146: Chapter 146 Father and Son

Before long, the sound of a key turning came from the door.

Father Chen bustled into the house, his face carrying an irrepressible look of joy.

He had clearly received the news from Mother Chen and had left work early specifically for this.

At this moment, there were only three people in the house. The security guard had only sat for a while, then circled the entire house to check it several times before taking his leave; Mother Chen couldn't persuade him to stay even after a long bout of urging.

"Dad, you're back," Chen Youhua said, standing up.

"Hey! As soon as I heard you were back, I said hello to the leaders and slipped away!"

A happy smile overflowed on Father Chen's face as he took off his coat.

"Perfect, let's the two of us have a good drink tonight and have a chat!"

Mother Chen was eating silently to the side and only glanced at him upon hearing this.

Enthusiastically, Father Chen took out two glass tumblers and turned around to grab that jar of home-brewed white liquor from the cabinet, which was soaking with various medicinal herbs and had a color so deep its bottom couldn't be seen.

Mother Chen couldn't stand it anymore and put down her chopsticks.

"Hey, hey, hey, our son just walked through the door, and you're bringing that stuff out?

No! The alcohol content of your liquor isn't even consistent; don't go making our son sick! Go, there's beer in the fridge, drink that!"

Father Chen was choked up by her rebuttal and chuckled awkwardly. In the end, he didn't dare to argue and obediently went to the fridge to take out a few cans of beer, muttering under his breath.

"What's the kick in beer... A father and son reunion should have something good to drink..."

"Tsk, your mother just makes a fuss over everything,"

Father Chen poured the beer to the brim and complained to his son in a lowered voice.

"We could have had a good drink of some proper, fine brew, but we have to drink this industrial beer instead."

"Mom is doing it for your own good," Chen Youhua said, stifling a laugh.

"With that white liquor of yours, I'd be flat on my back after half a cup. Do we still want to celebrate New Year's tomorrow?"

After taking a sip of beer, Father Chen still couldn't help but start lecturing.

"A man still needs to practice his alcohol tolerance. Your status is different now; you're a great scientist. In the future, you'll inevitably have social occasions. It won't look good if you go down after just a few cups."

Chen Youhua laughed inwardly. With his current status, if he really didn't want to drink, he reckoned few people would dare to force the issue.

But he didn't say it aloud, only smiling and shaking his head as he raised his glass to clink with his father's.

After a few cups of ice-cold beer, the atmosphere became even more lively.

Father Chen's chatterbox was completely opened; his face glowed red, and his eyes were filled with pride and sentiment.

"Hahahaha! Good! Truly good!"

He slapped Chen Youhua's shoulder hard.

"My son is a great scientist! He's a big figure who solved a world-class problem! Youhua, you've really made your father proud! You've done so well!"

He took a small sip of beer, his tone becoming somewhat sigh-filled.

"You have no idea, what do those people at my unit say when they see me now? They all say I, Old Chen, raised a good son, that the father's status has risen because of the son! Haha!"

He paused, his voice dropping a bit, carrying some complex emotions.

"A few years ago, because of an opportunity, my position moved up a bit.

At the time, many people congratulated me to my face, but behind my back... Hmph, I know it all. Many said I was just lucky, that I'd stepped in dog shit luck."

Father Chen looked up at Chen Youhua, his eyes becoming exceptionally bright and gratified.

"But since you solved that whatever equation and got on TV—even the evening news reported it! Hey, the faces of those people changed instantly!

Now it's genuine envy! Jealousy is useless! Whose family among them could nurture such a son? Hahaha!"

Chen Youhua listened quietly. He knew his father had originally been an honest and dutiful clerk at his unit, with slow promotions.

Later, because of enlightenment, he had been promoted to a somewhat decent position, but he had always been subject to gossip.

Now, because of his own achievements, his father could stand tall at work and had gained unprecedented respect. A warm current and a sense of satisfaction surged in his heart.

Although he himself cared little for fame and fortune, being able to make his parents feel proud and comfortable made him happier than any academic honor.

"Dad, as long as you and Mom are healthy and in good spirits, that's better than anything."

Chen Youhua refilled his father's glass.

"I just did some research that I like."

"Eh! You can't say that!" Father Chen waved a large hand.

"You're making a contribution to the country! That's a great achievement! I understand that in my heart!"

He happily took another large gulp, the wrinkles on his face smoothing out with his smile.

After three rounds of drinks and five courses of food, the topic unknowingly slid from family matters toward grander domains.

This seemed to be the normal state of communication for many middle-aged fathers and sons.

Father Chen picked up a peanut with his chopsticks, smacked his lips, and said,

"Youhua, you know a lot of news. Tell me, the international situation right now is really a mess.

That Big Hairy Bear in the north is fighting tooth and nail with those guys in the west. Energy and food prices are jumping up and down because of it; it's distressing to watch.

The Big Hairy Bear too—how majestic they were back then. Now it feels like they're a bit overextended, entangled by a pack of hyenas. Although they're thick-skinned and tough, it'll be tough for them if it goes on too long."

Chen Youhua nodded and picked up the conversation.

"Yeah, the Big Hairy Bear still has some foundation. They can be self-sufficient in energy and food, so they won't collapse anytime soon.

Besides, they were already half-dead to begin with. I feel like fighting this way is like being frozen in winter for a long time and finally moving around; they're actually getting better and better."

Father Chen nodded repeatedly as he listened. Although there were some terms he didn't quite understand, his son's clear analysis made him feel it was very reasonable.

He lowered his voice a bit and said,

"Speaking of which, it seems our Rabbit Country is going to propose something at the United Nations... a proposal about Artificial Intelligence?

They say Artificial Intelligence is developing too fast now and needs some rules to manage it. We can't let it develop blindly, lest there be trouble later.

The news mentioned it briefly, and I couldn't quite understand the intricacies of it.

Tell me, is there any deep meaning behind this?"

Hearing this topic, Chen Youhua's heart stirred slightly.

He pondered for a moment and said,

"Dad, this proposal is very significant. Artificial Intelligence is completely a double-edged sword.

Right now, the whole world is desperately developing AI, but many countries, especially certain places that emphasize absolute freedom, only care about throwing money and people into development, rarely considering safety and ethical constraints."

He took a sip of beer and continued to explain.

"Our Rabbit Country is proposing this now, first and foremost out of a sense of responsibility. We develop AI, but we emphasize controllability and being a force for good.

Secondly, this is also about seizing the initiative in setting international rules. Whoever sets the rules will have a greater say in the future. Finally..."

Chen Youhua smiled.

"It might also be to give certain parties a reminder. Don't just focus blindly on developing dangerous AI applications, or when some disaster happens, the whole world will suffer along with them. Setting the rules clearly in advance is good for everyone."

Father Chen listened with partial understanding, but he felt his son made a lot of sense and couldn't stop nodding.

"Oh... so that's how it is... You young people still know more and see things more clearly! Come, let's have another drink!"

At this point, Mother Chen, who had been quietly eating and watching TV, couldn't help but interject.

"Enough, enough, you two. Just eat your meal. Why talk about national affairs and the United Nations? It gives me a headache just listening.

Youhua, don't just talk, eat more meat! And you,"

She glared at Father Chen.

"Stop pouring so much alcohol for our son!"

The father and son looked at each other and smiled, tacitly ending their high-level dialogue and obediently burying their heads in their food.