Siheyuan: I eat melons while doing scientific research

Chapter 1356 Lou Shouxing's Dissatisfaction (5k)

When such things gradually become commonplace, they no longer cause any particular ripples among various parties, both internally and externally. Life goes on as usual; an island is still an island, at least its existence is still visible. For the people of Peace Island, this is the only way to console themselves.

The root cause of all this—Comrade Gao Zhendong—is completely unaware of it; Comrade Gao is too busy to know anything.

"Director Chi, the communication protocol at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China has been completely completed..." Gao Zhendong was holding the phone, talking to Director Chi of the Institute of Computing Technology. Ever since Director Li was promoted and Chief Engineer Chi took over as director, Gao Zhendong always felt a little awkward calling him that.

Therefore, first impressions are always the most lasting.

Director Chi was overjoyed: "That's great! Our network multi-user multi-tasking operating system is almost complete. Before, we only had some protocols, which was always a bit lacking. Now it's finally complete."

Before the network transmission protocol in classroom 61 of the University of Science and Technology of China was fully completed, the Institute of Computing Technology only obtained some protocol code and results related to multi-user networks, which were used for the development of the network operating system. Many other network-related things were not used.

Both of these projects have been progressing under Gao Zhendong's leadership, and now, the two sides are finally about to meet.

It took quite a bit of time. In fact, if Gao Zhendong had done it himself instead of just providing guidance and solving difficult problems, it wouldn't have taken this long. Those who know, know why.

However, Gao Zhendong was also well aware that if that were the case, our computer software and network technicians would lose a valuable training opportunity, and it would be difficult for them to quickly form a systematic force in their future work, which would be detrimental to the long-term development of our computer and network technologies.

Haste makes waste.

So no matter how slow or troublesome these two tasks were, Gao Zhendong resisted the urge to take action and resolutely refused to write a single word of code!
He always patiently explained, taught, guided, and inspired his comrades, but he just wouldn't write a single letter, not even creating a new folder.

These are the two most arduous projects Gao Zhendong has undertaken since he started working, mainly because they were incredibly difficult and painful.

Fortunately, he had three junior colleagues at the Institute of Computing Technology. Several computer personnel who were specially recruited by the National Defense Commission and assigned to work under Gao Zhendong were at the University of Metallurgy. They acted as Gao Zhendong's hands and feet, and played a very good role.

With the hard work and dedication of our comrades, the work, after experiencing some initial chaos and discomfort, did not get out of control and gradually got back on track.

After all, Gao Zhendong himself is a top scholar in project management systems. If he managed to get this situation out of control, it would be a laughing stock. Impossible, absolutely impossible!

"You can finally reunite. After that, it's time for the final assault," Gao Zhendong said with a smile.

"Don't worry, with your students here, there won't be any problems..." In the eyes of the people at the Institute of Computing Technology, Gao Zhendong's junior classmates were more like his students: "We will coordinate with the comrades at Jinchen University of Technology to win the final battle as soon as possible!"

People these days often use the imagery of warfare to describe or depict things; it's a characteristic of our times.

“Okay, you can select a group of people with sound ideology, bring computers and relevant materials, and go to classroom 61 of Jinchen University of Technology to work with them temporarily. That will speed things up. I will be there for half a day or a full day every week, so it will be easier for you to find me.” Gao Zhendong thought for a moment and simply gave the green light to the Institute of Computing Technology.

Classroom 61 is not easy to get into these days. In fact, the classified research labs at the Institute of Computing Technology are also difficult to access. Since it's the same no matter where you go, you might as well come to Jinchen University of Technology. Firstly, it has a large area and abundant resources. Secondly, Gao Zhendong will be working there regularly, so it will be easy to find him if anything happens. As long as it's not urgent, it's easy to find him.

"Great, that's wonderful! We'll send someone over right away." Although we already have internet access, long-distance internet speeds aren't very fast, and face-to-face communication is still more suitable for many tasks, especially for big projects like this that require the complete integration of two systems—the network system and the operating system. Being able to work face-to-face is the best approach.

Face-to-face communication is far more efficient than the incredibly slow internet we have now, and even more so than a telephone, since you can't see the other person's drawing on the phone.

As everyone knows, Gao Zhendong loves drawing, and his colleagues who worked with him also fell in love with this craft.

After hanging up the phone, Gao Zhendong opened the book he had drawn after discussing nuclear reactors with others last time.

This is a bit shallow, but I don't know if it's shallow enough right now. I'll have to find an opportunity to test it out later.

Gao Zhendong opened the book and started scribbling on the paper, wanting to test the waters, at least he had to figure it out himself first.
-
Inside a private communications research institute in the kingdom, Federico was sighing deeply with his partner.

"Federico, still no news from your relatives?" His partner had finally lost his patience. In the past, it wouldn't have been a problem; everyone knew that communication between the kingdom and the Southern Federation wasn't quick or convenient, and if the other party had serious business to attend to, it would take even longer. They understood, and they could afford to wait.

