Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Imagination runs wild like a horse, thought processes progress step by step, and creativity hits the core pain point directly—in just thirty days, from zero basic knowledge to delivering verifiable combat-grade equipment, what I had previously only heard about was just empty praise, but now that I have seen it with my own eyes, I am completely convinced.

The sonic cannon was sealed and transported away by the military overnight. Xiao Yao returned to the laboratory in a jeep with the convoy. As he was getting out of the car, he stopped and bowed slightly to Professor Xu: "Professor, I have benefited greatly from your guidance these past two months. Now I should return to Professor Chen's office. That prototype... could you return it to me?"

"I'm afraid that won't work." Professor Xu's tone was gentle but firm. "It's already on the top-secret list. Besides, we haven't overcome the hurdles of sound wave focusing stability, long-distance attenuation compensation, and biological effect threshold modeling yet. I sincerely hope you can stay and continue to delve deeper."

"My initial goal in coming here was to create a truly harmless defensive device," Xiao Yao smiled, his voice calm. "Now that I've achieved my goal, I should go back and brush up on my basics. Thank you for your continued trust."

The two officers then escorted Xiao Yao back to the research institute where Professor Chen worked.

The message was simultaneously and secretly reported to superiors. All information regarding Xiao Yao's movements was immediately upgraded to top secret and strictly prohibited from being disclosed to the outside world in any form.

The moment Professor Chen saw Xiao Yao, he immediately asked, "How's your studies going?"

"I've been spending over two months with Professor Xu, and I've learned a lot," Xiao Yao replied readily.

"Alright, change your clothes! The experiment is at the final stage, you just need to oversee the data recording. If it succeeds, you'll get a 500 yuan bonus—you're really lucky, kid."

Professor Chen joked, but he knew perfectly well that these kinds of cutting-edge projects were always conducted behind closed doors and kept strictly confidential. He never inquired about them, nor did he try to find out.

That evening, the institute director gently knocked on Xiao Yao's dormitory door.

"Here, this is your reward over there. Professor Xu asked me to bring it to you." The dean handed over a thick envelope.

"Thank you, Dean." Xiao Yao accepted the gift with both hands, her tone sincere.

Dean Zheng didn't ask much about the project details or the amount of money, but the weight of the envelope made him realize that this kid had probably broken through another technological ceiling.

Xiao Yao opened the envelope. Inside lay a stack of crisp, new ten-yuan bills, with a note underneath: "If you wish to rejoin the team, please write anytime." Professor Xu's mailing address was neatly written at the end.

……

Time flies, and more than a year has passed, quietly ushering in the 1980s. Xiao Yao participated in the research and development of several key laboratories, successively breaking through many technical bottlenecks. But he always held one idea in his heart: to build a research team entirely of his own, specializing in high-precision instruments and intelligent experimental equipment.

After all, he was too young, and in reality, most of the equipment in the laboratory was outdated, there were very few electronic computers, and many researchers were still using abacuses to verify calculations and copying raw data by hand.

He solemnly submitted a written application, proposing to establish an independent laboratory across disciplines.

It is quite difficult and faces considerable obstacles.

But he also made it clear: while our minds are still sharp and our hands and feet are still nimble, we should first build up the hardware foundation—reduce the burden of manpower, shorten the trial and error cycle, and let scientific research return to its essence; we should also aim at the international forefront and catch up with and surpass it from the source of equipment.

"I approve." The leader closed the document, his gaze calm. "I know Xiao Yao well. He doesn't confine himself to his own path. He's deeply rooted in materials science and has traversed the energy field, always achieving tangible results. I've made the right choice with this application—it's a good thing that young people have drive. I'll arrange for several senior professors to serve as his nominal supervisors, not to interfere, but to provide guidance. He needs to forge his own path in scientific research."

The report was approved. Five outstanding students who had just graduated from university were quickly transferred to Xiao Yao's team—Qian Wentao, Lin Siyue, and others, all of whom were top students with perfect scores on exams and excellent practical skills.

Director Gao sighed to Professor Chen, half-jokingly, "I really can't bear to part with him! Tell me, couldn't we have kept such a promising talent for another six months?"

Professor Chen gazed at the gradually brightening sky outside the window, his tone long and drawn out: "When the fledgling eagle's wings are fully grown, it must fly. And when it flies, it doesn't just skim over the treetops, it soars straight into the clouds. What they accomplished in three years is enough for us to struggle for ten years back then. While we were still copying notes in class, they were already rewriting the rules on blueprints."

The professors remained silent for a moment, then nodded in unison.

"The baton of scientific research will eventually be passed to them—isn't such excellence even more inspiring? In our lifetime, we will truly witness our motherland's science and technology soaring through the clouds, standing proudly at the top of the world, and becoming the object of global admiration!"

Professor Chen laughed heartily, a look of satisfaction appearing at the corner of his eyes.

Upon receiving the notification, Ji Fengnan and the other four immediately rushed back to their dormitory, packed their bedding, and boarded a military jeep heading straight for Xiao Yao's laboratory. This time, they were no longer auditors or interns, but genuine master's students, carrying a substantial research project on their shoulders.

