Chapter 455: Competition is the high road, virtue is the small road! The future of China lies in competition rather than virtue! Shocking and enlightening!
July 15, 1920.
Two guests came to the Quantum Research Institute.
When Wang Zhengyang brought Lin Huiyin and his daughter into the office, Li Qiwei was writing a paper.
When he saw the person coming, before he could stand up, Lin Changmin hurriedly stepped forward and said with a hearty smile:
"Professor Li, Mr. Lin came here uninvited and is very annoying. I hope Haihan will do it."
Lin Changmin, 44 years old, looks like a handsome middle-aged uncle.
In real history, Lin Changmin can be said to be a man of great influence.
He actively participated in various domestic movements, and his family also participated in the wave of the times.
He himself once held important positions in the government of the Republic of China.
It can be said that he holds a high position of authority and is deeply trusted by his superiors.
But the current situation is very complicated and turbulent.
This made Lin Changmin, who wanted to do something, a little uninterested.
So I just quit my job and took my daughter out to relax.
Originally, given his status, there was no need to be so respectful and humble to Li Qiwei.
But for progressive scholar-type officials like Lin Changmin, Li Qiwei has two identities that he admires.
The first is his status as the world's number one scientist.
With this status, Li Qiwei was able to chat and laugh with prime ministers and kings of various countries.
In this regard, Lin Changmin is far from qualified.
The second is Li Qiwei’s status as imperial master.
Although he was the teacher of the former Qing emperor, China values respecting teachers, so in terms of status, Li Qiwei is invincible.
At least now in the country, there is no one with a higher status than him.
With the blessing of these two identities, Lin Changmin naturally behaved very humbly in front of Li Qiwei.
Li Qiwei smiled and said:
"Brother Lin, there is no need to be so polite."
"You and I are both Chinese, and now we meet again overseas."
"What a joy in life!"
"Please take a seat."
As Lin Changmin sat down, he looked at the world-renowned Professor Li in front of him.
The first impression is that he is handsome.
Words such as elegant gentleman and jade tree facing the wind can be perfectly and appropriately applied to each other.
Lin Changmin studied politics and law at Waseda University in Sakura Country in his early years.
After returning to China, he entered the political world and met countless so-called elites and big shots.
Even he himself is a boss in the eyes of others.
However, the feeling that everyone gave him was inferior to that of Professor Li in front of him.
Vast, deep, mysterious, and great.
The other person seems to have a quality that transcends this world.
It was as indifferent as a god looking down at the human world.
In front of this man, Lin Changmin suddenly felt ashamed of himself.
All the knowledge and experience that he is proud of are not worth mentioning here.
Even in terms of official experience, the man in front of me was also a former minister of the academy.
It is probably because he couldn't stand the intrigues in the officialdom that Professor Li chose to quit.
Lin Changmin thought so.
And his daughter Lin Huiyin, with her crystal clear eyes, was also looking at Li Qiwei curiously.
A young and ignorant girl is yearning for all the beautiful things.
Li Qiwei's few poetic sentences left an indelible impression on her.
However, on this occasion, she abided by the rules of a lady and did not speak immediately.
Lin Changmin smiled and said:
"I met Mrs. Li by chance on the ship to England."
"During the conversation, I was extremely happy to learn that my wife is actually Professor Li's wife."
"Lin has wanted to visit for a long time, but he has never had the chance because of his busy schedule."
“It’s really a worthwhile trip to see you today.”
As expected, he had been in the officialdom, and he made people feel extremely comfortable when he spoke.
Li Qiwei said: "Brother Lin's name is as loud as thunder to my ears."
"It can be said to be the pioneer of China's reform."
When Lin Changmin heard this, he immediately beamed with joy.
If other people praise him, he won't take it to heart at all.
But Professor Li is different.
Given the other party's status, there is no need to be polite.
He said that appreciation really means approving what this person has done.
How could Lin Changmin be dissatisfied?
"Professor Li is ridiculously complimentary."
"By the way, this is the little girl Hui Yin."
"I came here very noisily today, saying that I really want to meet the legendary Professor Li."
"I hope you won't blame me."
Li Qiwei looked towards Lin Huiyin.
Although the other party's appearance is not the best in the eyes of future generations, coupled with her talent, she has a special temperament.
No wonder she is known as the most talented woman in the Republic of China.
