Chen Yuanshan hurriedly asked, "Dean Cang, what's wrong? Is there a problem?"
"There's a huge problem!" Cang Wenkan said very seriously. "According to the instrument's detection, the precision of several chips on this motherboard exceeds the limits of what our country can produce."
Cang Wenkan's brows were tightly furrowed. "Not only the manufacturing limits, but these two-nanometer precision chips are on the list of items prohibited from export by foreign countries. The only way to bring them back into the country is through smuggling."
"I understand your desire to win, but I am very sorry. Because you violated the competition rules by using parts obtained through irregular channels, your participation qualification has been revoked..."
"Wait a minute!" Chen Yuanshan quickly stopped Cang Wenkan. "Dean Cang, you've got it wrong. These chips aren't smuggled. They were personally made by Master Jing."
Cang Wenkan's expression changed drastically. "Personally made? What are you joking about? These are two-nanometer precision chips. Even China's highest-level Longguo Central Laboratory cannot produce them."
"But," Chen Yuanshan said with a conflicted expression, "these chips are really from Master Jing. I saw him take freshly made chips out of a machine multiple times with my own eyes."
Seeing Chen Yuanshan's firm attitude and considering the issue of two-nanometer precision chips, Cang Wenkan dared not be negligent. Based on the principle of seeing is believing, he decided to let Chen Yuanshan lead the team and prepare to meet the modification master he spoke of in person.
A little over half an hour later, a sedan stopped outside the Dashan Home Appliance Repair Shop.
Cang Wenkan got out of the car and looked at the dilapidated repair shop, the large piles of miscellaneous items piled up outside, and was stunned.
Putting aside the chips, based on the master's modification skills alone, he shouldn't be living in such a shabby place.
"Coach Chen, did you bring us to the wrong place?"
Chen Yuanshan shook his head vigorously. "It's right here. Dean Cang, wait a moment, I'll go knock on the door."
Chen Yuanshan jogged to the door. Just as he was about to knock, he saw a piece of paper hanging on the door—"I've gone to the scrap recycling station in the east of the city to collect parts. If you have anything, you can call 176..."
"This," Chen Yuanshan returned sheepishly, "Dean Cang, Master Jing has gone out to collect materials. Should we wait here? Or?"
Cang Wenkan walked over, glanced at the note, "The scrap recycling station in the east of the city. I know the boss there quite well. Let's go there directly, meet Master Jing, and catch up with an old friend."
Ten minutes later, the convoy stopped in front of the scrap recycling station. The gatekeeper was not there today, so Cang Wenkan led his people directly inside.
They passed through the mountains of scrap, then through the conveyor belt, and under the guidance of the recycling station staff, Cang Wenkan and his group stopped in front of a huge warehouse.
Chen Yuanshan looked at the pile of discarded appliances inside the warehouse, his face lit up with joy. He pointed at a young man dismantling appliances and shouted, "Dean Cang, he is Master Jing!"
Cang Wenkan followed Chen Yuanshan's gaze and looked at the young, inexperienced boy in front of him, not daring to believe his eyes.
This must be a joke! This kid is at most a college student!
Does he have such superb modification skills?
Can he produce two-nanometer precision chips?
Cang Wenkan had already felt it was absurd when he arrived at that remote home appliance repair shop. Now, seeing the so-called master in Chen Yuanshan's words, he felt it was even more absurd...
However, heroes often emerge from youth. What if he is indeed exceptionally gifted?
To investigate clearly, Cang Wenkan walked up to Jing Mingqiu and carefully chose his words. "Are you the modification master the Black Wolf team mentioned? Were the two-nanometer precision chips in the Black Wolf made by you?"
"That's right," Jing Mingqiu replied without looking up. "Is there a problem?"
Jing Mingqiu's indifferent demeanor angered Cang Wenkan. He raised his voice and questioned, "Arrogant! Do you even know how chips are made?"
"Isn't it carved by a lithography machine?" Jing Mingqiu's tone was flat, even a little impatient.
Cang Wenkan's anger grew. "Do you know how many precious materials, how much energy, and how many people's painstaking efforts are needed to produce a lithography machine that can carve two-nanometer precision?"
"Is a lithography machine that difficult?" Jing Mingqiu gently shook his head, picked up a discarded microwave oven at random, walked to the edge of the warehouse, picked up the parts he had stored there, quickly tinkered with them, and handed the unrecognizable microwave oven to Cang Wenkan.
"This miniature lithography machine can produce two-nanometer precision chips. I'll give it to you. Stop bothering me. I'm collecting parts to modify an electric car for the off-road motorcycle race."
A graduate student who followed Cang Wenkan looked at Jing Mingqiu's modified microwave oven with disdain. "If a microwave oven can carve chips, I can directly hand-craft an aircraft carrier."
Another graduate student chimed in mockingly, "A lithography machine is a huge behemoth that occupies a large area. How could it look like this? Tutor, let's just go back and ignore this madman."
Cang Wenkan also didn't want to believe that this small box in his hand could carve chips. However, since he had come all this way, he couldn't just leave.
"Um," Cang Wenkan walked up to Jing Mingqiu and asked again, "How do you use this microwave, this miniature lithography machine?"
"It's very simple, I'll show you."
Jing Mingqiu took the miniature lithography machine, carried it to the wall, plugged it in, casually took out a used chip from a nearby radio, threw it in, and then pressed a few buttons on the control panel.
"Alright, wait another five minutes, and the chip will be carved. I've preset eight templates. If you want to input new templates, you can connect via Bluetooth."
The highest level of contempt is disregard.
After a brief explanation, Jing Mingqiu returned to the pile of garbage to continue dismantling appliances for parts. From beginning to end, he didn't even glance at the gossiping graduate students.
A tall graduate student was very unhappy with Jing Mingqiu's attitude and walked up to Cang Wenkan. "Tutor, let's leave quickly. Let's not waste time here."
"Exactly," another graduate student chimed in. "This is the first time I've heard of chips having preset templates. This might be the confidence of a folk scientist."
"..."
The many graduate students chattered incessantly, their words full of contempt for Jing Mingqiu and sarcastic remarks about his overestimation of his abilities...
Cang Wenkan had not spoken yet. He stood quietly in front of the miniature lithography machine modified from the microwave oven, awaiting the final result.
Five minutes passed in a flash.
"Ding!"
With a crisp sound, the miniature lithography machine opened automatically. A black chip lay quietly on the tray, and a faint smell of burnt char filled the air.
Cang Wenkan, ignoring the residual heat, took the chip out of the microwave oven and placed it into a professional instrument, leaning his eyes closer...