Back to 1997, I became the originator of online literature

Chapter 517 Inspiring Huawei's Technical Backbone

How many fans does Cao Sheng have right now?
No one can give an accurate number for this question. Even Cao Sheng himself doesn't know exactly how many fans he has accumulated.

His fans are spread across a wide range of regions.

His fans are in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and many Southeast Asian countries.

The number of book fans in mainland China is countless.

Some people have bought his physical books; some have read his works online for free; some have rented pirated physical books from rental bookstores...

and many more.

Therefore, it is impossible to count the total number of his book fans.

However, based on his highest single-volume sales record for physical books, it can be concluded that his number of fans has long exceeded one million.

Because he has a record of selling over a million copies of a single physical book in mainland China.

Qian Fuxiang is one of Cao Sheng's book fans.

The reason for mentioning him here is that Qian Fuxiang's real-life identity is that of a key technical staff member in Huawei's technology department.

He is 32 years old this year and is very busy with work on weekdays. He can only relax after get off work every day.

At 32 years old, his leisure life is very monotonous.

I just like to read novels online to pass the time.

As for finding a partner?
Ever since the woman he was about to marry suddenly broke up with him five years ago, he has developed a phobia of dating.

Every time he sees a young woman who fits his aesthetic standards, he is reminded of that unforgettable and excruciating relationship.

He will never forget the words that woman said when she broke up with him.

"Let's break up! Do you know how I felt when we took our wedding photos? I was sitting next to you in my wedding dress, looking at the camera lens, and I was suddenly terrified. The thought of spending the rest of my life eating and sleeping with you made me feel like my life had no meaning..."

He knew why she said that.

It must be because his personality is too dull and boring.

But he has been taciturn since childhood, and his personality has been set in stone and cannot be changed.

During his student days, he studied hard and did exercises every day. After graduation, he spent his days studying various technical books and dealing with all kinds of machines. He didn't need to say anything at all. Even when he smiled, he had to actively control the muscles in his face to squeeze out a slightly unnatural smile.

She was terrified of spending the rest of her life with him.

He thought about it carefully for a long time and estimated that most women probably wouldn't want to spend the rest of their lives with him.

They couldn't stand his personality.

Therefore, he is very resistant to finding a partner.

No matter how much his family calls urging him to find a partner, he only verbally agrees but then actively distances himself from all single young women.

Five years ago, when he decided to stop looking for a partner, he was quite worried that his future life would be boring and lonely.

but……

4 years ago.

He saw Zhongyuan Yidianhui's work online, and then saw countless online articles springing up like mushrooms after rain on the Internet.

Make sure he can't finish reading!
There's simply not enough time to finish watching it.

From then on, he never felt bored again.

He has read many authors' works, but his favorite is still Zhongyuan Yidianhui. Zhongyuan Yidianhui's works are always very creative, and his writing style is much more mature than that of other authors.

Recently, Zhongyuan Yidianhui published a new book, "Cultivation Chat Group".

Qian Fuxiang wasn't in a hurry to read the new book because he knew the pain of chasing after a new book. So, after adding the book to his bookshelf, he just kept it there.

Every day, in between reading, I casually cast a few recommendation votes for this new book, hoping that it will have more words.

He rested for about ten days.

Finally, he couldn't resist any longer. Seeing that the new book already had more than 6 words, he finally couldn't help but start reading the latest chapter of "The Romance of Chinese Martial Arts" that night and started reading "Cultivation Chat Group".

The idea behind this book, like Zhongyuan Yidianhui's previous works, amazed him.

A cultivation story set in modern society?
The male protagonist accidentally enters a cultivation-themed chat group on QQ? And from then on, he becomes involved in cultivation?

The male protagonist's identity as a college student made him feel very connected to the character.

The slice-of-life style of writing made it easy for him to read, although he occasionally felt that the plot progressed too slowly and was written in too much detail.

But overall, he still enjoyed watching it.

Each chapter contains carefully crafted jokes.

But what surprised him most was the smartphone featured in the book.

Although smartphones are only mentioned briefly in the book, the protagonist's smartphone appears far too frequently.

Almost every time it appears, it presents a new function.

For example: logging into QQ online, using food delivery apps, ride-hailing apps, shopping apps, etc.

