Chapter 1264
: You were asked to research transistor radios, and you've already built a voice-ac
the next day.
Inside the working room of the Qianmen Locomotive Depot.
Section Chief Xing stared blankly at the mess of electronic components on the table.
"Patriotism, that... lamp you mentioned, can it really light up with a clap and go out with another clap? Isn't that magic?"
"Section Chief, this thing is called a voice-activated light. The principle is actually very simple..." Li Aiguo was about to explain the sound wave vibration and electrical signal conversion.
Upon looking up and seeing Section Chief Xing's "what the hell?" expression, he immediately changed his tune.
"Hey, just think of this thing as the 'son' of that 450MHz transistor radio!"
Well, a 450MHz transistor radio and a voice-activated light may seem like completely different things, but the principle is actually the same: both convert sound into electrical signals, amplify them, and then control the switch.
If you take the audio amplifier circuit out of the radio and connect it to a light control circuit, you can make a voice-activated light.
In terms of structure, voice-activated lights are much simpler than transistor radios, so being a "son" is definitely worthwhile.
As Li Aiguo spoke, he soldered the transistor into the circuit, then connected the microphone, the switch, and finally a light bulb.
"Is that all?" Zhou Gaoyuan couldn't help but ask.
"It should be almost done, but we still need to try it." Li Aiguo looked up at Section Chief Xing.
"Section Chief, would you like to clap your hands?"
"Section Chief, please use a little more force when you take the picture."
This is the world's first voice-activated light; your action is a groundbreaking one.
Later books will all say: In those days, Section Chief Xing of the Qianmen Locomotive Depot clapped his hands lightly, and the first voice-activated light in human history was lit!
Listening to Li Aiguo's fluent and detailed explanations, even Xing, the section chief who had been on the battlefield and was the head of the locomotive maintenance section, inexplicably became nervous.
He rubbed his hands together, took a deep breath, and slapped them hard!
"Snapped!"
A crisp sound.
The light bulb suddenly lit up.
Section Chief Xing's eyes widened instantly.
Both the wild car expert and Zhou Gaoyuan couldn't help but gasp.
"Wow, this thing is amazing! It can really understand human speech?"
“A cough will do. And the light will only stay on for two minutes, then it will turn off automatically.” As Li Aiguo spoke, he raised his hand and clapped his hands, and the motion-activated light turned off.
"Hey! This is fun!" The wild car expert clapped his hands excitedly, as if he had discovered a new continent.
*Snap!* The light comes on.
*Snap!* The light went out.
*Snap!* The light comes on.
*Snap!* The light goes out...
Snapped!
This time, no one clapped.
Section Chief Xing slapped the unlicensed car expert on the back of the head, glaring and yelling, "Stop messing around! You'll break the light bulb, and I'll dock your bonus this month!"
Incandescent bulbs in this era all used tungsten filaments, which were most likely to burn out due to frequent switching on and off.
Li Aiguo sighed inwardly, "If only the lighting factory could have developed LEDs sooner, it would have been so much easier to switch to those and I could take pictures however I wanted."
However, as long as it doesn't go on such crazy and reckless builds, it should last for seven or eight years without any problems.
"Patriotism, I think this thing is really useful. What should we do next?" Section Chief Xing was truly stunned today, rubbing his hands as he asked.
"Let's make a few dozen sets first and install them outside our studio to save some electricity." Li Aiguo hasn't tested them in person yet.
Section Chief Xing was immediately interested upon hearing this.
In the past two years, more and more factories have been built in various places, and the railway's electricity supply has become increasingly strained. Every little bit saved is precious.
"If it really works, we'll promote it throughout the entire section!" Section Chief Xing slammed his fist on the table.
"As members of this organization, we should be thrifty and frugal. Let's start saving electricity from our Qianmen Locomotive Depot!"
He pointed at Li Aiguo: "Aiguo, this is your job! Make a few more sets, and have the firefighters help you hang them on the outside later!"
"okay!"
At the command, the Qianmen Locomotive Depot workshop immediately sprang into action.
The three new technicians also joined in, especially Lao Kong, who, as expected of a veteran, managed to squeeze a lot of money out of the Beijing Radio Factory.
Seeing how busy this place was, Section Chief Xing also ordered the canteen to improve the food, serving wild boar meat.
