Chapter 106

"Comrade Guangqi! Please don't call me Engineer Cheng. Your 3D transistor technology saved the Institute of Computing Technology two years of unnecessary detours... To be honest, we should all call you our teacher!"

Engineer Fu chimed in with a smile, "Exactly! Last time, a few of us spent days studying your integrated circuit board blueprints—the logic design was absolutely brilliant!"

Looking at the two level-seven engineers in front of him, who were old enough to be his fathers, Liu Guangqi felt a little helpless and could only smile and wave his hand:

"You two are too kind. I am only a mechanical engineering graduate. The subsequent CNC system and calculation calibration will depend on your guidance."

Upon hearing this, Engineer Cheng's eyes lit up even more: "Excellent! I admire your calm and composed nature!" He turned to exchange a glance with Engineer Fu, then laughed heartily, "The institute's second-generation transistor computer project is still waiting for us to get back and tackle it. Now it seems that our collaboration is bound to be a resounding success!"

As soon as he said that, everyone laughed, and the atmosphere instantly became much more relaxed.

A young clerk from the department's security section ran quickly out of the building, clutching a stack of newly issued passes in his hand.

He saluted Director Liu and handed over his credentials: "All the access passes you requested have been processed; not a single one is missing!"

Liu Guangqi took the documents and turned to distribute them to the technicians present.

"Engineer Cheng, Engineer Fu, from now on, you can use this to enter and exit the various R&D areas of the department. I have already made arrangements with the security department, and all checkpoints will allow you to pass through."

Cheng took his turn. The dark blue hard cover had his name and photo printed on it, and at the top were two striking vermilion seal characters: "Research and Development".

This thin card is not just a pass, but also a gesture of courtesy and respect prepared in advance.

The Ministry of Machine Building was extremely secure, though not as classified as their Institute of Computing Technology, it was still not a place that ordinary people could set foot in at will. Now, the other party was solemnly handing over such an identification document, and the sincerity of their intentions was self-evident.

Engineer Cheng and Engineer Fu exchanged a glance, and both saw relief in each other's eyes—the previous hesitation about cross-departmental collaboration had quietly disappeared.

Engineer Cheng carefully put his documents into his inner jacket pocket, looked up and said seriously, "Director Liu, let's skip the formalities and take us to see the equipment. We are ready to start working."

Liu Guangqi smiled slightly and did not lead them directly to the workshop. Instead, he led the engineers from the Institute of Computing Technology through the main building to the temporary dormitory that had been arranged in advance.

As you push open the door, a faint scent of soap and the warmth of sunshine greet you.

The room was clean and bright, the bedding on the bed was brand new and neatly folded; the Double Happiness thermos and enamel cup were arranged in an orderly manner on the table, and a brand new honeycomb briquette stove stood in the corner.

"The conditions are limited and can't compare to the environment of the Institute of Computing Technology, but at least we can rest when we're tired." Liu Guangqi said, pushing open the window. Downstairs was the kitchen of the staff canteen. "The canteen is downstairs. You can get your meals from the special canteen with your special meal ticket."

He placed a stack of meal tickets on the table: "If I get too busy and miss a meal, just tell the chef, and he'll save the food for me, or even deliver it directly to the research lab."

Engineer Cheng picked up a meal ticket with the words "First Ministry of Machine Building Research and Development Project" printed on it.

Looking around the bright and clean room, the pent-up frustration from the temporary secondment vanished instantly.

It's no wonder—the development of second-generation transistor computers is currently a hot topic, and everyone wants to get involved. However, they were assigned to tackle the five-axis linkage machining center, so they were inevitably a little disappointed at first.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief upon realizing how thoughtful the arrangements were.

Fu Gong jokingly said to his colleague, "Seriously, this treatment is better than what we get at the institute. I almost thought I came here to sit in an office instead of tackling key problems."

Engineer Cheng smiled and patted Liu Guangqi on the shoulder: "Comrade Guangqi, you've made such a thoughtful preparation! When we technicians get busy, we don't know when to start. We often make do with cold steamed buns, and it's a luxury to be able to eat a hot meal."

