The train driver in the courtyard

As the convoy passed the transfer point, the tires made sharp and crisp sounds on the Gobi gravel.

Li Aiguo looked at the gradually shrinking red boundary marker in the rearview mirror. The iron-gray horizon was being replaced by ochre-brown gravel in the northwest.

He knew that the real journey had just begun.

Although the Chen Wencai incident cast a shadow on the young technicians, the melody of "Song of the Exploration Team" in the car was still uplifting.

Zhou Xiaomeng curled up in the corner holding a canvas bag. Her eyelashes, which had been drooping two days ago, now raised again. Occasionally, she tapped her knuckles to the melody, and her hair drew a soft arc in the bumps.

After two days of driving, the convoy finally arrived at a train station in the suburbs of a small county town.

It is called a train station, but in fact it is just a lonely simple small bungalow standing next to the railway.

The dilapidated station sign had long been cracked by wind and sun, the paint was mottled, and the station name could not be clearly seen.

According to Ma Dongxue, this is Haiyan Station.

Haiyan is the closest small city to Factory 221, and it is also the dividing line between Factory 221 and the secular world.

A young technician climbed down from the truck and asked curiously, "Leader Ma, why don't we take the truck directly to Factory 221, but change to the train here?"

Several young people immediately formed a semicircle, and more than thirty sunburned faces turned to look at Ma Dongxue.

"You are already employees of Factory 221, so telling you won't be considered a violation of confidentiality regulations." The match produced an orange spark, and Ma Dongxue took a deep breath of Daqianmen, explaining between the flickering cigarette butts:
“Thirty miles to the west is an uninhabited area, and if a truck gets into an accident, people will die.

More importantly, using special trains to transport materials and personnel is easier to manage and helps maintain confidentiality.

Remember, after passing Haiyan and arriving at the area of ​​Factory 221, if you find any truck transport, report it to the confidentiality department immediately."

The young men thought about it carefully and nodded:

"This is really a good idea."

"Yes, the comrades in the confidentiality department do have a way." As he spoke, Ma Dongxue looked up at Lao Mao.

Old Cat noticed his look and his mouth twitched. He had indeed provided this special line transportation method to the Ninth Bureau's Confidentiality Department, but the real source was the train driver.
Now all the credit should be attributed to him, isn't it inappropriate? The old cat twisted his stiff neck and gestured to the distance.

The humming sound of vibrations from rails could be heard in the distance, and a grass-green special train was tearing through the morning mist.

The train drivers and crew members responsible for the transportation were all from Factory 221.

The Type 56 submachine gun on the steward's shoulder glowed coldly, and the barrel swept across everyone's chest from time to time during the inspection.

After strict questioning and inspection, Li Aiguo, Zhang Yan and the young people boarded the train.

The train did not have a fixed departure time. After Lao Mao and Zhang Yan showed their credentials, the train immediately blew its whistle twice and started moving with black smoke.

The car was driving very slowly. The further west we went, the more desolate it felt. After passing Haiyan, it was difficult to see trees. There were bare mountains everywhere, which looked bleak and desolate.

The train passed through stops such as "Kiln Factory" and "Second Site" and arrived at its final destination - the Confidential Factory.

According to Zhang Yan, the so-called confidential factory is not a factory, but a huge locomotive depot.

The locomotive depot was under the charge of the 16th Regiment of the 10th Iron Division of the Military Horse Farm, and supplies from all over the country were gathered here.

Li Aiguo got off the car and saw many trucks marked with "Special Vehicle of Unit 02, 9002 Engineering Office" parked on several forked roads.

Factory 221 is not just one factory, but consists of more than a dozen factories including the main factory, branch factory one, branch factory two, etc.

In the early morning, the first ray of sunlight shines unreservedly over Factory 221.

Looking around, there are comrades everywhere wearing navy blue and yellow-brown work clothes. They are walking hurriedly, dividing the work and cooperating with each other. The air seems to be filled with a tense and warm atmosphere, which is the sense of mission to strive for a common goal.

