Genius Club - Chapter 1312 - 14: Shadows of the Cold War (Begging for Monthly Tickets!)_2
Chapter 1312: Chapter 14: Shadows of the Cold War (Begging for Monthly Tickets!)_2
But after a long drought, sweet dew finally arrived.
Having been starving for two days, now even if Lin Xian is served a platter of turkey as tough as wood, he could still eat it.
Today he has been hustling all day and feels exhausted.
CC has already started yawning.
The two of them washed up in their respective rooms, exchanged goodnight wishes, and closed their doors.
Lin Xian took a relaxing hot shower.
He lay down on the bed.
He glanced at the wall clock.
The time displayed is 03:24.
In the daylight saving time of Mi Country, the time difference with China is exactly 12 hours, so converted to China time, it’s 15:24 in the afternoon, which is his dream time.
Unfortunately, after traveling back to 1952, not only does he lack the traits of the Space-Time Traveler, but he even lost the ability to dream.
“Tonight, let’s try again.”
The rigor of scientific experiments can’t be concluded based on just one night’s results.
He wrapped himself in the blanket.
He turned off the bedside lamp.
Closed his eyes and fell asleep.
…
Knock knock knock.
The sound of knocking on the door.
Lin Xian opened his eyes and got up immediately.
He found himself still in the suite bedroom, that everything around him remained unchanged, and he looked up at the wall clock.
The time displayed is 09:21.
“Indeed, I have lost the ability to dream, and even a knocking sound can wake me up, indicating I’m no longer in a deep sleep state and have completely turned into a ’normal person’.”
Immediately, he looked towards the door:
“CC?”
“It’s me.”
Outside the door, CC called out:
“Lin Xian, wake up, the service attendant has brought breakfast.”
“Alright, okay.”
After responding, Lin Xian got up to brush his teeth and wash his face, then walked out of the room, looking at CC in her pajamas.
The pajamas are provided by the hotel.
After all, CC only has one wedding dress on her, and she can’t keep wearing just that; as a high-end hotel catering to premium clients, the service is meticulous, bringing pajamas and daily wear for CC last night so she can go out today.
Arriving at the dining table, looking at the ’hearty breakfast’ placed on it:
“Corn thick porridge, milk, sandwiches, bacon, salad…”
Lin Xian suddenly reminisces about millet porridge, soymilk, small steamed buns, wondering if Mi Country people eating these things every day don’t get heat-related issues?
“Forget it, let’s make do for now.”
No point in worrying now.
Maybe today, when going out with CC for leisure, they could find a Chinese restaurant and enjoy some traditional China cuisine… it doesn’t have to be exceptional, just a bowl of noodles, noodle soup, or stir-fried tomatoes with eggs would be satisfying.
CC exhibited good manners.
She waited for Lin Xian to sit down before she started eating, and had already turned on the black-and-white television next to it to watch the news.
The news was discussing some international situations.
While eating a sandwich, Lin Xian listened.
Mostly discussing the [Mi-Su Cold War], sounding incredibly tense.
After World War II, Mi Country and Soviet Union launched a Cold War that lasted for decades, though no actual battles occurred, both sides moved significantly.
During these years, arms races, technology races, and space races were fiercely competitive.
At least from a technological perspective, these decades of Cold War marked the fastest phase of human technological development.
Electronic computers, integrated circuits, chips, internet, satellites, manned spaceflight, Skyspace Aircraft, new-generation fighter jets, lunar landings, mobile communications, global navigation… and so forth.
It’s hard to say, without these decades of Cold War and the cost-effective investments by Mi-Su, how many years humanity would need to enjoy these cutting-edge technologies.
This is considered an unexpected gain for human civilization.
From the news anchor’s statements on the television, it’s easy to see that in this era right after World War II, people’s nerves are still highly tense, as if Soviet Army’s nuclear bombs could come at any time.
Lin Xian, as a witness of the future and an observer of history, certainly knows that this Cold War eventually did not end up happening, not even a single bullet fired.
The only two crises, which were the Cuba Missile Crisis and a nuclear submarine crisis, were the exception, with the rest until the end of the Cold War being alarming but not dangerous.
Of course…
That’s the thinking of a Zhuge Liang in hindsight.
