In the morning, Zhu Siqi spent the class time listening to the teacher while also "reading" the books hidden in his drawer. After lunch, he tossed his books onto the bed in his dorm room and lay down, continuing his reading. However, since he also had to chat with others, it wasn't as effective as when he was in class.
"What's on for the afternoon session?" Hu Wei asked.
"Probably typing practice, something like TT," Zhao Jian replied, as he had already used the computer twice outside and heard upperclassmen talk about it.
"What's TT?" Hu Wei asked.
"TT isn't something, it's a software program for practicing typing and touch typing," Zhao Jian explained professionally.
"Shouldn't be too hard, right?"
"Not at all. Once you've used it once, you'll get it," Qian Yong added.
"Qian Yong, how about we have a little competition when we use the computers this afternoon?" Zhao Jian suggested, noticing that Qian Yong seemed like he knew what he was doing.
"Who's scared of who? Last time I lost at billiards to you, that was because I wasn't on my game. But in TT, I can beat you with my eyes closed. How about it? Same old rule—whoever loses buys the drinks!"
"Sure, but your accuracy has to be 100%, or it doesn't count," Zhao Jian warned, concerned that Qian Yong might skip difficult letters to boost his speed.
"Deal. But we'll have five rounds to decide the winner, and we'll have witnesses to avoid any cheating later," Qian Yong replied confidently, since he had used computers in high school and was already quite familiar with typing.
In the afternoon, they went to the computer lab. Sure enough, the focus was on touch typing. The teacher wrote a few phrases on the blackboard, then had everyone start up the computers. Once the system showed the C:\> prompt, they were instructed to type "TT" and press enter. To quit, press the escape key.
Zhu Siqi found an empty machine in the corner. He pressed the power button, and the machine beeped while the disk drive spun. The screen displayed some initial English text, which quickly transitioned to the C:\> prompt, with a blinking cursor waiting for input.
Zhu Siqi was about to type a few DOS commands to experiment but felt the teacher was approaching, so he quickly typed "TT" and hit enter. After the "Zhang Aihua incident," he had become much more cautious and now always took precautions, avoiding risks in situations where he had no control.
The teacher glanced at him briefly and then moved on. If a student appeared confused, the teacher would assist by running TT for them.
Once he hit enter, the screen immediately filled with English text. After another enter, a menu appeared asking if he wanted to practice words, individual keys, or paragraphs. Zhu Siqi selected individual keys, as he had never used a keyboard before and wanted to familiarize himself first. Initially, he made many mistakes—his fingers were either off-target or pressing the wrong keys—but his body control was quite good. Within no time, he stopped making errors.
Soon, Zhu Siqi had memorized the positions of the keys. His typing speed improved rapidly compared to others who had to glance down at the keyboard to locate the keys. The keyboard layout was designed so that frequently used keys were placed in the center, where the index fingers naturally rest, as the index fingers are the most agile and flexible.
Zhu Siqi moved on to the paragraph practice and tested his rhythm. His fingers glided over the keys as the letters on the screen appeared exactly as he typed them. The words flowed like a machine gun, quickly completing a paragraph. The result came up—100% accuracy and a terrifying speed of 260. He quickly closed the results page, glancing around at the others who were all focused on their screens. The teacher was sitting at the front of the room, doing nothing. Zhu Siqi quietly exited the TT program.
With the C:\> prompt back on the screen, Zhu Siqi started experimenting with some DOS commands. He was thrilled to see the computer respond differently to his inputs, giving him the sensation of controlling the machine. After running through most of the DOS commands, he hit a wall with some external commands that weren't installed on the computer. But overall, he had grasped the basics of DOS. Unlike before, when he had only memorized commands, now he understood how to use them in practice, truly appreciating the depth of their application. It was like memorizing martial arts moves from a book, but only through practice did one really internalize the techniques.
There was only TT and WT available on the computer, so Zhu Siqi tried programming but could only use assembly language, as it could be edited directly in DOS. He followed an example from the book, and sure enough, the expected result appeared on the screen. He then tried programming on his own but encountered many errors. Some lines of code wouldn't compile, and others displayed incorrect results. Yet, he didn't give up. He tried different approaches, brainstorming solutions, until finally, he successfully typed a command that displayed his name, "Zhu Siqi," made entirely of the number "1" on the screen. A satisfied smile crossed his face.
This experience greatly increased his interest in programming. Along with reading books on hardware, he began diving into various programming languages as well.
As for the WT software for practicing Wubi (Chinese character input method), he only briefly tested it. Once he got the hang of the typing technique and memorized the root structure, typing came naturally to him. He typed at an impressive speed, his fingers flying over the keys. However, not wanting to disturb others, he didn't use the software for too long. When the lab session ended, he switched off the machine and left the room.
This session in the computer lab was extremely significant for Zhu Siqi. Not only was it his first time using a computer, but it also elevated his understanding of computers from theoretical knowledge to practical experience. He felt a deep connection to the machine, almost as if he were born to interact with computers.
Back in the dormitory, Zhu Siqi grabbed the books he had borrowed yesterday and headed to the Nanchang University library. Since it was still early, he didn't rush to return the books. He sat in the library and began reading. Recently, he had focused on books about computer structure and hardware, but since the scope of hardware knowledge was vast, he had also branched out into mathematics, electronics, physics—anything related to computers. As for books on programming languages, after successfully displaying his name on the screen, he had turned his focus there as well. He was now studying both hardware and software in parallel, determined to master both.
This time, he didn't lose track of time and, after a while, picked out a few books that piqued his interest. He left the library and headed to Zhang Aihua's neighborhood. The armed police at the gate didn't stop him this time. Zhang Aihua had made a call earlier to inform the guards that this young man was visiting the retired general's home.
Arriving at Zhang Aihua's house, Zhu Siqi found that the herbs that had been subpar yesterday had been replaced. He examined them; although they weren't as good as the ones from the mountain, they were acceptable.
He chopped them up and placed them in a new large clay pot to steam. Once they had turned into a paste, he strained out the impurities. After cooling, the medicine could be formed into pills. Once all that was done, Zhang Mengqin called him to have dinner.
After dinner, Zhu Siqi was ready to leave, but Zhang Aihua invited him to sit in his study. The study was large, with shelves full of military books, including works by Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, and many military models displayed around the room.
Zhang Aihua handed him an envelope. "Siqi, you've cured my illness, and I don't know how to thank you. Here's a little money as a token of my appreciation."
Zhu Siqi had already sensed that it was a banknote worth fifty thousand. He quickly refused, "Grandpa, I didn't treat you for money. If you insist on giving this, I won't come again in the future."
Seeing that Zhu Siqi genuinely declined, Zhang Aihua didn't insist, putting the envelope away. "Siqi, I'm retired now and can't do much for you. But if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask. I still have some connections, you know?"
Zhu Siqi didn't hesitate to accept. "If I ever need something, I'll definitely ask you. Thank you, Grandpa!"
He had one thing on his mind—to get back and read more books. Now that he was obsessed with computers, he didn't want to waste time talking. He excused himself and left, eager to continue his studies.