Chapter 61

"It shouldn't be; I haven't heard of the Donkey Party having similar activities."

"Lolita Island" would have to wait until the eighties.

In terms of managing supporters, the Donkey Party was undoubtedly a latecomer.

You hold a secret club "impart," and I'll just hold a "thousand miles a day" plus "Lolita Island" for you.

Lin Ran thought that Nixon's path was so wild; no wonder he produced a good show like the future Watergate scandal.

Because the Donkey Party lacked similar ways to vent, they also produced a better big show like the Lewinsky White House "eating chicken" gate.

Lin Ran was already happy when he thought of this.

"What are you happy about?" A week later, at 7:30 in the evening, in John Morgan's office in the General Aerospace office building, John Morgan asked.

There was a television set between them, which was broadcasting the televised debate between Nixon and Kennedy.

The most important thing in the whole United States today was the debate between these two people.

Many employees went back early to prepare a big meal to watch the televised debate between these two.

This was also the first televised broadcast in the history of the presidential election.

Before the debate, the latest polls showed Nixon leading by about 6 percentage points.

Therefore, after the "impart" ended, John Morgan still didn't take any action.

This debate was jointly broadcast by CBS, NBC, and ABC, attracting about 70 million viewers across the United States, accounting for about 40% of America's population.

According to the rules agreed upon by the candidates, each person had about 8 minutes for opening statements, about 3 minutes for closing statements, and answered reporter questions in between.

Lin Ran said: "I think Nixon looks too haggard.

Is he deliberately wearing makeup like this? To attract sympathy votes from voters?

At a time like this, what voters need should be a tough guy, not selling misery, right?"

The employees who were still staying at the company to watch the live broadcast at this time complained outside the office: "Oh my god, Nixon's team made him look like a mummy before he died."

The voice was transmitted into the office at the right time, and John Morgan's face changed drastically, "Damn it!"

After the debate ended, John Morgan had already decided to donate to Kennedy.

Because Nixon's performance was not good enough.

But by the time he participated in the most recent Kennedy campaign dinner, the polls had already shown a golden cross, and John Morgan wanting to donate to Kennedy could only play the role of adding flowers to the brocade.

"Randolph, we have received a bidding invitation from NASA numbered RFP-302. RFP-302 requires us to provide a feasibility study for an advanced manned spacecraft for the upcoming Apollo program.

You guessed it right; our competitors include Lockheed, Boeing, Grumman, Glenn L. Martin, etc., totaling 14 opponents."

For a long time after the televised debate ended, Lin Ran didn't see John Morgan's figure, until October, when the other party brought an invitation letter from NASA to Columbia University to find him.

"Has it started now?" Lin Ran took it without opening it, but asked the other party directly.

John Morgan explained: "This is an invitation; it starts next year.

We have been preparing, but it's not enough.

Before May next year, we need to submit a preliminary plan to NASA. The other party will reduce the 14 competitors to 5 within two weeks. The remaining 5 companies need to bring a complete plan to NASA to introduce their work in October next year.

NASA will score these five companies, and the final winner will get the moon landing contract from NASA.

However, this is only the contract for the manned spacecraft, not the contract for the entire Apollo program."

After Lin Ran finished listening, he nodded, "I know, our plan is already very perfect. Is there any place that needs adjustment?"

"There is nothing that needs adjustment. I have already poached Jim from Glenn L. Martin; he said that your plan is even more perfect than he imagined before he came, and he has no suggestions," John Morgan said.

That's of course, because under Lin Ran's gatekeeping, what they pulled out was already an advanced complete version of the plan that Glenn L. Martin would hand over to NASA in this program in the future.

(Martin 410 spacecraft, image from the "Apollo Final Report" submitted to NASA by the Glenn L. Martin Company in 1961.)

The reason for choosing Martin's plan as the preliminary report was to kick the Glenn L. Martin Company out in the first round.

For the same plan, the one from General Aerospace is much more perfect than yours; why should you be selected?

After Glenn L. Martin was kicked out, he then took the opportunity to propose promoting the merger of the two sides to compete for NASA's orders.

John Morgan continued: "But I am still a bit uneasy. I am not sure that a good plan will be selected.

What if Kennedy is elected? What if he targets us after he is elected?"

Lin Ran said: "Then do you want to take a gamble?"

John Morgan asked: "Gamble on what?"

Lin Ran said: "We land on the moon on our own.

We land on the moon on our own and broadcast it across the United States. In this way, no matter how dissatisfied Kennedy is with you or the Morgan family, he cannot refuse us to lead the moon landing project."

Morgan jumped up from the stool: "Are you crazy?

We land on the moon ourselves?

What's the point?

We did the moon landing, and then the fame is all Kennedy's. Under his leadership, Americans successfully completed the moon landing.

We didn't get a penny from NASA, and we spent money to complete political achievements for Kennedy?

I won't even talk about whether you can do it; isn't this just a pure loss-making business?"

Merchant thinking occupied his brain again, and John Morgan was clearer than ever before.

Lin Ran explained: "The moon landing here doesn't mean manned moon landing.

It means we send a small one, like a robot, up there first; there's no need to bring it back.

Broadcast it across the United States.

Think about it: General Aerospace, after being spun off from General Electric, achieved moon landing on its own.

This is also the first time a human creation has appeared on the moon.

Besides us, is there anyone else who can do it?

The American public witnesses it together; does Kennedy dare to go against the American public? Does he want to run for President again in four years?

It is equivalent to us making an initial investment ourselves to exchange for subsequent returns."

John Morgan was moved. He asked: "How much money will it take to achieve the effect you said?"

Lin Ran stretched out a hand.

"Fifty million?" John Morgan asked.

Lin Ran explained: "No, it's five hundred million."

He thought to himself: actually it's five billion.

After you throw five hundred million dollars in, I will slowly raise it.

John Morgan shook his head repeatedly: "You kill me. Five hundred million dollars—all the cash flow of General Aerospace, plus mortgaging the company to the bank, and me taking out all the assets under my name, I still don't have five hundred million dollars.

You know what this concept is!

With so much money, it is only possible to find NASA to pay for it to be realized, and it has to be done multiple times.

Their budget this year is only 900 million dollars; they can't take out half of it for you at once."