Rebirth 08: Equipment God

Chapter 304 Recalling the Past, Hearing the Future

The aroma of food wafted from the kitchen. On the sofa in Qian Lao's house, Zhai Da was absentmindedly peeling a handful of peanuts.

The old man beside him looked at the tall Zhai Da and thought of his identity as a skilled technician and a writer. This amazing combination was sure to win the favor of his generation.

In their time, arts and sciences were not really separated.

They are all called: knowledge.

Everyone who achieves something in science also possesses considerable cultural attainments throughout their life. This may not necessarily mean they are able to write books or biographies, but rather that they are well-read and constantly reflective.

At this moment, Mr. Qian's wife came over, picked up a book from the dining table and placed it on Mr. Qian's lap: "Xuesen, aren't you always thinking about Xiao Zhai's books? Now that the author is here, you can ask him anything you're curious about directly. It's better than wasting your time thinking about it all day."

Zhai Da quickly sat up straight: "Mr. Qian, you really read my book?"

This is the most outrageous thing he's ever heard of. I'm into soft science fiction and romance!

Did Qian Xuesen have such a wide range of interests?
Old Qian smiled and said, "I've seen it. Young Yu had someone deliver it to me."

Mr. Qian opened the book and quickly found a page, which showed that he was already very familiar with the contents of the book.

Pointing to one of the lines, he said, "This describes drone farming, and although there's a written description, I've never quite understood it. What do you imagine it to be like?"

Zhai Da was taken aback, thinking to himself, "So that's what you're interested in?"
The book actually contains many illustrations, but to maintain the overall style, which leans towards a warm and romantic tone, any technological products from later generations are merely accessories in the corners of the illustrations.

After all, this is a romance novel, not a collection of hard science fiction settings.

The scenes involving drones for farming and food delivery do not fall within the scope of the male and female protagonists' activities, so they only exist in the dialogue. For example, when the male protagonist Zhong Ming is surprised by the technology of the future, Gu Xiaonian says, "What's so surprising about that? People are already using drones for farming and food delivery."

Zhai Da explained, "It's similar to other drones, except that the ones used for farming are a bit larger."

After Zhai Da made some gestures, Qian Lao got a feel for it, but it was still not clear.

It wasn't appropriate to paint in someone else's house, so Zhai Da simply said, "I'm going to the bathroom."

The time was a bit long, as if it had been a special trip for the old man. When Zhai Da came out again, he took out a Polaroid photo from his backpack and handed it to Mr. Qian.

“I remember now, the illustrator drew some renderings. He was quite funny and sent me some of them as souvenirs, which have been in my backpack ever since.”

Mr. Qian put on his reading glasses, took the photo, and his eyes lit up.

In the photo, a huge drone is flying horizontally over a lush green field under the warm sunshine. The rice on the ground is blown by the wind, and liquid is evenly sprayed onto the vegetation.

This scene will be commonplace more than a decade from now; even if you haven't seen it in person, you've definitely seen it on short videos. But for us today, it's quite shocking.

Zhai Da handed over another photo, a close-up of a concept image of an agricultural drone, which Qian Lao could see more clearly.

"This design is great! How did you come up with it?"

Zhai Da smiled and said, "That's right, a brilliant idea. I have a friend who designs model airplanes, and we've discussed it together."

Actually not.

Mr. Qian then pointed to another section and asked, "And what does this robot dog look like?"

That scene depicts the male lead and female lead strolling through the streets of 2024 when they encounter someone walking a robotic dog, leading to a humorous situation.

Zhai Da was prepared this time. He picked out a photo from a stack of Polaroids and handed it to Mr. Qian: "This is it."

After observing it for a moment, Qian Lao's reaction was not as strong as that of the drone. After a long while, he blurted out, "What is the civilian value of this thing?"

Zhai Da chuckled dryly: "It's mainly for fun and something new. Of course, carrying a rifle is also a good option. I mean, that's how it is in my worldview."

Mr. Qian nodded, saying that it was reasonable for someone to be able to carry a rifle.
Then, with great interest, he said, "Tell me about your worldview. Let's start with drones. Under what circumstances do you think agricultural drones would appear?"

This is a rather complex question. Any rigorous "worldview" is interconnected, which is equivalent to Qian Xuesen asking why he believes such a "future" will happen.

Zhai Da pondered for a moment and said:

"First of all, there are civilian toys. Actually, there are already some quadcopter drones on the market that function as toys. I asked that friend, and they are a type of toy model aircraft with almost no payload and relatively complicated control."

Mr. Qian nodded. He was curious about this question and had naturally looked up information. There were rotary-wing drones available at the time, which were not difficult to make, but were simply expensive and niche toys.

Zhai Da continued, "Since a market exists, there will be user feedback and competitive improvements. Manufacturers will gradually upgrade battery capacity, payload capacity, and flight control programs."

Mr. Qian listened very attentively.

"The toy market is ultimately limited, so businesses will naturally think about how to expand its applications. Among several possible areas, I think 'flying photography' is the most convenient and reasonable development. It doesn't have high load requirements, but it can provide a completely different experience. As a result, the market is larger, funds are more abundant, and upgrades can continue."

"At this stage, it is still mostly a 'toy,' but it has already nurtured one or two large companies. Its technological strength has improved significantly, and eventually, based on their own desire to expand their business, these companies have gradually covered fields such as transportation and agriculture."

