A nation's industrial development begins with junior engineers.

To be honest, even for someone as knowledgeable as Mulan, facing an international technology exhibition of the IEC level was a completely new experience for her.

Whether it was out of a previous friendship, a desire to see what was going on, or both, the French team "generously" allocated us a booth in a fairly good location.

When they received the bare, basic-framework booth floor plan, Mulan and the logistics team did indeed scratch their heads in frustration at the empty space.

The core challenges are: how should the booth be set up? How should the demonstration process be arranged?

The most crucial question is how to attract those high-minded experts from various countries to stop and learn.

You can't just leave the machine there, stick on a few instruction manuals, and call it a day, can you?

This is the international stage, representing the country's image and technological strength. It must be distinctive enough to catch the eye, stylish enough to avoid being cliché, and able to highlight and emphasize the "Dahuang Second Generation" machine as the main attraction.

After agonizing for half the night, a memory from a corner of this older unmarried woman's mind was activated. In a flash of inspiration, she suddenly remembered the days when she strolled around Tianqiao in Beiping when she was a child.

Those street performers—whether they're flag bearers, wrestlers, crosstalk performers, or magicians—all of them need to "prepare the stage" before starting their show. They need to bang drums and gongs, shout a few times, or show off a little of their special skills to attract the attention of passersby and gather a crowd before they can show off their real skills, get applause, and finally turn their signature acts into real money.

She still remembers some of the tricks the Eight Eccentrics of Tianqiao used to warm up the audience: before breaking a boulder on his chest, he had to shout and show off his muscles; magicians would start with a funny skit to make people laugh, and then quickly switch the object with a magician; crosstalk performers also had to lay a solid foundation and use a series of flips and shakes to "tie" the audience in before they could get to the main act.

The core idea is to make a strong first impression, pique curiosity, and attract attention!

This is what they call "drawing a pot on the ground, and the pit will come naturally."

Mulan knew very well that simply bringing the skills from the overpass to this place wouldn't work.

The foreigners in the audience couldn't understand the intricacies of "Golden Bell Iron Shirt" magic, nor could they appreciate the subtle charm of traditional magic tricks.

They seek more direct stimulation and are more sensitive to "mystery" and "technological barriers."

Her years of experience traveling abroad have taught her that Westerners don't seem to believe in the idea that "good wine needs no bush." ​​At least initially, what attracts them to squeeze into the "alley" is often not the faint aroma of the wine, but rather the eye-catching signboard at the entrance, the unique decorations, or even a deliberately set "obstacle" or "performance."

Thus, the idea of ​​the "red rope isolation zone" was born.

This is both a practical necessity for technology protection and a carefully designed "warm-up show" tailored for foreign audiences.

The effect was immediate—the crowd of people and their burning gazes outside the red line were the best proof. Hearing the shouts of those people born of curiosity, Mulan's smile broadened considerably.

To prevent theft?

No, in her opinion, this was at most... setting up a stall.

That's right, it's setting up a street stall.

The idea of ​​using red rope to warm up the atmosphere was successfully implemented, but the bigger challenge of booth design still left Mulan scratching her head. She couldn't just cover the machines with a tarpaulin, could she?

This difficult problem was ultimately solved by an unexpected person—Jiang Qiu.

One late night, when Mulan was racking her brains over booth design and even considered going for a minimalist industrial style, Jiang Qiu knocked on her hotel door and handed her a roll of sketches.

"This...this is your design?"

Mulan was startled, and Jiang Qiu nodded somewhat shyly: "Yes! I... I want to help. Teacher Sichen... oh, he's the architectural expert who helped build the dam in our village. Before he left, he lent me some of his treasured architectural drawings and his wife's manuscripts. They contain a lot of his thoughts on the modern transformation of traditional Chinese architecture, which gave me a lot of inspiration!"

"Time is tight, but my design doesn't need too many decorations, it'll definitely work!" Jiang Qiu added.

"Liang Sichen? You have a good teacher!" Mulan exclaimed.

"No, Grandma said she's going to find me someone better, even though we've never met!"

Jiang Qiu corrected him in a low voice.

"That's it..."

Looking at the girl in front of her, who might become her sister-in-law in the future, Mulan couldn't help but think of a certain ahoge (cowlick) she had glimpsed at the dock—this family seems to be very strong!

Jiang Qiu's design was adopted on the spot, and the final booth did not disappoint.

