Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 231 Something's Missing

For Lin Zhongqing, Lin Ran was full of suspicious points, but from the perspective of China, Lin Ran was actually quite transparent.

I worked on the Apollo moon landing project during my university years.

In America, she searched everywhere for information related to the Apollo moon landing.

Randolph Lin's biography can be found in archives and libraries related to NASA around New York City.

This includes Li Xiaoman's identity, using the Fabian Press as a pretext to access information in places that Chinese students studying abroad normally do not have the authority to do.

The Chinese side has investigated and clarified these matters over the past month or so.

Lin Ran was obsessed with the Apollo moon landing, which they considered a foregone conclusion.

It's not surprising that they were able to gather these old folks together; it's indeed, as Lin Ran said, a way for retired seniors to find new employment.

Someone else could probably do it too.

The only unusual thing about Lin Ran is that he is too talented.

However, with such a large country as China and such a long history, are there not enough geniuses?
Therefore, from China's perspective, the attitude towards Lin Ran is to cherish his talent. If you want to go to the moon, then we will give you certain support.

Use results to gain more support.

This applies not only to Lin Ran, but also to other scientists.

The reason Shi Yigong went to Westlake University is because he had already reached his limit in this game. He couldn't produce any more results, which meant he couldn't get any more support, so it ended there.

So he chose to break away from the old system and start afresh at Westlake University.

China's investment in Lin Ran was not particularly special in terms of money, but it was a strong support in other aspects.

If it were anyone else, it would be impossible to give these old Dengs work visas and let them come to China; the risk would be too great.

However, Lin Ran's words just now were unexpected for Song Nanping.

Let's rewind five minutes.

"Professor, you are indeed very knowledgeable about the Apollo moon landing, down to the smallest detail."

I agree with your point of view.

If it's just about sending people up there, China's current industrial strength certainly makes that possible.

But that doesn't mean you lack the ability to do this with just one billion; that's a skill not everyone possesses.

The two parties reached a cooperation agreement.

The entity currently responsible for the lunar landing is called Shenhai Chongming Island Apollo Technology Co., Ltd.

Why Chongming Island?

Because of the tax exemption policy here, registering a company is very convenient, and there are plenty of people there to help you with the process.

Many small and medium-sized enterprises choose to register a company on Chongming Island in order to avoid taxation.

Of course, after Shenhai Science and Technology Investment invests, you don't need to move from Chongming Island to other districts; Science and Technology Investment will simply follow suit according to the amount invested by Aldrin.

Both Ketou and Aldrin hold 49% of the shares, while Lin Ran holds 2%. Ketou transferred its voting rights to Lin Ran through a contract, which means that Lin Ran has control over the company.

In addition, Aldrin agreed to sign another agreement, which roughly stated that if they landed on the moon, regardless of whether they returned, the 49% stake would belong to Lin Ran.

This means that as long as his body goes up there, even if he dies on the moon, his inheritance, which is this 49% share, will all be left to Lin Ran.

However, Lin Ran didn't care, because it was just a shell after all.

After completing the moon landing, he was going to start something new anyway.

However, Lin Ran was satisfied with the attitude of the Chinese side represented by the Science and Technology Investment Group, thinking that the Chinese side was as generous as ever.

"Professor, is there anything else we can help you with?" Song Nanping asked politely.

Song Nanping was just being polite, but Lin Ran was much less polite and said:
"There really is."

Don't you think this recreation of the Apollo moon landing from the 60s is missing something?

Song Nanping felt a pang of doubt; he really couldn't think of anything missing: "Armstrong?"

Just kidding, you don't actually want us to bring Armstrong's remains back, do you?

Even if we wanted to, we couldn't do it. Armstrong was buried at sea, and his ashes were scattered in the Atlantic Ocean, Song Nanping thought to himself.

He felt that Lin Ran had a special affection for NASA during the Apollo moon landing period.

However, Lin Ran also made some mistakes.

Lin Ran said that NASA had a large number of employees and suppliers in the 60s.

