Courtyard House: I'm an engineer, and a fairy godmother transferred me to a different position.

By this time, the multi-axis precision machine tool that Liu Guangqi was responsible for debugging had already been assembled and delivered to the subordinate branch factory. Like the previous CNC center, it would be used to process the core components of a critical device. Although he wasn't very familiar with the specific technical details, the commander-in-chief was clearly quite impressed with the efficiency demonstrated by the new generation computer system after inspecting it. He spoke with Liu Guangqi for quite some time before leaving due to other important matters.

As the person in charge of the entire base, he carried an extremely heavy burden. But the core meaning of his words to Liu Guangqi before leaving can be summarized as: thank you for this young comrade's contributions, the higher-ups are aware of them, and his achievements will be remembered.

Just as the commander-in-chief's car drove away, Director Deng walked over and gestured to Liu Guangqi.

"Guangqi, come to my office for a moment."

In Director Deng's office, the smell of tobacco mingled with the odor of old paper, and a complex equation remained on the blackboard, not yet erased. He poured Liu Guangqi a glass of water, a smile on his face, and began:

"Comrade Guangqi, the first phase of theoretical design work has been completed."

His voice carried a hint of weariness from a long period of busy work, but his gaze remained clear and firm.

"But what about next..."

"There is an even more challenging goal to face."

He gazed at Liu Guangqi and spoke slowly and clearly.

"On my side, we must immediately select a group of the most elite research personnel to devote themselves to tackling the fundamental principles of that larger topic."

"so,"

Director Deng changed the subject, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

"During this transition period, I hope you can help your colleagues in the institute to fully master the operation of the new generation of computers as soon as possible."

"Please rest assured, leave this matter to me," Liu Guangqi nodded in response.

He understood that the "greater goal" Director Deng was referring to was a new type of device with far greater power than the former. If his memory served him correctly, preliminary research had already begun at the end of last year, when the former had made initial progress in its development. Now that the first phase of the theoretical plan had been finalized, it was time to formally begin exploring the principles of the next phase.

Shortly after finishing his conversation with Director Deng, Liu Guangqi returned to the computer room.

In fact, even if the director hadn't specifically instructed him to leave, he didn't intend to leave immediately. After all, this new computer had only been assembled for a short time, and a thorough testing and break-in period was essential. Liu Guangqi felt it was necessary to stay a little longer.

There was also the newly delivered multi-axis machine tool, which was working in conjunction with the existing CNC center to process the first batch of core components. Under these circumstances, Liu Guangqi needed to ensure that all CNC equipment could operate smoothly and without any problems. He couldn't leave until the technicians had fully mastered the relevant skills.

Otherwise, if the computer or machine tool starts malfunctioning right after he leaves, sending someone back and forth to deal with it will take an immeasurable amount of time and effort, and that would be the real trouble.

So, in the days that followed, Liu Guangqi seemed to have taken root in this Gobi Desert in Northwest China.

To be fair, aside from the harsh climate, fierce sandstorms, and simple diet, he didn't find it particularly difficult. After all, he wasn't a researcher stationed there long-term, and he didn't have any urgent research tasks weighing him down. His role was more like that of a temporary technical advisor. The secondment period wouldn't be too long anyway, so he approached it like a short-term special assignment, which made him quite relaxed.

……

In December, the north wind howls across Northwest China, whipping up sand and gravel that lashes the face like a cold whip.

Just like the scene described by the base's commander-in-chief in a poem.

No matter how turbulent the winds and clouds, or how the flying sand and stones blot out the sun, they always used the sky as their curtain and the stars and moon as their canopy, swallowing dry rations with sand and drinking bitter water while chatting and laughing...

Liu Guangqi's schedule was as regular as a clock, as he traveled back and forth between the machine room of the Institute of Nuclear Theory and the machine tool workshop of the No. 1 Factory all day long.

