Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 314 The Rise of T

Rusk's trip to China did not yield the results the White House desired.

China was unable to provide the promises they wanted and was unable to obtain a ceasefire agreement in the Vietnam War.

Of course, it wasn't all for naught. The Chinese side reiterated that their assistance to North Vietnam would only extend to areas within the 17th parallel north.

Regardless of the war situation, whether North Vietnam has the advantage or the disadvantage, even if North Vietnam has the advantage and wants to launch a counterattack, China will not provide strategic support for North Vietnam to launch a counterattack beyond the 17th parallel north.

I reluctantly accepted what could be considered a consolation prize.

In terms of military supplies, in the past, because China was unable to do business with countries in the liberal camp and Hong Kong's local production capacity was severely insufficient, China could only provide high value-added products such as portable calculators.

They didn't even get to enjoy the benefits of port standardization reform. Now, the global port standards committee's standardization reform has only been carried out on Yokosuka Port, while the ports of Tokyo and Osaka are still excluded to this day.

During his tenure as Commanding Sergeant Major, he was investigated by Congress for alleged fraud and corruption amounting to more than $1.5 million annually, and for appointing businessman William Krum to monopolize all food supplies for the Sergeant's Club.

That wasn't the worst part. The worst part was that he colluded with William Krum to set up rigged slot machines in the sergeant's club, while William Krum also monopolized the slot machine business. Then Wooldridge encouraged army sergeants at the front to play the slot machines, swindling them out of all their wartime pay in one go.

America's Hundred-Yue Front Sergeant's Club was a simple wooden building with posters of beautiful women hanging on the walls.

The ceiling fan turned slowly, but it did little to alleviate the humid heat.

The jukebox in the corner is playing The Doors' "Light My Fire".

Behind the bar, a South Vietnamese bartender was skillfully mixing drinks, while the air was filled with the aroma of grilled meat spices.

According to a New York Times report, following Rusk's visit to China on September 10, the White House has decided that President Johnson will no longer seek a meeting with Kosygin. According to a compilation of relevant information, the White House made this decision based on a combination of factors.

Big T pulled the newspaper over his head and lamented, "Damn Johnson, he just decides he can't negotiate and then stops. How much longer do I have to stay on the front lines before I can get back to New York!"

Big T has been on the front lines of the Vietnam War for almost two years. As Fred's son, a favorite of frontline reporters, and a white German-American, even though he is not well-liked by Lyndon Johnson, he still enjoys certain benefits on the front lines.

After all, McNamara was a member of the Elephant Party, and Fred had never spoken ill of him in public, so he would take care of him to some extent.

Many non-commissioned officers, including those on the army front lines, also liked this young man who was good at boasting.

It's perfectly normal for young people to like to boast.

It's rare for such powerful and wealthy second-generation individuals to come to the front lines.

Therefore, Big T performed outstandingly in Operation Cedar and was promoted to corporal, and was able to regularly go to the sergeant's club to rest and recuperate.

Joe, Big T's friend on the front lines, walked over and snatched the newspaper from his head: "Hey T, we're in Saigon now, not New York. What are you doing reading the New York Times in Saigon?" Joe said after glancing at the newspaper.

"The New York Times does you no good at hiding from the monkeys that jump out of the jungle; it will only make you overthink and lose focus and concentration!"

If you ask me, since we're all here at the sergeant's club to relax, shouldn't we be finding some beautiful women to dance with, or going to play cards or slot machines?

After listening, Big T raised an eyebrow: "Joe, didn't I tell you? There's definitely something wrong with those slot machines!"

Those slot machines must have been tampered with; they're definitely not legitimate.

You know, when I was in New York, I studied under my godfather, who was a professor, you know, he studied mathematics.

Joe sighed and said, "My God, T, I've heard you say eight hundred times that Professor Eight Hundred is your godfather, how could I not know?"

To be precise, everyone here knows that Lin Ran is Big T's godfather; Big T's identity is no secret here.

He has a father who is a New York real estate developer and a congressman, and a Chinese-American godfather. These are all open secrets, given that reporters are always surrounding Big T.

"That's right, you know, the Godfather once taught me math himself. There's a subject in math called probability theory. From a probability theory perspective, I've specifically observed that no matter who plays this slot machine, the expected value is no more than one in half. There must be something wrong with that."

