Lin Yuhui possessed a strong survival instinct, especially given his life's starting point: a high-salary job, a villa, a wife, and children. Granted, the wife was picked up by chance, and the children weren't his own, but what was there to complain about? In his previous life, he'd been born in a small city in northeastern China before the reform era. While all roads led to Rome, it was far better to be born in Rome itself.
林语晖的求生欲很强,尤其是高薪别墅老婆娃俱全的人生起点,虽说老婆是捡的,娃不是自己的,可是还有什么可挑剔的呢?上辈子他出生在改革开放前的中国东北的一个小城市,虽说条条大路通罗马,但是也不如直接生在罗马啊.
Moreover, he carried all the memories, cultivation, and life experiences from his past existence. Undoubtedly, these served as advantages in tackling this new life's challenges, and he welcomed the test. Having already died once, with no attachments left, he no longer feared death. Heh, finally, he could devote himself entirely.
并且还能带着前世所有的记忆,历练和人生经验,毫无疑问是对这一次人生挑战的助力与加成,他很高兴接受这个挑战.而且已经死过一次了,没了牵挂也不怕死了,呵呵,终于可以全身心地投入了.
Since Theodore's cause of death remained unknown—its source and potential form of threat still unclear—he decided to bolster his defenses comprehensively.
既然西奥多的死因还无从追索,不知道威胁从何而来,以及会以某种方式到来,那就给自己增加防卫手段吧,全方位的.
Lin Yuhui wasn't foolish. He avoided using company terminals to search for or order defensive items and refrained from asking others for advice. Drawing on his scientific understanding of technological progress, nearly a century's worth of societal development insights, and his grasp of human nature, he knew he had to start from the most basic level of self-protection. He didn't even hire private bodyguards; it didn't matter—he trusted no one anyway.
林语晖并不傻,他并没有使用公司的终端设备去查询订购这些防御物品,也没有和身边的人打听什么.依照理科生对科技进步的认知,和将近百年的对社会发展的认知与对人性的理解,他很清楚自己只能从最初级的阶段开始防卫自己,他甚至都没有私人保镖,不过没关系,反正他也不信任别人.
What puzzled him was why the previous Theodore had taken no such precautions. Perhaps this was the difference between a pampered pet and a beast forged in the wilds of the jungle. At that moment, Lin Yuhui even felt a flicker of pride in his own rugged past and the hard-earned wisdom about the real world it had given him, along with his resilient character.
只是他不太理解之前那个西奥多怎么也完全没有这些防御措施.或许这就是圈养的宠物和真正丛林中厮杀出来的野兽的区别吧,此时林语晖甚至有些骄傲于自己所经历的坎坷人生以及从中学到的对真实世界的认知和养成的坚毅的品格. Ah, don't get cocky—stay low-key, stay low-key. Pondering this, he glanced through the glass walls of his office toward the open workspace beyond. Which of those people had the former Theodore trusted? And which were Trojan horses? The thought made him chuckle, recalling Grace's horseback riding farce from the day before.
呃,树大招风,自己先别得意,要低调,低调.想到这,他透过往自己的办公室玻璃墙壁,望向外面的办公空间,暗自思索,那些人里面,哪些是过去西奥多可以信任的人,哪些又是特洛伊木马呢?想到这林语晖笑出来了,想起了昨天格蕾丝上演骑马的闹剧.
He stifled his smile, pretending nonchalance as he glanced sideways at others. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice his private amusement.I need to be like Hunter, he reminded himself.I need to be like Hunter. Less than an hour into his shift, Hunter had already wandered off alone for a stroll.
收住了笑容,故作镇定地左右斜眼看了看其他人,还好并没有人注意到他在自娱自乐.心里念叨着,我得像亨特,我得像亨特,到岗还不到一个小时,他就一个人溜溜达达出去散步了.
Below the company building lay a small park. At ten o'clock on a winter morning, the sun was warm and gentle, carrying the faint, fresh scent of olive trees. Lin Yuhui hadn't walked far before settling onto a bench. He tilted his face upward, closed his eyes, and soaked in the rare winter warmth.
公司大楼下面就有一个小公园,冬日里十点钟的太阳,温暖柔和,橄榄树飘来淡淡的植物清香,林语晖没走多远就找了一个长椅坐下,仰面闭上眼睛,面对太阳,享受冬日里这难得的温馨时光.
As the light before his lids shifted from bright to orange, then red, it felt like the flow of blood, slowly spreading the sun's heat to his limbs. After days of busy running and uncertainty since his death, he finally felt he could rest. Yet, in such moments, a thread of longing for someone far away always tugged at his mind. Was she happy now?
随着眼前的颜色由亮到橙色,红色的变化,仿佛那血液的流动,把阳光的温暖也慢慢传到了四肢末梢.自从死后,这些天来的的奔波与种种未知的颠沛流离,似乎在这一刻终于可以歇一歇,可是,每当这个时候,远方的那一丝牵挂又萦绕脑海之中,不知她此刻是否过得幸福.
"Mr. Hunter, may I sit here?"
A familiar female voice. Lin Yuhui opened his eyes—it was Charisse. Though he disliked the interruption, he couldn't show it. He forced a smile.
"亨特先生,我可以坐这里吗?"
一个女性的声音,有点熟悉,林语晖睁眼一看,原来是莎丽斯,虽然不喜欢被打扰,也不好表现出来,只好笑问,
"What a coincidence. How did you know I was here?"
"这么巧,你知道我在这里?"
"I asked the building's intelligent system. It saw you come here."
"我问大楼的智能系统,它看到你来这里了,"
"Oh, please sit. The sun feels nice."
