Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

In May, Beijing is bathed in the perfect spring sunshine. The poplar catkins have finished falling, the locust blossoms are in full bloom, and sunlight filters through the tender green leaves, casting dappled patterns of light on the blue brick floor of the west courtyard. Under Lou Xiao'e's meticulous care, the potted roses and jasmine in the yard are thriving, already bearing numerous buds, and the air is filled with the unique fresh scent of plants.

In subtle contrast to the tranquil spring scenery, there was an unusual, steady, and deep hum coming from the window of the study in the west courtyard. The sound was not as deafening as a factory machine, nor as noisy as a radio; it was more like the soft hum of a precision instrument in operation, with a metallic texture and electronic pulse.

In the study, the curtains were half-drawn, making the light somewhat dim. But on the large, old desk in the center of the room, a strange, colorful light shone.

It was a 15-inch color television screen, emitting a soft yet clear light. The screen was spherical, and the casing was made of thick plastic, but the content it displayed was enough to leave anyone who saw it in this era speechless.

This 15-inch color television was sent from the United States to Hong Kong by the eldest brother, Wang Huanfa. It was a wedding gift from Wang Huanfa to the young couple.

There were no movies or news playing on the screen. Instead, a simple blue-and-white interface was displayed. At the top was a line of clear Chinese characters: "Dragon Soaring No. 1 Multifunctional Electronic Computer - HarmonyOS 1.0". Below, a constantly flashing vertical cursor hovered after a prompt: "C: > _".

Beside the screen was a peculiar, rectangular device with numerous buttons (a keyboard), and a palm-sized, mouse-shaped plastic box with a long cable (a mouse). Cables of varying thicknesses extended from behind the screen and these two devices, connecting to a waist-high, silver-gray metal chassis under the desk. The deep humming sound emanated from inside this chassis. On the side of the chassis was a handwritten label: "Dragon Soaring One - Prototype."

Wang Huanbo sat in the specially made, cushioned chair at his desk, his right hand resting naturally on the "mouse" (mouse), his index finger lightly clicking. On the screen, with a slight movement of his wrist, a white arrow moved nimbly across the blue screen, accurately clicking an icon on the interface—a simple gear icon labeled "System Settings."

Click to open. A new window pops up with several rows of adjustable parameters.

His movements were fluid and graceful, possessing a skill that would be commonplace for later generations, but which seemed almost magical in the study in the early summer of 1956.

Lou Xiao'e gently pushed open the door, carrying a freshly brewed cup of jasmine tea. Although she had seen it several times before, she still felt somewhat mesmerized each time she watched her husband operate this wondrous machine called a "computer." The colorful screen, the moving arrows, the Chinese characters and symbols that rapidly appeared on the screen with each keystroke (she had learned this new word)... everything was beyond her comprehension. But she knew that Huanbo was doing something extremely important, something that could even change many things. She put down her teacup, not uttering a sound to disturb him, but simply stood quietly a step behind him, watching the characters dancing on the screen.

Wang Huanbo was testing several engineering calculation software programs that Pangu had just compiled. He input a set of data on the stress distribution of the gearbox gears in the "Red Star Little Cannon" and clicked "Calculate." The cursor on the screen changed into an hourglass shape (a waiting icon he designed), the hum inside the chassis increased slightly, and the hard drive made a soft "click" sound. About five seconds later, the hourglass disappeared, and the screen refreshed instantly, displaying a clear data table and a smooth stress change curve.

"It's done." Wang Huanbo breathed a sigh of relief, a smile appearing on his lips. This calculation, if done manually with a hand-cranked calculator, would probably have taken a skilled technician most of the day, and there was still a chance of error. But now, it only took five seconds.

He clicked on another icon, a pattern resembling a molecular structure, labeled "Materials Simulation." He entered several possible alloy formulations and heat treatment parameters, allowing the computer to simulate its crystal structure and mechanical properties. The buzzing sound resumed, this time lasting a little longer, about half a minute, before the results were presented as a color 3D image and detailed data.

