Back in 1978, I was admitted to Northwestern Polytechnical University.

Chapter 78 Don't touch our computers! Use calculators instead!

After eating the hot mutton stew, Qin Liang felt warm all over. Looking at the gazes of his classmates around him, he felt proud. There's no place like home, and no matter how good it is abroad, it's not as good as home!
Northwestern Polytechnical University will always be my home!

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Benjamin spoke up: "Mr. Qin, can you take us to see the server room now?"

"it is good!"

Northwestern Polytechnical University, computer room.

"The computer room is our most confidential place. No unauthorized personnel are allowed to enter. However, since you provided these three computers, we are making an exception and inviting you in. Everyone, I must state in advance that you can only look, not touch!"

What?
We came here to work on these three computers!
Ben Ritchie's expression was complicated. These three computers weren't bought by any magazine, not even an SCI magazine, they didn't have that much extra money. Skunk Works paid for them!
After Smith and Stephen returned, one went back to the Air Force and the other back to Skunk Works; neither of them worked for the magazine anymore!
That very evening, the Skunk Works held a technical meeting. Looking at the photos Stephen had taken, everyone had a sudden realization – the shape was actually quite scientific! Ben Richie immediately decided to give them the computers! Let's see their results!

The Skunk Works team began their research based on the photographs. Ben Richie arranged everything, and a month had passed. So he came to the East, wanting to personally obtain the first batch of data, and even more so...

At this moment, Ben Ritchie looked at the somewhat rudimentary machine room, his feelings complicated. Back then, the Skunk Works was also very rudimentary, next to a chemical plant, reeking of stench, and they were forced to work wearing gas masks! Under those harsh conditions, they still managed to create a series of modern aircraft!

Now, this computer room at Northwestern Polytechnical University, though rudimentary, is used to calculate the most advanced aircraft. So, will this place become the second Skunk Works?
"Come on, everyone, have a seat!" Qin Liang moved a few chairs for them to keep them from looking around, and then looked at the people working at the computers.

"Teacher Liu, these friends have come to ask us for some materials. Have we finished preparing the materials yet?"

"Yes, we've achieved some initial results. Please wait a moment!"

The dot-matrix printer started clicking away, and everyone stared at it with complicated expressions. As soon as the first sheet of paper came out, Stephen couldn't wait to tear it off and hand it to Ben Ritchie.

Ben Rich glanced at it briefly and then handed it to Dennis.

Dennis is the most professional!
“I need to use the computer next to me to examine this data,” Dennis said, and started to stand up.

"No, you can't touch our computers!"

"This computer was a gift from us!"

"Yes, after the gift is given, it has nothing to do with you anymore. All we promised was the data."

"But... how do we verify if it's correct?"

"use this."

As Qin Liang spoke, he pulled a small, flat object from his pocket. It had a dark brown engineering plastic body with a dense array of buttons and a narrow red LED display. The words "Texas Instruments" were printed in the upper left corner, but the lower right corner was unclear, though it looked like it had a "59" on it? Was it a TI-59 manufactured by Texas Instruments?

"You're telling us to use this?"

“That’s right, it’s just calculations, no need to use a computer.” Qin Liang said, “Don’t underestimate this handheld calculator because of its small size. Its computing power is a hundred times stronger than ENIAC! Moreover, it can be programmed. I have already written a Ufimov formula in it.”

In 1967, Texas Instruments began manufacturing handheld electronic calculators. In 1977, they launched the groundbreaking TI-59 scientific calculator, which used a four-bit processor, TMC-0501, and possessed powerful computing capabilities. It could perform basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, sine and cosine calculations, not to mention matrix calculations, solving linear equations, complex algorithms, financial and calendar calculations. It could be said that this thing was even more powerful than the 103 computer in the mathematics department!

If there are no built-in programs, you can still program them; there are more than 5,000 modules inside, and you can even write games.

Meanwhile, it has a small slot on the right side of the LCD screen where a magnetic card can be stored to pre-enter the program. It also has a dedicated print port that can be directly connected to a PC-100A printer, and the battery can even be charged while connected to the printer...

While strolling around the capital of Pakistan, Qin Liang didn't run into Yang Duo'er again. The bookstores were also uninteresting, as he had already done a shopping spree last time. When he saw a shop selling these calculators, he bought a whole box of them. He should have thrown away those slide rules a long time ago!
Although Northwestern Polytechnical University has these three computers, it is definitely not enough. We should forget about buying more computers. We will have 8086 computers in a year. For now, we will rely on scientific calculators to cope with the situation!
Dennis took a deep breath: "Okay!"

Amidst the beeping sounds, Dennis quickly pressed the calculator buttons, calculating the data on the manuscript paper.

At this moment, Professor Liu was slightly nervous. It was all too rushed. Would something go wrong?
He looked at Dennis with some concern. Dennis nodded after each set of calculations. Once he had finished reviewing them, Dennis looked up and nodded to Ben Ritchie: "Good, all these data are correct!"

The printer had finished printing, a total of eight sheets of paper, showing a rough outline of the design from about half a meter back from the printer head. Qin Liang handed it to Ben Richie.

"This is all the progress we've made in the past month or so. It's just a rough design. If we were to refine it, the head unit alone would take about a year to work on these three computers." Qin Liang said, "During this time, my teacher has been lamenting how poor the computer's performance is."

Ben Rich nodded: "That's right. This computer isn't very powerful, but higher-level computers are subject to COCOM's embargo. So... I sincerely invite Professor Liu and your students to come to the United States, where there is a better research environment where you can showcase your talents."

Sure enough, I knew these Americans came in person not only to get the data, but also for other purposes—they still wanted to poach us!
“Mr. Benjamin, I’m very sorry to disappoint you.” Professor Liu began, “Back then, our country had just been founded and was extremely poor. Many overseas Chinese resolutely chose to return to China to contribute to the construction of our motherland. Now, our country has developed from an agricultural country into an industrial country. Although there is still a long way to go to catch up with the world’s advanced level, we will definitely be able to catch up as long as we work hard. We hope to dedicate our lives to our motherland, so… I’m very sorry.”

"But the conditions here are too poor; they'll bury your talents! Don't you want to showcase your abilities on a better stage?"

"That's right. Stealth shapes bring greater aerodynamic drag, which requires more advanced engines. Your Eastern engine technology is too backward, so your stealth technology has no room to be utilized."

Qin Liang shook his head: "Yes, with the current technological approach, it will take us many years to catch up with the West, so we plan to change direction!"

After saying that, Qin Liang looked at Dennis and said, "Give me my calculator. Don't put it in your pocket!"

(End of this chapter)