Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 445 The Second Best Running Script in the World
After listening, Bradley vaguely felt that something was wrong.

He quickly pulled out the photo.

The first picture is of an airport. It's hard to tell which airport it is, but you can get a general idea from the lush tropical palm trees.

A white man wearing a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses bent down and got into a black Mercedes sedan.

Second image: The same vehicle, in which an Asian man wearing a Zhongshan suit gets into the car.

照片背面手写时间戳：“1970-06-15 05:45”和“1970-06-15 08:20”。

After a moment, Bradley narrowed his eyes; he had made his judgment.

These are important figures from both countries.

Kissinger himself wasn't a big shot, but he was Nixon's plenipotentiary representative, which made him a big shot in a sense.

Same car, same location.

This is not a coincidence; it is irrefutable evidence of a secret meeting.

Bradley murmured, "That's typical V style."

The signal couldn't be clearer: an attempt to muddy the waters. Every time a glimmer of peace appeared, V would intervene and muddy the waters again.

It was like this in the past, and it's still like this now.

"Damn it, V is back again," Bradley thought.

“My God,” exclaimed Kathleen Graham, a senior reporter in the editorial office, and Sarah, another assistant editor, in unison.

"Is this a secret contact between China and America? In Singapore?"
Nixon was mired in the Vietnam War, yet he was secretly shaking hands with China?

A murmur erupted in the room.

Most people obviously cannot accept this.

Jimmy retreated to the corner, his face even paler, as if afraid of being drawn into some international conspiracy.

He was questioned by the FBI quite a bit last time.

Bradley, a highly respected figure, was questioned in his own office.

Other editors were also taken away, but because he was an intern and the first to receive the letter, he was taken away the most times and spent the longest time at the FBI.

Bradley rubbed his temples, countless thoughts flashing through his mind.

Could this be an internal leak? In any case, this photo is like a bomb, capable of shaking up Washington's political circles.

"Quiet!" Bradley tapped the table, drawing everyone together. "Let's verify its authenticity first."

Sarah, contact our photography experts to compare airport layouts and facial features.

Bob, check Kissinger's public schedule. He said he was attending a conference in Southeast Asia, but this photo exposes the lie.

Jimmy, go make a coffee and lock the door while you're at it. We can't let this get out of the loop.

After a moment of silence, Bradley continued, “Gentlemen, I want to say that this is not betrayal, nor is it a conspiracy. This is the president making the greatest effort to stop the war!”

The Vietnam War was a disaster, and to stop it, an agreement must be reached with China, the country behind North Vietnam.

This negotiation is ongoing and is an effort made for peace.

It was a reluctant choice made by President Nixon after he saw the reality.

On the contrary, it was the party that sent us these photos who were the masterminds and facilitators of the conspiracy.

They want us to get bogged down in the Vietnam War.

May we continue to bleed on the front lines of the Vietnam War, may our soldiers continue to die, and may they continue to make sacrifices!
Even if we are to report on this matter, everyone must uphold this stance without wavering when writing editorials!

There is no doubt that the Washington Post, which leans towards a conservative stance, has chosen to stand with the White House at this time.

Bradley made his own choice.

The editing room instantly switched to wartime mode.

The photography expert quickly confirmed that the photo was not faked.

Later, a reporter in Southeast Asia confirmed that the airport was Changi Airport in Singapore.

Additionally, the timestamp matches the records at Singapore Airport.

Why not press the button to hide the news?

Given V's modus operandi, he would certainly have done this at every newspaper, and Bradley didn't believe it was an exclusive to The Washington Post.

The following day, the Washington Post's front-page headline read: "Secret handshake in the Lion City: Photos of Kissinger meeting with Chinese representatives revealed."

Bradley sat in his office, gazing out at the torrential rain, and muttered, "What exactly is V trying to do? Anyway, we did what we had to do."

Jimmy knocked and came in, holding a cup of coffee. "Sir," he said, "do you think this could change the course of the war?"

Bradley said helplessly, "Kid, it's changed. President Nixon is enjoying the same treatment President Johnson had in his final year."

The last year?
Not so optimistic.

This can be seen as a preview of the Watergate scandal.

Nixon was in a terrible predicament.

Democratic Senator William Fulbright roared at a Foreign Affairs Committee hearing: "This is appeasement! Our soldiers are bleeding on the front lines in Annan, while Nixon is making deals with China in Singapore!"

The Elephant Party also began to split.

Conservatives like Barry Goldwater openly criticized: "We cannot betray South Vietnam."

Some conservative lawmakers from Southern states in the Republican Party said, "The professor has been a high-ranking official in the White House for too long. Sooner or later he will become a Chinese American with a huge influence like Edgar Hoover. It is not a good thing for a high-ranking official who is so close to China."

White House spokesman Ron Ziegler denied the authenticity of the photo, but not entirely, stating ambiguously: "The White House cannot confirm the authenticity of the photo; it could be a Soviet propaganda tactic."

Kissinger defended himself at a press conference, saying, "This is fake news. I was in Singapore because I was unwell and was taking a break for my health."

This time, they will launch an unmanned lunar rover to the lunar south and north poles. If the power is sufficient, it will eventually need to travel to the far side of the moon to conduct exploration.

This is also the final preparation for the launch of the cyber god on the far side of the moon.

Lin Ran entered the Oval Office, where Nixon had been waiting for some time. "Professor, I need your help," Nixon said, which was not unexpected for Lin Ran.

He had already anticipated that Nixon would need his help.

