’re counting on young people like you, full of dreams and ambition.”
He looked at these fresh faces in front of him, just for a second, his eyes seemed to leap ahead in time. He sighed softly: “I’m old now, but you’re still young. Go for it, while youth is still on your side.”
Standing to the side, Du Ruo gazed at this seventy-something man, still bright-eyed, sharp, and so alive. A sudden, fierce excitement welled up in her chest.
Youth is incredible.
And if you’re young, go charge into the world!
That night, Jing Ming’s team hosted Mr. Yan for dinner.
They chose a hidden, elegant Chinese restaurant, a converted old courtyard, with brick-red walls and gray tiles, winding corridors, lanterns fluttering lightly in the air.
The private room was calm and tasteful, ink paintings of birds and flowers on the walls. Through the wooden windows, bamboo swayed in the evening breeze.
That night, the old man and the students talked late into the night, laughter bubbling over. They covered everything, from deal details to lab expansion, Prime No. 2 to the future of the industry itself, artificial intelligence to full-on tech revolution.
From six in the evening till nearly ten at night.
Mr. Yan was in high spirits; only after his aide repeatedly reminded him he needed to rest did they call it a night.
After seeing him off, the eleven students lined up along the curb, meeting each other’s eyes, bursting into laughter.
Their journey, this was the moment it truly took flight!
Too excited to end the night, everyone had had wine, so driving was out, and nobody wanted to go home anyway. They just plopped down curbside, chatting freely.
He Wang’s face was bright red, nearly quivering with excitement, shouting “WOO!” at the sky.
Zhu Tao shoved his face aside. “Quit howling, or you’ll attract every stray dog and cat in Beijing.”
The group roared with laughter.
Wan Zi’ang was flushed too, trying to sound composed: “Hey, we’re a real company now. Just imagine, give us a few years, Prime’s a corporate giant!”
Tu Zhiyuan said, “Someday, Prime’s robots and cars will be everywhere on Earth!”
Du Ruo blurted out, “The Prime Empire!”
Everyone froze for a beat, then their eyes lit up: “Yes! Prime Empire!”
They all got fired up, repeating it over and over, that name was perfect.
“Xiao Ruo's killing it, huh?” They broke out in delighted laughter.
Summer breeze, the scent of red wine trailing through the air.
Du Ruo grinned wide, searching for Jing Ming in the crowd, catching his eye.
His cheeks were tinged pink, eyes clear and bright, smile lingering. He jerked his chin over his shoulder, a silent signal to slip away for a bit.
She glanced at the group, hesitating.
The next moment, Jing Ming simply stood up and walked off. Everyone kept chatting, not noticing a thing.
Du Ruo, a little embarrassed but eager, bit her lip, then darted away while nobody was watching.
Not far down the lane, the guys erupted into howls and “Oooo!”s, no idea if it was the wine or they were just teasing her.
She reached the end of the alley and turned to look, when suddenly she was swept into an embrace, arms circling from behind, chin settling on her head, his body softly pressing into hers as he guided her forward. “Walk with me for a while.”
"Yeah." She nodded. Her heart was still racing from tonight, she wanted to walk, too.
He held her close for a long while before finally letting go, taking her hand and strolling aimlessly down a willow-lined lane.
She looked up and asked, "Are you really this happy today?"
He cracked a smile. "That obvious, huh?"
"You’ve smiled a lot tonight." She said, lips quirking up without realizing. "You’re not the sort to just pander to people. The reason you got on so well with Principal Yan, talking for ages, is because you truly hit it off, ideals and all. When you smile, it’s only when you’re genuinely happy, never out of politeness or show."
He turned to look at her, dark gaze lingering for a long, deep moment in her eyes, and then he smiled again, even gentler than before.
There was something indescribably soft and soulful in that smile.
She blinked, heart thudding in her chest, not sure what he found so funny this time, but knowing for sure, he looked gorgeous when he smiled like that.
Her cheeks burned. She whispered, "Did you have too much wine?"
He rubbed his eyes and grinned sheepishly. "Maybe a little." Then suddenly he leaned down, lowering his voice, "Come here, tell me if I smell like wine."
Du Ruo’s heart skipped a beat.
