Chapter 385: Hurry Up And Admit It Generously!
Through strategic maneuvering, it now appears more subtle than the operations sixty years ago, and the outcomes are harder to judge.
Lin Ran’s proposal is that we might as well cooperate and push all the timelines forward.
Don’t you want to take the lead?
We cooperate, I help push forward your progress in the semiconductor field, while also resolving security concerns in high-end semiconductor production.
You loosen restrictions on me in semiconductors, and I save time, without investing so much manpower and resources into redundant research and development.
As a bonus, I can even help you sort out the Moon Base. Although the Lunar North Pole site is a bit worse than the South Pole, as an ultra-low temperature laboratory providing a stable, routine ultra-low temperature environment for precision materials and component experiments, it is absolutely up to the task.
Even willing to sacrifice the entire 4v economy to satisfy Wall Street Capital’s appetite.
In this deal, America is absolutely making a huge profit.
What shocked Musk was that Lin Ran’s so-called big deal, from China’s Moon no longer expanding at the beginning to the real deal content at the end.
Threats and interests coexist, most importantly using others’ interests to achieve one’s own purpose, giving what the new president wants most.
After careful thought, Musk believed that as long as China offers conditions with a “friend” close enough to President bigT lobbying in the middle, the success rate is very, very high.
“I will pass on the message. From my personal perspective, I think this is a suitable deal,” Musk said. After speaking, he carefully studied the young man in front of him, a young man completely different from the Chinese entrepreneurs he had known in the past.
Whether it was the other’s proposal or the indifference to war shown in his words, or trading an entire region’s economy, Musk felt these were not like the operations of politicians this century.
More like the ambitious figures of the last century, traveling between countries, unconcerned with human lives to achieve their own purposes.
Like the Asian Financial Crisis, sniping the Pound Sterling, or even earlier short selling the Soviet Union’s crops.
Musk was not interested in politics in his early years, politically apathetic, but as time passed, he became increasingly enthusiastic about politics, to the point of personally operating this year’s Presidential Election, making significant contributions to bigT’s election.
In this process, he read many books.
If he had to find a historical counterpart, a name came to Musk’s mind: Kissinger.
This senior official deeply trusted by the president during Nixon’s time, during his tenure, engaged in shuttle diplomacy, triangular diplomacy, and India-Pakistan rebalancing; Lin Ran’s style was exactly the same.
Including the later collapse of the Bretton Woods system. Although he did not participate at the beginning, throughout the entire process, he facilitated the meeting between Nixon and French President George Pompidou in the Azores, forced Europe to compromise in 73, ultimately leading to the complete dismantling of the Bretton Woods system, perfectly achieving what America wanted.
Lin Ran did not know Musk’s thoughts. If he did, he would tell the other: No, I learned this from Lyndon Johnson and Kennedy; Kissinger is not qualified to teach me.
“I believe Mr. President will also think this is a good deal,” Lin Ran asserted. Based on his understanding of bigT, the other would definitely agree.
As long as the Wall Street Capital operating the short selling of the 4V capital market at the end is his people, and he can get a share of the interests, he will definitely agree to do it.
The establishment faction who would raise objections or be influenced have long been kicked out of the White House.
“Randolph, what kind of world do you think humanity needs?” Musk turned to another topic.
He wanted to hear the other’s views.
Lin Ran replied without thinking: “Elon, we can save topics like this for the live broadcast.
Let the public know how we think about humanity, artificial intelligence, aerospace, and more; we have so much to talk about.”
Musk nodded: “Fair enough.”
Like the Ma brothers, Musk has the surname Ma. In his desire to express himself to the public, he is in no way inferior to Jack Ma, active on various podcasts, uncomfortable if he doesn’t post on Twitter every day.
In posting on Twitter, Musk is in no way inferior to bigT.
After a short wait, in the live broadcast hall temporarily set up by Apollo Technology, there is a simple audience seating area below, with very simple and plain plastic chairs.
Behind them, lights, sound equipment, and cameras were hastily set up.
