Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 169 Hello, I'm V! (3.4k)

"I wish the professor were really one of ours."

1125 Northwest 16th Street, Washington, D.C., was the site of the Soviet Russian Embassy in America from 1933 until it moved to Wisconsin Avenue in the late 70s.

As usual, the first thing Ambassador Dobrynin did every morning was to eat breakfast while reading the newspaper.

In those days, there were no electronic pickled vegetables, so newspapers took on this function.

The office, with its leather chairs, carpets, and bookshelves, hammer and sickle flags hanging on the walls, American newspapers from both mainstream and non-mainstream newspapers on the desk, and a dedicated telephone line to Moscow, was highly functional but almost devoid of any luxurious elements.

Only a heavy oak desk could be considered valuable.

"New York Times"

President Johnson's appointment of renowned Chinese-American mathematician Randolph Lin as NASA Administrator marks a new era of equality and progress.

Washington, D.C., January 15, 1964 – President Lyndon B. Johnson today announced the appointment of distinguished scientist Professor Randolph Lin as the new Administrator of the American National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Professor Lin became the first minority scientist to hold this position, and this historic appointment is seen as a significant step forward for America in racial equality and technological innovation.

Professor Lin, 28, is a renowned expert in mathematics, aerospace engineering, and rocket science. A graduate of the University of Göttingen, he previously taught at Columbia University. After joining NASA as a Special Assistant for Space Affairs at the White House, he led several key projects, including Project Mercury, and under his leadership, NASA underwent a fundamental transformation.

President Johnson stated at a White House press conference, "Professor Lin's appointment is not only a recognition of his personal achievements, but also a reflection of America's spirit of diversity and inclusion. We are in a space race with Russia, and NASA needs the best talent. No one doubts that Professor Lin is the right person for the job."

This appointment was particularly significant in 1964, a year of heightened civil rights activity. The Senate had just completed the preliminary process for the Civil Rights Act, and we were moving towards eliminating racial discrimination.

Many progressives warmly welcomed the appointment, seeing it as a symbol of progress in America. Roy Wilkins, president of the NAACP, commented, "Professor Lin's appointment sends a clear message to the world: in America, ability and talent know no color."

In an interview with The New York Times, Professor Lin said, "My goal is to ensure NASA's leading position in space exploration, while also inspiring more young people from minority groups to pursue their dreams in science and engineering. I will lead NASA to victory after victory."

Commentators believe this appointment will bring new perspectives and innovative thinking to NASA, helping America maintain her lead in the space race. Professor Lin is undoubtedly the best choice for NASA.

The New York Times argues: "At a critical juncture in the Cold War, NASA needed to set aside racial prejudices and select the most outstanding talent. We did not select Professor Lin for the sake of leadership diversity. If Professor Lin had not been appointed as the NASA administrator after James Webb's departure, that would have been blatant racial discrimination. Professor Lin's appointment is a manifestation of America's return to the right track after President Kennedy's death."

This news is really bad for the Soviet Union's desire to win the space race, Dobrynin thought.

Besides reporting on the events themselves, different newspapers also have different stances.

The Washington Post, which leans towards the conservatives, stated in its report: "No one doubts Professor Lin's abilities, but we have some doubts about whether he has the experience to manage such a large organization as NASA."

In the past, Professor Lin's abilities were more reflected in research and development. His performance in management was not well tested, and he even had the terrible nickname of "tyrant".

At this critical juncture for national security and technological competition, NASA's leadership should not become a victim of political considerations. We hope Professor Lin can prove himself, as this appointment raises concerns about NASA's future stability.

Some NASA insiders also expressed reservations. One senior engineer, who wished to remain anonymous, stated: "Professor Lin enjoys a global reputation, but leading NASA requires more than just academic achievements and fame; it also demands management experience and a deep understanding of NASA's culture."

After reading the report, Dobrynin chuckled, "Ha, NASA culture? A culture of learning how to fail? I wish Randolph had that culture too."

Of course, it cannot be ruled out that some tabloids, in order to attract attention, described Lin Ran's actions as a major victory for Soviet Russia.

"NASA's replication of the 1950s Julius network"

Julius Rosenberg was an electrical engineer who, during World War II and the early Cold War, used his social connections to establish an information network that provided sensitive information, particularly information related to Manhattan, to the Soviet Union.

Internally, the Soviet Union named it "Enormoz," while America called it the Julius network.

This included Oscar Seibor, an electrical engineer at the Los Alamos Laboratory who was involved in research on the atomic bomb detonation trigger device and fled to the Soviet Union in 1951.

Theodore Hall, the youngest physicist at Los Alamos, codenamed "Mlad," contacted the Soviet Union in late 1944 to provide information on the development of plutonium bombs.

Klaus Fox, a German-born English physicist, participated in the Manhattan Project starting in 1943. He provided the Soviet Union with crucial information on the design of the atomic bomb, including implosion technology and details of early research on the hydrogen bomb.

"The shadow of Julius's network has reappeared, and Soviet conspiracies have resurfaced."

