Courtyard House: Starting in a Ceramics Factory

Once the tasks were assigned, each group immediately sprang into action, like wound-up machines, and threw themselves into their demanding work.

Professor Wang led his core team into the laboratory filled with circuit boards.

Associate Professor Liu then led his team to begin researching how to create the diode matrix proposed by Li Feng.

The entire courtyard was instantly enveloped in a vibrant atmosphere of scientific research.

Li Feng didn't sit idle either. He returned to his office, spread out his manuscript paper, and began to write furiously.

He needs to write a report, a new request for supplies.

Although Minister Jiang and Deputy Director Zheng have given it the highest priority, there are many things that they could not have foreseen.

Li Feng's design scheme required the use of some materials and components that were very scarce or even non-existent in China at the time.

For example, high-purity germanium and silicon ingots used to manufacture high-speed transistors, special low-temperature solders used to connect precision circuits, and several key chips used for signal debugging must be imported from abroad.

He wrote it in great detail, clearly noting the name, specifications, quantity, and purpose of each material, as well as the reasons why it was absolutely necessary. This report was less of an application and more of a technical manual.

After finishing the report, Li Feng glanced at his watch; it was already past nine o'clock at night.

He picked up the phone and dialed Deputy Director Zheng's office directly.

He knew that at this time, Deputy Director Zheng was most likely still working overtime.

The phone was answered after two rings, and Deputy Director Zheng's strong voice came through: "Hello, who is this?"

"Director Zheng, this is Li Feng."

"Xiao Li!" Deputy Director Zheng's voice immediately became eight octaves warmer. "How's work going? Don't hesitate to tell me if you encounter any difficulties!"

"Thank you for your concern, leader. Everything is going smoothly, and everyone is very motivated." Li Feng smiled and said, "However, there is indeed something I need your help with. I have drafted a new list of supplies to request, and some of the items on it are rather special, which may require the department to coordinate."

"Special supplies? No problem!" Deputy Director Zheng readily agreed. "Are you at your post right now? I'll send a car over to pick them up immediately!"

"Okay, thank you for your help."

Less than an hour after hanging up the phone, a car pulled up in front of the courtyard. The driver, holding Deputy Director Zheng's handwritten order, took the heavy report from Li Feng and disappeared into the night like a gust of wind.

The light in Deputy Director Zheng's office stayed on until late into the night.

He held Li Feng's report, his brow furrowing at times and relaxing at others. He had never even heard of many of the things in the report. But from Li Feng's detailed annotations, he understood their importance.

"High-purity germanium... special solder... and we also need to import high-frequency oscillators from abroad..." Deputy Director Zheng muttered to himself, "This kid has quite the appetite!"

Without the slightest hesitation, he took the report with him the next morning and knocked on the office door of the leader of the brother ministry in charge of production. He also visited several research institutes and special materials factories. When he encountered problems that he could not solve, he directly invoked Minister Jiang's name.

"This is a project personally overseen by Minister Jiang, a key national project! You must provide the manpower and resources you need. If the project is delayed, I cannot bear the responsibility, and neither can you!"

These past few days, Deputy Director Zheng has been like a firefighter, rushing between various government offices and factories in Beijing.

With sheer determination and the authority of Minister Jiang, they managed to get everything on Li Feng's list done, one by one.

For issues that could be resolved domestically, he coordinated with the best manufacturers to expedite production and arrange for dedicated delivery.

Since the product was unavailable domestically, he initiated an emergency procurement process through the foreign trade department, sparing no expense to airlift it back from abroad.

With such unwavering support, regardless of cost, Li Feng's project team truly experienced what it meant to have everything they wanted.

Time flew by in this intense yet fulfilling work.

The entire project site became an isolated island cut off from the world.

Everyone, including Li Feng, lives and eats here.

During the day, the laboratory is filled with the crackling of welding and the buzzing of instruments; at night, the lights in the conference room often stay on all night, and heated technical discussions can be heard from time to time.

Everyone had lost weight, and their eyes were bloodshot, but they were unusually excited.

They witnessed firsthand how individual circuit boards were successfully debugged and functional modules were assembled, and how the "steel giant" that embodied the hopes of countless people was gradually taking shape in their hands.

Li Feng is the backbone of the entire team. He seems tireless; wherever there is a problem, he is there. When the core team's circuit design encountered a bottleneck, he, who used to be able to point out the bug in the software team's compilation algorithm with just a few words, could sit down and check the code line by line with the researchers.

His brain is like a highly efficient computer, precisely controlling every aspect of the project and solving every problem that arises.

Seventy-three days later.

On a sunny afternoon, the project team's core computer room was packed with people.

All the group leaders were present, and each of them wore a look of tension and anticipation.

In the very center of the server room stood a colossal structure comprised of several server racks. Countless wires, like vines, connected them together, indicator lights flashed incessantly on the panel, and fans emitted a low hum.

This is the result of their nearly one month of hard work—a prototype of an automated control system.

"Report on the preparation status of each unit!" Li Feng stood in front of the control panel, holding a walkie-talkie, and gave the order in a deep voice.

"The core computing unit is functioning normally!" Professor Wang's voice trembled slightly.

"Storage system is normal!"

"External interface is working properly!"

……

"The power system is stable, and the voltage and current are all normal!" After all the groups finished reporting, Li Feng took a deep breath and turned his gaze to the software group leader beside him.