"Old Yan, we just got approval for an independent lab—the applicant has only been doing research for two years, but he has a solid foundation and innovative ideas. However, he's only supervising recent graduates, so I'm thinking someone needs to oversee things. You and Old Zhang can spend some time there for two or three years. They've already vacated two dedicated lab buildings, and the equipment is gradually arriving."

The leader personally made the call, his tone calm but unable to hide a trace of worry—Xiao Yao was too young and too sharp, which made him uneasy.

"Boss, we're currently stuck at a critical juncture, and I really can't spare the time!"

Professor Yan frowned subconsciously. A recent graduate taking on an independent laboratory? In his eyes, it was almost child's play—taking on an entire technology chain right after taking off his bachelor's gown was either reckless or overconfident. He had three national key research projects awaiting review on his desk; where did he have the time to let a young person test the waters?

"Oh? Well, I should remind you—this group of people is the same team that created the remote-controlled aircraft and the solar-powered train."

The leader paused, his voice now more certain: "If you don't go, I'll have to ask Lao Qian to oversee things for a year. You know he's retiring next year."

"Oh dear, boss, that's really unfair of you! You should have said so earlier! Old Qian? He doesn't even have time to water the flowers on his own balcony, how could he have time for this! Old Zhang and I will leave tomorrow morning, no delays!"

Professor Yan immediately changed his tune, his tone revealing barely suppressed excitement. He had been eyeing Xiao Yao's name for two years: he'd heard that this kid had tackled seven "bottleneck" problems across disciplines, and various institutes were vying to hand him problems to solve. He'd long wanted to meet this legendary young prodigy—if he missed this opportunity, he feared he might never meet him again in his lifetime.

"You were making excuses just now, what, do you have to use your old money to pressure me?" the leader joked with a smile.

"I admit defeat for what you've said, sir!" Professor Yan chuckled awkwardly, his ears burning slightly.

"Alright, good that you agreed. Starting tomorrow, your entire team will move here. I believe you'll take a liking to Xiao Yao at first sight—this kid personally promised that his top priority is to break the 'crippled' state of our research equipment."

"All set! I'm off right now!"

Professor Yan set off for Kyoto that very day in the institute's military vehicle, eager to step through that door as soon as possible and see what kind of vast universe was hidden in those eyes.

He even forgot to inform Professor Zhang—it wasn't until his assistant chased the military vehicle for two blocks that he suddenly remembered he had left both himself and his phone behind.

Sonic weapons, megawatt-level solar power plants, high-purity special steel refining lines, all-terrain intelligent remote control systems... As the list of items was presented, Professor Yan became increasingly alarmed: This was not catching up with the times, but rather prematurely tearing off the mask of the times.

At this time, the graduates, led by Lin Siyue, had arrived at the research institute. Three brand-new laboratory buildings stood side by side, each with its own rest room. The security level was directly comparable to that of a national first-class classified unit, two levels higher than Professor Chen's old institute.

Led by Xiao Yao, the group toured the laboratory and then plunged into the archives, bringing out stacks of yellowed technical manuals and original parameter tables. Xiao Yao didn't offer any grand theories, simply stating a practical truth:

"Most of the equipment you just saw has been in service for over ten years. Parts are welded together, accuracy is guessed, and data is estimated. Although we can import them now, what about cutting-edge instruments? People would rather let them rot in warehouses than sell them. If we want scientific research to truly stand tall, the first step is to solidify our foundation."

Everyone nodded silently. A weak foundation leads to instability; everyone understands this principle. The only computer they had was a secondhand item, painstakingly sourced from Eastern Europe, and its core chip was inferior to a model that had been obsolete for five years.

With the electronics industry lagging behind, the entire research system is like running a marathon in slippers—no matter how quick your mind is, you can't withstand a slippery path. Xiao Yao firmly believes in one thing: without improving equipment, all breakthroughs are like building a tower on sand.

The moment Qian Wentao and his team arrived, the long-dormant research institute came alive. For the previous week, only Xiao Yao and a few security guards had been there; even the canteen staff had taken turns off. The guards followed the rules, keeping a respectful distance, afraid that a casual conversation might disturb the scientists' concentration.

Today, the cafeteria specially added eight hearty dishes: the braised pork knuckle was glossy, the steamed sea bass was tender, and even the soup had been simmered for three hours.

"Xiao Yao! See that? I told you back then, you'd be the most promising one in our class!" Ji Fengnan picked up her enamel mug, laughing heartily. "We toiled for two years just to get our diplomas, and you, on the other hand, went straight to having your own independent lab!"

"Put down your chopsticks first, and don't keep your mouth shut." Lin Siyue rolled her eyes at him, then turned to Xiao Yao and said gently, "Your achievements today are the result of hard work and perseverance. If we're really going to compare, what we lack isn't luck, but that kind of ruthlessness."

"We've been classmates, there's no such thing as fighting alone," Xiao Yao said with a smile, waving his hand. "Without you all staying up all night building circuits and taking data in the sweltering heat, where would all those achievements come from? The name of everyone is engraved on the lintel of this lab. But what comes next—" He glanced at each young face, "the burden on our shoulders is so heavy it could bend our backs."

"Wherever you point, we'll go!" Qian Wentao slammed his hand on the table. "We're united as one, forging weapons for the nation, no empty talk!"