1900: A physics genius wandering around Europe

Chapter 360 I will invest one hundred thousand dollars first, you guys just do it boldly!

After listening to Ren Hongjun's story, Li Qiwei already had a deep understanding of the Chinese Scientific Society in his mind.

In real history, nine overseas students, led by Ren Hongjun, Zhao Yuanren and Yang Xingfo, discussed and established the Science Society together.

And elected big brother Ren Hongjun as president.

On the one hand, he is the oldest, and on the other hand, he is a master of science and engineering from a prestigious American university.

In that era, his qualifications were definitely convincing enough to convince the public.

After all, they want to establish a society to spread science, so the president's own hard power is very important and cannot be a layman.

When the Chinese Science Society was first established, it had only 9 founding members.

It has created professional popular science publications such as Science, Science Pictorial, and Science Translation Series.

Later, with the continuous operation of Ren Hongjun and others, the Science Society gradually became famous.

By 1917, the club had grown to 35 members.

They mainly come from highly professional and technical fields such as science, education, engineering, and medicine.

The addition of these professionals has led to an explosive increase in the strength of the Science Society.

Libraries and research institutes were built in various parts of China, and branches were established in various provinces across the country, with the headquarters located in Shanghai.

In this way, during that special period, the Chinese Science Society replaced the role of the National Academy of Sciences as the first comprehensive private scientific group in modern Chinese history.

By 1949, the number of members of the Chinese Science Society had surged to more than 3700.

From a higher level, the Chinese Science Society set a precedent for the institutionalization of science in China.

Since then, scientific societies such as the Chinese Physical Society, the Chinese Chemical Society, the Chinese Geological Society, and the Chinese Meteorological Society have emerged.

Together, they form China's highest scientific institution, preserving the scientific spark during turbulent times.

In 1959, the Chinese Scientific Society completed its historical mission and was disbanded.

After Li Qiwei accepted the information in his mind, he sighed.

This is a magnificent history of China's scientific and progressive people.

They do not seek personal gain or high positions or salaries, but instead help China improve its scientific level on a voluntary basis with the most devout enthusiasm.

This is a group of idealistic people.

Each of them is an elite in society and an expert in their respective fields.

Without their propaganda, China would be a real scientific salt marsh.

For a moment, Li Qiwei was slightly moved.

At this moment, when he looked at the three people in front of him again, he had already felt an infinite love for talent in his heart.

It's all good!
He had secretly decided that as long as the other party's request was beneficial to the cause of science, he would agree to it no matter what it was.

Li Qiwei could probably guess why they came.

However, as a senior, he cannot praise them too much and must first let them realize the current difficulties.

So he chuckled and said:

"I feel very relieved that you have such a pure heart."

"China is full of hope because of young people like you."

call!
Li Qiwei's words made Ren Hongjun, the other two and He Yujie breathe a sigh of relief.

It seems that Principal Li is very satisfied with the establishment of the Science Club.

This also made Ren Hongjun more confident about his next request.

But before he could speak, Li Qiwei asked:
"How many members does the Science Society have now? What is the source of funding for your journal? How much is it?"

Wow!
Three questions in a row made the smiles on Ren Hongjun and the other two's faces disappear instantly.

He Yujie also looked at the three of them with sympathy, thinking that it would be up to you guys to convince the principal.

Soon, Ren Hongjun adjusted his mood and gave a bitter smile.

He knew that in front of someone like Principal Li, he must not lie, not even embellish.

There is only one kind of words that big guys like to hear the most, and that is the truth.

True love is always the ultimate weapon.

Ren Hongjun said respectfully:

"Currently, the Huaxia Science Society has nine members, including the three of us."

“We are all international students in the United States.”

“I also asked my friends in China to help run the monthly magazine Science that I created earlier.”

"In June this year, nine of us agreed to return to China from the United States."

"Yuan Ren, Xing Fo, I and others have decided to come directly to Borneo to visit you, the principal. The other six of us will return home first."

Li Qiwei nodded. He could feel the urgency of these young men to establish a scientific club.

He felt even more satisfied.

