Chapter 265: How Is Randolph So Evil?
All along, China and America’s establishment factions have had a great deal of common interests.
As part of America’s establishment faction, or even what can be called the true shareholders, the Morgan family can also receive courtesy in China.
At times like this, ordinary Americans definitely can’t get a visa, but core members of the Morgan family can get one easily.
Of course, if he wants to see Lin Ran, he definitely needs Lin Ran’s agreement.
Lin Ran is willing to meet the other party because of the other’s name, John Adams Morgan II.
What generation you are called relates to when your family started adding a Roman numeral afterward.
Taking Charles Francis Adams III as an example, he is not at all a third-generation member of the Adams family. His grandfather Charles Francis Adams was the third-generation member of the Adams family, the direct grandson of America’s founding father John Adams.
And the reason Charles Francis Adams III is called III is because his father was John Quincy Adams II.
Therefore, to highlight his origins from both the Morgan and Adams families as the product of their marriage alliance, Young John Morgan didn’t want to give up the Adams in the middle of his name, so he is called John Adams Morgan II.
“Professor, you’re joking a bit, aren’t you? Even if Mr. President dares to appoint you as NASA’s Director, do you really dare to go to America in person?” Young John Morgan paused only briefly before replying to Lin Ran’s request in a very clever way.
Far superior to Huang Min who came to see Lin Ran a few days ago.
The other’s Chinese was extremely fluent. And opening his mouth with “Professor” clearly showed he had done his homework.
Lin Ran said indifferently: “If the White House issues an executive order to me and Congress approves it, I’ll take a special plane there that same day.”
Lin Ran thought to himself, I have a gate and a Super Brain, so why wouldn’t I dare to go? I can guide NASA’s moon landing in this spacetime, and incidentally compete with Musk’s SpaceX, which is not impossible.
Young John Morgan sensed that the young Chinese person in front of him, who was even younger than him, was speaking seriously. He smiled awkwardly: “Professor, sorry, the White House really can’t meet this request of yours.
The 10 billion US dollars you proposed is also a bit too high.
1 billion US dollars per year, how about that?”
Young John Morgan proposed a price.
Lin Ran raised an eyebrow and asked: “Does this price look down on me?”
Young John Morgan shook his head: “Professor, don’t make things difficult for me. I believe this price is very reasonable. It’s not a buyout of 1 billion, it’s 1 billion US dollars per year.”
Lin Ran then asked: “Can it go through QQ membership? I believe Tencent will give me this face.
You open an official White House verified account on QQ, then buy yourselves a 1 billion US dollar moon landing super membership every year.
At that time, I’ll have Tencent make special effects for the White House’s official account super cool. NASA may not be able to land on the Moon in reality, but they’ve already landed on the Moon in QQ space!”
Young John Morgan smiled bitterly this time, “Professor, alright, it seems we can’t reach cooperation.”
Lin Ran’s request is: Come on, not only does the White House have to give me money, but also offer its face for me to slap, in front of the whole world.
Not much harm, but maximum insult.
For Lin Ran’s teasing, Young John Morgan didn’t say any harsh words. Saying harsh words in this setting is useless, and showing emotions during negotiations seems entirely unnecessary to them.
Lin Ran shook his head: “No no no, I can’t cooperate with the White House, but we can cooperate.”
Young John Morgan’s eyes lit up, “We cooperate? Do you mean Apollo Technology accepts foreign investment?
Rest assured, even if relevant Chinese parties disagree, as long as you agree, we’ll handle the relevant parties. Introducing foreign capital will definitely go smoothly.”
Lin Ran smiled lightly: “No, I’m not talking about that. I’m saying I can cooperate with you.”
This made the smile on Young John Morgan’s face fade, revealing a hint of confusion: “We?”
Lin Ran didn’t mention it again and instead asked: “Is your father called John Adams Morgan?”
Young John Morgan nodded: “Yes.”
This isn’t strange, after all, he is John Adams Morgan II, so his father is naturally John Adams Morgan.
“What is he doing now?” Lin Ran then asked.
