novelnext Chapter 12 The Encounter Between Zhang Yiming and Wang Zian
Chapter 12 The Encounter Between Zhang Yiming and Wang Zian
Zhang Yiming used to not believe that there were truly geniuses in the world because he considered himself a genius.
It wasn't until I met Wang Zi'an on a computer forum that I understood.
A few years ago, when he was still researching recommendation algorithms, he always encountered problems in the information summarization and filtering stages.
The amount of user behavior data is too large and has too many dimensions, making traditional collaborative filtering algorithms slow and inaccurate.
He and his team spent two months adjusting the results, but they were still just a little short of the desired effect.
The breath wasn't strong, but it was stuck in my throat; I couldn't swallow it or spit it out.
So he posted a request for help on a computer forum.
Anonymous, without revealing their identity, they simply posted the mathematical model of the problem.
There were quite a few replies, but most of them only suggested "try adjusting the parameters" or "change the loss function".
There was only one person whose ID was a random string of numbers and letters. The content of the private message reply made him stare at the screen for a full ten minutes.
Instead of offering advice on parameter tuning, that person directly reconstructed the entire information filtering logic of the recall model from the mathematical foundation.
The mathematical design of diversity control, linear algebra, and vector matching; every step is as precise as if it were cut with a scalpel.
It's often said that someone who's good at computers isn't necessarily good at math, but someone who's good at math is definitely good at computers.
Although only a small portion of the information was sent in that message, Zhang Yiming was very knowledgeable.
Upon seeing this solution, I immediately felt that this person was a genius, and I had the idea of recruiting him to my team.
But he couldn't contact this person no matter what he tried, and even after asking people to investigate, they couldn't find out anything.
Two weeks later, the ID reappeared.
This time, I won't just reply to private messages.
Instead, it includes a complete patent application document and a patent usage fee statement.
Zhang Yiming sat in front of the computer, stunned for a long time.
Then he laughed, a loud laugh that startled his colleagues at the next workstation.
He immediately contacted the person, identified himself, and expressed his willingness to cooperate.
However, the other party's response was lukewarm, only mentioning the patent and not anything else.
Zhang Yiming was undeterred and sent messages again and again, discussing everything from technology to the industry, from the industry to ideals, and from ideals to the future.
The two gradually became acquainted.
Every time he tried to find out the other person's true identity and what they did, Wang Zi'an would not answer.
He even went so far as to reveal his background, saying that he is actually the founder of ByteDance and is working on a new content platform.
He thought that this identity would change the other party's attitude.
The guy replied with just four words: "I already knew that."
Just four words.
Even the punctuation marks exude a calm "so what?" attitude.
Zhang Yiming was completely captivated by this person.
He pleaded and begged for months until the day the patent licensing agreement was officially signed, when he finally learned the other party's true identity.
He was clearly a junior high school student.
Zhang Yiming was completely stunned.
It's not because of anxiety, it's because my worldview has been challenged.
He knew perfectly well what a true genius was.
····
Wang Zian stretched and looked around Zhang Yiming's office.
The desk was piled with files, the bookshelves were crammed with technical books and industry reports, and a money tree stood in the corner, its leaves looking more vibrant than the potted green ivy on the coffee table.
A whiteboard hangs on the wall, with a product architecture diagram drawn on it in markers, the lines so messy they look like an electrocardiogram.
"Old Zhang, you've built such a big company; can't you at least make your office a little nicer?"
Zhang Yiming shrugged indifferently, stood up from his chair, and walked to the window.
Outside the window is the Beijing skyline, hazy and indistinct, with distant buildings showing layered outlines in the thin mist.
"The office size doesn't matter, since I'm not in the office much when I'm busy anyway! So it doesn't really matter!"
The two were chatting when the door was pushed open.
Liang Rubo, the number two person at ByteDance, rushed in with a big smile on his face, holding a printed data report in his hand, the paper rustling in his hands.
Wang Zian quickly put on his mask.
"Old Zhang, the expert you found is truly amazing! After this optimization, our algorithm's recommendation success rate has increased by 20%! The short video platform is now much smoother!"
His voice boomed through the office, then abruptly stopped.
He saw a person sitting on the sofa.
Not only was he very tall, but he also mysteriously wore a mask.
The mask covered most of her face, revealing only a pair of phoenix eyes with slightly upturned corners, calmly looking at him.
"Is this the master you were talking about?!" Liang Rubo reacted quickly and asked directly.
Zhang Yiming smiled and introduced him to his friend, "This is Mr. Wang Zi'an, our company's shareholder who invested both technology and capital!"
"We've known each other for four or five years!"
Upon hearing this, Liang Rubo's face instantly lit up with enthusiasm.
He has met some well-known algorithm experts, and he can understand some of their quirks.
Some are quiet, some are unkempt, and some have all sorts of quirks.
He also met an internationally renowned algorithm expert, a man in his forties, who always wore anime-style women's clothing, including a wig, petticoat, and over-the-knee socks, to academic conferences.
Compared to them, wearing a mask is perfectly normal.
A warm smile quickly spread across Liang Rubo's face. He took two steps forward and extended his right hand.
Hello, hello!
Wang Zian stood up and shook hands with Liang Rubo.
"It'll be lunchtime soon, let's go grab a bite together!"
"Sure!"
···
It was supposed to be a meal, but we ended up eating in the company cafeteria.
The cafeteria is on the second floor, taking up half the floor space.
It was dinnertime, and there was a queue in front of the food serving window.
The air was filled with the steam of rice, the aroma of braised pork, and some other indescribable smell unique to the cafeteria.
The three of them carried their trays and found a corner to sit down.
Wang Zian took off his mask and placed it on the table, then looked down at the food he had prepared.
Braised beef brisket with potatoes, braised eggplant, and garlic-flavored greens, served with a bowl of white rice.
It looks good; the beef brisket is stewed to a glossy, dark brown color, the edges of the potato chunks are slightly melted into the broth, and the eggplant glistens under the light.
He picked up a piece of beef brisket, put it in his mouth, chewed it twice, and raised his eyebrows slightly.
I must say, it's a big company after all; they hired top-notch chefs.
"How is it? Not bad, right?" Zhang Yiming looked at him with a smile, his chopsticks hovering in mid-air, waiting for his reaction. "This is a master chef I specially found."
Wang Zian nodded, swallowed the beef brisket in his mouth, and picked up the soup bowl to take a sip.
"That's right, not a bloodsucker capitalist!"
"Hey! You rascal," Zhang Yiming tapped him with his chopsticks, his tone full of amusement, "always so sarcastic!"
The two chatted back and forth, their tone as casual as that of longtime friends.