Chapter 43: A Grand Gift Delivered Early

1960 Government House

In the Victoria Crown Room on the second floor of the west wing of the Government House main building, Gothic pointed-arch windows blend with oriental flying eaves, perfectly showcasing the distinctive character of Hong Kong Island.

At the invitation of the Governor, Lin Ran walked into the banquet hall, gazing at the oil portraits hanging on the walls.

The Governor smiled and introduced, "Professor Lin, this is the coronation portrait of George VI presented to the Government House by the Prince of Wales in 1911. The frame is crafted from Chaozhou gold-lacquered wood carving."

Although the other party spoke with a non-standard Mandarin accent, his vocabulary was quite comprehensive, Lin Ran thought to himself. However, given how many times the host had entertained guests here, these must be basic terms to him.

"George VI is indeed a man of striking appearance," Lin Ran flattered.

He did not know much history, but he remembered that Louis XVI had his head chopped off by the populace. Since George VI was unaffected, he presumably hadn't been decapitated.

Lin Ran deeply feared the host might casually remark, "His Royal Highness George VI was beheaded," a piece of dark humor uniquely belonging to people from his future homeland.

"George VI was Her Majesty the present Queen's father, and he once served in the Royal Air Force."

White marble sourced exclusively from Jharkhand, India, was pieced together to form rose patterns beneath their feet, with pure tin strips extracted from Malaysian tin mines embedded in the seams.

Suspended from the ceiling was a late-Victorian gilt-bronze chandelier. Before being converted to electric light in 1948, it originally burned gas, and the etched inscription "Lancashire Gas Co. 1889" remained visible on the glass shades.

Standing in the corner was a filigree enamel Western-style palatial lantern presented in 1902 by Empress Dowager Cixi to Sir Henry Blake, the Governor.

(The specific details above are drawn from the Government House Reception Records)

Even if Lin Ran was unaware that these materials came from all corners of the globe, it did not prevent him from sensing the sheer magnitude of Britain's past colonial accumulations.

Reflecting on 2020, America was much the same; he felt that unless he actually did something, his restless mind would find no peace.

Fortunately, what he was about to undertake this time was a momentous task—a momentous task in the truest sense of the word.

The grand undertaking he was embarking on today would be monumental in every sense, permanently altering every aspect of the future landscape.

The entire timeline would be completely reshaped beyond recognition by his actions.

In the 2020 space-time continuum, countless science fiction works had demonstrated the formidable power of the butterfly effect, where any casual action of yours could profoundly alter the future timeline.

At the same time, simplified Chinese internet literature popularizes the concept of causal convergence, which suggests that no matter how much a time-traveler or reborn individual does, they will ultimately be reeled back into a reasonable boundary.

Lin Ran had no way of knowing which theory was correct, nor could he judge.

However, regardless of whether it would trigger a butterfly effect, Lin Ran knew profoundly well that coming to 1960 meant he could not simply do nothing. Since action was inevitable and the timeline of this era was bound to be affected anyway, why not simply aim higher and let the impact be all the more drastic?

***

Lin Ran had held this precise objective firmly in mind ever since his arrival in Hong Kong.

His primary purpose in establishing contact with China was to leave behind the sparks for China to access Western science.

As for his purpose in coming to a place like Hong Kong, it was to bestow an epoch-making grand gift upon the shipping tycoons of this era.

The previously mentioned Hui Oi-chow and T. Y. Chao were both shipping kings of this era.

Among them, Hui Oi-chow's grandson was Julian Hui, who later married Michelle Lee.

T. Y. Chao's son was even more famous, being the well-known Mr. Tung.

The future global shipping king, Sir Y. K. Pao, was at this time merely a small-time player with just a few boats, not yet qualified to cross the threshold of the Government House.

The grand gift Lin Ran was about to present to them in advance would firmly establish maritime power over land power.

The emergence of this grand gift would trigger a transformation in the global landscape.

The Rust Belt would emerge at least twenty years ahead of schedule, and economic globalization within the American framework would officially commence today.