Back in the 1950s, Julius Rosenberg and his network of connections sold atomic bomb secrets to the Soviet Union, an act that shocked the entire nation.

Now, history seems poised to repeat itself in an even more dangerous way. Professor Lin's appointment could very well be a replica of the Julius network at NASA, concealing a cunning conspiracy by Soviet Russia.

Professor Lin had several public contacts with Korolev, but no third American knew about their conversations, and his whereabouts and motives were chilling.

"With the Cold War raging, NASA was America's strategic bulwark against the Soviet Union." Renowned commentator William Buckley angrily warned, "Putting a scientist of questionable background into the director's seat is tantamount to handing our space program over to the Soviet Union!"

He denounced the move as a foolish compromise under the guise of political correctness, completely ignoring the fundamental bottom line of national security.

Professor Lin's minority status has been a focal point of recent controversy. Amid the clamor of the civil rights movement and social unrest, conservatives argue that President Johnson's move is merely a political tactic to pander to minority voters, rather than a deliberate choice based on loyalty.

"What America needs are leaders who are loyal to the nation, not outcasts who may be plotting against foreign enemies! Professor Lin's background is disturbing, and his loyalty must be thoroughly questioned!" William Barkley said.

Senator Barry Goldwater stated bluntly: 'NASA must never become a playground for Soviets! Professor Lin's appointment greatly amplifies this possibility and is a blatant provocation against our national security!'

As the core of the space program, NASA possesses countless cutting-edge technologies and military secrets. If Professor Lin had shown even a hint of sympathy for the Soviet Union and socialism, these secrets would likely have fallen into enemy hands, causing America's defeat in the space race. While Professor Lin never explicitly expressed sympathy for socialism, he repeatedly demonstrated his identification with Chinese culture. This cultural connection transcended time and geographical limitations, leading him to transfer NASA's advanced technology to China out of compassion for his compatriots, indirectly causing America's technology to fall into Soviet hands.

"The Soviet Union has long coveted our technology," lamented former NASA official John Smith. "Professor Lin's behavior is exactly like that of Juliusic networks; we must not let the tragedy of the 1950s repeat itself!"

Conservatives who followed the late Senator Joseph McCarthy were particularly outraged.

Dobrynin thought to himself, "If only the professor were Julius."

The Soviet Union could have declared itself the winner in the space race much earlier.

"Could we make a fuss and imply that Professor America has connections to Soviet Russia?"

"Make some ambiguous statements, give them some false impressions, and slow down their progress on the moon," Dobrynin thought to himself.

Despite the various unpleasant incidents that occurred between the Soviet Union and America during the Kennedy era, the overall tensions between them had eased considerably.

Lyndon Johnson's views on the Cold War are now clearly very different from Kennedy's.

The Soviet Union also realized that the previous easing of tensions was unlikely to continue, and that the two sides would have to engage in real combat.

So they must be trying to make things difficult for the other party.

In fact, the Soviet Union had always had a similar idea, which was to find evidence that afforestation was related to them.

However, Korolev disagreed, believing that this would cause truly top talents to leave us.

Soviet Russia did not have the concept of "winning people over with virtue," but there was a similar proverb: "We should not take by force, but win by goodwill."

Alexander Nevsky's benevolent diplomacy, and Tolstoy's portrayal of Kutuzov in "War and Peace," also illustrate that they have such a cultural tradition.

After Lin Ran's convex optimization paper helped the Soviet Union achieve the first soft landing on the moon, this view gradually gained the upper hand.

Therefore, the Soviet Union never caused Lin Ran any trouble.

Dobrynin shook his head helplessly, knowing that his proposal would certainly not be approved by Moscow.

After all, Mrs. Koroly was in Moscow, while he could only communicate by telephone or telegram.

Rather than causing trouble for Lin Ran, Lin Ran is going to cause trouble for Dobrynin.

"Ding ding ding~ ding ding ding~"

After a full day of activities, Dobrynin was about to lie down and rest when he returned to the embassy in the evening, but the phone in his room kept ringing.

It should be noted that this phone number was his private number, and very few people knew about it.

Even fewer people would call him at this time.

Dobrynin slowly got out of bed.

"Hello, Dobrynin."

"Hello, I'm V."

A strange voice came from the other end of the phone, and Dobrynin, who had been somewhat confused, immediately snapped out of it: "Guy Fox, that V?"

Dobrynin was unaware of this English anecdote.

In recent months, V has frequently appeared on the front page of newspapers, with his image and stories appearing everywhere.

His fame rivals that of Jack the Ripper.

In addition, America is frantically shifting the blame.

Hoover had no desire to be blamed for assassinating Kennedy.

Therefore, the Warren Commission, which was in charge of the investigation, would occasionally release information implying that Kennedy's death was related to V, and that V had orchestrated this whole charade.

However, they couldn't figure out exactly how much information V had.

Therefore, they dared not make any definitive statements, but instead used evidence and logic to guide public opinion toward V.

Dobrynin thought of the name almost immediately.

The mysterious V called on an ordinary night in such a mysterious way. Doesn't that make sense?
"Hello Mr. V, it's nice to receive your call."

(End of this chapter)