Li Aiguo felt as if he had suddenly emerged from the bottom of the water. His ears were filled with the sound of whistles, and he seemed to have returned to the Qianmen Locomotive Depot.

Just as I was in a daze, a GAZ truck covered with a canvas canopy drove past in the distance.

"Everyone get on board." Under the arrangement of Ma Dongxue, the young technicians got on the GAZ truck. It seemed that this vehicle should be a bus.

At this time, the truck responsible for transporting the calculator also arrived. Li Aiguo was about to call for the loading and unloading truck when Zhou Xiaomeng ran over.

"Comrade driver, we may never meet again. Thank you for your care along the way."

Before Li Aiguo could respond, Zhou Xiaomeng swung her playful ponytails and ran away quickly, leaving only a hurried back.

"Let's go, the leaders of the first office of the ninth institute are waiting for us." At the urging of Lao Mao, Li Aiguo retracted his gaze and climbed onto the GAZ truck.

The truck started slowly, raising a cloud of dust as it sped towards its destination.

Factory 221 these days is more like a bustling construction site.

There are potholes and construction sites everywhere, and it is difficult to find a decent road.

Li Aiguo sat in the truck bed and looked in the direction of the railway tracks. He saw the tracks winding along the road and extending to the distant end.

Small platforms can be seen from time to time on the roadside. It seems that the interior of Factory 221 should be closely connected by rails.

These rails are like veins, maintaining the operation of each part.

"Aiguo, this is your first time at Factory 221. According to regulations, I have to explain the confidentiality rules here to you."

The old cat's voice sounded at the right time, interrupting Li Aiguo's thoughts.

Hearing this, Li Aiguo quickly withdrew his gaze from outside and listened attentively. "The ninth institute we are going to this time is the core part of the main factory. The confidentiality level is level 1, and a specific pass must be shown to enter and exit.

Moreover, these passes are carefully differentiated, and the holders can mostly only enter specific areas, and are strictly prohibited from entering other areas without permission.

At the same time, the Ninth Institute also stipulates that all confidential matters related to scientific research and production must be recorded in a confidentiality book and used by one person only.

Once the confidentiality book is lost, the user will bear extremely serious consequences and must not be careless in the slightest.

Scientific research meetings also have strict confidentiality regulations and are all conducted using code names.

Participants must wear their ID cards, and entry and exit will be verified by a confidentiality officer.

All distributed documents must be registered in detail and retrieved promptly after the meeting to ensure that nothing goes wrong.

As he spoke, Lao Mao's voice became lower and lower: "Now let me introduce you to the person who is responsible for the connection this time.

The director of the ninth institute and one office is Professor Deng, and the deputy directors are Professor He, Professor Qin, and Professor Zhou.

The person who needed to use the calculator this time was Professor Zhou, who was in charge of the Neutron Physics Group, the Mathematics Group, and the Computing Group.

Just as Li Aiguo was on his way to the Ninth Institute, a brief meeting was being held inside the Institute.

Director Professor Deng informed Professor Zhou that the calculators would soon be shipped to the Ninth Institute.

"Old Zhou, I have good news for you. The calculator we have been waiting for will be delivered to the Ninth Institute soon!
With this thing, I think your progress in calculating key parameters will be greatly improved!"

Professor Zhou, a thin middle-aged man, just frowned slightly when he heard this, and his face did not look good: "Director, is this calculator a computer?

Last year, two 103 vacuum tube computers were sent from Beijing, but they are really not very useful!

The computer runs at a snail's pace and is prone to malfunctions.

Each time it runs, the preliminary preparations alone take five days. I think it’s not as good as our old abacus!”

Listening to Professor Zhou's complaints, Professor Deng looked a little embarrassed: "Old Zhou, computers are new things. Sending computers to us is enough to show their support for our work. We should be tolerant."

The implication is obvious.

Even if this calculator doesn't work well, you have to be patient and don't get into a bad mood with the specialist from Beijing.

Professor Deng's concerns are not groundless.

