Estrella de los deseos del multiverso

Capítulo 1

Volume 1 [001] Old copy from the archives

"Zhao Qiang, let's go to the internet cafe to play CrossFire this morning. Our team is short one person," his roommate called out to Zhao Qiang as he picked up his backpack.

Zhao Qiang shook his head helplessly: "No, if I don't go to work at the part-time company today, the boss will definitely fire me. You guys have fun."

My roommate sighed, "I'm really impressed with you. You haven't had a single Sunday off in three years of college. Don't make things too hard on yourself."

Zhao Qiang smiled calmly as he walked out of the dormitory. In fact, he didn't want to live such a tiring life. He also wanted to sleep in on Saturdays and Sundays, then meet up with his friends for a couple of drinks at noon, and then go on a day trip with his girlfriend in the afternoon and evening.

But he was just a poor boy from a small town. His parents worked year-round despite their illnesses, and the money they earned wasn't even enough to cover their medical expenses. They had no means of living a carefree life!

In order to avoid going hungry and to earn enough tuition fees, Zhao Qiang had to work hard for himself. This started when he first entered the university and he has long since become accustomed to it.

As I walked out of the school gate and looked back at the four gleaming characters of 'Donghai University,' the gatehouse was truly magnificent. It was a pity that Donghai University could only be considered second-rate in Donghai City, and it wouldn't even be considered second-rate in China! Nearly two-thirds of its graduates couldn't find jobs every year, a stark contrast to Huaxia University of Technology, which was also located in the same city.

It is said that this year, half of the senior students in various departments of the university were hired by large companies with extremely high salaries. They are white-collar workers from the start, and the benefits of social insurance and housing fund are naturally included. Wow, the difference is too big.

Zhao Qiang regretted his decision to save several thousand yuan in tuition fees back then. If he had applied to a university of science and technology, the scholarship might have been enough for him to live on. But now, he was in Donghai University, where teaching and management were lax, and in the somewhat unpopular Department of Geology and Mineral Resources, majoring in Engineering Surveying Technology. Zhao Qiang's ambition had long been gone, and part-time jobs had taken up most of his time, so his studies were a complete mess! It was a blessing from Buddha that he had made it to his senior year.

After taking several buses, Zhao Qiang arrived at "Rujia Computer Company," a privately owned company mainly engaged in computer sales and repair. The store was over 80 square meters, newly renovated, and displayed more than a dozen desktop and laptop samples. Overall, it looked quite impressive. The owner, Wang Yidong, was 38 years old. Because the company was located near several residential areas, business was decent.

The store was already open. Zhao Qiang scanned his fingerprint on the fingerprint attendance machine. Ma Xiaohua, the accountant and saleswoman, was already cleaning. Zhao Qiang hurriedly grabbed the mop: "Sister Ma, let me do it."

Ma Xiaohua was 29 years old, seven years older than Zhao Qiang. She was already a mother, but she still had a strong mature woman's charm and was quite pretty, so Zhao Qiang would occasionally fantasize about her.

Ma Xiaohua looked up and smiled: "Zhao Qiang, is it worth it for you to sacrifice all your days off and three hours every night for 600 yuan a month?"

Zhao Qiang had only been at Home Inns Computer Company for a few days and was still in the internship stage. He hadn't received a penny yet. While mopping the floor, he said, "Sister Ma, what's the big deal? I'll do it if I get paid. I can't let myself go hungry."

Ma Xiaohua smiled and said nothing more. She and Zhang Chunjiang, the company's technician, had a base salary of 2,200 yuan per month, plus sales commissions. On good days, they could earn about 4,000 yuan, which was considered a good income for ordinary people in Donghai City.

After mopping the floor, Zhao Qiang then wiped down the sample machine. After finishing these tasks, the boss, Wang Yidong, arrived. He was a very shrewd man who had gone from setting up a street stall to opening an IT company in just five or six years. Now he was earning over ten thousand yuan a month. Zhao Qiang came here to work with the intention of observing and learning, especially since IT was a sunrise industry. There was no reason for Zhao Qiang not to move in that direction, so the salary he was paid was enough to fill his stomach.

