Chapter 10: Prelude |
Ding Yafan and Mu Wei did not speak again, and a brief silence fell over the conference room.
Dai Songquan, who had been leaning back in his chair as if detached from the proceedings, suddenly sat up straight and gestured to Wei Hongsi. "Hongsi, come sit up front. This isn't a management meeting. Everyone is cooperating with President Ji's work, and our status is the same here."
Wei Hongsi was quite surprised that President Dai could call out his name without hesitation. He immediately nodded and went forward to sit down on the left side of Yu Sheng.
After saying that, Dai Songquan leaned back into his chair again, once more putting distance between himself and the conference table.
Seeing that Ding Yafan and Mu Wei had tactfully closed their mouths, Ji Yongsheng said, "Since no one has any further questions, let's continue. President Gu, based on Engineer Wei's description just now, can we consider the company's standard eye movement analysis model to be unreliable?"
Gu Shiming said, "I believe that, within a certain scope, that is the case. Its algorithm has most likely been cracked."
"Then, has the research center prepared for a model iteration, or planned to replace the standard model with a new algorithmic model?"
"We have reserves in this area, but we don't plan to do that, as it wouldn't fundamentally solve the problem. I believe the person who cracked it is within our own company."
As soon as Gu Shiming said this, an uproar broke out in the conference room.
Zhiwei Technology, as an industry benchmark, was a target standing out in the open. Even if you erected a circle of shield walls around it, it was still inevitable that it would get hit sometimes.
At such times, you just needed to promptly repair the shield walls and the target, or simply replace them with new ones, and the problem would be solved.
No one doubted that the research center had the response capability and technical reserves for this. But Gu Shiming was saying the bullet came from inside the shield wall—that made the problem serious.
Ji Yongsheng raised a hand and pressed down in a calming gesture, asking everyone to quiet down. Then he asked, "Do you have a specific suspect in mind?"
"Yes." Gu Shiming nodded and turned his head to look down the table.
To his left, next to him, was Meng Haolin, the General Manager of the Technology Development Center. This man was already in his fifties, the oldest person present.
"Little Gu, why are you looking at me?" Meng Haolin shot a sidelong glance at Gu Shiming. "Are you suspecting me?"
The corner of Gu Shiming's mouth lifted slightly. He leaned forward a bit, his gaze passing over Jiang Kai, the General Manager of the Application Promotion Center, and landing on Mu Wei.
Mu Wei turned halfway to the right, staring directly at Gu Shiming. "President Gu, what do you mean by that?"
Gu Shiming withdrew his gaze and said to Ji Yongsheng, "My suspect is the company's 'Cognitive Mirroring System'."
What? The CMS cracked the company's standard model?
What is it trying to do? Step on its own left foot to spiral ascend into the sky?
There must be some mistake, right?
Many people almost thought they had misheard, countless question marks popping up in their minds.
"Gu Shiming!" Mu Wei was stunned for a moment, then suddenly slammed the table. The teacup in front of him jumped. "I warn you not to talk nonsense. You can't bear the responsibility for this!"
Meng Haolin stared at Gu Shiming, letting out a cold snort through his nose, his face so gloomy it seemed water could drip from it.
Department Five was under the Technology Center. If there was a problem with the CMS, his responsibility wouldn't be any less than Mu Wei's.
Ji Yongsheng looked at Mu Wei, smiling lightly as he shook his hand. "Director Mu, don't get so agitated. Doesn't your hand hurt?"
Mu Wei righted the fallen teacup. Fortunately, there wasn't much water left in it. Then he crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, a look of indignation on his face.
"President Gu, do you have any evidence?" asked Qian Jiayu, sitting directly opposite Gu Shiming.
This man was the General Manager of the Risk Response Center. Gu Shiming's accusation against the CMS, or rather the CMS's manager, fell within his scope of authority.
"Yes." Gu Shiming nodded, then looked at Ji Yongsheng.
Ji Yongsheng took a few pages of stapled printouts from his folder and handed them to Qian Jiayu.
Qian Jiayu took them, read through them carefully, closed his eyes in thought for a moment, then opened them again and quickly skimmed through the pages once more before handing them back to Ji Yongsheng.
Ji Yongsheng asked, "What is President Qian's opinion?"
Qian Jiayu said, "I agree with President Gu's speculation."
Mu Wei looked at Qian Jiayu with disbelief, then turned his gaze toward Meng Haolin.
Meng Haolin frowned deeply. "President Ji, could you let me see this so-called evidence?"
"Of course, but not right now." After saying this, Ji Yongsheng looked at Mu Wei. "Director Mu, has the CMS been operating completely normally over the last two months?"
Mu Wei said, "I believe it has been normal. Although there were some abnormal fluctuations during individual periods, they were all within the permissible range."
Ji Yongsheng asked, "Are you sure?"
Mu Wei nodded. "Of course. President Ji can check the system logs. President Qian's side also has backups."
Ji Yongsheng then asked Meng Haolin, "What is President Meng's opinion?"
Meng Haolin said with a stern face, "I have no opinion."
Ji Yongsheng said with a faint smile, "President Meng, Director Mu, please don't take this personally. President Gu suspects the CMS, not you two. I think you two should also consider this: if President Gu's speculation holds true, who would be the most suspicious? Personally, I tend to think that if there really is such a mole, it wouldn't be anyone sitting here."
Thoughtful expressions appeared simultaneously on the faces of Meng Haolin and Mu Wei.
Hearing Ji Yongsheng say this, the others couldn't help but think that although Gu Shiming had openly mocked them, he really hadn't said he suspected those two. Even if the CMS really had a problem, those two would certainly bear responsibility, but the nature of that was completely different from them having done it themselves.
Ji Yongsheng said, "You two think about it first. Everyone, think about it too. Is there anyone particularly suspicious?" He gestured toward the door. "Let's get everyone some more tea."
The security guard at the door opened it and said something. After a moment, two conference room service staff entered.
This time, a cup of tea was placed directly in front of Wei Hongsi. He softly thanked the service staff member, a strange feeling welling up in his heart.
This feeling had appeared earlier when that service staff member was about to serve him tea. But at that time, his attention was on the meeting, and he hadn't thought much about it. Now, thinking back on it, he couldn't quite pinpoint where that strange feeling came from.
Inadvertently glancing at Ding Yafan sitting diagonally across from him, he suddenly understood. It was because of the mismatch between her actual age and her presented age.
Generally speaking, women in the workplace often dress to appear younger. For example, Ding Yafan, Lu Jiaqi, and many other women in the company.
Of course, there were exceptions. Some young women just entering the workforce, to enhance their professional image, might choose more mature clothing and makeup to downplay their youthful appearance.
But that service staff member from earlier, whose actual age should have been under thirty, had dolled herself up to look like a woman in her mid-to-late thirties. That was quite unusual.
That strange feeling originated precisely from this.