Young John Morgan was even more puzzled, “Probably playing golf.”
Lin Ran understood. John Morgan in this spacetime, without the “Professor’s” help, had long lost in the competition for the Morgan family patriarch position and happily lived as a freeloader in the Morgan family’s financial group for a lifetime.
Lin Ran didn’t pursue further; asking this was just a sudden thought. He continued: “That’s right, I cooperate with you.
Do you want to become the next Musk?
Whatever technology SpaceX has, I’ll get it for you, like Falcon 9, Starship, Starlink. I can completely replicate them one-to-one.
And you, my friend, you can spin off the aerospace business from General Electric, establish a General Aerospace, and compete head-on with SpaceX.
Why should the protagonist of America’s Space Age be Musk, and not you, John Adams Morgan?”
Two Spacetimes do not interfere with each other; this is from a spacetime perspective.
But that doesn’t mean Lin Ran can’t interfere or change this world according to his own will.
Lin Ran was very clear that when Huang Min came to find him a few days ago, he must have gotten permission from Musk and SpaceX behind the scenes. Musk hoped to enter the Chinese market in this way.
After all, he had already enjoyed the benefits of building a Gigafactory in Shanghai.
This time, he wanted to replicate Tesla’s success in the aerospace field in another way.
Lin Ran thought, if the enemy can come, so can I.
If Musk can cause me trouble, I can naturally cause him trouble too.
Young John Morgan remained calm on the surface and asked: “Professor, what do you mean?”
“Literal meaning,” Lin Ran said.
Young John Morgan replied: “Professor, don’t forget, the conditions we offered you before included reusable rockets.”
Lin Ran waved his hand: “Those conditions don’t mean the Morgan family has reusable rockets in hand. Even if you really have them, with America’s weak industrial foundation, you couldn’t make them yourselves.
I can replicate Saturn V with just information, as you know very well; detailed technical data is enough for me.
But my friend, for you, even if you had Falcon 9 technical data right now in America, replicating Falcon 9 would be next to impossible.
Otherwise, Bezos’s Blue Origin wouldn’t be struggling so much.
But the difference is, you give me the information, then hire engineers and send them to China to work. I’ll be responsible for teaching them how to build Falcon 9 with America’s industrial foundation.
Falcon 9, Starship, Starlink—in short, whatever SpaceX has, I’ll give you. With the Morgan family behind you, are you afraid of no orders?
My training ability, feel free to ask those former NASA employees who came here, or ask Buzz Aldrin.”
Lin Ran grinned: “How about it? Head of General Aerospace is way more interesting than being a broker in the middle like you are now.
Even if your position and rank at Morgan Stanley are glamorous enough.
But it’s still not as good as replicating the Morgan family founder, snatching General Electric from Edison’s hands, and personally creating a real industry empire.”
Lin Ran’s tone was full of temptation. Young John Morgan would never have thought that his father had been tempted in exactly this way.
“So Professor, what do I need to pay?” He suddenly shuddered and murmured.
Lin Ran said: “Membership fee, 10 million US dollars training fee per person per month. If you feel more people are safer, send more; fewer is fine too, up to you.
Learn and leave, no delay even a day extra.
For Falcon 9, delivery is when we launch a rocket identical to Falcon 9 in China and complete the entire reusable process.
With the Morgan family’s strength, getting a batch of work visas for China isn’t difficult.”
10 million US dollars per person per month—this price is indeed quite expensive, because the rocket industry is manufacturing. To learn it, you need at least a hundred people, which is over 1 billion US dollars in funds burning per month.
“Professor, can it be cheaper?” Young John Morgan’s tone was a bit dry, clearly tempted.
Lin Ran’s proposal was explosively attractive to him personally.
It was like in the competition among the Morgan family’s younger generation, everyone was racing on the same track, trying every way to make a name in the financial industry and do big projects.
Now, suddenly a big shot pops up and says you don’t have to practice martial arts, you can cultivate immortality instead—quick immortality cultivation!
Lin Ran waved his hand: “Think about it. Take Falcon 9 as an example, including Merlin engines—this price really isn’t expensive.