However, the sword of investors withdrawing their funds is about to fall, leaving them no time to waste.

Federico, with a long face, said, "No, he told us there's a great chance, they're working on it, and maybe there will be better news..."

Even in such a frustrated state of mind, his gestures did not stop.

His partner interrupted him: "But so far, not a single message has come back, neither good nor bad. Federico, we're running out of time. The capital on Weill Street has clearly indicated its intention to withdraw its investment..."

Federico was puzzled: "That's not right. Since the inventors of the laser made a clear judgment and discussion on the possibility and requirements of fiber optic communication, and proved that practical fiber optics could be manufactured, shouldn't it be the perfect time for those Vampires on Wai Street to enter the market with this good news? Why are they withdrawing their investment?"

Federico was not familiar with the business on Will Street, but he knew their character very well. In this situation, they should have swarmed in like flies to blood.

The partner nodded: "You're right, they are indeed flocking in, but they are embracing the more famous research institutions. As for the less famous ones, regardless of their technology, they tend to withdraw the funds they previously invested in these unknown institutions and put them into the famous ones. Unfortunately, we are the unknown ones."

"But famous institutions are all very expensive..."

“Since the computer bubble burst two years ago, investment banks have become more conservative in their investments in this area. They are more expensive, but the risk may be lower, so…” Federico knew about this because the Easterners open-sourced their DJS-59 general-purpose computer, which effectively killed a bunch of companies that had invested huge sums of money in researching general-purpose computers on the eve of their success.

Having suffered a great loss, Will Street has therefore become more cautious in this regard.

Federico then realized why his partner seemed so anxious.

“I have to make an international call, we can’t wait any longer…” Federico himself was starting to panic. He stood up and headed to the communications office, since they couldn’t even make international calls from their own office.

Just then, their phone rang. The partner grabbed it, thinking to himself, "I hope it's a bank selling credit cards."

However, he was only half right. It was indeed a bank, but not one that sold credit cards; it was an investment bank.

To be precise, it's the investment bank that the investors used to manipulate financial instruments to invest in them.

The other person spoke very quickly; the partner barely had time to say "It's me" before he had no further opportunity to speak.

After listening to what the other person said, the partner seemed to want to try to get something back, but the microphone was already busy.

He slumped to the phone: "Federico, it's the people from Weill Street. They've withdrawn their funding and won't be providing us with any further investment."

Federico waved his hands even faster: "They can't do this, we're so close! Just a little bit!" He kept making a gesture that would enrage a certain nation, as if trying to bolster his own credibility.

But all of this was to no avail. The partner looked at him quietly, then stood up: "Don't worry, I'll think of another way. There should be one. Big investment banks invest in big institutions, and maybe some smaller investment banks will be interested in us. You and your colleagues at the research institute do what you're supposed to do, Federico. I believe they can eventually fetch a high price!"

This is a good partner. The research institute has more than just the two of them, but of course, they are the most important. Although they know the chances are slim, the partner is still prepared to look for opportunities everywhere.

Federico nodded, and just then the phone rang again.

This must be another credit card sales pitch. The partner answered the phone, listened for a couple of minutes, and then handed it to Federico: "Stranger, calling for you." Federico took the phone, and the two seemed to remember something. To the partner, it was a stranger, but to Federico, it might not be; they might even be quite familiar!
Could it be... that both of them showed signs of joy?

Sure enough, as Federico took the phone, his face began to light up with joy, which eventually turned into ecstasy.

“We have hope! My relative in Lancôme told me that he finally got in touch with a company in the faraway country through an acquaintance in the country of the flower skirt. This company gave two responses!” Federico exclaimed, gesturing wildly.

"What answer?"

"They can get their hands on fiber optic cables, and the latest ones at that, in unlimited quantities!"

"This is great! But..." The partner recalled the call from the investment bank earlier. Was it too late to get these fiber optic cables?

Federico shook his head: "No buts, my friend! Their second reply was an invitation for us to go to the far reaches of the world; they have investment intentions!!"

"Aha! This is such great news!" After reaching the end of their rope, suddenly grasping at a straw was like a dream come true for them.

At this moment, the word "far away" no longer seemed so far away; no matter where the company was, they had to rush there.

"Which company is it?" Investment institutions are choosing investment targets, but in reality, investment targets are also choosing investors. Even in this situation, the partner still didn't forget to ask who it was. After all, if it's far away, perhaps only Bei Hai people are involved.

"Pearl Island City, revitalize the electric industry!" Federico said with a smile, pointing to a cassette recorder on the table.

"Hahaha! That's wonderful! We'll get ready right away, Federico, we can't waste this good news." There aren't many well-known electronics companies in Zhudao City, and they didn't even know who they were, but Zhenxing Electric, which was gradually taking over their living rooms and leisure time, was an exception.

