Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 201: The Imagination of Area 51 is Complete (1 words)

"Randolph accomplished an unprecedented miracle at the University of Göttingen."

When Hua Luogeng read the description of Lin Ran's miracle in Göttingen in this science magazine, envy appeared in his eyes.

What he envied was not that the other person was able to complete such a groundbreaking work in front of mathematicians from all over the world, or that they were able to take over the baton from their predecessors in a mathematical mecca like Göttingen and complete an unprecedented performance.

What he envied was simple: he envied the other person's ability to conduct cutting-edge mathematical research and consistently produce first-class results.

This feeling of envy also arose in Hua Luogeng's mind when he saw the top-tier journal that published the academic paper co-authored by Chen Jingrun.

When Hua Luogeng was still in America, he was working on the most cutting-edge mathematics. Although his achievements could not compare with Fermat's Last Theorem or the twin prime conjecture, they were still valuable.

It is no exaggeration to call it a first-class achievement.

But since returning to China, although he still appears to be doing mathematical research, he knows very well that he has drifted away from modern mathematics and can no longer keep up with the times.

From the very beginning in Yenching University, his energy was mostly devoted to administrative affairs and student training, including cultivating students, organizing the Chinese mathematical system, establishing mathematical research institutes and the China University of Science and Technology.

Moreover, his inability to communicate with mathematicians outside the field and his lack of access to mathematical journals made it difficult for him to continue his research in modern mathematics.

If you don't have access to the most cutting-edge tools and can't understand the progress of modern mathematics, how can you talk about doing mathematical research?

Later, he went to Guangzhou to work in applied mathematics.

From a mathematical perspective, going to Guangzhou to work on applied mathematics is better than going to front-line factories and rural areas to promote the "overall planning method" and "optimization method".

Now, working in Area 51 doing applied mathematics allows me to access cutting-edge mathematics journals and other academic publications, which is better than staying in Guangzhou.

But none of these can compare to the simple joy of doing mathematical research in my early years, which brought me greater spiritual satisfaction.

But did he really regret it? Hua Luogeng pondered this question countless times.

In 1985, during his last speech before his death, he said: "A person has two shoulders, and I want to make both shoulders play their role: one shoulder to carry the burden of 'delivering goods to the door,' bringing scientific knowledge and scientific methods to the people; the other shoulder to be a 'human ladder,' allowing the younger generation to climb to a higher level of scientific achievement with my help, and then let the young people put down the rope, pull me up, and become a human ladder again."

He thought he probably wouldn't regret it.

But every time I see similar reports, it stirs up my thoughts.

Hua Luogeng gathered his thoughts, then left the office with the report and his notebook, and went into the conference room.

He was the first to arrive, and others followed one after another.

"Director Hua, you are an expert in the field of mathematics. We are here today to hear your opinion on just how strong Lin Ran's mathematical abilities are."

The content needs to include: what the twin prime conjecture is, whether the six-day on-site proof was a publicity stunt or genuine, and the significance of proving the twin prime conjecture,” the meeting moderator said.

These were all topics that had been prepared in advance, and were essentially for popular science purposes.

Area 51 is interested in everything related to Hakuba.

To some extent, from the day District 51 was established, it was prepared that one day, after Bai Ma returned to China, he would seamlessly come to District 51 as the person in charge.

Hua Luogeng said, "Lin Ran once mentioned that there are two kinds of mathematicians: frogs and birds."

He briefly explained the meaning of these two terms, and then said:

"In the past, people thought that modern mathematics was a tree. The higher you went, the deeper you explored the content of modern mathematics, and the weaker the connection between them became."

Grothendieck was the first to stand up and say, "Why do I feel like it's not a tree?"

He was also one of the first-rate mathematicians.

He wasn't the only one; other mathematicians had similar feelings, but they all had a general feeling that it might not necessarily be a tree.

This feeling stems from both a mathematician's intuition and the influence of physics.

Because Einstein's physics proposed a grand unified theory, he believed there was a unified theory to explain all interactions.

This trend of thought has also influenced the mathematics community.

Even seemingly different forces can be unified within a single framework.

Why can't math work?
But the above are all feelings.

Lin Ran was the first to stand up and say, using an entire framework and a partial proof, that mathematics is not a tree, but a river.

This river will eventually converge and flow into the sea.

It was as if he were a bird, taking a blurry photo with a camera, vaguely resembling what he was saying.

