Chapter 296: Academia Nibbling Away
“Old Lin, when will you have your son come to our school to give a lecture? We can’t let Shanghai Jiaotong University take all the benefits!
In a certain sense, your son is the direct lineage among the direct lineages of our Zhongda University.”
Lin Ran’s father is called Lin Taihang, not the meaning of “too row,” but Taihang from the Taihang Mountains.
The reason for this name is that Lin Taihang’s grandfather commemorated his days fighting guerrilla warfare in the Taihang Mountains back then, so he gave him this name.
For someone like Lin Taihang, a local PhD, to stay at Zhongda University as a professor, in the eyes of young scholars, it belongs to eating the dividends of the era.
Lin Taihang took time in the middle of the millennium year to do a one-year postdoctoral in New York.
Now at the age of fifty, it’s also hard to have a breakthrough in his academic career. In the past at Zhongda University, he has always been in a relatively transparent position.
Of course, transparent also means leisurely, living comfortably, without any pressure, he is the envy of the up-or-out young scholars.
Whether university leaders or deans, they won’t look for him at all, and any task assignments won’t fall on him.
But now it’s different. After Lin Taihang had Lin Ran as his son, he couldn’t stay low-key at Zhongda University no matter what.
Students know, colleagues know, and university leaders know even more.
Every few days, university leaders would call him to the office for tea on the grounds of wanting to learn more experience in running the school from old comrades.
After all, from the perspective of resources, Lin Taihang’s son controls resources in all aspects that far exceed Zhongda University, not to mention more mysterious things like status and influence in Yanjing.
A more straightforward example is academicians of the Two Houses. China has had a total of 34 people who have obtained this title from founding to now, and 24 of these 34 have already passed away.
Now there’s one more, making it 35.
One can imagine Lin Ran’s influence in the academic field.
If Lin Ran is willing, with his age and achievements, who knows how many new academicians he could support.
After the National Day long holiday, Lin Taihang took a few more days off.
When he asked for leave, the dean of the Chemistry Department even joked whether he was going to Wenchang to watch the moon landing on site.
At the first moment of the holiday, Zhongda University President Gao Shan called Lin Taihang over.
Gao Shan is also a scholar in the chemistry field, but he went through bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD all the way at Yenching University. He had been teaching and serving as a leader at Yenching University before, and only came south to Zhongda University to take office last year.
When he came, Lin Ran was already famous across the seas and known to every household, making Gao Shan inwardly feel that the previous university leaders didn’t do their work well, failing to use Lin Taihang’s relationship to pull such a talent over.
If he had pulled him over, not only would Zhongda University’s Mathematics Department take off, but would Zhongda University’s Mathematics Department still be doing Zhang Yitang’s work now?
He even brought companies like Apollo Technology to Yangcheng, and even the entire commercial aerospace industrial chain.
The former president was also aggrieved. Don’t I want to?
To put it this way, if a Zhongda University leader could achieve this, he could directly jump from university to local government position in Yangcheng, taking a step into a world of vast skies.
Gao Shan always felt he had a connection with Lin Taihang. His own name is Mountain, the other’s name is also a famous mountain and great river, and both are local PhDs in the chemistry field. If this isn’t fate, what is?
“During our National Day, I went to Yanjing for training, and on the last day, they organized us to watch Academician Lin’s moon landing rocket launch this year. You didn’t see how smug Lin Zhongqing looked.” Gao Shan vented bitterly, his face full of displeasure.
“He was just short of having a tail that could stick up to the sky.” Gao Shan continued: “I’m thinking of temporarily striving to get Academician Lin to our Zhongda University as a visiting professor, and conveniently give lectures when he comes back home to visit family each year.
It can also be considered as seeking welfare for Zhongda University students.”
Lin Zhongqing’s previous showing off could only be in the Shanghai university circle. This time going to Yanjing for meetings and training finally gave him the opportunity to show off in front of the presidents of these double first-class universities nationwide.
Even if you are Tsinghua University or Yenching University, have you landed on the Moon? Can you get moon soil or even lunar ice? Can you go to the Moon to establish a base?
