Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 204 Before the War Machines Start (4.2k)

As time went on, Lin Ran knew very well that he would see more and more familiar things appear.

Cars, airplanes, electronic devices, etc.

He is also well aware of the changes he has brought to this era.

From the very first day after obtaining the "door," he never worried that he would completely alter this timeline.

Therefore, the appearance of a portable calculator ahead of time did not surprise him.

But the surprise John Morgan mentioned made Lin Ran immediately guess that this thing came from China.

Because of its screen, this calculator's screen is significantly different from those of currently popular display devices.

And the Raspberry Pi he supplied to China happened to include LEDs.

He didn't need to hide anything from John Morgan.

Even when he told John Morgan that he was working for China and passing on information to China, he was still doing so.

John Morgan would first say "well said," and then try to cover it up for him, earnestly telling him that these kinds of things are just for fun between the two of us in private, and that he shouldn't let it slip outside.

The reason is simple: without Lin Ran, who would guarantee John Morgan's interests at NASA? These are his interests, and they don't completely overlap with the Morgan family's.

Without Lin Ran, he would naturally be missing a powerful ally in the internal competition within the Morgan family.

In the America system, Lin Ran can be considered a player of considerable importance.

From a strategic and political perspective, Lin Ran could even be said to have transcended the role of a pawn and was already transforming into a chess player.

If Lin Ran were to perish, John Morgan would feel the pain; the connection of interests is far more reliable than feelings.

So after Lin Ran said that this thing came from China, John Morgan was first surprised, and then he clapped: "You guessed right!"
The professor is indeed omnipotent and omniscient.

Lin Ran stroked the device, seemingly able to feel the pioneering spirit and hard work of Chinese researchers emanating from this advanced electronic device.

"It's only a surprise if it comes from China."

If it were just General Electric that developed this device, it wouldn't be a surprise to me, since I don't own any General Electric stock.

However, for IBM, it was a pleasant surprise, albeit a small one.

John Morgan shook his head: "No, it's a shock to Watson."

Watson is the CEO of IBM.

After pondering for a moment, Lin Ran asked, "How much does one unit cost?"

John Morgan said, "It costs $5,000 per unit. The Chinese side will cover after-sales service, and they need to guarantee after-sales service for any malfunctions. The handover will take place in Hong Kong."

Lin Ran thought that, given the current market demand, selling tens of thousands of units a year should not be a problem. For China, that foreign exchange could do a lot of things.

"I understand." Lin Ran didn't say anything more.

Although he could say anything to John Morgan without fear of being betrayed, Lin Ran would not do that.

Just because it doesn't happen now doesn't mean it never will.

Never say forever.

Lin Ran continued, "Is America about to launch a large-scale landing in Baiyue?"

John Morgan nodded: "Yes, basically all the material preparations are already in full swing."

The supplies were being transported ship by ship to places like Saigon and Da Nang.

The training bases in Can Tho and Nha Trang should be overflowing with supplies.

War is a source of suffering for some, but a source of celebration for others.

John Morgan clearly belongs to the latter category.

When the other person uttered geographical terms like Saigon, Da Nang, Can Tho, and Nha Trang, Lin Ran felt a sense of bewilderment, as if they were reciting a list of dishes.

As a Chinese, he only knew about Saigon.

"Sigh." Lin Ran didn't say much, just let out a long sigh.

He knew that war would not be swayed by individual will.

When everyone is ready to make a fortune in this war, from officers to capitalists, nothing can stop them.

Kennedy was no good, let alone him.

Although Lin Ran didn't want to see bloodshed, and didn't want to see one group of people making a fortune from the suffering of another group of people.

But this is the naked truth of how the world works.

"I actually guessed it. Richard Kershoff, who is in charge of Transit at the Department of Defense, is getting more and more anxious and comes to talk to me about the system from time to time."

They even considered outsourcing the launch of Transit-related satellites to NASA.

I knew it; America's massive war machine was about to start moving.

The cold wind howled outside.

The Stars and Stripes hangs behind the president's desk, and the portrait on the wall seems to be gazing at history.

Lin Ran never felt comfortable coming here because the cigar smell was too strong.