However, there was no disturbance in his heart.
Let’s not talk about the age difference between him and Lin Huiyin.
Li Qiwei's current level has long surpassed the love and hatred between ordinary people.
Rather, it rises to the macroscopic levels of the country, mankind, the world, the universe, and truth.
In his opinion, these so-called romantic figures of the Republic of China in real history were nothing more than mediocrity.
It's just a sense of novelty.
Li Qiwei himself is the most popular figure in this era, and he is the one that countless people look up to.
So, he smiled and said:
"My wife likes Huiyin very much."
"Brother Lin, you have a good daughter."
Lin Huiyin smiled sweetly after hearing this.
She mustered up the courage to ask:
"Professor Li, have you written poetry recently?"
Li Qiwei heard this and said:
"I haven't written for a long time."
"There has been a lot of scientific research work recently."
Lin Huiyin said "Oh" and pouted slightly disappointedly.
Lin Changmin looked at his daughter fondly and pretended to blame:
"Huiyin, Professor Li's time is so precious."
"How can it be possible for you little girls to spend all day tinkering with poems about love?"
Li Qiwei replied:
"It doesn't matter."
"Poetry is more than just expressing personal feelings."
"There is also the tragic feeling of family and country."
"I like it very much."
At this time, Lin Changmin suddenly said:
"Huiyin, you go out for a walk first. Professor Li and I have something to say."
Lin Huiyin left obediently and was led by Wang Zhengyang outside the door to visit the institute.
Li Qiwei and Lin Changmin were the only two people left in the room.
A long sigh sounded.
Lin Changmin asked tiredly and angrily:
"Professor Li, have you heard about the recent major events in China?"
Li Qiwei said:
"Of course, a weak country has no diplomacy."
Lin Changmin smiled bitterly:
"Yes, everything is because of weakness."
"If you are weak, you have no right to speak, and no one will respect you, even though you are obviously the winner."
"I'm afraid that only the fields of education and science in China can make foreigners take a high look."
"And these are all thanks to you, Professor Li." Li Qiwei listened quietly without speaking.
He could see that Lin Changmin seemed to be suppressing a lot of emotions.
"Professor Li, you just talked about the feelings of family and country."
"Lin was deeply touched."
"Since China opened its eyes to the world, it has been constantly impacted by Western civilization."
"There are two things among them that have the deepest impact on us."
"One is Mr. Democracy, the other is Mr. Science."
"Together with Mr. Sai, Professor, you have done your best."
"But what Lin doesn't understand is, given your talent as a professor, why are you not willing to join Mr. De?"
Faced with this question, Li Qiwei smiled softly and asked:
"Brother Lin, what do you think about powerful countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States? Why are they so powerful?"
"Whether Mr. De is more important or Mr. Sai is more important."
Lin Changmin's expression was serious. He knew that now was a battle of ideas.
"Lin is not talented. He believes that one must first have virtue before he can compete."
Li Qiwei said:
"I think that for China at this stage, competition is more important."
Lin Changmin quickly said:
"But virtue is the way and competition is the art. Professor, why do you abandon the foundation and pursue the inferiority?"
Li Qiwei was domineering and said in a deafening voice:
"Wrong!"
"Virtue is the way, and competition is also the way."
"You think it is magic because you can only understand the level of magic."
"In my opinion, virtue is only the way of human beings, and morality is the way of the entire universe."
"I am pursuing the great road, how can I not be as good as the small road?"
"I have absolute confidence that China will rise sooner or later because of the competition."
"And I, Li Qiwei, am willing to be the one who holds the flag!"
boom!
Lin Changmin suddenly felt thunder exploding in his ears.
Li Qiwei's overbearing declaration shocked him to the core.
The remarks about the big road and the small road refreshed his three views.
As a true high-level elite in the country, Lin Changmin certainly knows what science is.
However, historical and personal limitations prevented him from ever realizing the charm of the end of science.
He had also heard about the nuclear fusion paper, but it was difficult to understand its profound significance.
There is no way, let alone him in this era, even the more top talents cannot predict how crazy the world will be in the future.
But today, Li Qiwei's aura made him shaken.
He had never heard of such deafening and earth-shattering remarks.
Lin Changmin was shocked!
At this moment, he truly felt what domination was and what faith was.