Of course, for a dialogue program, the most important thing is not the setup or format, but the people, the dialogue parties.
After Lei Jun found out, he privately approached Lin Ran multiple times to volunteer, hoping to host their dialogue program: “Professor, with me hosting, this program absolutely won’t go cold!”
Lin Ran politely declined: “Thanks, Lei Zong, but no need to trouble you. I don’t care much if anyone watches our program; content is most important, form isn’t. I even think having a certain threshold to screen the audience is better.”
Countless viewers were already waiting in the live stream room; global netizens could hardly wait.
Once Lin Ran and Musk took their seats at the interview area, before Lin Ran spoke, applause and whistles of welcome rose from the audience below.
“Hello everyone, I’m Lin Ran. This is the Burning Program, I don’t know which episode, and I haven’t paid much attention to the exact number.
Anyway, it’s not important. For this episode of the Burning Program, my dialogue partner is Elon, Elon Musk with the Iron Man nickname, also an old friend of the Chinese people.
This is live now; the recorded broadcast will be uploaded after. Everyone can rest assured.
In the past, cheering for the 2024 Presidential Election, making significant contributions to bigT’s election—let’s give a warm round of applause to welcome bigT.” After Lin Ran finished, the translator sitting next to Musk translated Lin Ran’s words for him.
Reporters below the stage and staff drawn by lottery from Apollo Technology applauded together to liven up the atmosphere.
Then came the full English dialogue, with real-time Chinese subtitles in the live stream room.
“Elon, this is our first meeting in reality. I want to first talk about America. Why did you choose to support bigT?
We know that for a long time in the past, you were a Donkey Party supporter. You, a White Person from South Africa, were able to come to America smoothly to study, work, and start a business, thanks to the Civil Rights Act during John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson’s time. For a long time, you supported the Donkey Party; you once thought the Donkey Party was the kind party.
In 2022, you posted on Twitter that you voted for the Donkey Party in the past because they were the kind party.
But now, you no longer support the Donkey Party, not only supporting the Elephant Party but even non-traditional candidates like bigT.
I’m very curious, what is the change here?
In China, there’s a saying that your eldest son transitioning is an important reason for your change of stance.”
Musk habitually showed a pained expression: “Yes, my eldest son under the Donkey Party’s misguided LGBT advocacy—this is highly unnatural behavior and an important reason for my change of stance.
Also, Randolph, I want to correct one point: the Civil Rights Act concerns racial discrimination and has little to do with my immigrating to America. I got a Stanford graduate student offer from Maple Leaf Country in 1995, then came to America; it had been over thirty years since President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act.
If I remember correctly.”
Lin Ran shook his head: “No, Elon, of course it does.
Alright, maybe I didn’t explain clearly.
President Johnson signed the Immigration and Nationality Act in 1965, allowing skilled immigrants to go to America, while abolishing the national origins quotas from the 1920s. That immigration system favored immigrants from Northern Europe and Western Europe, which was unfriendly to you as a South African White Person.
If the Civil Rights Act hadn’t passed smoothly, the Immigration and Nationality Act would have been hard to pass too. You benefited from the successive efforts of Presidents Kennedy and Johnson to come to America and achieve the American Dream.
During President Johnson’s tenure, he reshaped the modern American immigration framework; your H-1B visa to America benefited from this.”
Musk was a bit shocked: Aren’t you Chinese or American? How are you so knowledgeable about this history and law? You, a Chinese person, interviewing me, an American nationality South African-descended White Person immigrant—we shouldn’t be discussing the sea of stars?
Why are you discussing this here?
Musk didn’t think it was the other’s knowledge reserve; he felt it was a topic prepared in advance. But in his view, a Chinese person preparing such information in advance was also quite perverted.
Little did he know, Lin Ran was just drawing from memory. Before this act passed Parliament, it had sought his opinion, and he even modified clauses related to Chinese people, adding a small benefit for Chinese people.
Most of the audience below couldn’t understand; it was full English dialogue with such professional terms. But they could see: there were two screens on both sides with real-time translation subtitles.
