Zhao Qiang said, "The cause of the fault has been found. Your power supply is faulty because a capacitor burst, causing the filter to fail and the power supply to be unstable. I suggest you replace it with a new power supply, preferably a high-power one, to prevent this from happening again."
The fat man casually asked, "How much?"
Zhao Qiang didn't mince words and said, "280, that's the company price. I can install it for you for free."
The fat man said, "Do you have it with you? Take it out and let me see."
Zhao Qiang took out a new power supply and handed it to the fat man. The fat man looked at the model number and said to the person in front of the computer on the east side, "Check the online price of this power supply."
Zhao Qiang was sweating profusely. The fat guy was quite meticulous. There were no fools in this world. It was indeed very difficult to get consumers to spend more money. He had a lot to learn.
Before long, someone shouted, "Fatty Hu found it! The price in Zhongguancun is 258."
The fat man said to Zhao Qiang with satisfaction, "Okay, let's change it." Online quotes are not accurate after all, because there are several distributors and transportation costs in between, so a difference of 22 yuan is perfectly acceptable.
Replacing the power supply wasn't too difficult. There were four screws on the back of the case. All you had to do was unplug the motherboard, optical drive, and hard drive, and then plug the new power supply back in the same way. Zhang Chunjiang had already instructed Zhao Qiang on this, and Zhao Qiang had also secretly learned it twice. Although it was his first time doing it himself, he still managed to finish the job in just ten minutes. This time, the computer ran for more than three minutes without crashing, so he called Fatty over to inspect it.
The fat man opened an animation software, ran it for a while, and said, "Okay, thank you. How much is it in total?"
Zhao Qiang now had complete faith in Xiao Wei's abilities, so he wasn't surprised at all that the computer was working properly. He said, "Cleaning the dust costs 120 yuan, plus the power supply costs 280 yuan, so it's a total of 400 yuan."
The fat man took out his wallet, pointed out four red bills, and said, "Okay, give me an invoice."
With the job done and the service fee earned, Zhao Qiang hummed a little tune as he began packing up his tools. Only then did he have the mind to listen to what they were discussing over there.
“I said, since we can’t handle this animation, let’s not force it. It’s not good for the future development of our Flying Bird Studio if we delay things for others. There’s always money to be made, why fixate on this one thing?”
"What do you know? If we can establish a relationship with the creative studio this time, it will greatly benefit both our reputation and our technology in the future. This animation can also be a test for them to see what we can do. If we don't even have this much ability, why would the creative studio cooperate with us?"
"But we've already tried. First, our hardware is too low-end to handle such a large amount of computation. Second, our production capabilities are limited and we can't depict such a complex fight scene. Since our strength is what it is, why are we still trying to hold on?"
"Just because we can't do it doesn't mean others can't. Can't we hire outside help? I don't believe creative studios will always give us such complicated tasks. If that were the case, we wouldn't need to work with them at all. Isn't that just deliberately making things difficult for people?"
(Friends who are reading, please donate a ticket! ^_^)
Volume 1 [017] Hey, I'm a shady businessman
Zhao Qiang returned to the company and reported his work. This time, he received a commission of over sixty yuan, mainly fifty yuan from cleaning dust on-site. In fact, there wasn't much profit from replacing the power supply. However, the bonuses Wang Yidong had given him several times were enough for Zhao Qiang to pay off the cost of the laptop power adapter. He had even earned back the money he spent on buying computer parts. For the first time, Zhao Qiang felt hopeful about his future.
After dealing with several groups of customers during his evening shift, Zhao Qiang, looking distressed, carried his books. Xiao Wei, who had been pacing around the table for a while, suddenly spoke up: "Brother, I've finished modifying the power adapter. Next, do you think we should modify the laptop case or the wireless device?"
Zhao Qiang was taken aback: "When did you make the changes? How come I didn't know?"
Xiao Wei stroked her beard smugly and said, "Brother, there's no need to inform you about such a small matter."
Being on friendly terms with a cat still left Zhao Qiang slightly annoyed, but this annoyance paled in comparison to his sudden excitement. "A small matter? How can you say it's a small matter? This concerns my future happiness!"
Xiao Wei said, "Brother, the modification process is actually imperceptible to the naked eye. Every time I turn it on, I use energy to gradually change the molecular composition of the power adapter. This is a continuous process that happens inside the power adapter, so the human eye can't detect it at all. From the outside, it still looks like the original power adapter."