Bezos’s Blue Origin was founded in 2000, and it’s been 21 years now. Their cumulative investment I estimate exceeds 15 billion US dollars; considering inflation, maybe over 30 billion US dollars.
Have they made Falcon 9? Have they made reusable rockets?
What they make now, isn’t it still a pile of shit?
On my side, settlement is based on successful launch— isn’t that conscientious enough?”
The two sides didn’t discuss more specific details.
Because those aren’t important.
Even if the White House prohibits such cooperation, with the Morgan family’s abilities, they have countless channels to send the money over.
As for doing the work without paying, no need to worry—the people are in my hands. If you don’t pay, the American engineers sent over can forget about leaving China for life.
Young John Morgan said helplessly: “Professor, I have to say you’re a devil who plays with people’s morale.
These conditions—not just me, even if my dad saw them, he’d probably be hard-pressed not to be moved.”
Lin Ran smiled without responding, thinking your dad was exactly conned by me this way. Not to mention, it’s only because your dad and I are “good brothers” as one of life’s four iron bonds; otherwise, this opportunity wouldn’t be yours.
Lin Ran was very clear that if he put out these conditions, Bezos would agree without any hesitation.
“Professor, pleased to cooperate, but I also have a small request.” Young John Morgan said: “During the replication process, I’ll send a few engineers to participate in your R&D process, limited to the reverse engineering of Falcon 9. I’ll also provide the information I have to accelerate your R&D process.
Of course, these few engineers will all pay.
Once you’ve successfully reverse-engineered it, we’ll send a large number of R&D engineers to follow the entire production and manufacturing process.”
After speaking, Young John Morgan smiled bitterly: “Sorry, Professor, 10 million US dollars per person per month is too expensive. I have to use this method to save expenses.”
Lin Ran nodded: “Good.
We’ll take Falcon 9 as the first cooperation project, so you can see the Professor’s divine power!”
After General Aerospace is established, Musk will forward on Twitter every day the sticker packs of “How is Randolph so bad” sent to him by his company’s Chinese descent engineers.
This is a later story, not to be mentioned now.
Young John Morgan continued: “Professor, as reward, we’ll also help lift the Nasdaq investigation facing Bilibili.”
Lin Ran raised an eyebrow: “I’m not a Bilibili shareholder; Bilibili is just our partner.”
Lin Ran’s subtext: What does the investigation facing Bilibili have to do with me?
Young John Morgan quickly said: “This is just a small sincerity from us.”
Lin Ran then asked: “As for Starship, if I get it for you before Musk, that price needs to be renegotiated.
Of course, Saturn V technology isn’t out of the question either. Saturn V includes the full moon landing process; all these can be negotiated.
It depends on what price you can offer.
Head of General Aerospace leading America back to the Moon—as long as you offer the price, I can get it for you.”
Young John Morgan said seriously: “Professor, rest assured, we have a lot of cooperation space.
The Morgan family doesn’t have anything else but lots of money.”
This was indeed true; with the Morgan family’s operational strength, the money for Lin Ran could easily be raised from the capital market.
An aerospace company that can rival SpaceX in America, an aerospace company that can replicate Saturn V—its market capitalization could soar to the skies.
Back at the hotel, Young John Morgan recalled the entire meeting with Lin Ran and felt very helpless, because he realized the entire dialogue rhythm was completely in the other’s hands.
Not only was the dialogue in the other’s hands, he even had to accept the cooperation the other offered; he couldn’t even say no.
Although the prices offered were in billions, tens of billions at least and hundreds at most, he still felt like he got a great deal.
“Is he really only 24 years old?” Endless doubts arose in Young John Morgan’s heart, and he was even more curious: “The Professor mentioned my dad in the middle; does he know my dad? That shouldn’t be—my dad is just a family waste, or in Chinese terms, a dandy who has already given up. How could my dad befriend a Chinese student?”
Young John Morgan, waiting in Wenchang for tomorrow’s Saturn V launch results, was utterly baffled.
