Chapter 154: Blessing Or Curse
Not only Shu Xingbei received the letter.
“Qikeng, Director Hua’s letter to you, come on, please sign for it.”
Lu Qikeng struggled to get up and took the letter from the hand of the comrade delivering it.
Although Hua Luogeng and Su Buqing had successively been transferred away from the Mathematics Institute by then, and the director of the Mathematics Institute was Wu Wenjun, the staff here still called Hua Luogeng Director Hua.
“To Qikeng personally
China is about to hold a recruitment examination to recruit top science and engineering talent for the most cutting-edge scientific research. I suggest seriously considering preparing for the exam.
Best regards.
Hua Luogeng
May 17″
Lu Qikeng had leg disabilities and was given by his parents to others as a foster son from childhood, but he had extraordinary talent and was a self-taught genius.
He never attended school from childhood, but through self-study with borrowed books, he successfully entered high school and later Sun Yat-sen University.
In 1950, when Hua Luogeng returned to China from America, he transited in Hong Kong and made a short stop in Yangcheng, where he was enthusiastically invited to give an academic speech at Sun Yat-sen University. After attending this academic lecture, Lu Qikeng wrote a letter to Hua Luogeng and later became his first student in China.
The reason Hua Luogeng thought of Lu Qikeng was both because the other had extraordinary talent, especially excelling at self-study.
This excellence was not just self-studying high school content, which is nothing for a genius, but also included self-studying quantum mechanics.
In 59, when students asked Lu Qikeng how several complex variables came about and what applications it had.
Because he taught several complex variables functions.
Lu Qikeng couldn’t answer what practical applications it had, which led the students to think this wasn’t real theory, scientific theory, because real theory comes from practice and can in turn guide practice. The students said it was pseudoscience.
This put great pressure on Lu Qikeng. Back at the Mathematics Institute, he heard Zhang Zonghui say that several complex variables functions were being applied to the proof of dispersion relations in quantum field theory.
This delighted Lu Qikeng; his theory had an application scenario, but he didn’t understand quantum field theory at all.
So Lu Qikeng asked Dai Yuanben for help, asking him to give basic knowledge of quantum field theory to them, the comrades working on several complex variables functions.
Relying on the quantum mechanics foundational knowledge learned from Dai Yuanben, combined with his own self-study, Lu Qikeng completed the paper “Gauge Field and Connection on Principal Fiber Bundles” in the 70s, pioneering the explicit correspondence between gauge field and fiber bundle connection, doing some pioneering work in quantum mechanics.
Big shots are often this unpretentious.
After seeing Hua Luogeng’s letter, Lu Qikeng fell into contemplation. Clearly, after Shiing-Shen Chern’s student Wu Wenjun became director of the Mathematics Institute, life was generally hard for them, Hua Luogeng’s students.
This pressure was intangible.
And Hua Luogeng’s letter gave him a brand-new choice.
Soon newspapers across the country published the news of the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ joint recruitment through examination. Any member of the public aged under 30 could take the exam, with merit-based admission.
At this time there was still the college entrance examination, and compared to it, the merit-based admission in this notice brightened many people’s eyes.
“Bo Ju, prepare yourself and go take this exam.” Jiang Lifu said to his son.
Jiang Boju, who had returned to Yangcheng for summer vacation, said in astonishment: “Why?”
He had graduated from Yenching University Mathematics and Mechanics Department at age twenty and stayed on to teach.
Jiang Boju was engaged in research related to Nelson numbers at Yenching University. As a researcher, he couldn’t understand his father’s words at all.
“No why, I think this is an opportunity.” Jiang Lifu said stiffly.
Jiang Boju said loudly: “This is no opportunity at all.
Is there anywhere in the country better than Yenching University?”
Jiang Lifu said: “I first taught at Nankai, then went to Southwest Associated University, then to Jinling as director of the Mathematics Institute of the Central Research Academy, and now back to Yangcheng.