Wang Yidong walked around the shop with satisfaction. Seeing Zhao Qiang standing to the side, covered in sweat and holding a rag, he nodded approvingly and said, "Not bad, Xiao Zhao is quite diligent. Follow Zhang Gong's trainees and I'll officially hire you after you graduate."

Zhao Qiang said gratefully, "Thank you, Boss Wang. But Sister Ma also deserves credit for this cleaning work. I was just helping out."

Ma Xiaohua wasn't afraid of Wang Yidong at all. She said, "With Zhao Qiang's help, I'm not afraid of President Wang. You did most of the work anyway, so I'll ask President Wang to give you a bonus later."

As soon as the topic of money came up, Wang Yidong immediately stopped, coughed, and said, "Hurry up and get ready. A customer will be coming to pick up a machine for repair soon. Where is Zhang Chunjiang? It's so late, why isn't he here yet?"

Zhang Chunjiang is 27 years old this year. He is a computer science student from a second-rate university, but he has work experience, knows how to repair things and understands networks. He often sighs about being stuck in such a small company, so he is not punctual for work and is a typical latecomer and early leaver. However, Wang Yidong has to rely on Zhang Chunjiang to support him, so he lets him have his way.

Ma Xiaohua said sourly, "Your engineer Zhang is probably still dreaming right now, just you wait."

Wang Yi could wait, but the customer couldn't. So he came right away. A middle-aged woman, around forty years old, was carrying a vegetable basket. She probably just happened to be there to pick up the computer that she had left there for repair yesterday.

With no qualified repairman available, the boss, Wang Yidong, had to step in personally. "Zhao, go to the repair shop and check on that Lenovo machine." Wang Yidong promoted Zhao without batting an eye. He was indeed a shrewd and tactful person. If he told the customer that the repair engineer was sleeping at home, it would be embarrassing and would give the customer the impression that the company was not professional.

Zhao Qiang was only slightly taken aback before realizing that Wang Yidong was bluffing. He knew perfectly well that the Lenovo machine hadn't been touched since it arrived yesterday afternoon! Even if Wang Yidong didn't know the details, he should be able to guess pretty accurately.

Afraid that Zhao Qiang wouldn't understand, Ma Xiaohua gave him a wink as a reminder, then handed a cup of hot water to the auntie. "Sister, please sit down. Let our company's engineer Zhao help you get the machine out. Our company is called Rujia, so this is your home."

The auntie smiled and said, "Okay, I'm not in a hurry. You said my computer suddenly won't turn on, but the fan is still spinning. What's wrong with it?"

Ma Xiaohua mumbled, "Oh, it should be a problem with the power supply or the motherboard. I'll have Engineer Zhao explain it to you in a bit."

Ma Xiaohua clung to the auntie, and Wang Yi followed Zhao Qiang into the repair room without making a sound. The repair room was a separate 10-square-meter room with a row of tables with repair tools and spare parts on them, and a row of high-end computer chairs that Chunjiang used.

Wang Yidong pointed to the Lenovo desktop computer on the table and asked Zhao Qiang, "What's the problem? Has it been solved?"

Zhao Qiang was also there yesterday, Saturday. He said, "I don't know. When it was delivered, Engineer Zhang was about to leave work, so he didn't pay attention to it."

Wang Yidong slapped his forehead: "I knew that kid was unreliable. He agreed to pick it up this morning. Let's check it out quickly. I don't think there will be any major problems."

Zhao Qiang pointed at himself and said, "Me? Boss Wang, I don't even know how to install a system now."

Wang Yidong slapped his thigh again: "You're such an idiot. Is there anything simpler than fixing a computer? Just open the case and see which part is broken and replace it."

