Reborn and become a Great Scientist

Chapter 431 170 Mrs. Xu’s eyes shine

At the turn of the spring and summer of 1927, Oppenheimer and Shi Ruwei graduated from Cambridge University after the semester of that year and officially received their doctorate certificates.

Under Chen Muwu's persuasion, the former returned to the University of Chicago in Illinois, USA, and became a professor in the physics department by virtue of Chen Muwu's relationship with Compton.

The latter was also sent back to China by Chen Muwu, and temporarily worked at Nanyang University in the Ministry of Communications in Wuhai. By the way, he was in regular contact with the Swedish Embassy in Wuhai in the Republic of China to prepare for the Prince's College entrance examination.

According to Chen Muwu's plan, the selection examination was held at the end of 1927 or the beginning of 1928, just in time to catch up with the completion of the Prince's College in Stockholm in 1928 and the first batch of students to enter the school.

But on the one hand, it was due to time constraints. When Shi Ruwei returned to China, it was already in the second half of 1927. Because the country was in a period of war between the North and the South, it was not very convenient to transmit examination information.

——And even after it is passed to high schools and universities scattered in major cities and provincial capitals in the country, whether those students can brave the fire of the domestic war and rush to Sihai to take the exam according to the time on the notice is a question. Big question.

On the other hand, the construction progress of Prince's College in Stockholm is worrying. When Shi Ruwei left, it was estimated that only a few parts of the building could be completed. Although the teaching building was completed, the progress of the student dormitories was relatively slow, and after completion there would still be There are interior decoration and layout.

When Chen Muwu and others were doing experiments in the physics laboratory of Prince's College from the end of 1927 to the first half of 1928, they still were not able to live in the dormitory of the school. Instead, they traveled between Prince's College and the temporary residence every day.

Therefore, Chen Muwu and Shi Ruwei agreed to arrange the first domestic selection examination for Prince's College in the second half of 1928. Now it seems to be a very correct choice:

Notifying the whole country of the exams more than six months in advance will allow high school students and college students across the country to have sufficient time to review for the exams and rush to the exam room in Jihai, so that they will not miss the exam.

Moreover, when Chen Muwu returned to Stockholm again after getting married, Prince's College also presented him with a "wedding gift"——

The student dormitory building and corresponding supporting facilities have been completed, both inside and outside, and can be moved in at any time.

Last year, before Shi Ruwei left Cambridge University, Chen Muwu also considered whether he should give him a few sets of papers to take back to China for use in the selection examination.

However, there is also a problem with this, that is, Chen Muwu does not know what the level of physics education in China is. If the questions are too simple, he will not be able to screen out suitable candidates. If the questions are too difficult, he will also be unable to screen out suitable candidates.

So in the end, Chen Muwu gave up his plan to write the question himself, and instead wrote three handwritten letters to China, which were sent to Tsinghua University, Beida University and Nankai University in China, asking the physics departments of these three schools with whom Chen Muwu had good relations. Together with other departments, he assisted Shi Ruwei in formulating the questions for the selection examination.

Of course, the scope of the selection examination is not limited to the subject of physics.

Chen Muwu listed the test subjects for Shi Ruwei. In addition to physics, they also included mathematics, Chinese and a foreign language, as well as optional chemistry, biology, geography and mineralogy.

Mathematics is the basis of all sciences, there is nothing to say about it.

Chinese and foreign languages ​​test students’ internal and external communication abilities.

Chemistry and biology are to allow the talents cultivated by Prince College to fully blossom.

Although the research projects of Chen Muwu and the researchers around him are all focused on physics, it does not mean that the Prince's College he built cannot offer other disciplines.

Although they are not capable in these subjects, they only need to spend money to hire teachers in related majors.

Geography and mineralogy are considered based on Sweden's dominant domestic disciplines.

Sweden is a country with very rich mineral reserves. After World War II, and even a century later, the reason why this country was able to maintain a high welfare society was also because of the huge wealth gained from the continuous export of minerals.

That’s why Chen Muwu thought of setting up these two disciplines according to local conditions and taking advantage of Sweden’s unique advantages to cultivate talents.

The subjects he set up at Prince's College are basically science.

