After the college entrance examination, life began to follow one's heart

Chapter 300 Entering the Capital (Career)
December 2027, 1.

sunny.

Xu Lin once again embarked on his journey to the capital.

At 3 p.m., he arrived at Zhonghai in a Hongqi car.

When he got off the bus at Zhonghai, someone came up to greet him.

Xu Lin, after reading his self-introduction, figured he must be someone with a bigger background than Yu Jianhua.

Being under the emperor's nose can be terrifying.

Xu Lin never imagined he would come here.

And this is the second time now; they came once last year as well.

After all, this place is the ultimate dream for many Chinese men.

Power is more alluring than money and lust, a fact that countless ancestors have proven over thousands of years.

Nineteen-year-old Xu Lin came here for the second time.

Before long, led by the guide, Xu Lin arrived at a room.

"Young Master Xu, that's the old man inside."

The guide led us to the entrance.

"Well, thanks."

"You're welcome, please come in, he's already waiting for you."

"it is good."

Being addressed as "you" by a middle-aged man, especially one who is a prominent figure in the outside world, made Xu Lin feel a little uncomfortable.

However, Xu Lin didn't think much of it.

As he pushed open the door, the first thing he smelled was the scent of ink.

It turns out this is a study, and the other person is writing.

"coming?"

"I am coming."

"Old man, I'm writing. I heard from Lao Chi that you can write?"

"Old Chi?"

"That's Chi Lingri, your father-in-law's father. You should call him Grandpa, right?"

"Yes, I usually call him Grandpa. I didn't expect you to know him."

“I’ve known him for a long time. When he was young, he was upright and incorruptible, which offended some people. In addition, he had bad luck and encountered difficulties in his post. His predecessor left him a mess, which he did not handle well. In the end, he could not advance further and had to step down. Fortunately, he landed safely and can retire at home.”

"That's good."

"Old Chi said you can write calligraphy, and that you're incredibly skilled at it. Come and see how my calligraphy is?"

"Isn't that a bit inappropriate? After all, I'm a junior."

"It's okay, you can look at it."

"Okay, then I might have to be a little offensive."

As the saying goes, it's hard to refuse such hospitality.

"I am over seventy years old, past the age of understanding one's destiny and being able to hear clearly. Now I can do as I please. There is a sequence to learning the Way, and each profession has its own expertise. If your level is above mine, I am all ears."

Xu Lin's gaze fell on the Xuan paper.

This is a poem by Wang Anshi from his later years, titled "A Self-Praise That Captures the Spirit".

When Wang Anshi was so ill that he could barely walk, he saw his own portrait one day, which inspired him to write this poem.

On the Xuan paper, only the first two lines of the poem were written: "My body and the painting are two illusions, destined to turn to dust in the world."

It means that both I and the self in the painting are illusory existences. As time passes and stars shift, we will both turn into dust.

This poem is very unrestrained.

Xu Lin said, "Your calligraphy shows some struggle. It seems that you want to be unrestrained but cannot be, and you want to move freely between the world and the world but you are not in control of your own destiny. This poem is actually a work by Wang Anshi after he had a great enlightenment. He realized this in his later years."

Xu Lin's implication was that you hadn't grasped the meaning yet, weren't carefree enough, and hadn't reached that level of understanding.

"Yes, it is indeed a bit affected. When Jinggong wrote this poem, he must have done it in one go, without any deliberate effort."

He said, "Xu Lin, please complete the last two lines. Let me see your handwriting."

"it is good."

Xu Lin picked up his brush and added the last two lines: "But know that this thing is no other thing, do not ask whether people today are the same as people in the past."

Meaning: Just know that the person in the painting is yourself, and don't worry about whether you are the same person you were in the past.

The whole poem has a strong Buddhist and Zen feel, but Xu Lin doesn't really understand it either.

Many ideas are like that; you read them and feel like you understand them, but in reality, you may not understand them at all.

Because education has a time lag, it may take years, after you've experienced something, to give you a sudden, profound realization.

However, writing is another matter entirely.

Xu Lin's thought is quite complex, drawing on the ideas of Laozi, Zhuangzi, and Yang Zhu, as well as modern ideas such as Austrian economics.