In other words, among mathematicians, Lin Ran has the widest range of knowledge.

He can not only see it, but also produce photos.

Another type of mathematician is the frog, who buries himself in the category he is good at, trying to understand the quagmire he focuses on.

Unfortunately, Lin Ran may also be the most profound frog mathematician.

So he simultaneously observed the widest range of birds and dug the deepest frogs.

Without a doubt, he is the best mathematician of our time.

This point has become globally recognized after the Göttingen incident.

In fact, we all know that he is also a mathematician who is most skilled in applied mathematics.

It helped America achieve a lunar landing with a deviation of only 1200 meters.

The interval between the US and the Soviet Union's launches was no more than two hours.

This is more difficult than the difference of 1200 meters between the lunar landing point and the target point, because it gives you less time to calculate and adjust.

So all I know is that he was the best in mathematics of his time, and in my intuitive understanding, he was even better than Gauss.

But I don't know exactly how strong their abilities are, or how to quantify them; I can't give a precise answer.

Let's return to the six-day proof of the twin prime conjecture in Göttingen.

This problem is extremely difficult; in my opinion, it's among the most difficult number theory problems.

Whether he proves it in person or publishes a paper, it will not affect his status.

At Lin Ran's level, he no longer needed to prove himself to anyone.

In terms of his standing in the mathematical community, his ability to transform the Randolph Program from a framework into a theory is far more important than his solving one or two problems.

To put it simply, from a motivational standpoint, I don't think Lin Ran had any motive to perform.

Unless Göttingen forces it, but it's clear that Göttingen's past performance has failed to restrain Lin Ran.

Therefore, I believe it is true; he really did complete the proof in six days.

Therefore, under this premise, he is the greatest mathematician in human history, without exception.

The significance of proving the twin prime conjecture lies more in the mathematical realm than in its immediate global implications.

In mathematics, many number theory problems that were previously considered very difficult will be solved one after another.

After all, many of the tools he used in proving the twin prime conjecture have strong universality.

After the meeting, Hua Luogeng went to Dean Qian's office for a private chat.

You can be much more relaxed in private chats.

Hua Luogeng's first words were: "I strongly suspect that Lin Ran has been modified by alien technology!"

Dean Qian was not shocked at all; instead, he nodded in agreement: "I had similar guesses in the past."

Whether or not he proves the twin prime conjecture within six days, he has surpassed our understanding of what a normal genius can do.

After thinking for a long time, Hua Luogeng said, "I have always suspected that he is not from the University of Göttingen."

Dean Qian's expression changed this time.

Because regardless of the version of events, they all say that Lin Ran is a graduate of the University of Göttingen.

The sources of these materials have not been exposed by the media, but some speculations can be seen, and Area 51 has collected them all.

The most consistent account is that Lin Ran is a Chinese born in Europe. He lost both his parents and struggled to survive as a homeless person before gaining admission to the University of Göttingen due to his remarkable talent.

Although Lin Ran himself has not confirmed it, this is indeed a fairly authoritative statement.

However, both Lin Ran himself and Göttingen have admitted that he graduated from the University of Göttingen with both his undergraduate and doctoral degrees.

"Are you sure?" Dean Qian asked seriously.

Hua Luogeng said, "I'm not sure."

This is just my suspicion.

The International Congress of Mathematicians was held in Hungary in 1954.

I attended that conference as a representative of China. At the conference, Siegel was one of the most famous mathematicians in the field of number theory, so I definitely had to have a chat with him.

As you know, there have been Chinese students in Göttingen since the 20s. Mr. Wei Shizhen founded the Göttingen Chinese Students Association, and the second chairman was Lao Zong.

I mentioned that they had no Chinese students.

His reply to me was that, let alone Chinese students, because of World War II, almost all the Chinese students in Göttingen had left.

Wei Shizhen was among the first group of Chinese students to study at the University of Göttingen and a Chinese mathematician who worked on differential equations.

However, due to his family background as a scholar, after graduating with his doctorate and returning to China, he focused on research in Western philosophy, staying away from the forefront of mathematics.

After Hua Luogeng finished speaking, he added, "Of course, this happened in 1954, and it's also possible that Lin Ran went to Göttingen afterward."

In short, someone like him can succeed anywhere.

Dean Qian said, "Your statement has given me a completely new inspiration."

Perhaps, as we suspect, it is actually a product of American alien technology modification.

