Chapter 334: You Have Deep Blue, I Have Deep Red
Area 51, early autumn, inside the factory building of Area 51, the latest produced computers stand here, their appearance somewhat bulky, the chassis welded from domestic steel plates, internally equipped with a self-developed 32-bit architecture operating system, compatible with multitasking and virtual memory system, fully benchmarked against IBM’s System/360 series.
Since they could return to GATT, how could they not use such a machine to make a name for themselves?
Building computers has a much higher threshold than building portable calculators, and a deeper moat, this is good business.
Wang Shouwu stands in front of the console, holding a stack of punch cards in his hand, eyes fixed on the machine’s indicator lights.
Dean Qian stands to the side watching, his heart calm without waves.
Everyone’s expectations have been raised too high by the Raspberry Pi, this thing is just a replicate of System 360, they spent so much time, and even got assistance from Eastern Europe, to only catch up to the level America openly sells abroad.
In their view, this progress is really not impressive.
Dean Qian at this moment even thought of the Imperial Seal across the ocean, when he saw the news in internal references about the Imperial Seal being assassinated, he wondered if this had to replicate history too?
In history, the Imperial Seal was smashed missing a corner and replaced with gold, in reality, our Imperial Seal exiled abroad also has to be assassinated missing a corner?
Lin Ran doesn’t know that China at this time compares him to the Imperial Seal.
If Lin Ran chooses to replicate the future big T being assassinated and missing an ear, that would really be a one-to-one replicate of the Imperial Seal.
Dean Qian thinks, if the Imperial Seal knew their progress, would it scold them for how slow the progress is? Americans are already going to the moon to immigrate, and you only just made System 360?
If it were ten years ago, knowing that China could catch up to IBM’s progress in the computer field, he would definitely be so happy he couldn’t sleep all night.
Now, no one present is excited, is this worth getting excited about?
“Engineer Wang, the machine is alive.” The engineer surnamed Zhao excitedly shouted, he pressed the start key, the machine’s indicator lights lit up one by one, the cassette tape began to turn slowly. “We used the latest generation of transistors, the floating-point arithmetic unit can handle up to 16 decimal places precision, similar to IBM’s single precision.
The virtual memory system is also stable, able to simulate multiple programs running.”
The engineer surnamed Zhao only came to work at Area 51 four years ago, in his view, this is the most vibrant and motivated place in all of China, here he can see the latest technology, no less than America’s technology.
Deep Red One benchmarked against IBM System 360, in performance even the big brother can’t make it, unique in the entire socialism camp, little Zhao really doesn’t understand why the big shots present show no excitement on their faces.
He understands it’s because the big shots’ realm is too high, reached the level of not rejoicing in things or grieving over oneself, but this doesn’t affect his happiness.
Wang Shouwu nods, no too much joy on his face.
“Little Zhao, start Deep Red. We need to verify this part’s functions, after all, at the Leipzig site, we have to directly demonstrate our computer performance and program writing ability to the foreigners this way!” Wang Shouwu said.
China’s version of the chess program is called Deep Red, you have Deep Blue, I have Deep Red.
Haven’t heard of deepred, right.
Deep Red One equipped with Deep Red.
Little Zhao wiped his sweat, inserted a stack of punch cards.
The machine emitted bursts of noise, the screen is a simple cathode ray tube display, began displaying the chessboard, the diode display is still in research and development.
The program was developed by them based on the Minimax algorithm, similar to Deep Blue, but much smaller in scale.
Only a few thousand lines of assembly code, using Alpha-Beta pruning to optimize the search tree, depth up to 5-6 layers, able to evaluate the chess position value function, including soldier and horse positions, capture priority, and king’s safety.
“Program loading, Dean Hua and they designed the evaluation function really works, last test it played the classic chariot horse cannon opening.” Little Zhao said while adjusting the knob, ensuring the cassette tape doesn’t jam.
“Start the game, I’ll be the opponent.” Wang Shouwu said.
Little Zhao nodded, “Okay.”
His hand trembled slightly, not tension, but excitement, because he knew this is not just playing chess, but proof that China technology can catch up to the world’s most advanced level.
On the screen, the chessboard appeared, black side computer moves first.
Wang Shouwu looked at the chess position, calculating in his mind: the core of this program is recursive search and heuristic evaluation, if the depth is one layer deeper, it can simulate more variations, then find Dean Hua and them to think about it more.
But this thing is already more than enough for the Leipzig Trade Fair.
After the game ended, polite applause rang out at the scene, little Zhao stood up, originally wanted to raise his arm and cheer, but seeing the big shots all so calm, he couldn’t help but just simply clap.
Dean Qian and Wang Shouwu were already whispering on the side, “Old Wang, you’ve trained all the people going to Leipzig this time, right?”
Wang Shouwu nodded: “Dean Qian, rest assured, they are currently in Shudu, I’ll send people to Shudu to give them classes, specially training this batch on Deep Red One.
When we get to Leipzig, from the assembly and configuration of the crimson computer cluster, to starting Deep Red, and performance, program introduction, etc., we’ll give detailed introductions to the engineers.
Including besides the hardware itself, the database program we developed for the hardware, we’ll promote it together.”
Area 51 doesn’t just know how to sell hardware, they even know selling software is more profitable than selling hardware.
