Building a Sci-Fi Empire: Starting with Cold Nuclear Fusion

It's perfectly normal for boyfriends and girlfriends to sit together when they eat.

Chen Yuan's relationship with A Yu doesn't seem to have reached that point yet, but she's asking him to sit together.

He should have been happy.

This is because it signals an "upgrade" in the relationship.

He is happy now, but he is more confused.

Before, when he talked to Ayu, she was indifferent, but now her attitude is so abnormal.

Chen Yuan truly couldn't understand it.

However, he did like Ah Yu quite a bit, so he didn't reject her.

As Chen Yuan stood up and sat down, he said with a smile, "Actually, I also wanted to sit with you, but I was too shy to say so when we first met."

Ah Yu seemed a little nervous. "Don't overthink it. I just think it's easier to talk when we sit close together."

Chen Yuan turned his head and saw that her whole body was tense.

It's a bit like how I felt when I first fell in love and had contact with a woman.

He didn't think much of it when he smelled the faint fragrance emanating from the other person.

Chen Yuan tried to lighten the mood by changing the subject, saying, "What perfume are you wearing? It smells wonderful."

Ah Yu said, "I wasn't wearing perfume, it's probably just the smell of shampoo."

Chen Yuan wondered if it was just his imagination, but before, when A Yu spoke to him, she would always tilt her head to the side or pretend not to hear him. This time, however, when he sat closer, she stared straight ahead and didn't seem to care about him at all.

This made him doubt himself once again. Sometimes Ah Yu seemed quite satisfied with him, and other times she seemed indifferent. What was going on?

Although Chen Yuan could confirm through further observation that A Yu wasn't looking at him, the conversation between the two seemed very harmonious and natural.

Before long, the dishes were served one by one.

Ah Yu used chopsticks she hadn't eaten from yet to pick up a piece of squirrel-shaped mandarin fish first.

Chen Yuan thought it was her first time eating this dish, so she wanted to try it to see what it tasted like.

Unexpectedly, Ayu put the fish she had just picked up into Chen Yuan's bowl before picking up another piece of fish to eat.

There have been many similar actions.

For example, when the shrimp were served next, Ayu still used a clean spoon to scoop a spoonful for Chen Yuan before she ate it herself.

She gives people the feeling of being very considerate and thoughtful.

At the same time, Chen Yuan also felt a sweet feeling deep inside.

It was as if the two were not in a period of ambiguity, but were actually dating.

Because they chatted while eating, the meal took quite a long time, starting around 5:30 pm and continuing until about 7 pm.

Aside from Ah Yu going to the restroom once, the two chatted intimately the whole time.

She even initiated and guided many of the topics, as if she had a strong liking for Chen Yuan.

Chen Yuan naturally enjoyed this way of getting along and put aside the previous situation where the other party was sometimes unresponsive.

Perhaps it's because Ah Yu really gave off a good impression today.

Chen Yuan thought to himself that he would find an opportunity to probe her innermost thoughts later and see if he could move the relationship forward.

"Are you full?"

Chen Yuan took out his phone to scan the QR code to pay. "Shall we go shopping on Shantang Street later?"

Ah Yu agreed, "I'm full, I'll do whatever you say."

The interface popped up.

Chen Yuan was about to enter his payment password to pay.

Unexpectedly, the interface showed that payment had already been made.

He was taken aback, turned his head to look at him, and said, "You paid the bill, didn't we agree that I would treat you?"

Ah Yu said gently, "You haven't been working for very long, and you just bought a car and are still paying off the loan, so I thought I'd save you some money, that's why I paid the bill. You're not upset, are you?"

How could I not be happy?

only……

To be honest, Chen Yuan had dated before, but he had never met a girl like A Yu.

One that can remember its own preferences.

I always give myself the first bite of anything delicious.

They were even very understanding, knowing that I might be short of money since I had just started working and bought a car, so they took the initiative to pay the bill.

Chen Yuan felt a sense of unreality; the girl in front of him seemed not to exist in reality, but rather to be a "princess" who could only appear in a dream.

He was touched and looked earnestly into her eyes, saying, "Ayu, no matter what happens to us in the future, there's one thing I can promise you: as long as you don't cut off contact with me, I will always be there for you."

Upon hearing this, Ah Yu's eyes suddenly welled up with tears, as if she might burst into tears at any moment.

Chen Yuan was staring intently at the other person; how could he not notice what was going on?

He asked, somewhat confused, "Why do you look like you're about to cry? Did I say something wrong?"

"No, no." Ah Yu sniffed, seemingly trying hard to hold back her tears. "I... I just thought of some things, so I felt inexplicably sad."

At this point, she forced a smile, "Okay, let's not talk about these unhappy things. Let's go for a stroll on Shantang Street. Tonight... I want to talk to you more."

Chen Yuan still sensed something was wrong. He didn't stand up immediately, but continued to look at her intently, asking, "Is something on your mind? Can you tell me?"

Ah Yu slowly lowered her head, then raised it again as if to say something but hesitated. In the end, she still couldn't say anything and lowered her head helplessly once more.

Chen Yuan frowned and said, "We've spent about 150 days together. Do you still think there's anything you can't tell me?"

"I……"

Ah Yu raised her head again, her lips moved several times, but the words stuck in her throat and she still couldn't say them.

Chen Yuan had no choice but to stand up and say, "Alright, if you don't want to talk about it, I can't force you. Let's go to Shantang Street..."

Before he could finish speaking, he felt Ah Yu behind him tug at his clothes.

Chen Yuan turned around in confusion. "What's wrong?"

