Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

The others nodded in unison, their bowls and chopsticks clinking lightly, like a silent vow.

……

As Professor Yan stepped into the experimental area, guided by a soldier, Xiao Yao's team was repeatedly testing a set of metal samples. They were using self-developed composite materials to replace the aged alloys and observing the stress distribution under a microscope, their movements as practiced as those of veteran technicians with ten years of experience.

Professor Yan nodded as he walked, a warm feeling welling up inside him—these young people didn't have the air of students, but rather the composure of engineers and the sharpness of researchers.

Having just completed several rounds of basic verification, Xiao Yao immediately plunged into the field of computer science. He and Lin Siyue meticulously reviewed the chip design diagrams page by page; Ji Fengnan and Wang Yutong were hunched over their notebooks, rapidly working out the algorithms he dictated; Xu Wenxin, meanwhile, led two teams to fine-tune the photoresist parameters inside a vacuum chamber…

After the data was archived, Xiao Yao gathered everyone in front of the control panel: "Chip breakthrough, thirty-day countdown—this is not a trial, it is a must-win."

At this point, the team has no senior professors overseeing the project; they designed, verified, and iterated the entire solution independently. No one questioned it, no one stood by and watched; there was only a tacit division of labor and an unwavering belief.

This time, they're not making parts, but the first pulse of a Chinese chip.

The experiment quickly commenced, and the outside world knew nothing about the specifics of Xiao Yao's team's research. Professor Yan had been constantly running around with Professor Zhang, moving blueprints, equipment, and precision instruments from the old laboratory to the new site, and hadn't had a single moment to visit Xiao Yao and his team.

Everyone quickly got into position according to Xiao Yao's plan, each guarding their own area and keeping an eye on their own link.

Don't underestimate a chip the size of a fingernail. Disassembling it involves more than a dozen complex processes, including preliminary preparation, material purification, photolithography, ion implantation, packaging, and testing. With each task assigned, everyone has a responsibility and their hands are constantly busy.

Everyone was working diligently around the workbench. At Xiao Yao's command, the welding torch was lit, the oscilloscope was activated, and the data stream surged.

They went all out from the start, with one thought in mind: they had to leave those foreigners far behind.

With the support of the new algorithm model and underlying parameters provided by Xiao Yao, the entire R&D pace was like stepping on the gas pedal—the more they worked, the smoother and faster it became. There was no need for him to urge them; everyone rushed forward on their own.

After the project started, everyone lived and worked in the laboratory, even moving their beds into the corner of the corridor.

Half a month later, the first domestically produced prototype chip was born on a simple tooling table.

The next step is to set up the system—to assemble a computer that can run and test its computing power.

Some of the key components were originally spare parts that had been secretly purchased from abroad in advance to prevent unexpected failures of imported equipment. Xiao Yao and his team redesigned the architecture based on these parts, managing to reduce the overall size of the machine to one-third of the original design.

A compact and neatly wired prototype was quickly completed; it only needed a monitor to be powered on and operational.

This machine needs to be shipped to the First Research Institute immediately—that's where the existing display terminals are located. Xiao Yao and his team have already planned it out: once they get the actual measurement data, they'll start making their own display as soon as possible. Only then will their laboratory truly possess a completely domestically produced, independently controllable computing platform.

"Hello, boss! We've finished manufacturing the complete system, but we're short of monitors. We'd like to ship them to the First Institute for initial performance verification."

"So fast? Less than a month?" The old leader's hand trembled, and he almost dropped the phone receiver.

Previously, when trying to replicate foreign chips, they were stuck on technological bottlenecks despite searching through countless resources. But the soul of a computer is the chip! This kid… actually cracked the toughest nut to crack?

Despite his many doubts, he did not hesitate for a moment and immediately ordered: dispatch a capable team to secretly escort them directly to the Fifth Research Institute to pick up Xiao Yao's team's equipment and take it to the First Institute.

Armed soldiers held their breath and carefully lifted the entire machine into the military vehicle using shock-absorbing brackets. Upon arrival at the first facility, several elderly professors with white hair gathered around, staring blankly at the palm-sized mainframe: "This thing... can it really work?"

No one dared to guarantee anything, but everyone was silently praying in their hearts: It must succeed! From now on, we can say goodbye to the days of being dependent on others—in the past, all the imported models were outdated and far inferior in performance; now, if we can truly succeed in developing our own technology, we can finally stand tall.

With everyone holding their breath, the test program started. When the final results appeared on the screen, everyone gasped: the computing speed was nearly 40% faster than the imported prototype, and the stability was far superior.

In an instant, thunderous cheers erupted in the laboratory. No one asked which institution had contributed to this achievement; they just clapped enthusiastically, slammed their fists on the table, and wiped their eyes—after living their whole lives, they had finally witnessed their motherland's own computer running before their very eyes!

As soon as the news spread, more than 20 fully armed military technicians arrived quickly, armed with encrypted recorders, to collect all the original data, including chip layout, circuit design, and interface protocols, and sent them to the military research institute overnight.

"I have only one order: the production line must be up and running by the first of next month!"