Liu Guangqi waved his hand and laughed, "You are all comrades we invited to tackle this tough challenge. How can we let our comrades fight on an empty stomach?"

Just then, the head chef pushed a food cart past the window, greeting them with a smile, "Director Liu, the braised pork and crucian carp soup reserved for Engineer Cheng and the others are ready. Lunch will be served on time!"

The enticing aroma wafting from the food truck made everyone's faces light up with anticipation.

After the meal, Liu Guangqi led them through several corridors to a newly established research area.

After more than a month of assembly and setup, this place is no longer like an ordinary research lab, but more like a precision machining workshop—vertical machining centers and horizontal milling and turning machines are arranged in succession, and a CNC gantry milling machine stands majestically in the workshop, its paint gleaming with a cold metallic luster, like a silent steel behemoth.

The wall is covered with layers of design drafts for five-axis linkage, and the annotations outlined in red and blue ink are interwoven like a spider web, which is dazzling and mesmerizing.

Currently, most of the machinery has been installed, and even the level 8 technicians who came to provide support have started working.

"The progress has been unexpected."

Engineer Cheng approached the spindle box, gently stroking the metal surface with his palm; it felt as smooth as a mirror.

A look of amazement crossed his eyes:

"These machines seem to be even more complex than the equipment imported from overseas."

Although it's true that different professions are like different worlds—

They were originally engineering experts who studied computers, but that did not affect their appreciation for mechanics.

The row of machine tools in front of me is all CNC machine, and they are all extremely precise.

Liu Guangqi smiled slightly.

Pointing to the empty control panel on one side:

"This is your work area. The workshop next door is already producing transistors, which will be gradually assembled into integrated circuit boards tomorrow."

Engineer Cheng took a deep breath.

Suppressing the surging shock in his chest, he knew this was not the time to express his feelings.

"Comrade Guangqi, the circuit board is not urgent for now."

His expression turned serious.

He took out a small notebook from his pocket: "There are still some aspects of the CNC machine tool control system that I haven't fully grasped. I'd like to hear your insights."

"We had previously studied the data on the coordinate measuring machine at Tsinghua University."

"Do you plan to further explore this direction?"

"Exactly."

Liu Guangqi nodded and smiled: "Engineer Cheng, Engineer Fu, and comrades, please come over here for a moment."

As he spoke, he led everyone to a large sheet of drawing paper, on which was already laid out a general framework diagram of CNC technology.

My idea is as follows...

Liu Guangqi pointed directly to the braking module circled in red in the diagram and clearly explained the principles, objectives, and technical requirements he envisioned.

Everyone present was an expert in the field of computer science, and Liu Guangqi's opening remarks immediately gave them a clear understanding.

However, as the explanation went on, Engineer Cheng, Engineer Fu, and the other assistant engineers became increasingly solemn.

The reason is simple—

The concepts that Liu Guangqi is proposing at this moment are no less professional in depth than those of people who spend all day buried in coding.

Unbeknownst to them, Liu Guangqi, in his previous life, was a PhD in Mechanical Engineering and also possessed profound expertise in mechatronics and computer science. Had it not been for the limitations imposed by the Ministry of Machine Building… he might have already accomplished all of this himself.

Liu Guangqi pointed to the label in the braking area: "The essence of five-axis linkage lies not in the mechanical structure, but in the synchronization precision."

My fingertip landed on a parameter and tapped it twice.

"I hope that the control systems you design can keep the response delay of the spindle and the double oscillating head within milliseconds."

"Furthermore, it must be perfectly matched to the integrated circuit boards that we will soon be producing in-house."

Engineer Cheng immediately opened his notebook and quickly took notes: "You mean...we need to rebuild the multi-axis synchronization algorithm based on the control system of the coordinate measuring machine tool?"

Liu Guangqi nodded with a smile.

"Yes, I suggest adding a fault self-diagnosis module."

"If any axis deviates from its operating parameters, the system will immediately issue a warning and lock the entire machine to prevent damage to the workpiece."

Engineer Fu bent down to examine it closely, pointing to the interface markings on the drawing:

"This part is easy to solve."

