Chapter 3

The mouse was bundled with the keyboard, which saved Feng Xiaotian a lot of trouble. Otherwise, without a mouse, how would he control the computer?

In the following days, Feng Xiaotian began to experiment with the computer based on his knowledge. For over ten days, he would stay in front of the computer after collecting scrap every day. By now, he had a deep understanding of computer programs. He tried out many of his ideas about computer programming, from the initial fumbling to the current fluency, his progress was quite remarkable.

At six o'clock that evening, Feng Xiaotian was still busy in front of the computer. After a while, he stretched, and because his legs were already numb from the cold, it took him a while to stand up.

"I'm so hungry, it's time to eat."

Feng Xiaotian turned off the computer, picked up a basket from behind the door, and walked out, locking the door behind him. He then turned towards the market, but he wasn't there to buy vegetables; he was there to "pick" them.

Every morning and evening, vegetable vendors would sort their goods, discarding the damaged vegetables that couldn't be sold. Feng Xiaotian would pick up these discarded vegetables. Although they didn't look good, they were still edible. With the money he earned from collecting scrap, he could barely afford to eat, so he couldn't be picky.

The sky was already darkening. It was winter, and although Sanjiang was located in the heart of the Central Plains, the temperature differences were extreme due to the numerous lakes. In summer, it felt like a giant steamer, hot enough to drive one mad, but in winter, it was unbearably cold, with the dry north wind making everyone shiver.

The weather was relatively good today, with no wind at all. The setting sun left a faint red glow on the horizon, and the tall locust trees stood on both sides of the road, their bare branches devoid of leaves. Looking around, the entire world seemed to turn into a lifeless, dull gray, devoid of any vitality.

Feng Xiaotian continued walking, thinking about a problem: he had a computer, but no internet cable. What use was a computer without the internet?

Feng Xiaotian had become very familiar with the computer and knew all about various programs. Now, his ambitions had grown, and he was eager to use the computer to explore the outside world—more specifically, the world abroad.

Although China had already opened up and reformed, information was still quite limited, especially in the field of computers, which was still in its early stages. Feng Xiaotian loved learning and had a near-obsessive passion for this new technology. He had a secret in his heart, one that seemed almost fantastical—Feng Xiaotian actually wanted to develop his own operating system, an operating system with artificial intelligence!

Why did Feng Xiaotian have such an idea? It was entirely due to the influence of the book he had found, "Computer Programming Language and Programming." The book was quite standard, but at the end, the author wrote: "Writing computer programs is to better serve humanity. It can open up a whole new world for our lives. Although computers may seem like dull machines to people, we should treat them with equality, enrich them with our programs, and only then will they become good friends of humanity."

These words were somewhat like a summary, not very practical, but more of a reflection. However, after reading them, Feng Xiaotian thought a lot and came to a conclusion: if one really wanted the computer to become a good friend of humanity, the most important thing was to be able to communicate with it. How could one communicate with a computer? The first step, of course, was to give it the ability to think independently.

It might sound laughable, but while artificial intelligence was a hot topic abroad, it was rarely discussed in China. Even if it was, it was mostly seen as a future aspiration or a topic of casual conversation. Now, the only person in China who was seriously considering this possibility was probably Feng Xiaotian.

Feng Xiaotian was a very unique person. In the eyes of most people, he was a quiet and reserved individual. He never interacted with his classmates at school, mainly because they didn't like him. To them, Feng Xiaotian was just a ragpicker, and even if someone spoke to him, others would likely mock him.

Feng Xiaotian often faced discrimination and ridicule, but he never lost his temper. He knew that such reactions would not help him. What others said was their business, and he just needed to follow his own path. There was no need to argue with others, as it was a meaningless thing to do.

In Feng Xiaotian's view, being able to eat and go to school was already a good life. Compared to other students, Feng Xiaotian wasn't just a ragpicker. He had his own pride—his academic performance was excellent. How excellent? Every time a new semester started and the teachers distributed new textbooks, Feng Xiaotian would finish learning all the content in a few days!

This was a shocking fact, so Feng Xiaotian never told anyone. Besides, he had no friends, and even if he wanted to, it was unlikely that anyone would listen.

Although Feng Xiaotian was very talented in his studies, he was very low-key. His exam results were always average, but if he wanted to, he could easily get first place—except for the essay questions, he could score full marks on all other questions.

As a result, school became a rather uninteresting place for Feng Xiaotian. He cherished the opportunity to learn but disliked sitting in the classroom listening to teachers explain knowledge he already knew. He yearned for a bigger stage and hoped to face greater challenges.

So, Feng Xiaotian would often buy books from Old Li. As long as he was interested, he would buy them from Old Li. Knowing his family's financial situation and his eagerness to learn, Old Li would only make a small profit and never take advantage of him.

The books Feng Xiaotian bought were quite special, such as "Theory of Functions," "Molecular Partial Differential Equations," and "Summary of Linear Theory in Physics." These books were only understandable to those with a high level of expertise in their fields. When Feng Xiaotian first read them, he was completely lost. To understand them, he bought other related books from Old Li. After his research, he almost mastered the theoretical knowledge in these books, but he lacked practical experience. If this were known, it would shock everyone!

Imagine a fourteen-year-old boy in his first year of high school being able to understand books that only university professors could comprehend. What kind of situation is that?