Nothing is unchanging.
Your idea of staying in Yanjing forever is good, but compared to doing research, the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ joint training might be a better choice.”
Jiang Lifu had experienced too much. Although no one wrote to him or told him what the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ joint training really was.
But he could read different information just from the four words “merit-based admission.”
What he read from this announcement were three words: safe haven.
It was precisely because of this judgment that he hoped his eldest son would take this joint examination.
As for whether the other could pass, he never worried about that.
Being able to graduate from Yenching University Mathematics Department at 20, having received his education and training, it would be strange if he didn’t pass.
“You’re in Yanjing, you should know the director of the Mathematics Institute has changed batch after batch, right?
From Hua Luogeng to Su Buqing to the current Wu Wenjun.” Jiang Lifu said.
Jiang Boju thought: “It seems so.”
Jiang Lifu asked: “Aren’t you curious where they went?”
Jiang Boju shook his head: “Yeah, before, Director Hua would occasionally come to Yenching University for academic exchanges, including for Yenching University Mathematics Department graduates; he would come to meet some students.
I haven’t heard any news about him for a long time.
Last time I went to the Mathematics Institute, not only was Director Hua gone, but some researchers I knew before were also gone.”
Only then did he realize something was wrong, breaking out in a cold sweat.
Jiang Lifu then asked: “Didn’t you ask them where they were going?”
Jiang Boju said: “I did, but they didn’t know either.”
Jiang Lifu asked: “Then is there anything else unusual at the Mathematics Research Institute?”
After thinking for a moment, Jiang Boju said: “The liveliest place there now is the Computing Center.
They say it’s unbeatable in calculations throughout the world.
When I went, there was a very long line there.
I heard the staff say that it’s like this every day, with many people lining up hoping the Computing Center will compute the things they need to calculate for them. Some want to cut in line, others come to pick up results.”
In Yangcheng, information travels even more slowly.
For news like this, if Jiang Boju hadn’t told him, Jiang Lifu wouldn’t have known there was such a thing as a Computing Center at all.
This made him feel even more that things were changing.
“Computing Center?”
“That’s right, it’s the place that helps solve equations. They say it’s fast and accurate, with much higher precision than calculating it themselves.
I don’t know how they do it.
I heard them guess that it uses the most advanced computer imported from the Soviet Union.” Jiang Boju explained.
Jiang Lifu didn’t dwell on this issue anymore, but continued: “Even Hua Luogeng and Su Buqing can’t ensure they will always work at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. What makes you think you can always stay at Yenching University?
When you can choose proactively, choosing proactively is better than waiting to be passively arranged.
You can think about it carefully. So many changes have happened around you with mathematicians.
Instead of waiting for changes to come upon you, it’s better to seize the opportunities you can find yourself.”
Jiang Lifu spoke earnestly.
After hearing this, Jiang Boju fell into deep thought, because it really was the truth.
Change is the norm for things.
The examination has two rounds, with test papers uniformly issued by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The preliminary test is held in the provincial capital cities of each province.
After registration, go to the provincial capital of your province to take the exam.
This one is purely self-funded.
You have to cover the round-trip travel expenses yourself.
Finally, there is a final round that requires going to Yanjing.
This round covers round-trip travel expenses. The letter they send you includes not only the admission ticket for the final test but also a train ticket.
Just for the outbound trip.
Because if you pass, the country will take care of your entire future life.
The exam content is very difficult, clearly harder than the college entrance exam.
When Jiang Boju walked out of the exam room, he saw many plainly dressed young people already with tears in their eyes.
From his perspective, completing the calculations for these complex calculus problems in just two hours involved an enormous amount of computation.
Some cleverly designed exercises, for someone like him who had heard Hua Luogeng lecture many times, clearly carried the style of Professor Hua Luogeng.
Not just Hua Luogeng; the other was in number theory, and there was also Su Buqing’s style.
In short, from this set of exercises, he could smell something unusual.
