CTF 0029

Xu Yin’s sister-in-law’s family now had funds for mudflat farming, and she felt that she had resolved a long-standing issue. Even though it was said that a married daughter was like spilled water, which daughter wouldn’t wish for the prosperity of their maternal family?

Ultimately, it was her little sister-in-law who helped in this matter, and Xu Yin’s sister-in-law was immensely grateful. During the festive Lunar New Year season, when the family had an abundance of ingredients, she used a lot of the ingredients to prepare various dishes for Xu Yin.

Mother Xu frowned and muttered, “She’s using things that I bought to please her little sister-in-law. This sure is something!”

Xu Yin heard this and couldn’t help but burst into laughter. 

Once Xu Zhinian had completed his tasks at home, he returned to the army. He would have to wait until the military approved his request and the housing arrangements were sorted out, which meant he wouldn’t be able to fetch his wife and children until the spring.

On the tenth day of the Lunar New Year, Xu Jianjun arrived at the Xu family’s house with some strangers in tow.

“Yinyin, this is the mechanical class lecturer that I told you about.  and this is Professor An, my lecturer’s teacher, as well as his other students. They came all the way from the capital.”

Listening to the introductions instantly told Xu Yin the purpose of their visit.

She had known that this day would come, but she didn’t expect it to arrive so soon.

She glanced at Xu Jianjun, who felt uneasy under her gaze and quickly raised his hands, as if saying, ‘I know I made a mistake.’

Initially, he couldn’t quite grasp the importance of the design drawings that Xu Yin gave him. He thought it was a standard subject at the county night school, so he enrolled in the class. Afterward, he even posed as a diligent student, asking the teacher questions after class and boasting when he received a scholarship. Little did he know that the design drawings were much more important than he could ever imagine.

Professors An and his students had come primarily to inspect the solar technology that powered the electric bike that Xu Yin had constructed.

They followed the drawings closely and simulated the process multiple times, but each one of their attempts was unsuccessful. They couldn’t help but doubt if Xu Jianjun’s claim had been accurate.

The principles outlined in the schematic were indeed correct, but…

After receiving the design drawings, government officials also sent people to secretly investigate the Xu family’s village. 

They indeed found that the story about a highly skilled engineer who had returned from overseas and once lived in a cattle shed was true. 

His background suggested that he had made relevant comments about the project during his years abroad, though they were informal and not well-structured.

Perhaps it was after he arrived in the village that he focused on and developed this result.

Unfortunately, the cattle shed had been abandoned for many years, and even if he did leave behind valuable materials after his death, they could find nothing else but the design by now.

A young girl from the village found it by chance while picking up stones. She had initially tried to hand it in, but it was returned as if it were trash.

After the relevant personnel was disciplined, they couldn’t help but be sceptical because, honestly, even professionals like them couldn’t assemble the device using this drawing. 

Did this young girl, who was only a high school student, really build it, especially considering she was from a relatively underprivileged town with fewer educational resources? 

They couldn’t help doubting it.

Xu Yin sighed and wheeled the bicycle from the living room, letting the two visitors examine it themselves.

“Teacher, I’ve ridden it, and it can go incredibly fast without the rider having to put in much effort.”

Xu Jianjun had intended to demonstrate it for them, but Professor An, who was in his sixties, moved even faster than him. He took the bike and gave it a try. 

He then looked over the bike meticulously, instructing his students to bring another regular bicycle and all the materials and tools needed for the assembly and modification, which they’d brought along, from outside the courtyard.

Xu Yin: …

They sure were well-prepared.

She was beginning to believe in Professor An’s credibility. He seemed to be an academic genius who could run on fumes, and who was so dedicated to his research that he could focus on it anytime, anywhere!

“Um, Xu Yin, can we disassemble your bicycle to take a look?”

Xu Yin agreed, saying, “Sure, I can reassemble it later.”

Even in the worst-case scenario, she could still reassemble by using the Scene Simulation feature. 

“But it’s cold outside,” she said. “Why don’t you work in the living room?”