Including Pao Yue-kong as a permanent director of the Global Shipping Standards Committee, the Chinese side has already planned to replace all data processing systems and computer hardware used in global shipping with Chinese-made ones.
Zhou Nan far away in Hong Kong has already received the task, to first go negotiate with Pao Yue-kong regarding this matter.
China is particularly proactive in earning foreign exchange.
Dean Qian took a deep breath: “That’s good, what we need this time is to hit it big at once, only success, no failure.”
Wang Shouwu nodded: “Rest assured on this, must succeed.
The Russians will probably be scared, didn’t expect our progress to be so fast, by the time they replicate the Panda portable calculator, we’ve already made Deep Red One.”
Dean Qian also grinned, then he asked: “When can the LCD TV be sorted out?
That guy is our short-term top priority.”
Wang Shouwu thought for a moment then said: “Large panels probably still need one or two years, large-scale industrial production, guaranteeing yield rate probably needs three years, but small panel game console with chip, I expect to sort it out by next spring.”
Dean Qian’s eyes lit up: “Good!”
Then after a pause, Dean Qian said: “Also the People’s Bank side, remember to send people to train them, they’ve been urging for Deep Red One many times.”
Wang Shouwu nodded: “Okay.”
Banks are the most in need of computers, after 78, the most advanced imported IBM large-scale computer was the People’s Bank, People’s Bank settlement with computer and without is really two different things.
The earliest to do information construction were also the major banks, previously banks even had special computer departments.
The straight-line distance from Area 51 to Yanjing exceeds 1500 kilometers, but flights back and forth between the two places are incessant.
Yanjing, the whole city atmosphere is hot and lively.
This trip to the Leipzig autumn trade fair is still led by Li Mingde, but he has already dropped the deputy prefix.
He was previously the deputy secretary-general of the Trade Promotion Committee, now he is the secretary-general.
He has even heard rumors that thanks to returning to GATT, the Trade Promotion Committee is very likely to merge into the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade.
This merger is extraordinary, a big merger, all functions departments related to foreign trade will all merge into the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade, Li Mingde even heard that the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade will be renamed Ministry of Commerce, dropping the foreign prefix.
The Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade has always existed, after China was founded Yanjing side first established the Central Trade Department, unifying management of national trade, later in 1952 the Central Trade Department was split into Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Foreign Trade, the former managing domestic trade, the latter foreign trade.
In the original spacetime it wasn’t until 1982 that the Import-Export Management Committee, Ministry of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, and Foreign Investment Management Committee these four subordinate functions departments completed the merger, merging into the modern Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade familiar to Chinese people.
And earliest Jack Ma was poached by the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade to their subordinate International E-commerce Center as information department manager, at that time online Canton Fair, online China commodity trading market, online China technology export trade fair, China investment attraction and China foreign trade etc. series of websites, in short almost all websites of the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade were completed by Jack Ma leading the team.
And at this time thanks to returning to GATT, the Ministry of Foreign Trade is coming out many many years ahead of schedule.
For Li Mingde, this trip to Leipzig is bringing big stuff, he is confident that this big stuff brought to the Leipzig Trade Fair can cause a shock no smaller than China’s first atomic bomb explosion four years ago.
At the same time this Leipzig trip also relates to whether he can go further, occupy a good position in the newly established Ministry of Foreign Trade, career one step further.
On the special plane to Leipzig, Li Mingde repeatedly communicated with the Li surname engineer specially responsible for maintenance debugging and demonstration: “Little Li, you’re sure Deep Red is fixed solid, right?”
Li Hongbo helplessly said, from boarding the plane, this Secretary-General Li has asked him this question repeatedly, he answered: “Rest assured, definitely steady as a rock, impossible to have issues!
Even if there’s an issue, we have spare components that can be replaced anytime, rest assured, our Deep Red One uses the world’s most advanced distributed design now, individual component damage can be replaced anytime.”
Li Hongbo is very confident.
In this timeline, China is absolutely the earliest country to realize what kind of power computers can unleash, also the most believing in the singularity theory proposed by Lin Ran.
This is one of the core reasons Area 51 became a paradise.
At this time four years have passed since obtaining the Raspberry Pi, more than a year since obtaining Lin Ran’s complete technical data.
In Lin Ran’s expectation, China’s catching up speed must be very fast.
Especially with direction, data, and motivation,
China’s catching up speed is absolutely astonishing.
Whether in the 1950s, or after the 90s later, China in technology catching up was unrivaled.
Similarly obtaining technology transfer from the Soviet Union, China’s mastery of technology is not comparable to India at all, same production line, China can innovate and make their own things.
Like the Dongfeng series missiles, the Russians gave an S2, castrated who knows how much compared to the original, finally China on this basis made the world-shaking Dongfeng series.
Similarly missile technology transfer, what was given to India was even better, but India in missile development far inferior to China, in domestic technology even not as good as their neighbor.
So Lin Ran never worried that China would have problems in replicating.
Having data means having everything.
The plane landed in Leipzig, loaded with a full 8 Deep Red Ones, this time the Chinese side also communicated in advance with East Germany, reserving the best central spot for them, saying to give the site a surprise.
Under Yanjing side’s personal mediation, East Germany agreed.
They also really want to see what trick the Chinese people are playing.