He suddenly felt a little ashamed.
I just encountered setbacks, so I thought of coming to Europe to escape.
He did not consistently live up to his ideals.
The innocent heart of Professor Li in front of him was almost bursting out.
Lin Changmin has no doubt that the other party must keep his word.
He is now extremely curious about Mr. Sai's power.
He quickly asked eagerly:
"Professor Li, can Mr. Sai really save China?"
Li Qiwei did not answer directly, but said:
"Although he died nine times, he still has no regrets."
Wow!
Lin Changmin felt a surge of blood.
He stood up, bowed solemnly and said:
"Educated."
More than an hour later, Lin Changmin and his daughter said goodbye.
After Lin Huiyin learned that Li Qiwei and Tagore had a good relationship, he said mischievously:
"Professor Li, my favorite poet is Rabindranath Tagore."
"Can you let him come to China for a visit?"
Li Qiwei smiled and said: "I will ask another day. If he agrees, I will let you receive him."
Lin Huiyin was very happy after hearing this, like a cheerful bird.
Lin Changmin shook hands with Li Qiwei heavily.
The look in the eyes of both parties was a tacit understanding that only exists between men.
——
Just when Li Qiwei and Lin Changmin, two patriots, were debating how to save the country.
On the other side, within the Royal Society of England, the theoretical questions of the Second Physics Olympiad are in full swing.
After several days of mutual communication, the players have a preliminary understanding of each other.
Of course, each other also has a judgment on the other's strength.
Zhao Zhongyao was sitting in his seat. Although his expression was calm, his heart was already fluctuating.
He did not expect that the questions in the second Physics Olympiad would be so much more difficult than those in the first.
It is simply the difference between elementary school and college.
The Olympiad committees established by various countries have discussed the difficulty of the questions.
One group believes that the difficulty should be increased, the challenge and high level should be maintained, and real talents should be selected.
The other group believes that the difficulty of the questions needs to be moderate so that more students are willing to participate.
The two sides argued endlessly, but finally agreed to refer to Professor Bruce's opinion.
Li Qiwei only replied:
"It is recommended to implement the first option."
Ever since, the second Physics Olympiad has evolved towards inhuman difficulty.
Not only are the content of the questions allowed to go beyond the syllabus, but the types of questions are also unconstrained and do not follow routines at all.
What is being examined is the unbridled ideas of these geniuses, rather than just following the example questions from the textbook.
Therefore, when many players present saw the paper, many people felt a chill in their hearts.
As strong as Zhao Zhongyao, he was also tortured by the questions and was about to die.
"Next time anyone says that education in Europe and the United States is very simple, I will slap this paper on their face."
At this moment, there are only more than ten minutes left before the end of the game.
Zhao Zhongyao only answered half of the last question, so he was not necessarily correct.
However, when he raised his head and glanced at the talent list players selected by the newspaper, he was still shocked.
The British contestant named Dirac was already checking the test papers ten minutes ago.
Such strength is simply unbelievable.
Pauli, Heisenberg, Fermi and others also began to look happy.
These people are the focus of Zhao Zhongyao's attention.
All of them are geniuses in physics.
"Professor Li is right. There is still a big gap between Chinese science and the West now, and it is far from the time to be proud."
"No matter what, I will try my best."
Therefore, Zhao Zhongyao was no longer distracted. He wanted to score as many points as possible in the last ten minutes.
After the theoretical questions, there are experimental questions.
The improved experimental questions are more innovative than the first session.
Students no longer repeat the classic experiments of their predecessors, but innovate on their basis.
In the first competition, in terms of experimental questions, unless a major mistake occurs, the gap between the contestants will not be particularly large.
But now, with the addition of innovation, it is possible to gain points.
When the game finally ended, all the contestants breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
Although young people are fighting for their country, they are full of competition.
But this does not affect their deep friendship.
Especially with Li Qiwei as a bridge, Zhao Zhongyao, Pauli, Dirac and others soon had endless topics to talk about.
Together they envied and looked forward to their future research life.
When later generations of Olympiad researchers wrote the history of the development of the Physics Olympiad.
All admit without dispute:
The second Physics Olympiad is definitely the most valuable one in history.
From this Olympiad, many top physicists who have influenced physics have emerged.
But they themselves, at that time, just thought it was ordinary.
(End of chapter)