Rebirth in 1960, My Industrial Age

Chapter 218: Strange Interview, Leader (Subscription Request)
Boom boom boom!
When Zhou Fengnian was finalizing the storage of the supercomputer with the people from the technical department, there was a sudden knock on the door.

Everyone looked back and found that it was Pan Heng standing at the door, waving to Zhou Fengnian.

"You guys continue. I think what I proposed should be doable. Let's try to solve it according to this idea. Old Yan, make a few more phone calls and ask."

After Zhou Fengnian finished speaking, he temporarily put aside the things here and walked towards Pan Heng. He knew that Pan Heng would not disturb him unless it was something important, and he had already let Pan Heng handle the general matters himself.

After coming out, Zhou Fengnian asked, "Xiao Pan, what's the matter?"

"The higher-ups are going to arrange for two teams to come and interview us. One is from the People's Daily and the other is from the Sijiucheng Daily. They are going to come to our factory to interview about computers."

Pan Heng paused for a moment and continued, "I can't refuse. The time has been set. It's this afternoon."

"Come this afternoon? What are they doing? Why is this happening at such a critical time for R&D?"

After listening to Pan Heng's words, Zhou Fengnian complained that their factory was mainly engaged in research and development, and was not a factory specializing in the production of computers.

Especially now is the critical time when the supercomputer is being developed, no one except Zhou Fengnian will waste even a minute.

What can I interview at this time?
"You take care of the arrangements and control their numbers. I'll have people put out those personal computers and let them take some photos."

Zhou Fengnian thought for a moment and said, "Ask the security department to follow us. Except for the designated locations, no other workshops or places will be allowed to be visited or interviewed."

Pan Heng nodded and said, "I understand, Director."

"By the way, tell Deputy Director Chai and ask him to arrange the reception."

"it is good"

Pan Heng nodded in agreement, then hesitated for a moment before asking, "Director, what if they insist on interviewing you?"

"Just say I'm busy."

"."

Seeing that Pan Heng looked a little embarrassed, Zhou Fengnian sighed and said, "If they insist on interviewing me, then you should notify me first. Whether to accept or not depends on the situation."

The people sent by higher-ups came with a mission, so it was a bit difficult for them to refuse.

The National Day has just passed, and the surrounding situation is tense, so perhaps we need a few things to boost morale. Zhou Fengnian, who built the world's first computer factory, may be a good topic.

In particular, computers are high-tech that foreigners have always promoted. They were once said by foreigners, along with missiles and mushroom bombs, to be something that the Chinese would never be able to learn.

Now that they have made it the world's number one, I'm afraid the news has spread abroad and the higher-ups want to further promote it.
However, these are just Zhou Fengnian's guesses. It's an arrangement from above and he hasn't discussed it with him yet, so he can't refuse it.

Zhou Fengnian could only ask Pan Heng and Deputy Director Chai to entertain them, hoping that they would just come to take pictures and ask a few questions, and then leave happily with their mission, so that everyone would be happy.

After Pan Heng left, Zhou Fengnian went back to continue research and development with the computer group.

Deputy Director Chai, who took on the task, became busy. Fortunately, those people came in the afternoon.

If they came at noon, he wouldn't know how to arrange the reception. He couldn't take them to the cafeteria to eat from a big pot. If that happened, Deputy Director Chai would feel embarrassed to ask the journalists who came to interview him to say good things about them.

It will be easy if you come in the afternoon. Prepare some fruits and tea, etc., and let them ask enough questions and then leave.

In the afternoon, a group of people came to the gate of the electronic computer factory.

The leading female comrade stepped forward and showed her work ID card, and said to the guard: "Hello, comrade, we are sent by the leader to interview the computer factory. Have you received the notice?"

"We received a notice, but it said six people."

The members of the gate security department looked at the reporter named Bei Xiaqing in front of them with some vigilance. There were ten of them now, four more than the comrades.

Bei Xiaqing said, "They are colleagues from the Youth Daily, and they are here for an interview. Let me talk to your leader."

"Okay, just wait a moment."

The gate security staff did not open the door immediately, but went back to call their leader to inquire about the situation. After a while, they came out and said, "Wait a moment, our leader will be here soon."

"it is good."