Slot machines in New York, Las Vegas, and San Francisco don't look like this.

Only the slot machines here are faulty.

The first slot machine was invented in New York in 1891. Later, in 1896, Charles Fee successfully developed the first commercially available slot machine in his machine shop in San Francisco.

Slot machines then became popular worldwide.

Joe put his glass on the bar and sighed: "Big T, are you the only one who knows there's a problem?"

While I may not understand expectation, I do know how to win. The odds of winning a small prize on those slot machines are less than one in ten. In the past three years, not a single big prize has been won. If we had won a big prize, we might not have noticed anything wrong with it. But in the past three years, how much money have we, the sergeants, put in? And not a single big prize has appeared. You don't even need to study probability theory to see the problem!

If those damn slot machines weren't connected to Wooldridge, we would have torn them down long ago, okay?
Moreover, what everyone needs is relaxation. With more and more sergeants dying, no one knows if they will survive the next battle. What everyone needs is the feeling of living a life of pleasure and oblivion. As for whether they can win money, nobody cares.

Embracing beautiful women in your arms, surrounded by them, enjoying the thrill of slot machines, even small prizes have a chance of winning, right?

Also, Big T, you keep saying there's something wrong with the slot machines, but nobody else says anything. Is it because we don't want to talk about it? No, it's because we're afraid to.

Your father is Fred, and Wooldridge wouldn't dare do anything to you, but if we did, we'd be sent to the most dangerous places on the front lines the next day.

You might be able to come back once, or even twice, but if you go to such a godforsaken place every time, who can guarantee that you'll come back?
We didn't have a professor teaching us math, but we have common sense; we just didn't want to offend Wooldridge.

When Joe spoke of Wooldridge, his voice was low, but the resentment in his tone was clear.

This was the first time Joe had talked about these things with Big T; no one had ever told Big T these things before.

Because even though Big T was a frontline soldier, they didn't consider him one of their own.

Now, with the deteriorating situation in the Vietnam War, in their eyes, as long as Big T can hold on to the front line and not be transferred, he's no longer one of their own.

Besides, it's the same principle: no one knows if they'll live to see the next day's sunrise, so there aren't as many concerns.

Big T frowned after hearing this. Woolderidge, hiding in headquarters, was making money off the soldiers who were fighting so hard on the front lines. Was he even human? Trying to swindle money from the front-line sergeants using such methods.

At the same time, Big T also realized that this was a golden opportunity.

He leaned close to Joe's ear and asked, "Could you help me with something big?"

Joe immediately became wary. "You dare to do it, but I wouldn't."

Big T said, "I won't make things difficult for you. I'll tell you what to do. You just need to go play that slot machine and complain a bit about why you can't win. Leave the rest to me."

Joe was still thinking.

Big T interrupted, "What are you still thinking about? I'm doing this for the good of all of us. Winning the lottery is much better than not winning at all, right?"
I'll take the risk!

Qiao Weiwei nodded: "Let me make it clear first, I'll only complain a few times at most."

Big T smiled confidently: "That's enough!"

Joe asked疑惑地问道, "What are you planning to do?"

Big T shook his head: "It's a secret."

After leaving Yenching, Rusk did not choose to return to Washington, but instead traveled by boat from Hong Kong to Saigon.

He wanted to personally inspect the situation at the front lines.

This is also the opportunity that Big T is looking for.

The goal was to make a big scene in front of Rusque.

The inspection of the Rusk Sergeant's Club took place in the evening.

In a corner of the club, three mechanical slot machines jingled as Joe, Sergeant Mike, and Private Tom excitedly tossed in coins and pulled levers, hoping for good luck.

Mike complained, "It's so bright here, too bright. I don't feel any atmosphere."

Tom added, "Even the surrounding environment has changed."

Joe knew this was what Big T considered a big deal, but he didn't know exactly what Big T planned to do.

"Lost again!" Joe slapped the machine; the roulette wheel stopped on a mismatched combination.

The three spinning wheels display an apple, a cherry, and a bar symbol.

"This piece of junk is definitely messing with me," Joe changed the subject.

Tom laughed and said, "Don't worry, Joe, maybe you'll win the lottery next time."

Big T appeared at the right moment, observing with great interest.

Even if there were no problems with the slot machines, he wouldn't participate in such activities; he felt it was a waste of money.

