Chapter 10: Chen Xiao's Astounding Feat?

If someone were to talk business with Li Delong and say they had no money and wanted to negotiate for free, Li Delong would have typically let the security guard beat the person and kick them out.

In the 1990s, local tycoons often had a wild and impulsive demeanor.

However, Li Delong didn't resort to such measures this time because he saw Wang Xiang holding Chen Xiao's circuit diagram with a cautious expression, indicating that Chen Xiao's integrated circuit diagram was something valuable.

Having fought on the field before his rebirth, Chen Xiao had honed his skills in reading people.

He had already analyzed Wang Xiang's character to some extent. Although Wang Xiang had entered the workforce, he still retained the scholarly traits of the older generation of intellectuals.

Graduates from the late 1980s and early 1990s had the utmost respect for knowledge and talent.

Chen Xiao believed that Wang Xiang would be willing to produce the circuit diagrams for free, but he knew he had to offer something in return.

Perhaps he could sell the integrated circuit diagram to Delong or negotiate other conditions.

Wang Xiang said, "Brother Chen, I have a question. I would like to know if you can find a way to make the VCD motherboard smaller and occupy less space."

For Delong Company to survive and gain more influence, it needed to shift from being a mere foundry to becoming an innovator.

Many VCDs on the market were bulky, large, and heavy.

If they could reduce the size of the VCD and make it slimmer and more aesthetically pleasing, it would surely make them stand out.

Wang Xiang and Li Delong had often contemplated that if Delong produced their own VCDs, they might be on par with brands like Aiduo and Pioneer.

If Chen Xiao were asked to hand-draw a circuit diagram for a VCD, it would require some mental effort. However, modifying the motherboard's circuit diagram would be relatively simple.

Designing multi-level integrated circuits would suffice.

While it sounded simple, in this era where computer design software and technical resources were limited, it was actually quite challenging.

Without computer modeling and circuit simulations, many problems would go unnoticed.

Fortunately, Chen Xiao was well-acquainted with the challenges faced by common multi-level integrated circuits. He knew precisely where to lay out the components, what problems to avoid, and how to achieve optimal design.

Moreover, the designed circuit diagram wouldn't require repetitive iterations of production, modification, reproduction, and further modification. It could be accomplished in one go, saving everyone considerable time and energy.

Chen Xiao requested paper and pen from Wang Xiang to start the redesign process. Two hours later, he had completed the circuit diagram for the multi-level integrated circuits in the VCD.

Design was design. Whether it could be implemented and produced was a concern that Chen Xiao didn't need to address.

Wang Xiang examined the design drawing and recognized Chen Xiao's expertise. While he had also contemplated such a design, his layout would never have been as precise and flawless as Chen Xiao's!

[Influence +2, cumulative influence 20.]

[Congratulations, you can activate the technology tree.]

"Is it activated?"

Chen Xiao selected "No" and decided to address it later when he returned home.

Looking at the design drawing, Wang Xiang couldn't help but give Chen Xiao a thumbs up, excitedly exclaiming, "Brother Chen, you truly are a genius! You're capable of anything!"

A child could draw a house, but the quality would be vastly different from that of a professional builder's drawings.

The design presented by Chen Xiao was ready for immediate implementation.

Wang Xiang was curious about Chen Xiao's background and asked, "Is Brother Chen from the Junior Class of the Academy of Sciences?"

During the 1990s, the media often featured child prodigies and junior college students.

In reality, "Juvenile University" referred to students enrolled in the juvenile class at Xia Kingdom University of Science and Technology. These students were very young but possessed exceptionally high IQs. Although not all of them would become remarkable figures later on, they were considered geniuses in the 1990s.

Modestly, Chen Xiao replied, "I'm a third-year student at Jiangcheng No. 1 Middle School."

Shocked!

Utterly shocked!

[Influence +2, cumulative influence 22.]

Li Delong couldn't believe it!

His own child was also in the third year of high school, spending all his time playing video games at home.

Meanwhile, the young man in front of him had hand-drawn an exceptional integrated circuit diagram.

Wang Xiang quickly adjusted to Chen Xiao's identity, recognizing that the world was vast and full of surprises.

After seeking Li Delong's opinion, Wang Xiang said, somewhat embarrassed, "The multi-level integrated circuits we just discussed will be the property of our company. We will produce eleven machine tool motherboards for you, free of charge."

Chen Xiao smiled and replied, "Then I will trouble President Li and the director."

As usual, both parties signed a contract.

Chen Xiao wasn't worried about Delong Company stealing the machine tool motherboard diagram or how much the VCD diagram could be sold for.

There were two reasons for this:

First, this particular VCD and the motherboard diagram for this type of machine tool would become worthless in a few years. Chen Xiao wasn't interested in profiting from them.

Second, before Chen Xiao came to Jiangzhou, he had made a copy of the machine's drawings and sent them to the Patent Office.

Whether or not he applied for a patent was irrelevant. According to the state's recognition of invention patents, the first person to invent something would be protected.

By providing evidence that he had invented it first, Chen Xiao had a clear advantage. If Delong ever stole his designs for profit, Chen Xiao was confident he could prove it.

Wang Xiang wanted to obtain Chen Xiao's phone number, but Chen Xiao felt a bit embarrassed. He didn't own a mobile phone, so he provided his home landline number instead.

Before departing, Chen Xiao asked, "Director Wang, is Delong planning to take the path of independent innovation? Are you considering making the VCDs slimmer and producing your own brand?"

Wang Xiang responded, somewhat embarrassed, "We have considered it. However, you know that the VCD market is fiercely competitive right now, and being an OEM is challenging."

Chen Xiao, being a person from the future, was well aware that VCDs would no longer be popular in just a couple of years. It would be unwise to invest heavily in producing new, slim VCDs.

But Chen Xiao didn't want to spoil anything. He kindly reminded, "Actually, being an OEM can still be a viable option. Currently, the PC market is still a blue ocean. If you can introduce motherboard technology from companies like Toyo or those in the Bay Area and become an OEM, it could be a promising future pathway."

Chen Xiao merely offered a helpful suggestion. Who knew if Delong could become a leader in integrated circuits, akin to brands like Gigabyte and Asus? Perhaps many years later, he could still contribute to chip production.

However, Wang Xiang's mind was focused on rushing to produce a super slim and lightweight VCD. He didn't pay much attention to the deeper meaning behind Chen Xiao's words. He said, "Brother Chen, it will take at most three days. Once the motherboards are produced, I will send them to you!"

Chen Xiao simply smiled. He estimated that the timeframe was within the limits set by the state-owned machinery factory. Chen Qiang's predicament would be resolved.

Furthermore, the motherboard Chen Xiao had provided to Wang Xiang had certain defects. After a certain period of use, the capacitors would automatically fail.

Chen Qiang had been unjustly treated in the factory, but Chen Xiao wasn't foolish enough to aid the factory.

By helping Chen Qiang clear his name and gaining another wave of influence, he would have accomplished the mission.

Even if the motherboard eventually malfunctioned, it wouldn't be Chen Qiang's problem.