A Man of Science and Engineering in Troubled Times Wandering in the Late Qing Dynasty

Chapter 545 Science Club

During the meal, Yuan Changkun, director of the Shanghai Telegraph Bureau, came to Li Yu from time to time to toast him. It seemed that he was trying to get close to him, and he also insisted on waiving phone and telegraph charges for Li Yu's residence and Datong University.

The residence doesn't matter, but institutions like universities send a lot of telegrams and phone calls, and the monthly phone and telegraph bills are quite high.

After finishing the meal, Rui Enshi suggested that everyone listen to a Chinese drama.

Bell had heard it once before at the World Expo, but the temporary stage at that time was relatively crude and did not have a good atmosphere. Now that he is in Shanghai, he is happy to listen to the original music.

Rui Enshi said: "When I was taking the train, a popular young actor from Beijing came to Shanghai with me. His performance is not to be missed."

Li Yu asked: "Mei Lanfang?"

Rui Enshi said: "Yes, he is really popular in Beijing now."

Lao Mei is very enthusiastic about Chinese drama, and several others immediately decided to go together.

Peking Opera entered Shanghai relatively late. Before that, opera performances in Shanghai were mainly performed in temples and guild halls with stages, or in teahouses and teahouses with wooden boards as stages.

During the Xianfeng period, due to the war, a large number of people and opera artists from all over the country went south. The narrow venues and poorly equipped teahouses and theaters could not meet the needs. A number of real theaters and theaters emerged in Shanghai instantly, such as "Man Ting Fang" "Dangui" and other well-known ones.

Once Peking Opera was introduced, it quickly became popular in Shanghai. Shanghainese people initially called it "Peking Troupe Opera".

The theater that invited Mei Lanfang to perform in Shanghai was called "Dangui No. 1" and its owner was Xu Shaoqing.

Boss Xu is very good at showing off. Before Mei Lanfang arrived, he had spent a lot of money to advertise on the front page of "Shenbao".

Arriving at the entrance of the theater, Li Yu saw a large poster posted on the board, with a few lines of text introducing the two famous actors performing today.

However, the person on the top spot is not Mei Lanfang, but Wang Fengqing, a young student.

In fact, this person was Boss Xu's first inviter.

A large part of the poster's introduction is devoted to introducing Wang Fengqing, which is extremely boastful; only in the last few sentences, it is mentioned that Mei Lanfang, "the most famous Tsing Yi and Huadan in the North and South", is present.

Although Mei Lanfang has become famous in Beijing, people in Shanghai do not know him well and have never heard of his plays.

Hearing is false, Boss Xu has a low opinion of Mei Lanfang's art; but Wang Fengqing is different. He is ten years older than Mei Lanfang and has been famous for a long time.

Boss Xu initially only promised to give Mei Lanfang 1400 yuan per month, while Wang Fengqing promised 3200 yuan per month.

——The prices given reflect people’s current enthusiasm for Peking Opera.

Wang Fengqing knew Mei Lanfang's ability. He thought that the silver package given to Mei Lanfang by Boss Xu was too small and asked for an additional 400 yuan.

Boss Xu felt that Mei Lanfang was just a foil to Wang Fengqing and was unwilling to spend more money on a "nobody". Wang Fengqing was a little unhappy and felt that Boss Xu was too stingy, so she deliberately said: "If you are reluctant to pay this price, then give him 400 yuan in my banknote."

Boss Xu felt a little embarrassed, but finally agreed to add another 400 yuan to Mei Lanfang.

It can also be seen from this that Mei Lanfang's status in the eyes of Shanghai people was not high at this time.

After a few people sat down, Li Yu used his shallow knowledge of opera to give them a few popular science sentences. It was nothing more than telling them the outline of the story. Otherwise, they would not be able to understand the lyrics. If they didn't even know what was said on the stage, they would really just I can hear the sound.

But even if they can only hear a "ring", they are still very enthusiastic.

Li Yu looked at the program list and found that Mei Lanfang's play was ranked second to last. It is called the "finale show" in Beijing, while it is called the "final show" in Shanghai.

Shanghai's "big show" is equivalent to Beijing's "big show". Because of Shanghai's performance habits, the last play is generally called the "Send Off Play".

Mei Lanfang's performance was very successful, and it was almost an instant hit, and he was able to live up to the exaggerated comment made by Boss Xu on the poster: "The most famous Tsing Yi and Hua Dan in the North and South."

George Eastman had a certain ability to appreciate art and praised: "Even Broadway in New York, no one can match it."

Tesla had listened to Broadway operas several times and agreed: "Sure enough, the treasures of art are still in the East."

After the performance, Eastman asked the theater owner to let him take photos of Mei Lanfang and Wang Fengqing.