Ren Hongjun continued:

"As for funding, for now, it will rely on the capital paid by members when they join the company."

"At present, our preliminary plan is to run the Science Society as a stock company."

“Every new member who joins will become a shareholder of the company as long as they pay a certain amount of money.”

"The social fee is currently set at 10 yuan."

"So the club currently has a total of 90 dollars in its account."

"However, we have already contacted several comrades in the country who are willing to join."

“By then, there should be enough funding to carry out the work.”

"As for the previous activities of the Science Club, we saved money from our living expenses or asked our families for money."

After Ren Hongjun honestly told the current situation of the Science Society, the room fell silent.

He thought that after hearing his story, Principal Li would be very disappointed and think that they were just fooling around.

Therefore, he only dared to raise his eyes secretly and glance at Li Qiwei.

The same was true for Zhao Yuanren and Yang Xingfo next to them.

They all felt that if they explained such a small matter so clearly to Principal Li, the other party would definitely be impatient.

After all, this guy is a super boss who spends three million taels of silver at a time.

In this era, one dollar was roughly equivalent to one tael of silver.

In the eyes of others, a science club with a funding of several hundred yuan is no different from playing house.

The three of them fell silent.

He Yujie didn't think anything of it. He was simply in awe of these three people at the moment.

This passion and ideals reminded him of the days when he followed Principal Li.

At that time, they also had the lofty dream of changing the destiny of the country.

The difference is that now He Yujie is realizing this dream step by step.

Although He Yujie admired the three people in front of him, objectively speaking, he did not think that they could succeed.

After all, if you want to really accomplish this, the investment required is too huge.

In his eyes, "getting things done" does not just mean creating a few newspapers and publishing a few articles.

But it will truly change the situation of Chinese science.

Just like the roots that Ridgeway established in Borneo.

He Yujie knows how difficult this is.

At this moment, he probably knew the purpose of the three people's visit. They probably wanted Principal Li to invest money to support their business.

Of course, they wouldn't be so straightforward.

He Yujie was very curious about what the three people were going to say, so he also looked at Li Qiwei.

At this moment, no one could describe the shock in Li Qiwei's heart.

The power of that faith made his blood boil.

In later history, predecessors such as Ren Hongjun became his role models.

However, who could have imagined that they would face such a difficult time in the early stages of their business?

But even though it was so difficult, they did not give up. Instead, they seized every opportunity just to make their dreams come true.

Li Qiwei knew that although the members of the Science Society were not from poor families, they were definitely not from wealthy families.

Otherwise, they would definitely have gone into politics or business and would never have learned useless scientific knowledge.

They persist entirely on pure dreams.

Li Qiwei already had a plan in mind.

He said:
"I have to say, you three are amazing."

"It is not easy to achieve this with passion."

"Since you came to see me today, you must have run into some trouble."

Li Qiwei's question instantly turned Ren Hongjun and the other two from worry to joy.

They didn't expect that Principal Li would give such a high evaluation.

For a moment, the three of them were so excited that they didn't know what to do.

All my efforts have finally been recognized, and the joy I feel is indescribable.

And the one who recognized them was the world-renowned Professor Li Qiwei, the first scientist of the time, the scientific saint of China.

There seemed to be a gleam of light in Ren Hongjun's eyes, but he quickly calmed down.

Because what follows is the ultimate purpose of their trip.

"Principal Li, we do have some problems."

"Although the Science Monthly magazine has achieved a small-scale sensation, our friends in China have given us some bad news."

"That is, in the current domestic scientific field, everyone only recognizes your newspaper, President Li."

“The influence of Science Weekly is far greater than the journal we run.”

"So we feel that even if the Chinese Science Society is established, the impact it will have will not be particularly great."

“It’s hard to attract real talent to join.”

"Because the scientific society does not have an authoritative leader, it is impossible for others to be convinced and follow it."

“Therefore, after discussion among the nine members, we made a decision.”

Having said this, Ren Hongjun took a deep breath, mustered up all his courage, and said passionately:

"We would like to invite you, Principal Li, to serve as the president of the Huaxia Science Society."