While he could bolster America's strength while at NASA, the drastic reduction in maritime shipping costs would cause Wall Street tycoons to willingly hollow out America from within.

This was a earth-shattering transformation in the truest sense of the word.

"......
Snow dyes myriad rays of brilliant light, bell chimes mold the Buddha's niche,
This departure drinks from dusty banquets of fleeting joy.
How can the painted faces have changed, yet the ancient murals' former splendor remain unseen,
Only to wake up and watch as a detached observer from the sidelines."

After Gu Zhengqiu, who had been specially invited, finished singing a song, thunderous applause erupted from the guests in attendance, and Lin Ran joined in with gentle clapping.

"Next, let us invite Sir Robert Black to present the Order of the British Empire to Professor Lin on behalf of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, in recognition of his outstanding achievements in the field of mathematics."

Instantaneously, thunderous applause broke out, and the guests, dressed in tailored suits and exquisite makeup, wore beaming smiles.

Vivian Li sat beside her father, Li Fushu, clapping with such excited enthusiasm that her hands turned bright red.

Li Fushu’s status was unquestionably high enough to attend such an occasion; he was a tri-council member of the Hong Kong Urban Council, Legislative Council, and Executive Council—an unprecedented feat in Hong Kong's history.

***

He, too, was clapping gently while quietly pondering whether the rumors circulating in elite circles might indeed hold some truth.

Having reached Li Fushu's level, one could already receive certain intelligence from London; his version of "elite circles" was far removed from street gossip.

At a single glance, he could tell that the suit Lin Ran wore was custom-made by the master tailors of Savile Row in London—the absolute favorite of elder J. P. Morgan, founder of the Morgan family.

In Li Fushu's view, this served as concrete proof of the other man's deep-rooted connections with the Morgan family. While the Bank of East Asia was certainly renowned, compared to Morgan, the disparity was akin to the gap between Hong Kong and America.

"Make sure you behave yourself. If you can win Professor Lin's favor, I won't force an arranged marriage on you," Li Fushu whispered softly in his daughter's ear.

Following the award ceremony, the banquet officially commenced, and for a time, both host and guests revelled in the joy of the evening.

"Professor Lin, I am Li Fushu, Chairman of the Bank of East Asia. This is my daughter, Vivian Li. She is a great fan of yours and insisted that I bring her to meet you."

Among the guests present, Li Fushu could be considered one of the very first to approach Lin Ran.

Lin Ran looked at him, quickly searching his memory for information regarding the Bank of East Asia. Since the man could stand firm and unshaken in Hong Kong, he must have possessed some real capability. In any case, cultivating goodwill could never hurt, and besides, Vivian Li was indeed rather attractive.

"Hello, Mr. Li. Hello, Miss Li," Lin Ran shook hands with both of them in turn.

When shaking hands with Vivian Li, Lin Ran could distinctly feel her deliberately applying a firm squeeze to his hand.

"Professor Lin, the Governor certainly holds you in high regard," said Li Kwok-po.

Lin Ran pulled the Order of the British Empire from his pocket and gestured with it, saying, "Naturally."

Eager to display his status as a local heavyweight, Li Kwok-po explained, "It's not just the medallion."

He lightly tapped the table:

"The detachable mahogany mother-of-pearl inlaid long table in the Victoria Crown Room was commissioned from Jardine Matheson in 1860, designed to be configured into a 36-person U-shape or a 72-person E-shape depending on the number of guests.

Yet today, to welcome Professor Lin, and considering your fondness for traditional Chinese culture, it has been arranged into the shape of a Taiji Bagua for the very first time."

Lin Ran stroked the mahogany long table with his hand and replied, "I am deeply grateful to the Governor. Coming to Hong Kong this time, I have deeply felt the warmth and hospitality of its people.

Hong Kong is a wonderful place, and in the future, I hope to visit more often, to come here regularly."

Unfortunately, Lin Ran knew very well that he probably wouldn't be able to come back next year, which was why he had to settle everything all at once during this single trip.