Zhao Qiang was quite skilled at tightening screws. He tore off Lenovo's special seal and opened the side panel of the case. A strong smell of dust hit him. My God, is this even a computer? All the circuit boards were covered with a thick layer of dust, and there were even exaggerated cobwebs in the corners of the case. Wang Yidong simply handed him a small vacuum cleaner: "Vacuum it up!"

Zhao Qiang, with a pained expression, started working. Dust filled the repair room. Wang Yidong turned around and left the room. Outside, Ma Xiaohua was still chatting. When she saw Wang Yidong come out, the aunt immediately asked, "Boss Wang, how's my computer? I was in a hurry to play cards on Lianzhong this morning. Will it be a problem?"

Wang Yidong frowned and said, "Big sister, I'm not trying to be mean, but how long has it been since you maintained your computer? Do you know how serious your computer's condition is? In doctor's terms, it's critically ill!"

The woman was startled: "Oh no, I was using it just fine yesterday at noon. I woke up and turned it on again and it was like this. Nobody touched it. I've always treated it like a precious treasure."

Wang Yidong pointed to his chest and said, "No matter how clean you wipe the outside, its heart is already rotten. Do you think that will help? It's just treating the symptoms, not the root cause."

The woman was horrified when she heard this, "Mr. Wang, do you think there's any way to save my computer?"

Wang Yidong had already figured out that this woman was from Dianbai, so he spoke without the slightest fear, "Of course there's hope, otherwise, what would be the point of keeping my company running? Last night, I was working overtime to fix your power supply, motherboard, and hard drive..."

The woman panicked even more when she heard that several parts needed repair. "Boss Wang, do you mean my computer is totaled? How much will it cost?"

Wang Yidong was afraid of scaring the old lady too much and causing her to stop repairing, so he quickly said, "I've been running this shop here for years, and we're practically old neighbors. We see each other all the time, so we must have some connection. Besides, my shop is called 'Rujia' (meaning 'Home Inn'), so coming here should feel like home. Would I possibly charge you more? That's something only a shrewd businessman would do. Wait a minute, I'll go inside and check."

Just as Zhao Qiang finished vacuuming the dust out of the computer case, Wang Yidong came in. He tossed an eraser to Zhao Qiang and said, "Take out the graphics card and memory, and clean the gold contacts. With so much dust, it would be strange if it could even start. Remember to touch the radiator pipe first to discharge any static electricity from your hands, so that the static electricity doesn't damage the chips."

The task wasn't difficult. Zhao Qiang unscrewed the graphics card, removed the memory sticks, carefully cleaned the gold contacts on both circuit boards, and then reinserted them as before. Wang Yidong decisively waved his hand and said, "Power on!"

Zhao Qiang was a little confused. Was that all? Wang Yidong ignored Zhao Qiang's expression, plugged in the power himself, and then pressed the power button. Buzz, the fan started spinning and sprayed out some residual dust that hadn't been sucked up. Zhao Qiang was sprayed all over his face. He coughed and took two steps back. At this moment, there was a beep, and the startup screen appeared on the monitor used for repair.

Wang Yidong snapped his fingers: "Done. Replaced a 512MB DDR400 Apacer memory stick, fixed the power supply... uh, forget about the motherboard, I'll just charge her two hundred." As he spoke, Wang Yidong picked up the side panel of the case, inserted it, and screwed it on.

Zhao Qiang was dumbfounded. He wasn't very tech-savvy. Although many of his roommates had bought computers, he was too embarrassed to borrow them. Besides, if his roommates' computers broke down, he would have to ask for help. It was impossible for them to take apart their computers and do DIY every day. Even though Zhao Qiang was completely clueless, where had he just replaced the memory? Where had he repaired the power supply? Two hundred yuan? He just cleaned the dust and wiped the gold contacts himself? That only took about ten minutes.

Wang Yidong glared at Zhao Qiang: "What are you standing there for? Invite the customer outside in to check the repaired machine, and then pay for it."