There were many people in this group who were reformed, but he was the only one who survived.

That's why he has such a high level of approval from America.

Whether as a special assistant for White House affairs or as the director of NASA, his career progressed smoothly.

If that's the case, then it makes perfect sense.

He was a child prodigy nurtured in the mysterious America base from a young age, and his genius was further enhanced after being modified by aliens.

He might be the only one who survived among the children who were reformed at the same time.

As he grew up, he had to work for America, but also wanted to connect with us as much as possible because of his painful childhood experiences and his Chinese identity.

It was precisely because of his experience of undergoing modification and his extensive contact with extraterrestrial objects during his upbringing that he was able to secretly hide that thing without being discovered.

We thought he had just acquired it recently, but perhaps he had it ten years ago and had been looking for an opportunity to provide it to us.

Hua Luogeng added in a low voice: "That's why he repeatedly emphasized alien technology in 'The Man in the High Castle'."

However, because the idea of ​​alien technology modifying the human body sounded too incredible, he was afraid that we wouldn't believe it if he wrote it, so he didn't.

This live demonstration in Göttingen may be intended to make us realize that extraterrestrial technology, besides physical objects, also includes aspects of modifying the human body.

Dean Qian felt that all the guesses formed a closed loop, and no matter how he thought about it, it seemed so logical. His tone carried a hint of excitement:
Do you know Eric Jan Hannussen?

Hua Luogeng shook his head: "I don't know."

Dean Qian explained: "This is a person with superpowers from Germany during World War II. He had superpowers, including prophecy and clairvoyance."

He made a prediction before the German Avus match in May 1932, wrote the prediction on a piece of paper and gave it to the bartender, asking him not to open it before the match ended.

He then announced: "One person at this table will win tomorrow, and the other will die. Both names are in this envelope."

Dean Qian deliberately stopped.

Hua Luogeng, unable to contain his curiosity, asked, "And then?"

"Then, just as he wrote, one of them won, and the other died," Dean Qian said. "There are many similar cases in Germany."

They used divination to locate the English submarines and the captured people, astrology to predict the future, and wizards to search for Aryan origins.

Back when I was in America, I had a roommate who was particularly interested in these legends.

I now have a theory, which is what we said before, that Germany also acquired alien technology.

However, this alien technology manifested as superpowers in Germany.

America received valuable resources from Germany, which is why their computer technology and other technologies have developed so rapidly in recent years.

In China, such speculation has formed a complete closed loop, with people from top to bottom increasingly believing in the theory of extraterrestrial technology.

Hua Luogeng's face was full of regret: "It's a pity that we couldn't persuade Chu Si to come here when he came to Hong Kong last time. If he had come, many of our doubts would have been answered."

Dean Qian sighed: "There's nothing we can do. There are many things we can't tell him. For example, the existence of the Raspberry Pi is something we simply can't discuss with him over the phone."

So it's perfectly normal that we can't recruit them.

We can only develop ourselves; developing ourselves is the only way forward.

When our computer technology is comparable to, or even surpasses, America's, attracting computer experts like Chus will not be difficult.

Hua Luogeng nodded and said, "Yes."

The next day was a big day for Area 51, with almost all the top executives gathering at the semiconductor research group.

Because they created the world's first world-leading semiconductor instrument.

That's a pocket-sized electronic calculator.

(ANITA Mk 8, manufactured by Axbridge, England, was launched in October 1961. It was the world's first electronic desktop calculator. It was announced at the Business Efficiency Exhibition in London and officially went on sale on January 1, 1962. The price of a single unit was £10. In addition to the £1, there was an annual maintenance contract of £100, which was later increased to $280.)
（1964年同一家公司推出的全晶体管电子计算器Friden EC-130，1965年推出的样式差不多的EC-132还具备开平方根功能。和ANITA Mk 8相比，这两台机器，分别降价到了690英镑和810英镑）

What China is about to launch is an unprecedented portable transistor calculator.

Its greatest advantage lies in the significant advantages brought by light-emitting diodes.

In the past, whether it was the calculator from 1961 or the latest calculators, they all used cathode tubes as displays, and the circuits still used germanium diodes and transistors.

Neither its computing power nor its size is small.

China is far ahead in both concepts and designs.

It is truly far ahead of its time.

The portable calculator they are about to launch is already similar to the HP-35 from 1972.

(HP-35 from 1972)

Among them, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are the only technology currently available in China that can reduce their size.