Zhao Qiang said, "I see. Tell me about the benefits of modifying laptop cases and wireless devices."
Xiao Wei said, "Modifying the laptop shell will make my home safer and protect me from accidental impacts and other damage. However, we currently lack some materials, making the modification quite difficult, and it won't be completed in less than a week."
Zhao Qiang suddenly remembered the shell that the sledgehammer couldn't break. He said, "The shell you were in before was modified by you? I still hide it under the bed. I don't know if the material you mentioned includes it."
Xiao Wei said happily, "Really? Of course it's included! If there are readily available materials, the modification of the shell and the wireless device can be done at the same time! It just will consume more power."
Zhao Qiang thought to himself that electricity only cost a few cents per kilowatt-hour, and even though he was poor, he could afford it. So he said, "No problem, please continue. What is this wireless device all about?"
Xiao Wei said, "The wireless devices I want to modify include wireless network cards that conform to the IEEE 802.11n standard and are backward compatible with various common wireless networks. The original standard transmission speed is 300Mbps, and after my modification, it can reach 1Gbps. The wireless devices also include Bluetooth functionality. The original communication distance is 10 meters, and after my modification, it can reach 35 meters. The transmission rate has also increased from 1Mbps to 4Mbps, which can basically meet my needs."
Xiao Wei's modifications are truly amazing! They can increase efficiency by more than three times! Advanced, so advanced! We've really struck gold!
Shocked, Zhao Qiang didn't put down his textbook. As Xiao Wei spoke, a sudden idea flashed in his mind, and he asked, "Xiao Wei, can you help me with the problems I encounter in my studies? For example, this textbook I'm holding. If I have any questions, I can ask you for help."
Xiao Wei nodded: "As long as you give me the book title, and if there is relevant information on the Internet, I think I can answer your questions."
Zhao Qiang asked anxiously, "Is there a device that would allow us to communicate within a certain distance without touching the laptop?"
Xiao Wei laughed and said, "I understand, brother, you want me to help you cheat."
Zhao Qiang blushed: "Brother, I just want to get my graduation certificate smoothly. Otherwise, my parents will beat me to death. They worked so hard to send me to study in the big city, not so that I could just get a graduation certificate. But you know my living situation. I've been busy working these days and haven't been able to study properly. It will be hard to pass this midterm exam. Moreover, I heard that the school will be strictly enforcing exam discipline this time. I'm not at ease. If I fail the exam, I will be too ashamed to go home and face my parents."
Xiao Wei sighed maturely, "Alright, brother's difficulties are my difficulties. Let me see the digital watch on your wrist."
Upon hearing there was a chance, Zhao Qiang quickly cooperated, taking off his old digital watch and waving it in front of the screen. Xiao Wei nodded and said, "The prototype is pretty good, and the size is just right. Tonight, we'll modify this digital watch to give it long-range Bluetooth functionality. We also need to modify its screen and microchip, and even install a miniature camera and audio input/output device. Luckily, you kept the original casing I used to have; the materials inside are still usable, saving us the trouble of searching for materials everywhere. Otherwise, even if I wanted to help, I wouldn't have been able to finish the modification before the exam."
Thank goodness we didn't throw away that old, broken black box! It can actually serve as raw material for Xiaowei's modification, and the resulting device will likely be exceptionally sturdy!
Unable to contain his excitement, Zhao Qiang walked around the store a few times. He almost couldn't resist closing the store early and going back to his dormitory to renovate. However, he was worried that his roommates would be there tonight, which would affect the renovation. Xiao Wei found his anxious expression quite amusing.
"Brother, leave this matter to me, don't worry. There's one more thing I need to tell you. I'm afraid it won't be enough time if we wait any longer. It's best to resolve this tonight, because I'm afraid things might get complicated if we delay. Take a look at these materials and this simple line drawing video first."
Zhao Qiang leaned closer to examine it; it was an animated fight scene, but very crude, just outlined with lines. Looking at the materials Xiao Wei had given him, it turned out to be a special effects video package from a studio called Creative Studio. It detailed the requirements, the entire plot breakdown, and character costume photos. Zhao Qiang was confused and asked Xiao Wei, "What do you mean by showing me this?"
Xiao Wei said, "Isn't my brother short of money? This is a great opportunity to make some."
