Chapter 232: Apollo Moon Landing Team
“No, no, no, this exam itself is a selection-type exam.
We all know clearly that if it’s for doing mathematical research, geniuses are divided into two types: one like Yau, who relies on brute-force calculation genius, and the other is genius with keen mathematical intuition.
This set of exams of mine is exactly to select these two kinds of geniuses.”
Lin Ran said when he received Xu Xian’s phone call.
He knew Xu Xian was a Zhihu blogger, and also knew that the recruitment exam for Lin Ran’s math class would definitely be widely promoted by the students, so he also hoped to make a small explanation to the outside through Xu Xian’s mouth.
Mathematical intuition, mastery of theoretical framework, rigorousness of analysis methods—these are all common traits of mathematicians, but everyone’s ability values will have deviations.
Shing-Tung Yau belonged to the type who was particularly diligent when young; compared to some mathematicians who rely on flashes of inspiration when reading papers, he preferred to use a large number of proofs and calculations to forcefully find a way.
More accurately, this group of older generation East Asian mathematicians were basically all in this style: Shing-Tung Yau, Shiing-Shen Chern, Kunihiko Shioda, and Heisuke Hironaka—everyone competed in internal energy.
As a current PhD student in the mathematics department, Xu Xian easily understood Lin Ran’s meaning: “The problem is 300 questions; no matter what, they can’t finish them. Plus adding a random special question mechanism.”
Lin Ran said softly: “Didn’t I say it in the opening speech? Keep moving forward, don’t look back.
Start directly from the first question, push one after another; in this way, those special questions are distributed by me from easy to difficult. If they are wise enough, they can naturally connect it to what I said.
Actually, the special questions and composite scoring methods are all smokescreens. To get a high score on this test paper, there’s only one way: keep a normal mind, do it from beginning to end, and have some talent.”
Xu Xian smiled bitterly and shook his head: “As expected of Brother Ran’s style—plain and unadorned but unexpected.”
This reminded him that back in high school, when facing questions they didn’t know, Lin Ran would use Kunihiko Shioda’s copybook method, copying the answers five times first before anything else.
“Professor Lin’s moon landing project starts registration today. This project can earn credits, with a specific credit breakdown based on participation duration. It can be treated as a professional elective. Those interested can fill out an application form and private message me.”
This was the convenient door opened by Jiaotong University.
Participating in Apollo Moon Landing gives credits.
For the student group, this was already very attractive.
“Director Chen, I want to ask about the grades? If this project counts as a professional elective, how are grades given?”
“That depends on the arrangements from Professor Lin’s side.”
This wasn’t so attractive anymore.
Ever since the Lin Ran math class division exam ended, everyone knew Professor Lin had very high requirements. What if it didn’t meet the standards and he gave an ultra-low score to pull down the GPA? That would be disastrous.
Therefore, many students hesitated.
Only the senior-year students were actively enthusiastic.
And in Lin Ran’s math class, it was a completely different scene.
Among the 20 people in Lin Ran’s math class, the male-to-female proportion was 19 to 1, and the only one couldn’t be associated with any sweet girl image; even calling her delicate was a stretch.
“Rui God, what do you say? Are you planning to register?” Liu Jiyuan asked.
He and Wang Jiarui were both players who fought their way through Lin Ran’s math selection exam. They were from the physics college before, and now in the same class, they naturally became familiar.
Among these 20 people, Wang Jiarui and Liu Jiyuan were the only two from the physics college.
Wang Jiarui nodded: “Definitely going. The class named after Professor Lin has been established for a week, and we haven’t even seen Professor Lin’s shadow.
His moon landing project can also give professional elective scores. It sounds like it will probably involve a lot of calculus calculations—just treat it as doing problems in a different place.
Orbital calculation, numerical calculation, cybernetics—just treat it as learning ahead to adapt to these courses.”
Liu Jiyuan thought for a moment and replied: “Indeed that’s the reasoning. For us, GPA isn’t that important anyway.”
For this kind of class, GPA has never been important.
Because Lin Ran and Shanghai Jiaotong University’s reputation alone are enough to ensure they won’t be stuck in applying for overseas PhDs or domestic recommendation for graduate studies.