After taking the photo, Mei Lanfang recognized Li Yu and said hello: "Master Li!"

Li Yu smiled and said: "Hello, Boss Mei, I will probably call you the King of the Ling Realm from now on."

"Grandmaster Li loves to tell jokes so much," Mei Lanfang said, "How can I be called a king?"

With the speed of his rise, he will inherit the title of "King of the Actor World" in almost four years, which is quite young.

In the next few days, Mei Lanfang will have another intense performance. According to the rules of the troupe, the performance will be performed for three days first as a test, that is, "playing the show", and then it will receive invitations to various halls, which will make it very busy.

-

After returning to Huizhong Hotel and arranging for Bell and others to stay, Li Yucai set off back to Yu Garden.

Early the next morning, Li Yu planned to take the tram to the Science Magazine office, and then go to the hotel to find them.

Li Yu bought a ticket for 3 cents and sat in the first class cabin at the front of the carriage.

Shanghai's trams are still divided into first-class cabins in the front and second-class cabins in the back. The fares are slightly different: first-class seats cost 3 cents per section, and second-class seats cost only 2 cents per section.

This price is even cheaper than a rickshaw, which costs at least one yuan for the same distance.

But even though it is so cheap, many people are still afraid of the two electrified "big pigtails" on the tram and dare not sit on it.

Therefore, tram companies often run promotions and even give away peanuts and melon seeds.

Within a year or two, Shanghai's trams will become extremely crowded, with people grabbing at the doors, and the same is true for first-class passengers. The tram companies had to do away with the hierarchy because it no longer made sense.

As soon as I got off the tram, someone came to greet me, "Academician Li, we are finally waiting for you!"

Li Yu asked: "Who is sir?"

The other party replied: "I am Tang Yuanzhan, director of the Shanghai Telegraph Bureau."

Li Yu was directly confused: "Are you changing people so quickly? The telegraph director I saw yesterday was still named Yuan."

Tang Yuanzhan said: "I am the director sent by the Jiangsu Provincial Governor."

"What about Director Yuan before?" Li Yu asked again.

"He was sent by the Beijing Ministry of Transport." Tang Yuanzhan explained.

Tang Yuanzhan, like Yuan Changkun, was born as a young boy studying in the United States, but now times have changed and everyone has to do their own thing.

Although the Republic of China was born under a bloodless revolution, after entering the Republic of China, there was a long period of war. Especially after Yuan Shikai's death, the warlords in various places were divided and launched successive campaigns.

The telegraph was the mouthpiece of politicians of all factions and an important tool for warlords to obtain war information and deploy troops to control the war situation. Telegraph revenue was one of the best sources for increasing weapons and disbursing military pay. As a special-level telegraph office, the Shanghai Telegraph Bureau has a very high status. It has jurisdiction over 54 telegraph offices and 5 telephone offices in Jiangsu Province, as well as all telegraph trunk and branch line projects in Jiangsu Province. It is also an important transfer hub for national telegraph communications.

Such important communication management power and generous economic income are naturally valued by tycoons from all over the world.

From then on, as the situation at home and abroad changed, powerful warlords would one after another get involved in the position of director of the Shanghai Telegraph Bureau.

When Tang Yuanzhan first took office, he sent a telegram to the Dabei Telegraph Company in the Shanghai Concession:

"Dear Sir:

I would like to inform you that today I am appointed as the director of the Shanghai Telegraph Bureau by the order of Cheng Dequan, the governor of Jiangsu Province. "

The signature is "Yours faithfully Y.C. Tong."

At the same time, Yuan Changkun also sent a telegram to Dabei Telegraph Company:

"Dear Sir:

Please note that I am still the Director of the Shanghai Telegraph Bureau, by official appointment, despite reports to the contrary. "

The signature is "Your loyal C. K.Yhu (Director)".

There is an additional word "director".

Li Yu didn't care about the power struggle and asked casually: "What does Director Tang want from me?"

Tang Yuanzhan said politely: "The bureau told me that they will exempt you from the telegraph and telephone charges for your residence and Datong University. The documents finally arrived in my hands for review."

Li Yu instantly understood that Yuan Changkun, who was sent by the Beijing Ministry of Transportation, did not have real power.

In fact, this was the case. In the end, the director of the Shanghai Telegraph Bureau was still Tang Yuanzhan.

However, Tang Yuanzhan was definitely a practical person, so Li Yu replied: "Thank you, Director, for your kindness."

"The phone bill is nothing," Tang Yuanzhan said, "We also want to buy a batch of high-power wireless telegraph machines from your LY company, with a budget of about 100,000. But I don't know, hey, do you have anything special to say? ?”

Li Yu sighed: "There's nothing to say. You'd better report the quantity to me, not the budget. That's not what I care about."

