Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 283 The Beginning of the Qin King's Unification of the Six Kingdoms (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

"Mr. Lei, it's not that I don't want to agree, I know there are no legal risks, but there are moral risks!" Lin Ran politely declined.

This is definitely legally compliant, since it involves money registered under someone's name, which is something few people have done before.

But morally speaking, didn't Huawei consider this risk? They were thinking that we had a deep cooperative relationship, and because we were in the same boat, we could cooperate closely in areas such as operating systems, databases, and industrial software. So they didn't make the terms so rigid.

As a result, I immediately partnered with Xiaomi, which was morally wrong.

Mr. Lei said indignantly, "Mr. Lin, I think you are overthinking it."

Is it wrong for you to personally authorize Xiaomi to earn money to improve your and your family's life?
As I mentioned before, we always emphasize internally that we should always believe in the possibility of good things happening. Similarly, everyone has the right to pursue a better life! Even if Huawei knows this, there's nothing they can say.

This is by no means a moral issue.

I guarantee that the price I offer you personally will not be lower than Huawei's.

Lin Ran said softly, "Huawei has 40 billion a year."

Lei Jun chuckled and said, "We do have our own financial difficulties and can't compare with Huawei, but our sincerity is absolutely full. We will give you the full price of the additional features in all our subsequent Lin Ran co-branded products."

For example, our flagship Xiaomi 10 Ultra last year had a starting price of 5299. Our Lin Ran co-branded edition has a starting price that is 500 higher than that. The total price will be the sum of the number of units sold multiplied by 500.

The same principle applies to the Xiaomi car we expect to release the year after next; the entire markup will be passed on to you.

Lin Ran squinted and said, "President Lei, are you making a fool of me?"

No, this is tantamount to taking money from my fans or personal supporters and giving it to me. Why should I cooperate with you? Can't we sell moon landing souvenirs ourselves? You're just gaining fame for no reason.

When Lei realized he couldn't fool the young man in front of him, and that the young man had actually realized something was wrong during the conversation and hadn't fallen into any traps, he knew he would have to pay up this time. "10 billion, authorization period of five years, and we will give you another one-time authorization fee of 10 billion, with the above conditions remaining unchanged."

After listening, Lin Ran sighed, "I'm tempted, Mr. Lei, but unfortunately I'm not short of money."

From a purely financial perspective, what didn't he enjoy in the 60s? What didn't he eat and use? He genuinely wasn't interested in money.

In the modern era, his salary and bonuses from various sources are more than enough for him.

Hong Kong's wealthy have various foundations that reward scientific achievements, and the total prize money awarded to Lin Ran by these foundations alone is close to ten million.

After politely declining, as Mr. Lei left the Apollo Technology headquarters, he looked at the building behind him and thought to himself, "Why are young people these days so hard to fool? It's no wonder that not having an alumni connection doesn't work."

Lin Ran refused. Aldrin was not short of money; he was truly not short of money. He was practically on his deathbed, yet he still managed to snag fifty million dollars from Tencent. Lei Jun couldn't find anyone else to help him.

However, this doesn't mean Xiaomi doesn't have a Plan B. There's still Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon. Although Armstrong has passed away, it doesn't mean his business operations have stopped.

Before his death, Armstrong granted commercial rights to his personal image to the Purdue Research Foundation, an institution of Purdue University where he had studied. The Purdue University Foundation, in turn, entrusted the commercial management of his personal image to GMC, a professional agency specializing in celebrity commercial image management.

As for launching a special edition product featuring Armstrong's moon landing, and being called a traitor to the US, is that a problem? Lin Ran was able to take Aldrin to the moon and help NASA plant the flag on the moon, so what's wrong with me paying tribute to the first person to walk on the moon?
They'll wash all the rice noodles for me.

However, Lei Jun was still quite disappointed. He couldn't even convince a young man in his early twenties. Had his persuasive (or deceptive) skills declined? He should hurry back to the company to rehearse his speech to avoid failing to impress Mi Fans at the special moon landing edition launch event.