The number of employees is unverifiable, but the number of suppliers can be found. There are clearly 70 suppliers, but Lin Ran says there are 67.

What he didn't know was that in the 60s, when Lin Ran lived, a company called General Aerospace was established, and General Aerospace merged with Glenn Martin.

This ripple effect resulted in only 67 companies.

“No, Soviet Russia is missing,” Lin Ran said softly.

A familiar name rang in Song Nanping's ears.

His eyes sharpened for a fleeting moment before softening again.

Soviet Russia was undoubtedly the best elder brother to China. Despite countless conflicts, big and small, the Soviet Union risked its life to help China explore the river.

"Crossing the river by feeling the big brother" is never a joke.

Song Nanping even received training in Soviet Russia in the 90s, so he can be said to have witnessed the final years of Soviet Russia firsthand.

That's why he was so sensitive to Lin Ran's words.

"Soviet Russia?"

"That's right, Soviet Russia."

The Soviet Union would not be complete without the moon landing.

Soviet Russia also needs a representative.

"Who?"

Yelena Gagarina

The first name was unfamiliar, but the surname was familiar.

"Gagalin's daughter?" Song Nanping asked after a moment's thought.

Lin Ran nodded and said, "That's right. As Gagarin's daughter, no one is more suitable than her."

"What is she doing?" Song Nanping asked.

Lin Ran said, "She has two responsibilities: being the person in charge of the canteen and helping to record the entire process. She is also responsible for the Russian audio recording of the subsequent documentary."

"She agreed?" Song Nanping asked in shock.

Although Song Nanping did not know what Yelena Gagarina was doing now, judging from her age and background, she was likely still in Russia and had a good social status.

Am I here to be a cafeteria worker?

A few days is enough for recording.

The cafeteria lady can work for at least a year, assuming everything goes smoothly.

Lin Ran replied matter-of-factly, "Of course, she's just waiting for China to give her a work visa. It's really not easy for foreigners to come here these days, otherwise I wouldn't need to ask you for help."

"No? How did you convince her?" Song Nanping couldn't hold back this time.

After receiving the mission, Song Nanping knew that he had to stay focused no matter what.

But when people can't hold back anymore, they really do break down.

As mentioned earlier, Lin Ran is very transparent in China.

Having thoroughly reviewed the files, Song Nanping felt that everything about Lin Ran could be explained.

But when Yelena appeared, Song Nanping felt that things were getting out of his control.

“A retired elderly person can find a new job and even do something like the moon landing, which is her father’s lifelong dream. What reason is there to refuse?” Lin Ran looked at Song Nanping with innocent eyes.

In fact, when Lin Ran collaborated with Gagarin on the moon landing in the 60s, before they participated in a CBS television interview in New York, he specifically asked Gagarin if he had recorded a message for his children before carrying out the mission.

Then, with these words, he broke through Yelena's psychological defenses in one fell swoop.

"My dearest Yelena and Galina, I am so sorry that I couldn't see you one last time before the moon landing, but I love you both deeply. Please remember that. Continue to study, love history and literature, stay healthy, face life with strength, and contribute to society. I will always be with you in spirit."

Song Nanping said speechlessly, "No, you can speak Russian?"

Lin Ran replied in Russian: "As a Jiaotong University student, Russian is a required course."

Song Nanping replied in Russian as well: "Professor, it's a pleasure to work with you."

When Song Nanping returned and checked the information, he was shocked to find that Yelena Gagarina had not retired or been laid off; she was still the director of the Kremlin Museum.

He simply couldn't imagine how Lin Ran had managed to persuade Yelena Gagarina.

However, it must be said that Yelena is indeed a very suitable candidate.

In addition to Russian, she is also fluent in English and Chinese.

Based on Song Nanping's experience, the other party would be well-suited for administrative work, especially providing psychological counseling to engineers.

"I really don't know what kind of magic Professor Lin possesses, but I believe I'll figure it out sooner or later," Song Nanping thought to himself.

This time it had nothing to do with work; it was purely out of personal curiosity—curious about how Lin Ran had managed to do it.

