William Whewell slapped the table excitedly and looked at Xu Yun and Lao Tang sitting in front of him. The crow's feet on his face were relieved a lot:
"Luo Feng, Thomson, you guys have really embarrassed the University of Cambridge this time! This is an achievement that can be recorded in the history of the school!"
"At least for a year...not even three years, those bastards from Oxford won't even think of raising their heads in front of Cambridge!"
When Xu Yun and Lao Tang heard this, they looked at each other and smiled.
At this time, a full day had passed since the opening ceremony of the World Expo.
After severely damaging the venue of Oxford University yesterday, the exhibition site of Cambridge University suddenly became the focus of the expo.
Xu Yun and others only stayed near the booth for a while before they were squeezed out of their seats by the crowd.
So several people hurriedly said goodbye to Stokes, continued to wander around the exhibition hall for a while, and rushed back to Cambridge University that afternoon.
Early this morning.
William Whewell sent someone to call them to the dean's office and said "good job", which made Xu Yun think that the philosopher really wanted to engage in philosophy.
After taking a seat.
Whewell even poured a cup of tea for Xu Yun and Lao Tang, which was rare, which showed his inner joy.
Looking at his dean who was in a good mood in front of him, Lao Tang considered for a few seconds and asked:
"Mr. Whewell, I wonder what happened to Joseph Clement after he fainted?"
Although he had many conflicts with Harvey Clement, Babbage and Joseph Clement were even more feuding.
But Joseph Clement fell into a coma at the Cambridge University Exhibition after all.
If something happened to him, it would be a bit troublesome to deal with it.
Lao Tang himself is an official fan who is very obsessed with politics. He cares more about the impact of something than the temporary pleasure it brings.
Looking at Lao Tang with a solemn face, William Whewell smiled and stretched out his hand to press down, signaling him to relax:
"Don't be so nervous, classmate Thomson, just relax."
"As far as I know, Joseph Clement regained consciousness yesterday afternoon and his life is not serious."
"only......"
Lao Tang blinked and asked:
"Just what?"
William Whewell was silent for a moment and pointed to his left hand:
"It's just that I heard that his vision dropped a lot after he woke up, and his left upper limb was weak, especially the front end of his arm. He couldn't lift it no matter how hard he tried."
"...."
Listening to William Whewell's description, Xu Yun was slightly startled.
It’s different from Lao Tang’s worries.
Originally, he had always believed that Joseph Clement's fainting was just a pretense, actually a way to escape from the Cambridge booth and avoid being ridiculed by Babbage.
Anyway, Joseph Clement was just a partner of Oxford University, and whether Oxford University was embarrassed or not had little to do with him - his difference engine fully complied with the standards of the contract between the two parties in terms of performance, and there was no breach of contract at all.
Therefore, it is indeed a very feasible operation to leave the scene by pretending to be stunned.
This approach is definitely embarrassing, but at least it is better than being beaten and run away by Babbage.
But now it seems.
Joseph Clement's fainting was not a fake, but he was really passed out from anger.
At the same time, after waking up...
Suspected hemiplegia?
Well......
Considering Joseph Clement's age, this is not an outrageous situation.
Hundreds of years ago in the East, there was a man surnamed Zhou who was reincarnated by Yuan Shao, and he fainted three times because of a certain Zhuge villager...
While Xu Yun was lost in thought.
William Whewell, who was opposite him, picked up his tea cup, took a sip of water, and continued:
"So Thomson, Luo Feng, don't worry."
"Since no lives were lost, many things will be much easier to deal with. It is impossible for you to bear responsibility in any case."
"In fact, let alone the response plan, Oxford University will not take the initiative to trouble us if it wants to show off."
Xu Yun and Lao Tang nodded together.
Then William Whewell put down the cup, turned his gaze to Lao Tang alone, and suddenly asked:
"Classmate Thomson, are you graduating this year?"
Lao Tang subconsciously looked at the Trinity College emblem on his chest, with a hint of complexity in his eyes:
"That's right, I will graduate in just over a month."
William Whewell asked again:
"I heard you are going back to Scotland after graduation?"
Lao Tang didn't hesitate much, nodded sharply, and replied calmly:
"Well, I'm going back to the University of Glasgow. They have agreed to let me be a full professor of natural sciences - to tell you the truth, I'm actually quite excited."
William Whewell tapped his index finger on the table several times, and the sound of the fingertips touching the table was clearly audible in the office:
"Classmate Thomson, why don't you think about it again?"
Lao Tang was stunned for a moment.
Then, before he could ask, William Whewell explained:
"If you stay at Cambridge University, I can offer you the treatment of a lecturer in natural sciences on behalf of the trustees."
