Chapter 901
The Golden Spirit: Scientists Have National Borders
After Bai Song left, Wang Donglai returned to his office, sat down in a chair, and closed his eyes to rest.
"boss."
Nuwa's voice rang out: "Weren't the things you said today a bit too risky?"
Wang Donglai didn't open his eyes: "An adventure? Maybe."
"Based on my analysis, if these words were to be spread, they could cause controversy, offend people, or have unforeseen consequences."
"I know."
"Then why did you say it?"
Wang Donglai opened his eyes and looked out the window.
The sun was shining brightly, illuminating the tower cranes at the Tang Imperial City construction site, the busy workers, and the distant, continuous Qinling Mountains.
"Wa, do you know what a person's greatest fortune is?"
Nuwa paused for a second: "What is it?"
"There is an opportunity to do what you believe is right."
Wang Donglai continued, "I have this opportunity, so I will do it."
Even if there are risks?
Even if there are risks!
He stood up, walked to the window, and said softly but firmly, "We develop technology to change the world. But what's the point of changing the world if the people who are trying to change it can't even live a good life themselves?"
"Those who sweat on construction sites, those who repeat tasks on assembly lines, those who work overtime in office buildings, and those who rush about in the streets and alleys—they are the true foundation of this world."
"If even they can't live a good life, then the world really needs to change."
"This is what the golden spirit is all about!"
"Knowing it was impossible and extremely difficult, we still resolutely raised this banner, united the people of this land, and accomplished this great undertaking and great achievement."
"Although nowadays, there are not many people who believe in the spirit of gold, and not many people mention the spirit of gold."
"But it's right here."
"If others can't do it, or dare not do it, am I supposed to do it too?"
"After all, I'm the only player on this planet!"
Nuwa did not speak again.
Wang Donglai stood by the window, looking out at Tangdu City.
He knew that what he had said today was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake.
The ripples will spread and travel to far places.
Some will agree, some will disagree, some will be angry, and some will remain silent.
But he doesn't care.
What he cares about is whether those who hear these words will also start to think, can this society be better?
He recalled what the young researcher named Zhang Yuan said at the end of the press conference: "Today, I can finally say to the world that we Chinese have never been inferior to others."
He thought that perhaps one day, someone would say to the whole world, "The Chinese working class has never been inferior to anyone else."
Only then did he truly accomplish what he wanted to do.
"boss."
Wa's voice rang out: "Professor Zhang Sheng has arrived and is waiting in the reception room. According to the work schedule, your meeting with Professor Zhang Sheng will take place in ten minutes."
Wang Donglai nodded.
Zhang Sheng.
The name had been lingering in his mind for a long time.
In the original timeline, this Chinese-American physicist from Stanford University, one of the pioneers in the study of topological insulators, would have jumped from his home in San Francisco on December 1, 2018.
The official explanation is suicide due to depression, but those in the know understand that it happened to be the day he and Meng Zhou, who had arranged to attend a dinner together in Argentina.
It was also the same day that Meng Zhou was arrested while transiting through Canada.
Earlier, in the first half of 2018, he was preparing to accept an invitation from a Chinese university to return to China to teach, but when he submitted his resignation to Stanford, he was strangely rejected.
Going back further, in April 2017, Yu Dazui personally drove him to China, where he helped related companies overcome many difficulties in 5G research.
His death was too coincidental.
Wang Donglai knew the truth.
In that time and space, he was one of the victims of the "China Action Plan".
That plan, ostensibly for counter-espionage, was actually aimed at eliminating Chinese scientists.
Simply because he helped Chrysanthemum, because he wanted to return to China, and because he possessed knowledge that America did not want China to have.
The breakthrough in 5G technology is the final blow that will ignite America's murderous intent.
But in this time and space, everything is different.
Wang Donglai's sudden emergence has attracted more attention from the United States, naturally causing some to overlook Chinese-American researchers like Zhang Sheng.
After all, compared to the younger Wang Donglai, the others paled in comparison.
Thus, Zhang Sheng's original fate was changed.
He was able to attend this groundbreaking academic conference, and in the end, he stayed.
Naturally, he missed that flight back to America, missed that "accident," and missed the originally destined ending.
Wang Donglai walked steadily toward the reception room.
He knew what he had to do next.
In the reception room, Zhang Sheng was standing by the window, looking at the scenery of Tangdu outside.
