Chapter 254: China Version Face-to-face
“Okay, okay, okay.”
After this meeting, many things remained unchanged, but at the same time, many things had changed.
“Heh.”
After seeing some state-owned major banks come to discuss cooperation, hoping to include them in Bilibili’s exclusive cooperation agreement, it was hard to imagine that these banks with their eager attitudes were the state-owned enterprises typically known for slow decision making and strong risk awareness.
When Li Xiaoman mentioned this to Lin Ran, Lin Ran was preparing to head to Yanjing.
He saw the other party holding a thick stack of cooperation proposals from the state-owned major bank. After understanding the situation, he smiled:
“This isn’t necessarily not a kind of loan?
Exchanging future promises for current resources.
It’s just that this kind of loan is verbal, with no written promises at all, and the current resources are not just money so simple.
But the essence is the same.
I’ve never liked this approach, but sometimes you just have to borrow a bit of resources from the future.”
Lin Ran recalled another spacetime, where he had similarly preemptively obtained authority over America Aerospace affairs from Kennedy.
But later, he fulfilled the promise with his actions, even greatly exceeding the White House’s expectations.
This also led to the authority no longer being given by others, but firmly bound to him as a person.
By the time of Lyndon Johnson, even if Lyndon Johnson tried every means to reduce Lin Ran’s influence and portray the moon landing success as his own merit, it was almost an impossible task.
Originally, removing Lin Ran’s administrative position only required a presidential order, a phone call: You’re fired.
But Lyndon Johnson just couldn’t bring himself to say it.
Because the loan had already been repaid, and what he now held was the principal earned by Lin Ran. If the bank arbitrarily withheld the principal, did they still want to play?
Therefore, what was happening now gave Lin Ran a feeling of reliving the past.
“General Manager Lin, we are very pleased to cooperate with Apollo Technology. You are absolutely the well-deserved No.1 among private aerospace enterprises.”
The vice president met this time at China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation was called Chen Renjie, also an alumnus of Shanghai Jiaotong University.
Lin Ran had come five times before, and the last time he met the other party was through the help of Jiaotong University in making the connection.
At that time, the other party’s attitude was very good and polite, but when it came to substantive cooperation, the implication in their words was that it was acceptable in principle, but they needed to discuss it, since such a project would waste a lot of their resources and required evaluation.
In short, just go back and wait.
Acceptable in principle means no.
But no matter from which angle, the other party couldn’t refuse him.
And this time, Chen Renjie personally received him again, which meant it was no in principle, but going through a special joint research and development project wasn’t impossible.
“General Manager Lin, our idea is this: China Aerospace will give you a lateral research project. This project is the Apollo Program, mainly researching the Saturn V engine.
There might not be much money, at most around five million, since the funding flow for our lateral research projects each year was already set last year. This five million is special funding.
But internally at China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, there will be sufficient resource support, including production, research and development, and manufacturing, provided according to your requirements.”
After hearing this, Lin Ran understood. In plain terms, this meant the other party was willing, wrapping it under the name of a lateral research project. The nominal money wasn’t much, but the resources were sufficient.
He thought to himself, as expected, there’s nothing impossible in human society, whether China or other countries.
The previous refusal was simply because the social resources he could leverage weren’t sufficient yet.
If it were just at Lin Zhongqing’s level, leveraging China Aerospace’s resources wasn’t realistic.
After all, China Aerospace was at the vice-ministerial level, just like Jiaotong University. Why should they listen to you?
If discussing authority weight, then Shanghai Jiaotong University was far inferior.
Chen Renjie meeting Lin Ran was already giving face to Shanghai Jiaotong University.
But now, the situation was different.
Lin Ran clearly knew that all of China Aerospace’s internal resources would tilt toward him, giving the green light, something that money couldn’t buy.
As for a mathematics department professor getting a five-million lateral research project from China Aerospace, for others it might be an audit issue, but when that person was Lin Ran, there was no problem at all.
With the successful launch of Burning No. 1, Lin Ran had fully proven himself to be an undoubted rocket research and development expert in the aerospace field.
Lin Ran smiled: “Manager Chen, trust me, you won’t regret it.