The audience exchanged puzzled looks, feeling it strange.
“The Donkey Party opened the era of global talent mobility, helping entrepreneurs like you stand in America, but now you don’t support them and instead support bigT,” Lin Ran concluded.
Musk had to face this topic squarely. He knew this interview would also be seen by Americans and global public, but fortunately, he had faced similar questions more than once or twice before.
After thinking for a moment, he said:
“Precisely because I supported the Donkey Party in the past, I realized that the current Donkey Party is fundamentally different from the past Donkey Party.
I came to America as a legal immigrant, founded Tesla and SpaceX, created tens of thousands of employment opportunities, thanks to the immigration policy you just mentioned.
But the Donkey Party now promotes not global talent mobility, but illegal immigrants, massive illegal immigrants.
They allow millions of illegal entrants, then plan to legalize them to gain permanent ballots.
This isn’t helping entrepreneurs; it’s destroying the country!”
Lin Ran said faintly: “So without illegal immigrants as human batteries providing cheaper services, could America’s inflation be suppressed?
I’ve stayed in America too; I know some illegal immigrants from Mexico, India, Latin America—they earn far lower salaries than residents with status, doing the hardest work. Without them, what manufacturing repatriation in America?
The proportion of native White People willing to work in factories—you must know it well; they’d rather earn tips at fast food restaurants for life than be workers.”
Musk immediately said: “Randolph, what you say makes some sense, but it’s one-sided.
Some illegal immigrants provide cheap labor in agriculture, construction, services, etc., but this ignores that their resource consumption far exceeds their contributions.
Under Donkey Party-led White House, using Americans’ tax dollars to provide housing funds for millions of illegal immigrants—this is a main reason pushing up costs; it’s not suppressing inflation but creating it!
If we close the borders and focus on legal high-skilled immigrants, the American economy will be more efficient, not dragged down by inefficient burdens.
Right, their resource consumption far outweighs the inflation-reducing effect they bring.”
Lin Ran stared straight at Musk, his gaze extremely sharp: “Elon, do you really believe what you said?
Did those housing funds really go to illegal immigrants?
Fred—well, President Mister’s father, New York’s famous real estate businessman—in the 50s, FHA provided housing subsidy projects for World War II shipyard workers and navy personnel; Fred was suspected of improperly profiting from federal special housing loans, and he admitted to abusing federal subsidies.”
“In the 60s, Fred used New York State special funds targeted at middle-class housing projects to build shopping centers; state congressmen at the time accused Fred of greedily seizing.”
“In the 70s, Fred”
When it came to the 70s, Lin Ran hadn’t finished, but Musk couldn’t hold back anymore.
This wasn’t a big deal; in 2016, the New York Times had used this to attack bigT, trying to create an impression of improper family style in bigT’s family.
This actually had limited damage to bigT himself, after all, it was Fred who did it.
But what Lin Ran said was even more detailed than the New York Times, some inside stories not even reported by the New York Times; Lin Ran spoke of them in detail, exposing bigT’s family scandals.
These were all firsthand materials used against Fred during the 1968 Elephant Party primary when Nixon competed with Fred—definitely much more detailed than the New York Times.
Musk wanted to avoid delving deeper into this topic; after all, bigT is now president, and he still had many things relying on him—this was also a way of respecting the superior.
“Randolph, what are you trying to express?” Musk asked.
“What I’m expressing is that federal housing construction subsidies provided to middle-class White People, soldiers and workers who made merits in World War II, were still subject to abuse. And now you’re telling me the White House uses Americans’ tax dollars to provide housing funds for millions of illegal immigrants?
This is a bit too ridiculous.
Of the provided 100 US Dollars, does even 1 US Dollar go into building housing for illegal immigrants?” Lin Ran said. “Now talking about illegal immigrants spending America’s tax dollars—don’t you think that’s absurd?”
What was Lin Ran doing?
Pulling the entire dialogue down to the ground, making everyone open and honest, not giving me any diplomatic rhetoric here.
Commissioner Smith is Commissioner Smith—just admit it openly and squarely!