“Dad, you’re right. I estimate that passing the exam means I’ll get to meet Hua Luogeng and Su Buqing.
The sequence problem inside had particularly complex conditions, making it hard to find the pattern. When I finally solved it, it turned out to be a variant of an exercise that Director Hua Luogeng had mentioned in a lecture.
There was also a differential geometry problem requiring proof of a conclusion I’d never thought of, with so many steps it made one’s head spin.
I remember Professor Su Buqing had mentioned this conclusion before, but only as a lemma at the time. This time, they had us prove that lemma.”
After hearing this, Jiang Lifu said: “Although I have a grudge with Hua Luogeng, there’s no doubt he is a mathematics master, and so is Su Buqing.
If you can learn from them, I believe you’ll have better prospects than at Yenching University.
Plus, at the Mathematics Research Institute, you’ll definitely have access to more Western academic journals than at Yenching University.”
After saying this, a mysterious smile appeared on Jiang Lifu’s face: “Speaking of which, I have a good thing for you, as an early congratulatory gift for passing the exam.”
Jiang Lifu’s words immediately piqued Jiang Boju’s curiosity: “What? A Panda brand radio? You got one?
I couldn’t get one even in Yanjing.”
Jiang Lifu shook his head: “No, it’s the inaugural issue of Mathematics New Outlook, with Professor Lin Ran’s personal signature.”
This was indeed an unprecedented surprise for Jiang Boju.
As a master-level figure in the current Chinese mathematics community and the brightest star in the mathematics world, Lin Ran was undoubtedly the idol in the hearts of countless Chinese mathematicians.
Naturally, this included Jiang Boju.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Boju nearly jumped up, his ecstatic expression overflowing: “Dad, show it to me quickly!”
Taking the magazine from Jiang Lifu’s hand and opening the title page, Jiang Boju saw a passage:
“To Boju:
Wishing you to make your own contribution to mathematics and keep advancing on the road of mathematics.
Randolph Lin”
It was signed in English, so the name left was Lin Ran’s English name.
In modern terms, this was a “To” signature.
Jiang Boju rubbed it gently, then flipped through the content. It was indeed the inaugural issue, featuring Lin Ran’s proof of Fermat’s Conjecture. He had also seen this journal in the Yanjing University Library.
“Dad, where did you get this? And it’s specially signed for me!” Jiang Boju looked reluctant to part with it.
However, he never doubted it was fake.
Because there was no need at all.
Jiang Lifu explained: “Last year, Shiing-Shen Chern got it from Lin Ran at the New York Mathematics Christmas Party, and it took a full half year to mail it to me.
He said it was a gift specially requested for you, congratulating you on graduating from university.”
At the Christmas Party, Lin Ran didn’t chat much with Shiing-Shen Chern, but he gladly agreed to Shiing-Shen Chern’s request. After all, in his impression, Jiang Boju was an academician in the field of mathematics in China.
And through this request, Shiing-Shen Chern also confirmed that Lin Ran truly had no issue with him.
The other party was simply too busy to chat in detail.
After all, he had to do mathematical research while managing a colossus like NASA, and also find time for some artificial intelligence work. Just thinking about it, Shiing-Shen Chern felt how enormous the workload was.
Jiang Boju said: “Thank you, Dad. I will definitely prepare well for the examination and not let down your expectation.”
Jiang Boju definitely had no problem passing the preliminary test.
Bringing back to Yanjing the “New Progress in Mathematics” personally signed by Lin Ran, a gift from his father.
Sometimes things are just so coincidental, and it was taken away. Otherwise, if it had stayed at Jiang Lifu’s home, who knows what trouble might arise later.
After all, Lin Ran was politely a Chinese mathematics master, but bluntly, he was a senior official entrenched in the White House on the floor tiles of human morality, an evil scientist abetting evil.
However, things developed differently from what Jiang Boju thought. After layers of examinations, only 30 people were finally selected.
