Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 322 (Please vote with monthly tickets!)
“No country would be so extravagant as to have a professor serve as a SPY (Specialist in the Field of Science). He can play a far more important role in other positions than a SPY.”

Rusk added another sentence.

This is also the consensus in Washington.

Even if conservative lawmakers who oppose Lin Ran on issues such as race, peace appeals, and cooperation with Soviet Russia question Lin Ran in public interviews and claim that Lin Ran is suspicious and that we need to intensify our investigation into him.

But in private conversations, no one would really believe that Lin Ran was working for Soviet Russia.

If Lin Ran had truly been sent by the Soviet Union, he would have had countless opportunities in the previous two years to return to Moscow from places like Geneva, London, and Stockholm.

Even after receiving his award in Stockholm and flying directly to Moscow in 1962, the professor at that time was already enough to have a dramatic impact on the entire liberal camp, from public opinion to technology.

Therefore, even the most radical Cold War hawks would not think that way.

These college students, who love to fantasize, started imagining all sorts of 007 stories after reading a few conservative conspiracy theory reports.

The professor is undoubtedly almost identical to the character they fantasize about. In fact, before the professor appeared, no fantasy character like 007 was as omnipotent as Lin Ran, who played so many roles.

007 has never played a diplomat or NASA administrator; in terms of rank, he has at most held honorary positions such as official representative.

Dean Rusk added: "I once dreamed that the professor was a Soviet diplomat, and in that dream, the professor was incredibly difficult to deal with on the diplomatic battlefield."

Oh my god, that was a nightmare.

He could predict all your movements, distinguish between what was real and what was feint. He was so insightful that he orchestrated the reunification of East and West Germany in that dream.

This was an unprecedented and devastating defeat for America's European strategy.

When I woke up, I was still wondering if I had returned to the pre-World War I era in my dream, where Russia, Germany, and Austria-Hungary formed an alliance under Bismarck's leadership.

In short, lads, believe me, the professor will never work for Soviet Russia, and that day will never come.

In this timeline, Lin Ran never said, "Never say forever."

What Rusk didn't know was that this was called setting a flag, and setting a flag often leads to being proven wrong.

The students were very interested in the dream that Rusk mentioned after listening to him.

"Mr. Secretary of State, could you tell us more about your dream?"

"How did the professor manage to reunify East and West Germany?"

"Is your dream similar to Philip K. Dick's 'The Man in the High Castle'?"

At this point, Philip K. Dick was no longer an unknown writer, but a world-renowned science fiction author. His novel "The Truman Show," co-authored with Lin Ran, was a huge success, with both the novel and the film being a global phenomenon. Not only was the novel a global bestseller, but the film also ranked among the top five highest-grossing films worldwide the year before last.

Lin Ran's sales performance is undeniable, and Philip K. Dick's creativity is also impressive.

The combined effect of these two factors made Warner Bros. and Avon Books incredibly wealthy.

Warner Bros. has been urging him to make a sequel and quickly write out the story after Truman leaves the studio. Avon Books is also urging him to strike while the iron is hot and make a sequel as soon as possible.

Since they couldn't urge Lin Ran, they could only try to urge Philip Dick.

As a result, Philip K. Dick's previous novels also became famous, among which "The Man in the High Castle," which is very metaphorical and particularly stylish, became very popular.

Especially among university students.

Of the 13 college students present, at least 10 have read "The Man in the High Castle".

"Let me think. The professor successfully seized on President Kennedy's desire for peace, de Gaulle's doubts about America, and West Germany's call for reunification. In short, the professor seized every opportunity to push for a compromise among the liberal camps at the Vienna Summit in 1961, and convened the four-nation Berlin Unity Conference in the autumn of 1961, signing the Treaty of German Unity in 1962."

Germany ostensibly became a neutral country, but in reality, Soviet Russia controlled Germany's security and economy, and the Free Bloc withdrew its troops from Berlin.

That was absolutely a disaster. I don't remember the specifics, but in my dream, the professor did it.

Rusk's expression looked somewhat frightening under the night lights.

The timeline he mentioned reminded the university students of "The Man in the High Castle," which depicts the timeline of Germany's and Japan's victory in World War II. The timeline that Rusk dreamed of was most likely the timeline of Lin Ran leading the Soviet Union to victory in the Cold War.

Another college student, his face filled with curiosity, asked loudly, "Mr. Secretary of State, there's a saying that the professor isn't of Chinese descent, but rather a perfect product of the NAZI German Lebensborn program."

He is not actually Chinese, but of Aryan descent.

This is also a conspiracy theory created by the media, roughly meaning that Lin Ran's skin is too fair, his height is too tall, and his facial features are not particularly deep, but they are definitely different from the stereotypical flat facial features of Chinese people.

So there have always been rumors. At first, it was said that Lin Ran had white ancestry. Later, this conspiracy theory evolved along with Lin Ran's growing reputation.

From mixed-race whites to the culmination of the Aryan culture cultivated by the German NAZI.

Lin Ran's studies in Göttingen are also considered to be the base for nurturing Lin Ran. NAZI nurtured this perfect Aryan in this university town.