This is only part of it. His thinking has always been flexible, and his main principle is to use things for my own purposes while keeping me in control.

Simply put, Xu Lin is a pragmatist.

Therefore, influenced by these ideas, Xu Lin's calligraphy is both unrestrained and bold.

In Taoist terms, if you don't like someone, deal with them immediately; don't let them linger overnight. You must have a clear and open mind.

The idea that "a gentleman takes revenge even after ten years" is a Confucian concept.

The idea that revenge should not be delayed overnight is a Taoist concept.

Can a person whose heart is not at peace and whose mind is filled with depression live a long life?
As the saying goes, deep affection is short-lived.

It's about love, but it can also refer to other emotions. No negative emotions should be suppressed in your heart for too long.

"What beautiful calligraphy!" the other person exclaimed.

Xu Lin: "It's just showing off and pretentious affectation; it's not worth mentioning."

After all, there's nothing to brag about about cheating; Xu Lin has never been arrogant.

"You're being modest. This calligraphy has already reached a level of mastery, it has its own unique style. At nineteen, you've already lived a lifetime like a master."

He admired it very much.

Xu Lin quickly changed the subject, "I don't deserve such praise. I wonder what important matter the old man has sent me here for?"

"No rush, let's talk about it later. Spend some more time writing with me."

"Row."

The two wrote for another half hour.

Strictly speaking, his calligraphy is better than Chi Lingri's, by a great deal.

Many prominent figures possessed beautiful handwriting, such as the great man and Sun Yat-sen, whose calligraphy was exceptionally skillful. The former excelled in cursive script, his skill rivaling that of the master calligrapher Huaisu, reaching a level of mastery comparable to nature itself; the latter blended the calligraphic styles of Wang Xizhi, Yan Zhenqing, and Su Shi, creating a unique style of his own.

It was four o'clock in the afternoon.

We're finally getting down to business.

Actually, there's a lot to talk about this time, including Xu Lin's model, the Luna system, and Chinese programming.

So the two went to the conference room, where there were two assistants who took notes, making a total of four people.

The first topic is about Xu Lin's model, which is the formula for the self-thinking model.

The person above thought Xu Lin only had five formulas, but in fact there are ten.

However, Xu Linhui submitted five proposals to the higher authorities for the development of artificial intelligence, which would later be used for military purposes.

Here, Xu Lin set a condition: "I need the basic information of the people who will be in direct contact with this formula. I need to monitor whether they, or their subordinates, family members, or friends, have contacted the other country."

How do you monitor it?

The old man was curious.

"My technology can reach every corner of the internet, but I won't go into state systems, which are classified, and you would find out anyway. But I can monitor the internet outside of that, and I need to make sure my work doesn't end up in the hands of foreigners."

“That’s no problem.” The other party nodded.

In fact, there are ten formulas in the self-thinking model. Xu Lin has hidden five more, and the other one is an upgraded version of the gradient life model. Together, they form the core of Xu Lin's current technology.

This time, Xu Lin also submitted the original version of the gradient life model.

He's already iterated, fearless, so submitting a portion is no big deal.

In return, he can exchange something; for example, he will have easier access to services when dealing with matters in China, and a single phone call will be enough to reach the highest levels of government.

The second topic is about the Luna system, a powerful computer operating system. Currently, in terms of security, it completely avoids the Western technological ecosystem and is the most secure system.

Therefore, the higher authorities want to try promoting this system within a certain scope, which is equivalent to application testing.

Xu Lin: "I can give you the system's code, but my language is quite advanced. You will need to train people who are proficient in my language, especially the I Ching language."

The elderly man asked, "We want to use this system for military purposes and for certain national systems and departments. How secure is it?"

Xu Lin: "To be honest, I want to replace all the code with the I Ching code, which will make the system more secure."

Giving the Moon Goddess system code to the person above is quite in line with Xu Lin's ideas.

He's going to do something big: promote the Moon Goddess System nationwide. That will make his subsequent work much easier.

A system is a carrier on which various software, games, and even the entire system technology ecosystem can be expanded.

Just like the Windows system, as long as this system exists, developers can develop software and games, and they will have a place to use their talents.

