"Hello, my name is Ming Xiaofan, a pleasure to meet you," the man with glasses, also known as Ming Xiaofan looked at Cheng Su and her companionâwell, to be precise, he was staring at Cheng Su, his eyes glowing with intensity.
Qi Taiguo furrowed his brows, feeling quite annoyed by this uninvited guest.
Cheng Su merely offered a polite smile.
"Do you mind if I sit here?" Ming Xiaofan asked.
Well, I do mind, but youâve already seated yourself, Qi Taiguo grumbled inwardly.
"Miss..."
"My surname is Cheng, single character Su," Cheng Su really didnât want to hear him keep calling her âmiss,â as it sounded like she was doing... well, that sort of thing.
"Then I wonât stand on ceremony," Ming Xiaofanâs eyes lit up again, "Cheng Su, what you said just now was exactly what Iâve been thinking."
"People nowadays just lack vision, failing to see the benefits of technological inventions. What you said is very likely; these phones are so big now and have to be connected by cords to make calls, so of course, you couldnât possibly carry them everywhereâthat would be exhausting! But if they were miniaturized, then anything could be possible." Ming Xiaofan used a large plate and a bowl to illustrate his point, "As for the phone cords, we could entirely use electromagnetic waves to generate signals for making calls, thatâs called..."
"Wireless mobile phones," Cheng Su gazed intently at Ming Xiaofan.
Somehow, Qi Taiguo felt a spark of excitement in his wifeâs eyesâcould he have been mistaken?
"Right, wireless mobile phones! Ah, Cheng Su, you really are my soulmate!" Ming Xiaofan clapped his hands together in delight.
"Instead of wireless phones, I think âmobile phonesâ sounds better. Have you heard of them?" Cheng Su stared at him, trying to discern from Ming Xiaofanâs reaction whether he was also a time traveler like herself.
However, Ming Xiaofan just paused for a moment, murmuring, "Mobile phones, mobile phones, telephones you hold in your hand. That really is apt. Youâre so clever."
"You donât know?" Cheng Su was a bit disappointed. She thought that with Ming Xiaofanâs progressive thinking, he might be a fellow traveler from another time, but it turned out he wasnât from the future.
"Know what?" Ming Xiaofan was somewhat puzzled.
"Itâs nothing," Cheng Su smiled.
"Hey, keep talking, soulmate. You think, a company dealing in telephone information, it would have prospects, right? My uncle, heâs just set in his ways, unwilling to do it." Ming Xiaofan looked frustrated. "Even Grandpa Xiao Ping is pushing for reform and opening up, leading everyone to prosperâwhat canât be achieved? There are companies installing telephones already, yet he insists it wonât become widespread, not every household can afford a phone. He doesnât think about the futureâjust because itâs not needed now, does it mean it wonât be needed later? Humanity has progressed from apes to where we are now, and technology is clearly advancing, but he just wonât believe me."
"If your uncle wonât do it, you could start it. Since youâve got so much confidence, then get into the communications business!" Cheng Su said with a smile.
On hearing this, Ming Xiaofanâs eyes widened, "You think so too, donât you? That thereâs potential in this?"
Cheng Su nodded, "Definitely. In the future, the communications industry will undoubtedly become widespread in every household, even to every person on Earth. You can be assured of that."
"Thatâs what I think too, but I just donât know how many years such an era will take to arrive," sighed Ming Xiaofan.
"With your youth, are you afraid you wonât live to see it? In my opinion, with the current pace of scientific and technological advances, it wonât take five years before mobile phones make their appearance," Cheng Su declared confidently.
In fact, it wouldnât even take five years; in about two years, that imposing first-generation mobile phone would make its debut!