Lin Ran's lifelong goal was to destroy America and the Soviet Union, then revive the Führer and bring the Third Reich back to the world.

In some science fiction works, an evil doctor known as the Professor takes control of NASA and, under the guise of researching spacesuits and human survival in space, conducts research on biological sciences. He eventually manages to resurrect the Führer, but is ultimately defeated by the protagonist.

This kind of rumor is very popular among the vast white working class. Originally, people would be a little unhappy if a Chinese person made such great achievements. Now, they think, "We're all on the same side, and you're a superior race selected from the best of the best, so you can discriminate against me!"
This is indeed what lower-class white people think, which is an important reason why Lin Ran has influence among the vast majority of lower-class white people. Conspiracy theories have enabled his influence to expand beyond the highly educated group.

Rusk was speechless. He thought to himself that the young man's imagination was too rich, or that he hadn't been given enough homework.

"Is black hair and black eyes also the standard for Aryans?" Rusk's lack of eye-rolling is considered a sign of good manners.

His son, Richard Rusk, added, "Perhaps the professor, like the superheroes in superhero comics, has superpowers, able to change his hair, eyes, or even his appearance; his true identity is actually..."

Before he could finish speaking, Rusk grabbed an ashtray and slammed it on the table: "Alright, guys, you should get some rest. These baseless conspiracy theories shouldn't be discussed with me. Maybe you can use this as a bedtime story to scare each other."

“Father, we haven’t finished asking yet!” Richard Rusk said, displeased.

Rusk looked at his son and said, "Okay, one last question."

Richard Rusk and his classmates exchanged glances, then huddled together for a long time before one of the men, a typical white nerd wearing glasses, asked:
"Mr. Secretary of State, I would like to ask, why were others unable to successfully negotiate with Soviet Russia, while you, Professor, were able to do so on your first visit?"

Seeing the inquisitive looks in the eyes of the young men, Rusk sat back down in his chair at the table.
"Okay, guys, I can only speak from my perspective. I don't represent the professor, the president, or the White House. It's just my personal opinion."

Simply put, the professor's visit was perfectly timed; negotiating a ceasefire at this point was acceptable to all parties.

In the past, whether you watched the news or watched television, it was always us constantly killing North Vietnamese soldiers. Of course, some media reports said we also killed civilians, but that's not important.

Some people might try to argue, saying, "Why isn't killing civilians important? Aren't North Vietnamese people human?"

But the others couldn't resist hearing Rusk finish speaking. These 13 people were all political science students, and it was such a rare opportunity to hear the Secretary of State personally explain the logic behind it. If Richard's last name wasn't Rusk, they would never have been able to talk to Rusk face to face.

So the others pressed down on the white girl who wanted to get up and argue.

"The important thing is that last year, during our attempt to negotiate through Soviet Russia and Kosygin, even if North Vietnam wanted to negotiate, they had no way to explain themselves to their own people given such losses. Do you understand?"
We lost tens of thousands of soldiers, and then America's soldiers suffered few casualties. We wanted to sign a temporary ceasefire agreement, which was not permanent. North Vietnam could not afford the consequences of signing such a temporary ceasefire agreement.

If we tear up the agreement, the opposition from the people will cause them to lose their ability to mobilize at the grassroots level, making it difficult for them to maintain their advantage in jungle warfare. Without the support of the people, North Vietnam will be vulnerable.

Now, right after the spring offensive, they have caused the deaths of more than 4000 American soldiers. They have captured the embassy and stormed Saigon. In short, they can tell the people that we have won and achieved certain results.

Soviet Russia has never minded peace talks, nor has it ever minded acting as an intermediary. In fact, it would have been a welcome sight for the Baiyue people to split into North and South Vietnam. It would have been equally welcome if China had split into two countries, even if one of them were our ally rather than theirs.

Soviet Russia always considered its own interests, rather than the interests of its allies from the perspective of a bloc.

Finally, let's talk about America. If we're only talking about America herself, her anti-war sentiments were always very strong. You all are the best proof of that.

More importantly, even after the spring offensive, despite the deaths of so many American soldiers, and despite the fact that these deaths were broadcast live to the entire nation, polls showed that anti-war sentiment not only did not decline, but actually rose rapidly.

This proves that the public can accept the reality that the Vietnam War was a failure, and can accept that we must stop the war, even with the spring offensive and the deaths of soldiers.

Given this public opinion, there is no longer any obstacle to America's ceasefire.

It was precisely because of this opportune timing that the professor was able to successfully mediate between the three parties and bring back the good news of the temporary ceasefire agreement.

Rusk's meticulous analysis gave the university students present a sense of sudden enlightenment.

Richard Rusk pressed further: "Is this really unrelated to the professor's aura of never failing?"

For young people, such a cool-headed analysis is far less interesting than a legendary story.

Rusk, carrying his briefcase, walked towards the stairs, saying as he went, "Maybe it's related, I don't know."

After saying that, he turned to look at the young man downstairs and smiled:

“Richard, if the professor really has such an aura, I will definitely ask him for advice on how to have such an aura before I leave the White House. Then I will come back home and teach you.”