"Professor Lin, I have good news for you." The person on the other end of the phone was Shing-Tung Yau, a leading figure in Chinese mathematics. He spends most of his time on Tsinghua University's Tsinghua BBS, dedicated to making it a mathematical mecca that surpasses Yenching University.

When Lin Ran was just starting out in the mathematics world, Shing-Tung Yau took notice of this young man.

When the first paper was published, he sent someone to contact Lin Ran, hoping to recruit Lin Ran to Tsinghua University and add another important member to the Yau Shing-Tung Mathematics Center.

From a thesis perspective, Lin Ran's first draft posted on Arxiv was incredibly rigorous, which is what is called beauty in mathematics.

Of course, he also felt that Lin Ran did have a chance to win the Fields Medal. Once a young teacher from Tsinghua University won the Fields Medal, at least in terms of public opinion, Tsinghua University would immediately surpass Peking University. With three Fields Medals, and Peking University's golden generation leaving one after another, what could Peking University compare with?

That was his plan, but Lin Ran declined at the time, and Qiu Chengtong didn't feel sorry about it.

However, Lin Ran's speed later made him regretful. He should have persisted a little longer at the beginning. If he had just persisted a little longer and recruited Lin Ran, what would Yanda University have to do now? Yanda University would have to take a backseat.

There's no need to go to the moon; going to the moon has nothing to do with mathematics.

The fact that the twin prime conjecture has been completely solved is already a top-tier achievement, one that surpasses Yenching University's achievements by twenty years.

Thinking of this, he sighed inwardly on the other end of the phone, wondering why he always missed out on talented people.

"Professor Qiu, please speak," Lin Ran said politely over the phone.

This made Shing-Tung Yau slightly displeased. How could a junior like him not address me with a respectful "you"? However, he didn't pay too much attention to it: "You have won this year's Fields Medal. The award committee asked me to inform you and hope that you can come to the ceremony to receive the award."

Don't say that Qiu wouldn't be so certain. If it were someone else, they would call to tell you that you have a high chance of winning, but Qiu would definitely say directly that you have won, without beating around the bush.

After all, he was the kind of person who corresponded with his students and could directly say in his letters that Zhou Weiliang's mathematics might be better than Chen Xingshen's. He didn't care at all that his criticism of his teacher might be known, so how could he possibly evade the issue of winning the Fields Medal?

(His student Ji Lizhen wrote a book called "A Century of Scientific Past - Interviews with Yang Zhenning", which angered Qiu. How could you tell what I told you in private?)

P.S.: Whether or not this was said privately is a Rashomon-like situation, as Ji has not presented any evidence.
The committee and Qiu said it was highly likely that he would win the award. But then again, in Qiu Chengtong’s view, if completely solving the twin prime conjecture could not win the award, then what could?

Lin Ran asked in confusion, "Isn't this year's International Congress of Mathematicians being held online?"

Yau Shing-Tung said, "That's true, but you still have to go to the venue to receive the award."

This year's awards ceremony was originally scheduled to be held in St. Petersburg, Russia, but due to the war, the location was changed to Helsinki, Finland.

"I'm sorry, I can't go to the event in person. I can only receive the award online remotely," Lin Ran said.

Yau Shing-Tung asked in confusion, "Why?"

“I’m afraid my personal safety will be compromised. You should know very well that America sees me as a thorn in its side right now. If I go there, the first thing the Finnish side might do after I win the award is to extradite me to America for trial,” Lin Ran said frankly.

Yau Shing-Tung was speechless: "I've already asked for you. The International Congress of Mathematicians Committee will guarantee your safety and ensure you can return to Yanjing."

Lin Ran still refused: "Sorry, I don't trust them, and they can't refuse America either."

Lin Ran thought to himself, "What are you talking about? Can the mathematicians refuse the White House? Even the Finnish government can't refuse it, okay?"

Yau Shing-Tung didn't seem to care: "Okay, you've made your decision, then I'll reply to them like this."

He didn't believe that the International Congress of Mathematicians would refuse to award the prize to Lin Ran just because Lin Ran wasn't there.