Among domestic 985 universities, the so-called elite-selected classes, because the exams are difficult, naturally give poor grades. In their subsequent further education process, they don’t look at GPA at all—they look at ranking.
In this kind of class, you might rank top five with a 3.0 GPA.
However, Lin Ran’s so-called moon landing project was completely different from what they thought.
First, the project location wasn’t at Jiaotong University at all—it was in Kunshan, and even in Kunshan, it wasn’t convenient.
From Zibulu Road, taking the subway involves transfers all the way to Line 11—not to mention that even getting off at Huaqiao Station, it takes half a day to find the address sent by the counselor: No. 189 Xingsheng Road, Huaqiao Town.
“No way, is Professor Lin really here?”
Wang Jiarui really couldn’t imagine.
Jiaotong University’s huge campus—couldn’t they spare a place for Professor Lin’s moon landing program?
They had to go to this remote Kunshan?
“Yeah, this isn’t even Shanghai territory anymore.” For Shanghai locals like Liu Jiyuan, it felt even more like going from Shanghai metropolis to the countryside to work.
“Hello, what can I do for you?” The security guard at the first-floor entrance stopped them.
“Oh, we are Jiaotong University students.” Wang Jiarui said.
Before he could explain his purpose, the security guard quickly said: “Oh, are you here for the Apollo Technology Company interview? Please show your ID card, student ID card, and the interview QR code—the latter was definitely provided by your counselor. Finally, remember to scan the health code here.”
Wang Jiarui and Liu Jiyuan exchanged a glance, then obediently completed the registration as instructed.
After entering the elevator, Wang Jiarui said: “No way, when did an elective become so formal?”
Liu Jiyuan smiled bitterly and shook his head: “Don’t you think it’s very strange?
Such a rundown building, yet with such young and sharp security guards who handle things very efficiently, and you can vaguely see chest muscles. Why not do something else that pays more than being a security guard here?”
After Liu Jiyuan finished, he pointed to the elevator floor numbers: “This is 20 floors total. Didn’t you notice it seems like only Apollo Technology company is here?
In front, on the wall behind the lobby, there’s a row of transparent hanging racks.
I know what that is—normal office buildings have companies hang their nameplates there, so visitors can find their floor easily.
Now it’s completely blank, clearly showing only Apollo is left.
The security guard’s reaction also shows that—they don’t think otherwise, directly Apollo Technology.
Really very strange.”
What they didn’t know was that this office building called Huaqiao Century was under a Shanghai state-owned enterprise, and it had always been hard to attract companies in the past.
Compared to old rundown office buildings, everyone prefers tall, new ones.
After all, new office buildings aren’t much more expensive.
So in the last month, Shanghai Sci-Tech Investment simply negotiated friendly with the remaining 3 tenants and took over the entire building to rent it out cheaply to Apollo Technology.
The price for 20 floors was equivalent to one floor.
After walking into the 20th floor, they found it wasn’t mysterious at all—instead, very plain and unadorned.
Desks and chairs, blackboard, printer, computers—and that’s it.
Even the renovation was as simple as could be: just flooring and a few potted green plants.
No partitions into individual workstations—everything in full view, desks grouped two or three together.
“Hello, may I help you two?” A young woman walked up, still very student-like.
Wang Jiarui tentatively asked: “Senior sister or junior sister?”
“Jiaotong University Business School senior-year current student, Wang Susu. You?”
“We are students from Lin Ran’s math class, here for the interview this time.” Wang Jiarui said.
“Good, please follow me.” Wang Susu said.
On the way following her, Wang Jiarui and Liu Jiyuan kept probing.
One very special point here was that there were surprisingly many foreigners.
Among 200 people, 27 foreigners were very conspicuous.
“No, your design definitely won’t work.
What we’re doing is moon landing, sure, but that doesn’t mean copying the Apollo Moon Landing exactly again.
Many technologies are different now, including materials that have developed greatly. What we’re doing is, under the Apollo Moon Landing framework, use what can be used, but not reject better ways.
I know you’re going to bring out the old routine again: if the shit mountain of bugs can run, keep running it—don’t optimize, your so-called optimization might collapse the shit mountain directly.
But the problem is, the hardware adapted to the shit mountain doesn’t exist anymore. We’ve changed to a new hardware environment, so we definitely have to rewrite the code based on the shit mountain framework.”
