Chapter 548: The 537th - : Pulling the Sheep _1

Hawking’s stance took everyone by surprise, as his physical condition hardly seemed to allow for rocket travel.

Penrose, who was closest to him, instinctively wanted to speak out but was preempted by Ye Changsi.

Without revealing any hint of mockery or regret, the latter looked earnestly at Hawking in the wheelchair and asked,

"Mr. Stephen, how do you feel when taking off on an airplane?"

"Very good, even standard seating is no problem at all. I’ve watched Cloud Ascend’s third space mission; you sent a philosopher who had never undergone any training into space."

Ye Changsi, "Yes, to be precise, we have already sent two untrained civilians into space using the Aero-Space Plane. I think your physical condition is not a big issue.

If you’re willing to join, we can arrange a flight mission at the end of this month or within the next month, which is very convenient."

Ye Changsi’s earnest attitude moved the other scientists around him. The allure of space was even stronger for them than for the average person, and the proposition was indeed very tempting.

Moreover, they could easily understand the Aero-Space Plane, believing that its g-forces were not much higher than those of a passenger jet, and recognized that China’s aerospace industry genuinely had the capacity to send them into space on a large scale and inexpensively.

Roger Penrose also stepped forward and cautiously asked,

"Ye, what exactly would our work entail?"

Ye Changsi, "It’s very easy, no need for you to move to China to work... though it would be better if you could come over regularly.

Space development is not merely a technical issue; it involves the entire society. We need the influence that can convince the public, do you understand what I mean?"

"Hmm... I think I get it."

To Penrose, it seemed that the technical assistance they could offer was indeed limited, and it was very likely that, just like The World Things Association, they were seeking endorsement from them, which was not a demanding condition.

"Ye, your offer is truly tempting, but as you know, our official collaboration, especially on a large scale..."

Ye Changsi, "Then let’s not do it at the official level. You could establish cooperation with United Mining or the Xinyuan Company; it’s all commercial service, isn’t it?

We have already recruited quite a few consultants previously. I can show you the contract template right away."

Penrose watched as Ye Changsi pulled out a tablet and then began reading the externally hired terms translated into English, which were very concise, with both rights and responsibilities being quite relaxed, much more so than those contracts for honorary professors offered by domestic universities.

While the two were talking, they had been surrounded by a large group of scientists, with Wu Yunfeng silently standing outside, witnessing Ye Changsi’s audacious moves.

Over a hundred top domestic and international theoretical and experimental physicists, at the very least Level A caliber, with an average above A+, not excluding the presence of S or S+ levels, were potentially recruitable. The research capacity of the base would experience an unimaginably fierce surge if all of them joined.

In fact, the base had been coveting these thousands of top scientists from around the world since the beginning of The World Things Association, but to sign thousands at once would be too conspicuous and not feasible. However, a hundred or so still left some room for manipulation.

Even though many were not scholars in the field of applied science, they were certainly among the most astute minds at the pinnacle of the human world, and definitely not a bad deal.

Observations of the Zero Plain had been ongoing at the base for several days. With so many human elites present, they should be able to manage the situation quite well, right?

"Director Wu, you see, the people at the aerospace bureau are increasingly lacking in propriety," suddenly exclaimed the dean, startling Wu Yunfeng, who then heard the former continue,

"We have been trying to establish contact with them for a while, but don’t have anything impressive to offer. The people at the aerospace bureau distribute spaceflight tickets everywhere; they are truly unstoppable!"

Wu Yunfeng, "Dean, space itself is also an ideal place for scientific research. Bose-Einstein condensates form especially easily in microgravity, which is quite troublesome to synthesize on the ground."

Dean, "Now, those space laboratories up there are somewhat outdated. The useful information provided by those passive, small-volume experimental devices is too limited. When we can build a physical experiment center in space, that will truly be a scientific holy land."

Wu Yunfeng, "You should talk to Lin Ju about it, he would definitely support it wholeheartedly."

The dean hastily waved his hands, saying with a residual fear,

"The aerospace bureau’s operations have already grown too large, adding more issues would draw complaints from the authorities."

"..."

Meanwhile, on the other side, Ye Changsi was enthusiastically explaining to the assembled scientists the benefits of joining the consultancy, leveraging his solid English skills to communicate with ease. Soon, every scientist’s face was filled with temptation.

After all, they had also seen the sample contract displayed, which was indeed very relaxed. Such a consultancy role wouldn’t cause any international issues and was nearly unregulated.

Seeing that the time was right, Ye Changsi played his trump card,

"Whether or not you wish to join us, our Aero-Space Plane will carry out no fewer than 10 flights in the coming months. We offer every one of you standing here a free ticket, with all associated costs also waived, fully valid throughout the entire year of 2017!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Roger Penrose, pushing Hawking’s wheelchair, called out,

"We, we’re ready to join right now, can medical exams and flights be arranged as soon as possible? I am 86 years old, and Stephen is 75; this may be the best our health will ever be."

Ye Changsi immediately agreed, "Of course, no problem; I will be on the same flight as you and adjust the insertion procedure to lower the g-forces even more if possible."

Rolf Heuer, "I’m joining too. I explore the tiniest things in the universe, but they reveal the most expansive truths. I am very eager to try observing the black holes in the center of the galaxy from space."

"Count me in as well!"

"I want to go too, it would be a shame to miss this opportunity."

"Can I contact the Fermi Laboratory? I think my professor would be very interested in joining as well."

"..."

Once someone took the lead, the scientists on the scene were quickly inspired, eagerly indicating their desire to participate. Domestic scientists had official positions and were hesitant to decide on their own, uniformly turning their gaze towards the dean standing beside Wu Yunfeng.

The dean sighed and told them,

"Those willing to join, go back and submit your applications, but make sure not to let it affect your current work."

Watching the jubilant crowd, Wu Yunfeng tentatively said,

"Dean, why don’t you join too? You could also get an allowance for nothing."

"I’d better not, as for you, you might want to try it. When the ticket prices for the Aero-Space Plane come down, I’ll buy one myself and go have a look."

Wu Yunfeng felt somewhat disappointed, having almost persuaded the dean to take the plunge.