Chapter 153: Talent Only, No Background Checks
“Professor Shu?”
Dean Qian naturally knew who this was.
Shu Xingbei transferred from Zhejiang University to Shanghai Jiaotong University in 1931 to teach, serving as a lecturer in physics, while Dean Qian entered the mechanical engineering department of Shanghai Jiaotong University in 1929.
Although not a direct mentor, Dean Qian had also attended the other’s courses.
Bi Dexian nodded and said: “That’s right.
If it’s just a simple replicate of the SCR-584, I am confident I can do it.
After all, we introduced the Russian’s SON-9 a few years ago, and that thing was modified based on the SCR-584.
We may not reach the standards of the SCR-584 in materials and circuit manufacturing, but with this information, I believe we can still make a radar that is not much different from the SON-9 by imitating it.
Then improve it slowly afterwards.
But this one now is definitely not the SCR-584, at least not the original version of the SCR-584, but a 584 improved based on a large amount of the most cutting-edge radar knowledge. I am not sure how much time it will take to restore it.
Another very important point is that it also involves a lot of content on automation and control theory, even cutting-edge electronic engineering. All combined, Professor Shu is the best candidate.”
On one hand, Bi Dexian truly felt that Professor Shu was the best candidate; on the other hand, he felt that this place, besides having infinite vitality, was also sufficiently “secure”.
He hoped to pull him out of the work at the Qingdao Marine Research Institute doing fish school echo detection, which is applied physics research that has little connection to what Shu Xingbei is good at and has little practical use.
Coming to replicate this set of radar named SCR-584, which has actually been heavily modified into something unknown and is the most cutting-edge, would undoubtedly be much more meaningful.
Of course, what he said was half true and half false.
As a PhD who had worked in the new product trial department of the America radio company, how could he not understand electronic engineering.
“You know, although I am an expert in the radar field, Professor Shu is the expert among experts.
Especially since this is the other’s most advanced technology, we need the best person to control the progress.
What I am good at is too narrow; Professor Shu would be more suitable than me.” Bi Dexian said firmly and righteously.
The world never lacks geniuses; Bi Dexian, who was able to go all the way to the California Institute of Technology to get a PhD in that stormy era, is certainly a genius.
Dean Qian, who got dual PhDs in mathematics and aerospace eight years earlier than him, is an even more genius genius than him.
Shu Xingbei also belongs to this sequence of even more genius geniuses.
Of course, rumors like having been Einstein’s assistant only exist in marketing rumors.
Shu Xingbei went to Berlin University for one year of further study in 1931, studying under quantum mechanics pioneer Max von Laue.
With his identity, it was basically impossible for him to serve as Einstein’s assistant in his later years; at that time, Einstein’s assistants were all physicists or mathematicians.
Moreover, in the Einstein Papers compiled and published in later generations, there is no archival record about Shu Xingbei indicating any connection between the two sides.
Hearing Bi Dexian say this, Dean Qian thought for a moment: “Good, I will arrange it right away. You need to start work as soon as possible on your side.”
Bi Dexian nodded and said: “Definitely, we do work by people waiting for things, how could we let things wait for people!”
“Dean Qian, tell us your thoughts.”
In the secret meeting room in Area 51, only three people could hold meetings here.
And Dean Qian was the one with the lowest rank among them, but he was also the most important.
“This set of books sent back by White Horse is of great significance to our basic disciplines.
When I was working at the Jet Propulsion Center before, I heard that people from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology had done such a set of books.
I wanted to borrow it at the time, but the Department of Defense did not give me security clearance.
According to rumors, that set of books could not be accessed by anyone except white people.
This time White Horse was able to get that set of books, which is undoubtedly sending charcoal in the snow for us.
My current plan is, on one hand, to translate the content inside into Chinese language and put it in the library of Area 51 for the research personnel here to borrow.
The content inside about microwave circuits, circuit design, signal processing principles, etc., would be very helpful to Huang Kun, Xie Xide, and others.
For example, the content of Volume 15 on crystal rectifiers is the physical principles, manufacturing processes, and applications of crystal diodes in microwave circuits.
Because whether detectors or mixers, they are key components of wartime radar receivers.