These are all secondary features, but widespread use is essential; it's the prerequisite for developers to be willing to develop applications for you.

With the support of higher authorities, Xu Lin's path will be much easier.

Xu Lin has great ambitions; once his things take off, the West can be suppressed.

Once a man reaches this position, most of them will become like Emperor Chen Houzhu, Emperor Nantang Houzhu, and Emperor Huizong of Song. They only know how to dine and play with women, and although they are in a position where they should be worthy of the world, they do not do their proper duties and have no great ambitions.

A very small number of men, however, have the ultimate dream of accomplishing great things and leaving their mark on history. Regardless of whether they are good or bad, they all aspire to achieve something extraordinary and thus secure their place in history. Historically, even eunuchs dreamed of making a name for themselves in history; this is the allure of historical recognition.

But Chinese history is too crowded, so crowded that even if you do something great, it will only be mentioned in a sentence. What great achievements do you have to make for history to give you a prominent place?

The elderly man said, "We will organize a group of people to learn your language."

Xu Lin: "Here's one point: I still retain absolute control over this system. I can use the original system for military purposes, and if I want to start a company later, like Microsoft, this system will be my product."

“Of course,” he said.

However, Xu Lin reserved his opinion.

The person sitting next to me is an old man; he represents individual will, not the will of the whole.

Even if he treats Xu Lin well and likes him his own son, it doesn't mean that all the big shots treat Xu Lin well.

As the old saying goes, "When the rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked; when the birds are all gone, the bow is put away."

Xu Lin added, "If I show my face as Young Master Xu in the future, I need to keep all my family information as top secret. In other words, to the outside world, I, Xu Lin, am like an orphan with no family, and no one can find out my family information."

“Sure, actually I was thinking of getting you a few bodyguards, just in case something happens to you. Right now, you're practically a national treasure.”

"We don't need bodyguards for now; we'll talk about it later."

Xu Lin doesn't need bodyguards at all.

Xu Lin wasn't afraid at all, even if it wasn't a sneak attack from behind.

Xu Lin: "But I have quite a lot of family members."

"How many?"

"It's a bit complicated to explain."

The usually serious Xu Lin finally felt a little embarrassed. He wrote down a few names, namely Ning Yuhan and the others, but not including Chi Linyue and Pei Danqing. What kind of families did they come from?

Of course, there are no foreign women here either.

"These are all the women around me, and I will marry them in the future."

"Quite dashing, haha, but with your looks, it's understandable."

Having reached this point, Xu Lin possesses moral immunity.

"It's alright." Xu Lin blushed this time.

Xu Lin: "This is my uncle. He's very good to me. If possible, I'll keep an eye on him occasionally."

Xu Lin was referring to Yu Jianhua.

"uncle?"

"He's also one of my fathers-in-law."

Xu Lin: "He's a very clean person. He's never embezzled, never had any illicit relationships, and never formed cliques. But I reckon he'll stay there for the rest of his life, barring any unforeseen circumstances."

"It's alright, I'll mark it!"

Actually, not long after, Yu Jianhua's backer fell from grace. These days, it's useless if you're clean; you have to make sure the big shots above you don't cause trouble, otherwise they can get rid of you too.

As the ancients said, "If one prospers, all prosper; if one suffers, all suffer."

Let's see if you're the unlucky one.

Xu Lin has now given Yu Jianhua a helping hand in advance.

Xu Lin: "I don't have anything to say for the time being."

"That's all?"

"A steady, gradual process is key."

"Haha."

"Actually, I don't think I want too much. I'm fine in terms of being a person, and I'm content with material enjoyment. I only have a few women."

"Contentment brings happiness," the other person said.

“Yes, contentment brings happiness.” Xu Lin nodded.

He understood that contentment also meant knowing when to stop, not taking everything, and not asking for too much, which was better for everyone.

Around 5 p.m., Xu Lin declined the invitation to a state banquet that evening.

He went to find Pei Danqing.

Eating with a bunch of people older than your own father isn't really comfortable.

Social gatherings rarely allow you to enjoy your meal to the fullest. You have to be mindful of how you pick up food and how you behave while eating.

Avoid doing things that make you unhappy.

