Training the Heavens

Chapter 275: Target Nobel Prize
A Zhang has been having a hard time recently. His father passed away in October after a long illness. Right after the funeral, several branches of the Zhou family gathered together to discuss the redivision of the Zhou family's house.

This kind of thing is not uncommon in wealthy families. If a branch loses its backbone, others will come and rob their things. Now A Zhang has suffered a similar disaster.

The share given to Zhang and his friends was poor and small. Zhang refused to sign and was scolded by his uncles. He felt the coldness of the world and was later plotted against by his clansmen. Many people spread rumors that he had stolen things.

At this time, A Zhang received a letter from Zhang Xingjiu. Seeing that his former friends had grown up, but he himself was in this state, A Zhang felt very uncomfortable and began to seriously think about his way out.

After much thought, he remembered what his father had said: to send one of his brothers to the West and the other to the East, so that they could open their eyes to the world and return after completing their studies to revitalize China.

Even though my father had passed away, I still wanted to carry on his wish and study abroad like Ah Tu. But how easy was it to go abroad these days? Should I first find a school that taught Western knowledge and then see if there was a suitable opportunity in the future?

After making up his mind, Zhang actually found a way. After all, the Zhou family was a large family with many promising people. One of them was a grandfather named Qing who worked as a shift supervisor at the Nanjing Naval Academy. Naturally, the students in the Naval Academy had to follow the teaching methods of European countries, especially England, and impart Western knowledge to the students.

If I could go to this school, perhaps I could also go to study abroad in the West like Liu Buchan, Sa Zhenbing, Yan Fu and others. In this way, I might be able to meet A Tu in the West. I just don’t know how far England is from France.

Thinking of this, A Zhang immediately went to beg Grandpa Qing's second son, Uncle Zhongxiang, to write a letter, asking Grandpa Qing to help recruit him into the Naval Academy. After some consideration, Uncle Zhongxiang agreed.

Ah Zhang still felt that it was not enough, so he wrote a letter to Uncle Sheng, who was studying at the Naval Academy, asking him for help. Then he anxiously waited for a reply at home. By the way, he wrote a reply letter to Ah Tu, asking Zhang Fuqing to help put it in the letter he wrote to Ah Tu and send it to France.

The postage for sending a letter to France is too expensive. Zhang is now unable to afford it and has no choice but to resort to this method. When he went to Zhang's house, he felt a little ashamed and embarrassed.

Zhang Fuqing comforted him, "A Tu said in the letter that he is doing well in France now and has made some money. Someone has brought me the money for replying letters. If you miss A Tu in the future, just write to him and I will mail it for you. He misses you too, being alone abroad."

A Zhang felt better at this point, and then he remembered that A Tu had indeed mentioned this matter in the letter, saying that he had made a lot of money writing books in Europe. He couldn't help but have a similar idea, maybe I can also try to write something?

Ma Xiangbo in Shanghai received a letter from Zhang Xingjiu. While he was happy for him, he also began to look for a way out for Zhang Xingjiu after he completed his studies. Now the Beiyang University advocated by Sheng Xuanhuai had been built and started to enroll students and teach.

When Ma Xiangbo was handling diplomatic and foreign affairs, he had some dealings with Sheng Xuanhuai and they had some friendship, so Ma Xiangbo wrote a letter to Sheng Xuanhuai, in which he briefly mentioned how Zhang Xingjiu had brought glory to China in France.

This would leave an impression in Sheng Xuanhuai's mind in advance. When Zhang Xingjiu returns from his studies in the future, he might be able to teach at Beiyang University and cultivate more scientific and technological talents for China.

However, it was still a long time before Zhang Xingjiu graduated, and Ma Xiangbo was not sure what the situation of Beiyang University or Sheng Xuanhuai would be in a few years, so he did not mention Zhang Xingjiu's teaching in the letter.

Moreover, the court was also considering the opening of a new university. If a better opportunity arose in the future, it would be difficult to refuse the Beiyang University now, as it would offend others. Thinking of this, Ma Xiangbo wrote a letter to Zhang Xingjiu, first describing the recent situation in China, then briefly mentioning the Beiyang University, and pointing out his relationship with Sheng Xuanhuai. If Zhang Xingjiu was interested, he could help recommend him.

Of course, if Zhang Xingjiu has a better place to go, that’s fine too. He doesn’t have to bear the burden of this matter.

Several letters sailed across the ocean to France. Before they arrived, Zhang Xingjiu saw a very important piece of news in the newspaper.

On the evening of December 12, Alfred Nobel, a member of the Royal Society of London, the Technical Society of Paris, and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, a Swedish chemist, engineer, inventor, military equipment manufacturer and inventor of diatomaceous earth explosives, died at Villa Mionedes in San Leo at the age of 10.

On November 11 last year, Nobel made a will, leaving most of his property, $27 million, as a fund, and using the annual interest ($920 per year) to establish five prizes: the Prize in Physics, the Prize in Chemistry, the Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the Prize in Literature, and the Prize for Peace, to reward scholars who made the greatest contributions in the above fields that year.

Now that Nobel has passed away, the awarding of the Nobel Prize should be put on the agenda. If history has not changed, Sweden will take several years to prepare. In 1901, four years later, the first Nobel Prize was awarded. Roentgen, a professor of physics at the University of Munich in Germany, won the first Nobel Prize for his discovery of X-rays.

Zhang Xingjiu wants to win the Nobel Prize. From a broad perspective, this award can prove to the world the intelligence and talent of the Chinese people, and it can boost the self-confidence of the people at home. Even though there are few people who can open their eyes and see the world nowadays, it would be good to inspire more people.

From a small perspective, this is also of great benefit to him personally. Not only can it win economic benefits for Zhang Xingjiu, but it can also create a golden image for him. With the halo of a Nobel Prize winner, his safety will be more guaranteed in the future.

No matter how the situation changes in the future, as long as he is a world-renowned scholar and Nobel Prize winner, they will not deal with him seriously even if he does something out of line occasionally. This will make it convenient for Zhang Xingjiu to do many things.

So getting the Nobel Prize as soon as possible is not an easy thing even if you just want to get it.

Zhang Xingjiu's scientific achievements alone are actually enough. His research on cathode rays and electrons has produced several Nobel Prize winners. In 1905, German scientist Philipp Lenard won the Nobel Prize for his research on cathode rays.

A year later, Joseph John Thomson of Cavendish won the award for his discovery of the electron. Now this achievement has been won by Zhang Xingjiu in advance.

But many times, awards are not just based on results, so Zhang Xingjiu still has a lot to do.

　Today's update will still be late, I hope it will return to normal tomorrow

　　
　
(End of this chapter)