Not long after, Pan Heng and Deputy Director Chai came with a team of security officers. After having the door opened, Deputy Director Chai said embarrassedly:
"I'm sorry, fellow journalists, we were delayed a little while arranging the place for your interview.

Let's register now. Only after registration can we enter the factory. But why are there four more people? "

Bei Xiaqing hurried forward to explain. When Deputy Director Chai heard that it was another newspaper, he frowned. However, there was no problem in checking their identities. Besides, newspapers were not easy to mess with nowadays, so he let them register together.

When he led the group inside, Deputy Director Chai saw that some people were dissatisfied with the security department members who were following them, so he smiled and explained:

"I'm sorry, everyone. There are too many confidential places in our factory. Even I, the deputy director, can't enter some places casually. I'm worried that you might get lost in the factory, so I arranged someone to follow you."

This explanation was reasonable, so it calmed the newspaper reporters who were conducting the interviews.

Soon they came to the office where personal computers were placed, which was specially vacated to facilitate the visit and interview.

Deputy Director Chai then introduced: "Everyone, this is the latest personal computer developed and manufactured by our factory. It is about the size of two suitcases, but its performance is no less."

The people from the newspaper office quickly took photos to record the event. Recently, many people have been interested in this "world's first" computer. If they could get detailed interview materials, they would definitely be praised by those above them.

Bei Xiaqing then asked questions related to personal computers, and Deputy Director Chai answered many of Bei Xiaqing's questions fluently.

He had done his homework before.

Afterwards, a personal computer was turned on and they were allowed to try it out. The convenient and simple operation amazed the interviewees.

Then Bei Xiaqing suddenly asked, "Deputy Director Chai, can we interview Comrade Zhou Fengnian, who invented this computer?"

Deputy Director Chai said with some embarrassment: "Director Zhou? He's very busy lately, working on another project. I don't know if he has time, so I can only ask for you."

Bei Xiaqing pretended not to understand and said, "Then thank you, Deputy Director Chai. I believe that most of the comrades want to know the news about Comrade Zhou Fengnian."

Deputy Director Chai had no choice but to signal with his eyes and ask Pan Heng to make the trip.

After listening to Pan Heng's report, Zhou Fengnian in the office stood up helplessly and followed him.

After arriving at the room where personal computers were exhibited, Zhou Fengnian finally met the people who came to interview him. Ten people occupied most of the room, and the security department and Deputy Director Chai were also in the room. When Bei Xiaqing saw Zhou Fengnian, he asked with some doubt: "Hello, are you Comrade Zhou Fengnian?"

"Yes, it's me. You are Comrade Bei from the People's Daily, right? Is there anything you want to ask?"

Zhou Fengnian didn't beat around the bush and asked directly; he was very busy and wished that Bei Xiaqing and his gang would leave right away.

"Well, Comrade Zhou, let me ask you a question first. Do you think our country's computer level is already the best in the world?"

Zhou Fengnian thought for a moment, pointed at the personal computer and said, "This is the world's number one personal computer. Computers also have categories, and we are still a little behind in other aspects, but by next year, we will be the real number one in the world.

And what I say doesn’t count. Next year or the year after, when foreigners come to us for help, go ask them who is the best in the world.”

Bei Xiaqing was stunned. He didn't expect Zhou Fengnian to speak so bluntly and fiercely. He held the pen and continued to ask, "Then how can you guarantee that we will become the world's number one in computers next year or the year after?"

"Foreigners hide the technology, but not the performance results. Once we make them, we will know after we compare them."

After Zhou Fengnian finished speaking, he asked, "You know your neighbor stopped after walking ten steps, so if you only need to walk twenty steps, you will definitely surpass him.

Whether he will continue to walk is up to the neighbors.”

"Comrade Zhou, you look very young. You will be only 30 next year. And according to our investigation, you only attended a technical secondary school before, and your major was mechanics. So how come you want to develop computers now?"

"This is a personal reason and has nothing to do with computers, but I can only tell you to read more and memorize tens of thousands of books. It will definitely be effective."

The more Zhou Fengnian answered, the more he felt something was wrong. He then answered a few questions perfunctorily, and then made an excuse to end the interview and prepare to go back and ask his leader.

