What does this mean?
Could it be that after his first plan failed, Campbell tried another one, failed to persuade, and used money to induce him instead?
But that doesn't account for the Harvard University logo printed on the envelope, or the First National Bank of Boston's emblem at the center of the top of the check.
In this era when passenger air routes were not yet mature, if you wanted to get to the UK from California on the west coast of the United States, you had to take a train across the entire American continent to the east coast.
Then choose to take a steamship across the Atlantic from several well-known large ports, and finally arrive in England.
These ports that handle routes to and from the United Kingdom and the United States include New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and of course Boston.
Perhaps Campbell did board a ship in Boston Harbor when he came to England this time.
But there was absolutely no need for him to open an account at the First National Bank of Boston just to pay Chen Muwu the $10,000.
The Italian bank in California can also handle such business, and the latter's business capacity is much greater than the former.
Since you can't figure it out, just stop thinking about it.
Chen Muwu stared at Campbell with doubts in his eyes, but didn't say a word.
What did DiCaprio say in that line in his movie "The Wolf of Wall Street"?
He who speaks first loses!
Whoever speaks first loses!
Campbell smiled and said: "Dr. Chen, there is no need to look at me like this. This huge sum of ten thousand US dollars was not paid by me, but was entrusted by others to deliver it to you on my behalf.
"The truth of the matter is all written in that letter. Please read it and you will know the whole story."
By the way, there’s another letter in there!
Chen Muwu just glanced at the envelope and check and became suspicious, completely forgetting that there was such a thing as a letter.
"Dear Dr. Chen Muwu:
“Your discovery of the ninth planet in the solar system at the beginning of last year caused a sensation all over the world, and the United States was no exception.
"My brother, Percival Lowell, devoted his life to finding the mysterious Planet X beyond Neptune, and personally funded the construction of the Lowell Observatory in Arizona.
"Unfortunately, until his death ten years ago, Planet X still had not appeared.
“As Percival’s younger brother, I have always hoped that humans can discover traces of this mysterious Planet X as soon as possible, fulfill my eldest brother’s last wish, and comfort his spirit in heaven.
“I clearly remember that one day at the beginning of last year, overnight, major newspapers in Boston began to report wildly on the news that the British Astronomer Royal announced to the world the discovery of Planet X, the ninth planet in the solar system.
"Soon after, the 'Huangdi Star' you discovered was confirmed by astronomers from all over the world, and was also confirmed by the astronomical community as the ninth planet in the solar system.
"At the same time, I also learned a lot about you personally in the newspaper.
"It turns out that you have not only made achievements in astronomy, but also achieved fruitful results in physics and other fields.
“There are also some Chinese students at Harvard University, and most of them are the most diligent and hard-working people in the school.
“Your appearance broke my stereotype of Chinese students and also made Harvard University begin to recruit more Chinese students.
"Last summer, I sent a long-awaited letter to the Nobel Prize Committee of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, exercising a power that I, as president of Harvard University, have rarely used, that is, to nominate you for election. That year's Nobel Prize in Physics.
"In the end, as I expected, you won the award, although the reason was not the 'discovery of the ninth planet in the solar system' that I wrote when I was nominated.
"The theory about the universe model you proposed in your Nobel Prize lecture is very novel. At my suggestion, professors from the Department of Astronomy and the Observatory of Harvard University have begun to study this phenomenon of universe expansion.
"I have previously proposed to provide you with a bonus of 10,000 US dollars at my own expense as a reward for your discovery of the 'Huang Di Star'.
“It’s just that because of various reasons, you are unwilling to come to the United States, and I don’t have time to go to the UK, so this money has never been sent to the people who should have it.
“Fortunately, now, I finally have this opportunity.
"Although I couldn't leave the United States due to physical reasons, I learned that the Second General Assembly of the International Union of Astronomers was about to be held in Cambridge, England, so I wrote a letter to my old friend Professor Campbell, the president of the University of California. Please give this letter and the $10,000 check to you.
"At the end of the letter, I wish Dr. Chen that you will continue to achieve more and better results in scientific research. I also hope that I can meet Dr. Chen in person in the future.
"Abbott Lowell, President of Harvard University."
