Chapter 58

"Professor, what I want to ask is about Kennedy and Nixon; who do you think will win?"

Lin Ran didn't really want to ask the other party this question, but just to add some persuasiveness to convincing John Morgan to turn to Kennedy later.

"Them? I don't care who is President. Why, do you care very much about who sits in the White House?" Horkheimer asked suspiciously.

He also knew clearly what Lin Ran wanted to do, and knew even more clearly the close relationship between aerospace and politics.

After Lin Ran roughly explained his cooperation with John Morgan and the ins and outs of the whole thing, Horkheimer advised:

"Randolph, honestly, I really don't understand why you always want to get involved in aerospace. You are already one of the most famous mathematicians in the world.

I believe you have similar talent in philosophy; you can become one of the top scholars of this era.

Material things, fame, sense of achievement, and even the higher-level sense of achievement brought by pursuing truth—you are not lacking in any of them.

Why get involved in politics?"

He continued: "At first, I did hold the idea of letting you join NASA to see if you could fight those NAZI guys. As long as they don't have NASA's protection, they won't have a good end.

But before was before, and now is now. Your ability in the field of mathematics is clearly greater than in aerospace.

If you don't want to, I will help you decline Morgan's side."

Horkheimer advised.

Lin Ran pointed to the sky above his head: "Professor, because space is right there.

You are right, I am not lacking in anything.

But for me, only space can bring me a sense of achievement in realizing self-worth. I hope that in our lifetime, we can not be limited to this tiny little planet.

Professor, the development of productive forces has brought about geographical expansion, geographical expansion has brought about changes in social forms, and changes in social forms have extended the continuous evolution of philosophical trends. Aren't you curious about what the philosophical trends of the interstellar era will be like?

I am not only curious about the evolution of philosophical trends in the interstellar era, I am also curious about where the whole society will be led by humanity."

Horkheimer nodded silently, and after a moment said: "I understand. However, I still hold the same view: Nixon and Kennedy are no different.

It makes no difference who takes office between the two of them.

You don't need to worry about other things. As long as your plan can be recognized in NASA's bidding, even if Kennedy is firmly opposed to NASA and General Aerospace cooperating after taking office, I will find a way to let you join NASA and gain a certain degree of dominance.

If Nixon wins, then you can rely on General Aerospace and Morgan.

So you don't need to do anything."

Lin Ran asked: "Professor, are you really so sure?"

Horkheimer's bald head, which had no hair, was shiny under the sunlight. What radiated wisdom was not his eyes, but his bald head: "The Jewish community all supports Kennedy.

In the polls, more than 87% of Jews voted for Kennedy.

He will give us this face.

Plus, you have the ability yourself.

Also, don't forget that the Irish also don't like the Germans."

Lin Ran never expected that he had already straddled the fence before making a decision; no matter how he chose, he wouldn't lose. For a moment, he had already started to look forward to the banquet in the evening.

"Also, don't forget, the topic I gave you is: the paradox of critical theory itself lies in the fact that when it tries to intervene in reality with philosophy, it must bear the possibility of becoming a new form of domination.

When reason tries to transcend limitations, it always carries the seeds of self-destruction.

Is there any way to make critical theory avoid such a fate?"

Just as Lin Ran was about to leave, Professor Horkheimer's words came from behind him. Lin Ran turned his head and saw the other party's wise eyes; he even had the illusion that the other party could travel through the long river of time and see the tearing and chaos caused by critical theory taking root, sprouting, and growing in America in 2020.

"Got it, Professor."

"Is there a restaurant here too?"

John Morgan, like during the day, drove his Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II to pick up Lin Ran and stopped at the entrance of 38 East 37th Street in Manhattan.

After Lin Ran got out of the car, he looked left and right but didn't see any sign of a restaurant here.

He had also passed by here several times in New York 60 years later, and he clearly remembered in his mind that the exterior wall and decoration here had not changed for sixty years.

It was also a limestone facade, with rough-faced stone masonry on the bottom floor and smooth stone surfaces on the upper floors. There was a porch at the central entrance, supported by four Ionic columns, with a pediment above the columns, and there were reliefs carved on the pediment, including an eagle with spread wings and two female statues.

Sixty years later, it was the same as now: it didn't receive guests, and there were no visitors.

He and Li Xiaoman had also guessed that Li Xiaoman thought this might be a gathering place for a secret club.

John Morgan followed closely behind and got out of the car:

"Of course, the Union League Club moved here in 1901. It was designed by the master architect Whitney Warren—the New York Central Station was designed by him—and it is in the Beaux-Arts architectural style that blends classical Greek, Roman, Renaissance, and Baroque elements.

The first meeting of the Elephant Party in New York was held at the Union League Club. If I remember correctly, it should date back to the 1850s.

It is absolutely secret here, absolutely safe, there won't be any accidents, and both guests and hosts can let themselves go."

Lin Ran and John Morgan didn't arrive too early or too late.

The guests who arrived first were a bit surprised to see a yellow-skinned person in this occasion.

"Randolph, Randolph Lin, a mathematics professor at Columbia University, my partner."

With John Morgan making the introduction, plus Lin Ran's face indeed frequently appearing on the headlines of major newspapers,

these white men all appeared very polite.

The old white men dressed in dark suits, with neat ties and hair combed into popular slicked-back styles, were just polite.

Instead, there was a white man who looked very much like the White House owner of the later 2020s who was a bit enthusiastic. When he introduced himself, he didn't expect it to really be that Fred.

Fred T.

John Morgan whispered to Lin Ran to explain: "Just an upstart, I don't know why Robert Finch would invite him to participate in the fundraising dinner."

Lin Ran turned his head to look at the white man, and the other party even waved at him very friendly.

Lin Ran felt a tightness in his heart. John Morgan treated Fred as an upstart, so what did he treat himself as? A tool for a little yellow man?

However, fortunately, he also just treated Morgan as an object to be utilized; everyone was the same.

The banquet kicked off with a cocktail party, and guests held martini or whiskey glasses, talking in low voices to the accompaniment of soft jazz. Waiters shuttled through the crowd, with exquisite appetizers placed on trays.

John Morgan had already gone to socialize, but Lin Ran was a bit lonely in the crowd; the polite old white men from before didn't pay any attention to him.

But fortunately, Fred, who was also ignored by everyone, came to find him.