"I don't know where Principal Gao obtained these books. Mr. Qi Ming is truly admirable."
He placed his teacup on the table and took out his lecture notes.
"The new textbooks are already being prepared, so I need to get my new lecture notes ready too."
"Preparing new lecture notes is a good thing. I found the books on machinery quite interesting. Principal Gao mentioned that Mr. Qi Ming also donated a considerable sum of money to the school for scholarships. Mr. Qi Ming is truly noble."
The gentleman called Xiu Yuan also took out his lecture notes. In fact, he had tossed his own notes aside as soon as he saw those books.
He really wished to meet Mr. Qi Ming. From the translated books and the annotations below them, it was clear that this gentleman was very knowledgeable. He longed to discuss mechanical engineering with him.
"Brother Shuren, did Principal Gao happen to go to Shanghai recently?" he recalled that the Principal had gone to Shanghai to meet a gentleman and brought back these books upon his return.
"Yes, Principal Gao just returned from Shanghai. What is it?" Wang Shuren looked at his colleague with some confusion.
"Nothing much. I have some ideas about the new curriculum, and I'm going to talk to Principal Gao about it." Saying this, he stood up and walked out.
"Why is Brother Xiuyuan acting so strangely today?" However, he didn't pay it much mind and picked up his pen to start writing his lecture notes.
Ye Xiuyuan left the school with some disappointment and returned to his dormitory. He had gone to Principal Gao to inquire about Mr. Qi Ming's identity but was unexpectedly refused an answer by the Principal.
"Xiuyuan, I know you wish to befriend Mr. Qi Ming. However, this is too dangerous for Mr. Qi Ming. Moreover, I have already promised Mr. Qi Ming that I would never reveal her true identity."
"Principal, please could you write to Mr. Qi Ming and ask. I truly wish to befriend this gentleman. His knowledge deeply impresses me, and I have some questions I'd like to ask him.
Or, I could write down these questions and perhaps the Principal could help me send them? I heard you have other books, so you must still be in contact with Mr. Qi Ming, right?"
"I will help you ask, but Mr. Qi Ming may not necessarily reply, as she is very busy at the moment. However, another batch of books should arrive next month. You can take a look at those.
It is said that Mr. has transcribed French university textbooks, which should explain many of your questions."
"So, all these books were transcribed by Mr. Qi Ming? But he couldn't possibly bring so many books back, and customs wouldn't allow it. So he transcribed them, is that right?"
"Xiuyuan, I know you are very intelligent, but you don't need to be so inquisitive. I've already promised to ask Mr. Qi Ming for you, so please don't try to pry her information out of me in this manner."
Principal Gao was quite exasperated. This Ye Xiuyuan was known for his quick wit, but he truly didn't want him to apply that sharp intellect to him.
"Alright, then please ask Mr. Qi Ming for me. I really wish to meet him."
With that, he left the principal's office directly.
But upon returning to his dormitory, he was still not resigned. He felt that Principal Gao would never be able to introduce him to Mr. Qi Ming. The Principal was an old-fashioned scholar and highly valued his word.
Since he had promised Mr. Qi Ming not to reveal his identity, there was no way he would get Mr. Qi Ming's identity from him.
Therefore, he had to find Mr. Qi Ming himself. He understood the gentleman's concerns, but he wouldn't let anyone else know.
With so many books, he didn't believe Mr. Qi Ming was a single person. According to Principal Gao, there would be many more books later, covering different specialized fields and subjects. It was equivalent to a library.
He felt that Mr. Qi Ming must be a group of people, and he wanted to join this group, help them translate more books, and allow Chinese students to receive more knowledge.
Since he couldn't get any information from Principal Gao, why not go to Shanghai directly? He believed he could definitely find this Mr. Qi Ming.
Meanwhile, Lin Yan was unaware that someone was planning to find her. She had been busy meeting with factory owners lately. Quite a number of factories had already signed contracts with her.
Some of those who signed early had already started producing new goods. Those who hadn't signed contracts were also successively scheduling appointments with Lin Yan.
Lin Yan didn't mind them using her formulas first, so many factory owners who hadn't signed contracts also began using the materials Lin Yan provided.
People in Shanghai had recently noticed many good quality and affordable products appearing on the market, and there were also more job opportunities.
Exquisite soaps, practical laundry soaps, and fabrics with more vibrant colors.
More job opportunities and cheaper goods made people's lives better.
The power plants invested in by the government, after using the improved machines researched by Lin Yan, had higher power generation efficiency, and more households could access electricity.
The production capacity of the light bulb factory, which was provided with technology by Lin Yan, had also increased. They produced a greater variety of light bulbs, leaving other manufacturers far behind.
Looking at the changes in Shanghai, Lin Yan felt very happy. Now, she stood on the second floor of the Grand Shanghai Ballroom, watching the vibrant nightlife below.
"Miss Lin, would you like to request a song?" Mr. Du walked up to Lin Yan.
"No, thank you. I just find it pleasant to see their revelry."
Lin Yan carried a burden in her heart. Although Shanghai's industrial development was going well now, this was only temporary. Once war broke out, all current efforts might turn to dust.
"Miss Lin seems a bit too pessimistic. Besides, this country has its own leaders, and there are those in power who hold military authority. Why should Miss Lin place all these responsibilities on herself?"
Mr. Du took two glasses of wine from a tray carried by a nearby waiter, handing one to Lin Yan.
"With greater ability comes greater responsibility. I don't believe Mr. Du would want to just watch things happen, would you? Otherwise, you wouldn't have agreed to set up factories with me, right?"
Lin Yan took the wine from him, clinked glasses, and took a sip.
"Miss Lin, if I were ten years younger, I would certainly pursue you." Mr. Du looked at Lin Yan with admiration.
This Miss Lin Yan was truly different from any woman he had ever known, or rather, different from all women now.
She was confident and powerful. Of course, this power stemmed from her trust in her own abilities.
He had heard about her capabilities from his deputy; she knew a lot, not just about weapon manufacturing, but also about architecture and mechanical engineering.
He wondered how Minister Lin had nurtured such a person, but he was certain that this Miss Lin Yan was no ordinary individual. As long as she continued to develop, her achievements would be looked up to by everyone.