Zhao Qiang said, "You want me to find a creative studio to take on this video project?"
Xiao Wei said, "Of course not. The creative studio might not even care about you. I'm asking you to go find the fat guy who fixed the computer this morning. This is the data I copied from that computer. They're having trouble with this computer special effects video."
Zhao Qiang ignored Xiao Wei's accusation of secretly peeking at other people's information. He said, "Xiao Wei, do you mean you can make this special effect exactly as required? Although I don't know what difficulties there are in making this special effect with software, even those five professionals in this field couldn't handle it..."
Xiao Wei proudly raised her cat face and said, "Brother, can they compare to me? What they consider complicated, I finished in just a few minutes. Come and see the result."
The laptop screen went dark, and soon the video started playing. The protagonist stood atop a cliff, overlooking a valley that made people dizzy. Then the fight began, with sand and stones flying, trees breaking and rocks shattering. Whoosh! The protagonist struck out with a palm, sending the enemy flying dozens of meters, crashing into a tree that would take two people to encircle. The tree rolled down the cliff, causing a landslide, and the falling rocks smashed ancient pines below! The falling tree stirred up a thick cloud of dust, and the whole scene was magnificent!
The perspective returns to the cliff edge, this time the protagonist is struck by the enemy's palm, sending him flying off the cliff like a kite with a broken string. The enemy, however, doesn't let him go, leaping off the cliff as well. The two exchange two more blows in mid-air, like two thunderclaps in clear weather, momentarily halting their descent. The protagonist crashes into the woods, seemingly lifeless, while the enemy, with a sudden jolt, unfolds a hang glider, whooshing through the treetops and circling above the forest. The video abruptly ends here, which is the ending recorded in the plot file.
Zhao Qiang was stunned. The video was about three minutes long, and the fight scene never stopped from the beginning. The majestic cliff, the real ancient pine, the broken tree without any flaws, and the spectacular scene of a rockfall, with huge rocks crashing down and hitting the ancient pine with a loud clang! The two fell through the air, and a hang glider flew past them. Every detail was so detailed that it was down to the last hair! The scene was magnificent!
"Xiao Wei, are you sure this is just computer animation and not a real scene?" Zhao Qiang asked, trembling.
Xiao Wei restored the desktop and said, "Of course, brother, do you think my chip is an ordinary CPU? With the current level of human graphics cards and appreciation, no one will be able to find a single flaw in this video. However, I won't let anyone notice anything amiss and become suspicious, so I will reduce the quality of the real video to avoid being shocking."
Zhao Qiang clapped his hands and said, "That's right, you've thought it through very well. I don't want anyone to take you away from me. According to what you just said, I should call Fatty and tell him the problem is solved, and have him bring money to redeem the video?"
Xiao Wei said, "That's the idea. Only when my brother has money can he start his own business, buy the raw materials for my future renovations, and live a truly happy life."
Zhao Qiang was overjoyed and no longer upset about having adopted a kitten as his sister; in fact, he was quite happy. He said, "Should I call Fatty now to avoid any unforeseen complications? But how much should I ask him for?"
Xiao Wei said, "Of course we should fight now. The sooner the better. Otherwise, I'm afraid they'll resolve it themselves or simply give up on the deal. Whether the video can be sold then is another matter. As for the price, it wasn't mentioned in the materials, and I don't know how much it cost when he accepted the task. You can decide based on that, brother. Anyway, it's a one-off deal. Don't expect to get rich overnight, but we can't let them take it too easily either."
Zhao Qiang gritted his teeth, hardened his heart, and put on the face of a cunning businessman, saying, "Then I'll take ten thousand! I have to be even more ruthless than that cunning businessman Wang Yidong." This price was already astronomical for Zhao Qiang. He had never owned such a amount of money before, and he had never even dreamed of it. He thought that even that cunning businessman Wang Yidong would be surprised to hear this price.
Xiao Wei didn't have much experience either, but Zhao Qiang decided to support her, saying, "Okay, brother, make the call."
Zhao Qiang considered the implications of the matter, then pulled out the address and phone number he had recorded during his home visit earlier that day. He borrowed the company's landline and dialed the number. The call was answered shortly after. Suppressing his excitement, Zhao Qiang said in a low voice, "Hello, I'm the shrewd businessman. I have a business deal to discuss with you!"
(Please vote for this story, have pity on Xiaoqiang!)