The three sergeants' repeated failures made him smile; it was the effect he wanted. Wooldridge remained as greedy as ever, showing no restraint even with Rusk's arrival.

He thought about it again and realized that it made sense. The slot machines had been delivered to the club for so long that Wooldridge himself might have forgotten about the slot machine business at the officers' club.

He turned to Joe and asked, "How many times have they played tonight?"

Joe shrugged: "Probably fifty or sixty times, we've almost run out of coins."

"How much did you win?"

"I didn't win a single penny." Joe shook his head, picked up his beer, and took a sip.

Big T narrowed his eyes and said loudly, "If this machine is fair, the odds of winning each time are probably one to five percent. After playing so many rounds, I haven't even won a small prize. That's really abnormal."

Joe chuckled: "T, you're analyzing again? You think there's something fishy about this machine?" "Possibly," Big T said, standing up and walking towards the slot machine, with Joe following closely behind.

"Mind if I take a look?" Big T asked Mike and Tom.

Mike stepped aside: "Look around, but you won't find anything. Just bad luck."

Big T carefully observed the machine.

This is an old-fashioned mechanical slot machine with three reels, each with ten symbols, including fruits, bars, and the seven of fortune.

He knew that the odds of winning on a fair slot machine depended on the distribution of symbols on the reel.

For example, if there are three reels, each with ten symbols, the probability of hitting three of the same symbol is one in a thousand.

But even for small prizes, such as two identical symbols, there should be a higher probability, such as 1/100.

He asked Mike, "Have you ever seen anyone win on this machine?"

Mike replied without hesitation, "To be honest, no."

I've stayed here on and off for three months, and I haven't heard of anyone winning a big prize.

Tom added, "Yeah, this machine is like a bottomless pit, it only takes money and never gives it back."

Big T frowned: "This doesn't make sense. Statistically speaking, you've played so many rounds, you should have won at least a few small prizes."

I suspect someone tampered with it.

Qiao laughed: "Tang, you're exaggerating! It's just a few dollars."

But Big T was very serious: "No, Joe, this isn't a matter of luck."

If the odds of winning are 1/100, and you still haven't won after 60 tries, the probability is less than 1% for Marley.

There's something wrong with this machine!

Mike shook his head: "Don't overthink it, Don. Losing money is normal."

Big T persisted: "I want to check the inside of the machine."

Tom lowered his voice nervously: "Don't do anything rash, Tang."

This machine was a gift from Sergeant Wooldridge's friend.

I know you have connections, but we're in Baiyue, not New York. If you mess with him, you'll be in big trouble.

Big T raised an eyebrow: "Wooldridge? That big shot? Does he care about this piece of junk?"

Joe said loudly, "I heard he has some connections with the suppliers."

"Don't meddle in other people's business, lest you get into trouble."

Big T frowned: "If this machine has been tampered with, then it's a scam to cheat the soldiers out of their money."

I need to figure this out.

He walked to the bar and found Hank, the club manager, a gray-haired sergeant.

"Sir, I'd like to inspect that slot machine. I suspect there's something wrong with it."

Hank's face darkened: "The machines are fine; they were provided by a legitimate company."

Big T calmly said, "My friends have played 60 times and haven't won once. Statistically speaking, this is abnormal. I want to take a look inside."

Hank crossed his arms: "No, only authorized personnel can operate the machines."

Big T didn't back down: "Sir, if the machine has been tampered with, that's fraud. I just want to ensure fairness!"

They argued here, sat at the bar, and were immediately noticed by a group of people surrounding Rusk who had come to inspect the place. He smiled and said to William Westmoreland beside him, "Is that Fred's son?"

Rusk also enjoyed reading the jokes Fred told about Johnson in the newspapers, as long as they didn't directly insult him.

Rusk also had connections with Lin Ran; he served on the Rockefeller Foundation’s board of directors from 1950 to 1961 and became the foundation’s chairman in 1952.

The Rockefeller Foundation's sponsorship of Lin Ran in 1960 bore Rusk's signature.

Therefore, Lin Ran had also spoken to Rusk, asking him not to let Big T get into trouble. Fred was aware of this, so he never spoke ill of Rusk in public.

William Westmoreland, the Supreme Commander of the Vietnam War, also knew Big T. He squinted and looked at him: "That's right, he's Fred's son, Big T. It seems he had a dispute with the administrators here."