It may continue to expand in the future, adding some engineering subjects in addition to the science subjects, but Chen Muwu will never open liberal arts, political science, business and other subjects that currently have no use at Prince's College.

Of course, some liberal arts courses are still required, but the students are limited to non-Chinese European and American students.

After all, the original intention of establishing Prince's College was not only to cultivate a large number of science and engineering talents for his country, but also to satisfy the wishes of the Swedish Crown Prince so that more and more people in Sweden and even Europe can understand That mysterious country in the east that has outstanding talents like Chen Muwu.

After Shi Ruwei left Cambridge University and returned to China by train, he and Chen Muwu maintained regular communication with each other so that Chen Muwu, who was far away in Europe, could keep informed of the latest developments in the domestic selection examination.

After Shi Ruwei returned to China, he did not take Chen Muwu's recommendation letter and went directly to Nanyang University of the Ministry of Transport in Jihai to join the job. Instead, he returned home to deal with some personal matters.

Then he took many of Chen Muwu's autographed letters and began to visit Chen Muwu's old friends and pen pals in various places in Wuhai, Tianyi and Beijing.

Whether it was the content of Chen Muwu's handwritten letter or Shi Ruwei's words after he came to visit, they were all completely different.

It's nothing more than inviting them to teach in Stockholm, Sweden. Both the treatment and salary are much better than those in China.

Chen Muwu also didn't know which of the domestic liberal arts professors was willing to come to Sweden, and which of them were nostalgic for their homeland and were unwilling to come.

So he adopted the strategy of "casting a wide net". As long as someone agreed to his invitation, he would accept them all.

Anyway, the salaries of these "Chinese professors" are all paid by the Crown Prince of Sweden, and Chen Muwu is very willing to be a smooth favor.

It's just that Chen Muwu's behavior caused a lot of trouble for Shi Ruwei, who had just returned to China.

After a long journey, he had to travel around the country again before he could get enough rest at his home in Yanhai.

The first place Shi Ruwei went to was Siming Village in the Haifa Concession.

As a rich area in the French Concession, Siming Village, which was once the dormitory of Siming Bank, has an elegant environment and is quiet in the bustle. It is home to some high-ranking officials and dignitaries. It is definitely the "top corner" of the beach. ".

According to the address provided by Chen Muwu, Shi Ruwei knocked on the door of a Shikumen building in Siming Village.

The servant who opened the door did not directly welcome Shi Ruwei in. Instead, he asked for his name and went in to report.

Shi Ruwei also followed Chen Muwu's instructions and added a special sentence after telling his place of origin and name. "Sir, there is a visitor outside. He said his surname is Shi and his name is Ruwei. He is a 'Doctor of Cambridge University'."

Xu Zhimo, who was sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper, thought for a few seconds when he first heard the guest's name. He felt that he probably didn't know Mr. Shi, so he didn't plan to meet him and just asked the servant to refuse.

But fortunately, the servant also followed Shi Ruwei's request and added the last sentence he added.

When Xu Zhimo heard the name of the school "Cambridge University", he immediately paid attention to it. He thought that this little brother who had just graduated was really on the right track. As soon as he returned to China, he came to his home to visit him, a senior from Cambridge University.

Welcoming the guest into the house, Shi Ruwei explained the purpose of his visit, and learned that the guest did not come on his own initiative, but was entrusted by Chen Muwu to visit.

Not only was Xu Zhimo not angry, he was even more excited than when he heard that a student from Cambridge University came to his door.

Because what Shi Ruwei brought was a handwritten letter from his good friend Chen Muwu.

Chen Muwu is famous abroad, but among the "upper class" in China, he can only be even more famous than abroad.

Now I have received a handwritten letter from Chen Muwu from Cambridge University, and this letter was not sent through the postal system, but was delivered in person.

Xu Zhimo didn't even need to open the letter to see what was written on the paper. As far as receiving the letter itself was concerned, in the following period, he already had the capital to brag to outsiders.

When Xu Zhimo opened the letter and read the contents, he was even more excited.

Because Chen Muwu actually invited him to Europe as a professor of Sinology, and the students he taught were all Westerners with yellow hair and blue eyes!