Volume 1 [018] The Transaction
"Who is it? Are you out of your mind?" The other person almost hung up the phone.
Zhao Qiang then realized his slip of the tongue, saying out what he was thinking. But it was fine if he called himself a shrewd businessman, as it made it easier to discuss prices with the other party. Zhao Qiang said, "Hehe, just kidding. Don't hang up. I'm the person who came to your house to fix your computer today. I can solve the problem you're having, so I'd like to do some business with you."
Fatty Hu forced himself not to hang up and asked, "I've already paid for the repairs. Do you have any other questions?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Didn't you encounter a special effects video that you couldn't solve? I've already solved it for you."
The voice on the other end paused for a while before saying, "Are you kidding me? I know your company's address. Be careful, or I'll bring some people to smash up your company. Last time someone tricked me, I ended up in the hospital for two months."
Zhao Qiang ignored the other party's threats and said directly, "Bring 10,000 yuan to Rujia Computer Company right now. You can see it first and then buy it. If you miss this opportunity, you'll regret it."
After saying that, Zhao Qiang ignored Fatty Hu's attitude and hung up the phone. He was afraid that Fatty Hu wouldn't come if he didn't leave him some suspense. If he acted decisively, Fatty Hu might still believe him.
Zhao Qiang checked the time; he still had an hour before he could leave work. Although he had been decisive when he made the call, it would be a lie to say he wasn't anxious. He was torn between wanting to keep going and not wanting to lose. He kept checking the video and running to the store entrance to see if Fatty had arrived. Of course, he didn't forget to turn off the main surveillance system. He didn't want Wang Yidong to know that he was making extra money. As for whether Wang Yidong would notice that someone had turned off the main surveillance system, Zhao Qiang didn't care about that as long as he got the 10,000 yuan.
Fifty minutes later, just when Zhao Qiang thought that the fat man would never come, the shop door was pushed open. The fat man peeked in and looked around. Seeing that Zhao Qiang was the only one in the shop, he stepped in. Through the glass door, Zhao Qiang saw three men standing outside. They were the same men he had met in the studio during the day. Each of them was carrying an iron rod and their eyes were darting around.
Anyway, Zhao Qiang had no intention of lying to Fatty, so he didn't care about the three people outside. Suppressing his excitement, Zhao Qiang pretended to be calm and extended his hand, saying, "Hello, my name is Zhao Qiang." Before making the call, Zhao Qiang had already considered it. It wasn't that he didn't want to complete the transaction anonymously, but if he remained anonymous, Fatty would probably trust him even less. He wouldn't be able to explain how he knew about Flying Bird Studio's business. Rather than hiding and possibly losing the business, it was better to be straightforward and say it outright. As long as he refused to say anything, who would know that it was Xiao Wei who made it? This was called cutting the Gordian knot. Otherwise, if it dragged on, just like Xiao Wei said, they might resolve it themselves or give up the order.
"Hello, my name is Hu Xiaojiang. You can call me Fatty or Fatty Hu."
Zhao Qiang didn't waste any words. He pointed to the notebook and said, "Let's take a look first. If you're satisfied, we can continue the discussion. If you're not satisfied, you can turn around and leave."
Hu Xiaojiang was a straightforward person, and he admired Zhao Qiang's efficient way of doing things. He stood in front of the computer and waited for the broadcast to start. So the video started again, and in just three minutes, Hu Xiaojiang was dumbfounded. It was like a Hollywood blockbuster! Half a minute after the video ended and the screen went black, he was still in a daze. Zhao Qiang nudged him and said, "Fatty, are you satisfied?"
Hu Xiaojiang suddenly realized, "Ah, satisfied, extremely satisfied! I can't believe my eyes, we bought this video! Uh... but I'm curious, how did you know we were worried about this video? You didn't send a spy to our studio, did you?"
Zhao Qiang blushed and said, "I don't have any spies. I overheard your discussion while I was fixing the computer, and then I accidentally found some data on your computer while testing it, so I just copied it to my computer."
Hu Xiaojiang did not complain or pursue the matter of Zhao Qiang stealing his information, because this crime was nothing compared to his current joy. He said, "However, I still don't understand. You got the information in the morning and produced the finished product in the evening. Even foreign countries can't achieve this speed. I hope you can give me a reasonable explanation, otherwise I dare not buy this video. What if you plagiarized someone else's? I will be implicated, which will ruin the reputation of our Flying Bird Studio."
