Zheng Jingzhi was busy in the laboratory. He felt a sense of urgency, believing he needed to get more work done as quickly as possible to make the aircraft's flight control system run even more smoothly.

This elderly gentleman, dressed modestly, was a diligent and meticulous workaholic.

He practically spent every day in the lab for the sake of his work.

Even though he was already a Ph.D. advisor, he still continued teaching undergraduate students.

At this moment, Tian Hongtao hurried in.

"Teacher, I've caught that mysterious programming expert! Guess who it is?!"

Tian Hongtao said excitedly.

Zheng Jingzhi immediately stopped what he was doing.

"Don't keep me in suspense! Who is it?"

Tian Hongtao said, "It's the microcomputer room administrator, Zhang Zhipeng!"

"Look! I brought him here with me."

Zheng Jingzhi was surprised: "It's really him?!"

"Did you verify it yourself?"

Zheng Jingzhi looked at Zhang Zhipeng, who was standing beside Tian Hongtao, with a face full of skepticism.

Zhang Zhipeng could only smile silently. He thought to himself, I'll let Tian Hongtao explain for me.

Tian Hongtao swallowed and said, "I caught him in the microcomputer room. At that time, he was modifying the Kingsoft WPS software."

"We watched him improve Kingsoft WPS a lot within two or three hours!"

"Originally, Kingsoft WPS couldn't create tables, but now it can."

Zheng Jingzhi exclaimed, "Is he that good?!"

"What do you think, how does his programming skill rank within our school?"

Without hesitation, Tian Hongtao replied, "I think even on a national level, he's one of the top programmers!"

"You know, when Qiu Bojun was writing Kingsoft WPS, he locked himself in a room for two months! That's how he managed to write it."

"And modifying such a software is actually a huge workload! To make his modifications seamlessly fit with the original software, he would need to be extremely familiar with the entire source code of Kingsoft WPS, and also make a lot of creative adjustments."

"Now, even if Qiu Bojun himself were to modify it, I estimate it would take him a long time to get it right!"

Zheng Jingzhi laughed heartily, "Haha! Good, good!"

"This is the best news I've heard!"

"Xiao Zhang! You're truly a hidden gem! Just like a 'sweeper monk'!"

"I've been searching for a programming expert, but I didn't realize there was one right under my nose!"

Zheng Jingzhi tightly shook hands with Zhang Zhipeng and even gave him a hug, his joy evident on his face.

Zhang Zhipeng smiled modestly and said, "Teacher Zheng, you're too kind. I really don't think I'm that great."

Zheng Jingzhi nodded and said, "Not bad, not bad! With such impressive programming skills, yet you remain so humble—it's commendable."

"Take me to see the software you wrote."

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

Zheng Jingzhi still wanted to confirm if Zhang Zhipeng was really that skilled in programming.

Zhang Zhipeng naturally agreed. The three of them headed upstairs.

To Zhang Zhipeng's surprise, Zheng Jingzhi walked with incredible speed.

At nearly 60 years old, he moved very quickly.

Tian Hongtao and Zhang Zhipeng hurried to catch up.

Zheng Jingzhi strode briskly and soon arrived at the microcomputer room. At this time, Fang Qingping was still there, playing games. When he saw Zheng Jingzhi come in, he quickly closed the game and stood up as if nothing had happened.

Tian Hongtao had Zheng Jingzhi sit in front of the computer and bent down to introduce the software that Zhang Zhipeng had written.

Meanwhile, Fang Qingping quietly approached Zhang Zhipeng to chat.

Fang Qingping was amazed at how Zhang Zhipeng could have such excellent programming skills.

Zhang Zhipeng could only say that in his spare time, he loved to tinker around.

For some inexplicable reason, he discovered that he had a natural talent for programming.

"Haha! I used to be very clumsy. Otherwise, I wouldn't have failed to get into college, right?"

"But after working in our microcomputer room for a while, I felt like my brain suddenly opened up. No matter what I learn, I learn it very quickly."

Zhang Zhipeng was just telling a far-fetched story about a late-blooming genius awakening to his talents for Fang Qingping.

After listening, Fang Qingping was so envious that his eyes turned red.

"I always thought I was pretty smart. But compared to Brother Zhipeng, I realize I’m as dumb as a pig."

"I’ve tried learning programming on my own, but I just couldn’t get the hang of it..."

"Brother Zhipeng, I noticed you were programming in assembly language just now, weren’t you?"

Zhang Zhipeng nodded and said, "Using this makes software development a bit faster."

"Actually, WPS Office was written in assembly language."

Assembly language is one of the most primitive programming languages, but it closely aligns with machine language, making it ideal for running directly on hardware.

However, it's difficult to read, hard to learn, and lacks flexibility.

Because of these limitations, many easier-to-learn and more understandable programming languages have been developed based on assembly language.

Those who can program in assembly are generally considered top-tier experts.

The underlying logic of the programming languages that evolved from assembly is still rooted in assembly language.

Fang Qingping was at a loss for words: "Is this what it means to be a top expert? Writing software in assembly to make it faster? Damn, I’m not dumb, but I just couldn’t grasp assembly!"

Meanwhile, Tian Hongtao was demonstrating the software Zhang Zhipeng had written to Zheng Jingzhi, explaining its brilliant features.

Even though Zheng Jingzhi didn’t understand programming, he was deeply impressed.

He stood up from his chair, turned around, and grabbed Zhang Zhipeng’s hand.

"You little rascal, you’re really something! I called you to my office today, and you didn’t even mention that you’re the mysterious programming genius?"

Zheng Jingzhi's grip was surprisingly strong; he squeezed Zhang Zhipeng's hand so hard it hurt.

"Teacher Zheng, I figured that even if I told you, you wouldn’t believe me! In your eyes, I’m just a mischievous troublemaker with no skills!" Zhang Zhipeng said with a smile.

Zheng Jingzhi laughed, "Mischievous troublemakers can be excellent prospects if they start working seriously!"

"A talented programmer like you shouldn’t be stuck managing the computer lab—it’s a waste of your abilities!"

"Here’s the deal: starting tomorrow, you’ll be working in my research group!"

"Oh, and I’ll file a report with the school. From now on, you’ll be my master’s student! With an official title, it’ll be easier to keep you busy!"

Zheng Jingzhi wasn’t shy at all.

Zhang Zhipeng was secretly delighted.

This was the opportunity he had been waiting for!

He also knew that Zheng Jingzhi was currently working on a major project: integrating the avionics system to make aircraft controls simpler and faster.

"I’m telling you, you’re not allowed to refuse!"

"Also, your benefits will significantly increase. From now on, you’ll receive the researcher’s stipend!"

Zheng Jingzhi, fearing Zhang Zhipeng might decline, kept holding his hand tightly.

Zhang Zhipeng smiled and said, "Teacher Zheng, isn’t it enough that I agree?"

"But, Teacher Zheng, I have a small request."

Zheng Jingzhi waved his hand and said, "Don’t just make a small request—if you have a hundred, I’ll still agree!"

"You should know, this project is a major national defense initiative! It’s extremely urgent! What we lack most right now is talent like you!"

Zhang Zhipeng made his request: "Give me a computer that I can disassemble at will. I want to do some in-depth research!"