The software team leader nodded vigorously and carefully inserted a roll of perforated paper tape filled with holes into the input machine.

This paper tape contained their first comprehensive test program, which would command the computer to perform a series of complex mathematical operations and print out the final results via teletype.

"Begin!" Li Feng gave the final command.

The server room fell silent instantly; everyone held their breath, as if the air had frozen.

With a click, the perforated paper tape began to be slowly fed into the machine. The indicator lights in the cabinet flashed wildly, like a silent symphony.

Time ticked by, and everyone's heart was in their throat.

Suddenly, the teletype machine in the corner started clicking away.

Everyone's attention was instantly drawn to it.

The mechanical arm of the typewriter was striking characters one by one on the white roll of paper.

“1、1、2、3、5、8、13、21……”

"It's the Fibonacci sequence! The result... the result is completely correct!" The software team leader looked at the printed numbers, his voice trembling with excitement.

After a brief silence, the entire server room erupted in thunderous cheers!

"It worked! We succeeded!"

"Oh my god! It really worked!"

Several young technicians jumped and danced with excitement, some even embracing and weeping. Professor Wang and Professor Fei Wei, the veteran experts, also had red eyes, patting Li Feng on the shoulder repeatedly, saying, "Well done!"

They did it! In less than a month, they built a computer prototype from scratch that could run stably and accurately execute complex programs!
This is a landmark victory!

A long-lost smile appeared on Li Feng's face. He patted the control panel, his heart filled with a sense of accomplishment.

This machine, though seemingly a clumsy toy compared to later computers, represented cutting-edge technology and limitless possibilities in its time.

He walked through the cheering crowd to the outside office and picked up the black phone.

On the other end of the phone, Deputy Director Zheng's voice was still loud and clear: "Li Feng? Have you encountered some problems again?"

"Director Zheng," Li Feng said with a relaxed smile, "I have some good news to report. The prototype has been successfully debugged in its initial stages."

There was a full five seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

"What did you say?!" Deputy Director Zheng's voice suddenly rose, filled with unbelievable surprise. "It's a success? The initial debugging was successful?!"

"Yes, we just completed the first comprehensive test, and the results are completely correct."

"Good! Good! Good!" Deputy Director Zheng exclaimed three times on the other end of the phone, so excited he was almost incoherent. "That's wonderful! Li Feng, you...you guys are really great! You've done a fantastic job! I...I'll report to Minister Jiang right away!"

After saying that, he hung up the phone with a "snap," forgetting to praise Li Feng a few more times.

Holding the receiver, Li Feng could imagine Deputy Director Zheng gesturing wildly at that moment, and couldn't help but laugh.

Meanwhile, in the office building of the Ministry of Light Industry, Deputy Director Zheng practically burst through the door to Minister Jiang's office.

"Minister! Minister! Great news!"

Minister Jiang, who was looking at documents, was startled by him and frowned, saying, "Guowei, what's wrong now? Has the sky fallen?"

"It's more important than the sky falling down!" Deputy Director Zheng's face was flushed with excitement. He leaned on his desk, panting heavily. "Li Feng... Li Feng's project, the prototype, has been successfully debugged in the initial stage!"

Minister Jiang's hand suddenly paused. He slowly took off his reading glasses, his sharp gaze fixed on Zheng Guowei: "Are you telling the truth? It hasn't even been three months since the project officially started, has it?"

“Absolutely true! Li Feng called me personally just now! He said that the first comprehensive test has just been completed and the results are completely correct!” Deputy Director Zheng nodded vigorously, like a child eager to claim credit.

A huge smile slowly, very slowly, spread across Minister Jiang's face.

He stood up, paced back and forth in the office a couple of times, and finally stopped at the window. Looking at the clear blue sky outside, he exclaimed sincerely, "Wow... truly, heroes emerge from among the young! This Li Feng has once again given us a tremendous surprise!"

He turned around, looked at Zheng Guowei who was still very excited, and the smile on his face gradually faded, turning serious and solemn.

"Guowei, listen carefully."

"Yes, Minister!" Deputy Director Zheng immediately stood at attention.

"This is just the first step in a long journey. The closer we get to this point, the more we must not let our guard down," Minister Jiang said in a deep voice. "Tell Li Feng, and all the comrades in the project team, not to be arrogant, and to guard against complacency. Initial success does not mean final success. The road ahead will be even more difficult."

"Yes, I will definitely convey your message!"

"Furthermore," Minister Jiang paused, his tone softening with a hint of relief, "you must continue to be a good 'logistics minister.' They will be conducting system integration and practical application testing next, which will require more resources and present more complex problems. Logistical support must be flawless. Provide whatever they need, and provide the personnel they require! Everything must be prioritized above all else for this project!"

"Please rest assured, Minister!" Deputy Director Zheng puffed out his chest and loudly assured them, "I will definitely serve as a stepping stone, allowing them to forge ahead without distractions!"

Minister Jiang nodded with satisfaction. He sat back down in his chair, picked up his teacup, gently blew on it to cool it, and his eyes sparkled with boundless anticipation for the future.

He knew that a new star was rising. And this new star would illuminate the industrial future of the entire nation.

Seeing the prototype's initial success, Li Feng could now experiment with this technology on production lines and CNC machine tools. (End of Chapter)