Chapter 279: This Data... Sounds Too Much Like Bragging

All output was instantaneous, without any perceptible delay.

The entire laboratory fell into a deathly silence, where even the sound of breathing could be heard.

Everyone stared with wide eyes, looking at this scene in disbelief.

"Why... why is it so fast?" Finally, Lao Liu broke the silence, his voice trembling slightly from shock.

Li Mingyuan explained:

"Traditional computers use a single processing unit and must process instructions in sequence. Integrated circuits, however, can contain multiple independent processing units, each responsible for different tasks, with almost no interference between them. More importantly, the speed at which electrons move in silicon is far faster than in wires and vacuum tubes, reducing response time from the millisecond level to the microsecond level."

"Microseconds? How fast is that?" someone asked.

"One millionth of a second," Li Mingyuan replied. "It takes about 300 milliseconds to blink your eyes, and in the time it takes you to blink, this chip can complete several thousand simple operations."

This explanation plunged everyone into shocked silence once again.

"Chief Engineer Li," Director Wang said with a trembling voice, "this thing... if it were used in weapon systems..."

"It will completely change the face of war," Li Mingyuan continued.

"Imagine, when the enemy's tanks are still using mechanical sights, our tanks are already equipped with an electronic fire control system that can calculate precise ballistics in a fraction of a second, automatically correcting for the effects of wind speed, temperature, and humidity... what would the result be?"

"We would... destroy them," Lao Liu murmured, his eyes flashing with excitement.

"Just like they use advanced weapons to crush other countries..."

Li Mingyuan nodded: "It is not just the military field. Industrial automation, scientific computing, medical equipment... every field will be completely changed. We are standing at the entrance of a new era, everyone!"

Enthusiastic applause and cheers erupted in the laboratory once again.

This time, there was no doubt, no questioning, only a longing for the infinite possibilities of the future and immense admiration for the young man standing before them.

Li Mingyuan raised his hand to signal for silence:

"Now, we face two urgent tasks: first, to protect the security of this technology, and second, to put it into practical application as soon as possible. The threat of enemy spies shows that our progress has already attracted outside attention. We must be one step ahead of the enemy."

"At nine o'clock tomorrow morning, there will be a meeting for all technical personnel. I will explain the working principles and development roadmap of integrated circuits in detail, and at the same time, we will discuss how to apply this technology to actual projects. For today, everyone go back and rest, and recharge your energy."

As the meeting ended, the technical personnel left the laboratory with their minds full of shock and excitement.

Li Mingyuan and Lao Liu stayed behind to carefully seal the chip and all related materials in a safe.

"Lao Liu, I still have to write a report overnight to report today's breakthrough to my superiors in detail." Li Mingyuan rubbed his temples wearily.

Lao Liu patted him on the shoulder: "You are pushing yourself too hard. I remember you haven't closed your eyes for almost ten days. Go get some rest first; the report can wait until tomorrow."

Li Mingyuan shook his head: "Enemy spies are already targeting us; time is life. Let's go, take me to the office, I'll rest after I finish the report."

In the midnight telegraph room, the urgent telegraph machine ran continuously, emitting a rhythmic tapping sound.

The telegraph operator Xiao Zhang operated the telegraph key mechanically while yawning from sleepiness.

Suddenly, he received a telegram marked "Top Secret" and "Highest Priority," and immediately perked up, carefully recording every character.

The content of the telegram was extremely long, taking a full half hour to transmit.

Once the reception was complete, Xiao Zhang hurriedly followed procedure to hand the telegram to the duty officer.

The officer browsed the beginning of the telegram, and his expression changed immediately:

"Contact Minister Zhang of the Military Industry Commission immediately, and tell him that Comrade Li Mingyuan has sent an urgent report regarding a major breakthrough in 'integrated circuits'!"

Ten minutes later, the ringing of the telephone in Minister Zhang's home at the Military Industry Commission broke the silence of the late night.

"What? Li Mingyuan? Integrated circuits?" Minister Zhang sat up from his bed in one motion. "I'm coming over right now!"

In less than half an hour, several black sedans drove into the compound of the Military Industry Commission one after another.

At three in the morning, an emergency meeting was held in a brightly lit conference room.

Sitting in the conference room were seven or eight middle-aged people dressed in simple clothing; they were the high-level leaders of the Long Country's military industry and scientific research systems.

In front of each person lay a copy of the newly translated telegram, and everyone's expression was terrifyingly serious.

"You have all read the report, haven't you?" Minister Zhang looked around at everyone.

"Comrade Li Mingyuan's team has achieved a major breakthrough—successfully developing Long Country's first integrated circuit chip, with performance exceeding expectations."

"Minister Zhang, are you sure this report is true?" Deputy Director Chen of the Scientific Research Department asked skeptically.

"The data in here... it sounds too much like bragging. An integrated circuit the size of a palm, and its processing speed is ten times faster than our most advanced transistor computer? Is that possible?"

"And it was handmade?" Director Wang of the Military Academy of Sciences took off his glasses and shook his head in disbelief.

"We all know that the enemy spent tens of millions of dollars to develop electronic computers that occupy dozens of square meters, yet their processing speed isn't as good as this? It's simply a joke!"

Minister Zhang pondered for a moment: "Comrade Li Mingyuan has indeed created miracles time and again. His 'Steel Umbrella' anti-aircraft system and the silicon manufacturing machine project were both once considered impossible tasks, but they all succeeded in the end. Considering his track record, I am inclined to believe this report."

"Even so," Deputy Director Chen was still not convinced.

"How could a handmade integrated circuit reach this level? Scientists in the enemy country and Beijixiong Guo are still struggling with vacuum tubes and transistors, and we are jumping straight into the integrated circuit era? This... this!"

The conference room fell into silence, as everyone weighed the authenticity and potential impact of this news.

"It's incredible," Factory Director Li of the military factory exclaimed, "If this is true, it will completely change our military production and scientific research direction."

Minister Zhang tapped the table:

"Comrade Li Mingyuan mentioned in the report that they have already discovered signs of enemy spy infiltration, which shows that the enemy also realizes the value of this technology. I suggest that we immediately organize an expert group to go to the site to verify this breakthrough in person, and at the same time, strengthen security measures to prevent the leakage of technology."

"Agreed," Director Wang stated decisively, "If this technology is real, we must protect and develop it with all our might. This may be an excellent opportunity for Long Country to overtake on a curve."

A decision was reached quickly: a joint inspection team composed of the Military Industry Commission, the Scientific Research Department, and the Military Academy of Sciences would fly to the Northeast Factory the next morning to personally verify the performance of "Longxin No. 1";

At the same time, an elite security team would be immediately dispatched to the factory to strengthen the protection of Li Mingyuan's team and the relevant technical materials.