No one knows which unlucky wild boar ran into the train, and it even had several bullet holes in its body.
Everyone knew the truth but kept it to themselves; no one dared to ask, much less in detail. As long as there was food, that was enough!
The three new technicians were so happy they were practically showing their back teeth.
In a lowly department like the Railway Technology Research Institute, you wouldn't find this kind of treatment! Large chunks of meat and large bowls of wine (even if it was just plain water)!
Regardless of whether the transistor radio will ultimately succeed, at least the voice-activated light was successfully implemented today, which can be considered a contribution!
Especially Lao Kong, everyone gets a big piece of wild boar meat. If they can't finish it, they can take it back and cook it with other vegetables for their children and wives to enjoy.
With many hands making light work, and with the arrival of various materials, the studio produced dozens of sound-activated light devices by the afternoon.
This was also Li Aiguo's suggestion: to create a voice-controlled device and connect it in series with the original light bulb, so that the light bulb would not need to be replaced.
The wiring team in the maintenance workshop carried ladders and installed voice-activated devices on all the wiring lines that needed modification.
I worked on it all day long, and finally got it all done.
I'm off work.
Li Aiguo also brought a voice-activated device home, strung wires on the crescent-shaped door, and installed a voice-activated light.
At night, you can simply clap your hands to get light, without wasting electricity.
Xu Damao and Liu Haizhong stood by watching the commotion.
"Aiguo, I heard your maintenance depot is going to build a large aircraft laboratory? This speed of development, wow, it's like riding a rocket."
"It will still take some time before it's completed. What's up, Uncle? What are your steel rolling mill's plans now?"
Li Aiguo asked while twisting the wire.
Upon hearing this, Liu Haizhong's face immediately fell, and he looked depressed: "What could possibly happen? Now that Director Yang is in power, he'd love to put all the factory's manpower and resources into that 10,000-ton rolling mill."
"If it weren't for Deputy Factory Director Li's insistence, our workshop, which makes parts, would have been completely wiped out!"
That makes sense, considering he was promoted by Deputy Factory Director Li; he must be feeling the sting right now.
Xu Damao was also furious and retorted indignantly.
"I think this Director Yang is going too far. He shouts slogans all the time, but he can't get anything done properly. He just does all sorts of empty talk!"
Just then, Yi Zhonghai, with his hands behind his back, entered the courtyard and overheard the conversation as he approached the crescent-shaped gate.
His face darkened, and he immediately adopted an arrogant attitude, angrily rebuking, "Xu Damao! How can you talk about your leader behind his back like this?! What kind of talk is this!"
Xu Damao was already seething with anger, and when he saw Yi Zhonghai doing the same thing again, he immediately lost his temper.
"So what if we're talking about it? Go ahead and complain! Go ahead and report it to Director Yang right now, you lackey!"
"I'd like to see what Director Yang can do to me, the projectionist! I'll curse him then, you lackey! You lackey!"
Yi Zhonghai was just putting on airs out of habit and never intended to actually file a complaint, but he never expected to be publicly berated by Xu Damao.
It was lunchtime, and the residents in the courtyard heard the commotion and rushed out with their bowls to see what was going on.
Nobody likes a sycophant, especially the kind who snitches.
"Fine! Fine, Xu Damao! You just wait and see, this isn't over!"
Yi Zhonghai was so angry he almost ground his teeth to powder. He slammed his cane down hard, turned around, and went into the house with a dark face.
Xu Damao spat at his retreating figure, "Pah! So what if he's currying favor with Director Yang? What a scoundrel!"
Xu Damao used to be most intolerant of people calling him childless.
But ever since his daughter, Xiao Xuhua, was born, he has become more assertive and speaks with great confidence and a loud voice when he scolds people.
Yi Zhonghai returned to the house, the cursing outside still faintly reaching his ears.
"That damn Xu Damao, I'll get you sooner or later!" He rolled his eyes in anger.
It was one thing for Li Aiguo to bully him.
But now even someone like Xu Damao dares to take advantage of him, how can he, a grown man, put his face?
But then he thought about it again and realized that he really didn't have a good way to deal with Xu Damao.
After suffering a loss last time, Yi Zhonghai learned his lesson and reflected deeply on it.
The problem lies in his status as an "old man".