Our Jiaotong University’s professor can!
In short, he was so smug. Every time others chatted with him about something, Lin Zhongqing could quickly steer the topic to how our Jiaotong University recently did this and that with the moon landing.
After hearing Gao Shan’s words, Lin Taihang felt a surge of emotion inwardly, but this emotion wasn’t because of the content of the words. Both the previous and current presidents had talked to him about Lin Ran coming to Zhongda University for a position.
Rather, it was about the title for Lin Ran. Both presidents, the title went from Dr. Lin to Professor Lin to now Academician Lin. This upgrade speed is faster than a rocket.
He himself has muddled at Zhongda University for a lifetime, let alone academician, he couldn’t even get a National Leading Talent.
“President Gao, I will definitely pass on the message. I studied at Zhongda University during my undergraduate days, and have been teaching here ever since. I can say I have deep feelings for Zhongda University, and I will definitely do the work.” Lin Taihang said seriously.
If it were full-time teaching, Lin Taihang would at most mention it, because compared to Shanghai, whether it’s the strength of Yangcheng, the support intensity, or the importance in China’s territory, there’s no way to compare.
Let me say a couple more things here. In modern commercial aerospace, the most important thing is funds, so the vast majority of commercial aerospace enterprises are in Yanjing, which has the best financing environment nationwide, and it has always been so.
Next is talent, and finally industrial supporting facilities. Developed logistics systems and transportation systems make distance not so important.
China’s commercial aerospace agencies naturally go without saying. Don’t look at them, look at America’s SpaceX. At the beginning of entrepreneurship, wasn’t it also placed in California, not in Houston or Washington D.C. where NASA is located.
But if it’s just a visiting professor, coming to give a lecture during holidays and festivals, Lin Taihang felt it wasn’t a big problem.
“Old Lin, with your words, I’m relieved. The most important thing for our Zhongda University is talent! With talent, we have everything.” Gao Shan said.
Lin Taihang thought to himself, wasn’t it our Zhongda University that first implemented up or out? Creating academic cockfighting and gu-raising, in a certain sense, this is indeed a way of valuing talent.
As for the young scholars who didn’t pass up or out, sorry, in Zhongda University’s view, you are not talent.
“By the way, Old Lin, do you feel that our country’s development speed in recent years has been extremely fast, especially in the technology field. In the past, who could imagine we could land on the Moon so quickly, land at the Lunar South Pole, and even do it in two different ways.
This is both thanks to you raising a good son, Academician Lin has made outstanding contributions, and also the result of the country’s overall technological strength rapidly developing to a stage, a spurt in technological development.” Gao Shan sighed.
He continued: “This time I went to Yanjing, we privately joked that in the future, National Day moon landing will become a retained program. When the National Day time window arrives, we will launch spacecraft heading to the Moon.
My daughter, at the beginning of National Day, even asked me if there would be a moon landing this year.”
Lin Taihang smiled and said: “Yes, I also feel it’s too smooth. Even Lin Ran privately says to me that the reason we could do it so smoothly is thanks to our country having sufficiently powerful manufacturing industry, and these manufacturing industries are the foundation for him creating the moon landing miracle.”
Gao Shan nodded: “Exactly, I believe that discovering water on the Moon this time can help us advance a big step in building a base on the Moon.
But Old Lin, have you ever thought that we can also research lunar water ice?”
Gao Shan continued: “Think about it, Academician Lin himself definitely won’t do this personally, he will give it to people below to do.
At that time, Jiaotong University, being close to the water, will get the moon first, and definitely can analyze lunar ice.
But the problem is, what’s so difficult about analyzing lunar ice?
It’s nothing more than analyzing the chemical and isotope composition of the water ice, determining its source, seeing if it’s from comets, asteroids, or products of solar wind interacting with oxygen-containing substances on the lunar surface.
I can casually come up with a paper title: Isotopic analysis of lunar water ice: tracing its cosmic origin.
Cosmic origin of lunar water, the role of water ice in lunar geological processes, whether lunar water ice contains microorganisms, what trace elements it contains.
Anyone can write these papers, every university has sufficient instruments and research personnel to do related research.