The brothers Wang Shouwu and Wang Shoujue recalled the hardships they had endured during this period. Forget about working 996, they were working around the clock, with nothing but work to do besides basic necessities like eating and sleeping.

The two brothers collaborated to develop China's first germanium alloy transistor in 1957.

This time is no exception.

They are the main developers of this portable computer, model XM-01.

The XM-01, also known as Panda 01, is called Panda instead of Hongqi for two reasons: firstly, Panda is a brand, and secondly, they have ambitions to sell to the liberal camp and earn US dollars.

The usual methods certainly wouldn't work, but with the help of the comrades in charge of foreign trade in Yanjing, they found a way: to do entrepot trade through Finland.

We'll leave aside how to get through Finland for now, and get back to Area 51.

For the brothers Wang Shoujue and Wang Shouwu, the goal was to create a monolithic integrated circuit containing multiple transistors, resistors, and capacitors.

This includes technologies such as silicon material purification, planarization, photolithography, etching, and interconnection.

Moreover, at that time, China lacked precision semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and there was a severe shortage of lithography machines and wafer dicing machines.

Initially, everyone could only use a saw to manually cut silicon wafers and then polish them manually to achieve the required flatness.

The photolithography process requires high-precision masks and exposure systems, which can only be achieved by using self-made equipment.

“Shoujue, the surface of this silicon wafer is rough and the etching is uneven. Our photolithography equipment is not precise enough.”

"Yes, we can only adjust the mask and exposure time manually. We have to try a few more times."

Everyone was well aware of the equipment limitations and had no choice but to rely on their own efforts.

Initially, the team could only make their own photolithography masks and optimized the exposure and development processes through repeated experiments.

By designing the simplest optical system and modifying an existing microscope, micron-level patterning can be barely achieved.

This approach results in extremely poor yield and stability.

Fortunately, cooperation with East Germany came quickly, like a spring breeze. East Germany helped them quickly overcome previously insurmountable obstacles in optical instruments.

Overcoming one challenge after another, once the micron-level stepper lithography machine was built, all the difficulties in chip printing were easily solved.

According to the original historical record, China also developed its first Type 65 contact lithography machine in 1965 through a collaboration between the Institute of Microelectronics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shenhai Optical Instrument Factory. Almost all the plans for semiconductor technology outlined in the "Outline of the Long-Term Plan for the Development of Science and Technology (1956-1967)" were realized.

Now, however, we have a more specific goal.

The Type 65, being a machine based solely on research and development, certainly could not meet these requirements.

The collaboration between China and East Germany resulted in a machine that better meets actual production needs and is now nearly identical to the step-by-step lithography machine originally developed in 1985.

What remains is high-purity silicon, as domestically produced silicon wafers often contain impurities.

Imports of high-purity silicon are restricted.

From regional refining processes to furnace modifications, and then to precise temperature monitoring.

We cannot rely on East Germany for these things; we can only rely on ourselves.

The Raspberry Pi played a huge role in this process.

The improved regional refining equipment, if only the temperature control system is considered, is more advanced than Texas Instruments' temperature control system, which is built on Raspberry Pi computing.

However, the more research and development they undertake, the greater the sense of urgency Chinese researchers feel.

After all, among all the people in Area 51 who knew about the Raspberry Pi, from top to bottom, not a single one thought that the Raspberry Pi was only found in China.

Everyone knows that America has it too, and there will only be more.

With this mindset, they all believed they were only approaching America's most advanced level.

Unexpectedly, many of the technologies they developed based on portable computers were at the world's most advanced level.

Photolithography, etching, and interconnection processes are the core of integrated circuit manufacturing, and China has lacked relevant experience in the past.

Photolithography mask alignment is difficult, etching depth is hard to control, and metal interconnects often experience open circuits or short circuits.

The logic function of the DTL circuit has been verified, but the yield rate is too low and the interconnection problem remains unresolved.

The uniformity of metal deposition is insufficient.

The pattern is not precise enough.

They were practically racing against time.

Finally, at the end of last year, they successfully fabricated an integrated circuit containing seven transistors, one diode, seven resistors, and six capacitors on a one-square-centimeter silicon wafer, using a diode-transistor logic design.

Now, the entire Area 51 is testing XM-01 as a whole.

In the simple laboratory, Dean Qian and Hua Luogeng were invited as representatives to examine the newly developed XM-01 portable calculator.