Zhao Qiang then woke up, ran out of the repair shop and invited the aunt in. Seeing that her computer was working again, the aunt's hands, which were holding a vegetable basket, were trembling: "It's fixed, it's all done. Mr. Wang's company has really good technology. What was the problem? How much did it cost?"

Wang Yidong said without changing his expression, "The power supply is broken, which affected the voltage output and burned out the memory. Since we're not strangers, you can give me two hundred. You know, a single Apacer 512MB DDR400 memory stick sells for 170. I'm practically fixing the power supply for you for free, it doesn't even cover the cost of my time. Also, I'll clean up your system for you while I'm at it, that's all free."

The woman said gratefully, "Thank you, Mr. Wang. You're such a kind person. If it really broke, it would cost several thousand to buy a new computer. Here's the money, I'll take the machine with me."

The woman didn't ask to see the faulty memory stick; in fact, it wouldn't have mattered anyway, there were a bunch on the table, and any one of them was burnt out. As for the original shipping date of the memory stick in the case? Just by looking at the dust inside the woman's case, you can tell she never opens it up. How would she know what's inside?

Watching Wang Yidong accept the two hundred yuan without batting an eye, Zhao Qiang secretly spat out a mouthful of saliva: "Pah! Shady businessman! It's a good thing I didn't have a computer for you to fix, otherwise you would have ripped me off."

The aunt left happily, and Wang Yidong tossed two large bills to Ma Xiaohua: "Turn it into your account."

Ma Xiaohua was probably used to this kind of repair, and opened the ledger with a relaxed expression. Wang Yidong turned around and saw Zhao Qiang looking a little dumbfounded. He patted Zhao Qiang on the shoulder and said, "College student, learn from this. Look at you, you're covered in dust from all the work today. Consider this ten yuan your bonus. Buy yourself a boxed lunch at noon."

As he spoke, Wang Yidong took out ten yuan from his wallet and handed it to Zhao Qiang. Zhao Qiang thought for a moment and then took it. Why should he not take the bonus given by the boss? What's the point of working if he doesn't take it? Besides, he had coughed several times from the dust in the computer case. You're a shady businessman with a conscience!

Having earned two hundred yuan right after opening the shop, Wang Yidong was in high spirits. After wandering around the store for a while, he left humming a tune. Not long after, technician Zhang Chunjiang walked into the company, still half asleep. Ma Xiaohua was busy stealing vegetables, while Zhao Qiang was idly looking at a repair book. He needed to familiarize himself with computer terminology as soon as possible so that he could impress people with some substance.

"Xiao Zhao, make me a cup of tea," Zhang Chunjiang called out before entering the repair shop.

Zhao Qiang put down his repair book, grabbed a disposable paper cup from the water dispenser, and then took a small pinch of tea from the company's customer service tea canister. He added hot water and brought it to Zhang Chunjiang. Even if Zhao Qiang didn't want to do this service, he had no choice; Zhang Chunjiang was now his nominal master, and it was only right for an apprentice to serve his master tea and water.

Zhang Chunjiang sat in his expensive computer chair, his feet propped up on the repair table. In his hand was the repair book Zhao Qiang had just been reading. He took the tea, blew on it gently, and took a small sip. He said, "Little Zhao, I'm not trying to criticize you, but computer repair is all about practice. What's the use of reading books all day? Don't turn yourself into a bookworm. There's an old saying, 'To believe everything in books is worse than having no books at all.'"

Zhao Qiang thought to himself, "Practice my ass! I haven't seen you fix a computer since I arrived! How am I supposed to learn if I don't read books?"

Seeing Zhao Qiang looking down with a receptive expression, Zhang Chunjiang continued in an elder's tone, "At the very least, you need to get yourself a computer first, right? You can only repair other people's computers after you've mastered your own. Look at me, I've already mastered three laptops, and I've lost count of how many desktops I've owned..."