Qian Fuxiang was always amazed when he saw smartphone features appear in the book. How much preparation did Zhongyuan Yidianhui do to write this novel?

This book doesn't seem to focus on smartphones, does it?
However, the smartphone in this book has far too many functions that Zhongyuan Yidianhui has set up for it.

The book says that the protagonist's smartphone has dozens of software apps on it.

QQ, food delivery app ChouTuan, ride-hailing app Didi Taxi, shopping app Taobao... these are just a few apps on this smartphone.

Qian Fuxiang was very curious about what the other dozens of apps were and what functions they had.
What surprised him most was that although Zhongyuan Yidianhui had created such a sci-fi-filled smartphone for this book, when he wrote it in the book, he treated this smartphone as a small tool in the daily life of ordinary people, something that everyone has.

Zhongyuan did not describe this smartphone in much detail.

It was always glossed over.

This book could have been written as a science fiction novel, but because it was only briefly mentioned each time, the characteristics of modern cultivation were highlighted.

Qian Fuxiang finished reading the 6-word article in about two hours.

After reading it, he sat in front of the computer, pondered for a long time, and suddenly began to search for touch screen technology online.

Tonight, while reading "Cultivation Chat Group," he noticed the smartphones in the book, and the key technology was touchscreen technology.

Only with this technology can traditional keypad phones be replaced. Through tireless searching, he was surprised to discover that touchscreen technology had already existed in the real world long before.

He found that the United States began developing touchscreen technology as early as 1960.

In 1965, British engineer E.A. Johnson published the first technical report on capacitive touchscreens.

In 1971, Samuel Hurst of the University of Kentucky invented the resistive touchscreen.

In 1974, Hurst developed the first commercially available touchscreen.

……

In 1992, IBM launched its first touchscreen phone, Simon.

……

In front of the computer.

As Qian Fuxiang gathered more and more information, he suddenly began to suspect that the smartphone in "Cultivation Chat Group" was not a fantasy item created by Zhongyuan Yidianhui, but rather... perhaps Zhongyuan Yidianhui had already used a touchscreen phone? That's why he was able to write about such a smartphone based on real-world touchscreen phones?

"But... is touchscreen phone technology in reality as advanced as it is in the book? Is that even possible?"

Qian Fuxiang muttered to himself, his expression shifting constantly.

He wasn't sure what the truth was.
If the smartphone in the book was created by Zhongyuan Yidianhui using his imagination, then... it means that Zhongyuan Yidianhui is truly a genius, with an incredibly powerful imagination.

If the smartphone in the book was simply something Zhongyuan Yidianhui had used because he had used a touchscreen phone, and he was just writing about real-world touchscreen phones in the book, then there wouldn't be much to say. But Qian Fuxiang finds it hard to believe that real-world touchscreen technology has matured to this extent.

And what about the dozens of apps on that smartphone in the book?
Are there so many mobile app companies in the US with different functions right now?

This is not just about software companies. To realize the functions of the software in the book, such as shopping, hailing a ride, and ordering takeout, it would require real-world company employees all over the country to serve the public.

Do these companies really exist in the United States?
Qian Fuxiang has never been to the United States, so he doesn't know much about it.

But subconsciously he felt it was unlikely, because Huawei currently has many foreign employees, including some from the United States, but he had never heard these foreign employees mention these companies, or even these software programs.

So, what is the truth?
That night, Qian Fuxiang kept thinking about this problem.

I occasionally search for information online.

The software information he found online was all excerpts from the book "Cultivation Chat Group" and some readers' discussions about the software in the book.

That night, he couldn't sleep.

I couldn't sleep all night.

As a tech enthusiast, he is obsessed with all kinds of cutting-edge technologies.

Last night, he originally intended to relax by reading "Cultivation Chat Group," but unexpectedly, the book reminded him of a cutting-edge technology—touchscreen technology.

And...the smartphone, which may become the world's mainstream mobile phone in the future.

The next morning, he arrived at the company with dark circles under his eyes and feeling dizzy. He worked at his post for more than an hour, still thinking about touchscreen technology and smartphones.

He felt that this couldn't continue and would seriously affect his work.

He paused to think for a moment, then got up, asked his boss for leave, went to the company's finance department, and knocked on Meng Wanzhou's office door.