Total score 200 points, the highest among them was 120 points, the lowest only 40 points.
40 points could pass the assessment.
It was enough to show how pervert this examination was.
This examination was restarted in the 1980s.
But by then, it had become an examination somewhat like a youth class, targeting students under 15 in China, with content only physics and mathematics. After passing, they would receive integrated undergraduate, master’s, and PhD training at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
After PhD graduation, Area 51 would conduct a two-way selection. If not going to Area 51, there would be other paths.
This examination was also known as the examination with the lowest admission rate in China.
In September 1963, deep in the mountains of Panzhihua, surrounded by continuous mountains, the base was enveloped in the fresh scent of trees in the air, occasionally mixed with the low hum of machinery operating in the distance.
Everything here was shrouded in a veil of mystery, its existence unknown to the outside world.
Arriving here, Shu Xingbei’s first reaction was mystery.
It was worthy of being the place to fake his death and escape, solving all worries about his original identity.
Just building such a large base here from flat ground was no easy task.
And the Chinese scientists appearing here were almost all well-known characters.
Those with overseas study experience who returned to China all knew each other.
He had studied in England and knew Huang Kun and Xie Xide, who had also returned from studying in England.
And Dean Qian and Hua Luogeng were even well-known figures frequently on the news.
All these phenomena showed how extraordinary this place was.
However, he did not immediately start contacting the Raspberry Pi, nor arrange for him to do radar-related research work. Instead, his task was to familiarize himself with the “MIT Radiation Laboratory Series” books, and besides that, to teach, instructing a group of newcomers about to go to Area 51.
The classroom was located at the edge of the base, a simple yet practical small room with walls painted white lime, several rows of wooden desks inside, a blackboard occupying an entire wall, and stable light from fluorescent lamps overhead.
Shu Xingbei had graying hair, an upright figure, a gentle gaze hiding years of vicissitudes and stories.
“Hello everyone, I am your mentor Mu Tianlang. I will be conducting your upcoming training.
Being able to come here shows that you are all geniuses. I have seen many geniuses and taught many geniuses.
I can tell you very straightforwardly that among geniuses, there are geniuses among geniuses and fools among geniuses.
So do not think too highly of yourselves, feeling how great it is to pass layers of selection to come here.
Wait until you prove you are geniuses among geniuses, then it won’t be too late to feel that pride.
But by then, you probably won’t have time to feel proud either.
Reality will give you an even heavier blow.
Because by then you will formally enter work, and use what you have learned to solve problems in reality.
The difficulties in reality are far more difficult than examinations, and one problem after another will tell you that pride is the most useless emotion.”
That is, domestically you can’t see America newspapers.
Otherwise Shu Xingbei would definitely also cite Lin Ran’s deeds to corroborate, “Being able to curse all NASA engineers as trash like Lin Ran, and the other side has no way to refute, then you can be as proud as you want.”
Ever since Panzhihua, Lu Qikeng and Jiang Boju have been in a state of who am I and where am I.
For them, this place was too remote, and also a bit too special.
The textbook on the table printed with Signal Processing Principles made them even more baffled.
Wasn’t it supposed to be joint training? We are mathematicians, how are we accepting training in the direction of Communication Engineering.
The only consolation was that Hua Luogeng and Su Buqing were both at the base, which gave them some comfort in their hearts.
The missing mathematicians had indeed all appeared in Area 51.
However, they all looked fatigued, with hurried steps, appearing to be extremely busy.
Combined with the Computing Center that the Chinese Academy of Sciences had just set up, they thought Hua Luogeng and Su Buqing were in charge of the work at the Computing Center.
Mathematicians turned into calculators, it was completely understandable that the workload was huge.
“Alright, since everyone is an adult, our teaching method will mainly be based on self-study.
Daytime is for self-study, evenings for questions and discussions, you can speak freely about your questions, I’ll answer what I know, and for what I don’t know, there are countless experts at the base who can answer for you.