He was fifty-six years old this year, his hair was already a little gray, and he was wearing an ordinary dark blue jacket. He looked thin and tired like a scholar.
But those eyes were very bright, like stars in the night sky.
"Professor Zhang."
Wang Donglai's voice rang out from behind.
Zhang Sheng turned around and saw Wang Donglai standing at the door. He quickly went up to him and asked, "Academician Wang, are you done with your work?"
"Sorry to have kept you waiting."
Wang Donglai walked in, sat down on the sofa, gestured for Zhang Sheng to sit down as well, and explained, "There was an interview from the central station in Beijing just now, which took a while."
Zhang Sheng sat down, smiled, and said, "It's alright. It's worth waiting any amount of time to witness this groundbreaking academic conference."
Wang Dong looked at him and asked directly, "Professor Zhang, do you know why I specifically invited you to stay?"
Zhang Sheng was stunned for a moment.
He knew, of course, that he had been invited to stay, but he didn't know why he had been chosen to stay.
Wang Donglai's direct question surprised him somewhat.
"Is it because of... my research?" he asked tentatively.
Wang Donglai nodded, then shook his head: "Yes, but not entirely."
He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then slowly said, "Professor Zhang, I have seen your resume. You were born in Shanghai in 1963. You were admitted to the Department of Physics at Fudan University at the age of 15. Two years later, you were sent to the Free University of Berlin. Later, you went to Stony Brook University, State University of New York, where you studied under Professor Yang."
Zhang Sheng listened quietly, wondering what Wang Donglai wanted to say. "In 2006, you led your team to propose the 'quantum spin Hall effect,' solving the problems of semiconductor energy consumption and heat dissipation. In 2007, you predicted the existence of 'topological insulators,' later becoming one of the pioneers in this field. In 2009, you collaborated with the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, to propose three types of topological insulator materials. In 2013, you discovered the 'quantum anomalous Hall effect,' a major breakthrough in the Hall effect family after more than 130 years. In 2017, you discovered 'chiral Majorana fermions,' verifying a prediction made 80 years ago."
Wang Donglai knows them all like the back of his hand; he remembers every year and every achievement clearly.
Zhang Sheng was somewhat moved.
He himself could hardly remember all of these things, but Wang Donglai recited them as if he were reciting a text.
It is obvious that Wang Donglai had made preparations in advance.
"More importantly..."
Wang Donglai paused, his gaze deepening, and said, "Starting in 2009, you collaborated with Juhua and made breakthroughs in many 5G research challenges. In April 2017, Yu Dazui personally drove to pick you up and bring you to China. Are these things true?"
Zhang Sheng nodded, not denying it: "We have indeed had some collaborations."
"Do you know what these things mean to Americans?"
Zhang Sheng's expression froze instantly.
Wang Donglai didn't give him a chance to catch his breath and continued, "In the first half of last year, you accepted an invitation from a university in China to return and teach. You submitted your resignation to Stanford, but it was rejected. Why? Because they didn't want you to bring back the knowledge you possessed."
"In September 2018, your team made a breakthrough in the quantum spin Hall effect and chip-related technologies, winning the European Physics Prize. This should have been something to celebrate, but did you know that after that, your name was put on certain lists?"
Zhang Sheng's face turned pale; what Wang Donglai had said was simply too frightening.
"Professor Zhang, I'm not trying to scare you."
Noticing the change in Zhang Sheng's expression, Wang Donglai added, his voice soft but every word forceful: "I'm saying all this to make you understand one thing: if you go back this time, you might not be able to come back."
The room remained quiet for a long time.
Zhang Sheng had his head down, so his expression was not visible.
After a long while, he raised his head, his voice a little hoarse: "Academician Wang, how did you know all this?"
Wang Donglai did not answer immediately.
He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then said, "Professor Zhang, do you think it's safe for me to go abroad now? Is it safe to go abroad?"
"I can tell you directly that I have a dedicated security team that was arranged around me a long time ago to ensure my safety."
"But even so, there have been a few unexpected incidents."
"I think it goes without saying which faction will make the move."
"These things are both important and unimportant."
"Professor Zhang should have his own judgment, so I won't say any more."
"Finally, I'd like to ask Professor Zhang, you've been researching topological insulators for thirty years, published hundreds of papers, and won dozens of awards. But do you really think that's enough?"