The old leader dialed the military research institute's number, his tone resolute. After hanging up, he silently thought to himself: "Back then, I overruled everyone's objections and approved Xiao Yao's independent laboratory; I really made the right bet. If I had put him in some large research group, his ideas would have been stifled by all the rules and regulations. Where would he have this drive he has today?"

Xiao Yao's team kept a core document, but the security level was suddenly raised to the maximum—from a sentry every fifty steps to a post every ten steps, with infrared alerts, electromagnetic shielding, and double locks for double personnel, making it airtight.

At a high-level meeting, the old leader proposed on the spot to upgrade the entire Fifth Research Institute to a top-secret unit. "That kid Xiao Yao, who knows when he'll unleash another 'trump card'? If enemy agents exploit this loophole, who can bear the consequences?"

The moment the decision was made here, Xiao Yao and his team rolled up their sleeves and started working on the monitors. Actually, it was much simpler than building a mainframe; they only needed to reconfigure the video interfaces and fine-tune the motherboard pin definitions to make it compatible. The prototype was simply left at the First Institute—replacing that buzzing old relic with the new one, which had low power consumption, small footprint, and fast response, the institute "requisitioned" it without hesitation.

Want to use it? Build another one yourself.

Upon hearing the news, Professor Yan's eyes welled up with tears, and he repeatedly said, "It was worth it, truly worth it!" He immediately went to Xiao Yao's team and asked them to also equip his research lab with one. What used to be a "rare item" only the top researchers could use can now be found in ordinary laboratories, and the era of handwritten notes and abacus calculations is about to come to an end.

While we were busy assembling the machine for Professor Yan, the institute leaders arrived with a delegation, handing each member a 1,000 yuan bonus and shaking hands and patting them on the shoulder.

"You are the backbone of the nation! This technology is not just icing on the cake, it's a lifeline in times of need. Before, we were in a hurry not because we didn't want to use it, but because we lacked the tools. Now that we have it, we must implement it immediately. The first batch of domestically produced computers must be put into practical use before the end of the year—you just focus on your research; whatever materials or support you need, the approvals will be issued on the same day, and the supplies will arrive on the same day!"

The former leader concluded by saying: "We will do our utmost to support you to the end and reach new heights."

……

More than twenty military vehicles suddenly poured into the Lop Nur research base. The engineers who were inspecting the base looked at each other in bewilderment: it was neither a holiday nor a resupply day, and even the Minister of Logistics had come in person. Something was not right.

Old Qian quickly stepped forward, greeting him with a smile: "What's the occasion? Why are you personally escorting the truck?"

"This batch of goods is something you've been begging for for three years!" The logistics minister laughed heartily. "We've overcome the chip hurdle! The military research institute worked in three shifts to get all forty complete units to you!"

"It's really done?" Old Qian's voice trembled slightly. "But I remember... we haven't mastered this crucial technology yet! Who spearheaded this breakthrough? I have to thank him in person—once we've passed this hurdle, all the subsequent experiments will be half as easy!"

Mr. Qian raised his eyes and asked:

"This device, was it really solved by a young person all by themselves?"

The logistics minister couldn't hide his excitement: "Exactly! Last time, our old leader even considered transferring him here for further studies—but when he asked, he found out he wasn't married yet and didn't seem enthusiastic about doing research at the institute, so the idea was shelved. Who would have thought that this kid would turn out to be such a multi-talented genius!"

As domestically produced computers were steadily installed in the laboratory, researchers gathered around, asking all at once, "Where did you find these treasures?" The installer just smiled and pointed to the badge on his chest: "We welded them in our own factory!" Before he finished speaking, several gray-haired experts' eyes welled up with tears, they clenched their hands tightly, their shoulders trembling slightly, and some even turned away to quietly wipe their faces.

For decades, from painstakingly piecing together parts from the cracks in blueprints to now having the entire system standing tall and ready to be implemented—generations of people have gritted their teeth and stayed up all night, all for this day.

"Solar energy storage panel... Xiao Yao?" Old Qian frowned slightly, as if confirming a name that was both familiar and unfamiliar.

He had heard of this child, but a lingering worry remained: perhaps he was like a shooting star, bright but without lasting impact. Yet, upon further reflection, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows in admiration—if the next generation truly surged forward, then those of them could retire from the podium with peace of mind. Seeing these young people growing and flourishing before him, a warm smile involuntarily spread across Old Qian's lips.

"This time, it's not just a few computers that's being delivered," the logistics minister said, unfolding a list in his hand. "Xiao Yao's newly refined special alloy, three sets of high-precision calibration instruments, and two sets of microwave signal generators—specially approved by the leadership, given priority allocation to our institute!"

Old Qian bent down to examine the sample closely, his fingertips tracing the intricate, cold-gleaming lines of the steel's cross-section. He then leaned closer to the instrument to observe the calibration scale, his brows widening in understanding. After a moment, he suddenly looked up: "Could we ask him to come over? With his talent, he could drill a little deeper towards the tip, while others could handle the basic work."

"Mr. Qian, this is really difficult." The logistics minister said sincerely, "The old leader's meaning is very clear: he has to decide how to proceed. They've also mentioned that his mind isn't on the institute right now, and he doesn't have any plans for the time being."