How to Become an Embedded Engineer (I) — Introduction

In March 2005, I arrived in Beijing alone. The sky was clear, the breeze gentle, and brilliant sunlight poured down from a vast azure sky, almost delightfully overwhelming. It was here that a young man would begin his journey toward becoming an embedded engineer. Growth always comes at a price—yet behind every hardship lie the joy of success and the bitterness of failure.

Every college graduate fresh out of school, like myself, once held the same belief: we were the nation's blossoming flowers, the future of socialism, the great post-80s generation, shouldering the historic mission of achieving the Four Modernizations. But when reality clashes fiercely with ideals, anyone would feel lost. Beautiful dreams often cannot withstand the brutality of real life. After the storm, we pick up the shattered pieces of our beliefs and set off once again. But tell me, where does the path ahead truly lie?

I write these words to share with my peers the joys and struggles of personal growth, to serve as a reference for those who follow, and to help others find their life's path sooner—so they may experience more joy and less hardship along the way.