Figuring out how F-1 and J-2 are made will only benefit China Aerospace with no downsides.”
Lin Ran didn’t mention anything about intellectual property or patents.
Because mentioning it would be pointless.
If you rely on China Aerospace to build it, and you say the patent is split half, no permission means no manufacturing.
They could casually change the name. If I’m not called F-1, that’s fine. Change the name, and what right do you have to say it’s your patent?
This kind of technology, in a certain sense, isn’t protected by patents at all.
If China truly replicates it, NASA can only glare helplessly.
Similarly, if Lin Ran cooperates with China Aerospace to build it, if he doesn’t cooperate with them and builds it with other enterprises, China Aerospace can’t do anything to him.
Chen Renjie clapped and said: “General Manager Lin, honestly, last time we met here, when you told me you could replicate it in half a year with identical effects, even optimizing some parts, I might have believed only one percent.
This was still based on you being a great mathematician, but your mathematics is number theory. Analytic number theory is still too far from aerospace-related mathematics.
Now after your Burning No. 1 success, my trust has risen to 10%. If you say three or five years, I might believe eighty or ninety percent, but half a year, that’s too short.
But I’m still very much looking forward to seeing a miracle happen.”
Chen Renjie stood up and shook hands with Lin Ran, after which China Aerospace staff took over receiving Lin Ran.
He had to head to Chang’an without delay.
China Aerospace’s liquid rocket engine research and development and production were all in Chang’an.
And before going to Xi’an, there was an interview from CCTV.
This was a task he couldn’t decline.
“This program was always hosted by Teacher Guo, but after learning that the guest to be interviewed this time was Professor Lin, I strongly requested to take over. After the station consulted Professor Lin’s opinion, they agreed.
They said young people interviewing young people would be better. At that time, Teacher Guo’s expression changed, because he’s only five years older than me.”
Face to Face program.
Lin Ran had participated in it sixty years ago.
But it was BBC’s Face to Face, and the host at the time was Major Freeman.
Lin Ran wasn’t sure if CCTV’s program had bought the copyright from BBC.
But he guessed probably not. Face to Face isn’t a particularly unique name. What else would an interview program be called?
Sitting opposite Lin Ran was Xiao Sa.
After a string of very familiar complaining-style opening remarks, for an ordinary guest, they would already be completely relaxed and led by the host’s rhythm.
But today’s interviewee was Lin Ran, who had experienced many interviews.
Which reporter hadn’t he seen?
Lin Ran smiled: “Mainly, I thought we were acquaintances. We collaborated on the first lesson of school program.”
Xiao Sa nodded solemnly: “Exactly, and the first time I mentioned direct admission to Yenching University without any sense of superiority, but rather a sense of shame.
The reason I came to interview is to turn the tables!”
Lin Ran said: “Then you picked the wrong opponent. I just successfully launched a rocket.”
Xiao Sa nodded: “I know, but I still have one last thing better than Professor Lin, which is that I attended Yenching University. Even if you really go to the Moon, Yenching University is still stronger than Shanghai Jiaotong University!”
Lin Ran smiled: “Wait until I plant Jiaotong University’s flag on the Moon, then it might not be so.”
Xiao Sa looked very defeated: “Still no?
Can our Yenching University also launch a rocket to space? To blunt Jiaotong people’s edge!”
Lin Ran pointed at him: “You can give it a try.”
Xiao Sa smiled bitterly: “Then let’s not compare.
Back to the point, Professor Lin, we all know that your company, Apollo Technology, recently launched a medium rocket. Compared to small rockets developed by other private enterprises, the biggest difference with a medium rocket is that its volume is larger, and it can send more weight into space.
Could you please explain in detail to the audience friends in front of their televisions?”
Lin Ran answered: “Of course.”
After giving a general introduction to the parameters, Lin Ran said: “The greatest significance of this is that we confirmed our constructed mathematical model is effective. It can avoid a large number of test verification steps, allowing us to proceed directly to launch.
Compared to other enterprises, our biggest advantage is in time and cost.”
After listening, Xiao Sa clapped: “Just hearing it sounds amazing.