He and Meng Wanzhou are alumni of Huazhong University of Science and Technology.

We had some acquaintance back in school.

In fact, he was personally invited by Meng Wanzhou to work at Huawei.

Meng Wanzhou knew he was very skilled and said that Huawei could provide him with a platform to showcase his talents. He felt that the compensation she offered was good, so he agreed to come to Huawei.

Although they were alumni, he knew that Meng Wanzhou's identity was extraordinary, so he usually wouldn't take the initiative to contact her.

Today, he feels that constantly thinking about touchscreen technology and smartphones is too annoying and is affecting his work performance.

He decided to pass this trouble on to Meng Wanzhou.

Consider it repayment for her invitation.

"Please come in!"

As Meng Wanzhou's voice came from the office, Qian Fuxiang pushed open the door and went in.

Meng Wanzhou, who was working with her head down, looked up and saw Qian Fuxiang. She looked surprised. "Huh? Old Qian? What a rare guest! Why did you come to my office today? Sit down! Please sit down! I'll make you a cup of tea."

As she spoke, she put down her pen, smoothed a strand of hair behind her ear, got up and walked to the water dispenser not far away, making him tea while talking to him.

"Old Qian! What brings you here today? This seems to be your first time here, doesn't it?"

Qian Fuxiang smiled shyly and replied, "Uh, there's something I want to tell you."

Meng Wanzhou turned to look at him curiously, "What is it? Tell me!"

Qian Fuxiang: "Uh, yes, yes..."

Seeing his hesitation, she chuckled and teased, "What's the matter? Why are you so embarrassed to say? You're not here to deliver an invitation, are you? Are you getting married? Hehe."

Qian Fuxiang's smile froze, and he quickly waved his hands, "No! No! I don't even have a girlfriend, how could I get married? No, no!"

Meng Wanzhou walked over with a cup of tea she had just brewed, handed it to him, leaned against the desk, looked at him curiously, and asked, "So what do you want to tell me? Just say it! Why are you being so polite with me?"

Qian Fuxiang: "Uh, Wanzhou, do you... do you know about Zhongyuan Yidianhui?"

"Huh? Who?"

Meng Wanzhou was momentarily confused by his train of thought. She never dreamed that when he came to her office this time, the first thing he would talk about was a novelist.

Qian Fuxiang: "Zhongyuan Yidianhui! He's the most popular novelist in mainland China these past few years. Have you heard of him?"

Meng Wanzhou heard clearly this time, looked at Qian Fuxiang with a strange expression, chuckled, and nodded slightly, "Of course I've heard of him! In recent years, has there been any young writer in mainland China who is more popular than him? He writes novels, screenplays, and even had a rumored affair with Wang Zuxian. Unless I don't go online, how could I not have heard of him in the past few years?"

She paused, then asked curiously, "But why are you suddenly bringing him up with me? He's just a novelist, he has nothing to do with us, right?"

Qian Fuxiang held his teacup, looked at her, pursed his lips, and said, "Have you read his latest book, 'Cultivation Chat Group'?"

Meng Wanzhou was even more surprised. "Old Qian! What exactly do you want to tell me? Zhongyuan Yidianhui's new book has nothing to do with us, right? I've been quite busy lately and haven't had time to read his new book. Besides, he mostly writes fighting and killing cultivation and fantasy novels, which are not to my taste."

Qian Fuxiang smiled awkwardly and nodded, "You're right. Most of his works are indeed Xianxia (fantasy/cultivation) novels, and his latest book is also in the cultivation genre. However, what I want to tell you is that his new book features a very powerful smartphone that involves touchscreen technology. I spent half the night researching and found that the United States began developing this touchscreen technology as early as the 60s. Other countries have also been developing related technologies and have achieved a series of results."

At this point, he carefully observed Meng Wanzhou's surprised expression and continued, "Also, when I was researching, I discovered that IBM launched a touchscreen phone in 1992. In other words, touchscreen phones are not unrealistic science fiction products. Although they haven't been widely adopted yet, I thought about it all night and felt that this is the future of mobile phone development! If you don't believe me, you can check out Zhongyuan Yidianhui's new book, 'Cultivation Chat Group,' and you'll see for yourself!"

(End of this chapter)