As one of the top computational mathematics experts in China and even in the world, Professor Zhou's work ability is beyond doubt, but his temper is like that of many mathematicians, and he likes to be serious.

Just last year, the 103 vacuum tube computer swallowed several sets of key data, and more than half a month’s hard work was wasted.

If a group of researchers hadn't tried to stop him, Professor Zhou would have smashed the computer.

Of course, this matter was strictly suppressed within the Ninth Institute, and not a single word of it was leaked out.

From then on, abacus once again took up the banner of computing work in the Ninth Institute and became the main force.

"I know what's going on, Old Deng. How can I not understand the good intentions of the higher-ups?"

When Professor Zhou mentioned the past, his face flushed slightly, and he quickly stood up and said, "The specialists from the Red Star Computing Institute haven't arrived yet, and there are a few good newcomers today, so I have to go take a look first."

Before he finished speaking, he had already left the office, and his movements were so fast that Professor Deng had no time to react.

"Hey, this Old Zhou!"

******
Li Aiguo and his team spent a full two hours going through the procedures for entering and exiting the Ninth Institute.

Take the pass marked "Level 1" from Lao Mao.

Li Aiguo was a little curious: "Captain Cat, what level is this pass?"

"Factory 221 has a seven-level confidentiality system, with special level being the highest and level seven being the lowest. In other words, except for the core departments of mushroom cultivation, such as the archives room where blueprints are stored, you can go in unimpeded."

"The level is really not low." Li Aiguo looked up at the old cat, "What about you? What level?"

The old cat was silent for a moment, then sighed: "Level 2, you cannot enter the confidential office."

Although he felt a little aggrieved, having worked so hard here for so many years but only having level two access, Li Aiguo got level one as soon as he arrived.

But Lao Mao also understands that the greater the ability, the greater the responsibility, and this is not a joke in Factory 221.

The two were chatting casually.

Director Deng's assistant walked over quickly with a confidentiality officer and raised his hand to salute in a standard military salute: "Commander, Director Deng is waiting for you in the conference room."

"Please help carry the boxes over. Please be careful."

When Li Aiguo followed his assistant carrying the box out of the meeting room, he suddenly felt something was wrong.

In the meeting room, there was a heated discussion: "Everyone, I figured out a new method yesterday. Using a hand-cranked calculator to solve equations can increase the calculation speed by at least 5%..."

Li Aiguo stopped and looked inside through the window.

A middle-aged man in a navy blue Zhongshan suit was standing on the podium, explaining his new calculation method with great enthusiasm.
The comrades attending the meeting listened to his explanation and put forward various opinions, and the welcoming meeting turned into an academic discussion.

Professor Deng's assistant blushed slightly, and explained awkwardly: "Commissioner Li, Professor Deng and others did hold this meeting specially to welcome you..." Before he could finish his words, he couldn't go on.

Because Professor Deng was speaking excitedly in the conference room, he stood up and snatched the chalk from the middle-aged man.

He wrote furiously on the blackboard: "Look, if E=1/2mV, then E can be expressed in terms of dimensions as E=ML/T.

Density ρ is expressed in dimensions, ρ=M/L... Of course you can also put E on the left side of the equation.

Just use a hand-cranked calculator to calculate the value of E, and you can solve the whole equation..."

But just as he was halfway through his words, Professor Deng's face suddenly turned a little ugly, and he muttered in a low voice: "To calculate E, you have to calculate L first. To calculate L... the amount of calculation doesn't seem to have decreased."

The middle-aged man rubbed his eyes, stared at the blackboard for a long time, and said awkwardly: "Professor Deng, I seem to have neglected to take a variable as a quantitative."

"No, no, your idea is feasible, but why. Why?"

At this moment, Professor Deng was like a computer that had crashed. He seemed to have thought of something, but just a little bit short of it, he couldn't figure it out.

Li Aiguo looked at Professor Deng and sighed in his heart. The director of the first office of the ninth institute was indeed the legendary old Deng.

