Chapter 65: Special Assistant to the President for Aerospace Affairs (Three updates today, please keep reading!)

"Lin, you must understand, with the pretext of interfering in the progress of Cultural Huaguo's nuclear tests, the *IA will certainly be very willing to provide a large number of academic journals to Cultural Huaguo.

Not only will the variety be complete, but they will also be the latest academic journals.

They will make this matter seamless."

This belonged to the category of top-tier open conspiracies.

Now it was Lin Ran's turn to fall into a confusion similar to John's; he began to suspect the other party's true identity.

Being able to push the *IA to do this kind of work meant one was no ordinary person.

If the other party was indirectly working for the *IA, then it was only natural that they could remain unaffected.

He did not doubt why the other party knew Cultural Huaguo was conducting nuclear tests; America's U2s flew in the sky every day, and last year, American newspapers had reported that U2s had monitored Cultural Huaguo's nuclear tests.

Fortunately, what he had always said was that he only provided academic journals, hoping to improve the living conditions of the Cultural Huaguo people, which was still within an acceptable range.

But who could guarantee that this wasn't a test?

Because if Lin Ran chose the last option, and he made it clear that he knew the data related to nuclear tests provided by America to Cultural Huaguo might be problematic.

Once the Cultural Huaguo side knew that America knew that the Cultural Huaguo side knew their plan, then the first person to be exposed would be Lin Ran.

Therefore, Lin Ran dared not gamble, nor did he want to gamble.

"Professor, my thought is still to adopt the second method; transiting through Xiangjiang is quite good.

As for the third method, it mainly considers Cultural Huaguo's environment; if they discover the data is problematic, then all academic journals provided by America will become untrustworthy.

The collapse of trust will lead to all the efforts we have made being destroyed in one fell swoop.

And I am convinced that Cultural Huaguo's scientists will definitely discover it; it is only a matter of time.

You have worked with Cultural Huaguo students studying abroad; you know the academic attainments of the Cultural Huaguo people."

John George did not speak again, but nodded: "Fine, I agree to it. I will mail it to Zhao when the time comes; he is my friend."

After returning home, Lin Ran broke out in a cold sweat. He really wanted to know what role John George had played in history to be able to propose a unique plan like Scheme Three.

After Lin Ran carefully checked the materials in 2020, the Mockingbird Project was not revealed by American journalist Carl Bernstein until 1977, and for John George, as a professor at Mashengligongxue Academy, to be so familiar with this plan was clearly abnormal.

Lin Ran even began to become somewhat anxious about gains and losses, doubting whether his rash approach to John was the correct choice.

The other party's hidden identity was buried in the mists of history; on the surface, they were friendly to Cultural Huaguo, but whether that was actually the case, or whether the other party's friendliness toward Cultural Huaguo had other purposes, Lin Ran felt he was still a bit too careless, too trusting of the so-called information gap constructed by time.

Because America's winter break had not yet ended, he met John Morgan, who had rushed back to New York from the ancestral home in Hartford, Connecticut, covered in the dust of travel.

"Randolph, I think our cooperation cannot continue."

John Morgan's first sentence startled him. Having received a bit too much shock this time, Lin Ran did not quite grasp the situation.

"Why? Didn't our proposal pass NASA's preliminary review and enter the next round?" Lin Ran asked.

John Morgan looked toward Lin Ran: "Randolph, don't you know yet?"

Lin Ran thought his identity had been exposed, but he wasn't afraid; at worst, he would use the Gate to escape. With his status as a great mathematician, he could surely gain some breathing room no matter what.

"Know what?" Lin Ran remained calm and composed.

John Morgan said: "Congratulations on becoming the Special Assistant to the President for Aerospace Affairs. In the future, you will be stationed in the West Wing office of the White House.

Kennedy has already decided. This type of position does not need to be approved by Congress for him to complete the appointment; at most, it requires one round of review. As long as you accept this position, you can officially take office."

Information gaps are certainly very useful in technical fields, but in matters related to people, they may not necessarily exert the effect you think they will.

Just like in history, Horkheimer was only a mediocre philosophy professor—well, as the founder of critical theory and the Frankfurt School, he wasn't that mediocre.

But Lin Ran absolutely could not have imagined that the other party's influence in Washington was so great.

John Morgan's words made Lin Ran subconsciously think this was the result of Professor Horkheimer exerting his influence, pushing him into the position of Special Assistant to the President for Aerospace Affairs with one hand.

"No one notified me." Lin Ran shook his head.

John Morgan explained: "Someone will contact you after the holiday ends. Once you become the Special Assistant to the President for Aerospace Affairs, you won't be able to continue serving as a consultant at General Aerospace."

Lin Ran was half-doubting, half-inquiring: "So you hope I don't take this position?"

John Morgan shook his head: "No, no, no, of course I hope you go. If you take this position, you can exert a greater effect.

Although I am not yet sure how much authority Kennedy will give you, your ability to become the Special Assistant to the President for Aerospace Affairs is undoubtedly a huge help to General Aerospace.

I will cash out 10% of the shares for you in advance. This is the shareholding proxy document; after you sign it, 10% of General Aerospace's shares will belong to you.

After you leave the White House, it will be perfectly fine to come back."

John Morgan took a document out of his briefcase and handed it to Lin Ran. Lin Ran glanced at it, sighing at how smoothly America played this revolving door of politics and business.

The matter was urgent. After John Morgan left, Lin Ran called Professor Horkheimer to tell him about this. Horkheimer's voice came from the other end of the line:

"It wasn't me who pushed for it; I have no way to contact the White House directly.

Besides, what I had in mind was for you to start as a NASA engineer, at most giving you a senior engineer position and a specific project to be responsible for.

This is quite a big gap from Special Assistant to the President for Aerospace Affairs. Don't be anxious; we will discuss it when I return to New York."

Beep, beep, beep—the transoceanic phone signal was poor to begin with. After listening to the intermittent voice, Lin Ran sat blankly on the sofa. The successive surprises gave him the illusion that things were slipping out of his control.

Special Assistant to the President for Aerospace Affairs—the title sounded very good, but what power did it have, and what did Kennedy hope he would do? These were all unknowns.

Lin Ran felt that at a time like this, he needed to ask for Li Xiaoman's opinion.

In 2020 New York, the sun was very nice. A whole year had passed in 1960, while only a little over 6 days had passed here.

"Sister Xiaoman, I've been looking at materials related to the Apollo moon landing recently, and I'd like to ask, under the environmental background at that time, is it possible for a Chinese person to hold a relatively important position in the Apollo program?" ===== CHAPTER 66 =====