"This...it's over so quickly?" Lou Xiao'e finally couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice. Although she didn't understand those curves and data, the shock of "it being completed in an instant" was real.

"Yes, this is just the beginning." Wang Huanbo picked up his teacup, blew on the steam, but his gaze remained fixed on the screen, his eyes deep. "Its computing power is far from being fully realized. Moreover, this is just a prototype, using parts pieced together from various sources. Stability, reliability, size, power consumption... all require significant improvement. But at least, we've proven that this path is viable."

He put down his teacup and created a new text document. His hands landed on the keyboard, his fingers flying across the keyboard. Instead of using the telegraph codes or four-corner codes common in the era, he used his "invented" input method based on modern Chinese Pinyin. The keyboard was specially made, its layout similar to the later QWERTY, but with several additional function keys. On the screen, as his fingertips danced, Chinese characters sprang up at a dazzling speed, forming sentences and paragraphs.

Lou Xiao'e was stunned. She recognized the characters, but she had never imagined that they could be typed out, and so quickly! How many times faster was this than writing by hand?

Wang Huanbo typed out a brief report on the successful initial testing of the "Longteng-1" prototype, along with his compiled "Modern Chinese Phonetic Alphabet Scheme (Draft)" and "General Chinese Character Phonetic Comparison Table." At the end of the report, he solemnly wrote:

"...In summary, the 'Dragon One' prototype has initially acquired the capabilities for high-speed numerical computing, logic processing, information storage and retrieval, and convenient operation based on new human-computer interaction devices (keyboard and mouse). Its accompanying 'HarmonyOS' operating system, with Chinese as its core, is more in line with the usage habits of our technical personnel and has a low learning curve. The accompanying Pinyin scheme is scientifically designed and easy to pronounce, serving as an important tool for eradicating illiteracy, promoting Mandarin, and future Chinese information processing. It is recommended that experts be organized to evaluate it as soon as possible, and that practical, miniaturized computers for industrial control and scientific computing be developed. These two achievements may contribute to major national projects such as the 'Pride Missile'."

The report was complete. He moved the mouse and clicked the floppy disk-shaped icon on the screen ("Save"), then clicked the printer-shaped icon (although he didn't have a physical printer yet, this function was reserved). Next, he closed all windows, returned to the initial command-line interface, entered a line of code, and started the computer's self-test program. Lines of English letters and numbers scrolled rapidly across the screen, finally settling on the Chinese message: "System self-test passed, all hardware is functioning normally."

After finishing all this, Wang Huanbo finally relaxed, leaned back in his chair, and rubbed his slightly sore eyes. For several months in a row, using his spare time, with the help of Pangu, a super cheat code, and combining some advanced components obtained through family channels (transistors, miniaturized capacitors and resistors, that crucial color picture tube, etc.), plus the Loongson processor hand-crafted in the Red Star Factory laboratory (although it only had a 550HZ main frequency, 64MB of memory, and a 3GB hard drive, it was a miracle at the time), he finally turned this epoch-making machine from concept into reality.

The most difficult part wasn't the hardware, or even getting Pangu to generate the kernel and basic software for a Chinese operating system. The most difficult part was how to "reasonably" explain it all. He had to disassemble, transform, and repackage a wealth of cutting-edge knowledge and technology into "inspiration," "repeated experimentation," and "independent innovation based on limited foreign resources." Those thick, convincingly realistic "R&D notes" and "design manuscripts" consumed a great deal of his effort. Fortunately, he had the aura of a "chief engineer," the trust built from previous successes like "Little Cannon," and, most importantly, the logically rigorous and meticulously detailed "technical derivation process" generated by Pangu.

"Take a rest if you're tired." Lou Xiao'e stepped forward and gently massaged his temples. "This machine... is it really that amazing? Can it help those people in the Northwest?"

"Yes, it's amazing. It's probably even more amazing than we imagined." Wang Huanbo closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of his wife's fingertips. "It can calculate the sky, the earth, the wind, the rain, and all those complex problems that the human brain and abacus can never figure out or finish. The Northwest... really needs this."

