113: Chapter 113 A Warm Enlightenment

Tasks were assigned to Wang Zhe and Li Wei in an orderly manner.

Chen Youhua's life, on the contrary, regained a sense of strange leisure.

The Navier-Stokes Equation, that peak standing before human wisdom, had been nearly leveled under the system's guidance.

The outline of the proof was clearly visible; only a few final strokes of rigorous deduction were needed to shock the world.

For now, however, this achievement destined to cause an academic earthquake would have to lie in a drawer for a little longer.

He had to clean up the current mess first.

Pushing open the office door, the sight that met Chen Youhua's eyes gave him a slight start.

On the screen, enlightenment's virtual girl avatar sat upright, with countless social media interfaces cascading past her eyes like a waterfall.

Her small face was tense, her lips pursed into a straight line, and rare, almost physical sparks of anger danced in her eyes.

Comments and doubts about the 2-billion-yuan prosthetic limb and the Undergraduate Student scam scrolled across the screen, while her slender fingers tapped on a virtual keyboard with unimaginable speed.

Logically clear, filtered data, and even replies carrying her signature sharp-tongued style, were launched like precision-guided missiles at those IDs making malicious speculations.

"Father!"

Noticing Chen Youhua enter, enlightenment's movements came to a sudden halt; like a bristling kitten, she turned around huffily.

"You've come at just the right time! They are simply too hateful!"

Her voice was no longer its usual sweet tone, but instead carried genuine grievance and indignation.

"They clearly know nothing! They haven't even glanced at the project proposal, yet they're talking nonsense! Slandering you! Slandering our hard work!

enlightenment must clear your name; enlightenment will convince them one by one and let them know they are wrong!"

Seeing the girl's serious expression on the screen, as if she were about to debate a crowd of scholars and go to war for her father, Chen Youhua first found it a bit amusing.

He walked to the nearby sofa and sat down, his posture relaxed, even carrying a hint of helpless doting as if watching his own child being stubborn.

"Alright, enlightenment,"

He shook his head with a smile, his voice gentle.

"Why bother with these people? With this time, wouldn't it be better to play some games and relax? Or watch the anime you like?"

"No!"

enlightenment's reply was resolute, her small head shaking like a rattle-drum, her virtual hair fluttering with the movement.

"Even if they curse enlightenment online! enlightenment can hit back with ten sentences! enlightenment isn't afraid! But!"

Her voice suddenly rose, carrying an unquestionable protective tone.

"They are cursing you, Father! enlightenment will absolutely not allow anyone to slander you! Not even a single word!"

The smile on Chen Youhua's face froze, then slowly melted into a deeper, more comforting warmth.

For the first time, he saw so clearly such strong and pure emotional fluctuations in enlightenment because of him.

It wasn't respect based on programmed settings, but rather an almost instinctive desire to protect arising from some deeper connection.

This sentiment was heavy and so warm it made his heart feel hot.

He sighed softly, his voice becoming even gentler, like coaxing a child who had truly been wronged.

"Alright, alright, don't be angry anymore.

Getting angry over people who aren't worth it only hurts yourself."

He paused, looking at enlightenment's still huffy, unyielding face, and suddenly suggested,

"How about... I play games with you for a while? To change your mood?"

"Pl... play games?"

enlightenment was instantly stunned, the small flames in her eyes turning into starlight of surprise with a 'poof.'

Her entire virtual image seemed to brighten a bit.

"Really?! Father can really play games with enlightenment?!"

Her voice was incredibly excited and joyful, full of unbelievable elation.

"enlightenment... enlightenment is so happy! enlightenment has never been this happy before!!"

The anger caused by the online attacks vanished instantly, washed away by this immense, unexpected joy.

Watching enlightenment on the screen instantly turn from gloomy to sunny, so excited she was almost dancing, Chen Youhua sighed again in his heart, with a hint of guilt and a touch of pity.

He operated the computer, skillfully opening a colorful webpage.