Like Volume 16 on microwave mixers, which mainly describes the design and operating principles of microwave mixers, relying on crystal diodes for signal frequency conversion, commonly used in radar receivers, which would be of great help to their improvements on Panda brand radios.
Including the calculators they are manufacturing would benefit greatly, and replicating Raspberry Pi would benefit greatly.”
At this time, China was short of resources, and when Panda brand radios were popular in the Soviet Union camp, they burst out with huge economic benefits.
Even Pandas could be sold to France.
This was undoubtedly a huge encouragement for China.
The most important work of the entire Area 51 semiconductor industry is to replicate Raspberry Pi, but in the process of replicating Raspberry Pi, some derivative tech products also need to fully play their role, which is to generate revenue.
And because of the existence of Raspberry Pi, China’s R&D personnel naturally thought of a problem: why can’t we make portable electronic calculators?
A small electronic calculator that only does addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division is already a product that does not exist anywhere in the world right now.
The first electronic calculator has to wait until next year, England’s ANITA Mark VIII, this 15-kilogram calculator is far from portable.
And portable calculators are Casio Mini in 1967.
But at this time, China has already found all the technical points needed to make small electronic calculators.
Not to mention overcoming them, but at least there is a direction.
Especially when the outside world’s digital displays are still using cold cathode tubes, China has already found LED diode displays.
For the miniaturization of electronic calculators, LED diodes have an overwhelming advantage over cold cathode tubes.
Currently, not to mention China, even companies in Europe and America do not have the idea of launching a new model every year.
China never thought of iterating Panda radios every year; only launch a new model with sufficiently large changes.
Even less thought of changing to a new color or a new skin as a new model.
People of this era are still too simple.
China’s semiconductor research group has most personnel on the R&D of small calculators, and a small portion on the optimization and iteration of transistor radios.
Dean Qian continued: “Like Volume 8 on microwave circuit principles, Volume 9 on microwave transmission circuits, Volume 10 on waveguide handbook, Volume 17 on component circuits, Volume 18 on vacuum tube amplifiers, etc.
Almost every volume is of great help to us.
It is equivalent to having an extra complete set out of thin air that covers textbooks for almost most physics majors at present.
Its completeness is of great benefit even to experts in the semiconductor field.
In addition, I suggest using this set of books as a prototype to serve as textbooks for related majors in universities nationwide.
Volumes 8, 10, 15, 18 can serve as textbooks for electronic engineering, Volumes 12 and 13 for communication engineering, Volumes 1 and 2 for radar engineering, and others can be used as subsequent graduate courses or supplementary readings.
These 28 volumes of textbooks can be used for some top selected students to complete all in four undergraduate years, and these students can come directly to Area 51 to work after finishing.
Is it difficult to learn 28 volumes in four undergraduate years? Dean Qian knows it’s difficult, but in his view, geniuses have to be this awesome; if you’re not this awesome, why be a genius.
Learn in four years what others might not finish in twelve years.
After finishing, come directly to practice, don’t waste time outside, come directly to Area 51 to receive the most cutting-edge semiconductor practice in the world right now, more cutting-edge than America’s.
“No problem, this part of the work is very important but not urgent.
My suggestion is to talk about it in a few years.
White Horse just gave us these 28 volumes, and if we immediately update and replace the textbooks for related majors in universities nationwide, once the news gets out, White Horse is likely to be suspected immediately.
Changing textbooks is not this urgent.”
After the other party finished speaking, Dean Qian immediately reacted: “I was too anxious.”
“But we can’t stop cultivating talent.
Talent cultivation cannot be interrupted.
I think we should hold an examination nationwide to select talent.
Don’t test anything else, just test mathematics and physics, and those who pass the exam come to Area 51 to be trained with these 28 volumes as template.”
“What about their backgrounds?” another man asked.
“What backgrounds, once they come in they can’t get out, so backgrounds don’t matter.
As long as they are geniuses, don’t look at backgrounds.
Here, we have full confidence that not even a bird can fly out.” The man said decisively.
Area 51 is also divided into different areas.
Those from the radio factory, actually cannot be considered strictly Area 51; they are peripheral and will have some degree of interaction with the urban area of Panzhihua.
While those in contact with Raspberry Pi belong to the inner inner part, absolutely isolated from the world.
The entire site is carefully selected.
Standing on the high ground, you can overlook the entire internal area, with people on three shifts watching from above.