"Although it may not be the chief position, it is still a full-time position and enjoys all the benefits that one deserves."
Lao Tang was stunned when he heard this.
Two seconds later.
His face, which looked like the white-robed Saruman in "Lord of the Rings", slowly showed a look of astonishment:
His eyes and mouth slowly opened wide, as if he was surprised to see the official news about Real Hammer Peak PC.
Mentioned it a long time ago.
Top universities today are different than they will be in 2022.
Except for the level of Faraday Gauss, ordinary talents not only do not need to set up XX-level talent introduction rules like later generations, but on the contrary, many capable scholars often struggle to find a lectureship.
A distant example is Mavericks, the god of physics, who could only start as a teaching assistant after graduating from college.
The closest one is Kirchhoff.
Weber recommended that Faraday, the world's leading physicist, come forward as a guarantee, but he could only become a teaching assistant as a starting point.
A little further back, the same is true for wheat.
Not to mention that after the two-year term of teaching assistants expires, they still need to undergo an assessment. Only after passing the assessment can they become a rotating lecturer.
After the rotation, there are full-time lecturers (professors) and chief lecturers.
Therefore, in Lao Tang's plan, Cambridge University was not an option for him - he was a man who wanted to enter the political arena.
All he needs is the resume of President of the Cambridge University Student Union, and he can use this to get a good offer in his hometown.
After obtaining certain qualifications, you can enter the British political arena.
I just didn't expect it...
At this time, Cambridge University actually extended an olive branch to me?
Think of this.
Lao Tang raised his eyelids and glanced at William Whewell sitting behind his desk, and tentatively said:
"Mr. Whewell, is this... a reward for our performance yesterday?"
"To be precise, part of it is a reward for merit."
William Whewell stood up from behind the table, walked to the window, and said slowly:
"But the more reason is that the school directors have changed their attitude towards the natural science course."
Finished.
William Whewell raised his head and looked out the window.
It can be seen through the glass window.
At this moment, some Cambridge students were doing an optical experiment near the Academic Affairs Building.
At first glance, there were about a dozen people.
This is a scene rarely seen before at Cambridge University.
A few seconds passed.
William Whewell withdrew his gaze, came to Lao Tang, and patted him on the shoulder:
"The school board has always had some objections to the course of natural science, believing it to be a heresy separated from the classical disciplines."
"Although there are not many people on the board of directors who hold this opinion, it cannot be ignored."
"However, with the opening of the Industrial Expo yesterday, a whole new world appeared in front of us."
"Belgium, Gaul, the Netherlands...the impact of a single booth may be limited, but when their numbers are added up, we find that times have really changed."
"This sentiment reached a climax after seeing the analytical engine you developed - I'm not afraid of you laughing at me. In fact, before this, many school directors did not think you were capable of inventing the analytical engine."
As he spoke, William Whewell couldn't help but take a deep breath.
The great philosopher who came up with the term ‘scientist’ also looked vaguely confused at this time:
"So at the emergency school board meeting last night, all school directors unanimously approved the plan to support natural science subjects."
"And Mr. Thomson, you, the top student in the Department of Mathematics, the President of the Gewu Society and the President of the Federation of Students, have become the first novice...well, a crab-eater."
The second half of William Whewell's sentence was a bit leaky, but Lao Tang didn't care about it.
At this time, his mind was completely focused on the words professor of natural sciences.
no doubt.
This is obviously a gamble.
on the one hand.
As long as he agrees to his dean's proposal, he can successfully become a professor at Cambridge University - this will save him at least five to seven years.
At the same time, compared with Douglas University, the social circle of professors at Cambridge University is obviously countless times better.
But on the other hand.
William Whewell made it very clear that this was an attempt from the school directors.
Since it is an attempt, it must achieve some results.
If the attempt succeeds, everything will be happy, both for him and for me.
But if the attempt fails, the school directors can naturally withdraw the project.
And by then, I will have wasted one to two years in vain...
Think of this.
Lao Tang couldn't help but look at Xu Yun.
As a result, he twisted his neck,
He then discovered that Xu Yun was blinking at him rapidly, with a frequency that was almost causing electric current...
After nearly a year of getting along, Lao Tang and Xu Yun have formed a certain tacit understanding.
In the blink of an eye, Xu Yun understood what the other party was thinking.
So Lao Tang no longer hesitated and turned to William Whewell and said:
"No problem, Mr. Whewell, I will not let you and the school director down!"
William Whewell nodded:
"That's it, classmate Thomson. When I have some free time in two days, I will deal with your file problem."
