Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

In six months, it increased by less than two percentage points. This energy was all generated by the slow accumulation of sparse spiritual energy in the small world, which was converted little by little by the conversion device inside the flying saucer. The speed was outrageously slow.

"We need to find a way to recharge it," He Damin muttered to himself, frowning.

But where to find such a massive amount of energy? A celestial tribulation? That's incredibly rare and extremely dangerous. A nuclear power plant? There are only a handful in the world at this time, and the technology isn't mature enough. Solar energy? Too inefficient; for the energy consumption of a flying saucer, it's practically a drop in the ocean.

He shook his head, deciding to put this troublesome problem aside for the time being.

At least for now, a little over 30% of the energy is enough for him to use some of the basic functions of the flying saucer, such as the computation of the photonic computer, the control of the robot, and the miniature energy beam processing device. The vast knowledge system stored in the photonic computer is enough for him to digest and utilize for a long time.

He Damin left the area beneath the flying saucer and returned to the open plain. The gold bricks still lay there quietly, radiating an ancient and alluring light.

Robot 0037 remained faithfully standing there, waiting.

"Master, is there anything else you require?"

He Damin thought for a moment and asked, "What's the development progress of the computer's supporting software system, especially the part specifically for banks?"

"The development and initial testing of the bank's core business system have been completed," 0037 replied immediately. "The system supports basic financial functions such as deposits, withdrawals, loans, transfers, account management, interest calculation, and report generation. The user interface is simple and intuitive, and easy to operate. After simulation testing, it can run stably on the 'Galaxy 1.0' operating system and can be deployed in various branches of Global Bank."

He Damin nodded; this was exactly what he needed right now.

With these computers and the accompanying banking system software, Global Bank will become the world's first truly "electronic" bank. Teller processing speed will increase more than tenfold, error rates will drop to near zero, and customer experience will far surpass any competitor. This will not only significantly improve the bank's efficiency and profitability but also create a core competitive advantage that is difficult to replicate.

Once this system is running smoothly and stably within Global Bank, it can be gradually rolled out to other industries, such as government agencies and large enterprises. In the future, we might even consider launching a personal computer.

By then, he will possess not only gold and military power, but also the most core productive force of this era—information processing capabilities and technological advantages.

By then, it will be even easier for him to go to Tokyo and take back what belongs to him.

He turned around and looked again at the pile of gold bricks in the distance.

The gold brick gleamed with a heavy luster under the soft light; that was his initial confidence, the first lever he used to shake up this era.

But now, he has something even more powerful.

Those computers quietly lined up in the cleanroom, those machines that are about to change the way banks operate, the financial landscape, and even the way the world transmits information, are his real trump card and the foundation for his future.

Leaving the miniature world, He Damin returned to his study. The sunlight outside the window had already begun to set in the west, and the warm afternoon sun slanted in, casting long shadows on the floor. A faint smell of ozone, seemingly lingering in the air from the miniature world, gave him a sense of peace.

He sat at the large mahogany desk, picked up a pen, and drew a simple architectural diagram on a piece of white paper—

The underlying layer: UFO-based optical computer database (the source of technology, providing theories and solutions).

Mid-level: Robotic production line (manufacturing capacity, turning blueprints into reality)

Upper layer: Small home computer (hardware infrastructure, information processing terminal)

Top layer: Galaxy Operation System + Bank Application Software (Application Platform, implementing specific functions)

Ultimate goal: To achieve full electronic banking globally and lead global financial transformation.

This is his blueprint for the next step.

First, using the vast knowledge of the UFO-like computer, they derived a technological solution that could barely be achieved with the current industrial capabilities of this era. Then, they had robots utilize the resources of the small world to manufacture core components such as lithography machines, chips, graphics cards, hard drives, and motherboards. Next, they assembled these into a computer with performance reaching the level of 2000 years in the future. Finally, they developed a corresponding operating system and application software, initially for use in their own banking system.

Once all the branches of the Global Bank have these computers installed, and once the banking software system he developed is running stably and its efficiency and security have been verified...

The first step in digital banking has been truly taken.

This step will put us at least forty years ahead of the rest of the world.

He put down his pen, leaned back in the large leather chair, and gazed at the sky outside the window, which was gradually turning golden.

almost.

Let's wait a little longer.

Once he has prepared all of this, once the global bank's electronic system is successfully launched, once the Japanese have further developed and strengthened their industrial system, and once their war potential has been further solidified...

That's when he'll make his move.

As evening approached, the afterglow of the setting sun painted the sky a brilliant orange-red. When Chen Xueru returned home from get off work, she entered the study and saw He Damin sitting at his desk, fiddling with a strangely shaped, silver-white machine.

The machine wasn't large, about the size of a large radio, with a milky-white casing and several small buttons and indicator lights on the front panel. Next to it was a similarly milky-white monitor, displaying strange patterns and constantly flashing characters, emitting a soft "hissing" sound.

"Damin, what is this? It looks so strange." She curiously leaned closer and carefully examined the object she had never seen before.

"This is called a computer." He Damin handed her a small, mouse-like device connected to a wire. "Here, try it out. Hold this and move it."