Dean Qian asked after hearing: “Then under what name?”
“Joint training by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Most of us here are originally experts from the academy, a small portion from universities; this is joint training.” The man said.
The two nodded.
Another man hesitated: “Yanjing side?”
“I’ll handle the Yanjing side.
This is talent selection; selecting them doesn’t mean coming to enjoy blessings, but to suffer hardships.
Once through this gate, in the words of Water Margin, it is suddenly freeing the golden rope, breaking the jade lock here.
But not the tide letter coming from the Qiantang River, but the tide letter coming from the Jinsha River, only today do I know I am me.
Once here, parents can only receive letters reporting safety after layers of review; this is not a good place.” After the man finished speaking, he sighed deeply.
At present, there are too many things beyond one’s control.
They are like this, and the two bombs and one satellite are the same.
The room fell silent for a moment.
Dean Qian then thought of Shu Xingbei.
He didn’t know Shu Xingbei’s current situation before; after Bi Dexian mentioned it, he specially went to inquire, and the other’s recent situation was not good.
After returning from Shanghai Jiaotong University to Zhejiang University, he didn’t stay long at Zhejiang University before being transferred to Qingdao.
From Shanghai Jiaotong University to Zhejiang University is exile, and from Zhejiang University to Qingdao is also a kind of exile.
Since backgrounds don’t matter, transferring Shu Xingbei over should not be a big problem.
Finally, it was Dean Qian who broke the silence in the room:
“The last point is the SCR-584 radar design proposal.
Dean Bi Dexian is right; this is an optimized version of the proposal.
I knew it right away when I got it.
Because the timestamp on the stamp above is 1950.
The returned information shows that different parts of the paper are different.
Some paper has a strong sense of age, with a very obvious old paper smell; the other party guesses it’s the smell from being stored too long in the archives, although they regularly treat it with antifungal agents, but that smell still remains.
While some parts don’t have it, it’s clearly new paper, completely different in style from the other parts.
And the specially marked different papers are all modification proposals based on the original SCR-584.
It even includes experimental data for the improved parts of the SCR-584.
This part should be what White Horse mixed in.”
The latter is Larry King’s supplementary explanation.
“Let Bi Dexian’s side start imitation.
Let’s first make our version of the SCR-584.
The war situation in the south is tense; although we don’t go into battle ourselves, we still have to provide them with some good stuff.
This time the Americans’ SCR-584 can also be considered a big gift.
I saw the report saying the improved SCR-584 has automatic positioning and anti-electronic jamming capabilities.
Still the same, without exposing White Horse, make something different from the SCR-584.
Dean Qian, remember this point when you arrange the work on your side.
For us, White Horse’s importance far exceeds other things.”
“Understood.”
Dean Qian finally said: “Dean Bi Dexian hopes to transfer Shu Xingbei to participate in the SCR-584 project; he believes Shu Xingbei is more qualified than him to be the main person in charge of this project.”
The man’s gaze was sharp, staring straight at the other: “This is not easy to handle.”
He had heard this name; previously Su Buqing had also pleaded with him about it.
But there are too many such things, impossible to manage them all.
“Good, got it, I’ll try to arrange it.
Can he die? If yes, then die and come here with a new identity.”
Dean Qian thought for a moment and said: “Have Bi Dexian write him a letter?”
“Yes, show me the letter when it arrives; if no problem, give it to him. If he is willing to come, then arrange a fake death for him.
Prepare to never contact family for life; once here, other things can be smoothed out for him.”
“Brother Xingbei, for your perusal:
Long time no see, I miss you greatly. Recently, I am in the southwest frontier specializing in research on cutting-edge technology.
We deeply know that Mister has profound attainments and remarkable achievements in the fields of physics and mathematics. Now, the country is in turbulent times and urgently needs Mister’s talent and wisdom to join together for great cause.
However, Mister’s current situation is delicate; we are deeply worried. To ensure Mister’s safety and smooth research progress, Mister may need to take the strategy of faking death to escape. Although this is improper, it is truly an expedient measure; hope Mister understands.
The base environment is quiet, equipment advanced; Mister will surely be able to display his talents here and make new contributions to the country’s technology cause.
What is said in this letter is of great importance; hope Mister considers it carefully. We await Mister’s good news.”