This is a large company, and in the current environment, this is several major advantages. At least it's stable enough, and the company is located in Zhudao City. At this moment, the two of them began to understand why the other party dared to promise the latest products and unlimited quantities.

At this moment, Lou Shouxing, who had become their savior, was not in the same mood as them.

He held a report in his hand: "We've spent so much money, shouldn't we at least see some results? Even just telling me about a tiny discovery would be helpful. And that's it? My chief engineer, tell me, where did all our money go?"

These days, the terms "technical director" or "C/O" aren't common. The title Lou Shouxing assigned them was the same as in mainland China: "chief engineer," which was somewhat of a tribute to Gao Zhendong.

However, this chief engineer is not the same as that chief engineer; the difference is quite significant.

The chief engineer pointed to the report in his hand: "It's not like we didn't find anything at all..."

"What did you find?"

"We've discovered that this path is a dead end," the chief engineer stated confidently. Rejecting a path can indeed be considered a gain in research, but such gains are generally unsatisfactory.

Lou Shouxing was so angry he laughed. You know what, it didn't seem entirely unreasonable. At that moment, he remembered something Gao Zhendong had once said.

Don't waste your energy on the blue LEDs; let others step on them.

At the time, Lou Shouxing thought that Gao Zhendong wanted to slow down the pace or hide his talents so that Zhenxing Electric would not become too dazzling and become a thorn in the side of others.

At the time, I thought my brother-in-law was overthinking things and it was unnecessary, but now it seems that's not the case at all.

When Lou Shouxing learned that many manufacturers were rushing to research blue LEDs, he couldn't sit still.

After all, everyone knows what the three primary colors are, but currently only blue has not yet been invented. Blue is extremely important to Shin Kong Mitsukoshi and other manufacturers alike.

If the former acquires all three primary colors, it will be unrivaled in the LED market. The latter, however, urgently needs to master one important LED color in order to compete with Shin Kong Mitsukoshi.

Moreover, the biggest reason why everyone is focusing on blue LEDs is that blue LEDs are the only option for general lighting. Only when blue LEDs are developed can white light be produced, and white light lighting is the category with the largest shipment volume.

However, what most people don't know is that the principle behind blue LEDs emitting white light has nothing to do with the three primary colors, and the uses of white light go far beyond just lighting.

With ample cash flow, Lou Shouhang decided to help Gao Zhendong alleviate some of the pressure. Even if he didn't know much, he at least knew Gao Zhendong was extremely busy. In his view, it was best to take as little of Gao Zhendong's time as possible.

But now it seems that these ideas were a bit overthinking. Blue doesn't seem to be much different from red and green, but I just can't make it work.

People don't even know what materials can emit blue light.

Many manufacturers have invested in this field, yet everyone is still stuck at the starting line.

For a large, well-funded company like Zhenxing Electric Power with healthy cash flow, this amount of money is not a major blow. However, for some companies, this kind of investment with no return can almost instantly break their backbone.

Recalling Gao Zhendong's words, Lou Shouxing felt that the chief engineer in front of him hadn't done anything wrong. His brother-in-law had said not to rush things, so it was normal for them to make mistakes.

He knew very well that no matter how high the salaries he paid his employees, who were top talents in the industry, when it came to innovation, comparing them to Gao Zhendong was like comparing fireflies to the moon – that would be giving them face.

"Never mind, it's alright. Let's stop the blue LED project for now and save the resources for something else," Lou Shouxing waved his hand.

The chief engineer of Zhenxing Electric was puzzled as to why his boss had suddenly gone quiet, but avoiding a scolding was certainly a good thing: "Okay, boss, I'll arrange it right away. As for the data we've already completed..."

He knew that behind the revitalization of electricity production was a vast and mysterious source of technology, and perhaps this information was of some use to the force behind it.

At least you can avoid taking two detours.

He was wrong. Lou Shouxing's backing was indeed powerful, but the source of the technology was not large, in fact, quite small.

Lou Shouxing waved his hand: "Seal it up." You all think of these methods, so why wouldn't Zhendong think of them? He probably already tried them out, which is why he gave that advice.

I'll mention it to him later, and if he wants to talk about it again...

Shortly after the chief engineer left, Lou Shouxing's secretary called: "Chairman Lou, two guests from the Kingdom want to see you. They say you invited them."

Lou Shouxing thought to himself, "Haha, here it comes! It wasn't for nothing that I kept the news of the cooperation a secret from the other party, only extending an olive branch after they were driven to desperation."

Judging from the speed at which these foreigners arrived, they are in a great hurry, which makes things much easier.

Federico: You're the kingpin, your whole family are kingpins, the real kingpins don't have scalps! I do, I do!
Lou Shouxing straightened his suit and said to his secretary on the phone, "Tell them to wait half an hour. I have something to take care of here."

After hanging up the phone, Lou Shouxing picked up an economics newspaper and began reading it with great interest.

(End of this chapter)