Deng became famous at a young age. He was born in Huaining, Anhui Province, and was admitted to the Department of Physics of Southwest Associated University in 1941. Later, he went to Purdue University in the United States.

He went abroad to study and returned to China with a doctorate degree at the age of 26. He was called the "baby doctor".

Everyone, including Deng’s classmates abroad, was waiting for this young genius to make amazing discoveries in mathematics.

Even Deng’s teacher expected that he would win the Fields Medal in the future.

However, as time passed quietly, Mr. Deng seemed to have evaporated from the face of the earth and completely disappeared from the public eye.

All of his former classmates sighed and lamented the passing of this genius.

It was not until decades later that the secrets related to Factory 221 were gradually revealed.

The world suddenly realized that this young genius had given up his research in mathematics and devoted himself to another great cause.

"My life is dedicated to future work. If I can do this well, my life will be meaningful, and it will be worth dying for it."

Li Aiguo silently recited Deng Lao's heartfelt words and raised his hand involuntarily: "If we take L as the unknown variable and design a system of equations, perhaps we can solve this problem."

Mr. Deng was stuck at a critical point at this time.

Hearing this, an idea flashed through my mind: "Yes, that's what I thought! You see, the system of equations about L can be set like this, and then we can solve the system of equations, but how do we solve this system of equations? We also need T..."

"It's still not right. This adds another unknown factor."

Deng Lao hesitated in front of the blackboard with a piece of chalk in his hand. "There are more and more equations. Instead of reducing the amount of calculation, we have increased it a lot. This is not worth the loss."

"No, no, no, we have just simplified the system of cubic equations with five variables to a linear equation with two variables."

"But as the number increases, the workload also increases."

Only then did Mr. Deng notice that the person who had just taken the chalk from his hand and expressed his opinion was a strange young man.

But he didn't think much about the other person's identity.

At every discussion meeting, young people bravely stand up and express their views.

"Hey, who is this person?"

"It might be the group of computing talents that came today."

"His method of simplifying is indeed very clever, but compared with solving ten linear equations with two variables, I would rather solve a cubic equation with five variables."

The professors and experts below also discussed the matter and expressed their opposition.

Elder Deng was worried that the young comrade’s self-esteem was being hurt, so he smiled and said, “Although your method actually increases the amount of calculation, there is nothing wrong with the idea.

Mathematical calculation itself is a process of simplifying the complex.

It’s just that the amount of calculation is too huge now, and simplicity is not as good as complexity.”

With the computing skills of these big guys, it may only take three seconds to solve a cubic equation with five variables, but it will take at least ten seconds to solve ten linear equations with two variables.

This is just like the CPU and GPU of later generations. The CPU is good at solving difficult problems and has a small number of threads.

GPU is good at solving simple parallel problems with a large number of threads.

The calculator that Li Aiguo has made now actually plays the role of a GPU.

"Professor Deng, what if I can solve ten linear equations with two variables in just half a second?"

As soon as these words came out, Deng Lao was stunned at first, but then he realized something and looked Li Aiguo up and down: "You...are you a specialist from the Red Star Computing Institute?"

Li Aiguo straightened his chest and reported loudly: "Report, Li Aiguo reports to you!"

"You are still really young." Mr. Deng, who was less than 30 years old at the time, muttered in a "Versailles" way, turned around and introduced Li Aiguo's identity to the professors and experts.

"Old Zhou, this is Comrade Li Aiguo. You must entertain him well later."

Professor Zhou stood up and suddenly said, "Comrade Patriot, do you really mean what you just said?"

"Mr. Zhou, you can discuss the calculator matter in private. Today is the welcome party." When Mr. Deng saw that Professor Zhou was going to do the experiment on the spot, he quickly stopped him.

Li Aiguo said with a smile, "Mr. Deng, time is tight, so forget about the welcome party. Since Professor Zhou has doubts about the calculator of our Red Star Computing Institute, today is a good time to demonstrate it in front of everyone. In this way, if there are any problems, everyone can brainstorm and give their opinions."