Zhao Qiang had already considered this issue before making the call. He coughed and said, "Fatty, let me be frank with you, I didn't make this video. I was just the middleman. The other party's production capabilities are quite powerful; it's a group you can't even imagine. They wouldn't have helped us at all if I hadn't begged them. Don't ask any more questions about this. They don't want to reveal their identities. But I can assure you that this video is absolutely original. If there are any problems, I'll take responsibility."
When Hu Xiaojiang saw the images of the main character and the villain, he was certain that it was an original work. However, he had to make it clear beforehand that if Zhao Qiang had stolen it from the creative studio or somewhere else, he could get away with it. Since Zhao Qiang had made such a promise, he could write this issue into the contract, and if anything went wrong, he could wash his hands of it.
"Come in." Hu Xiaojiang opened the shop door and waved to the three men outside. Seeing that Hu Xiaojiang was unharmed and had not given the agreed signal, the three men knew that the matter had been settled. They threw down the iron bars they were holding and went into the shop. Hu Xiaojiang asked Zhao Qiang to replay the video. After watching it, the three men had the same expression as Hu Xiaojiang: they were all dumbfounded. The scene was shocking.
The long-haired man said, "Fatty Hu, is this a special effect shot created by computer? I think it's a real scene filmed with a high-altitude camera! It's so realistic, I can't find a single flaw."
The short-haired man said, "Nonsense, the male lead is still in Hong Kong right now. How could he possibly be here to film these scenes? Besides, where in the real world would you find such a similar scene? And filming these scenes would cause too much environmental damage, so how could it pass censorship!"
The third man said directly, "We need your original draft; otherwise, we won't dare buy this video."
Zhao Qiang coughed. Xiao Wei hadn't mentioned this to him before, and he had no idea there was such a thing as a draft. Just then, the laptop hard drive made a loud clicking sound, and a window popped up on the screen with several folders inside. Because Zhao Qiang was holding the mouse the whole time, Hu Xiaojiang and the other three assumed that Zhao Qiang was the one operating it.
Hu Xiaojiang snatched the mouse from Zhao Qiang's hand and said, "This, this is the original manuscript, right? Let me see it quickly."
Zhao Qiang didn't understand these things, but Hu Xiaojiang was an expert. The four of them huddled in front of the laptop and studied it for more than half an hour. Zhao Qiang checked the time and it was already past the end of the workday, but in order to complete the transaction, he could only continue to wait.
The long-haired man said, "It's too perfect, too amazing! I can't believe this animation was made in just one afternoon. The drawing technique is so lifelike that it's impossible to tell the difference between real and fake! Moreover, the background changes are so complex. If it was really completed by a team in one afternoon, then that team must have at least fifty experts who are proficient in this field! Incredible! Their strength is too incredible."
The man with short hair said, "If it weren't for the original manuscript as proof, I would find it hard to believe. Fatty Hu, we've solved our problem this time. No matter the cost, we've bought these materials! It'll be hard for Flying Bird Studio not to become famous this time."
Hu Xiaojiang finally put down the mouse and said to Zhao Qiang, "Copy these drafts to me. You must not mention this matter to anyone again, nor disseminate these materials, otherwise our deal will be canceled."
Zhao Qiang was worried that they would mention this to others. Since they were afraid that leaks would affect the reputation of Flying Bird Studio, that was even better. Zhao Qiang said, "Just cut it out. I won't keep a copy. As for confidentiality, I will do a better job than you!"
If Zhao Qiang needs this video, he can have Xiao Wei reassemble it. Although it's just a repair assistant, for an intelligent program, performing some computational work is a piece of cake.
Hu Xiaojiang was extremely excited, "That's great, let's sign the contract right away."
Because Hu Xiaojiang was originally in this line of work, he had ready-made templates for these kinds of contracts. All he had to do was fill in the data, and then both parties would sign it. Then Hu Xiaojiang took out a wad of RMB from his pocket and said, "This is what I just withdrew from the ATM. Count it."
Zhao Qiang's hands were trembling with excitement. He dared not embarrass himself in front of Hu Xiaojiang. He stuffed the money into his backpack and said, "I trust you."
Hu Xiaojiang gave Zhao Qiang a thumbs-up, meaning he was generous. Turning back to his colleague who was copying files, Hu Xiaojiang asked, "How's it going?"