"We can modify the core modules of the 107 machine. It is compact and has sufficient computing power, which perfectly meets your miniaturization requirements."

Within half an hour, Liu Guangqi, Engineer Cheng, and Engineer Fu had reached a consensus on the technical specifications, adaptation solutions, and core requirements.

There wasn't a single superfluous word throughout the entire process.

The assistant engineers watching were stunned, and for a moment they felt like they were just bystanders.

"Understood!"

"Comrade Guangqi, you truly deserve to be called a talent who developed integrated circuit boards. I never expected you to have such a thorough understanding of the computer field as well."

Engineer Cheng and Engineer Fu expressed their sincere admiration.

No wonder Professor Lu Hai repeatedly instructed him before his departure to follow Liu Guangqi's guidance.

This level of skill is nothing like that of an ordinary level 7 engineer.

If he were to actually participate in the evaluation at a research institute, even the threshold for a Level 5 engineer wouldn't be enough to stop him.

Engineer Cheng and Engineer Fu exchanged glances, their pupils reflecting the same astonishment.

Before coming here, they did have some doubts in their hearts—

An engineer from the machine tool industry was supposed to be instructing these experts from the Chinese Academy of Sciences?

After listening to Liu Guangqi's analysis of the underlying logic of the CNC system, the two men felt a flush on their faces.

This is what true professionalism is—not only understanding the principles, but also being able to explain them clearly and thoroughly from the root. Many concepts that they are still figuring out, Liu Guangqi can already handle with ease, simplifying the complex.

At this moment, the way they looked at Liu Guangqi was different.

Of course, neither of them doubted his profound computer knowledge at such a young age. This era has never lacked geniuses—just like their institute's leader, Professor Hua, who became a Tsinghua University legend at the age of sixteen through self-study and shook the academic world.

Perhaps this is precisely the consistent tradition of SMTH: the younger they are, the more outstanding they become.

Liu Guangqi had no time to notice their changing thoughts.

Seeing that the two men fully understood, he picked up a new piece of chalk, turned around, and walked towards the large blackboard in the workshop.

"Alright, now that everyone understands, let's proceed with the division of labor as we just discussed."

He drew a clear dividing line on the blackboard with chalk:

"The mechanical team is responsible for parts assembly and precision tuning; the computer team specializes in CNC system development and joint debugging. They synchronize progress every afternoon at 5 PM."

Engineer Cheng nodded in agreement: "Okay, we brought portable debugging equipment. We can set up the test environment tomorrow, starting with single-machine debugging and then moving on to integrated debugging of the whole machine."

Mr. Fu added with a smile, "If all goes well, we can produce the first version of the CNC system in about three weeks, at which point we can integrate it with your mechanical components."

—At the Research Department of the First Ministry of Machinery Industry, the research and development of five-axis linkage machining centers has entered a critical stage.

Liu Guangqi is like the most composed helmsman on this sophisticated ship, steadily steering the course.

Even though there were Level 7 engineers present in the computer team, the command authority unknowingly fell into Liu Guangqi's hands.

Normally, research institutes under the Chinese Academy of Sciences have priority in providing technical guidance to the research departments of ministries and commissions—they have top scientists from all over the country behind them, and naturally occupy a high ground in terms of technology.

But now the positions on both sides seem to have been reversed. However, the engineer and the assistant engineer did not feel that this was inappropriate: in the matter of technical research and development, seniority and background are not important, only the capable should be in charge.

The atmosphere inside the new R&D room was tense yet orderly.

After the daily morning meeting, each group threw themselves into intensive problem-solving. The technicians in the mechanical group and the engineers in the computer group each performed their duties. When encountering a problem, they would first discuss it in their group, and if the group could not solve it, they would go to Liu Guangqi.

From some point onwards, in the eyes of everyone on the project team, Liu Guangqi was almost synonymous with "omniscient"—no matter what question was asked, he could always provide a response.

The atmosphere made the computer engineers feel as if they were back at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, listening to a lecture by a senior professor.

Gradually, people started calling Liu Guangqi "Engineer Liu" again, instead of "Director Liu".

The meeting had just ended at eight o'clock that morning.