How could it not be beautiful? Even the well-traveled Mulan was captivated by it.

This was all done by Grandma Jiang and Jiang Qiu. Of course, other comrades also helped a lot, especially the embassy in Bern. To meet certain requirements, they almost drove off several cars!

Even if we include a certain functional decorative item, then Jiang Dong also contributed...

The entire booth had no elaborate banners; instead, it used only a dark blue velvet curtain—the curtains of the Bernier Embassy, ​​the color of which was similar to the night sky.

Grandma Jiang used silver silk thread to embroider the outline of the Big Dipper and the faintly visible points of the Luoshu (a symbol of the Luo River) on the curtain with flowing, cloud-like strokes.

The stitching, made in a rush, wasn't perfectly precise and even had a touch of handcrafted simplicity. But the silver threads against the deep blue background shone softly under the exhibition hall's overhead lights, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a starry sky and hidden mysteries.

It cleverly avoids the straightforwardness of "bright red and green" and subtly conveys the ancient associations between "computation" and "celestial phenomena" and "laws".

The main frame of the booth was a standard display stand, but Jiang Qiu and several skillful comrades cleverly decorated and partitioned it with thin bamboo curtains.

This bamboo curtain is actually a sleeping mat used by the staff of the Bernier Embassy...

The bamboo blinds were cut, pieced together, and hung on the sides and back of the frame, creating an effect similar to Chinese window lattices and screens.

The natural light yellow color and warp and weft texture of the bamboo blind bring a warm texture and a transparent yet not directly exposed visual layer, which forms a sharp contrast with the cold exhibition stands made of metal, glass and plastic around it.

The lighting was a uniform cool white light throughout the exhibition hall, which was somewhat dazzling.

Jiang Qiu had a sudden inspiration. She found several plain-colored silk scarves that the female members of the delegation had spared, washed and ironed them, and gently covered them with the spotlights that were being used to illuminate the "second generation of yellow" (referring to the baby).

The silk softened the light, casting a warm and hazy glow, like the afternoon sunlight filtering through the window screen in a Jiangnan water town. It perfectly enveloped the silver-gray computer case and the printer that had just been moved in next to it, giving the cold metal a touch of warm luster.

There was no audio equipment to play background music, but a brass incense burner that Jiang Dong found among the pile of things he brought from the embassy became an unexpected bonus.

There was no incense burning in the stove, only a few dried bamboo leaves and mint leaves. With the slight warmth of the spotlight, it faintly emitted a very light, natural scent of plants and sunlight, completely different from the smell of engine oil, plastic and crowds that filled the exhibition hall.

However, upon seeing the incense burner, Mulan and her two capable subordinates' lips began to twitch.

The difference was that Mulan was somewhat embarrassed, while Monkey and Xiaoqiang were grinning mischievously, and their expressions suggested they were now quite eager to share someone's embarrassing past...

In conclusion, the entire booth thus presents a unique eclectic aesthetic: the metal frame and industrial equipment are cold and modern.

The fabrics covering it, the greenery interspersed among them, and the light that permeates it are all gentle, imbued with the delicate charm of the Jiangnan water towns, and are distinctly Eastern.

This seemingly "pieced together" yet meticulously crafted corner stands out so uniquely and seemingly "out of place" in the modern exhibition hall, which is composed entirely of metal, glass, and standard display panels, yet it is also so captivating.

It lacks an aggressive, technologically advanced feel; instead, it exudes a rustic charm and elegance full of handcrafted warmth and humanistic spirit.

The gentle, simple, and wise qualities reminiscent of the water towns of Jiangnan, juxtaposed with the sturdy, brightly lit "Big Yellow Second Generation" in the center, do not appear jarring at all; instead, they create a wonderful tension and dialogue.

Ancient wisdom gives birth to modern achievements, and a warm and gentle heritage carries a cold and austere technology.

Many attendees passing by were initially drawn to this unique "Chinese style" corner, stopping to admire its ingenious design. Then, their gaze was involuntarily drawn to the silently operating silver machine, and a sense of curiosity and inquiry arose in their hearts.

What kind of culture and mindset can cultivate such a unique temperament and confidently place it alongside the most cutting-edge computer technology?

This striking, seemingly incongruous effect was exactly what Mulan and Jiang Qiu wanted.

First, the beauty of culture attracts people to stop and admire, and then the wonder of technology amazes people's hearts and minds.

It’s just a good show.