Chen Xueru curiously took the thing called a "mouse," a cool plastic shell with a small ball underneath. Following He Damin's instructions, she gently moved the mouse on the table, her eyes fixed on the screen. When she saw the small arrow cursor move with her hand, she exclaimed in surprise, "Ah!"

"How amazing! How can it move?"

"There are sensors and circuits inside," He Damin explained simply. "Try double-clicking the 'Banking System' icon."

Chen Xueru carefully clicked the mouse twice with her index finger. A window immediately popped up on the screen, containing rows of neat numbers and tables, resembling bank accounts.

"This...this is our bank's accounting system?" She covered her mouth in surprise, her eyes wide open.

"Okay. Try it out, for example, check the total deposits at Yong'an Bank last month," He Damin encouraged.

Chen Xueru composed herself and, following He Damin's instructions, entered the command using the keyboard and then clicked "confirm" with the mouse. The table on the screen scrolled rapidly, and a few seconds later, an accurate number appeared, accompanied by detailed categorized statistics.

"This...this is too fast!" she exclaimed in surprise. Normally at the bank, checking last month's total deposits takes several tellers a long time, and they're prone to making mistakes. This machine, however, completes it in the blink of an eye, with perfect accuracy!

He Damin smiled and opened another program. A simple graphical interface appeared on the screen with several icons: a writing pad, a calculator, and even a card game.

"And these too: you can use the notepad to write documents and the calculator to calculate data when you're working. You can also play some games to relax when you're tired."

Chen Xueru opened the "WordPad" app, and a blank page appeared on the screen. She looked at the small keyboard, hesitated for a moment, and then tentatively typed a few letters and numbers with her fingers. The characters immediately appeared neatly on the screen, much faster and more convenient than typing on a typewriter, and she could also edit them at any time.

"This...this is even more convenient and cleaner than a typewriter!" she exclaimed excitedly, as if she had discovered a new continent, constantly typing on the keyboard and experiencing this novel input method.

He Damin stood to the side, smiling as he watched her excited expression.

"In the future, each bank counter will have one of these. At that time, conducting business, checking accounts, and transferring funds will be more than ten times faster than it is now, and customers will no longer have to wait in long lines."

Chen Xueru raised her head, stopped what she was doing, and looked into He Damin's eyes. In those deep eyes, there was a familiar light—the confident and visionary light that only appeared when he was about to do something big.

"You've been secretly researching this for the past six months?" she asked softly, her tone carrying a hint of understanding.

He Damin nodded, walked to her side, and gently wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "Yes, for this, and for us to have a better life in the future, so that we can truly stand on our own two feet and no longer be controlled by others."

Chen Xueru didn't ask for any more details. She knew He Damin always had his reasons and plans. She simply placed the still-warm computer gently on the table, then turned around and snuggled close to him, her cheek pressed against his chest.

"Whatever you do," she looked up, her eyes gentle yet firm, "I will be with you."

He Damin lowered his head and gently placed a kiss on her smooth forehead, kissing the faint halo nourished by her spiritual energy.

Outside the window, night deepened, and the lights of countless homes on Victoria Peak lit up one after another, like stars scattered across the earth. And in this dim light, a seed powerful enough to change an era had been quietly planted, waiting only for the right time to sprout and grow into a towering tree. As night deepened, He Damin stood by the window, holding Chen Xueru in his arms. In the distance, the lights of Victoria Harbour spread out on the sea, a dazzling spectacle. The evening breeze carried the salty scent of the sea, fluttering the curtains and ruffling the stray hairs around Chen Xueru's ears.

"Can this computer really change the banking industry?" she asked softly, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the back of He Damin's hand.

"It's not just for banks." He Damin gazed at the distant outline of the Kowloon Peninsula. "In the future, it will be used for shop bookkeeping, factory management, and school teaching. It's a key that can open many doors."

Chen Xueru was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed: "You always say things that are hard to understand. But I believe you." She stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the chin, "Just like I believe you can take me flying."

He Damin looked down at her; the moonlight shattered into stars in her pupils. He remembered the girl who had been at a loss in Yong'an Bank six months ago; now, her eyes shone with light.

The barking of a large yellow dog came from downstairs, followed by the sound of He Yuzhu opening the door. He Damin looked away: "Yuzhu's back. Go down and see him."

Chen Xueru stopped him, taking a small cloth bag from the drawer: "This is for you." Inside was a dark blue fabric with delicate cloud patterns embroidered along the edges. "I made this wrist guard; it'll protect your wrists when you practice boxing."

He Damin held the fabric, his fingertips touching the fine stitches. He remembered how, in his past life in the army, his mother had sewed knee pads for him overnight. His throat tightened, and he only managed to say, "Thank you."

Chen Xueru's cheeks flushed slightly as she turned and walked downstairs: "Hurry up and go down, Yuzhu must be hungry."

He Damin watched her retreating figure, then stuffed the cloth bag into his inner pocket. The fabric felt warm against his chest, like a ball of fire. He walked to his desk, looking at the milky-white computer screen, still lit up, its desktop background a deep blue starry sky.

In the past six months, he has manufactured chips and built production lines, but he feels that the cloth bag in his arms is more substantial than those.

From downstairs came He Yuzhu's loud voice: "Uncle! The owner who booked the whole place tonight gave us a bottle of Moutai!"

He Damin smiled, turned around and went downstairs.