Even though the things he developed and manufactured weren't worthy of being preserved in archives, they weren't worthy of being publicized in a big way, right?
Isn't it important to keep a low profile these days? Why is he suddenly being treated like a pillar of public attention?

Although Zhou Fengnian has made contributions to machine tools, automobiles, electrical appliances, semiconductors and computers, it should not be this serious.

There is definitely something wrong with this group of people. It is not a foreign-related problem, but a problem in other aspects, caused by the conflict with Deputy Leader Li and his group.

Got to ask clearly!

------

The people from the three newspapers asked some more questions and took some photos of the places that could be visited.

Bei Xiaqing continued to ask: "Deputy Director Chai, can we interview some other technicians?"

They were under too strict a guard, and apart from getting some information from Zhou Fengnian, they didn't gain much from other places.

"I'm sorry, Comrade Bei, it's not convenient for others to accept the interview. You know that this is a confidential factory."

Deputy Director Chai refused.

"Well, today we have gained something, right? Who is that?"

Bei Xiaqing suddenly saw Yan Zhengzhi holding a briefcase and pushing a bicycle towards the gate, which reminded her of the interview she had done with Yan Zhengzhi, the director of the Computer Research Institute.

So Bei Xiaqing bypassed Deputy Director Chai and went directly to Yan Zhengzhi and said, "Director Yan, hello, I am Bei Xiaqing from the People's Daily. I interviewed you about computers a few years ago. Do you remember?"

"Oh, that seems to be the case, but what are you doing?"

Yan Zhengzhi looked at the person in front of him and seemed to recall that time when the Computer Research Institute was just established and there were many reporters.

Bei Xiaqing said quickly: "I am here to interview the computer factory today. The people are very interested in our country's computer industry, so I am here to make a detailed report on behalf of the people.
Director Yan, may I ask a few questions?"

Yan Zhengzhi said without thinking: "Ask, and I will answer if I can."

Upon hearing this, Deputy Director Chai, who was standing behind him, sighed in his heart. In front of so many people, he couldn't do anything tricky to Yan Zhengzhi.

Bei Xiaqing was delighted, and immediately asked, "Director Yan, why did you come to the computer factory today?"

"Work, I'm here. I'm no longer the director of a computer research institute. I'm just an ordinary technician."

Bei Xiaqing's eyes lit up as he asked, "Huh? You are not the director of the Computer Institute anymore? Did you participate in the development of the personal computer at the Electronic Computer Factory?"

"That's not it. It has nothing to do with me."

Yan Zhengzhi shook his head and said, "Director Zhou had already made it before I came. I came here because of other projects."

"So are you leading the research work at the computer factory?"

Yan Zhengzhi continued to shake his head and said, "Not really. The person leading the team is Director Zhou. He is the person in charge of the project and also the one who has contributed the most. Without Director Zhou, the project would be difficult to proceed.
Comrade, why are you asking these questions? "

"Nothing, just to let the public know more. But Director Yan, Comrade Zhou Fengnian was not a mechanical designer before."

"What's the big deal? People like us only know one? According to you, I study computers, so I can't know mechanical manufacturing?"

Yan Zhengzhi smiled and said, "In fact, I know a lot. I can also grow flowers, and I am pretty good at it."

"But in this factory, with you here, it reminds people that the manufacture of computers has a lot to do with you."

Yan Zhengzhi quickly shook his head and said, "You think too highly of me. To put it another way, if you were asked to lead a team to Antarctica in an environment where you couldn't tell the direction at all, what would you do?"

Bei Xiaqing was stunned, but then replied: "Keep going south."

Yan Zhengzhi interrupted, "You can't tell the direction, and you don't know which is south. What should we do now?"

“Then find the direction first.”

"I can't find it, or it's very difficult to find it, and there's no way to refer to it."

Bei Xiaqing thought about it and shook his head, saying, "I don't know, Director Yan, what will you do?"

"I have no choice. If I can find the direction, I can find a way to lead the team there, and the problems encountered on the way can be solved, but the direction is the most important."

Yan Zhengzhi paused and continued, "But Director Zhou can. He can make sure to point you in the direction of the South Pole and then lead us there."

"This is the importance of a leader. If you can't find a direction, you can only keep trying and wasting a lot of time."

(End of this chapter)