Regarding this matter, when he last went to Europe and met Chen Muwu at Cambridge University, he had already heard the latter express relevant thoughts.

Unexpectedly, the amazing Dr. Chen turned his idea into reality!

Be it Russell or Dewey, Westerners have always come to China to give lectures to the Chinese.

Even Xu Zhimo is currently in contact with Tagore and wants to invite the first Asian to win the Nobel Prize to come to China for an exchange visit.

When it comes to Chinese people going to foreign countries to give lectures to foreigners, it’s not that it doesn’t happen, it’s just that it’s very rare.

After all the calculations, there is only one Zhao Yuanren, who once served as a Chinese lecturer at Harvard University in the United States.

However, Zhao Yuanren has now returned to China and taught at Tsinghua University.

If he accepts Chen Muwu's invitation to teach Sinology in Stockholm, Sweden—although it is not as famous as Britain, France, Germany, or the United States, it is still a foreign country—then he will become a "scorpion daddy—the only one." .

Xu Zhimo was very interested in Chen Muwu's invitation, so much so that he no longer wanted to invite Tagore to visit China.

Nonsense, I will no longer be in China soon, so what is the use of inviting Tagore to visit China?

He agreed without even consulting his family.

"Dr. Shi, when should I leave for Europe?"

Xu Zhimo was a little impatient.

"Mr. Xu, please be patient. Dr. Chen's school is still under construction, and it will probably have to wait until next year. And you don't have to agree to this matter right away. There is still plenty of time to consider it."

Xu Zhimo was a little disappointed when he heard that he would not report to Sweden immediately.

However, Shi Ruwei briefly explained to Xu Zhimo what he was going to do when he returned to China this time, which was to hold the first selection examination for Prince's College with the help of the Swedish Embassy in China.

Xu Zhimo gained motivation again, and he volunteered to cooperate with Shi Ruwei and participate in the selection work.

Fortunately, Chen Muwu had already come up with a great idea. He was not willing to select students who had gone through the backdoor because of too many participants, so Shi Ruwei firmly refused the matter.

Xu Zhimo didn't complain much after being rejected by Shi Ruwei.

After all, the people to be selected are science students, so participating by yourself can't help much other than to contribute.

After sending the autographed letter, Shi Ruwei said goodbye and left. After sending off the guests, Xu Zhimo also turned and went upstairs to discuss the matter with his wife.

Compared with the enthusiasm Xu Zhimo showed when he went to Stockholm to teach, his second wife, Lu Xiaoman, was less interested in going to the country and feeling nostalgic.

She prefers to stay in China more than anyone else. These high-class social gatherings on the beach are where Lu Xiaoman goes through life and death every day.

She urged Xu Zhimo not to agree to Chen Muwu's invitation. After receiving Chen Muwu's autographed letter, he could already show it off in various salons for several days. This kind of upper-class social circle.

Usually, no matter what Mrs. Xu said, Mr. Xu always agreed.

But only this time, Xu Zhimo didn't want to listen to Lu Xiaoman anymore.

He began to argue for Chen Muwu, and at the same time for himself: "You don't understand, I went to Cambridge University in 1925, and Hanchen had the idea of ​​starting a school at that time. Now he has finally realized his wish, and I am very happy for him. .

"Besides, what's there to do in these domestic social salons? You don't know who is dating Brother Hanchen abroad! English newspapers in Shanghai have reports about Hanchen every now and then. Enstein A series of top European thinkers such as Russell and Russell have very frequent academic exchanges with Hanchen; and the second son of the current British king is also a good friend of Hanchen; as for the Prince's College built by Hanchen in Stockholm, Sweden, why is it called Don’t you know Prince Academy? It’s precisely because the investor behind it is also a good friend of Han Chen, the prince of the King of Sweden, and the future king of Sweden.

“It is said that this prince is very keen on Chinese culture, and he announced the prince’s academy during his visit to China.

"If we go to Sweden together, then it is very likely that the person I will teach will be this prince, and our future social circle will be the noble European royal family!"

After hearing Xu Zhimo's description of her future life, Mrs. Xu's eyes lit up while she was lying on the bed taking X-rays, and she wished she could have her servants pack her luggage right away.

(End of this chapter)