The native people of 1952 certainly didn’t think that way, now Mi Country is extensively renovating bomb shelters, nuclear facilities, and even on the billboards at Brooklyn Heights, there’s an ad for family-style underground bomb shelters, to guard against the potential nuclear war that could occur at any moment.
“Could it be… war is going to start again?”
CC was eating a sandwich, watching the news on TV, and furrowing her brows in concern.
Lin Xian thought for a moment.
Indeed, he hadn’t realized before that the first generation Millennium Stakes CC was born in 1932, so she was a complete witness of the Second World War.
Perhaps, the concept of war and sacrifice should have a more profound understanding in her eyes.
“No, it won’t.”
Lin Xian swallowed the last mouthful of bread and took a sip of milk:
“Don’t worry, CC, it won’t happen.”
“But.”
CC pointed at the black and white TV:
“That’s not what they’re saying on TV; they say the current situation is dangerous, and experts claim the Soviet army already has nuclear submarines.”
Lin Xian chuckled:
“How could that be? The world’s first nuclear submarine, the Nautilus, was built by Mi Country, and it’s still far from being completed.”
“Oh, you really don’t need to worry. Just trust me, this Cold War won’t erupt into conflict, definitely won’t… even though there were indeed many crises and misunderstandings that almost led to war, it actually never happened.”
Lin Xian felt like his tongue was getting twisted.
“It’s best if there’s no war.”
CC sighed and said slowly:
“I’m still very afraid of war; the grandma at the welfare institute and my family all died during the First World War… During the Second World War, news of deaths came in every day.”
“I still hope the world remains peaceful forever, and everyone can live safely and happily, regardless of whether we eat well or wear warm clothes, as long as everyone stays alive and we don’t have to bear the sorrow of losing loved ones.”
Lin Xian looked at CC without saying a word.
It seems…
The trauma of war was very heavy for people in this era.
Even children like CC, who had never been to a battlefield or truly participated in war, would still have psychological scars.
This was something Lin Xian chose not to say much about.
He lived in a peaceful era, in a prosperous country, had not experienced war, and couldn’t feel that tense emotion, so naturally, he couldn’t empathize with CC’s feelings firsthand, thus… he refrained from saying anything lightweight or perfunctory like “be generous.”
He finished the last sip of milk.
He stood up:
“Let’s go, let’s wander around Manhattan. What’s going on in the outside world, whether there’s war or not, isn’t something we little characters can intervene in.”
“Moreover… even if war does break out, rest assured, Manhattan is also the safest place in Mi Country, have you heard of the [Manhattan Project]?”
CC shook her head:
“I don’t know.”
“Oh, alright.”
Lin Xian did think that the legendary grandma at the welfare institute was omniscient, like an encyclopedia capable of telling CC everything.
It seems now… the knowledge taught by grandma is also selective, more humane than rational.
“The Manhattan Project was the plan to build the atomic bomb.”
Lin Xian explained simply:
“You surely know the atomic bomb, right? You definitely know this as the news just kept mentioning it repeatedly; during this era, this was the weapon everyone feared the most as it could destroy an entire city.”
“The Manhattan Project was once the most secretive project of Mi Country; I don’t know if it’s been declassified now, anyway just listen to it, many great physicists participated, like Oppenheimer, Edward Teller, Von Neumann, Enrico Fermi, they were all involved.”
“Of course, not to mention someone who wasn’t in the project but was at the core of its origin… Albert Einstein.”
In an instant.
CC widened her eyes, put down her knife and fork:
“Einstein?”
She stood up suddenly, went to the coffee table, picked up today’s freshly delivered “New York Daily News”.
Then walked over to Lin Xian’s side.
Pointing at the front page of the newspaper, at the photo of the well-known messy-haired physicist:
“Is this Einstein?”
“Yes.”
Lin Xian nodded:
“It’s him.”
Then, he smiled:
“You haven’t even attended school, and you recognize Einstein; did the welfare institute grandma teach you? Or did you already look through this newspaper earlier?”
“No.”
CC shook her head, looked at Einstein’s photo on the paper again, and turned her head to look at Lin Xian:
“I saw him in Brooklyn!”
Source: Webnovel.com, updated by novlove.com
