Chapter 2251 - 723: First Love

Noon.

Shen City, Qingning Technology Building, 42nd floor.

In a small meeting room not open to the public, the atmosphere is relaxed.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows is the shimmering, vibrant modern landscape of Shen City Bay, and inside there is only a small round table.

A few half-drunk cups of coffee and some draft papers filled with casual doodles (algorithm formulas, architecture diagrams) are scattered on the table.

Liu Qingning and several colleagues are sitting together, bursts of lighthearted laughter echoing occasionally.

"...The new pork knuckle rice at the cafeteria is amazing! Fatty but not greasy, melts in your mouth, I sincerely suggest you all try it."

"Agreed! I ate two servings yesterday!"

"The results of last week’s company ’code marathon’ competition are out, Mingzhu took third place, tonight we should have her treat us."

...

"Among the new users of [Qingmi AI] last week, the percentage of those born after 2000 exceeded 30% for the first time, this is definitely a new opportunity..."

...

Liu Qingning listened quietly to everyone’s chatter, occasionally chiming in with a smile, her eyebrows and eyes full of laughter.

These people are her recently personally "recruited" old associates and top alumni.

They are also her most core loyal team within this sprawling tech company.

After a while.

She glanced at her watch, clapped her hands and said, "Alright, it’s noon, 12 o’clock, let’s wrap it up, hurry up and go grab lunch, you can try the pork knuckle rice."

Everyone bursts into laughter.

Liu Qingning stood up, half-jokingly said, "In short, everyone who just joined Qingning Technology, it’s normal to feel a bit unaccustomed. Any problems at work, feel free to come to me. If it can be solved with technology, we’ll rely on technology. If technology can’t solve it... I’ll go ’reason’ with them."

"Alright, President Liu!"

"Sister Ning, you’re awesome!"

"Bye, Qingning."

Everyone left with smiles.

In the small meeting room, only Li Ziyin was left.

This knowledgeable and capable senior is someone Liu Qingning has known since sophomore year.

They had worked diligently together in Professor Wang’s lab, teamed up for the "Internet+" entrepreneurship competition, co-founded [Century Wisdom], and then cashed out and left.

Their relationship is naturally strong.

Now, at Liu Qingning’s strong invitation, she has officially joined [Qingning Technology], serving as the head of the newly established Data Strategy and Business Intelligence Department (DSBI).

This department isn’t top-level, but it holds the highest authority to access all core business data, directly responsible for providing data support to the top decision-making level.

Liu Qingning playfully bumped shoulders with this senior, "How’s it going? Ziyin, it’s been almost a week since you joined, are you used to it?"

"It’s good, a big company is indeed different." Li Ziyin sighed, "The benefits, atmosphere are great, and the technology accumulation is much deeper than when we were at ’Century Wisdom’."

She then looked at this younger but unfathomable junior, a hint of curiosity in her gaze.

In a joking tone, she probed:

"Qingning, I’ve always had a question, bottled up for so long... Is the name of our company really related to you?"

Back when they started the business, the team often joked about Liu Qingning’s name with [Qingning Technology].

Now, personally entering this world-class Unicorn, seeing Liu Qingning not only directly responsible for core products like [Qingmi AI] with hundreds of millions of users, but also casually inserting trusted ’confidants’ into crucial data positions, ignoring procedures.

The meaning behind this is already self-evident.

Liu Qingning turned to look at the senior, showing a sly smile on her cute face, "Yes, the name of this company is because of me."

Although she already suspected, when the suspicion was confirmed, Li Ziyin’s eyes twitched involuntarily.

She exaggeratedly patted her chest, "Wow! It really is you! So amazing, my Ning! Naming a world-class Unicorn!"

Of course, her inner shock was far beyond this, more of it was a feeling of ecstatic joy in making the right investment.

This means, following tightly behind this junior, her career will have endless possibilities.

Liu Qingning smiled, didn’t discuss the topic further, and instead asked, "By the way, Sister Ziyin, how did you think of joining Professor Wang to participate in that entrepreneurship competition back then?"

Li Ziyin paused, her eyes showing a look of reminiscence.

"Coincidentally. I had just been accepted as Professor Wang’s graduate student, which was in early 2018, when she suddenly said in the lab, that AI+education is a big trend, encouraging us to form a team and participate in the ’Internet+’ competition..."

"At the time, when Professor Wang said there was a sophomore undergraduate junior joining, we were quite resistant, thinking undergraduates don’t know much.

But, it was Professor Wang’s sharp insight, persistence against opposition, and verification of you as a tech genius..."

Liu Qingning listened quietly, her gaze slightly lowered, seemingly pondering something.

The two chatted for a while, and Li Ziyin also left for the cafeteria.

Returning to the spacious private office on the 42nd floor.

The relaxed smile on Liu Qingning’s face gradually faded.

"Early 2018... Qingning Technology... Smile Holding... TY Precision..."

She murmured softly, raising her hand to rub her faintly aching temples.

"Ring ring ring—"

The phone suddenly rang.

[Liu Shuang]

Liu Qingning took a deep breath, pressed the answer button, hadn’t had time to speak.

Through the receiver came her best friend’s voice, altered due to extreme excitement: "Qingning! Qingning! Something big happened! [Xuanji Light Realm] something big happened!"