Rusk said to his secretary, "Bring them both here and ask them what they're arguing about."

When the two were brought before him, Hank was very nervous, while Big T was very calm, which was the effect he wanted.

His close associates, the war correspondents, were all waiting around, having found the perfect angles to capture the moment he dismantled the slot machine, and also to photograph Rusk and William Westmoreland.

After Big T finished explaining the whole story, Rusk immediately became interested. He was surprised to encounter something so interesting during his inspection: "Big T, are you sure you want to do this?"

“Yes,” Big T said firmly, “If I’m wrong, I apologize, but if I’m right, we have to protect the soldiers’ interests.”

Rusk laughed, thinking to himself that this was indeed an interesting fellow. He nodded and said, "Alright, I allow it, but you have to be careful. If you break it, you'll have to compensate the club for the damage."

"Is this even considered money?" Big T thought to himself, and replied, "Yes, sir, Mr. Rusk."

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Da T carefully opened the back of the machine.

With commanders like Rusk and William Westmoreland among them, and this kind of entertainment, almost all the soldiers in the officers' club came after hearing about it, and they surrounded the slot machine.

Big T wasn't a mechanical expert, but he had some understanding of the basic principles of slot machines. His family owned a hotel, and they almost always had slot machines in the hotel lobby to generate revenue.

He inspected the reels and internal mechanisms and quickly discovered the anomaly: one of the reels had only one high-paying symbol, the "Lucky Seven," while the other reels had three or four.

"Look here!" Big T pointed to the spinning wheel. "There's only one 'Lucky Seven' on this wheel. Normally there should be multiple, which lowers the probability of winning the grand prize."

Rusk leaned closer to take a look and frowned: "Is that so?"

“Yes,” Big T said, “a fair slot machine should have a balanced distribution of symbols. This machine has been modified to reduce the chances of winning.”

All the sergeants gathered around, staring in astonishment. "So it really was tampered with?"

"This is outrageous. Who did this?"

Rusk's face darkened: "Who did this?"

The commanders' eyes were all on Hank, the administrator, who was now truly sweating.

He whispered, "These machines were sent by Wooldridge's friend."

Wooldridge was not present; his status was not high enough to attend the reception for Rusk.

It's a bit of an in-between situation; on the one hand, he's not low enough to be in a sergeant's club of this level, and on the other hand, he's not high enough to be involved in Rusk's reception.

Rusk asked, "Who is Wooldridge?"

He genuinely didn't know who this person was.

After whispering to Rusk who this person was, William continued, "Sir, Wooldridge and Major General Turner are on good terms."

Now I know, Major General Turner is the Army's Provost and a ruthless man.

Like riots across the United States, like gatherings of Black people, anyone who dared to go too far would be arrested without hesitation by Turner and his soldiers, who used force and even publicly declared that they would use poison gas to defeat them in certain situations.

That's right, Turner wanted to use poison gas on the public.

This year, Director Hoover will also award Turner a special medal in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the Bureau of Business Administration (BI).

Rusk's face turned ashen; Turner was no easy opponent.

Big T shut down the machine and calmly said, "Now we know, sirs. See? Our commanders used such despicable means to swindle our frontline soldiers out of their hard-earned money. Washington must give us an explanation for this behavior!"

Big T raised his arms and shouted, and the surrounding sergeants first discussed it for a while, and then shouted along with him. Big T's shouts for fairness and an explanation formed a united force, and the sound resounded throughout the sergeant club.

This unexpected turn of events completely broke Rusk's composure, because Big T's appeal was reasonable; his behavior was indeed despicable.

People come to the sergeant's club to rest, play a slot machine, and you cheat them out of their money. If he puts himself in their shoes, he can't accept it.

But this is difficult to handle.

Because these kinds of scandals are very serious. The White House already has a bad reputation, having done a terrible job in the Vietnam War. If you release this information, the opposition will only be greater.

If they don't make it public, how will they deal with Wooldridge? This also involves Major General Turner.

Rusk had a headache, a real headache.

Fortunately, this matter was not under his jurisdiction. He shouted, "Gentlemen, please calm down, please calm down. I believe our General Westmoreland will give you an explanation!"

William Westmoreland was dumbfounded. How was I supposed to handle this? Could I possibly deal with Major General Turner in Washington while I was in Saigon?
(End of this chapter)