Xiao Jiang's father, Jiang Si, is a professor at the University of Singapore and Macao, but in terms of his clothing and appearance, he does not look like he is a teacher.
He has white hair, which swells up and stands up, as if affected by a static electricity burst. He wears a white shirt, a black tie, and a white coat stained with various unknown oil stains. There are gold-rimmed glasses hanging in the pocket of the white coat. Wearing a pair of thick sneakers.
After arriving at Guan Luoyang, the first thing he did was to put something that looked like a thermometer into the mouth of Xiao Jiang, who had just woken up.
Guan Luoyang has read the "New Things in New Malaysia" encyclopedia written after 1950. This thing that looks like a thermometer can be regarded as a derivative achievement of Zhenling's mechanical technology, called a health control device.
Use this instrument to record a person's biological magnetic field data in a healthy state. In the future, if you want to know the person's health status, you only need to compare the percentage with the data recorded for the first time.
However, this kind of thing can only roughly check the health status, and there is no way to directly find out whether you have a certain disease.
Xiao Jiang was in a daze and had no reaction to what was put into his mouth.
He clearly remembered the feeling of waiting to die in that cold storage. There was heat and pain in his stomach and chest. On the surface of his body, it seemed as if cold things were constantly being drilled into his skin. Under the stimulation from both inside and outside, he fell unconscious. In the past, it had become a luxury.
Looking back now, Xiao Jiang still remembers the man in a silver-gray suit stepping on his legs to make a phone call. He still remembers that his new boss actually rushed over. He still remembers that after a few vague conversations, the sound of the wind overwhelmed everything.
At the end of that memory, he seemed to have seen a big electromagnetic gun. The trembling feeling of terror, he couldn't tell whether it was a nightmare or reality. It must be a dream, right?
But why is he not dead now?
Xiao Jiang looked at Guan Luoyang who was sitting on the sofa drinking tea, and the expression on his face gradually became full of anxiety: "Brother Luo, was it you who saved me?"
As soon as he spoke, the testing instrument in his mouth almost fell out. Professor Jiang Si quickly reached out to catch it and carefully examined the scales on it under the sunlight outside the window.
Guan Luoyang took a sip of tea and said slowly: "What else?"
Xiao Jiang's expression changed again. This was actually not the first time Guan Luoyang had saved him from illness, but this time, the feeling of death getting closer was so real, and he finally understood what saving his life was like. meaning.
"But..." Xiao Jiang touched his chest, "But I clearly felt like I was about to die at that time, but now nothing has happened."
"Why are you dying? Stop talking nonsense!"
Professor Jiang Si patted his head and raised the measuring instrument in his hand, "It's amazing that you are much healthier now than you were a few months ago. You had been suffering from long-term insomnia, irregular diet, and unreasonable exercise. The maximum health level is eighty, why is it almost one hundred this time?"
When Xiao Jiang heard Professor Jiang Si's words, he stood up like a firecracker that was lit, and shouted to him: "You know what the heck! I had a gun pointed at my head two days ago, and I was almost exploded. Boss, just today I was caught in the cold storage and beaten like a dead pickled fish. Is this nonsense?!"
"If it weren't for Brother Luo, I would be dead without even a hair left, and you wouldn't even think of coming to find me!"
Professor Jiang Si took two steps back after being scolded by him, scratched his hair, and looked at the instruments.
Guan Luoyang was not interested in watching the family ethics drama. He poured another cup of tea on the coffee table towards Professor Jiang Si and said, "You are alive and kicking now because you spent two very expensive medicines on me. Since parents also Now that you’re here, let’s think about when to pay off the medical bills.”
Professor Jiang Si asked: "How much is the total?"
Xiao Jiang said sarcastically: "Two lives, how much do you say, or you go ask the garbage collector, how many cents per pound does your son pay? How much did you give your mother when she was in the hospital? Those leprous guys The doctor hasn’t saved mom yet?”
Professor Jiang Si scratched his hair again and said awkwardly: "But how can I sell so many patents recently?"
"If you only consider the price of the medicine, it's about half a million dollars."
Guan Luoyang quoted a figure. This is the price of the most common mechanical modification on the market. Like Yan Xiong's, a robotic arm plus surgery fee is the price.
Professor Jiang Si said distressedly: "Fifty thousand US dollars is not much, but recently, oh, I have really been..."
Xiao Jiang was about to speak again, Guan Luoyang glanced at him: "Quiet."
Xiao Jiang shut up immediately.
When Professor Jiang Si saw his son's obedient appearance, he couldn't help showing a little envy in his eyes.
"Professor, please sit down."
Guan Luoyang said, "I heard that you are working at Xinmagang University and have been in newspapers many times before. Your academic achievements are very high."
When Professor Jiang Si was about to sit down directly, he noticed his son's warning eyes and took off his dirty white coat first.
"Oh, these are all things of the past."
He held his dirty clothes on his arm, sighed and said, "But don't worry, sir, I still have some financial resources. If it's really not possible, I can think of a way to pay back a little every month. I just don't know about the interest." , can it be a little bit?"
