Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 380 A new beginning

Elon is considered by many to be a potential NASA administrator.

If Big T wins the election, he will undoubtedly become the NASA administrator.

Whether it's his tireless campaigning at rallies or his use of super PACs to circumvent election funding restrictions and provide exorbitant donations to the Elephant Party and Big T himself, it all points to one thing: his covetousness of NASA and the political rewards he will inevitably receive after winning the election.

Every election is a high-stakes gamble, and Musk has placed a huge bet, so it's inevitable that if the other side wins, they will get what they want.

Just like in the past three years, Musk took the wrong side, which led to SpaceX being suppressed and a large number of NASA launch orders being taken by General Aerospace. He wants to get back what he lost, with interest.

But who is Sharvin? Sharvin is a general under the White House, the third most powerful figure after the president and the secretary of state, with even more power than the sealed Kamala. How could he have a private deal with Musk?
This horrified Jonathan. The White House was full of people from the Big T. How could they win?
“Jonathan, you’ve misunderstood. The presidential election is for the future of this country, for voters to choose the path they envision for this country.”

Regardless of who wins, I think you should go work for Musk and do something meaningful instead of staying at Aerospace Corporation.

Jonathan, after you came to the White House for the special meeting last time, I looked up your resume. You are very talented, with research spanning multiple fields such as lunar geography, international law, and lunar exploration, and you have made great achievements in these fields.

I just wasted too many years at Aerospace Corporation.

This isn't your fault, it's the country's fault. Now, I think you can go find Musk and have a fresh start.

If he were to become NASA's administrator, I think you could help him quickly streamline NASA's affairs, both big and small.

Intelligent people don't need to spell things out too clearly.

The New York Times, Reuters, CNN, and other media outlets are all heavily promoting the news that Kamala has surpassed Big T in the polls for the first time, and that her national poll support rate has exceeded Big T's for the first time, indicating that she will win the final presidential election.

But now, by saying this, isn't Scharvin clearly implying to him that Big T will win, Musk will become the director of NASA, and that you, Gong Zhongtiguo, with your extensive experience and knowledge, are suitable to accomplish great things under Musk's leadership and clean up the mess that NASA has been in the past?

Jonathan also realized that what he had just experienced was an interview, and that he was just one of many people on Scharvin's list who had passed the interview.

What intrigued him even more was the relationship between Sullivan and Musk, and between Harden and T.

This inevitably reminded him of the conspiracy theories circulating in Washington: that Biden's withdrawal from the race was a conspiracy, that he was forced to withdraw by the Democratic Party itself.

During the sensitive period from early to late July, Deng repeatedly emphasized that he would never withdraw from the race, and his firm words and sincere attitude made people believe him without a doubt.

He repeatedly claimed that he would never withdraw from the election, saying he would rather be hit by a train than withdraw.

As a result, after the vice-presidential nominee was determined, Biden immediately changed his stance and announced his withdrawal from the race.

Jonathan doesn't know whether Biden's withdrawal from the race is related to internal issues within the Democratic Party, but he is certain that the current White House prefers Terry Gou to be elected rather than Kamala Harris, who is from the same camp.

This made him realize the wonder of politics.

“Jonathan, this country has reached a point where it has to change. I think the change needs to start now. The struggle for the moon will be the focus in the future. I believe that your knowledge will play a greater role under Musk than it would at Aerospace Corporation.”

After Sulvin finished speaking, Jonathan couldn't help himself; he rarely had the opportunity to have such close, one-on-one contact with a senior White House official.

Moreover, he was a truly powerful figure, the mastermind behind the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and fully implemented Old Deng's will on the front lines.

In the past, he would never have had the chance to come into contact with such a character.

At that moment, Jonathan asked, "Mr. Sulvin, are you aware that NASA exists?"

Jonathan hesitated, realizing as soon as he spoke that his question was foolish. Was NASA's problem limited to NASA? It was clearly a problem pervasive throughout the entire Washington bureaucracy.

Scharvin's tone was tired, but his voice was clear: "Of course, of course, of course."

He repeated "of course" three times in a row, and then said, "In pursuit of equality and diversity, we have sacrificed efficiency."

The rise of China is an external reflection of our internal problems.

What can destroy an empire is always internal problems.

Therefore, we need a general election to clear out the internal risks all at once.

This gives America a chance to start fresh.

Technological advancements may have masked past problems, but the rapid technological progress of our adversaries has brought these issues to the forefront in the present.

The White House is changing its leadership; it's the perfect time to solve the problem.

Jonathan persisted, "So, sir, you can see the problem, and you know the problem, but why don't you try to solve it?"

Charlemagne was very patient; he knew his time was running out and he needed to leave behind as many capable people as possible for the country.

He admired Jonathan, especially after learning from Robert that the man was willing to sacrifice his own interests to save NASA's budget. He believed that the country ultimately needed people who could get things done.

