You know, the way everyone was speaking that day was just an expression of their hopes. We none of us realized that Huang Yiyi, who had caused me so much trouble, who had gradually come to be called a ‘strange creature’ by everyone else, was just about to make our dreams come true! Just as we were joking, she suddenly came rushing into the conference room, parked a thick stack of papers on the desk, and said, ‘I’m sorry, I’ve kept everyone waiting. But I have some good news for you all – at four o’clock this morning I finally worked out all the mathematical equations that make up this cipher. Of course, I’ve only worked it out on paper; whether I have got it right in practice is going to have to wait for the calculations to come out. I’ve already set out the programme for you, but I’m afraid it’s going to involve a lot of work. Comrade Jiang, I really hope this time I’m not putting you to a lot of trouble for nothing.’

Comrade Jiang, the head of the Calculations Office, said, ‘Well, it wasn’t a lot of trouble for nothing the last time either; in the end it proved that your theories were correct.’

Huang Yiyi handed a heap of papers to me. I looked at them and then handed them on to Comrade Jiang: ‘Let’s do it! Let’s find out if it works!’

Day One.

Day Two.

Day Three …

The calculations went on day and night, day after day, as the exercise proceeded step by step. On the ninth day, as the calculations entered their final stages, Huang Yiyi couldn’t help getting more and more nervous, and she would put her hands together, close her eyes and pray silently. When all the data was in, just as Comrade Jiang was preparing yet again to make the final calculations, Huang Yiyi suddenly addressed him. ‘Just a moment, Comrade Jiang. I would like to do it.’ Everyone turned their eyes on her, and then she walked out to go to the bathroom where she filled a basin full of water and then in front of everyone she started to wash her hands, washing them again and again, as if she were trying to wring something out of them. Everyone was completely silent, watching her hands. They all looked nervous and solemn.