Chen Muwu looked at the check in his hand again. It also had the same signature as the signature on the letter paper.
Of course he remembered the man and the money.
A reporter from Time magazine who previously interviewed Chen Muwu in the UK once asked him whether he would go to the United States to receive the money.
In addition to A. Lowell's prize, it seems that the National Academy of Sciences will also award itself a Watson Award.
He turned down the bonus and the award at the time.
Unexpectedly, A. Lowell was serious about it. A few years later, the $10,000 was still in his hands.
The president of Harvard University is a good and capable person, and he is really willing to spend money when he has money.
However, the money came a little late.
If he could have come half a year earlier, Chen Muwu would have definitely exchanged more pounds than he does now.
Churchill couldn't think of anything else and restored the gold standard to the pound. A fixed exchange rate of 1:4.86 was implemented between the pound and the U.S. dollar, and this exchange rate lasted until 1933.
For many years to come, ten thousand dollars would only be worth a little more than two thousand pounds.
It was such a loss for this transaction that I might as well not exchange it for pounds, but just give the check to Oppenheimer and ask him to take time to travel back and forth across the country and open a stock account for myself at the New York Stock Exchange.
He thought to himself that he was not a fair old Hu, nor was he a big A in the U.S. stock market. This investment would definitely make him rich with his eyes closed!
Although Chen Muwu complained about Fatty Qiu in his heart, he still had to keep a smile on his face because he was still a guest in someone else's hotel: "Thank you, Principal Campbell, for sending me Principal Lowell's letter and check."
"Abbott also asked me to invite you to teach at Harvard University on his behalf. What I originally wanted was to hire you to the University of California first and then talk to you about it. After all, he has a huge check worth ten thousand US dollars. In front of us, our University of California is completely unattractive.”
"How about Dr. Chen, you have rejected me before, are you interested in Harvard University this time?"
Harvard University, the world's most prestigious school a hundred years later.
A hundred years ago now, I don’t know if it could have ranked first in the United States, but in front of Cambridge University, it was just a younger brother.
Let’s not talk about whether Chen Muwu will go to the United States, just talk about this Harvard University.
Here he has both an acquaintance, Professor Bridgeman, and an enemy, Professor Duane.
And his enemy is also the chairman of Harvard's physics department.
Duane had been opposed to the particle nature of light before, and he had a heated argument with Compton of the University of Chicago.
Until the emergence of Chen Muwu, this long-lasting academic battle came to an end.
In the face of irrefutable experimental facts, Duane became the loser.
I wonder if Professor Du An is petty. If Chen Muwu really goes to Harvard, who can guarantee that he will not be put in the shoes of the department chair?
Will it or won't it? If so!
"Forget it, Principal Campbell. Although I am very grateful to Principal Lowell for providing me with this bonus, as I said before, I have no plans to travel to the United States recently.
"I hope that you can tell President Lowell for me after returning to China. I am very grateful for his bonus and thank him for the invitation. However, I still have work to do at Cambridge University and I don't want to leave conveniently.
"If I have the opportunity in the future, I will definitely express my gratitude to him in person!"
"Dr. Chen, I feel relieved after hearing what you said. I hope more than anyone else that you can refuse Abbott's invitation. Otherwise, Dr. Chen rejected the University of California and chose Harvard University. This makes me, the president, Where can I put my face!"
I didn't expect that Campbell, at such an old age, would still speak out his inner thoughts without any secret.
But it’s true as he said, watching others make money is more uncomfortable than losing money yourself.
There is another layer in his words, which is to take retreat in order to advance, mocking himself for not being able to get into Chen Muwu's eyes at the University of California, and implicitly hoping that he would reconsider.
At this time, just echo Campbell and laugh together. Whatever you say in reply, Campbell will continue to talk about inviting him to coach at the University of California.
…
The next day, as soon as Chen Muwu arrived at the Cavendish Laboratory, he called Oppenheimer out.
"Robert, you have been in the UK for more than a year. Last winter, you followed me to Northern Europe and then to the European continent. You did not return to the United States to spend Christmas with your family.
"There should be nothing going on this winter. How about you go back to China for Christmas? As the holidays are approaching, transatlantic ferry tickets will be very tight. You'd better buy your round-trip tickets in advance now."