Under Wang Susu’s lead, Wang Jiarui and Liu Jiyuan waited a long time.
During that time, they heard Lin Ran conversing in Chinese and English respectively with five engineers around him.
After the conversation ended, Wang Susu walked to Lin Ran’s side, handed over their resumes, whispered a few words in his ear, and Lin Ran nodded.
Then he stood up and walked to Wang Jiarui and Liu Jiyuan:
“Hello, for now, you two go to the orbital calculation group first. Engineer Li there will specifically assign you work and study tasks. For studying, make good use of time at school to learn; ask if you don’t understand anything. For work, Engineer Li will assign it.
Welcome both of you to join the Apollo Moon Landing team.”
After Lin Ran finished, he shook hands with the two.
By the time Wang Jiarui and Liu Jiyuan sat at their assigned workstations, they still hadn’t reacted.
“No way, it’s over just like that?” Wang Jiarui muttered.
“What about the promised interview?” Liu Jiyuan was equally baffled.
Wang Jiarui continued: “If this counts as an interview, I hope all my future interviews are this smooth.”
Before they could open the computers assigned to them, a man with graying hair but still youthful skin walked up: “Li Rui. I’m also a Jiaotong University alum, though graduated many years ago.
I’m the head of the orbital calculation group. Very glad to see fresh young blood joining our group.
Your task is to serve that one well.”
Li Rui pointed to the white old man two workstations away from theirs.
“Serve?” Wang Jiarui and Liu Jiyuan said in unison.
“Em, sorry I wasn’t clear. More accurately, it’s to take Haines’s work results, put them into the computer, then use simulation software for verification testing, and finally summarize into our knowledge base.
Very simple—just transport and verification work. I’ll teach you once later and you’ll know.”
Wang Jiarui muttered: “No way, how is there still someone using blackboard and pen-and-paper calculation?”
Not knowing was fine, but mentioning it was a shock. He noticed at a glance that the white old man had no computer in front of him, but paper, calculator, and pen; behind him was a large blackboard.
Sometimes frowning, sometimes writing with chalk on the blackboard then erasing, erasing then writing again.
“Specifically, I’ll explain in detail to you over lunch in the canteen later.
That one is Haines, Ebenezer Haines. You can check his resume on the NASA official website.”
It was already 11 a.m. when Wang Jiarui and Liu Jiyuan arrived, and with everyone finishing up, only half an hour left until lunch.
In that short half hour, Li Rui just said a couple simple things and didn’t assign more specific work.
The two, harboring confusion, doubt, and a hint of excitement, checked things while discussing in low voices.
“No way, isn’t this a bit off?” Wang Jiarui said lowly.
“Indeed off. Moon landing project, interest group—if just an interest group, how could it have such a big setup?” Liu Jiyuan was equally surprised. “Such a big setup costs money.
Not to mention anything else, just Team Leader Li who came to us earlier—I looked him up, he’s quite a talent, indeed a Jiaotong University alum, undergraduate in applied mathematics, graduate in the field of aerospace.
First worked at an aerospace research institute, then went to a private commercial aerospace company, but don’t know why he’s here now.
Human costs are no small number, plus venue, and former NASA employees like Haines probably aren’t cheap either.”
Wang Jiarui said: “Definitely. I just used a ladder to Google him—he really is a former NASA employee who participated in Apollo Moon Landing, especially skilled in various orbital calculations, and looks similar to the photos.
Big shots like this must be even more expensive, right?”
Some of their guesses were right, some wrong.
The moon landing was indeed more than just an interest group.
These people were also far cheaper than they thought.
To hire Haines, the price was 0; he even had to pay out of pocket.
If not for the timely financial support from the China side, Lin Ran would even be ready to explode the gold coins from the remaining 26 old timers next.
Fifty thousand US dollars per person—you’re all walking fifty thousand too.
By lunchtime, Li Rui took them to the 8th floor canteen, eating while saying:
“Anyway, as you’ve seen, we’re not joking. We have very meticulous plans. When General Manager Lin is not around, you can go look behind his workstation—there’s our time schedule there.
The entire plan strictly follows that time schedule.
If everything goes smoothly, we’ll complete the moon landing in November next year.”