Tang Yuanzhan said in shock: "Academician Li is indeed very righteous! He looks down on these stupid things."

Li Yu knew that there was a lot of money in it. With a budget of 10, he could buy 20 units or 10 units. He could even increase the budget. The remaining money would naturally flow into the pockets of some people.

And they will inevitably choose the smallest number to seek the greatest benefit.

Li Yu didn't want to get involved in these matters at all, and he didn't have the ability or energy to eliminate corruption. He could only choose to turn a blind eye and quote according to the quantity they provided.

The list Tang Yuanzhan took out showed 11 units.

Li Yu glanced at it and said, "I understand."

Tang Yuanzhan saw Li Yu's disdain, and then said: "The higher-ups have decided on 10 units and reserved space for me. I have no choice but to give up my share."

Li Yu said helplessly: "As long as it can promote the radio industry and 11 telegraph machines play their due role, it is enough."

Tang Yuanzhan said: "What Academician Li said is absolutely true."

But this is not the solution after all.

Li Yu plans to find Zhong Guanguang's Science and Technology Instrument Museum to sell conventional radio parts. Folk enthusiasts who are keen on this can buy and assemble them by themselves.

At the same time, he also wants to write a tutorial on how to use the radio by hand and publish it to the public. It's not a secret anyway.

Like Lu Xun, Zhong Guanguang had been asked by Cai Yuanpei to go to Beijing to work for the Ministry of Education, but he had no specific duties, so he went out to collect plant specimens.

After Cai Yuanpei resigned, he also resigned.

Zhong Guanguang has been engaged in the import and export of technology products for many years and has rich experience. Moreover, his store has become famous. Anyone who loves technology will definitely patronize it.

Unfortunately, there is no online shopping now, so it is difficult to expand the sales scale. We can only actively distribute it to various universities.

Li Yu also asked Zhong Guangguang's Scientific Instrument Museum for this matter, and Li Yu provided the money himself. He hopes that private radio enthusiasts will grow rapidly, which will be of great significance in the future.

-

On the Science Magazine side, we have recruited several employees, who are actually the ones who were interested in making a science magazine in history.

One of them, Li Yu, had met before, Jin Bangzheng, who had returned from studying abroad. He was in charge of domestic promotion.

Jin Bangzheng said: "President, we have contacted international student groups in the United States, and they are all willing to actively contribute."

Counting all the international students in the United States, there are hundreds selected by Tsinghua University alone, and most of them study science and engineering. It is indeed suitable for them to contribute.

Jin Bangzheng took out a telegram, and the names in it were almost all celebrities in the scientific community, such as Mei Yiqi, Hu Gangfu, Zhou Ren, and Zhao Yuanren.

Li Yu said: "They have such enthusiasm, of course we must support it. Once a manuscript is selected for publication, it will be subject to the highest manuscript fee standards in Europe and the United States."

"Understood," Jin Bangzheng said, "They also said that they would set up a scientific branch in the United States to form stronger cohesion."

"Science club?" Li Yu asked.

"Yes." Jin Bangzheng said.

"In that case," Li Yu paused and said, "We directly changed the magazine to China Science Society in China to promote the concept of rejuvenating the country through science and technology."

It rose to several levels at once.

Jin Bangzheng said happily: "We are still discussing this matter, but I didn't expect that you have already thought about it! With you in charge, the Science Club can be called a Science Club!"

Li Yu said: "Logically, it should be organized by the Ministry of Education or the government, but it seems that they will not have such an idea in a few years or even more than ten years. We can only do it in person."

Jin Bangzheng said: "With your banner, not only international students in the United States will join, but also people from Japan and even Europe will soon join!"

Li Yu said: "In short, uniting all forces, our purpose is to 'connect comrades to jointly develop China's science.' Everyone who joins must understand that the reason why the motherland is weak is because of the underdevelopment of science."

This is a big move.

Historically, the Chinese Science Society moved back to China in 1918 and indeed made great contributions to the development of science and technology in our country. Since then, various specialized societies such as the Chinese Geological Society, the Chinese Meteorological Society, the Chinese Physiological Society, the Chinese Physical Society, the Chinese Chemical Society, the Chinese Geographical Society, and the Chinese Mathematical Society were all born under the leadership of the China Science Society.

Moreover, when the Science Society moved back to China, it had an office at Datong University. Li Yu felt that he could move the headquarters to Datong University. Anyway, he had built many houses and very advanced facilities and equipment.

"Needless to say, you are the first academician of our Chinese Science Society," Jin Bangzheng said, and then said with longing, "It would be great if you could be compared with the Royal Society of the United Kingdom in the future."

Li Yu said lightly: "I'm not sure about other fields, but at least in the field of physics, I will definitely make the academician of the Chinese Science Society the most valuable title."

(End of this chapter)