Pei Danqing drove over to pick him up.

What did you talk about today?

"nothing."

Xu Lin briefly explained it to her, and Pei Danqing understood.

Later, the two went out for dinner.

Pei Danqing had no interest in shopping.

So Xu Lin took her directly to a hotel room.

I just entered the foyer and locked the bedroom door.

Xu Lin then began to undress Pei Danqing.

Why are you in such a hurry?

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder! Besides, don't tell me you don't want it!"

"Don't talk about this kind of topic."

Pei Danqing blushed; those awkward words, she naturally wouldn't say aloud.

But during this time, she really missed Xu Lin, both mentally and physically.

Therefore, she occasionally takes matters into her own hands and cooks for herself.

Xu Lin taught her this, telling her to do it herself when she felt lonely, something she never knew how to do before.

Xu Lin never shied away from these topics with his women.

Because that's how people are.

"It's been so long, why don't you let loose for a bit?"

Xu Lin grinned mischievously.

"You're never serious, you just have too many random thoughts in your head."

"It's not like you don't enjoy it. I admit I'm horny, but you can't say you're different."

Pei Danqing remained silent. She was indeed enjoying herself, but how could she possibly say such a thing?
Why are you wearing such thick clothes today?

Xu Lin tried to take off her clothes, but found that he had to unbutton them. There were two unbuttoned garments: a coat and a shirt underneath.

Xu Lin found himself getting a little annoyed by the buttons. He had completely forgotten that the suit, jacket, and shirt he was wearing today also had buttons on them.

"It's cold, shouldn't I wear more clothes? Do you think I'm like you?" Pei Danqing rolled her eyes at him.

"Too."

"Can't you wear more clothes normally? It's cold now, and this isn't the south."

Pei Danqing tugged at Xu Lin's clothes and discovered that Xu Lin was only wearing a suit jacket and a blouse on his upper body. That was all he was wearing, even though the highest temperature in Beijing today was only 4 degrees Celsius.

"I'm not cold."

Xu Lin sat up against the back of the bed, legs spread wide, striking a pose befitting a grown man.

Pei Danqing was already familiar with the situation and knew what Xu Lin's posture meant.

"I feel like you came to the capital to see me just for this little thing."

Pei Danqing felt a little resentful.

Xu Lin: "Hey, that's not quite right. Let's take a closer look. Think about it. Marx believed that humans must first satisfy their basic survival needs such as food, clothing, shelter, and transportation before they can engage in other activities such as economics, politics, thought, science, and religion. So, he believed that food, clothing, shelter, and transportation are the most important and fundamental things for each individual human being, right?"

"Correct."

Pei Danqing nodded.

"So, does the basic necessities of life include matters between men and women?"

Perhaps Marx was conservative; there were things he didn't say, whether he didn't think of them or didn't want to.

Otherwise, someone as outspoken as Freud could propose a hypothesis about sexual repression that most people find unacceptable or too shameful to talk about, arguing that sexual repression is a huge sacrifice that humanity has to make for the development of civilization, and that many problems in human society are caused by the inability to release sexual repression.

Xu Lin felt that some Western philosophers and economists were quite unique. Some of their ideas were very flamboyant and explicit. Freud was one of them, and Austrian economics, for example, emphasized that the analysis of economic activities should start from the individual and advocate individualism, rather than discussing the grand and abstract collective concepts of society and the state.

This is only one aspect; the entire content of Austrian economics is vast and complex, and cannot be explained in a few words.

When reading, one must also discern. People with independent thinking and logical reasoning will understand that every idea has its own unique environment for growth, and one cannot believe in all of them, because any idea is just one person's opinion, and the development of human civilization has destined human society to be complex and diverse.

Xu Lin read a lot of books, all sorts of random things.

"right?"

Director Pei nodded.

"So let's take a nap first and then talk about other things, honey, it's been so long since I've seen you."

"It's been a long time since we last met. When I message you, you often give only a half-hearted reply!"

"I'm busy, please forgive me."

Xu Lin was a little embarrassed.

However, he is indeed too busy and unwilling to spend time chatting with people online.

Besides, he has several women around him.

He was even less inclined to chat online.

(End of this chapter)