One of the essential abilities for people in officialdom is to observe people's words and expressions. Seeing his dean keep glancing towards Xu Yun from the corner of his eye when he was speaking, Lao Tang's eyes suddenly flashed with a thoughtful look.
So he bowed slightly to William Whewell, and then winked at Xu Yun:
"Luo Feng, I'll wait for you outside the door."
Xu Yun glanced at William Whewell beside him and said to Lao Tang:
"good."
After Lao Tang leaves.
William Whewell sat back down.
But he didn't speak, instead he lowered his head and rummaged through the drawer.
About a minute passed.
William Whewell took out a small, slender wooden box from the drawer and handed it to Xu Yun:
"Classmate Luo Feng, please open it and take a look."
Xu Yun took the opportunity.
Card--
He lifted up a small iron piece that was upside down and opened the box easily.
There was a piece of curled up parchment currently placed in the box. Xu Yun inserted the index fingers of both hands into one end of the parchment and took it out.
After spreading it flat, he put it on the table and read:
"The Board of Trustees of the University of Cambridge has decided that if the Empire starts the Eastern War and wins the final victory, Trinity College will try its best to collect no less than 30% of the physical cultural treasures harvested from the war. One hundred and fifty years later, that is, in June 2001, Trinity College will
Return everything to Dongfang before the 15th of the month..."
Watch and watch.
Xu Yun suddenly shrank, suddenly raised his head to look at William Whewell, and asked:
"Mr. Whewell, this is..."
William Whewell smiled and nodded, leaning back on the chair with a relaxed expression:
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "Well, as you can see, this is the commitment letter you want."
"Although the original agreement was that the Analytical Engine would not be handed over to you until it was fully developed, but now that it has slapped Oxford University in the face, the school directors have decided to sign it in advance."
"However, I would like to remind you that the school board only guarantees the signature. We cannot guarantee whether future generations will recognize this parchment one hundred and fifty years later."
That's right.
At this time, the parchment that William Whewell handed to Xu Yun was written on the parchment that Xu Yun had previously made to Cambridge University!
True.
As William Whewell said.
No one knows whether this letter of commitment will be recognized one hundred and fifty years later, but Xu Yun himself did not actually pay much price.
As long as this parchment can be passed down to future generations, even if it fails in the eyes of the British, it can still play a significant role.
For example, in terms of public opinion, or in textbooks - "The shamelessness of great powers has existed since ancient times." This sentence alone is enough to make Xu Yun return to his roots.
Not to mention that he also has an aura around him. What surprises will come if he doesn’t protect it all?
So Xu Yun solemnly received the roll of parchment into the small box, stood up and bowed to William Whewell:
"Thank you, Mr. Whewell."
William Whewell was an out-and-out anti-war faction. In the original timeline, he resolutely voted against all four rounds of voting to launch the First Crow.
The sentiment of voting and the dedication behind this parchment deserve Xu Yun's bow.
William Whewell was obviously very happy about Xu Yun's actions and nodded towards him with a smile.
After Xu Yun sat down again.
William Whewell suddenly became serious.
He glanced around cautiously, motioned Xu Yun to come closer, and said in a low voice:
"Classmate Luo Feng, in addition, the results of what you asked me to check last week have also come to fruition."
"There are a lot of good things in the Qiying account, and the buyer is..., the most expensive one among them, I remember the Chinese name is..."
William Whewell slowly announced a Chinese name that was a bit difficult to pronounce but clearly pronounced.
After a while.
Clang——
The sound of a ceramic cup breaking sounded from inside the room.
However, Xu Yun didn't pay any attention to the debris on the ground or the tea splashed on his lap. He was staring at William Whewell:
"Mr. Whewell, are you telling the truth?"
William Whewell nodded heavily and said:
"According to the information I have received, this transaction will be carried out after the World Expo. At that time, the Qiying will be displayed in London and will sail directly to the port under the buyer's name."
"..."
Xu Yun's chest rose and fell violently for several seconds. He closed his eyes and took a few hard breaths before calming down:
"I understand, Mr. Whewell, thank you very much."
Then the two chatted about other things.
Seeing that Xu Yun was obviously upset, William Whewell found an excuse to say that he had something to do, and the two parted ways.
...........
Half an hour later.
Cambridge University Student Union Building.
Office of the Minister of the Interior.
Bada——
Aveline put down the pen in her hand and stretched slightly, and her elegant body curves were clearly visible at this moment:
"The arrangements for vacant dormitories for graduates have finally been settled..."
However, before she could put down her open hands, Xu Yun's figure hurriedly rushed in from the door:
“Rich woman, I’m hungry, I need some food!
"
.........
Note:
The last few chapters of the copy, 1850 will see you soon...