"Guide us to strive for the cause of science communication in China!"

boom!
The wind and thunder are surging!
Live endlessly!

At this moment, He Yujie felt his scalp tingling and a surge of blood rushing to the sky.

He could relate to the passion of Ren Hongjun and others.

The future they depict is also fascinating.

At the same time, he felt a hint of approval in his heart.

What a big plan these three young men have!

This is to tie Principal Li to their chariot and take them forward.

"Your method of asking for money is really clever, you are worthy of being a student of a prestigious university." He completely forgot that he was a top student of the even more prestigious Cambridge University.

Soon, all four of them looked at Li Qiwei.

Now that Ren Hongjun's purpose is clear, all that remains is to see how Principal Li responds.

At this moment, Li Qiwei's heart was filled with emotion.

At first he thought the other party was asking him for money.

After all, everyone in the country now knows that Principal Li overseas is a wealthy man, and he will do his best to help with anything related to scientific education.

In the hearts of the Chinese people, Li Qiwei is a first-class patriot.

He is not a hypocrite who only talks about patriotism, but he invests a lot of money and is admired by everyone.

After all, Li Qiwei has done enough for China, and no one would say anything even if he doesn't donate.

Therefore, Li Qiwei could understand the purpose of Ren Hongjun and the other two.

But unexpectedly, the other party did not ask for money directly, but asked him to be the president of the Chinese Science Society.

This indeed exceeded his expectations.

Although it is possible that they are using the president as a cover and their real purpose is to get money.

But Li Qiwei could tell from the looks of the three people that such dirty thoughts would not arise in their hearts.

They made this decision purely for the future of the science community.

Li Qiwei has changed history and he is now very famous in the country.

So much so that in real history, the scientific society of Ren Hongjun and others lost its presence.

After all, it is just a club founded by a few international students. How can it be compared with Principal Li?

Therefore, in this world, the development of scientific societies is doomed to be bumpy and may even be stillborn.

He hadn't even thought of the existence of the Science Society before, luckily Ren Hongjun and the other two came to find him.

Li Qiwei has been thinking about what angle to approach the domestic market.

For well-known reasons, he could not return to China directly and start the earth-shaking reform.

So he had to find another way and seek help from others.

However, He Yujie, Qian Wushi and others are the main forces of the future Pangu project, and it is impossible to send them to the country.

Therefore, Li Qiwei needs to have controllable forces in the country.

Moreover, for well-known reasons, this force cannot be official, otherwise it will easily be blocked.

He has been worrying about this matter all this time.

Now, things are finally turning around.

Ren Hongjun and their science club are simply Li Qiwei's best choice.

If a club founded by Chinese international students has the support of Li Qiwei, its impact in the country will definitely be huge.

Even beyond the changes that the Science Society brought to China in real history.

Moreover, as the president, Li Qiwei only needs to steer the general direction and provide sufficient funds.

The rest can be left to these passionate young people.

By then, he will be able to unite all scientific fields in China into one, and truly control them as if they were his own arm.

All the major domestic projects can be operated in the name of the Science Society.

Li Qiwei wants to reduce his own presence.

Because the West will not sit idly by and watch him make big moves.

Li Qiwei always kept this in mind.

Although he has many friends in the scientific community in Europe, the bigwigs in the political arena will not easily treat him sincerely.

There are only interests between countries.

True feelings can only exist between friends.

Li Qiwei has two major plans for the next twenty years. One is to help the country resist foreign enemies, and the other is to develop domestic technology.

The City of Science focuses on the outside, while the Science Society focuses on the inside. They combine the inside and the outside and proceed step by step.

At this point, Li Qiwei finally perfected his plan.

After 34 years, he can finally put down all his burdens.

He wanted to leave to that new world the largest, most profound and most comprehensive basic science and industrial system.

He Yujie, Ren Hongjun and others saw that the expression on Principal Li's face kept changing.

Sometimes gentle, sometimes excited, sometimes smiling, sometimes calm.

For a moment, they were all a little unsure.

"What on earth does the principal mean?"

Soon, Li Qiwei came back to his senses from his reverie.