No matter when you come, the place always smells strongly of cigars.

It's simply a matter of whether it has just finished burning or is still burning.

“Professor, sit down,” Johnson’s voice was deep. “Tell me, what good news has NASA had lately?”

After sitting down, Lin Ran said, "Mr. President, the Apollo program is progressing smoothly. Our engineers are perfecting the Saturn V rocket, and we expect to conduct its first unmanned test this year."

More importantly, the Gemini program has paved the way for us—just last month, Gemini 4's Ed White completed our first spacewalk, demonstrating our ability to operate in orbit.

We are confident that we will achieve a solo manned lunar landing before the Soviet Union and Russia.

Compared to Soviet Russia, our plan was a complete, comprehensive, and reliable one.

Clearly, after Gagarin's moon landing, although America's propaganda machine was activated and the media of the liberal camp cooperated, it was promoted as a model of US-Soviet cooperation during the Cold War and a perfect embodiment of the spirit of peace.

Everyone won; no one lost.

But this couldn't stop the dissatisfaction of opponents and conservatives.

Lyndon Johnson needed to achieve an independent manned lunar landing before 1968, before the end of his term.

The White House's original needs were for the 60s, that is, before 1969.

However, because there had already been a successful experience, the timeline was moved forward by one year.

Lyndon Johnson had already begun to fantasize about landing on the moon during his term, waging a perfect war against the Baiyue people, and gaining the upper hand in the Cold War.

He stole two years from Kennedy, then served eight more years himself, for a total of ten years as president, becoming one of the greatest presidents in American history and successfully ascending to Capitol Hill.

He had already begun to fantasize. A moon landing was an essential part of that.

Then Lin Ran must be supported; no one in the world is more suitable than Lin Ran to be the NASA administrator.

“Well done, Professor. The White House trusts you completely, and we will give you all our support!” Lyndon Johnson said. “Besides this, is there anything else you need to report?”
I remember calling you yesterday, and you said you had a huge plan that needed my approval.

Lin Ran’s tone was both cautious and enthusiastic: “Mr. President, I would like to talk about the future of space exploration.”

The Apollo program was our response to the Soviet moon landing and a testament to America's technological prowess, but it also revealed a problem.

Each Saturn V launch costs hundreds of millions of dollars, and these rockets can only be used once—it's like throwing a brand-new airplane into the ocean.

Johnson frowned, his cigar pausing in his hand. "Professor, I know it's costly, but it's a necessary expense for the moon landing."

“Completely agree, Mr. President,” Lin Ran nodded. “Landing on the moon is our primary goal. But once we achieve this goal, we need to plan for the future.”

If we want space exploration to become the norm, whether it's building a space station, exploring Mars, or other missions, we must reduce the cost of accessing space.

Therefore, I would like to propose that NASA invest in the research and development of a completely new technology—reusable rockets.

Johnson raised an eyebrow, a hint of doubt in his eyes. "Reusable rockets? What do you mean? You mean to let the rocket fly back and be used again?"

“Exactly, sir,” Lin Ran said firmly. He opened a folder and took out a simple sketch depicting a rocket landing on the ground. “Our idea is to design a rocket that can send a payload into orbit, then safely return to Earth, be inspected, and launch again. In this way, the cost of each launch could be only one-tenth of what it is now.”

Johnson took the blueprints, squinted at them for a moment, and said with a still doubtful tone, "This sounds like science fiction, Professor. Can this really work?"

Lin Ran leaned forward, his eyes shining brightly. "Mr. President, our scientists and engineers have conducted theoretical studies and believe it is feasible."

General Dynamics has proposed a concept called 'Nexus,' a fully reusable launch vehicle capable of sending hundreds of tons of payload into orbit.

Furthermore, Wernher von Braun had proposed a similar idea as early as the 1950s, and his 'ferry rocket' design also provided us with inspiration.

Johnson put down the blueprints, leaned back in his chair, and the smoke from his cigar swirled in the air: "Professor, I believe this is theoretically feasible. I believe your proposal. If you think it will work, the White House will seriously consider it."

In terms of public opinion, no one in the world understands aerospace better than Lin Ran.