He knew the shockwaves this report would cause. It wasn't just "yet another invention"; it was a cognitive revolution and a leap in productivity. For this country, which was undergoing full-scale industrialization and facing the most complex computational challenges, the significance of electronic computers, especially those equipped with Chinese operating systems, rudimentary graphical interfaces, and convenient input devices, was no less than, and perhaps even more profound than, the significance of the "little cannon" to agriculture.

The next day, the report and the thick stack of Chinese pinyin materials were delivered directly to the relevant leaders through confidential channels. Also sent was a book-sized iron box wrapped in multiple layers of shockproof material, containing magnetic tapes containing the source code of the "HarmonyOS 1.0" operating system and several key application software programs, as well as microfilm containing the complete design drawings, process requirements, and component list of the Longteng-1 prototype.

The next few days passed peacefully in the west courtyard. Wang Huanbo went to the factory as usual to handle technical problems encountered in the mass production of the "small cannon" and to guide the preliminary research of the "August 1st" project. Lou Xiao'e, on the other hand, began to quietly prepare for moving—Wang Huanbo had been allocated a better-equipped expert building near the factory area, a two-story house with its own kitchen, bathroom, and heating, and much larger than the one in the west courtyard. This was a special consideration from the factory for this "national treasure" chief engineer. Although the wedding was simple, a new life was about to begin, and it had to be a fresh start.

In the courtyard, the neighbors only knew that Engineer Wang was tinkering with new gadgets in his study again, and they heard some strange noises, but no one thought much of it. It was normal for Engineer Wang to invent things, wasn't it? Only Yan Bugui once came over to "ask for advice" on something under the pretense of bringing over some pickled vegetables. He caught a glimpse of the corner of the screen flashing with colorful light in the study and was so shocked that he almost dropped the pickled vegetable jar. When he got back, he whispered about it mysteriously to his third aunt for a long time, but he didn't dare to tell anyone else.

Yi Zhonghai had vaguely heard some rumors from Li Huaide that Engineer Wang might be up to something "important" again, and he told the old lady and her two children not to go to the west wing to disturb them.

The peace was broken on the fifth day. That afternoon, three unmarked black sedans silently pulled up at the entrance of Nanluoguxiang. Seven or eight people got out: a composed cadre in a Zhongshan suit, an elderly man with thick glasses and gray hair who looked like a scholar, and two soldiers in military uniforms with serious expressions. Guided by Director Wang of the neighborhood committee, they went straight to No. 95 courtyard and knocked on the door of the west wing.

Lou Xiao'e, who opened the door, was startled by the scene. Wang Huanbo came out of the study, his expression calm, as if he had expected it.

"Comrade Wang Huanbo, hello. We are from the joint working group of the State Science and Technology Commission and the National Defense Science and Technology Commission." The leader, a cadre in his fifties with black-rimmed glasses and sharp eyes, extended his hand, his tone polite but with an undeniable solemnity. "My surname is Qian, Qian Xuesen. These gentlemen are experts in electronics, mathematics, and linguistics. We have been entrusted by our superiors to conduct a preliminary investigation and verification of the 'Longteng-1' computer and related achievements that you reported."

"Mr. Qian! We meet again!" Wang Huanbo stepped forward and shook hands with Mr. Qian excitedly. This was a true superstar! He immediately ushered everyone into the house. The small courtyard suddenly felt crowded.

The team members were clearly well-trained. Upon entering the study, their eyes were immediately drawn to the machine on the table, which was running and emitting a soft, colorful light. Although they were somewhat prepared, seeing this product ahead of its time, especially the clear Chinese characters on the 15-inch color monitor and the nimble mouse cursor, the senior experts couldn't help but let out a low gasp, their eyes widening behind their glasses.

"This...this is that computer?"

"Color display?! This... how is this possible?"

"What is that little moving arrow? How is it controlled?"

"How did you get those words on the screen? So fast?"