Ah Yu seemed to have made up her mind. She pointed to the seat next to her and said, "Sit down, I want to have a good talk with you, okay?"

Chen Yuan grunted and sat back down.

"There are some things I've kept in my heart for a long time, but I've never dared to say them, for fear that you would stop talking to me after you found out the truth."

Ah Yu's voice trembled slightly, "I...I...I'm not a normal person."

Ok?

What does that mean?

Chen Yuan didn't quite understand and asked, "You seem perfectly normal, what's wrong with you?"

Ah Yu tried her best to control her emotions and appear calm. "I...I can't hear in one ear...I have to wear a cochlear implant all the time. When I was in school, almost no classmates played with me, and they even called me deaf. It got a little better after I entered society, but no one was willing to get close to me emotionally. That's why I met you online. I won't lie to you, you're not the first person I've chatted with online. There was someone before, we chatted for a long time, well, not as long as you. He always wanted to meet me, but I refused many times because of my hearing impairment. Later, after careful consideration, I told him about my situation, and then..."

At this point, her tone became firm and resolute, as if she were proving that she was a strong person. "After he found out that I was hearing impaired, he simply stopped replying to my messages. So when you suggested meeting me this time, I was actually very conflicted deep down, afraid that a similar situation would happen again. Even though I finally decided to meet you, I didn't dare to wear the external processor of my cochlear implant, just because I was afraid that you would find out that I had a hearing impairment and then scare me away."

Finally, Ah Yu's voice calmed down, "Alright, I've told you everything about my situation. If you want to leave, you can leave now, and I won't have any complaints."

Ok?

Do you have hearing loss in one ear?

It was even so severe that a cochlear implant was inserted?

Hearing these words, Chen Yuan finally understood Ah Yu's series of unusual behaviors.

Whether she was initially reluctant to meet or, once they did meet, she always seemed "absent-minded" when she spoke.

It turns out she wasn't absent-minded; she simply couldn't hear the other person when she spoke into their other ear.

Chen Yuan recalled how she had tilted her head and tried hard to listen to him before, and how she had asked him to sit with her before dinner. Finally, he understood everything.

Generally speaking, most patients who receive cochlear implants have sensorineural hearing loss.

This condition is divided into two types: congenital and acquired.

Congenital sensorineural hearing loss is generally caused by gene mutations.

There is a high probability that it will be passed on to offspring, and there may be some complications.

For example, it may be accompanied by decreased vision, goiter, etc.

Therefore, it's understandable that Ayu's online friend, with whom she had chatted for a long time, stopped replying after learning about the situation, since no one wants their offspring to inherit this disease.

Of course, sensorineural hearing loss can also be acquired.

It is usually caused by noise, medication, or infection.

This is not hereditary.

When Chen Yuan heard about A Yu's story, he did not have the idea of ​​running away; in fact, he felt a pang of pity for her.

He could sense that Ayu was a girl who appeared gentle on the outside, but was insecure yet self-reliant on the inside.

For example, she didn't even wear the external processor of her cochlear implant so that she could have a proper dinner with him, for fear of being looked at strangely by Chen Yuan and others. This shows how inferior she was. When she finally made up her mind to tell him what happened, her expression gradually changed from sadness to calmness and strength, showing that she had a strong heart.

In addition, Chen Yuan could also sense that A Yu cared about him.

If she didn't care, why would she be so troubled and worried about this?

Only those who care will be anxious about gains and losses.

Being strong is just Ah Yu's pride.

Chen Yuan looked into the other person's eyes and said, "Ayu, I don't know what kind of people you've met before, but I hope you understand one thing: I like you as a person, so no matter how tall, fat, beautiful, or ugly you are, or whether you are healthy or not, I will not give up this encounter that fate has given us."

Ah Yu looked over in disbelief, "Do you really think so?"

Chen Yuan nodded vigorously and said, "Yes, I'm very serious."

Ayu said, somewhat at a loss, "But...but..."

Chen Yuan shook his head and said, "No buts. As long as you don't give up, I will always be with you."

Moved to tears, Ah Yu nodded gently and said "Mmm".

Chen Yuan asked, "Can you tell me exactly why you have hearing loss in one ear?"

Ah Yu's strength seemed to melt away, and her tone became gentle again.

She stopped hiding it and said, "I had otitis media when I was a child, and the infection was quite severe, so I developed sensorineural hearing loss."

It was acquired, not congenital, which means that even if she has offspring, her deafness will not be inherited.

Chen Yuan had a general idea of ​​what was going on and asked, "Since you have hearing loss in one ear, why don't you wear an external processor? You won't feel so much pressure being with me. You should put it on quickly."

Ah Yu revealed a girlish side, and she whispered, "I'm a little insecure, afraid that others will find out I'm deaf."

Chen Yuan understood this feeling. Generally speaking, the more a person lacks something, the more they care about it, which can lead to feelings of inferiority.

As obvious as the external processor of a cochlear implant, once worn, anyone can tell that the wearer is a hearing impaired person.

Chen Yuan was considering something. He was unable to cure A Yu's sensorineural hearing loss, but could he use quantum computing to design a cochlear implant that did not require an external processor?

If possible, in the future, whether it's Ah Yu or other people with hearing impairments, they can all be like normal people and not have to endure the strange looks from others.

This is something that benefits humanity.

Although Chen Yuan initially had this idea because he hoped that A Yu would not feel inferior, when he thought that if this type of cochlear implant could be developed, countless people with hearing impairments could gain dignity, he secretly made up his mind.

Whether it's for Ah Yu's sake or to benefit all people with hearing impairments, I must develop this kind of cochlear implant!