Exams are a part of a Chinese person's life.

It's hard to imagine that any Chinese person could do without taking an exam.

The vast majority of students who are admitted to Shanghai Jiao Tong University have never believed in the idea that they don't need to work hard once they get to university.

Especially now in 2020, information has never flowed like this.

Many students know what GPA, internships, lab work, papers, and social activities mean before they even enter school.

If this is a six-pointed star, most people only have enough energy to max out one or two of them.

Getting into Lin Ran's math class means you don't need to work on the six-pointed star; all you need to do is get high grades, plus Lin Ran's recommendation letter, and you'll be able to get into most universities with ease.

Having a bachelor's degree in mathematics and a recommendation letter from Lin Ran doesn't mean you're limited to pure mathematics. It opens doors to the currently popular computer science, the previously trending finance, or other STEM fields.

After the twin prime conjecture is proven, Lin Ran's status in the history of Chinese mathematics will be comparable to that of Chen Xingshen and Qiu Chengtong.

Therefore, it's easy to see how eager everyone is to apply for Lin Ran's math class.

The number of students at the Yau Mathematics Center is much larger than that of Lin Ran's Mathematics Class.

The more people there are, the more limited the resources each person receives, and Lin Ran's math class only has 20 students.

With 20 people, at least everyone will have the opportunity to communicate with Lin Ran one-on-one.

This is not a zero-sum game.

As long as everyone puts in the effort, Professor Lin will naturally notice.

Those who unfortunately ended up in fields like civil engineering, architecture, biology, or environmental science after the college entrance examination are especially eager to take this opportunity to change their fate.

By 20, chemistry and materials science had already begun to move away from the deep pit of biochemistry, environmental science, and materials science.

Can those majoring in "sinkholes" transform directly from Shudras to Brahmins through Lin Ran's Mathematics Class, and even become the highest-level Brahmins within Shanghai Jiao Tong University?

"No way, this is too despicable! Raising the paid threshold to 328?" Li Yiqing was browsing Zhihu when she saw an answer from "Xu Xian," a well-known blogger in the field of mathematics. She clicked on it and took a closer look, only to find that the price for a single consultation had increased from 99 yuan to 328 yuan.
Originally priced at 99 yuan, it was ignored. Li Yiqing remembers clearly that when Xu Xian first launched this feature, he would click in every few days to check it out, trying to figure out how much money his roommate could make from it.

When you're just having a meal, you need to calculate the table turnover rate, the average price per customer, the profit margin, the labor costs, the water, electricity, and fire protection costs, and finally, you need to calculate how much money the boss can make in a month.

When watching a performance, you need to calculate how much of the ticket sales were made, how much was distributed among the channels, and how much ultimately ended up in the hands of the performers.

When traveling, I always have to calculate how much the tourist attractions charge extra, and then I curse them under my breath for being greedy.

Calculating whether something is profitable or not is almost an instinct for Chinese people.

Li Yiqing was no exception.

He checked it every day at first.

Then it was weekly, then monthly, but I haven't paid attention to it for a long time now.

Because Zhihu bloggers, especially those in the niche and unusual field of mathematics, don't make money at all.

After Xu Xian activated this feature, she only received one order in a year.

It's not as profitable as tarot cards or relationship counseling.

This made Li Yiqing privately sigh, "Mathematics just doesn't make money."

This time, the number of paid users of 328 surprised him greatly, because it was only the total number, while the other party's total number had soared to more than three hundred.

Subtracting one from three hundred or more still results in three hundred or more.

With a unit price of 328, it means that Xu Xian made nearly 10 yuan from this deal.

"It's a case of one party willing to hit and the other willing to be hit."

"Those who are willing will take the bait; I'm not forcing anyone," Xu Xian said with a smile, secretly delighted.

"No, what are these people asking you? How can so many people pay at once?" Li Yiqing couldn't understand it at all. "Ask Ran Shen about his interesting high school stories?"
Even for independent media, it's impossible for more than 300 independent media outlets to interview you at once, right?
Shouldn't everyone consult one source first, and then have other self-media outlets repeatedly plagiarize the original interview transcripts until they're worn smooth and polished?