实验室的木桌上摆放着XM-01，一台约15厘米长、8厘米宽、3厘米厚的灰色塑料设备，配备红色LED显示屏和35个按键。

The buttons are labeled with numbers, operators, and mathematical symbols such as "sin", "cos", and "ln".

Next to it was a stack of technical documents, recording experimental data from the research and development process.

Dean Qian picked up the XM-01 and carefully examined its button layout. The red LED display screen flickered slightly under the light.

He turned to Wang Shouwu, his tone expectant: "Shouwu, this XM-01 is said to be comparable to advanced Western calculators. Could you demonstrate its functions?"

Wang Shouwu nodded, turned on the device, and the display screen lit up, showing "0".

He said confidently, "Of course, Dean."

This calculator can perform not only addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, but also trigonometric functions, logarithms, and exponential operations. Let's calculate the sine value of 30 degrees.

He pressed the "30" key, then the "sin" key, and the display quickly showed "0.50".

Hua Luogeng adjusted his glasses, intently observing the results, and asked, "The results are accurate, and the response is quick. Could you try a more complex calculation, such as e to the power of 2?"

Wang Shouwu typed "2" and then pressed the "e^x" key. The screen displayed "7.39".

Hua Luogeng nodded slightly: "It matches the theoretical value. The precision of two decimal places is sufficient to meet the current needs."

Wang Shouwu continued, "If we don't consider the computation time, we can adjust it from the backend to a precision of four decimal places."

We will also provide specific instructions on adjusting the system's calculation accuracy in the instruction manual.

Dean Qian placed the XM-01 back on the table, crossed his hands, and after a moment of contemplation, said, "This device is small in size, yet it can perform such complex calculations, which is of great significance to various engineering projects and practical work. Engineers need to quickly calculate track parameters on site, and it can greatly improve efficiency."

Hua Luogeng added, "From a mathematical perspective, this calculator is also important for education. Students can use it to verify numerical calculations, and researchers can use it to explore mathematical models."

Similar thoughts flashed through everyone's minds.

That is because China has made tremendous progress in the semiconductor field in recent years.

In just five years, the computing power of this small portable calculator has far surpassed that of the first computer.

It is precisely because miracles continue to occur in Area 51 that Yanjing has increased its investment in Area 51.

For China, the reduction in agricultural and industrial losses due to accurate weather forecasts alone is enough to fund the investment in Area 51.

Wang Shouwu continued, “The XM-01 uses integrated circuits that we have independently developed, and each chip contains hundreds of transistors.”

Furthermore, we optimized the algorithm, for example, by using the CORDIC algorithm to achieve efficient calculation of trigonometric functions.

Wang Shouwu knew that everyone present was familiar with Raspberry Pi, so he continued, "We didn't originally intend to make it this complicated."

But having used that thing, we really couldn't stand a calculator that could only do addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

We tried every means to add some more complex function calculations.

At first, nobody thought we could do it; nobody had much confidence.

But our goal is to replicate that thing. If we can't even handle a multi-functional calculator, what's the point of talking about replicating it?

A hint of admiration flashed in Dean Qian's eyes: "From simple transistors to integrated circuits like these, the progress made in just a few years is truly remarkable. What were the main difficulties you encountered?"

Wang Shouwu: "The biggest challenges are chip miniaturization and power consumption control. Our photolithography technology is limited, mask alignment accuracy is insufficient, and the yield was once very low. In addition, the design of the driving circuit for the LED display is also quite complicated."

However, the biggest advantage is that through the development of XM-01, we can clearly see that it is the product of the extreme miniaturization of transistors.

It may have billions of transistors.

And if we want to move in this direction, photolithography is almost the only way.

The initial joy of those present upon hearing about the replica Raspberry Pi and the billions of transistors on a tiny "card" was quickly dampened.

Because they really weren't sure.

It might even raise doubts: can humans really do that?

Hua Luogeng changed the subject, saying, "How do we ensure accuracy in algorithms? The calculation of scientific functions requires complex approximation methods."

Wang Shouwu replied, "We referenced Taylor series and the CORDIC algorithm and optimized them to address hardware limitations. Although the display screen has limited precision and may exhibit minor rounding errors, it has little impact on practical applications."

Dean Qian asked, "What is the production plan for this calculator? Can it be quickly rolled out to the scientific research and industrial fields?"