Especially after reporters exposed that during the lunar return process, Moscow transferred command authority to NASA, with Lin Ran personally directing Gagarin's return to Earth, this view gained worldwide recognition.

The upcoming visit of Gagarin to America, including an exclusive interview with Lin Ran on CBS in New York, has generated considerable anticipation around the world.

People want to hear more non-technical details about the moon landing.

This will also be Gagarin's first trip abroad since his recovery and recuperation.

Lyndon Johnson paused, his tone becoming serious, "But Professor, we're going all out on Apollo right now, and the budget is already stretched thin. You know how much money NASA has been burning through in recent years."

Those guys in Congress aren't going to hand over their money to new projects easily.

Lin Ran was well-prepared; his voice was steady and persuasive.

My purpose in coming here is to burn through America's budget as much as possible.

Otherwise, what are we here for? To provide technical assistance to America?

Reusable rockets, like SpaceX's reusable rockets, were not even visible to other commercial entities or national space organizations in 2020.

At this point, Lin Ran needed to utilize NASA's resources to develop reusable rocket technology.

This is rare; in the current space-time research and development, there are no technical difficulties. On the contrary, due to the fully developed investment in space, it has an advantage.

The technology that can be used after returning to the 2020 timeline.

This was also Lin Ran's first test of his abilities in this era after he had seized power.

"I fully understand the budgetary pressures, Mr. President. But allow me to put it another way: Apollo was a sprint with the goal of landing on the moon; but space exploration is a marathon."

To ensure our space leadership for decades to come, we need to lay the foundation for next-generation technologies now.

Reusable rockets not only save costs, but also give us an advantage in both commercial and military fields.

Johnson's gaze shifted between Lin Ran and the blueprints as he fell into deep thought.

The grandfather clock in the office ticked away, and time seemed to slow down at that moment.

Finally, Johnson spoke up: "You're right, Professor. But how difficult is this technology? How much time will it take?"

After all, Lin Ran's reputation speaks for itself.

Johnson was well aware that Lin Ran would never make demands that were difficult for him to fulfill.

There are many people at NASA who understand technology, but very few who understand politics.

In Johnson's view, even someone like von Blaine, who came from Germany, could only be considered politically competent.

Johnson watched the entire face-to-face interview between Lin Ran and Korolev on the BBC, as well as his interview with Korolev in the New York Times, which he also read word for word.

Johnson knew that Lin Ran's statement conveyed a call for peace, a disdain for Soviet Russia, and a sycophancy towards the White House.

Therefore, Johnson considered Lin Ran to be a politician no less capable than himself.

If the person was white and of American descent, Johnson even believed that the person would become president sooner or later.

Lin Ran smiled; he knew Johnson's interest had been piqued.

"There are indeed technical challenges, such as thermal protection during rocket reentry, precise landing systems, and rapid refurbishment processes."

But our team has identified the key areas and believes these problems can be solved.

As for timing, if we start investing now, given NASA's capabilities, we could likely have a usable prototype within ten years.

Johnson nodded, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. "Ten years, hmm... that's not a short time."

He paused for a moment: "What about Congress? They won't like to hear that NASA has to spend a lot of money again."

Lin Ran had a plan: "Mr. President, we can start on a small scale, such as funding a technology verification project or developing a recyclable first-stage booster."

This approach requires a smaller initial investment but can prove the feasibility of the concept and garner more support in the future.

Johnson said slowly, "That's one way. Let me discuss it with my advisors and see how much budget we can squeeze out."

Lin Ran solemnly replied, "Thank you, Mr. President. I believe this will be a wise investment in America's space program, ensuring that we always lead the way in the cosmos."

Johnson waved his hand, indicating that he could leave, but his eyes held a thoughtful look.

Lin Ran did not leave the White House, but went to Eisenhower Building instead.

McNamara was waiting for him in his office.

"Professor, America's massive war machine is about to start moving."

Lin Ran's expression remained unchanged.

"Professor, I've reserved an advisor position for you in the operations command center. I call it an advisor because you usually have limited time, but in reality, whenever you come to the White House, your authority is no less than mine."

Would you be willing to take on a consultant role?

(End of this chapter)