Mathematics is ultimately a field where results speak for themselves, and Lin Ran's achievements are undeniable. These are the greatest achievements in number theory in the last twenty years, and going back further, only Fermat's Last Theorem can be compared to them.

The Fields Medal can't ignore each other.

Although it was already night, the launch site was still as bright as day under the searchlights, and the rocket gleamed under the lights, like a sharp sword pointing to the stars.

If it's small, it's a sword; if it's a bit larger, it's a tower.

This reusable rocket, built by Apollo Technologies, is about to face its ultimate test: an orbital test flight.

The mission objective is to send a Chinese space satellite named "Xianfeng" into a low Earth orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 350 kilometers, and simultaneously recover the first stage to verify its reusability.

This satellite, jointly developed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, carries experimental equipment for new communication technologies.

"Each group reports its status." Li Rui succeeded last time, so there will be no replacement.

When they go on business trips to Wenchang, ordinary employees receive a daily allowance of 200 yuan, while grassroots managers like Li Rui receive 300 yuan.

Unmarried young people are happy to come to Wenchang for business trips.

"The propulsion system is normal, all seven YF-102 engines are on standby, and the thrust vector control has been calibrated," Li Bin replied.

He paid particular attention to the No. 4 engine, which experienced a brief fluctuation during static ignition testing. Although the issue had been resolved, he remained highly vigilant.

"Fuel loading complete. Liquid oxygen and kerosene fully loaded, mixing ratio 2.6:1," the fuel engineer reported, his voice tinged with excitement.

Because he knew that today's fuel systems would withstand a longer combustion test.

"The navigation and control system is online, the grid fins and landing legs have been checked, and the response time is better than 100 milliseconds." The grid fin control algorithm designed by Xiao Zhang's group performed excellently in suborbital testing, and today he hopes to prove its reliability again under higher speeds and more complex conditions.

"Payload system normal, 'Pioneer' locked, solar panels and communication modules ready," the payload engineer confirmed.

Li Rui nodded and turned his gaze to the window.

The rocket stood majestically on the launch pad, the nozzles of the YF-102 engine gleaming under the lights.

"Start the countdown," Li Rui ordered.

"Countdown begins, T minus 60 seconds." The announcer's voice echoed through the loudspeaker.

On the main screen, real-time images and data streams of the rocket are updated simultaneously, displaying thrust, pressure, temperature, and trajectory parameters.

"T minus 10, 9, 8..."

Xiao Zhang stared intently at the grid fin control panel, his heart pounding. He wasn't sure if the grid fins could still handle the high-altitude wind shear perfectly.

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1—Ignition!"

Seven YF-102 engines ignited simultaneously, flames shooting out of the nozzles, and a tremendous roar shook the control room.

The screen showed that the total thrust quickly climbed to 5845 kN, and the rocket slowly left the launch pad, breaking through the night and piercing the starry sky.

"The rocket has left the tower!"

Most of the engineers in the control room had their eyes fixed on the main screen, where the thrust curve was stable, the seven engines were working together, and the thrust was evenly distributed.

"Thrust vector control is normal, and all engine parameters are within the expected range," Li Bin said in a low voice. This time, the thrust curve of engine number four was correct.

"Altitude 12 kilometers, speed 600 meters per second, approaching maximum dynamic pressure," the controller continued to report.

The rocket continued its ascent, breaking through the clouds, its speed gradually increasing. The atmosphere in the control room was tense yet orderly; everyone was busy at their posts, monitoring the rocket's every move.

“The structural load is normal according to Max Q,” Li Bin confirmed.

"Altitude 80 km, speed 2.3 km/s, preparing for first stage separation."

"Execute the separation," Li Rui ordered.

"Level 1 shutdown, separation confirmed!" the controller reported.

The screen displays the separation of the first and second stages, the ignition of the second stage, and the continued acceleration towards the orbit.

The main screen is split in two, with one half displaying the return trajectory of the first level and the other half tracking the ascent of the second level.

