Chapter 16: Sounding the Alarm

Everyone anxiously awaited Captain Zhou's decision to call the police and resolve the situation, but their confusion grew when a little kid suddenly emerged holding a box.

Chen Xiao paid no attention to the bewildered gazes of those around him. He retrieved the motherboard and began installing it with determination.

Wang Xiang, understanding that the motherboard should not be directly installed into the machine, brought along some extension cables for the necessary connections.

Zhang Biao, taken aback by the scene, demanded, "Who is this kid? What is happening?"

Su Desheng wore a troubled expression, wondering if the motherboard had truly been repaired.

Zhang Biao exclaimed, "Captain Zhou, who is this person? And what is their intention?"

The loss of millions of dollars due to a single worker's act of revenge made Zhang Biao cautious, not wanting any further damage.

"Brother Wang!" Reporter Li from Jiangzhou Daily recognized Wang Xiang immediately.

Wang Xiang, a top student in Jiangzhou City, had made headlines for leaving his public office to join Delong Electronics. His move had caused a notable rise in Delong's industry and stirred discussions throughout Jiangzhou.

Reporter Li, surprised by Wang Xiang's presence, hurriedly approached him to inquire about the situation.

Chen Xiao continued installing the motherboard onto one of the machines, while Wang Xiang examined the circuitry to understand the cause of the motherboard's burnout.

When the motherboard is burned, it usually indicates a short circuit somewhere in the system, causing a surge of current that results in its destruction. Chen Xiao and Wang Xiang aimed to uncover the cause.

Observing Wang Xiang's expertise, Gao Hongze, feeling guilty, quickly interjected to Captain Zhou, "Captain Zhou, what are they doing? We've already suffered millions in damages. We can't afford any further destruction!"

Captain Zhou was startled and promptly approached with his team to intervene, asking, "Who the heck are you? What are you doing?"

Reporter Li, acting on his professional intuition, sensed that there was more to the situation. Instructing his cameraman to capture every detail, he approached to investigate further.

Chen Xiao installed the motherboard onto the machine, connected the power supply (as the circuit had been repaired earlier), and powered it on.

"Beep..." The distinct beeping sound of a CNC machine tool resonated through the air.

"It's working! It's working!" The machine tool technicians, well-acquainted with the sound, shouted with excitement.

Wu Wei, the team leader, and the technical staff were all taken aback by the development, their gazes fixed on Chen Xiao and the now-operational machine before them, unable to believe their eyes.

Ma Guotao, a technical worker experienced in operating CNC machines, approached the machine in disbelief. After confirming its functionality through testing, he turned to Wu Wei, his voice filled with excitement and astonishment, "Team Leader Wu! The machine is functioning!"

With that, Ma Guotao placed the unfinished parts onto the machine and initiated the processing, rapidly producing standard components.

It worked!

Chen Xiao let out a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

He had been only 70% confident in the success of his endeavor. After all, this was the first time he had designed and outsourced the production of the motherboard since his rebirth. The previous experience of his computer's motherboard being fried while attempting to install it only added to his uncertainty. But this time, the machine came to life successfully.

Quickly, Chen Xiao proceeded to install the remaining motherboards onto the remaining machines. Once all the motherboards were in place, he merely needed to add a protective casing to cover the exposed parts of the motherboard and the data cables.

As Chen Xiao continued his work, no one dared to stop him anymore. Zhang Biao, Su Desheng, Gao Hongze, and Minister Feng of the Technical Department gathered around the now-operational machine, their expressions a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

Zhang Biao, still in disbelief, questioned, "Are you absolutely sure the machine is working?"

Minister Feng and the technicians meticulously inspected the machine. All the functions of the CNC machine tool were operational. Aside from the exposed motherboard, data cables, and wires, which appeared slightly out of place, everything seemed identical to before the motherboard had burned.

Minister Feng carefully examined the motherboard and grew even more perplexed. It was evident that this was not the same motherboard that had been repaired earlier. Instead, it appeared to be a completely new one.

Where had this new motherboard come from?

A German factory?

It was impossible, as the original German motherboard was too large to fit within the machine.

A domestic manufacturer?

Minister Feng, with over ten years of industry experience, was well aware of the current level of domestic production. China did not possess any electronic factories capable of producing such high-quality motherboards.

Minister Feng couldn't help but ask Chen Xiao, who continued installing the motherboard, and Wang Xiang, who was double-checking the wiring, "Where did you acquire this motherboard?"

Chen Xiao was immersed in his task and lacked the time to respond.

On the other hand, Wang Xiang, having deduced the reason behind the burned-out CNC machine, approached with a puzzled expression and asked, "What?! You don't know where this motherboard came from?"