Everyone is watering papers. If conscientious, publish three papers; if more watered down, publishing eighty or ninety is no problem.
Considering that this type of paper is most important for arguments, having water ice from the Moon in hand naturally allows publishing in top journals. Whether Nature or Science main issues, who can refuse? They wish you publish there. This is firsthand news from the Moon.
Water ice can be published, moon soil can too. Lunar South Pole crater moon soil analysis, again a bunch of papers.
Old Lin, think about it, so many top journal papers, a sure academic gold mine, and after these papers are published, future papers on the Moon all have to cite them, solving high citations too.
Shouldn’t we strive for it too?
I’m not striving for myself, I mean you should go strive for it.
As long as Academician Lin is willing to leak some unique resources from his hands to you, like lunar ice research, publish a few top journals, with a Two Houses academician backing, and this academician is your direct relative, getting a National Leading Talent is a piece of cake, right?
To put it more exaggeratedly, relying on Academician Lin, all future lunar analysis handed to you to do, and give you some horizontal projects, feeding out an academician isn’t impossible!
Zhongda University just needs an authorship, as long as you publish top journals with Zhongda University as the unit!”
“President Gao, you’re making me academically nibble on the young!” Lin Taihang smiled bitterly.
Gao Shan said seriously: “Hey, what academic nibbling on the young, why say it so harshly? This is fully utilizing existing resources, leveraging one’s own advantages. Old Lin, your advantage is having a good son. How many people want this advantage and can’t get it.
This is just us talking privately. If Academician Lin were my son, I could 100% be an academician!”
Gao Shan continued: “Think about it, existing resources not used are wasted. Apollo Technology is a private enterprise. Academician Lin giving moon soil and lunar ice to his father for analysis and paper publication, even Lin Zhongqing couldn’t pick a single fault.
It’s good for you personally, good for Zhongda University, and no loss to your son.”
Lin Taihang smiled bitterly inwardly. At his age, he actually has the chance to academically nibble on the young. This is also what his friends joked about. Everyone else has children nibbling on the old academically, only he has the chance to nibble on the young.
“I’ll try the same.” Lin Taihang said.
Gao Shan smiled: “That’s right.”
Of course, he wasn’t as selfless as he appeared on the surface. Publishing papers, could they really not put his name? Although not first author, for academic bureaucrats like Gao Shan, as long as authorship, it’s greatly beneficial for striving for some titles.
The biggest advantage of academic bureaucrats is that they can advance as bureaucrats or retreat to academia.
Gao Shan is like this, let alone the leaders of Shanghai local universities.
Like Jin Li, the president of Fudan University, who has been pestering Lin Zhongqing since in Yanjing, demanding joint R&D with Jiaotong University on moon soil, lunar water ice, and such.
Beautifully calling it that Shanghai universities are one family. If you secretly upgrade alone, you definitely can’t compete with Yenching or Tsinghua. We brothers upgrade together to fight Top2. Don’t be content just being Top3!
In short, with people still on the Moon, on Earth everyone has already started fighting over interest distribution inseparably.
In the next three days, the lunar module glided in the deep space, Earth gradually turning from a small blue dot outside the porthole into a dazzling blue planet, becoming more and more obvious.
Inside the cabin, in the weightless environment, Wei Xuhang and Li Cong floated beside their seats, checking instruments and organizing data.
The water ice samples in the sample box were carefully stored in low-temperature sealed containers.
What they feared most was actually bringing back a virus.
With virus outbreaks ravaging Earth, if cosmic viruses were brought back, Earth would become even worse.
Data from the seismograph and radiation detector was continuously transmitted to Earth via the communication system.
On the first day, Li Cong floated to the porthole, gazing at Earth.
“Although I see Earth every day, every time I look, I still find it incredible.
All of humanity’s history is on that little blue dot. No wonder in the universe, humans feel so insignificant, and disputes on Earth seem meaningless.”
Wei Xuhang floated over: “Of course, what our Apollo Technology has always wanted to do is not just moon landing so simple.
What we want to do is find a new future for humanity. The Moon is just the first step.”