Wang Huanbo didn't offer much explanation and went straight to the demonstration. He asked Qian Xuesen to pose a problem. Qian Xuesen pondered for a moment and then gave a partial differential equation about aerodynamics with complex parameters. Another mathematics expert immediately began taking notes with pen and paper.

Wang Huanbo sat down at the computer and woke up the screen (he had set a screensaver). He opened a software called "Scientific Calculator" (graphical interface, button operation). He skillfully brought up the formula input interface and used the keyboard (along with the mouse to click the symbol bar) to input the complex equation and parameters one by one. He clicked "Calculate".

A slight buzzing sound followed. A progress bar appeared on the screen. Ten seconds later, the results were clearly displayed, including not only the numerical solution but also a simple two-dimensional curve illustration.

"..." Silence fell over the study. The experts stared at the formula they had only half-copied on the paper, then at the result on the screen, accurate to six decimal places, their expressions as if they had seen a ghost. That equation, even with the best hand-cranked calculator at the time, would have taken an hour to calculate!

"Try another one!" an electronics expert exclaimed excitedly, referring to a complex calculation about the transient response of a circuit. Wang Huanbo followed suit and produced a result in eight seconds.

Next, he demonstrated materials simulation software, inputting several alloy formulas and quickly obtaining performance predictions. He then demonstrated document processing, rapidly typing out a technical description using Pinyin input. He also demonstrated simple graphic drawing…

With each demonstration, the experts' astonishment deepened. By the end, several elderly gentlemen, disregarding their appearance, crowded in front of the screen, practically pressing their faces against it, constantly asking, "What's the principle behind this?" "How is the processor made?" "How much memory is there?" "What is a hard drive?" "Why is the operating system Chinese?" "This Pinyin input method… Good heavens! This is so convenient!"

Qian Xuesen watched silently, his gaze intense, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on his knees—a habitual gesture when he was extremely excited or deep in thought. As a world-leading aerodynamicist and rocket expert, he knew all too well what such a computer meant! It wasn't just about speed; it represented a complete revolution in thinking and working methods! Many complex engineering problems that were previously impossible to simulate or optimize due to the sheer volume of computation, requiring only experience and extensive experimentation, might now have entirely new solutions!

What shocked him even more was the Chinese operating system and the Pinyin input method. This wasn't just a technical issue; it was a strategic issue of cultural sovereignty and the efficiency of popularization! An operating system based on one's native language would significantly lower the learning curve, allowing more Chinese technical personnel to quickly master this cutting-edge tool. And the scientific Pinyin scheme, once widely adopted, would have immeasurable significance for literacy, education, and cultural dissemination!

The demonstration lasted for more than two hours. Wang Huanbo patiently answered the technical questions raised by the experts, questions that could be explained within the scope of his "R&D notes" and "design ideas." Regarding key aspects such as the core processor design, operating system kernel writing, and Chinese character encoding storage and display, he explained that he "drawn on ideas from some cutting-edge papers published abroad, combined with his in-depth understanding of the characteristics of vacuum tubes and transistor circuits, and his long-term research on logic mathematics and Chinese information processing, and conducted a large number of original designs and trials," and produced those thick manuscripts filled with formulas, circuit diagrams, and logic block diagrams.

These manuscripts are priceless in the eyes of true experts. Their logic is rigorous, their derivations clear. While some ideas are extremely advanced and even absurd, their internal logic is self-consistent, demonstrating an admirable, genius-level "leapfrog thinking" and engineering implementation ability. Looking at the manuscripts, and then at the excessively young chief engineer before them—who had already created the "little powerhouse" and now produced the "computer" and "Chinese Pinyin"—the experts' initial shock gradually turned into admiration, even...reverence.

"Comrade Wang Huanbo," Qian Xuesen stood up, walked to Wang Huanbo, and firmly grasped his hand, bringing the demonstration and questioning to a temporary halt. This usually calm and rational scientific giant's voice was now slightly trembling with emotion. "On behalf of the working group, and on behalf of myself, I express my highest respect to you! Your achievements are not merely a few inventions; you are forging the key to the future for our country! 'Longteng-1' truly lives up to its name! The 'Hongmeng' system is groundbreaking! The Pinyin system is a contribution to the present and a benefit for future generations!"