"Second-stage engine is normal, thrust 922 kN (vacuum), orbit insertion in progress," Li Bin reported, turning his gaze to the second-stage data.

Meanwhile, the return of the first level became the focus.

"The first level reaches its peak and begins to descend."

"Execute booster return sintering, using engines number one, four, and seven, with the throttle valve adjusted to 60%," Li Bin decisively stated.

The YF-102 engine's throttling capability allows for precise thrust control. With all three engines ignited, the trajectory of the first stage is adjusted to return it to the launch site.

"Boost return sintering begins!"

The screen showed that the three engines ignited, flames shot out, and the rocket's speed dropped rapidly.

"Expand the grille fins!" Xiao Zhang shouted, his fingers flying across the keyboard.

The screen shows the grille fins unfolding from their folded state and adjusting their angle to cope with high-altitude wind shear.

Xiao Zhang kept a close eye on the control data. The response time of the grid fins was within 80 milliseconds, and the algorithm adjusted the rocket's attitude in real time.

"At an altitude of 50 kilometers and a speed of 1.5 kilometers per second, it enters the atmosphere."

Suddenly, the telemetry data on the screen flickered, and the signal was briefly interrupted.

"Telemetry lost!" the communications officer shouted.

Li Rui's heart was racing. God, don't play me! The orbital test went wrong, and Jiaotong University's communication satellite exploded along with it. He wouldn't be the scapegoat, but he certainly wouldn't get away with it either.

"What's going on? Restore it immediately!" he commanded, trying to remain calm as the worst-case scenario flashed through his mind: the loss of signal could lead to a first-level loss of control.

"Switch to the backup channel!" the communications officer quickly operated, and a few seconds later the data stream was restored: "Telemetry has been restored; it may be upper-level ionospheric interference."

Li Rui slowly exhaled: "Continue monitoring, and make sure there are no more accidents."

As the first stage continued its descent, the grille fins, responding to a sudden crosswind, deviated slightly from their trajectory.

"The grid fins are compensating and adjusting the control parameters," Xiao Zhang reported. His algorithm quickly adjusted, and the trajectory was realigned.

"Height 10 kilometers, speed 800 meters per second, ready to enter sintering."

"Start the sintering process, ignite all three engines, and adjust the throttle valve to 50%," Li Bin ordered.

Entering sintering is a unique step in the orbital test, used to mitigate the thermal load during the first stage's high-speed descent from high altitude.

"Sintering complete, height 1 km, speed 300 m/s, preparing for landing and sintering."

"Start landing sintering, ignite the central engine, and adjust the throttle valve to 70%," Li Bin continued to direct.

"Height 500 meters, 200 meters, 50 meters..."

"Landing!"

The screen showed that the first stage landed steadily in the center of the launch pad, with the landing legs firmly supporting the rocket.

There was a moment of silence in the control room, followed by a burst of enthusiastic cheers.

"First stage landing successful! Accuracy 32 centimeters!" Wang Lei reported excitedly. He pulled up the landing data, which showed that the rocket landed almost perfectly in the designated position: "Even more accurate than the last time!"

"What's the engine status?" Li Rui pressed.

"All engines are running normally without any abnormal fluctuations. The thermal protection system has some burn marks, but it is repairable," Li Bin replied with a hint of pride.

Li Rui nodded and turned to the second level of data: "What's the situation at the second level?"

"Level 2 has reached an orbital velocity of 7.8 km/s, an altitude of 350 km, and an orbital inclination of 28.5 degrees," the communications officer reported. "Prepare for payload deployment."

"Execute payload deployment sequence." Li Rui ordered, and the screen showed the second-stage payload bay door opening, with the Vanguard being ejected.

"Payload separation confirmed, satellite signal normal!" Li Rui said, looking at the symbols displaying the satellite status on the screen. "Solar panels deployed, communication module online."

Cheers erupted in the control room again. They did it! The first stage was successfully recovered, and the payload was successfully placed into orbit. It went much more smoothly than with Falcon 9.