As he spoke, Zhang Chunjiang proudly patted his laptop bag on the table, inside which was a ThinkPad worth nearly ten thousand yuan. He was a local of Donghai City, and his parents were both civil servants, so they didn't need the little money he earned from his job. However, the computers he played with weren't bought with his own money; he was still living off his parents.

Zhao Qiang was both envious and timid: "Brother Zhang is a technical expert, how can I compare to you? But I'm also saving money, and if the opportunity is right, I'll find a second-hand machine to learn from first."

Zhang Chunjiang sneered, "Second-hand goods? How much would that cost? Tell me your PC building plan first, and I'll help you figure it out." Zhang Chunjiang was just bored and wanted to show off his skills in front of Zhao Qiang.

Zhao Qiang wasn't even a half-baked expert, but seeing Zhang Chunjiang carrying his laptop to and from get off work looking quite impressive, he blurted out, "I'm planning to DIY a laptop, preferably something small..." Zhao Qiang had just seen the word 'DIY' in some materials and used it on the spot.

"Pfft!" Zhang Chunjiang spat out a mouthful of tea onto the ground. Luckily, he ducked in time, otherwise the spare parts on the workbench would have been ruined. "What? You want to DIY a laptop?"

Zhao Qiang had only a basic understanding of DIY concepts, and had no idea that there was a big difference between laptops and desktops. He had never even DIYed a desktop, let alone a laptop. It was questionable whether he could even disassemble the complex laptop casing; he might end up having to use a hammer to break it apart.

"Brother Zhang, is it expensive to build a laptop yourself?" Zhao Qiang thought Zhang Chunjiang was criticizing him for the price.

Zhang Chunjiang hurriedly waved his hand to signal Zhao Qiang to stop talking. He was afraid that Zhao Qiang would spray up the tea he had just drunk. In his opinion, as a computer veteran, Zhao Qiang was not even a novice. At most, he was just a little bug wandering around a bird's nest. He bent down and pulled out a bunch of old parts from the cabinet under the workbench. Among them was a dilapidated laptop. It was so worn that he could no longer recognize the brand. Even the stuff in foreign junkyards was newer than this!

Zhang Chunjiang tossed the laptop to Zhao Qiang: "Here you go. Don't say I'm not helping you. The motherboard and screen of this laptop are still working. The casing is a bit old, but it's still sturdy. As long as you find a suitable CPU, memory, and hard drive, you can DIY your laptop. Of course, this is an old one, so it's a bit different from DIY, but it's perfect for you."

Holding the old notebook that looked like an unearthed artifact, Zhao Qiang said, "This... isn't appropriate? I'll take the company's property..."

Zhang Chunjiang, however, didn't care and said, "Since you're worried, then just spend some money to buy it. How much do you want? Sister Ma, Sister Ma, quickly call your second uncle in!"

An old man collecting scraps was peeking out from outside the door. His name was Ma Changfa, and he was an acquaintance of the shops in the vicinity. Usually, if he didn't go to the garbage cans to pick up trash, he would carry a scale and wander around the shops collecting scraps. Because he shared the same surname as Ma Xiaohua, Zhang Chunjiang jokingly called him Ma Xiaohua's second uncle.

Ma Xiaohua stood up and cursed Zhang Chunjiang: "That's your great-grandfather!"

Zhang Chunjiang had already experienced Ma Xiaohua's power, so he just smiled and didn't engage with her. Ma Xiaohua waved to Ma Changfa, who was peeking in, and said, "Old Ma, your grandson is calling you from inside."

Ma Changfa was used to being teased. He stepped into the shop and called out from outside the repair room, "Zhang, what's up? Selling junk?"

Zhang Chunjiang pointed to the tattered notebook in Zhao Qiang's hand and asked, "How much is this worth?"

Ma Changfa took the tattered notebook from Zhao Qiang and examined it closely: "There's not much plastic in it, and this bit of iron isn't worth much. Here's five yuan for you."

Zhang Chunjiang snatched the tattered notebook and reached out to Zhao Qiang, saying, "Do you have ten yuan?"