“No, no. The light outside is good, so it’s nice here. You must be busy with your own business. Please don’t worry about us.”

“…”

Xu Yin realised that her family’s courtyard had essentially been requisitioned as their laboratory.

Fortunately, her mother had meticulously cleared the snow away, and a few sunny days had left the ground dry and warm.

Not that it mattered. Seeing Xu Yin’s bicycle in real life filled Professor An with excitement and enthusiasm. He didn’t feel the cold at all.

Regardless of what they’d said, Xu Yin couldn’t entirely ignore their presence. After explaining the situation to her parents, she prepared some ginger tea and set up a small table under the eaves so that they could warm themselves whenever they wanted.

The professor, his students, and Xu Jianjun continued to struggle with the assembly, particularly with a semiconductor panel that was supposed to convert solar energy into electrical power. 

However, they couldn’t seem to ever be successful in connecting it. Even though Xu Yin’s bicycle had a seemingly inferior semiconductor panel that had been salvaged from an old radio, it worked flawlessly. They couldn’t understand why the one they had sourced wasn’t working.

As lunchtime approached, Xu Yin invited them to eat at her home. She said, “My mother has already cooked some food. It’s getting cold very fast today. How about you eat first? You can continue working after you’ve eaten.”

Xu Jianjun hurriedly waved his hand. “No, no, it’s alright. We will eat at my house. We already planned it in the morning.”

Xu Yin cast him a glance. If that was the case, then he should’ve told them to have lunch the moment he realised the weather was getting too cold instead of watching them struggle.

After putting down their tools, Professor An laughed and shook his head, feeling embarrassed. He had spent decades in the field, and yet a high school student had achieved something he couldn’t. 

Just with a blueprint, she had managed to produce an electric vehicle that could run without needing to be charged. 

His team had been working for months and had no progress to show for it, and this made him feel humbled. 

He said, “It seems I am truly getting old. The younger generation will lead us into the new era.”

Xu Yin modestly replied, “Professor, I’m not worthy of such praise. I was just experimenting blindly.”

She had watched them assemble it once, and everything seemed correct, so why wasn’t it working? Where did they go wrong?

“Would you mind if I give it a try?”

Professor An and his student couldn’t have been happier to have her offer.

Xu Yin went back inside her house and changed into a warmer old cotton-padded jacket. She also put on her gloves, then squatted down beside their work to help them assemble their electric bike. 

After turning on the Scene Simulation function, she felt as if she was doing every step in slow motion and seeing every component with a magnifying glass. Moreover, since she’d practised it countless times before, what she did felt very natural and easy.

Professor An and his students watched in awe. Hadn’t she just modified a bicycle? Her speed and skill made her look like a seasoned worker in a factory!

“I’ve figured out the reason!” 

Xu Yin declared as she snapped the semiconductor panel together and showed it to them.

“Your semiconductor materials are not only brand new, but they also are very high quality. You’ll need to make adjustments to the charging controller accordingly; otherwise, it can’t handle the output,” she explained.

Professor An had a sudden realisation. “I see! The person who designed this blueprint didn’t have access to high-quality semiconductor materials. The data provided in the blueprint is based on the materials he used at the time.”

That was why Xu Yin’s bicycle also worked.

Xu Yin nodded and said, “That’s right.”

In her heart, she was thinking, ‘Gosh, this nearly turned really bad!’

She had modified the blueprint according to the materials she had available. 

The original design required materials that were way beyond her reach as a regular high school student. As such, she changed the materials to what she had at hand. 

“So, does this mean that with a powerful and stable charging controller, we could even use higher-grade semiconductor materials for this design?” Professor An mused, looking at the modified bike.

“Are you saying that this design is not only suitable for bike modifications but could even apply to…?” 

He hesitated, and then his eyes lit up. Oh, there were so many possible applications for this technology!

Xu Yin feigned confusion and pretended not to understand. Inwardly, though, she silently gave Professor An a thumbs up.

The same principles that were used in this design, could potentially have various applications in the field of new energy!