We all rely on self-study, with one round of examinations every month.”
Two weeks per volume of content, meaning it would take a bit more than a year to finish learning all this content.
Shu Xingbei also had to relearn this set of Chinese version of the MIT Radiation Laboratory Series.
But he had a foundation, so his progress was much faster than the students’.
One month later, in the Area 51 joint training classroom.
Usually in the evening discussion sessions, Shu Xingbei would initiate first, he flipped open the book page, cleared his throat, and asked: “What is the role of waveguides in microwave transmission? Who can answer?”
The classroom went quiet for a moment, Lu Qikeng raised his hand first, confidently saying: “Waveguides can guide electromagnetic waves, reducing energy loss in high-frequency transmission, more efficient than traditional wires.”
Shu Xingbei nodded slightly, expressionless, and said: “Correct, but not comprehensive enough. Does anyone want to add?”
Jiang Boju pushed up his glasses, slightly nervously answering: “Waveguides constrain electromagnetic waves through metal structures, supporting specific mode propagation. This is crucial for radar systems, as it ensures signal precision.”
The corner of Shu Xingbei’s mouth curved up slightly, revealing a barely perceptible approval: “Good. Now, let’s look at the mathematical principles behind it.”
He turned and wrote a formula on the blackboard.
The students immediately lowered their heads to take notes.
Area 51 was a very boring place, with nothing to do except study.
Those who could come here all had talent in science, and with talent they entered the state faster, plus Shu Xingbei’s guidance, the atmosphere in the entire training class was very good.
As the courses deepened, the atmosphere in the classroom became increasingly tense and heated. While Shu Xingbei lectured, his gaze would sweep over each student from time to time, as if evaluating their understanding.
A student interjected with a question: “Teacher, if the dimensions of the waveguide change, will it affect mode stability?”
Shu Xingbei stopped writing, his gaze locked on him, and said gravely: “Good question. Changes in dimensions directly affect the cutoff frequency, go back and derive the formula, give me the answer tomorrow.”
The audience below was silent, but no one thought this was a bad thing.
This was completely different from university classrooms in later generations.
Jiang Boju was even more silent, his brows tightly furrowed, pen never stopping in his hand, as if wrestling with complex concepts.
Shu Xingbei noticed his focus, walked over and asked: “Is there anything you don’t understand?”
Jiang Boju looked up: “I’m thinking about the solution for boundary conditions, can separation of variables be used?”
Shu Xingbei patted his shoulder, his tone softening: “I think your approach is right, you can try it.”
The discussion voices weren’t particularly heated, but every classmate who answered had substance in their words.
On a rare day off, Bi Dexian came to Shu Xingbei’s dorm for chat:
“Sirius, how does it feel?”
Shu Xingbei smiled wryly: “Aside from this name being a bit unadaptable, everything else I’ve adapted to very quickly.
This set of books you compiled is impressive, it’s the first time I’ve seen such a complete applied physics textbook.
Much better than the textbooks I encountered in England back then.
It could completely be popularized nationwide.
Though the difficulty is a bit high, the students can grit their teeth and overcome it.”
Shu Xingbei had previously taught at Zhejiang University, now teaching top selected students, subconsciously feeling this set of books was just a little difficult.
“I proposed it, but the higher-ups said it’s not urgent yet.” Bi Dexian said, “I see you adapt well to teaching students.”
“Of course, these are all top-notch seedlings.
If I don’t teach them well, I’d be letting down the country!” Shu Xingbei laughed, after coming here, he felt invigorated all over again.
Although the body is no longer young, the mindset has become much younger.
“Celestial Wolf, don’t forget, you will eventually have to hand over the work of teaching.
I’m really short on people here.
You need to join the radar research and development work as soon as possible.” Bi Dexian reminded.
“That’s natural, I can’t wait!”
Begging for monthly votes, woo woo woo give Raven some monthly votes!