"Mr. President, what do you want to do?" Lin Ran asked.

Lin Ran was also a little dazed. On the special plane to Washington, looking at all kinds of V's revelations in the newspaper, he thought, "I didn't make any revelations. Soviet Russia, you're using my name again, aren't you?"

Nixon poured Lin Ran a glass of whiskey.

"Professor, you are not an ordinary Chinese."

You have an extremely high reputation in America, even surpassing that of the president.

Even conservative supporters in the southern states respect, trust, and approve of you.

This isn't flattery; it's the truth.

The Americans respect the strong, especially someone like you who can lead them to victory.

When I ran for president in 1968, I was touring the country giving speeches and talking to my supporters. In conservative swing states like Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida, the white voters there generally respected me, and they would ask me if I would replace the NASA administrator if I became president.

They want me to keep you in the White House and lead America to the real world.

You represent America's dream of immigrants.

If you stand up and support us, the people will listen.

Your voice can dispel their doubts.

After Nixon finished speaking, Lin Ran asked, "Do you want me to stand up and give a speech?"

Nixon shook his head and said, "No, I want to have a dialogue with the whole nation, just the two of us, you and me."

I will elaborate on my ideas in this program, and explain the thinking behind my attempt to promote the normalization of relations with China.

I will announce at the end of the program that you will be attending this year's International Congress of Mathematicians and serving as America's ambassador to conduct further dialogue with China in Nice, France.

Lin Ran pondered and said, "Of course, I would certainly be willing to make such an attempt."

But I have one question: does it really work?

Can I really change all of this?

Can it really help you turn your current situation around?

Lin Ran continued, "Mr. President, during President Johnson's term, we also encountered many difficulties. President Johnson's poll numbers often plummeted to rock bottom, and he even faced a desperate situation. At one point, President Johnson was about to lose the party primary election, and it even seemed like he couldn't win against the presidential candidate."

I helped him out of his predicament; this isn't boasting, it's a fact.

Nixon nodded: "Of course, of course it's true. I was a candidate too, and I know very well how Johnson's poll numbers rebounded."

Lin Ran continued, "That's right, but in the past, when I helped the president, it was through the development of science and technology that I brought hope to the people through technological progress."

Now you're asking me to rely on language, on conversation? I'm not sure if that will actually work.

Nixon said quietly, "This is an experiment, Professor. If you can't do it, then no one can."

I can't be sure if it will work, but we have to try. We need to do the right thing, and we need to make sure that doing the right thing doesn't offend voters or lose us votes.

The live broadcast is scheduled for three days later, during primetime on CBS National Network, and is titled "America's Future".

Even before the live broadcast began, the media had already started reporting on it extensively.

Time magazine specially came to the White House to take profile photos of Nixon and Lin Ran as a warm-up for the live broadcast.

The New York Times went so far as to call it a dialogue of the century, hailing it as possibly the most important dialogue of the century.

For a time, voices about the front lines were suppressed, and even the surging protests subsided. Everyone wanted to hear the conversation between the president and the professor before deciding whether to continue protesting.

Lyndon Johnson, far away in Texas, was dumbfounded. This thing was so effective; he wished he had a conversation with the professor.

Big T then called Lin Ran and asked, "Godfather, I am a senior TV program host with extensive experience hosting 'The Apprentice.' Could you let me host your talk show this time?"

Lin Ran smiled and declined, saying, "We don't have a host this time, just President Nixon and me."

The most apprehensive party in the private negotiations between China and America was ROC.

Zhou Shukai, as mentioned earlier, was then an ambassador for ROC.

He appeared at Lin Ran's Washington residence before the live television broadcast began.

As soon as he entered the room, he put his suitcase on the coffee table, then clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Professor, we are all Chinese compatriots, you must speak up for us!"

Historically, the first challenge Zhou Shukai faced after taking over diplomacy was the battle for the right to represent China at the United Nations.

Lin Ran understood. "Of course, of course, we are all Chinese."

Zhou Shukai nodded and said, "We have only one request, which is to ask you to speak on our behalf and ensure that America does not establish diplomatic relations with China. We are willing to pay a price for this."

After Zhou Shukai finished speaking, he walked to his suitcase, opened it, and found a framed calligraphy copybook inside.

Lin Ran gasped. He recognized it at a glance: "Yan Zhenqing's 'Draft of a Eulogy for My Nephew'?"

Zhou Shukai looked smug. "We still have something good. That's right, an authentic copy of Yan Zhenqing's 'Draft of a Eulogy for My Nephew,' to express our sincerity!"

The National Palace Museum in Taipei's prized possession, the "Draft of a Eulogy for My Nephew," has only been exhibited to the public three times in Taipei since 2020.

However, when they were loaned to the Tokyo National Museum for exhibition in 2019, it caused a huge uproar on the simplified Chinese internet, with people thinking they were too rare.

Why is it the "Draft of a Eulogy for My Nephew" instead of Wang Xizhi's "Letter After Snowfall"? Because the latter is considered a Tang Dynasty copy.

Why not Su Shi's "Cold Food Festival Scroll"? Because "Cold Food Festival Scroll" is the third best running script in the world, while "Draft of a Eulogy for My Nephew" is the second best running script in the world.

Why would you give the third gift but not the second?

Lin Ran looked at Zhou Shukai and thought to himself, "What a spendthrift! He can even give away something like this?"

However, this sincerity is a bit too much.

He didn't answer immediately, but was thinking.

After a moment, he nodded: "Okay, I will do my best."

(End of this chapter)