A nation's industrial development begins with junior engineers.

Jiang Xia stared blankly at the screen.

The monitor that came with the second-generation Big Yellow was noticeably larger than it appeared in front of him.

The screen lit up from darkness, undergoing a brief self-check. The rapidly scrolling hexadecimal machine code and English abbreviation status symbols were no longer the daunting symbols. The final interface, which he had become accustomed to later graphical systems, gave him a slight pause.

Because, right now, in the center of the screen, there is a steadily flashing green square cursor, followed by a simple square text prompt: [Command] >.

The prompt is in Chinese characters!

But what Jiang Xia was more concerned about was the "environment" in which the prompt was located.

The prompt is not isolated on a dark screen, but rather falls within a carefully designed light gray background area, which resembles a virtual "workbench" and occupies the main part of the screen.

Several slightly darker gray lines clearly divide this work area into different functional zones, forming a primitive yet clearly intended graphical interactive framework.

At the very top of the screen is a horizontal system information bar. The left side displays "Operator: 01" and the current date and time, while the right side shows a path.

Workspace: /Main Directory/Design...

Below the information bar, separated by a thin line, is the largest main workspace, where the Command Prompt flashes.

To the right of the main work area, separated by a thin vertical line, is a long, narrow side status area, currently displaying several lines of concise system status: Auxiliary calculation board A/B: Online, Ready.

At the very bottom of the screen, there is a narrow prompt and feedback area, which is currently blank, but has reserved space for displaying command execution results and system messages.

What you see is what you get?

It's important to know that the first generation of transistor computers had a user interface that was purely a stream of instructions. There was no concept of "windows" at all. The entire process required manually entering lengthy machine codes or English commands. If you mistyped a single letter, you had to start all over again, let alone check the status or preview the results in real time!

Want to know the processing progress?

You have to wait for the program to finish running before you can see the results. If problems occur along the way, there's no way to troubleshoot them; it's like the blind men and the elephant.

Even early operating systems, which became widespread only in the mid-70s, were mostly command-line based, lacking even the rudimentary form of partitioned windows, let alone command lists annotated in Chinese.

The second-generation Big Yellow computer in front of us not only has a simple command prompt, but also integrates commands, status and preview through window partitioning. It is equivalent to breaking down the complex operation process clearly and concisely. Even people who are not familiar with computers can get started by entering commands according to the list on the left. This is simply a revolutionary advancement in today's world.

Jiang Xia instinctively covered her face, not wanting anyone to see her eyes instantly reddening.

Others might not know, but surely he knows what a completely Chinese-character interface represents?

In the 1960s, the technical difficulty of enabling computers to stably process and display Chinese characters was no less than that of the Bald Eagle's moon landing program!

Yes!

In the original timeline, our earliest research on Chinese character information processing systems was not officially launched until 1974 in the form of "Project 748".

The first generation of computer systems capable of practically processing Chinese characters—terminals based on "Chinese character telegraph codes"—appeared even later!

As for the relatively convenient way to display Chinese characters on personal computers by installing a "Chinese localization card", that didn't happen until the mid-to-late 1980s.

Therefore, the simple interface before us, flashing with Chinese character prompts, carries unparalleled symbolic significance. It signifies a group of silent climbers who, at least a decade ahead of schedule, have planted their flags on several key high grounds along this arduous path. This is not merely a simple interface localization; it is securing a place for the mother tongue at the very source of the digital world, and building the first cornerstone of an independent "Great Wall of Technology."

Each square character stably displayed on the screen is a meticulously crafted digital brick. [Command] > These three bricks are currently lying quietly on the virtual foundation.

In the future, billions of such bricks will be stacked according to our own blueprint and syntax to form a solid system from data outposts to system fortresses.

Until they connect and form a continuous technological Great Wall that belongs to us, stretching for thousands of miles!

……

Jiang Xia was staring blankly at the simple yet significant interface, his mind rapidly assessing its potential framework and expansion possibilities, when a cacophony of low exclamations pulled him back to reality.

"My God... this, this is that 'second-generation machine'? Chief Liu, are you sure you're not mistaken? This... this thing is the size of that small room in the communications section?"

The question was raised by a senior researcher surnamed Zhao from the Seventh Research Institute of the Navy. He was carefully circling the workbench where the "Super Yellow" was placed, his fingers wanting to touch the gray-green metal casing but not daring to.

His shock wasn't at all from the screen, but from the machine's unbelievably compact size.

Yes, unlike Jiang Xia, whose attention was completely drawn to the "soft" changes on the screen, the eyes of Director Liu Huaqing and the key researchers from the Seventh Research Institute he brought behind him were all fixed on the dark gray metal case next to the monitor, which was only the size of a medium-sized suitcase.

Humans are, after all, visual creatures.

They had observed the first-generation "Big Yellow" radio used for core digital communications at the naval base's communications department from afar with a sense of awe on more than one occasion.

Yes, to observe...

The naval operators wouldn't let them get close to the first-generation yellow roe...

But don't blame the operators; even they have to change their shoes and wear hats when they enter, and they have to breathe quietly.

When Jiang Xia heard that the researchers had already started discussing with Liu Huaqing whether to specially customize a batch of protective measures to protect the second generation of Dahuang, she covered her face again.

This time, I'm not excited, I'm just frustrated.

"What kind of new technology is this...?"

"I'm afraid we can't even move around freely, right?"

"It must be very precious; we couldn't afford to break it..."

Sure enough, these honest researchers have once again "mythologized" the new equipment.

That won't do! Machines are made for people to use, and it's only right to take good care of them. But if people are afraid to even touch them or feel fear because of this, how can they truly become tools for solving problems?

"Director Liu, comrades..." Jiang Xia suddenly spoke, interrupting the whispers of the crowd.

?

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Jiang Xia took out a screwdriver, walked to the "petite" second-generation Yellow PC, and gently patted its cool metal casing:

"Come on, show yourself, little one!"

"Let your uncles and aunts take a good look at your heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys!"