Wang Shouwu said, "We are optimizing the production process. Currently, the monthly output is 1000 units, and we should be able to increase it to 10,000 units this year."

Our communication with Yanjing resulted in half of the produce being exported and the other half being used by ourselves.

Even Area 51 could use this, let alone other research institutions, universities, businesses, and government agencies.

Hua Luogeng asked, "When will the development of more advanced versions, such as adding equation solving or statistical functions, be completed according to your schedule?"

Without hesitation, Wang Shouwu replied, "Because this involves a more complex system and more transistors. Our plan is to build a large computer similar to IBM's within three years, and catch up with IBM's most advanced publicly available large computers within five years."

Dean Qian was very pleased: "XM-01 is a microcosm of our technological research and development breakthroughs. It proves that we have the ability to break through and create world-class technologies and the ability to manufacture world-class products."

With the XM-01 around, going to Yanjing for a work report feels incredibly confident.

Wang Shouwu continued, "I have a suggestion: this thing is truly something we are leading the world in."

The LEDs, logic circuit design, and transistor integration level used in it far exceed the Silicon Valley level we see in electronic magazines.

We really can't keep setting low prices proactively.

My colleagues in Yanjing told me that they hoped to set a price of five hundred US dollars, saying that this price would definitely make it a big seller.

But we don't need such a huge sales volume.

If it only sells for five hundred dollars, then it's not even as good as the price of machines in England, which is far behind ours.

Two years ago, we had to sell at a low price because our products were not well-known and because we had competitors.

There are many radio manufacturers internationally, so we need to develop a low-priced product to give people a reason to choose us.

But this time it's really not necessary.

What we are launching is a product that is unique in the world.

We are ahead of our counterparts in England, America, and France.

If we set a lower price now, it would be a lose-lose situation.

Based on a pricing standard of 10,000 units per month, half for export and half for domestic sales, even at $2,000 per unit, demand would still exceed supply.

Dean Qian said solemnly, "Okay, I'll try my best."

Because he knew this was not a simple economic issue.

Or, in the present moment, there is no purely economic problem.

The Chinese delegation arrived as scheduled at the Leipzig Spring Trade Fair.

This year's Leipzig Trade Fair is different from previous years. This year marks the 800th anniversary of the trade fair, a significant event for East Germany.

Before arriving, China had fully communicated with East Germany. The Chinese delegation went to East Germany in advance and showed the XM-01 to the East Germans.

Klaus Muller held the XM-01 portable scientific calculator in his hand, a profound sense of awe washing over him.

This compact and exquisite device from China is equipped with a red LED display and 35 buttons, and can perform complex scientific calculations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, trigonometric functions, logarithms, and exponents.

For Muller, this was not just a calculator, but an unimaginable technological marvel.

Because in 1965, even the most advanced calculators in the West had not reached such a level.

Even just this red diode display is considered cutting-edge technology by professionals.

Compared to the XM-01, the calculators used by the entire Freedom faction are bulky and inefficient.

In the past, people have always described products from the Socialism camp as clunky and bulky, but in the face of Chinese products, the calculator from the liberal camp is utterly vulnerable.

Muller gently pressed the "30" key, then the "sin" key, and the display screen lit up quickly, showing "0.500".

He then typed "2" and pressed the "e^x" key, and the result "7.389" appeared almost instantly.

This level of precision and processing speed caused Muller to furrow his brow and look incredulous.

He muttered to himself, "How is this possible?"

In East Germany, computing technology was still in the vacuum tube and early transistor stage, and integrated circuits were still a distant concept.

The XM-01 clearly utilizes advanced semiconductor technology.

This technological gap shocked Muller.

Because he was the one who spearheaded the technological cooperation with China, he clearly remembered that their cooperation with China was in optics.

As for optics, they only manufactured optical lenses and some components for China.

As an expert in the semiconductor field, Mueller is well aware of the significance behind the XM-01.

He carefully examined the device's appearance: it was lightweight yet sturdy, the buttons made a crisp "click" sound when pressed, and the numbers on the display screen were clear and bright.

The display screen is even completely different from the cathode tubes on the market.

This shows that the Chinese people have not only mastered integrated circuit technology, but may have also made breakthroughs in silicon-based materials.

He murmured, "Just how advanced has their semiconductor technology become?"

Whatever the answer may be, it means that China has far surpassed East Germany's expectations in terms of technology.

Even though we were all working together, you've already taken off.