How can an empire be maintained when it is full of scheming and despicable people?
"Yes, I know, and the President knows too, but we can't change that. The National Security Advisor is just a job, and the President is just a job. It doesn't mean you can do whatever you want."

No one in this world can make the world operate according to their own will. We need to abide by the rules of the game and the laws governing its operation.

Big T is able to attack minorities, make jokes about minorities, criticize immigrant groups, and propose all sorts of reasonable and unreasonable solutions without restraint.

We can't, the Democrats can't, even if we know NASA has problems, we have no way to solve them.

Just as Melroy is not suited to be the NASA administrator, as a white woman, she has limited professional knowledge, limited engineering management skills, and is not even very good at personnel management, but we cannot replace her because the president needs a female NASA administrator to demonstrate our progress in diversity.

This is the source of the Democratic Party's votes, the foundation of the Democratic Party's existence, and no one dares to shake this foundation.

If Kamala becomes president, you will soon see a Black woman as NASA administrator, even if she knows nothing about it, her identity determines her position.

This is an unavoidable reality in electoral politics; you need to be accountable for the source of your power, sir.

Even in such private settings, there were things Sharvin couldn't openly discuss.

In identity politics, the source of power can be laid bare.

But why can't we target Commissioner Smith? Because the president's son is one of the biggest and most famous Commissioners Smith in the country's past, and Hunter is about to be pardoned by the president.

You lifted the lid on the pot, preventing NASA's Smith commissioners from taking advantage of the situation, and even launched an investigation. What about Hunter? Will Hunter also be investigated, and will he also be locked up in federal prison until he dies?

Selfish motives are the fundamental reason why this White House is unlikely to investigate NASA Commissioner Smith.

Even in his own home turf, in his own office, in a completely safe situation, Sharvin would never say such a thing.

Even though he only said half of it, Jonathan already had a new understanding. He felt that during this period, he had gained a new understanding of how the White House, Washington, and the entire bureaucratic system of America operated.

The phrase "Power is accountable only to its source" resonated deeply in his mind. He finally understood why Robert Jr. was so apprehensive about his proposal, why Scharvin only had a change of heart before leaving, and what the President was being held back by.

Wang Jiarui, as one of the first students in Lin Ran's math class, has graduated from university this year and entered the next stage of his life.

He went to Harvard to pursue his doctorate under Mahadevan, who was the chairman of the Harvard Applied Mathematics Department. He had previously appeared in the photovoltaic module discussion.

The other party is also the dean of Mather College.

Of the 20 students in the first cohort of Lin Ran's mathematics class, those who were recommended for postgraduate studies at their own university were at the very least, followed by those who went to Peking University and Tsinghua University for doctoral studies, and then those who went to prestigious universities around the world. It can be said that the demand far exceeded the supply.

His resume is truly impressive.

Take Wang Jiarui as an example. He participated in the Apollo moon landing, participated in the development of Crimson, and was personally taught by Lin Ran. Every single one of his resumes is top-notch.

Even schools like Shanghai Jiao Tong University, which are listed in the directory, received the green light, and the entire process, from applying to the school to applying for a visa, was smooth.

Today is election day, and Wang Jiarui is certainly interested in who will be president. If it's Big T, there will be some fun to watch; if it's Kamala, there might be just as much fun to see.

A woman of mixed Indian and African descent, a woman who primarily laughed in public, became President America. Wang Jiarui had a strong sense of déjà vu; wasn't this a harbinger of the empire's impending demise? In the final years of a dynasty, monsters run rampant. But he had no interest in specifically coming to the auditorium to watch the vote count.

(A viewing ceremony held at Sanders Theater on the Harvard campus during the 2024 presidential election)
He is now at the Sanders Theatre, inside a Victorian Dortmund building.

Today's event was co-organized by the Harvard Institute of Politics (IOP) and Harvard University.

The scene was packed with people.

Wang Jiarui was actually not fond of such a politically charged event, where American flags were everywhere, and even felt uncomfortable about it.

But he couldn't resist being urged to come by his roommate, whose name was Ingmar and who was of American Indian descent.

He said, "Today we are going to witness history, to witness the birth of the first female president in history!"

The other party is a staunch supporter of Kamala.

To be precise, the vast majority of people at Harvard are staunch supporters of Kamala.

To celebrate this historic moment and witness the birth of a female president, IOP held ticket sales events at the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum and the Sanders Theatre.

The events at the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum were more formal, inviting bipartisan experts to discuss the topic, and including supporters of both the Donald Party and the Elephant Party.

The Sanders Theatre is smaller and primarily frequented by Donald Party supporters.

Of course, there were also supporters of the Elephant Party inside Harvard, who held parties at the Queen's Pub, the number one pub in Cambridge.

But at Harvard, supporting the Elephant Party and Big T is seen as universally condemned, so their gatherings are smaller and more private.