At this moment, the look he gave Ren Hongjun was already very kind.

He couldn't help but joked:
"Hongjun, you want me to be the president, don't you want me to invest money?"

"Ah?" Ren Hongjun shouted.

"No no!"

"Absolutely not!"

"Principal, I can swear to God that we absolutely don't have this idea."

"All members of the Science Society simply hope that the Science Society can truly grow and change the backward situation of Chinese science."

"Really, Principal, please believe us!"

Li Qiwei laughed loudly and said:

"Okay, I was just teasing you guys."

"Your sincerity is written all over your faces, how could I not see it?"

"Otherwise, I would have kicked you out."

Ren Hongjun was overjoyed when he heard this and breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhao Yuanren and Yang Xingfo were also extremely excited. It seemed that they were going to succeed this time.

With the joining of Principal Li, the Science Society will definitely become the most well-known scientific society in China.

This surprise came with so many twists and turns.

Their hearts couldn't take it anymore.

But soon, Li Qiwei brought them a bigger surprise.

Ren Hongjun chuckled and asked carefully:

"Principal, do you agree to be the president of the Science Club?"

Li Qiwei smiled and said, "I agree."

Wow!
The heavy stone in the hearts of Ren Hongjun and the other two finally fell to the ground.

Before they could speak, Li Qiwei said:

"But I have a few conditions."

"You go ahead and say it." Ren Hongjun replied quickly.

Not to mention a few, even if there are hundreds of conditions, they have to agree.

Li Qiwei said:
"First, since it is a scientific society, it should not use the nature of a company, which will give people a bad impression of profit-making."

"From now on, we can just operate according to the regular rules of the society."

"Secondly, the membership fee of ten dollars is a bit too much. It can be reduced to a symbolic ten cents."

“Thirdly, although I agree to be the president, it is impossible for me to visit the country often. My roots are still here in Borneo.”

"So, when you go back, you have to choose an executive vice president."

"When I'm away, he will be in charge of all the affairs of the society."

After Li Qiwei made three points, he asked:

"If you agree with my suggestion, then I will be the president."

Ren Hongjun and the other two were a little confused for a moment.

What kind of condition is this?

This is entirely for the sake of the community.

They were worried that Principal Li would change the philosophy of the Science Club beyond all recognition.

"Principal, your suggestions are all excellent. We fully agree with them."

Li Qiwei nodded with satisfaction.

At this time, the clever Zhao Yuanren suddenly asked cautiously:

"Um, President, I want to ask you something."

"If the membership fee is changed, how will the club's operating funds be managed in the future?"

Ren Hongjun and Yang Xingfo also looked at each other awkwardly.

Li Qiwei chuckled and said casually:
"It is impossible to maintain your future career with only the admission fee."

“The association can also consider means of self-sufficiency, such as providing scientific consulting to factories, patent transfer, etc.”

“An organization that offers everything for free cannot survive.”

"Of course, in the early stages, the Science Club will definitely not be able to make money, so we need start-up capital."

"Now that I'm the president, I have to show my support."

"How about this, I'll invest 100,000 dollars first, and you guys can do it without worrying about it."

boom!
Ren Hongjun and the other two opened their mouths wide instantly, their heads buzzing.

Is this the charm of Principal Li?

If there is a disagreement, just use money to attack.

No matter how difficult the problem is, it can be easily solved.

Howe!
So arrogant!
At this moment, the three of them understood that people at different heights think about problems from different angles.

Principal Li sees too deeply and too far.

However, Li Qiwei added:

"But this money can't be used casually."

"You must show me your hard work and show me the results."

“Otherwise, I won’t be investing anymore.”

The three of them said in unison and firmly, "Please rest assured, President!"

Finally, Yang Xingfo said:
"President, now that Science Magazine has become the Chinese Science Society."

"Then the original purpose will no longer work."

"How about you give us a slogan or purpose? It will be easier to promote it."

Li Qiwei thought for a while after hearing this, and then said:

"To contact comrades, to study academics, and to work together for the development of Chinese science."

boom!
The Chinese Science Society is officially established!

(End of this chapter)