“Check the landing accuracy and structural condition,” Li Rui said, trying to remain calm and conceal his inner excitement.

"The landing accuracy was 32 centimeters from the target point, and the thermal protection system and engine were in good condition," Wang Lei reported.

Li Rui turned to the team. "Well done! We've made history today, but this is just the beginning. Prepare a report using the template; I need to report this to the professor immediately!"

What's the first thing to do after successfully completing something? It's definitely to report to your supervisor.

Don't underestimate the leadership of leaders in private enterprises.

Everyone knows that Lin Ran is irreplaceable at Apollo Technology, and his authority is even greater than that of the founders of the internet.

Jack Ma may go overseas, and Dongzi may disappear, but Lin Ran is indispensable to Apollo Technology.

Li Bin led a small team of engineers toward the first landing stage.

The rocket stood on the launch pad, with some burn marks on its surface, but its overall structure was intact.

The landing legs provided stable support, and the grid fins remained deployed, demonstrating its excellent performance during high-speed descent from high altitude.

Xiao Zhang inspected the grille fins and found slight burning on one side, but it was still within the tolerance.

"The grid fins withstood the high-altitude wind shear and performed better than expected," he reported in a low voice.

Li Bin squatted down to inspect the engine nozzles and found that the thermal protection coating had peeled off slightly, but there was no structural damage.

"The engine is in good condition and can be refurbished and reused," he said. He added that everyone's conversation was recorded and transcribed into a more detailed report.

Wang Lei stood aside, staring at the satellite data on his handheld device: "'Pioneer's' telemetry data is perfect, and the orbital parameters are exactly as expected."

The headlines that day all said that Burning-1 had successfully completed its actual orbital test, and that Apollo Technology had achieved a national first and a global leader in the field of reusable rockets.

The 8-ton payload is less than the Falcon 9's 22 tons, but it is still unique in the world except for SpaceX, which is enough to make the Chinese feel proud.

At least from Blue Origin to Rocket Lab, from the European Space Agency to the Indian Space Research Organisation, whether it's a corporation or a government space agency, no one has ever done it.

Other organizations wouldn't even have the ability to replicate it.

"Five years? Half a year!"

"Apollo Technology is still the best. Falcon 9 failed several times before it finally succeeded, but Apollo's Burning 1 modification test was as easy as eating."

"Could the God of Burning be a reincarnation? Otherwise, how could he have never failed?"

After the Apollo moon landing was a success, Lin Ran's rebirth became a hot topic and even climbed into the top ten of Weibo's trending searches.

Numerous bloggers have attempted to prove that Lin Ran was reborn.

However, there is one question that cannot be explained: "If the God of Burning really came back from the dead, then why would he need to replicate the Apollo moon landing? Does this mean we will still be using 60s technology to land on the moon in the future? That future would be too terrifying."

However, this is just netizens joking around.

Song Nanping knocked on the door and then walked into Lin Ran's office.

Lin Ran had already informed Song Nanping and Shenhai about Pony's appointment at Apollo Technology.

It's not that Song Nanping is incapable, but he's already struggling to manage the existing scale, let alone expand to tens of thousands of people and span various aerospace fields.

Song Nanping takes this in stride, as he remains a senior executive.

He would naturally be a high-ranking executive in Lin Ran's faction.

Clearly, after Pony joins the company, he will recruit executives from his own faction according to his own preferences and working style. Lin Ran will definitely need to have his own people as well, otherwise, although he will nominally have control of the entire company, he will actually be sidelined.

This has nothing to do with his wishes. Pony has no such wishes. As long as there are more people in his faction, he will be put on a pedestal.

As the final winner of the NASA Palace Intrigue Battle Royale Competition, Lin Ran understood this principle even better.

Therefore, Song Nanping and Li Xiaoman, who have followed him through the entrepreneurial journey, definitely need to hold senior management positions to ensure their influence and right to know at the top.

"Professor, Shenhai asked me to inquire whether you are interested in acquiring all the companies developing reusable rockets in the market as a package?"

　Please give Crow a monthly vote!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)