“Yes,” Zhao Qiang replied, not bothered by the ten yuan reward he had just received from Wang Yidong. He had already guessed what Zhang Chunjiang was planning. To be honest, he wished he could actually afford a laptop. Firstly, it would help him bridge the wealth gap with his roommates, and secondly, it would allow him to study better.

Zhao Qiang handed ten yuan to Zhang Chunjiang, who stuffed the broken notebook into Zhao Qiang's hands. Then, after leaving the repair shop, he threw the money at Ma Xiaohua and said, "It's in the books. Ten yuan for scrap. I've generated two hundred percent profit for Boss Wang. I'll have to let him know later."

Zhang Chunjiang sold the old notebook case, which was originally worth five yuan, for ten yuan, so Wang Yidong got a good deal again. Ma Changfa then realized that he had been tricked by Zhang Chunjiang. He cursed, "You little brat, you even tricked your second uncle. Why doesn't Xiao Zhao plan to apprentice with Zhang Gong to collect scrap? There's a skill to collecting scrap. Give me ten yuan and I'll teach you for a few days."

Zhang Chunjiang pushed Ma Changfa and said, "Let's go, let's go. You even dare to kidnap my people. I'll call you next time I need some junk."

Ma Xiaohua put down her pen and said to Zhao Qiang, "Xiao Zhao, you really want to build a laptop? That's a bit difficult, and it's hard to find used parts. Unless you build a brand new laptop, but that might not be cheaper than buying a brand-name computer."

Zhao Qiang said nonchalantly, "If old parts are hard to find, we can take our time. It's inconvenient for me to get a desktop computer. Sister Ma, you know we'll be participating in internships next spring, and we'll be all over the country by then. Laptops are much lighter and more convenient."

Ma Xiaohua opened the drawer and pulled out a memory stick. "Then consider it my support. It's a 128MB DDR laptop memory that my husband upgraded last time. I don't know if it will work. You can take it. By the way, Zhang Chunjiang, don't you have a 6GB laptop hard drive? Give it to Xiao Zhao too. He only needs a CPU to have a laptop."

Zhang Chunjiang slapped his forehead: "I put it under my workbench a few months ago, I don't even know if it still works."

Zhao Qiang crawled under the workbench and found a laptop hard drive that had been used to prop up the table. It was covered in dirt and grime. Zhang Chunjiang said, "I overcharged you by five yuan earlier. This hard drive will be included in the bill. It'll be good to have an explanation when Boss Wang asks about it later."

Ma Xiaohua chuckled: "Xiao Zhao, why don't you go to the secondhand market and rummage around? Maybe you can put together a laptop tonight."

What does it mean to be fearless like a newborn calf? Zhao Qiang was so tempted by these two seniors that he couldn't resist going to the secondhand market during his lunch break. He often came here and sometimes even managed to find some decent secondhand clothes. In order to survive, Zhao Qiang had done a lot of things that would be shameful for the rich.

The shop owner was already familiar with Zhao Qiang, so he didn't keep an eye on him and let him wander around the market. Most of the electrical appliances were concentrated in the northeast corner, with one stall containing a jumble of computer towers and monitors, and occasionally a few broken laptops.

Zhao Qiang wanted to move the laptops aside first, and then check if he could remove the CPUs from them. Suddenly, while pulling out the bottom laptop, he knocked over the haphazardly piled-up junk, and a dark, rectangular box smashed into Zhao Qiang, nearly knocking him unconscious!

The box was about two feet square and only about ten centimeters thick. Despite being covered in mud and dust, it was completely undamaged. Even falling into a pile of junk didn't damage its black paint at all! Furthermore, the black box was covered with sockets, and the metal pins inside were completely free of rust! It was truly a miracle under these open-air storage conditions with only a rain shelter!

Zhao Qiang struggled to lift the box, a question nagging at him: What is this thing?

Volume 1 [002] Assembling a PC