Are independent media outlets really that generous?

He was puzzled.

Seohyun cleared up his doubts: "Of course not."

What I'm selling is my understanding of mathematics, what I've learned throughout my life, and how I've paved the way for their success.

Li Yiqing said helplessly, "Speak like a human being."

Xu Xian said, "They want to know what Lin Ran will be tested on, and they want me to give them some advice on what kind of preparation is best."

Li Yiqing asked, "Holy crap, that's awesome, you really have a way."

Xu Xian said with a smile, "There's nothing I can do, it's all just a windfall."

It's because I am indeed a math major at Yenching University, and I also went to the same high school as Ran Shen.

Why was the first person to jump out on a public platform to say that he and Ran Shen were high school classmates?

The answer I gave that I bet Burning God could get Fields is still getting a lot of replies.

These are all natural traffic sources.

Then they'll see this and think, "Hey, can I ask this PhD student from Yenching University if he knows the senior student who's a 'burning god'?"

Once I keenly realized the market demand, I resolutely and decisively raised prices!
If not now, when?

I feel that if I spend wisely, I can earn back my living expenses for four years of PhD studies in one go.

This time, Li Yiqing was truly jealous.

Simply having a high school classmate like Ran Shen carrying you through the game isn't so bad, because you haven't even taken off yet. But to be able to easily win over Yuan Zi just by relying on that is just too much.

"How long would it take you to answer if you were alone?" Li Yiqing asked.

Seohyun said, "Ten minutes at most. If it's a junior with a sweet voice, I'll give her more time."

Add her on WeChat, take a look at her Moments; if she's also a sweet-looking girl, then I'll be a little more patient.

"Damn it, you're a real dog!" Li Yiqing cursed angrily, "Push a few of them for me!"

Xu Xian shook her head: "No, they want Ran Shen's high school classmate, not my status as a doctoral student at Yenching University."

Your identity is useless to me.

Li Yiqing pointed at Xu Xian and said, "No, how do you know it won't work if you don't try?"

Besides, their math skills—you can't give me pointers?

Xu Xian said quietly, "I'm talking to you now. Let me filter through them first."

I've already decided which of these girls, selected through my two rounds of screening, will be lucky enough to become a student in my Ran-ge math class.

In the future, I can use seeing Ran Ge as an excuse to meet up with him in person.

"I've met the girl, and I've met Brother Ran. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have Brother Ran help look after them?"

Li Yiqing: "You are too despicable."

Aren't you afraid that the God of Fire will steal your partner away?

Xu Xian shook her head: "Don't worry, Ran-ge is famous in our high school for not being interested in women. He's just not interested in them."

Li Yiqing didn't dwell on that, but instead asked, "Your guidance really worked? Do you really know what the math exam for Ran Shen's class will cover?"

Xu Xian replied matter-of-factly, "I don't know, but that doesn't stop me from giving them psychological support and relieving their tension."

328 for a ten-minute psychological massage, that's a reasonable price.

It's like buying yourself some psychological comfort.

Li Yiqing was speechless: "You're a real dog, 328 minutes is fine?"

For those who bought it, it was really a good deal.

After all, for students who are willing to spend this much money, 328 is really nothing.

The selection exam for Lin Ran's math class was held on the weekend.

Xu Xian's WeChat kept buzzing immediately after the exam ended.

“呜呜呜.jpg”

"Sigh.jpg"

"It's one thing for the God of Burning to be a god himself, but he really treats everyone else like gods."

"This is the first time I've ever seen such a bizarre exam."

"Tears streaming down my face.jpg"

The content posted by different female students was also different.

Some sent emojis, and some sent text.

Seohyun's fingers flew across the phone screen. She replied with text messages first, as text messages indicated that she was emotionally stable and rational. She would wait before replying with emojis.

He planned to find out the situation from these female students first, and then he could offer psychological support to the other female students who sent emojis.

"What's wrong? What's wrong?"

