Su Xiangli tilted her head, "What is it?"
"Oh, it's just that the AI I gave you can be sold now." Simon's nonchalant demeanor was quite irritating.
You see, it's incredibly difficult for an AI product to gain national recognition for its promotional value these days. How difficult? So difficult it's become a kind of metaphysics. Products from large tech companies aren't guaranteed to pass review, while small workshop creations might actually have a better chance of succeeding.
Countless AI products are produced every day, and then the developers must submit complete copies to the National Internet Intelligent Audit Bureau.
The review process begins the moment the data is uploaded.
The safety of AI is paramount, so powerful, creative intelligences are severely restricted, while simple, straightforward, and'stupid' intelligences have a much more lenient review scope. It's like a low gate that's unfriendly to tall people but doesn't mind short people sneaking through.
However, the truly popular products on the market are still the 'tall' ones; people don't want cheap goods taking up space on their phones. So, an AI product that is both safe and practical is absolutely priceless and hard to find.
Simon's AI, faust, had been refined in the learning space for two years. It was of medium size, able to duck through the low gate with a slight bend.
Although the server Someone Lu bought was a bit poor, only sixty quantum bits, it could still meet the usage needs of tens of millions of users if sold on the app market.
What did that mean?
A large sum of money, and a large sum of social credit points.
"Big shot, take me with you!" Su Xiangli immediately looked pitiful.
"Oh, how could I promote a gift I gave you?"
"But it must be very profitable!"
...That's true. No, you little money-grubber, aren't you a rich woman? Do you still care about such small change?"
"Even a landlord's family can fall on hard times, oh my, hurry up and save money!"
Simon mused, "You're right, I'll save up for a wife, which can be used as a bride price later."
"Who do you want to marry, huh?" Su Xiangli's excited look was like silently screaming: Pick me, pick me!
Someone Lu gave a playful smile. Su Xiangli saw it and knew without a doubt that this scoundrel wanted to tease her.
[Su: Speaking of which, it's been a long time since he teased me. Sigh, back then he was like a neighbor's big brother teasing his little sister, always able to trick me into circles. But not anymore.]
Men who care about their image always put on airs in front of pretty women, like a pretending-to-sleep fool. If you successfully make him drop the act, you'll gain a hundredfold joy.
This time, it was Su Xiangli's turn to pretend to sleep.
Simon pondered, only glancing at her from the corner of his eye, muttering, "Oh dear, this is tricky. If I get rich, plus this dashing appearance, comparable to Zhou Yu of old, then only beauties like Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao would be worthy of me."
Su Xiangli suppressed the anger rising in her throat, only blinking obediently, "Then what kind of beauty counts as being like Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao?"
Simon feigned disdain, scrutinizing Su Xiangli from head to toe. Her beautiful forehead and moth-like eyebrows, her slender figure, her feigned anger, and eyes full of joy—the more he looked, the more he cherished her. He ultimately didn't utter any of his usual annoying, roundabout remarks.
Su Xiangli tilted her head, "What's wrong? Speak."
"Speak about what?"
"Speak about who you want to marry."
Simon pursed his lips, just about to speak, when Zhang Yingxuan and the others ahead shouted, "You two, stop showing off your affection! Are you coming or not?"
"Coming, coming, wait for us!" Simon breathed a sigh of relief, taking Su Xiangli's hand to catch up with the main group.
As for whose family Simon's 'wife fund' would ultimately go to as a bride price, for now, it remained an unsolved mystery.
...Simon rushed into his house, first tossing his backpack onto the living room sofa, then yawning as he walked towards the bedroom.
The simulation pod he had bought earlier had already been moved home, standing by his bed, but he didn't use it often, so his two younger sisters benefited. For little kids like them, each person could use the simulation pod for a maximum of one hour a day; even one second more would result in them being kicked out by the system.
So, the precious simulation pod, a valuable machine, collected dust for twenty-two out of twenty-four hours a day.
On his way home, Simon had thought about watching a movie in the simulation pod, but once he arrived, Su Xiangli called him for a video chat, and he immediately darted out of his bedroom and into the projection room.
The two youngsters discussed how they would meet again after high school.
Su Xiangli genuinely loved ballet and could receive very professional guidance at National Arts High School Attached, so even though she said she could attend the same school as Simon, her suggestion was rejected.
"It's okay, I'll just come to see you every day," Simon comforted Su Xiangli.
"But I'll still miss you so much."
Both of them knew that once they entered high school, if they weren't in the same school, opportunities to meet again would be few.
Simon hesitated. With his abilities, he could certainly go to National Arts High School Attached. Although he hadn't taken the art entrance exam, he could pass the school's direct selection test.
However, painting was ultimately just his hobby. In his mind, art was not as solid as science. Perhaps it was some deep-seated belief, but to Simon, art students were considered unconventional.
He could also study regular cultural subjects at National Arts High School Attached, but the faculty's focus was different, so students not pursuing art should try to avoid it.
After much deliberation, he was at a loss.
They say if two hearts are long-lasting, why bother with morning and evening? But the poet who wrote that line was actually a romantic wanderer.
Alas, there is no perfect solution in this world. Simon decided to let nature take its course; there would always be a way when the time came.
Temporarily setting aside the issue of further education, Simon had faust register his patent, which was completed in a few seconds. Then, Simon had faust upload its sub-entities online for people to download.
Of course, it wasn't a free download. The software had a three-day trial period, and then if you wanted to continue using it, you had to purchase usage rights for 160 RMB.
This price was already very reasonable.
Those trash AIs were considered expensive even at ten yuan, while powerful advanced intelligences were mostly subscription-based, requiring six or seven hundred yuan a month for full functionality. Simon's faust was a one-time purchase for lifelong enjoyment, so conscientious that one could tell it was a workshop product just by looking at it.
Surprisingly, his AI program received about a hundred downloads as soon as it was uploaded to the app market. Simon immediately realized these were provided by the crawler software of domestic and international tech companies, which constantly searched the internet for "wild" AIs. If they found one valuable, they would contact the creator to buy the copyright.
Sure enough, Simon's inbox was bombarded with dozens of emails instantly, all commercial cooperation invitations.
Someone Lu shrugged, smiling as he told Su Xiangli that he was about to get rich.
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