Chen Muwu obviously meant well, but Oppenheimer felt uncomfortable listening to it.
In the past, everyone in the group except him was Chinese, so he has been learning Chinese and Chinese culture, hoping that one day he can communicate with everyone in Chinese.
Although a new Cockcroft, who also only speaks English, has recently arrived, Oppenheimer's pace of learning has not slowed down at all.
Among these foreign students, no one else can speak Chinese and only I can. So who will the teacher subconsciously be closer to?
A new concept that Oppenheimer recently learned is called the expulsion order.
Even if Chinese people feel unhappy with others, they will not express it directly and often choose a very tactful way.
For example, when seeing off guests, you should not speak directly. Instead, you should hold up a tea bowl and invite others to drink tea, hinting to them that "it's time for you to get out."
It's just the beginning of autumn, and Teacher Chen asked himself to go back to the United States for Christmas. What does it mean?
Did Rutherford say something to him again to make Chen Muwu change his mind and not want him as a student?
"Teacher Chen, I'm not going back to the United States for Christmas. I just want to stay with you and learn more from you. Have I done something wrong recently? Please don't be subtle, just point it out directly, and I will definitely change it. !”
Chen Muwu thought about it for a while and finally figured out why Oppenheimer kept crying while he kindly said this.
"Robert, you are overthinking. I have no intention of driving you back to the United States. On the contrary, I want you to return to the United States. In addition to wanting you to reunite with your family, I have another thing to ask for."
Chen Muwu told him that he wanted to buy some American stocks and hoped that when Oppenheimer returned to China this time, he could help him open a stock account and hold it on his behalf.
While at David Faraday Laboratory, Chen Muwu made a huge sum of money by selling patents on plexiglass.
Oppenheimer did not know that Chen Muwu urgently needed the money to build a school, so he gave the suggestion to invest in stocks.
After listening to what he said, Oppenheimer did not expect that Teacher Chen actually listened and adopted his own suggestions, and the expression on his face changed from anger to joy.
"Okay, I'll go find a travel agency right now and ask them to help buy a ferry ticket back to China for Christmas! Or just don't wait until the end of the year. How about I take the nearest ferry back?"
Chen Muwu advised Oppenheimer not to be excited and to return to China for Christmas as originally planned.
He thought to himself that if you returned to China now, wouldn't there be no teaching assistant for my linear algebra course?
A week passed quickly, and Chen Muwu only appeared at the venue again on the morning of the last day.
The afternoon is the closing ceremony of the General Assembly of the International Union of Astronomers. In the morning, the last agenda item of this meeting will be held, which is the election of new member states.
Dr. Zhang Yun from France attended this meeting as an observer state on behalf of the Chinese Astronomical Society.
The main purpose of his participation in the meeting was to apply to the federation to become a formal member.
The so-called observer state, the word "observation" in it is actually two-way.
Observers observe the international organizations it joins to determine whether it will eventually join the organization.
The international organization is also observing its observers to determine whether it should be approved to join.
In the original time and space, the Federation rejected the application of the Chinese Astronomical Society. The reason given was that it believed that the society's level was not enough and it did not even have a professional observatory.
At that time, the only modern observatory in China was the Xujiahui Observatory established by the French Catholic Jesuits.
Zhang Yun, whose application for membership was rejected at this meeting, also saw the huge gap between the level of domestic astronomy and that of foreign countries.
After returning to China, he was hired to teach at Shuangyashan University in Guangzhou, and then he began to raise funds from various parties. In the end, he lived up to his will and built the first modern observatory independently built by Chinese people, the Zhongda Observatory.
It was not until 1935 that the Chinese Astronomical Society got rid of its status as an observer and became a formal member of the Federation. This was not unrelated to the efforts of Zhang Yun and a Chinese astronomer.
However, now that there is a person like Chen Muwu, the International Union of Astronomers is eager to absorb the Chinese Astronomical Society as a formal member.
If the world's youngest and most promising astronomer is not a member of the federation, wouldn't the federation become a big joke?
After the final results of the new member states were announced, Zhang Yun felt that he had fulfilled his mission just like Tang Sui this time, and he hugged Chen Muwu, who silently changed the course of history, beside him.
(End of chapter)