In the computer room, the usually silent engineers and researchers swarmed around Liu Guangqi, their eyes gleaming with a thirst for knowledge. The questions came one after another, sometimes even making Liu Guangqi himself sigh inwardly: these people, so dedicated to their studies, had an endless stream of inquiries.

"Chief Engineer Liu!" an elderly engineer with thick glasses called out to him. "I need you to take a look—the same program was run three times and produced three different results."

Liu Guangqi approached, his gaze sweeping over the code on the punched paper tape before turning to the control panel. "Engineer Zhao, look here," he said, pointing to one of the lines of instructions. "This logic is different from the old machine. A zeroing operation must be performed first, otherwise the data from the previous round will remain."

He used an analogy: "It's like using an abacus; before each new calculation, you always have to move the beads back to their original positions, right?"

The veteran engineer suddenly realized, raising his hand to pat his forehead: "So that's it! No wonder something felt off... Chief Engineer Liu, your insight is truly profound."

The engineers around him pulled out their notebooks and began taking notes, their eyes filled with admiration as they looked at Liu Guangqi.

In the first branch factory, the five-axis CNC machining center had been running for some time. The biggest challenge now was how to get it to work in conjunction with another seven-axis five-linkage machine tool. Fortunately, once the principles of mechanics are understood, they are not difficult, and Liu Guangqi's technical guidance progressed smoothly. His responsive and always-available support gradually earned him the trust of the entire factory—everyone no longer saw him as an outsider expert, but as one of their own. Occasionally, when eating in the factory canteen, the older workers would always give him an extra steamed bun: "Chief Engineer Liu, you've brought such a valuable machine to our factory, you must eat more!"

At the research institute, the theoretical design scheme for the first nuclear device was finalized. The base decided to organize and archive all the calculation manuscripts as historical records. Liu Guangqi volunteered to participate in this work during his spare time—he just wanted to see the traces of this process with his own eyes.

Following the archivist to the end of the corridor, a small door that was usually locked was pushed open.

crunch--

As the door hinges turned, a stench of musty old paper, rusty ink, and damp dust wafted out, making Liu Guangqi hold his breath instantly.

Once the dust had settled, he looked into the room and stood there stunned.

The room was small, piled high with yellowed burlap sacks from floor to ceiling, the word "Top Secret" printed on them in faded brown. Several sacks were loose, and the papers inside poured out like water, spreading out in waves of yellowish fabric on the floor.

Liu Guangqi watched all of this quietly.

These were not scraps of paper, but the results of calculations made bit by bit by the researchers of the entire institute, using slide rules, hand-cranked machines, abacuses, and even the most primitive pens and paper. He squatted down and picked up the scattered manuscript paper, which was covered with messy but neat handwriting, formulas upon formulas, and red pen corrections that penetrated the back of the paper and even stained several layers of paper underneath.

"Isn't that amazing?" A familiar voice suddenly came from behind.

Liu Guangqi turned around and saw that Director Deng had been standing by the door at some point, also looking at the piles of papers in the room.

Director Deng reached out and patted the sack beside him, dust swirling in the light. "These are all calculation drafts. According to regulations, each set of key data must be checked three times by different teams, and only when the results are completely consistent can it be approved." He paused, "Even if there's only a single decimal point error, the entire team has to start all over again."

Liu Guangqi's fingertips gently traced the paper, the deep ink marks seemingly still retaining the warmth of the ink. He could almost see countless nights, researchers hunched over lamps, calculating again and again until dawn, by the dim light.

There was no screen flickering, and no machine humming.

They meticulously crafted those numbers that concerned the future, using the most primitive methods.

Director Deng's gaze drifted into the distance, as if piercing through the wall and landing in some distant time and space: "Starting in 1960, the teachers from the north left, and we had to rely on ourselves to get by. We calculated day and night. Some people's fingers were so swollen that they couldn't hold a pen, so they wrapped them with strips of cloth and continued calculating."

"I checked the calculations nine times with an abacus, going through the process both forwards and backwards, and it took me more than half a year to work through it all."