Guan Luoyang waved his hand: "If the professor can answer some of my questions, the interest can be waived."
"What?"
Professor Jiang Si's face lit up with joy, he sat upright and said, "I don't know what the problem is, please tell me."
Guan Luoyang added a cup of tea for himself and said: "I saw a "Brief Introduction to Zhenling Machinery for 40 Years" in the library of the University of Singapore and Malaysia. The first half is an introduction to the upgrading of Zhenling Machinery technology in various countries. The other half is a record of the author’s interviews and inquiries with some strange people and strange things around the world.”
"There are three authors of that book. Jiang Si, who is ranked second, shouldn't just have the same name as you, Professor, right?"
Professor Jiang Si nodded and said: "I did participate in that book, but when it was published, a lot of my paragraphs were actually deleted."
"oh?"
Guan Luoyang's eyebrows brightened and he smiled, "Is it related to the second half of the interview record?"
Much of the second half of the book is written in the form of questions and answers, especially between Professor Jiang Si and an anonymous friend of his. There are many things they discussed that left much to be desired.
Professor Jiang Si said: "It is true that there were more deletions there. At that time, the mainstream view in the academic circles in Singapore and Malaysia, or East Kaliman, North America, and Central Europe, was that true machines were mainly mechanical, and all human qualities were taken away from them. , can only be reduced to auxiliary, and the improvement of technology and materials is the main research direction."
"But my friend is from China, and he has some completely opposite views. He said to me, 'The True Spirit Machine is a key that mankind has been waiting for for a long time. It is extremely important before the door is opened. After the door is opened, one should not abandon the key. '."
Guan Luoyang's eyes were bright and he said, "Do you agree with his view?"
"Of course I can't completely agree, but I think this is also a very important direction of thinking."
After talking about academic-related topics, Professor Jiang Si gradually relaxed. As he talked, he seemed to be two different people from the incompetent and dull father before.
“The spirit of science lies in unswerving exploration, error correction, and practice. If you achieve something in a certain area, in order to protect the interests of your own group, you will not hesitate to suppress thinking in other directions, or even try to block other people. If you make false remarks, deceive yourself and others, then this cannot be called science at all, it is just a superstition in the name of science.”
Professor Jiang Si said sonorously, "I still have several ideas in my current research, thanks to the conversation with that friend back then. The Book of Songs says that you can attack jade with stones from other mountains. There are many new and horse ones." People claim to be advanced, but they have even forgotten the teachings left by their ancestors thousands of years ago."
Guan Luoyang praised: "That's good, but I would like to know where your friend is now. Can you take me to visit him?"
"He is Chinese and has returned to China long ago."
"Then do you have his contact information?"
"Oh, it was there in the early years, but then he seemed to have changed his number and couldn't be contacted."
Professor Jiang Si said, "However, when I communicated with him, I left a lot of notes. I still keep them well. If Mr. Guan needs them, I can send them over later."
Guan Luoyang said: "Okay. Professor, it is said in the book that among the people you interviewed, some can look into the forest from a distance and make fire out of thin air, some can summon the wind and snow in the long street, and there are some in Tianzhu who can make fire Thousands of people came together to witness the miracle of the Buddha’s arrival.”
"So how many of these strange people do you think there can be in Singapore and Macao?"
Professor Jiang Si pondered for a moment and said: "That book was published many years ago. At that time, there were probably very few people in Singapore and Malaysia who could do similar things. But over the years, according to the rumors I heard, this kind of book The number of people keeps increasing.”
"If you ask me to give you an exact number, I can't tell you. I can give you a range at most. There will be no less than eighty people like this who live in Singapore and Macao, but they will not be more than two hundred."
Guan Luoyang nodded slightly, and then chatted with Professor Jiang Si for nearly two hours.
Guan Luoyang himself was a little surprised that this chat took so long. He also didn't expect that Professor Jiang Si's knowledge covered such a wide range of topics.
Professor Jiang Si was able to give a reference answer to almost all the questions he asked. He even quoted from other sources, drew inferences from one example, and took the initiative to contact him for more information and tell him all about it.
Professor Jiang Si also laughed at himself and said that it was because he was too distracted that when doing some research projects in the university, he often deviated from the topic. In the earliest days, the university paid great attention to him and allocated him a lot of funds. , to study the projects he created himself.
But after Professor Jiang Si produced useless patents thirteen times in a row, the attitude of the school leaders towards him has plummeted, and many friends in the academic world have stopped interacting with him.
In the end, Professor Guan Luoyangliu and his son had dinner, and then called Xiao Jiang to the balcony alone and gave him some instructions.
"You are not allowed to tell anyone about your encounter with the man with golden hands. During this period, you are not allowed to go anywhere except my house and yours. Just stay at home with your dad and study your textbooks on your own."
Xiao Jiang nodded repeatedly.
Seeing how readily he agreed, Guan Luoyang frowned and said, "I will send people to keep an eye on you. If you let me know that you do one thing to your face and another behind your back..."
"Brother Luo, don't worry, I've figured it out."