"No, the exam content is really insane."

"Is it too difficult? Well, Ran-ge is, after all, a rising Fields Medalist in China. Considering his reputation, this batch of students is all top-notch. Otherwise, they wouldn't have taken the exam together in their first and second years." Xu Xian's skillful series of moves demonstrated both his familiarity with Lin Ran and his analytical abilities.

"No

No one can finish it.
Don't say I can't finish.
Even if someone else were in charge, they still wouldn't be able to finish.
Can you imagine?
No exam papers will be distributed during the exam.
What was given was a booklet.
Then the exam questions above only included fill-in-the-blank questions.

No process required

Only the result is needed

Three hundred exam questions
The proctor told everyone before the exam

Although these three hundred questions are all fill-in-the-blank questions

The scores are not marked above.
However, this does not mean that all 300 questions will receive the same score.
There are some special editions inside.
These special editions will be scored separately.
This is equivalent to having regular scores and special scores.
Finally, calculate the total score: multiply the special score by 10 and add the regular score.
Neither the school nor Professor Lin expected everyone to finish it.
I hope everyone will treat this as a game and explore it to their heart's content.

Listen to this! Is this even human language?
Hearing this, how could anyone not specifically seek out special points?

The girl across from me seemed a bit emotionally unstable.

Seohyun realized she had misjudged the situation; maintaining emotional stability is inherently difficult for women.

"Okay, that's normal. After all, you said yourself that more than two thousand people from your entire school probably registered for the exam."

"What you need to do is not to get high scores, you just need to outperform everyone else."

"I believe you can do it."

Seohyun delivered what she thought was a brilliant three-hit combo.

Then came the fatal question: "Do you know how many questions I wrote?"

Seohyun first typed 20, then deleted it: "10?"

"3"

"Ah, this.jpg"

Xu Xian just found the "Ah Zhe" emoji in his armory and sent it out when he saw a big exclamation mark. He thought to himself, "Holy crap, you're using a double entendre with that '3', aren't you? You did 3 questions and then you '3' me."

"If you've deleted it, you've deleted it. The next one will be even better."

"Curious.jpg"

When the next junior sent an emoji, Seohyun naturally had to respond with one as well, so she found a cute cat emoji.

A pink little fist appeared in his green chat box.

"No, 300 questions with special mechanisms? This is the first time I've ever seen an exam like this. It's even more insane than the postgraduate entrance exam. I used to think the most insane math entrance exam was Fudan University's five-subject mixed exam. But what is Ran Shen testing? Is it luck or ability?" A long voice message came through.

Seohyun frowned. It was true that she liked listening to sweet girls' voices, but she didn't like listening to this long string of angry voices.

After listening with a furrowed brow, Qiang typed, "Actually, I think Brother Ran must have his own deeper meaning."

After all, we've been discussing for a long time why China failed to produce a Fields.

The first Fields Medalist turned out to be self-taught. If Ran Ge could become a Fields Medalist through self-study, he must have his own methodology. I suspect his exam format was designed to select students suited to his methodology.

Then a voice message came from the other end:
"No, you can't treat us like Japanese people. Even just indicating it would be much better. Isn't this just playing with us?"

Hearing this, Xu Xian pressed the voice button and said in a gentle voice, "Junior, don't worry, I'll go and find out what Ran Shen is thinking, and then I'll tell you."

He had just sent the message when another voice message came in: "According to you, the Burning God was trained by his Indian professor. Jiaotong University should have poached the Indian professor."

After the twin prime conjecture passed peer review, Lin Ran's Indian professor gave an interview to the BBC, boasting about his contributions, from selecting a promising young talent to how to fully unleash Lin Ran's potential, speaking as if he were an education expert.

The latest news Lin Ran heard before he left was that the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) planned to recruit him back as the dean of its School of Artificial Intelligence.

It's a case of one person benefiting and their entire family rising to prominence.

"awkward.JPG"

Xu Xian looked at the familiar red exclamation mark and could only smile bitterly: "Burning God, you've personally ruined my happiness."

(End of this chapter)