"In the end, it was you who came."

"Thanks to that second machine, we managed to regain some time."

He slightly raised the corners of his mouth, a smile that held the weight of past experiences, yet remained calm and serene.

Liu Guangqi remained silent.

His gaze fell on the mountain of sacks—they contained not paper, but a foundation built inch by inch by people of an era, with the most passionate years of their lives.

Those who have witnessed these traces of time can never imagine the weight of those years.

He only wanted to see the truth behind the few lines of printed words in the textbook, but he never expected to be struck by such a simple scene and be overwhelmed with emotion.

Seeing that he remained silent, Director Deng smiled and patted him heavily on the shoulder. "Don't just look back. These are the foundations, the roots buried in the soil." He paused briefly, his gaze sharp as he focused on Liu Guangqi's face. "Comrade Guangqi, you and your machines are the wings that have grown out, the things that carry us forward."

"Come, I'll take you to meet a few people."

……

Director Deng's words were true. Having just emerged from the warehouse piled high with calculation papers, the courtyard of the Institute of Nuclear Theory was already filled with more figures. Liu Guangqi looked back; although he had never seen the leader in his youth, the image etched in his memory by posterity had already imprinted that wisdom and perseverance.

Having never set foot in a foreign land, yet with only his intellect, he has built the strongest barrier for this land.

A name destined to be written into legend.

Team Leader Yu.

This scholar, known as the "most powerful brain," was twice ordered to change his academic course, but each time he achieved great success in a completely new field.

At this moment, he was standing there with his team from the Institute of Atomic Energy.

"Comrade Guangqi!"

Before Liu Guangqi could react, Team Leader Yu strode forward and grasped his hands tightly, the force conveying an overwhelming sense of excitement.

"On behalf of our institute, I must thank you in person!"

"Without your computer, Lao Deng and his team's progress would likely be delayed by quite a few days!"

Team Leader Yu's voice was filled with undisguised excitement and gratitude.

"You're a lifesaver for us!"

"Team Leader Yu, you flatter me. I really don't deserve such praise." Liu Guangqi quickly shook hands, his tone earnest. "I'm just someone who does odd jobs in the industrial field, going wherever I'm needed. The real people who quietly forge the swords are seniors like you and Director Deng."

He then greeted the others one by one, and was secretly surprised to find that on this trip to the Northwest, he had met the pillars who supported different great achievements.

Liu Guangqi suddenly realized that this long journey had been far more valuable than he had expected.

……

He didn't know that while he felt deeply honored to meet Team Leader Yu, Team Leader Yu was also experiencing a similar joy.

Team Leader Yu sincerely admired the young man before him.

To these researchers engrossed in the mysteries of the atom, Liu Guangqi, though not a fellow scholar, provided invaluable and tangible assistance. Previously, Liu Guangqi's name had frequently appeared in the news, his contributions to everything from CNC machine tools to the next generation of transistor computers had been exhilarating. They clearly saw how these industrial breakthroughs were clearing obstacles for the birth of that "cloud."

Therefore, they always held this young man in high regard and deep respect.

……

In fact, Liu Guangqi may not yet fully realize the weight he now bears.

Level 5 Engineer, Academician.

Behind these titles lies the story of turning around the foreign exchange predicament and leading the economy against the tide; the roar of CNC machine tools; the birth of the second-generation computer; and industrial milestones that turned the "impossible" into "reality".

Today, he has long since shed his youthful naiveté and is no longer the ambitious young researcher who only wanted to enter a ministry. Time has flowed silently, and he has quietly risen to a position of great respect, becoming a guide in the industrial field—a title he truly deserves.

On the Gobi Desert, the wind and sand never ceased, but they could not dispel the passion of the two top research teams. Unlike previous projects, this time they faced a complete technological blockade—there was no external data or direction to follow regarding the development of the hydrogen bomb, and everything had to start from scratch.