“Perhaps some areas of expansion will not be successful, but being able to fly is indeed convenient and novel. It can be used for pesticides, food delivery, and patrolling. The important thing is that it is a tool.” Old Qian’s eyes lit up, and Zhai Da’s speech became smoother and smoother.

He hadn't had the chance to describe the world he knew for a long time, and today, finally, he could speak freely under the pretext of "worldview".

He was reminiscing about the past.

And Qian Lao was listening to the future.

This is a discussion between the "remains" of the previous era and the "returnees" of the next era.

Or rather, a wildly imaginative brainstorming session.
Zhai Da gestured to indicate a medium-sized volume: "Of course, I think it is also very possible to use it in war. After all, if it can carry cameras, it can also carry bombs. Even with a low range, it can still fly farther than tank shells. Perhaps after some local conflicts, everyone's perspective on drones will change."

Zhai Da continued, "Most importantly, because it is a large-scale light industry, my country has a great advantage in this area. You've heard of Huaqiangbei, right? Its response speed is top-notch. Therefore, in my expectation, the ultimate control of the rotorcraft drone industry will be in China."

"It's not just drones; the snowball effect of talent and industry may have already begun. Other emerging things, some born domestically and some abroad, will eventually converge here due to industrial advantages, such as new energy vehicles, photovoltaic power generation, and communication technology."

After a moment of contemplation, Qian Xuesen said, "In your worldview, you repeatedly mention the importance of AI. Do you think it will bring more changes to society than drones?"

After thinking for a moment, Zhai Da said, "It's hard to say. In terms of physical perception, it seems to be a drone because you can see and touch it. When you see someone using a drone to deliver things or perform a light show on the roadside, you will feel that it has entered your life, even if you have never owned a drone."

"And AI, ultimately, tends to operate behind the scenes, you know. This is just my worldview, and my perspective is limited by my understanding."

This is not modesty. Even social science and industry experts need years of research and follow-up to make judgments on such a big topic, let alone a short video creator.

In the last few years of his previous life, he spent most of his time exploring the world of bed.
To put it bluntly, even experts aren't necessarily useful. The workings of a massive society are beyond the comprehension of any single individual. Even if countless people from top to bottom in a single department try to figure it out together, they wouldn't dare claim 100% accuracy.

He was indeed a "prophet" from later generations, but this knowledge was limited by his own cognition. Even AI mostly obtains information from short videos.

People should have a sense of awe for society. Those who think they can see through everything based on their own biased perspective are called "experts".

Mr. Qian nodded, and was about to say something more when Grandma Jiang came over: "Xuesen, Xiaozhai, eat first, then you can talk."

The two exchanged a glance, still carrying a lingering excitement, but could only bring this brainstorming session to a halt.

Zhai Da took the initiative to get up and pushed Mr. Qian to the dining table. Mr. Qian's wife smiled knowingly when she saw this.

She secretly asked Zhai Dalai behind Qian Lao's back, and now it seems she made the right choice.

She knew better than anyone what it felt like for her lover, whom she had known since childhood for over eighty years, to be happy and excited, even if it was hidden behind the signs of aging on his face.

Sitting at the dining table, Mr. Qian chuckled and joked, "Thanks to Xiao Zhai, I can finally sit at the table and eat."

My health has declined in recent years, and I eat mostly in bed.

Grandma Jiang complained, "You're really good at tattling. Xiao Zhai, ignore your Grandpa Qian and eat your food."

She said she was making delicious food for Zhai Da, but Grandma Jiang could only cook one dish; the rest were made by the caregiver/nanny.

After all, this person will be 90 years old by the end of this year.

At the dinner table, Zhai Da accurately identified which dish Grandma Jiang had made and praised it, saying, "This braised taro with scallions is really good, very authentic."

Grandma Jiang was indeed very happy.

This is a southern Chinese dish, with a distinct Jiangzhe (Jiangsu and Zhejiang) flavor.

During the meal, Zhai Da and Qian Lao stopped talking, because sitting at the table to eat was indeed quite tiring for Qian Lao; his hands would get tired and he couldn't lift them up after raising them so many times.

The caregiver wanted to feed him, but Mr. Qian refused many times, probably because he didn't want to show his weakness outside his hospital bed.

Zhai Da felt a pang of sadness watching this.

The only thing in this world that no one can resist is time. No matter how brilliant the stars are, they will eventually dim.

About half an hour later, dinner ended, but Mr. Qian did not let Zhai Da leave. Instead, he called him to the ward and continued their pleasant conversation.

But Zhai Da could tell that Mr. Qian was already tired and was just forcing himself to stay awake. So after Mr. Qian was settled, he suggested that he get him a cup of hot water.

In the brief moment before turning to leave, Zhai Da secretly snapped a photo of the water glass while no one was looking.

No one witnessed this scene. Zhai Dashou only took three to five seconds before having the caregiver bring back a cup of hot water.

Back in his room, Old Qian took a sip of his drink: "Thank you, Xiao Zhai, for doing all these chores while I'm a guest."

Zhai Da laughed and said, "I'm just a junior, it's nothing."

After taking a sip, Mr. Qian smacked his lips.
这水
It tastes so refreshing!
So I took another sip.

(End of this chapter)