After Rusk disappeared at the end of the stairs, Richard Rusk's classmates surrounded him:
You must tell us when the time comes!

Everyone was expressing the same meaning.

Later, Richard Rusk wrote a best-selling book, "The Professor's Guide to Success," which is hailed as a classic in the field of success studies. The first chapter is about how to create a halo of success.

The impact of the peace talks was so direct.

Following his spring offensive, Lyndon Johnson's approval rating plummeted from around 50% to between 26% and 35%.

The most favorable poll support rate is only 35%.

It is no exaggeration to describe it as a sudden drop.

The White House's initially optimistic assessment of the war, which described it as "light at the end of the tunnel," has proven to be mere wishful thinking.

The effectiveness of the troop increase strategy has begun to be questioned within the government, with some turning to consider exiting or negotiating a new path.

At this point, the most subtle reversal occurred: just when government officials felt we were about to make a realistic shift from "winning the war" to "a dignified end," the White House had already done it.

The White House and Hanoi signed a ceasefire agreement that will last for a full year.

The one-year ceasefire agreement, to put it bluntly, means that it can be renewed after a year. As long as anti-war sentiment remains high in the country, we can simply stop fighting. Does North Vietnam dare to launch a counterattack?

The timely shift in the Lyndon Johnson administration gave the White House bureaucrats a jolt, and everyone had only one thought in mind: the professor really knows how to do things.

Not everyone can analyze the essence of things like Dean Rusk.

All people will say is, "Professor is awesome."

At this time, a third candidate emerged within the party: Robert Kennedy, John F. Kennedy's brother.

At this time, Lyndon Johnson had three challengers within the party: Robert Kennedy, Eugene McCarthy, and George Wallace.

But George Wallace has already announced his withdrawal from the Democratic Party and will run as an independent candidate.

This Wallace is not that Wallace.

He was a conservative within the Democratic Party, representing the Southern state faction within the party. He served as governor of Alabama three times, making him the longest-serving governor within the Democratic Party.

Alabama is the state where Huntsville is located.

However, Lin Ran disliked this person very much because this person's views were somewhat extreme.

He supported Coggen Crow laws, which essentially stipulated that white people could only move in white areas, black people could only move in black areas, and black people could not use public facilities built for white people, including schools.

His famous inaugural address when he was elected governor of Alabama in 1963 was: "Segregation now, separation tomorrow, separation forever."

Even the most extreme racists would have to say to Wallace, "You're being way too extreme."

The reason he left the Democratic Party to run for office was because of the overwhelming support from Black people for his opponent, which forced him to leave the party.

Black people hate him.

Of course, Lin Ran, as Martin Luther King Jr.'s publicly acknowledged close friend, a beacon of the civil rights movement, and someone who publicly published his theory of systemic oppression, providing theoretical weapons for these black people, was certainly not well-liked by Wallace.

There's no way to chat and laugh with the other person anymore.

At the same time, the glimmer of hope for peace talks had a significant effect on Lyndon Johnson's election campaign.

As mentioned earlier, there was a sharp drop in public opinion poll support.

In addition, his approval rating was already lower than McCarthy's.

But after the negotiations, in the New Hampshire primary, Lyndon Johnson won 53% of the vote, while McCarthy only won 39%.

After Robert Kennedy entered the race, his approval rating was 49%, while Lyndon Johnson's was only 45%.

Following the peace talks, the approval ratings of both sides achieved a golden cross, with Lyndon Johnson regaining the lead.

It's fair to say that Lin Ran pulled Lyndon Johnson back from the abyss.

Inside the White House, Humphrey, who had his eyes on the presidency, had no choice but to put aside his own ambitions.

If Lyndon Johnson doesn't withdraw voluntarily, it's really hard for him to be motivated to compete with the other party.

After all, everyone works in the White House; we all share the same fate, and we can't say we were completely uninvolved in the Vietnam War.

After returning to Huntsville, Lin Ran continued his work on reusable rockets.

At this point in time, the biggest challenge for reusable rockets and future spacetime lies in precision. If you use multiple rocket engines, the engines in symmetrical positions need to achieve almost identical thrust.

It is extremely difficult to achieve perfection with the current hand-crafted production process.

This is a limitation of the overall process, and they have been trying to find a solution to this problem.

After returning to his residence that day, Lin Ran received a call from Jenny.

“Professor, I met with Jacqueline tonight. She’s here as a lobbyist. Robert Kennedy wants to meet you in Huntsville.”

As a former Geneva journalist and later a White House correspondent, Jenny was a friend of Jacqueline during her time as a White House correspondent, due to her connection to the Hearst family.

On February 16, Robert Kennedy formally announced his candidacy at the same location in the Washington, D.C. Capitol where John F. Kennedy had announced his candidacy in 1960.

In his speech, he emphasized ending the Vietnam War, addressing poverty and racial injustice, and called for building a new America leadership.

In his speech, he criticized Johnson's war policies as unacceptable and pledged to end the war with dignity.

The most embarrassing thing was that he had just announced it, and then the Lyndon Johnson administration had already gracefully ended the war, which put Robert Kennedy in a difficult position.

(End of this chapter)