He tilted his head toward her, cheek and jaw close enough to brush against her, the scent of wine tangled with something uniquely his. It was dizzying, intimate. For a second, she wondered if that single glass at dinner had made her tipsy too.
She drew close, letting her nose and lips softly graze his smooth cheek as she breathed in. "A little," she murmured.
He straightened up. "Then let’s walk a while longer." His grip on her hand tightened.
"Okay." She muttered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
They soon found themselves at the bustling Second Ring Road, wandering up onto an overpass without even noticing.
Jing Ming glanced at Beijing’s glittering nightscape and, with unusual openness, said, "Yeah, I really am happy. Back at dinner, I kept feeling like I was about to float away, honestly, I almost bolted back to the lab right there."
Du Ruo lit up. "Me too! I was dying to run back! Listening to you guys talk about the future, I felt like my heart was soaring."
He looked at her, grinning at the way they were caught up in the same silly excitement.
Then something else occurred to her, and she blurted, "Actually, I’ve been curious, why’d you choose AI and self-driving as your life’s work? Aside from just being interested, is there another reason? I wanted to ask at dinner but didn’t get the chance."
She really wanted to understand him.
He met her bright gaze and could see how much it meant to her. "It’s just like Principal Yan said, because it’s a revolution."
She didn’t look away, waiting for him to go on.
He let go of her hand, staring out over the city cloaked in night. "Ever wonder, living in this world, what the future might be like? What you’ll become, what role you’ll play in changing things?"
He said, "I want to do something that matters."
Du Ruo was struck by the intensity in his voice.
They’d reached the top of the overpass. It was late; no one else was around, just the two of them above a river of cars, red and white headlights flowing like an endless current below.
His cheeks were flushed slightly from the wine, skin pale, lit up by passing beams. "Fifty years ago, a hundred years ago, carriages, steam engines, cars, trains, planes, computers, smartphones... What comes next?"
"It’ll be artificial intelligence."
Below, traffic on the ring road crawled along, stuck in a messy tangle.
Standing at the center of the dim overpass, he glanced down. "Machines, follow rules tighter than people, more precise, more reliable."
He gazed up at the city skyline, the endless waves of traffic, as if watching time skip forward decades. Then he said:
"One day, every car you see out here will be driven by machines, not people. Human transportation will shift towards systemization, digitization, standardization. It’ll be safer, more efficient, more equal. Accidents will plummet, commutes, deliveries, long-hauls, all of it. Society will run like clockwork. Because that’s where humanity is heading."
Du Ruo stood spellbound beside him, trembling as she took it all in.
"Everyone has a choice," he continued. "You can float along, enjoying the ease created by others... or you can throw everything you’ve got into building what no one’s ever seen."
"And if, in the future, there has to be someone who opens new frontiers, who revolutionizes eras, who changes history and makes the impossible real, why can’t that person be me?"
He strode to the edge, gripping the railing, energy nearly bursting from him,
"Why not me? It has to be me!"
Because he was born to forge his own path, never just drift with the crowd!
He turned back to her. In the dark, his eyes glimmered with fierce light; his grin was wild, almost feverish, carefree, unstoppable, a little mad.
"I’m what, 18? No, 19 now." He raised his eyes to the vast night sky. "If I’m lucky, I get 50, maybe 60, 70 years. That’s plenty. Ruo, can you even imagine what this city will look like in seventy years? What this bridge will be? It’s enough! In our lifetime, we’ll see a new era in human history. I want to witness the greatest wave that ever rises, even if it takes everything I have, I’ll never give up!"
Du Ruo stood on the bridge, wordless.
On this sultry summer night, she trembled, not from fear, but from something fiercer, as if she stood at sea, waves crashing, wind howling, and she felt no dread at all. Her chest surged with wild, unstoppable certainty. Jaw clenched, she stared at the boy in the white shirt, and suddenly, with all her might, threw her arms around his neck and shouted:
"Fine! I’m with you, all the way!"
Beneath their feet, a river of headlights rolled past like breaking waves.
Above, the ancient, sprawling vault of stars bore silent witness.
That year, they were so young,
Everything just beginning, every future still open, everything worth chasing.