"I'll lend a hand too," Xing Baohua said, and walked forward.

"No, I'm afraid you'll mess it up. It's not much. Go sit down first, and you'll be done in no time." Liu Haibo waved his hand at Xing Baohua.

Xing Baohua had no choice but to go back inside and wait. His sister-in-law had already brewed tea and prepared cigarettes for him.

Xing Baohua didn't dare to speak or look around. This young woman was simply too mysterious, and he didn't dare to ask about her background.

He sat with his eyes downcast, a posture befitting a respectable person. He was a little reserved, though; Xing Baohua hadn't sat like this in years.

After waiting for five or six minutes, Liu Haibo and Zhang Taoming entered the house.

Liu Haibo first asked Xing Baohua, "How are the boards you took back? Can they be assembled?"

Xing Baohua shook his head slightly and said, "The board has been tested and it's a good board. But, Brother Tao still got ripped off."

"How could someone rip off a good board? Tell me what happened?" Liu Haibo frowned again after sitting down.

"Well, after I took the board back and tested it, and figured out the model number, I realized that, strictly speaking, this isn't a real computer. It's more like a home-use multi-functional computer learning machine or a computer game console."

"This is confusing me a bit. Since it has the word 'computer' in it, isn't it a computer?" Liu Haibo asked.

"It has the word 'computer' in its name, but there are still differences. To use it as a real computer, it needs to be equipped with several modules. You might not understand if I explain it to you, so let me give you an example!"

"Go on, I'm listening," Liu Haibo gestured for Xing Baohua to continue.

“Just like the black crow I ride. I actually wanted to spend money to build a large motorcycle, like the 750 you ride. I got a bunch of parts and pieced them together. But what I ended up with was a black crow. Is it a motorcycle or a bicycle?” Xing Baohua explained.

“I understand what you mean, it’s still a case of the product not matching the description, right? You paid eight or nine thousand for the goods, but it turned out to be worth only three or four thousand. Right!” Liu Haibo said through gritted teeth.

“That makes sense,” Xing Baohua nodded in agreement.

"Will it sell well if we piece it together?" Liu Haibo's original intention was still to recoup some of the losses.

"It'll sell well, but the key is still the price. I'll ask around to see how much similar models sell for. If the price is lower, I can still sell it. But I want to keep the board I took back; I found out I could..." So Xing Baohua told the two of them about his plan to make a learning machine.

Although Xing Baohua used the Subor learning machine as an example, it was only because Subor was relatively well-known. In reality, Subor was a game console disguised as a computer; it was quite poor in terms of programming and expandability, and its entertainment value was relatively high.

If we're talking about a true learning machine, it was developed in 1986 by the Ministry of Industry, a state-owned enterprise, in collaboration with several digital factories, research institutes, and five or six other departments.

This thing is a replica of the Apple II, but a cut-down version. It's known as the "Chinese Learning Machine."

When promoting it, it was described as a compact microcomputer. It can also be understood as a computer in a simplified sense. This wasn't a joke; it genuinely possessed computer functions. Furthermore, the main unit and keyboard were integrated, allowing it to be easily moved around and used as a monitor when connected to a television.

Furthermore, it is compatible with Guozill and can use Guozill software. It also has a built-in Chinese system, allowing you to use the modular Chinese language upon startup.

This learning machine is modular and expandable, allowing it to connect to printers, floppy disk cases, tape readers, and more.

It can even be connected to the joystick of an Atari game console.

Xing Baohua even suspected that the experts who created this learning machine had also studied Atari's boards.

After all, Atari and Apple's L and L models all use the same CPU chip.

Xing Baohua just wanted to take advantage of a trend to get it out ahead of schedule.

This plan also gave Liu Haibo some hope, but anyone can make empty promises; the reality is that Xing Baohua will actually pull it off. Right now, it's a plan, and even more so, it's still just a plan on paper.

"Brother Bo, besides this matter, there's something else I need your help with?" Xing Baohua finally had a chance to explain the purpose of his visit.

"Say it, we're all brothers, I'll definitely help if I can," Liu Haibo said generously.

“I have a brother named Xu Shuai, you’ve met him before. He couldn’t control his own crotch…” Xing Baohua recounted how Xu Shuai’s glorious exploits led to his own arrest. He came here seeking help, asking Liu Haibo to use his connections to get Xu Shuai out.

"Let me think about who to contact first," Liu Haibo said, leaning back in his seat as he pondered.

Zhang Taoming, who had been silent until now, said directly, "Xing Baohua, this is simple, just spend more money. We brothers don't have much money right now, so if you contribute more, I'll get your people out of trouble."

These words made Xing Baohua stare at him sharply. Liu Haibo also straightened up and looked at him, as if he hadn't expected it.

Xing Baohua snorted coldly and said, "Fine! How many shares do you want? As long as you can get my brother out of trouble, I'll give you the factory. Want to sign the transfer agreement now?"

"Taozi, what nonsense are you spouting?" Liu Haibo punched Zhang Taoming in the chest and said angrily.

“You can’t get someone out of trouble without connections! Connections are something you only use once, so I’m asking for a bigger share to make up for it, what’s wrong with that?” Zhang Taoming glared at Xing Baohua and said.

"You son of a bitch, get out of here!" Liu Haibo stood up and yelled at Zhang Taoming.