If he openly clashed with Xu Damao, even if he won, the residents in the compound would feel that he was bullying the weak and that it was unfair.
“If bullying the weak won’t work, then how about bullying the young with the old?” Yi Zhonghai’s eyes darted around, and a sinister smile crept onto his lips.
Seeing Yi Zhonghai's expression, the older woman knew he was up to no good again, and quickly said, "Old Yi, are you going to do something shady again?"
"What nonsense are you talking about? I'm an old man in this compound, how could that be?"
As Yi Zhonghai spoke, he walked into the kitchen, ladled out a large bowl of mixed noodles with an egg on top, and carried it to the backyard.
"I'm going to deliver food to the old lady."
Night deepened.
All sounds are silent.
A hunched figure appeared furtively in the courtyard and crept stealthily to the base of Xu Damao's window.
The figure was short and picked up stones very quickly.
She glanced around and, finding no one nearby, picked up a stone.
She felt a surge of excitement and almost jumped up.
Smash the glass!
This is the thing she loves most in her life!
She smashes the windows of anyone who doesn't like her!
As long as she isn't caught red-handed, even the King of Heaven can't do anything to her.
It's pitch black now, who could see her?
"Bang!"
The crisp sound of shattering glass pierced the darkness.
"brush!"
The lamp on the crescent-shaped gate suddenly lit up!
The light, like a sharp sword, instantly cleaved through the darkness, illuminating the shadows beneath the window with exquisite detail!
That was none other than the deaf old lady!
She was still in the posture of throwing stones, and the ferocious yet excited expression on her face hadn't had time to fade before the light captured it.
The old lady was stunned on the spot.
Blinded by the sudden bright light, he instinctively turned to run away.
But it was too late.
At this moment, Xu Damao came out wearing only a pair of shorts.
With the help of the light, the deaf old lady could be seen clearly.
"Thief! I've caught the guy who smashed the window!"
Xu Damao's shout was like a hammer, shattering the tranquility of the courtyard.
Residents had their windows smashed many times before, but they could never catch the culprit and could only accept their bad luck.
Although everyone knew perfectly well that it was the deaf old lady who did it.
But without evidence, and with this old woman being particularly adept at feigning ignorance, no one could do anything about it.
At that moment, they heard someone shout "Catch them in the act!"
Those with wives shoved them away, while those without wives rolled over, got up, threw on their clothes, slipped on their shoes, and rushed outside.
In the blink of an eye, Yan Jiecheng, Liu Haizhong, Qin Huairu, Zhang Gangzhu... a whole courtyard of people crowded around Xu Damao's door.
Among them, the third uncle, Yan Bugui, ran the fastest, carrying a net bag in his hand.
He thought he could earn a few cents by collecting glass shards and selling them as scrap, just like last time.
Under the lights.
The deaf old woman huddled up in a ball, looking like a mouse caught in the light of night, with nowhere to hide.
When Liu Haizhong saw it was her, his eyes widened, and he angrily cursed, "Old lady! You're so old, yet you have no shame, smashing someone's window! How can you be so shameless?!"
"I...I..." The deaf old woman stammered, her face turning a deep purplish-red, filled with hatred!
She stared intently at the lamp on the crescent-shaped gate, wishing she could shatter it with her gaze!
This broken light!
Why does it have to be on now of all times?!
Just then, the lights suddenly went out again.
Everyone was confused and didn't know what was going on.
"Snapped!"
Not far away, someone clapped their hands slowly.
"Shh!"
The lights came on again, illuminating the astonished faces of the crowd.
"My goodness! This thing is amazing!"
"No wonder the old lady got arrested; the lights would turn on as soon as the alarm went off!"
"It's patriotism! The lights were installed out of patriotism, and the clapping is also patriotism!" The residents all looked in the direction of the applause.
Who else could it be but Li Aiguo!
Li Aiguo walked to the front of the crowd.
Xu Damao angrily pointed at the deaf old lady and complained, "Brother Aiguo! You've come at the perfect time!"
That old woman is a terrible person! She smashed my window in the middle of the night!
This is brand new glass!
Li Aiguo stood looking down at the old lady.
He was already tall, and under the lights, he appeared even more imposing.
The deaf old woman was so frightened that she hunched over and looked up at him, feeling as if he were three stories high, her heart trembling.