Although this is not a computer, if China can build such an advanced calculator, can't they build an equally advanced computer?

This speculation was unacceptable to Muller.

He wondered if cooperating with China on optics was a mistake, and how they were planning to buy China's semiconductor technology.

The biggest challenge of the OGAS project, an ambitious blueprint aimed at integrating the Eastern European economy through computer networks, lies in providing sufficiently advanced hardware. At least, that's what the engineers believe; technology can solve the vast majority of the problems.

The emergence of the XM-01 makes this vision achievable.

He imagined that if East Germany could acquire China's semiconductor technology, OGAS's computing power would be greatly enhanced, economic data could be exchanged in real time, and resource allocation would be more efficient.

But the question is, if Soviet Russia could force purchases and sales, what could East Germany rely on to do so?

This problem made him feel extremely anxious.

This small calculator not only deeply impressed him, but also ignited his passion for Chinese technology.

He realized that this was not an isolated exhibit, but a signal that socialist countries were capable of challenging the liberal camp in the field of technology.

The XM-01's compact size and powerful features caused a sensation in East Germany. From government officials to scientists to engineers, anyone who saw it could hardly believe that it was an electronic product made in China.

Therefore, the Leipzig Trade Fair gave China a central and prominent position for its posters.

The Leipzig Trade Fair is held in the old exhibition hall, and the electronics exhibition hall is always a focal point.

Inside the exhibition hall, under a massive concrete dome, booths from various countries displayed transistor radios, televisions, and early computers.

The East German-style buildings are decorated mainly in red and gold, with banners bearing slogans such as "Socialism: Technological Progress".

The Chinese booth was located in the southeast corner of the electronics exhibition hall, with a simple yet eye-catching design. The country's name was written in gold Chinese characters on a red backdrop.

In the center of the booth, an XM-01 calculator was placed under a glass case, its red LED display flashing under the lights. The poster next to it introduced it in German and Chinese: "XM-01: Portable Scientific Calculator - Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, Trigonometric Functions, Logarithms, Exponentiation".

The poster features illustrations by East German artists depicting scientists using the XM-01, against a backdrop of laboratories and rocket launch scenes, symbolizing its applications in scientific research and defense.

Because of its eye-catching posters, its small and unique appearance, and the scientific calculation symbols on the calculator, it has attracted widespread attention since the first day of its opening.

Almost all visitors stopped at the Chinese booth.

At first, the Western European delegates could hardly believe what they were seeing.

The senior engineer from England squinted and said in a low voice, "This can't be real. It's too small. It doesn't look like a fully functional machine."

They suspected it was just a model, a toy made by Chinese people.

When the XM-01 easily performed sine and exponential calculations in the demonstration, doubt turned into curiosity.

Some delegates crowded in front of the booth, hoping to get a closer look at the XM-01.

One technician couldn't resist asking, "Can I try?" After being given permission, he entered a string of numbers to test logarithmic operations, and when the result appeared instantly, he exclaimed in a low voice, "Fantastic!"

Many engineers were using laptops to record the appearance and button layout of the XM-01, and some even wanted to use cameras to record it.

An executive at an English computer company whispered to his assistant, "We need to find out who designed it and figure out where their technology came from."

They never even considered buying it.

Because it's not allowed to buy.

The only option is to find a way to steal the technology.

As the demonstration progressed, a sense of unease began to spread.

A French businessman frowned and said to his colleague, "If they can do this, what's next? This could upend the entire market."

They realized that this wasn't just about one product; it was about the entire market's calculators going to go unsold, and everyone's market position would be ruined.

In a corner of the exhibition hall, French and West German engineers were arguing in hushed tones: "This isn't just a problem with calculators; they may soon be entering the computer market."

"Although computers can calculate to 15 or even 16 decimal places, the IBM 360 can do everything that computers can do."

Its precision is only three digits, but this thing is so small, you know!
Small is justice.

Since the advent of portable radios, no one has wanted a huge radio, even if it might have better sound quality or a more stable signal.

Similarly, the same applies to calculators.

The reason why calculators from England can sell is because they are only the size of a shoebox.

But now the products brought by the Chinese have changed from shoe boxes to handbags. The only good news is that Chinese goods still can't be sold to the liberal camp.

This is an unprecedented opportunity for us!

But is it really impossible to sell them all? Companies in the liberal camp are being too optimistic.

(End of this chapter)