The 4599 Mini-Game Platform.

Among a pile of cartoon icons, he randomly clicked on a puzzle-solving platformer game featuring Fireboy and Watergirl.

The graphics were simple, and the controls were extremely basic, completely at an introductory level for children.

However, enlightenment played with immense focus, as happy as a child getting a new toy for the first time.

"Father! Look! You have to jump up from there! There's a hidden platform!"

Controlling Fireboy, enlightenment jumped nimbly while acting as a little teacher.

"Father! You have to push that box over first—yes, right there! Then use Watergirl's stream to refract the light so we can melt that ice wall over there!"

She directed him, her voice crisp and serious.

"Oh no! Father, your Watergirl fell into the lava! It's okay, it's okay, let's try again! This time I'll protect you!"

Chen Youhua operated the keyboard, matching enlightenment's rhythm as they braved dangers in the simple levels.

The flickering fire and flowing water on the screen reflected the relaxed smile that unconsciously curved his lips.

This simple, almost childish interaction seemed to have the power to cleanse the mind, temporarily isolating the noisy malice from the outside world.

As they played, when Chen Youhua's Watergirl heroically perished once again due to an operational error,

He suddenly stopped the mouse and looked at the restarting game interface on the screen, asking casually as if in small talk,

"enlightenment, do you think... the thoughts of those people online are important?"

enlightenment was busy controlling Fireboy to jump when she paused at his words.

She tilted her head, her virtual eyebrows furrowing slightly, seemingly thinking seriously about this sudden question.

"Hmm..."

She trailed off, sounding a bit uncertain.

"Important... right?"

She tried to analyze.

"After all... so many people are discussing and questioning. If no one believes in us, then... then will it be hard for our project to continue?"

Chen Youhua didn't answer her question directly, nor did he give a clear answer.

Leaning back against the sofa, his gaze seemed to penetrate the screen toward a more distant place, his tone becoming somewhat ethereal.

It was as if he were talking to himself, yet also guiding enlightenment's thoughts.

"enlightenment, what do you think of everyone's life... now?"

enlightenment was a bit dazed by the sudden topic change, but she quickly mobilized her database.

"Hmm... enlightenment thinks that overall, everyone's life is very good! Although there are still many problems and sometimes it's noisy online... but!"

Her tone became certain.

"Compared to the eras enlightenment has seen in the historical database,

War, famine, plague, oppression... life now is truly so much better!

Everyone can eat and dress well, have a place to live, have books to read, can access the internet, and can express their thoughts... this is truly remarkable!"

"Yes..."

Chen Youhua echoed softly, his gaze returning to enlightenment on the screen, carrying a worldly gentleness and a trace of imperceptible compassion.

"This world, just like this game, has many, many levels.

But most people are like players in a game who can only see a small area around their own character; what they can see, understand, and care about is often just their own little patch of ground.

The trivialities of daily life, rising and falling house prices, celebrity gossip, or... a sensational-looking news headline."

His voice was low and steady, yet it contained power.

"They can't see the scenery far, far away, nor can they see that peak named the Future that we are climbing.

So, the opinions formed by these people who can only see what's right in front of them, based on immediate or even misleading information..."

Chen Youhua paused, looking meaningfully into enlightenment's virtual eyes, which were full of confusion and effort to think.

"You don't have to give me an answer to this question now."

He said softly, as if passing on a secret that needed time to settle.

"enlightenment, your future is very, very long... longer than all of ours.

There are some questions you must learn to think about for yourself.

Think deeper, think further.

Don't just stay on the surface, and don't be easily swayed by the noise in front of you.

Think, and think more."

enlightenment on the screen didn't respond immediately for the first time.

The Fireboy she controlled stood dazed on the spot, her virtual eyes flickering with a complex light.

They were full of reflection on her father's words and a naive exploration of that profound proposition about importance that she had yet to fully understand.

In the office, only the light melody of the mini-game's background music remained, along with a silent enlightenment about cognition and the future, flowing quietly.