Seeing that the young man was full of youthful vigor, Mr. Deng wanted to stop him again, but Old Cat had already asked the confidentiality officer to deliver several boxes into the meeting room.

All the professors and experts became interested when they saw the big boxes. Although they knew these things were useless, being able to watch a big show was a kind of relaxation from their busy work.

"Open it now?" asked a confidentiality officer.

Li Aiguo turned his head and looked at Lao Mao: "Is the confidentiality level of the people in this conference room sufficient?"

Lao Mao asked the confidentiality officer to bring the list and checked it again. He nodded and said, "Don't worry, they are all core personnel with a confidentiality level of 2 or above."

As he spoke, he felt a little emotional: This kid is still as cautious as before.

At this time, Li Aiguo had already opened one of the boxes.

Inside is a rectangular iron box with several buttons, interfaces, and heat dissipation holes on it.

"Is this the calculator developed by your Red Star Computing Institute?" Elder Deng felt a little strange: "This device should be called a computer, right?"

Li Aiguo was connecting the power cord. He was shocked when he heard this.

"This thing is so big that it should be called a computer in the future. But in this era, it is much smaller than a vacuum tube computer. Why did Mr. Deng think it was a computer?"

"Could it be that Mr. Deng is the grandfather of a certain reader and also traveled to this world?"

However, after listening to Mr. Deng’s explanation, Li Aiguo realized that he had made a mistake due to his lack of knowledge.

"There is a clear distinction between ji and qi in ancient Chinese."

"A machine is usually a combination of movable parts, such as a water mill, a wooden horse-drawn ox cart, a dragon-bone waterwheel, and a water pestle. They can all be called machines."

“A tool is a simple tool with a simple shape and simple function. For example, porcelain and lacquerware are all tools. A stick is a tool, and so is a rope.”

"But if you bend the stick and tie the two ends with a rope to make a bow, it's called a bow."

Li Aiguo always thought that the difference between calculators and computers was their size, but it turns out that the difference is in their functions.

The functions are complex and need to interact with the outside world.

The function is simple and can run independently.

In this respect, the name calculator is well deserved.

It was only because of technical limitations and the need for external energy that Mr. Deng considered it a computer.

"It should indeed be called computer, but I prefer the name calculator." Li Aiguo smiled.

"You prefer it. So, this calculator was invented by you?" Mr. Deng was surprised.

Li Aiguo: "."

For the first time, he felt the terror of this genius mathematician.

Their logical analysis ability is really strong.

"Mr. Deng, let's not worry about such trivial details." Li Aiguo said as he took out a bunch of light bulbs from the box. The light bulbs were much smaller than ordinary incandescent bulbs.

"This, is this a neon sign?" The eyes of several professors and experts below widened.

In fact, neon lights had already appeared in big cities like Shanghai in China in 1926. However, with the development of time, neon lights became a symbol of capitalist sentiment and disappeared in China. They even became a symbol of negative image in some film and television works.

"Ahem, there's nothing wrong with the neon lights themselves. The problem lies with the people who use them." Lao Mao spoke up when he heard people whispering in the meeting room.

The conference room suddenly became quiet.

The fact that these things can be delivered here is enough to explain everything.

"Patriotic comrade, what is the use of this neon light?" asked Mr. Deng.

"You'll understand in a moment." Li Aiguo hung the neon light on the wooden board, and then took out a board made only of wood.

There are more than a dozen plastic cubes inlaid on the wooden board, with words on the surface of the cubes: "1, 2, 3, 4+, -, ×, ÷, mathematical symbols such as sin, cos, and Chinese symbols such as root, square, reciprocal, integral, and summation"

What surprised Mr. Deng the most was that there was a plastic cube with the words "solve the equation" written on it.

"Can you really solve the equation?" he couldn't help asking.

"I can only do a little bit at a time. Currently I can only solve linear equations with two variables."

As he spoke, Li Aiguo had already made all the preparations.

"Who among you can come up with a question?"

(End of this chapter)