"Li, Li Aiguo, you're not some old man in the courtyard, you can't tell me what to do!"
“I’m not the boss, but you’ve forgotten, haven’t you? I’m the patrol team leader. You deliberately smashed the residents’ windows, and this is our patrol team’s responsibility.”
Upon hearing this, the deaf old woman's face turned ashen.
Knowing he was no match for Li Aiguo, he quickly shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Yi Zhonghai! Yi Zhonghai! Where the hell have you been?! Come here right now! This old woman is being arrested!!"
With such a commotion, Yi Zhonghai had actually been hiding behind the crowd for a long time, but he didn't dare to show his face.
Now that I've been called out, I have no choice but to bite the bullet and step forward.
"Patriotism..." Yi Zhonghai said, rubbing his hands together with a troubled expression.
“The old lady did break the glass, but she is quite old and sometimes her mind isn’t clear… It’s just a piece of glass, it’s not a big deal, I think we should just let it go and make her pay for it.”
Yi Zhonghai tries to smooth things over and uses his age to intimidate people.
Li Aiguo looked at him coldly: "She's not just breaking glass, she's disrupting production!"
The moment the words "sabotage production" were uttered, the deaf old woman was terrified.
"Li Aiguo! You're talking nonsense! It's just a piece of glass! You're using this as an excuse to get revenge on me! You heartless bastard..."
Yi Zhonghai's face darkened as well: "Li Aiguo, I know you don't get along with her, but you can't just throw accusations around like that! I'm a workshop leader now, and you can't just do whatever you want!"
It's laughable that a team leader can be called a leader!
Li Aiguo scoffed and glanced at the surrounding residents: "The glass is broken. If the cold wind blows in at night, won't the residents freeze?"
If you get chilled, will you catch a cold and get a fever the next day?
If you get sick, will you still be able to work normally the next day?
If we can't work, will the construction be delayed?
Tell me, isn't this deaf old lady disrupting production?!
Bang!
This accusation has really stuck with her!
The onlookers nodded in agreement.
"Yes, three years ago, I offended a deaf old lady, and as a result, she smashed my window. I was freezing for most of the night and ended up in the hospital the next day, where I had to rest for a full two weeks."
“My family’s situation is similar. We just encountered her and didn’t call her ‘ancestor’, so her window was smashed. My son was already weak and almost got pneumonia.”
"That deaf old lady is disrupting production! Arrest her! Arrest her!" Xu Damao shouted from the crowd.
Amidst the outcry, the deaf old woman glared venomously at Li Aiguo, wishing she could devour him alive.
That little bastard is trying to kill her!
She should have told Yi Zhonghai to be more ruthless back then.
But there's nothing she can do about it now.
In a panic, he grabbed Yi Zhonghai: "Old Yi! Say something! Aren't you so capable? Aren't you the big shot in the compound?!"
"This..." Yi Zhonghai was also speechless.
Caught red-handed, how can he possibly explain himself?
All I could do was resort to that old-fashioned moral blackmail: "Patriotism is important. What the old lady did was indeed wrong, but she's the matriarch of the community, and she's so old. We should respect the elderly and care for the young. Let's give her a chance to make amends..."
Li Aiguo interrupted him directly: "Yi Zhonghai, if you want to randomly claim ancestors, that's you. I don't have that hobby."
“Yeah, Yi Zhonghai, how did that old lady become your ancestor? It’s just because you’re after her family’s wealth,” Xu Damao said, seizing the opportunity.
Yi Zhonghai hadn't expected Li Aiguo to show him no respect whatsoever, and he wanted to say something more.
Li Aiguo, too lazy to waste any more words with them, simply waved his hand and said, "Tie up the deaf old lady! Take her to the police station!"
"Yes!"
Zhang Gangzhu and several members of the neighborhood patrol team quickly stepped forward.
Seeing that things were not going well, the deaf old lady tried to act shamelessly, so she sat down on the ground and started rolling around in a rage.
"Arrest me! Arrest me all you want! I don't want to live anymore! They're bullying an old person! This is outrageous!"
"Whether you live or die, you have to come with us today."
These patrol team members had dealt with plenty of scoundrels like this on a regular basis, and the deaf old lady's tantrums and stunts were nothing to them.