After all, completing a medium rocket in just half a year far exceeds other similar enterprises in both difficulty and time.
Even the progress I’ve learned about from China Aerospace should be far inferior to Professor Lin.
So could you be more specific? Where exactly are its advantages manifested?”
After thinking for a moment, Lin Ran said: “Of course. Since we are called Apollo Technology, I’ll use the engine research and development in the Apollo Moon Landing as an example.
The rocket used in the Apollo Moon Landing is called Saturn V, an unprecedented big rocket.
Its first stage is F-1, second stage is J-2.
Of course, both engines had various problems.
Among them, J-2’s most obvious problem was combustion instability. After the Apollo Moon Landing mission was completed, NASA tried many ways to optimize J-2.
Including J-2S switching to recirculation, reducing components and adding throttle system; J-2T using annular combustion chamber and injection nozzle; J-2X with higher thrust, etc.
Just for J-2S, its upgrade was from gas generator cycle to recirculation, reducing the number of components, lowering startup difficulty, and adding throttle system and variable mixture ratio system to adapt to different pressure conditions.
From 1965 to 1972, over eight years, six pre-production models were tested, with cumulative burning time exceeding 30,000 seconds.
But if put into a computer for modeling, achieving the same effect as real prototype machines, it might only take a week to determine that this technical path has no prospects.
And avoid wasting energy, manpower, and time.
Compared to past traditional research and development methods, it has fundamental improvements in every aspect.”
After listening, Xiao Sa clapped: “It sounds very useful.
Then aren’t other private aerospace enterprises researching rockets and engines under a lot of pressure?
Facing Apollo Technology, which has mastered a unique secret technique.”
Lin Ran grinned and said: “I have only one suggestion for them: switch industries as soon as possible, the sooner the better. This isn’t about wanting to monopolize the entire market; it’s truly from the bottom of my heart.
No matter who it is, even SpaceX, if competing with us in the same market, failure is the only possibility.”
Xiao Sa turned to the camera and said: “This is what Professor Lin said, not me. Bosses of major enterprises, if you have issues, don’t come at me.
So Professor, there have been recent comments calling you China’s Musk, but from your answer just now, you don’t seem to think you’re China’s Musk.”
After hearing this, Lin Ran sighed inwardly. I’m China’s Musk? Isn’t that too belittling?
He thought again that originally in 2020, it was a process of re-accumulating prestige and legendary status:
“Of course not. I’ve never thought I was China’s so-and-so.
Rather than saying I’m China’s Musk, better to say I’m China’s professor.”
Lin Ran sighed inwardly, this sentence in the 60s spacetime, even if he wanted to say it, he couldn’t.
Additionally, he thought that in this spacetime, accumulating the same prestige as in 1960 wouldn’t be easy.
It wasn’t that he could do fewer things in this spacetime, but in 1960s America, he had the entire free world’s propaganda machine helping promote him, whereas now, that propaganda machine would only oppose him.
Lin Ran continued: “If everyone can compete fairly in the same market, I believe one day we can take out SpaceX, just like China manufacturers have done in various fields over the past forty years, eroding foreign manufacturers’ market share.”
Xiao Sa said: “I’m very much looking forward to that day.
Before the interview, I specially did my homework. I know that before Professor Lin’s Apollo Technology burst onto the scene, our expectations for private aerospace seemed to be just making reusable rockets.
And after Professor Lin’s Burning No. 1 launch success, people discuss that private aerospace enterprises can do many things, with vitality as strong as private enterprises in other fields.
But I find that external expectations are still a bit far from the professor’s own goals.”
Lin Ran nodded: “Naturally. External expectations are based on past cognition, while my appearance will continuously break everyone’s cognition, turning what the outside world sees as impossible into possible.”
Xiao Sa asked: “So Professor, what is your expectation?”
Lin Ran said without hesitation: “Leading humanity to leave Earth.
At least settling on Mars, completing Mars immigration.”
Xiao Sa didn’t mention that it was similar to Musk’s dream again; he just clapped:
“Professor, I hope to see this scene in my lifetime, best if I can go see it personally.”