Wang Jiarui, an Asian, a Chinese, hasn't even gotten a green card. How could he possibly attend a party gathering? He'd be kicked out if he went.

The atmosphere at the scene was tense yet exciting.

The latest vote count results kept scrolling across the screen. College students gathered together, holding beer and snacks, their eyes glued to the television.

Different skin colors represent different ethnicities, and everyone gathered in this theater filled with posters and American flags, waiting for the final result.

The clock on the wall pointed to 10 p.m., and as the number of votes gradually increased, the gap between the two sides became smaller and smaller.

Wang Jiarui's roommate, Ingema, is praying with her hands clasped together for her fellow candidate.

On the left side of the screen is a campaign image of Big T, next to his vote count; on the right is Kamala, right behind him.

The TV host's voice rang out:
"With all the votes from Florida counted, the gap between the two sides narrowed to less than three percentage points."

All eyes are now on Pennsylvania, that swing state that will decide tonight's outcome—

The optimistic atmosphere has vanished; the initial optimism that Kamala would sweep the competition is gone.

The atmosphere became extremely tense.

Wang Jiarui asked, "Ingmar, what if Big T is elected?"

Ingmar replied resolutely, "Impossible! If he is elected, I will return to my homeland without hesitation!"

Wang Jiarui asked, "Are you planning to go back to India?"

Ingmar replied matter-of-factly, "No, my home country is Maple Leaf Country! I'll transfer to Toronto right away. Didn't I tell you? My grandparents are there!"

Wang Jiarui was speechless. "Damn, so your motherland is Maple Leaf Country? Then my motherland can be Maple Leaf Country too! People of Indian descent are too awesome, saying things like that without batting an eye."

Wang Jiarui asked, "If Big T is elected, Musk might actually take over NASA and change the current terrible situation. Wouldn't that be a good thing?"

Ingmar leaned close to his ear and whispered, "If Musk takes over NASA, we'll see an all-white NASA, we'll see white people on the moon, and that has nothing to do with minorities."

The moon becomes a white man's moon, and ethnic minorities cannot enjoy the benefits it brings.

Wang, you think this way because China is a country entirely populated by Chinese people. No matter how you develop, the Chinese people are all one. If the Chinese people can go to the moon, in the future interstellar era, the Chinese people will also be able to follow China's technological development and spread their footprints throughout the solar system.

But believe me, if Musk becomes NASA's administrator, the moon will only have white people, Mars will only have white people, ethnic minorities will still be on Earth, and there will be an even worse living environment.

Because white people have a second home, they don't care about Earth's environment. They can destroy it at will and use Earth's resources to terraform Mars, since white people can go to Mars anyway.

I'm of Indian descent, why should I support Big T, why should I support white people?

Wang Jiarui understood perfectly; from this perspective, there was nothing wrong with it.

The more efficient Musk is, the higher his chances of success, which certainly doesn't benefit these minority groups at all.

“That makes sense!” Wang Jiarui said.

"Musk's plans are grand, his vision for the moon and Mars is great, and his execution is strong. He doesn't care about traditional bureaucracy at all, which is great, but it doesn't mean anything to me or to people of Indian descent."

"Especially Musk, that guy is so mean. He'd rather have Chinese engineers than Indian engineers. Didn't you see that XAI is full of Chinese engineers?" Ingmar said, "Wang, I'm not targeting Chinese people, I'm just targeting Musk's discriminatory behavior."

His answer was worse than any other Silicon Valley founder.

A cold November wind howled through the streets of Washington, D.C., while news reports flickered on television screens.

Jonathan and his wife Anna sat on the sofa in the living room, also watching the outcome of the presidential election.

"The outcome tonight remains unclear, with a fiercely contested race and very narrow margins in key swing states."

Jonathan stared intently at the screen, his fingers constantly swiping across the phone to refresh the latest vote statistics.

He could feel his heart beating.

This election is not just about the election results themselves, but also about the possible future direction of his career.

"Are you really that concerned about Big T's election? I don't remember you two having any special relationship," Anna asked.

Jonathan took a deep breath, put down his phone, and turned to look at his wife: "No, I don't care who's elected."

However, if he is elected, Musk's plans may come to fruition.

You know, he's always wanted to control NASA, and if he succeeds, it means a lot of things will change, especially our future work.

Jonathan did not tell his wife about Scharvin's letter of recommendation.

Before everything has settled down, these things are adding unnecessary worries to my wife, and if she tells her friends about them, it could cause even more trouble.

Jonathan simply couldn't trust his wife to keep his secrets.

Jonathan turned back to the television screen.

As the vote gap began to narrow, he felt his heart rate gradually increase.

"Big T elected"

When Big T's photo appeared on the TV screen, Jonathan didn't feel as excited as he had expected; instead, he felt a heavy sense of pressure.

The future is about to usher in a new and uncertain phase.

(End of this chapter)