When he said the last sentence, Wang Donglai looked directly into Zhang Sheng's eyes, as if he could see right through him.
Zhang Sheng remained silent.
"The theory of topological insulators predicts many possibilities. But these possibilities require extreme conditions to verify, such as extremely low temperatures, extremely high magnetic fields, and extremely pure materials. How much of these conditions can Stanford provide?"
Zhang Sheng remained silent.
"I can give it to you!"
Wang Donglai said, "Galaxy Technology's quantum computer can help you simulate the electronic structure of any topological material. Galaxy Technology's Xirang superconductor can help you build any magnetic field system you need. Galaxy Technology's materials laboratory can help you synthesize any material you design."
He looked Zhang Sheng straight in the eye and said, "Whatever your conditions, I'll give you. How many people do you want, I'll give you. How much money do you want, I'll give you."
Zhang Sheng's breathing became rapid.
"But the reward I want is not a paper, not an award, not anything superficial."
"What I need is your research, to really take a step forward."
"This step may take a year, it may take ten years, it may take a lifetime. But I can afford to wait."
He paused, his voice becoming very soft: "Professor Zhang, you are fifty-six years old this year. According to the average lifespan, you still have thirty years to do research. In these thirty years, do you want to continue to be monitored, investigated, and treated as a potential threat in America, or do you want to really make some breakthroughs here?"
Zhang Sheng's eyes reddened.
He recalled the confusion he felt when his resignation was rejected in the first half of 2018.
He recalled those "strangers" who suddenly appeared beside him.
I thought of those colleagues who seemed to want to say something but held back.
He thought he could ignore all of this and continue his research.
But he couldn't fool himself—he was afraid.
"Academician Wang."
His voice trembled slightly: "What you're saying, I... I have thought about it. But I keep telling myself that science knows no borders, and as long as I focus on my research, nothing will happen."
Wang Donglai shook his head and denied it, saying, "Professor Zhang, science has no borders, but scientists have a homeland. More importantly, in the eyes of some people, your knowledge is your crime."
He stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to Zhang Sheng: "Do you know that the United States has a 'China Action Plan'? It's to ensure America's dominant position, but when faced with our technological development, they can only bury their heads in the sand and say that we stole their technology."
"Therefore, they believe that all Chinese scientists in the United States are suspects, and that at least two related individuals must be prosecuted each year in major scientific research projects in the United States."
"After this plan was implemented, many Chinese-American scientists were subjected to unwarranted investigations and trials, and some even died under mysterious circumstances."
"The competition between great powers is multifaceted and cannot be explained in a single sentence."
"Professor Zhang, do you think your achievements qualify you to be investigated? You've helped research 5G, mastered these advanced technologies, and are preparing to return to China to teach. What do you think they'll think?"
After listening, Zhang Sheng fell completely silent.
He recalled Ren Wei, the young mathematician he had collaborated with, who had also died under mysterious circumstances.
He thought of his colleagues who were suddenly fired, his friends who were being investigated, and his peers whom he could no longer contact.
It turns out he wasn't overthinking things.
Furthermore, Zhang Sheng's thoughts went even deeper.
At this moment, Wang Donglai suddenly came forward to tell me these things. Could it be that the higher-ups are using Wang Donglai to say something they don't want to say?
Such top-secret information is generally inaccessible to the average person, and only the authorities can detect it in advance.
After this thought came to mind, Zhang Sheng made a decision in a very short time.
"Professor Zhang."
Wang Donglai walked up to Zhang Sheng and sincerely invited him, "Stay. This is your home. This is where your roots are, and where you have everything you want."
"Your teacher, Professor Yang, is in China. Your research can continue here, your students can be trained here, and your knowledge can truly be put to use here."
"The Galaxy Technology Frontier Science Research Institute needs you. The next step in topological insulators needs you. This country needs you."
Zhang Sheng looked at the hand extended in front of him and remained silent for a moment.
Then he stood up and took that hand.
The hands were warm and strong.
"Academician Wang, thank you for your reminder."
His voice was choked with emotion, but firm: "I am willing to stay and do my part for the country, to the best of my ability."
Wang Donglai smiled, a smile that carried a sense of relief and a hint of imperceptible ease.
"Professor Zhang, welcome home." (End of Chapter)