As the proverb goes: The apprehensive bird was never heard before simply because it was not understood.
Until today, Zhang Zian thought apprehension only meant "understanding languages". But now he learned that it was not just about "understanding", it was more about analyzing and decoding languages.
He had underestimated Richard. Decoding languages was much superior and fancier than purely understanding languages. Decoding languages involved tracing back to the source and approaching the nature of language.
Hearing that Richard thought the languages of humans, animals and computers were the same, Zhang Zian was rather surprised, but on second thought, he believed that it probably made sense.