Chapter 288 Situ Xianyi
The United States is undoubtedly one of the countries that will have the greatest impact on the world in the next century. Zhang Xingjiu has long wanted to visit the United States, so he agreed after careful consideration.
After spending a few days preparing and asking for leave for Ma Zongwen, the two of them took a train to the port together, then changed to a passenger ship across the Atlantic Ocean and arrived at the Port of New York on the east coast of the United States.
Because this journey was shorter, the transportation used was more advanced, and the route was very mature, the entire journey took a total of eight days, which was much faster than from Shanghai to Paris.
The American academic community warmly welcomed Zhang Xingjiu's arrival at the port and arranged for him to stay at the famous Waldorf Astoria Hotel, where Li Hefei stayed when he visited the United States two years ago.
Another reporter who had met Li Hefei before commented after interviewing Zhang Xingjiu, "Although both of you are Chinese, you and Li give people very different feelings. He seems to be an ancient person who suddenly came to modern society from a history book, while you seem to have come from the future to the present."
You are really good at judging people. Zhang Xingjiu gave a thumbs up to the reporter named Wallace in his heart.
The current situation in the United States is a bit like that of China in later generations. Four years ago, their total domestic industrial output value surpassed that of Britain, ranking first in the world. However, traditional powers such as Britain still hold the international discourse power and still regard the United States as a poor country relative.
So they were particularly eager for recognition from international public opinion. Now that a scientist who enjoyed a high reputation in Europe had arrived, they were immediately warmly received. They were eager to show Zhang Xingjiu their academic level.
Zhang Xingjiu is just like the foreigners who have made money on China's online platforms in later generations. He is full of praise. "Mr. Morse invented the wired telegraph, which brought human connection into an unprecedented era. This is an outstanding contribution of the United States to human civilization. What I am doing now is not fundamentally different from what Mr. Morse did back then."
The Americans present, just like the netizens in later generations who heard foreigners praising China, felt a sense of pride and applauded with red faces. Zhang Xingjiu's debut was a great success.
He first gave a lecture tour at various universities in New York, then communicated with researchers at these schools, and then took a train across the North American continent to continue communicating with universities or research institutions in various places.
Among them, he stayed the longest at the University of Chicago, because the current director of the Department of Physics at this university is the first American Nobel Prize winner, Michelson, the winner of the 1907 Nobel Prize in Physics.
Ten years ago, he and Edward Morley conducted the famous Michelson-Morley experiment, which ruled out the existence of ether and cast a dark cloud over the edifice of physics. Unfortunately, he did not continue his research along this line.
Zhang Xingjiu was willing to continue along this path, because the theory of relativity was ahead of him, so he communicated with Michelson for a long time and obtained a lot of valuable data, which could help him better formulate experimental plans according to the current experimental level.
Leaving Chicago and continuing westward, they finally arrived in San Francisco, which is one of the cities with the largest Chinese population in North America today, so Zhang Xingjiu was warmly welcomed.
They prepared a sumptuous banquet for Zhang Xingjiu, allowing Zhang Xingjiu and Ma Zongwen to enjoy a delicious authentic Chinese meal.
Zhang Xingjiu also told them a good news, "I have reached cooperation agreements with many American universities. They will reserve some places for Chinese people. Whether they are students coming to the United States from China, Southeast Asia or other places, or Chinese students who are already in the United States, they all have the opportunity to take special exams and get the opportunity to study in American universities."
"Mr. Zhang? Is this true?" The local Chinese representatives could not sit still. Regardless of where they were, it was the common wish of the Chinese to attach importance to studying. However, due to various discriminatory policies, it was difficult for them to get the opportunity to study in the United States. Now that Zhang Xingjiu had opened a crack for them, how could they not attach importance to it? "Tomorrow, the San Francisco Chronicle will publish an article detailing the exam rules. Local institutions such as the University of San Francisco and Stanford University will also publish public exams and announce the exam time. If you are interested, you can sign up for the exam according to the information in the newspaper and the notice."
"Of course, if you want to go to colleges in other cities, you can do that. MIT, Harvard, Yale, Cornell and other famous American universities will also launch similar policies. If someone is outstanding in academics but comes from a poor family, there will also be special foundations to provide financial assistance."
"This is really great! If they can go to university, our children and grandchildren won't have to make a living by doing hard labor and shameful activities like us." Everyone was excited when they heard this.
"If you can go to university, you can get decent jobs as a doctor, lawyer, or scholar after graduation. However, if you don't have a strong motherland behind you, you will still be discriminated against in various ways. Only when China's status in the international community is improved can we overseas Chinese hold our heads up high." Zhang Xingjiu also told them a lot of information in this regard.
If there are people who can listen to him and return to serve the country after completing their studies, even if only a few out of a hundred do, the money he spent will not be wasted.
These words really touched the hearts of these Chinese people. A man in his thirties immediately stood up and said, "Sir, what you said is really true! I am now selling fruit on the street with some friends. The police never do anything when they see white people doing this, but they always extort us. Isn't it because the government is corrupt and won't support us?"
After the banquet, he came to the hotel to meet Zhang Xingjiu. "My name is Situ Xianyi, with the courtesy name Jizan. I am from Kaiping, Guangdong. I used to live in San Francisco, but now I live in Boston. When you gave lectures at Harvard and MIT, I happened to be out for something and couldn't catch up. As soon as I came back, I took the train to catch up. I finally met you today."
This name is also well-known. Most people may not know Situ Xianyi, but more people know Situ Meitang, and Meitang is the name he changed later.
The two of them drank hot tea and had a long conversation. When talking about the current situation of Chinese in the United States, Situ Xianyi shook his head again and again, "I also want to unite the Chinese, so I established Anliang Hall, but many things cannot be achieved by our own efforts."
At the end of the conversation, he tentatively extended an invitation, "Now my Anliang Hall has branches in many cities in the United States. Sir, you have to go to many places. Why don't you come to the hall as a guest official? It will be more convenient to negotiate with local Chinese in the future."
There will be more later (end of this chapter)
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