The team members worked together seamlessly, dividing into two groups: one group held down the upper limbs, and the other group held down the lower limbs.
They pulled out ropes from their waists and skillfully tied them into a "pig-slaughtering knot".
With a forceful pull, the two men snapped their knuckles onto the deaf old woman's wrists and ankles.
Then, after shouting "One, two, three," they all exerted their strength and flipped the deaf old lady over like a dead pig, binding her arms tightly behind her back with rope.
The whole process looked complicated, but it only took less than half a minute.
At first, the deaf old lady screamed and struggled desperately, but in the end, she was in so much pain that she could only gasp for air and didn't even have the strength to curse.
“Carry it.” Li Aiguo waved his hand.
With a shout of "Hey!", the team members lifted the deaf old lady up like they were carrying a pig and carried her on their shoulders as they walked out.
"I don't want to go to the police station! I don't want to! Li boy... I was wrong! I'm willing to apologize! Okay? Okay?!"
The deaf old lady was truly frightened this time, her face covered in snot and tears.
That's just how people are. They usually rely on their age and take other people's kindness for granted, but when it really comes down to it, they realize they're afraid and they start begging for mercy.
Unfortunately, it's too late!
"Take her away!" Li Aiguo waved his hand, and several team members carried the deaf old lady and ran towards the police station.
The deaf old woman panicked completely and shouted at Yi Zhonghai, "Old Yi, hurry up and help! Aren't you so capable? Hurry up!"
"Grandma, don't worry, I... I'll definitely find a way." Yi Zhonghai was practically seething with hatred for Li Aiguo at this moment.
Everyone knows that the deaf old lady is his ally, and Li Aiguo's actions are a slap in the face to him.
The commotion in the courtyard house was so loud that it alerted residents of several nearby courtyards.
Everyone came out to watch the excitement, wearing their clothes on.
Seeing the deaf old woman bound hand and foot and carried like a dead pig, everyone was speechless with astonishment.
"What happened? Isn't this the ancestor of the courtyard house?"
"What ancestors?! He's just a vandal who smashed windows! He got caught red-handed!"
"Really? Who has the ability to capture her?"
"Who else could it be? Li Aiguo! I heard he installed some kind of 'voice-activated light' in the yard, which turns on whenever there's a noise. The old lady was caught red-handed right after she smashed the window!"
"Voice-activated lights? What are those?"
"I heard it's a new product that lights up when you clap your hands!"
The residents all thought it was a novel and interesting thing.
However, seeing the deaf old lady who usually acted arrogantly being arrested made me feel both relieved and amused.
Since I couldn't sleep anyway, I decided to join the crowd and head to the police station to see what was going on.
The officers on duty at the police station were startled by the huge crowd and immediately reported it to Deputy Director Wang Zhenshan.
That's right, Wang Zhenshan has been promoted again and is now a leader in the institute.
"Someone is besieging the police station? That can't be right." Wang Zhenshan was also startled and quickly grabbed his gun and went outside.
Wang Zhenshan was stunned when he saw the group of people walking ahead.
"Patriotism, what brings you here so late?"
"We caught a thief who smashed windows and brought him here for you to deal with." Li Aiguo pointed behind him.
The team members understood immediately and simply threw the deaf old lady to the ground.
The deaf old woman was slammed hard to the ground with a "thud," sending dust flying everywhere.
She no longer had that arrogant air of being an "ancestor".
His face was swollen and his mouth was crooked. He was covered in dirt and looked like an old dog with a broken spine, lying on the ground whimpering.
Wang Zhenshan's flashlight beam paused, shining on the deaf old woman's face. Upon seeing who it was, her brow furrowed sharply.
"Deaf old lady? It's you?"
The surrounding neighborhood, drawn by the spectacle, gathered outside the police station, their eyes filled with amusement and a desire to vent their anger.
Yi Zhonghai also followed in, his face turning pale and then green, but he couldn't say a word.
He wanted to protect her, but she was caught red-handed, the motion-activated lights were proof, and everyone in the yard was a witness. What could he possibly use to protect her?
The deaf old woman lay on the ground, still trying to act tough, but when she looked up and met Li Aiguo's cold, emotionless eyes, she instantly wilted.
She trembled, wanting to throw a tantrum, wanting to roll around on the ground, but only a few wails could be squeezed out of her throat:
"I didn't mean to... I just slipped... It's just a piece of glass..."