Xiao Jiang did not avoid his gaze and said seriously, "I thought I used to be majestic and comfortable, but in fact I am nothing but shit. I am just like a fish kept in a water tank. If I attract attention one day, I will be cut open." The intestines are thrown into the cold storage to be eaten.”
"Brother Luo, you two lives, I will remember it until my death. If I violate anything you say, I will be bitten to death by a wild dog."
Guan Luoyang said: "I hope you really remember and go back."
A few minutes later, Guan Luoyang was on the balcony on the second floor, watching the father and son walk away in a tricycle.
Long queues formed in the area illuminated by street lights. The roaring sound of the motorcycle engine was deliberately modified and amplified. The noisy young people came and went as fast as the wind.
In the shadows on the back of the green belt, there are some figures from time to time.
On the way, Professor Jiang Si sighed while riding an electric three-wheeler.
After he sighed for the eighth time, Xiao Jiang, who was sitting on the tricycle with his back to him, finally asked: "Why are you sighing? Why is it so annoying to owe you half a million?"
"That's half a million dollars! Oh, forget it, I'm not sighing just because of that."
Professor Jiang Si said, "I have been chatting with him for so long, but you can actually sit there all the time without talking or moving. Why are you never so good in front of your dad?"
Xiao Jiang snorted.
Professor Jiang Si waited for a while, but the usual cynicism did not come. He subconsciously stepped on the brakes and looked back suddenly.
Fortunately, the kid was still sitting in the back and didn't jump out of the car and run away.
Xiao Jiang also turned to look at him: "Why don't you leave?"
Professor Jiang Si said strangely: "You are really different today."
Xiao Jiang said feebly: "I said I almost died. Do you think I was joking? Isn't it normal for me to change a little?"
Professor Jiang Si said matter-of-factly: "When I was your age, half of the experiments I did every day would result in me being blown up to death. Being electrocuted didn't happen just once or twice, so it didn't feel any different."
"you!!"
Xiao Jiang gasped twice in anger, "Forget it, I shouldn't talk to you seriously, just think that I have met a good boss and I have changed my past, okay?"
The father and son stared at each other for a while under the street lamp, with a few mosquitoes flying and hitting the light bulb.
"ah."
Professor Jiang Si sighed gently and reached out to touch Xiao Jiang's hair, "Hello... Hey, let's go get a haircut tomorrow. Your current hairstyle is prickly to the touch."
Xiao Jiang suddenly found that his father's eyes became a bit confusing to him.
"Um."
The electric three-wheeler started driving again, frightening away the mosquitoes that gathered from the green belt.
Xiao Jiang took the initiative to chat: "Brother Luo asked me to study hard. What do you think I should learn so that I can repay him as soon as possible?"
"You can't learn anything quickly. If you insist, how about you become my assistant?"
"What's the use of being your assistant?"
"You are useless, but I am very useful. I am so short of people around me. If I have any research results, wouldn't I be able to help your boss?"
"whispering sound."
Xiao Jiang expressed his disdain in a low voice, and after being silent for a while, he added, "That's okay."
"Tsk, brat! Hahahahaha."
Professor Jiang Si laughed loudly and returned to their home humming a tune.
They rented the lowest floor of a large apartment building, which included a basement. The walls in the corridor had not been painted, revealing the raw rough texture of the cement, and the electric lights were shining dimly.
On the side of the stairs is an overflowing trash can. Black plastic bags of garbage are piled up next to the trash can, giving off a strange smell.
The door of their house is right next to this garbage.
"You boy, wait here, we will deliver the things to your boss tonight."
Professor Jiang Si stopped the tricycle, took out the key and opened the door.
There is almost no open space in the room, and there are large and small mechanical parts everywhere, as well as discarded drawings crumpled into balls.
Professor Jiang Si kicked away a large paper ball and came to the basement entrance that he had modified.
The door inspection instrument recognized his right eye and opened it automatically, revealing an incongruously clean and tidy underground space.
In the middle of the basement is a long table, with experimental racks placed on it. Liquids of various colors are contained in test tubes. There are bookshelves on both sides, which are divided into categories and are meticulous.
The only thing out of place in the entire basement was a black and white photo of the deceased hanging on the wall.
Professor Jiang Si took out a few books here, looked up at his wife's photo, and was lost in thought for a long time.
Xiao Jiang outside pressed the horn of the electric three-wheeler impatiently.
Some of the other tenants in the building opened their windows and cursed.
Xiao Jiang raised his head and wanted to scold him. After puffing his mouth, he let go of the horn.
Professor Jiang Si was awakened by the sound of the horn, and listened to the movement outside with a smile on his face.
He stretched out his hand, and the back of his fingers was about to touch the photo. He suddenly made up his mind, turned around, squatted down, and pulled out a book from the hidden compartment on the far side of the bookshelf.
"Oh, I can't teach my son well, but someone has helped me teach him. I can't let him be a father for free."
Professor Jiang Si took out his mobile phone and flipped to a number.
"Hey, old friend, I want to give your book away..."