He paused, then said with utmost seriousness, "I will report to my superiors immediately. This prototype, and all related data, will be classified as top secret. Whatever support or assistance you need, just let me know! The nation will do everything in its power to support you in continuing this project and making it flourish! The Northwest... is already waiting!"

Wang Huanbo felt the strength and heavy trust and expectation emanating from the other party, and nodded solemnly: "Please rest assured, organization, I will do my best."

The working group left with immense shock and excitement. The West Wing returned to silence. But Wang Huanbo knew that a technological battle, larger in scale, more secretive, and more significant than the mass production of the "small cannon," was about to unfold in a grand and vigorous manner, with him at its core.

A few days later, a top-secret order and a notice bearing the highest-level official seal arrived at the Hongxing Factory almost simultaneously.

Order: Immediately select the most reliable political and technical personnel to form a top-secret engineering project team codenamed "Dragon Soaring," based on the original "Electronic Computer Pre-research Group." Wang Huanbo will serve as the chief designer and chief technical officer, responsible for the research, improvement, production, and related software development of the "Dragon Soaring" series of computers. All necessary resources will be unconditionally prioritized and guaranteed nationwide. The project site will be temporarily located within the Hongxing Factory, but an independent and confidential research institute and production base must be planned and constructed immediately.

Notice: The "National Language and Script Reform Committee" has been established, under which the "Hanyu Pinyin Scheme Review Committee" has been set up. Wang Huanbo, as the main proposer and founder of the "Modern Hanyu Pinyin Scheme (Draft)," has been specially appointed as an advisor. Experts are required to conduct a final review of the scheme as soon as possible to form a national standard, and to begin compiling teaching materials and carrying out pilot promotion.

The two documents were like two boulders thrown into a calm lake. The Red Star Factory once again became the center of a storm. Only this time, the storm was more covert and more dramatic.

Yao Jianghe and Yang Weimin's hands trembled as they looked at the documents. They knew Wang Huanbo was capable, but they hadn't imagined he was this capable! Computers! Pinyin! This wasn't just a factory achievement; it was a pillar of national strategy!

Li Huaide was so excited he almost jumped for joy. He had once again been entrusted with a heavy responsibility, in charge of all logistical, infrastructure, and personnel coordination and support work for the "Dragon Soaring" project, excluding technical aspects. What did this mean? It meant that he, Li Huaide, would be more deeply bound to Engineer Wang, stepping into a higher, more core circle! He immediately became incredibly energetic, working frantically to select a site, allocate personnel, raise resources, and strengthen secrecy... He knew clearly that if he handled this project well, his future would be limitless.

In the west courtyard, Wang Huanbo calmly examined the two documents. He walked to the window, gazing at the western sky ablaze with the colors of the setting sun. There lay the desolate and vast Gobi Desert of Northwest China, where countless brilliant minds and most loyal soldiers were working tirelessly, anonymously, to achieve a world-shaking feat.

"Pangu," he murmured to himself, "recruit the biggest computing bottlenecks and simulation requirements currently encountered in the 'Two Bombs, One Satellite' project. Screen the existing and soon-to-be-upgradeable computing power of 'Longteng-1' to identify the aspects that can be intervened in and accelerated. Generate preliminary intervention plans and technical support roadmaps."

"Command confirmed. Analyzing... Data comparison... Solution generation..."

The cold, electronic sound echoed in his mind. Wang Huanbo's gaze passed over the rooftops of the courtyard house and landed on the distant horizon.

The key has been forged. Now, it is time to open that heaviest and most glorious door, the door to the dignity of a great power and the cornerstone of peace.

A spring breeze swept through the courtyard, bringing the sweet fragrance of locust blossoms. This fragrance seemed to carry a hint of the dry, scorching sandstorms from the distant west, as well as a vibrant, burgeoning life force belonging to a new era—a blend of steel and electronics.