When Wang Zhenshan saw this scene and then looked at Li Aiguo, he already understood seven or eight parts of the situation.
"Stop crowding around, let the police station handle this. Everyone, disperse."
It's really inappropriate for so many people to be gathered in front of the police station.
Li Aiguo turned around, waved to the onlookers, and said loudly, "Everyone, please disperse. We have to go to work tomorrow, so let's not delay production."
Hearing this, Yi Zhonghai felt even worse.
That was supposed to be his line!
After the crowd gradually dispersed, Wang Zhenshan had someone bring the deaf old woman into the interrogation room.
The deaf elderly woman is being held temporarily at the police station, awaiting further processing.
Li Aiguo, Yan Jiecheng, Xu Damao, and others, acting as witnesses, also gave statements before leaving the police station.
It was already past midnight when we got back to the courtyard house.
The old man had already cleaned up all the broken glass on the ground, leaving not a single shard. He figured he could sell it to the recycling center first thing tomorrow morning.
Liu Lan pasted several layers of thick newspapers on Xu Damao's window to make do for one night and block the wind.
Xu Damao said excitedly, "That's great! The deaf old lady might get a few years in prison!"
"What are you thinking? It's just breaking a few pieces of glass, do you really think it's a criminal offense?" Liu Lan rolled her eyes at him.
Upon hearing this, Xu Damao frowned: "That doesn't make sense! If they can't be sentenced, why are the Patriotic Brothers making such a big fuss? Arresting people and lobbying them, what's the point?"
"You really are stupid!" Liu Lan sighed, poking his forehead with exasperation.
"The bigger the commotion, the more likely those who want to protect the deaf old woman will have to step forward. Then..."
Liu Lan shook her head at this point: "I don't really understand it either. Brother Aiguo is the kind of person who thinks three steps ahead before acting. Even seemingly useless actions have a deeper meaning."
"Is it really that amazing?" Xu Damao thought Liu Lan was exaggerating.
"You're still not convinced? He's just a train driver, and he's achieved so much in just a few years. You, on the other hand, can't even become a cadre. Why don't you look at the gap between you and him?"
Liu Lan crawled into bed, and hearing the noises coming from Li Aiguo's room next door, she felt inexplicably irritated.
"Listen to how fast and powerful Patriot Brother's car is. What about you?"
Done.
He kicked Xu Damao to the ground.
"Ouch!"
Xu Damao fell on his backside, looking miserable, but dared not utter a word of anger.
****
Early the next morning.
Sunlight streamed into the courtyard, and the air was fresh.
As always, Li Aiguo carried an enamel basin to the central courtyard to wash up.
The way the residents looked at Li Aiguo was completely different now.
It used to be awe, now it's worship mixed with a hint of fear.
The deaf old lady had been running rampant in the courtyard for years, and no one could do anything about her.
But what about Li Aiguo? He first sent Sha Zhu in for reformation, and now he's even sent the deaf old lady in.
Yi Zhonghai returned from outside, leaning on a cane. No one knew where he had been. His hair was disheveled, and his face was full of exhaustion.
With such methods and such boldness, who would dare to disagree?
Upon seeing Li Aiguo, his face darkened, and he turned and went inside.
Li Aiguo appeared calm and greeted the passing residents with a smile. After washing up, he went back to his house.
I had just finished breakfast and was about to leave when Director Wang from the neighborhood office came rushing over.
"Patriotism, I heard you made a voice-activated light that turns on whenever there's a sound. Is that true?"
"You need to speak louder."
“That’s enough. Here’s the thing, we have a few secluded alleys on our street that are pitch black at night. We originally planned to install streetlights, but that would consume too much electricity. I think these voice-activated lights are a good idea. What’s the price? Our street office will purchase some.” Director Wang said.
“This was just made, and we haven’t set a price yet. Since the neighborhood committee is doing this to make things convenient for the residents, let’s just charge the cost price,” Li Aiguo said.
The raw material cost of voice control devices is actually not high; the main costs are technology and labor.
"So cheap? Great! Patriot, you've done us a huge favor! Produce as much as you can, we'll take it all!"
Director Wang calculated that saving just one month's electricity bill would be enough to recoup the costs.
(End of this chapter)