He held a tablet computer in his hand, with preliminary analysis of the water ice samples. “This ice can be decomposed into oxygen and fuel, with very few impurities. Specific trace elements still need to wait for analysis back on Earth.
If no nuclear radiation, our drinking water on the Moon is also solved.”
On the second day, they took turns resting, monitoring the lunar module’s life support system.
Oxygen, food, and waste processing systems ran smoothly. The narrow cabin made the two feel somewhat depressed, but thinking they could go back soon, this depression was nothing.
On the third day, Earth already occupied most of the view through the porthole, with blue oceans and white cloud layers clearly visible.
“Finally going home. This really was a wonderful journey.” Li Cong sighed. “I finally know why Buzz Aldrin never forgot the Moon. If my life could only go once, I think my future life would be full of regret.”
Wei Xuhang said: “Don’t worry, Li Cong, you will definitely go again.
To build a base on the Moon, this process must involve human astronauts going there.”
Li Cong recalled that in the past, among predecessors executing aerospace missions, very few could execute multiple aerospace missions, absolute minority in China’s astronaut sequence.
“Hope it’s as you say.” Li Cong inwardly resolved to definitely find an opportunity to have a good chat with Apollo Technology executives afterward.
The two began preparing the re-entry program, checking the heat shield system and parachute device.
The lunar module’s heat shield uses composite ceramic composite materials, able to withstand thousands of degrees of high temperature from high-speed re-entry returning from the Moon.
“Wenchang Mission Control Center, lunar module approaching re-entry point, requesting final instructions,” Wei Xuhang said.
“Lunar module, instructions as follows: direct re-entry, target Pacific Ocean. Heat shield system verified, parachute and retro-rocket ready.
Wish you a safe return!” Wenchang Control Center replied.
Wei Xuhang adjusted the lunar module’s attitude, heat shield facing Earth’s atmosphere.
The two fastened their seatbelts, put on pressure suits, preparing to meet the intense impact of re-entry.
Li Cong gripped the handrail tightly, smiling: “This part is always the most thrilling.”
The lunar module entered the atmosphere, the cabin body began shaking violently, the outer shell heated by friction, outside the porthole a blazing orange-red flame.
High temperature slightly raised the cabin temperature, life support system running at full power, maintaining oxygen supply.
Wei Xuhang stared at the dashboard, monitoring speed and altitude: “Speed 22,000 km/h… altitude 120 km…”
Li Cong closed his eyes, took deep breaths, trying to calm his heartbeat.
The shaking gradually weakened, speed dropping to subsonic.
The parachute automatically deployed, the lunar module jolted, slowing the descent speed.
Outside the porthole, the blue ocean gradually became clear, another kind of blue.
“Parachute normal, retro-rocket ready,” Wei Xuhang reported, hands tightly gripping the control stick.
In the final seconds, the retro-rocket ignited, cushioning the impact.
The lunar module splashed down in the Pacific Ocean.
“Mission Control Center, lunar module has landed,” Wei Xuhang felt he was already adept. “We’re back.”
The control center erupted in cheers: “Welcome home, recovery team is on the way.”
Huawei’s autumn product press conferences are usually held in September. This is also their most important product press conference every year, to release their Mate series, one of Huawei mobile phone’s flagship models.
Of course, this year’s press conference was much more solitude compared to previous years, because the mate50 series to be released this year is equipped with Qualcomm’s chip, not Huawei’s self-developed Kirin.
This made consumers and self-media bloggers following the press conference and Huawei feel somewhat disappointed.
They originally thought there would be a surprise, because the time was postponed from September to mid-October.
In the end, it was the same as what the digital self-media bloggers had rumored, Qualcomm.
When the mate50 series introduction reached the end, Yu Dawei’s voice rose high, and the on-site music atmosphere also became passionate:
“Announcing a good news to friends, that our new Mate series not only features satellite communication function, but will also feature satellite internet function.
We will, over the next three years, join hands with Apollo Technology and Shanghai’s Yuanxin Satellite Technology to jointly build the Qianfan Constellation. By mid-next year, the satellite internet function will be available to everyone, and within three years, this function will gradually improve!”