"哦,请坐,晒晒太阳很舒服,"
Charisse wore her usual office attire: a professional suit with a knee-length skirt. Outdoors, it looked too thin for the chill. Lin Yuhui's gaze swept over her without comment, then he steered the conversation.
今天莎丽斯依然穿了办公室职业套装,过膝的短裙,只是这身装束在室外有些凉,林语晖一眼扫过,没有说什么,只是随意找话题问,
"You deal with a wide range of clients, don't you?" His small talk aimed squarely at gathering information.
"你的工作接触的客户范围很广吧,"其实林语晖与她闲聊更多的是为了获取自己想要的信息,
"Yes, mainly across North America's coasts."
"是啊,北美大陆,主要还是在东西海岸,"
"How many children do parents usually request for gene editing?"
"一般做基因编辑的父母会要几个孩子啊?"
"It varies. Those with inheritances or businesses to pass on tend to want more."
"不一定,有家产要继承的,或者有事业需要接班的,需要的孩子数量会多些,"
"They still prioritize quality, right?"
"他们也是要优选吧?"
"Of course. Since outcomes are hard to quantify beyond intelligence and health, traits like loyalty and care for family must be assessed personally."
"是的,因为不好量化评估结果,除了智商和身体健康程度,是否忠诚,关爱他们的父母家人,这些方面还需要他们自己考察,"
"I see—that's a factor too." As Lin Yuhui replied, a breeze lifted Charisse's skirt hem.
"哦,这也是一个因素,"林语晖回答着,望向莎丽斯瞬间看到微风略微带动她的裙角,
He stared briefly, tempted to tuck the fabric against her thigh but wary of overstepping. Catching her noticing his gaze, he swiftly removed his jacket and draped it over her legs.
他注视了片刻,想要动手帮她掖住裙边与她大腿之间的缝隙,但是又不好与她太多肢体接触,
"The wind's a bit cold," he said, masking his real worry:Don't misinterpret this.
"风有点凉,"关心的言语间心里想的却是,她最好不要误会太多,
Leaning back against the bench, arms crossed, he faced forward.
抬眼间,看到莎丽斯已经注意到了他的视线,林语晖只好脱下上衣盖在她的腿上,
"Thank you. You're quite the thoughtful gentleman."
"谢谢,你可真是一位体贴的绅士,"
"Oh, nothing. You're underdressed for the breeze," he replied casually, inwardly marveling at how Hunter's body handled the cold far better than his old one.
"哦,没什么,你穿的有点少,外面风凉,"随便答对着,林语晖一边在心中感慨亨特这副身体真的不错,比我原来的抗冻多了.
By noon, the strengthening sun warmed his skin enough to offset the chill, so he stayed put, continuing to chat.
好在接近中午的阳光越来越足了,照在体表的温度抵消了凉风的寒意,所以他也没有回去的意思,便找话题与莎丽斯闲聊,
"I think we could expand this part of our business to include ordinary citizens."
"我觉得我们这部分业务,可以扩展一下,覆盖部分普通市民阶层,"
"Oh? What's your idea?"
"喔?你有什么想法呢?"
"Screening for promising genes could optimize population structure. State subsidies would help—we'd earn more, and society would gain smarter, healthier, more attractive people, right?"
"从优化人口结构的角度,可以普遍筛查有潜力的基因啊,让州政府补助呗,我们也可以增加收入,他们也可以有更多的聪明的人,英俊美丽的人,身体强健的人,对吧,"
"And more men who cherish women," Charisse added.
"对,还可以有更多体贴女性的男人,"
"Haha, true," Lin Yuhui laughed, though he'd only sought a topic.
"哈哈哈,是啊,"林语晖也笑了,他只是随便找了个话题,
"Still, modifying just one generation often yields unstable hereditary traits," she noted.
"只是一般来讲,只修改一代可能遗传性状并不稳定,"
Her words sparked a memory: He'd recently asked Hunter's mother about their family's gene-editing history.What was his own family's situation? He'd need to analyze the data when it arrived.
听她这么说,林语晖忽然想起来前些天自己问亨特妈妈关于家族基因编辑情况,自己家是什么情况呢?等数据出来要留意分析一下.
"What's the growth potential for this business?" he asked.
"你觉得公司这方面业务增长潜力怎么样啊,"
"It's not a major revenue stream. High-net-worth clients are limited, and their investment in heirs is capped. They pour more into extending their own lifespans."
"其实这部分也不是主要营收,毕竟高净值人群数量就那些,在接班人方面的投入还是有限,他们更多的投入还是延长自己的寿命,"
"Oh, so it's become an internal departmental competition."
"哦,这成了公司部门内部业务竞争力了,"
"Heh, yes. If consciousness transfer were feasible, we'd dominate everything."
"呵呵,是啊,要是技术上能实现意识转移就通吃了."
"Lunch break. I won't head back up—I've other matters to attend to."
"是啊,午休时间了,我就不上去了,我还有其他事情,"
After bidding Charisse farewell, Lin Yuhui had no intention of wasting more time. By noon, he was already aboard a flight to Texas. Known for its rugged spirit and status as a conservative stronghold despite changing times, the state hosted thriving personal defense exhibitions. This time, Lin Yuhui was there to shop.
告别莎丽斯,林语晖不想在她身上浪费更多时间,午餐时间他已经坐在了前往德克萨斯州的飞机上.当地民风彪悍,不管时代怎样变迁,一直作为保守派的大本营,所以那里的个人防务展览展会活动也特别兴盛,这一次林语晖就是要去那里扫货.
(Translated by Qwen)