Chapter 52: Could You Not Be So Impatient?

“Ah...” Seigel wanted to refuse. After the proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem was resolved, he had already called to invite Lin Ran when he saw the proof published in the inaugural issue of *Advances in Mathematics*.

In the acknowledgments of his paper, Lin Ran even specifically thanked Seigel:

“I am deeply grateful to Professor Seigel for his support and guidance throughout my doctoral studies. I will forever cherish my days at the University of Göttingen.”

To be honest, upon reading this, Seigel felt both touched and speechless. Had Lin really spent time in Göttingen? And to say he would cherish it forever!

Because of this acknowledgment, Seigel’s colleagues at Göttingen later felt as if they had lost Lin Ran to someone else.

Yet when Seigel’s sincere invitation was gently but firmly declined by Lin during their phone call, he did not press further.

After all, compared to a metropolis like New York, Göttingen was a rather small and distant place.

Now, faced with Doylin’s insistence, Seigel truly wished to refuse.

Before he could even formulate an excuse, Doylin pulled out a stack of colorful papers from his pocket:

“Professor, here is the train ticket from Göttingen station to Frankfurt central station, and these are the Lufthansa tickets from Frankfurt Airport to New York.

If all goes well, you’ll meet Randolph in three days. Be sure to tell him that his colleagues at Göttingen eagerly await his arrival.”

“Well, this... I...” Seigel took the tickets with a wry expression. “I’m just not ready yet. Besides, what about the return ticket?”

Doylin smiled and said, “Professor, just call me when the time comes. I’ll book your return tickets along with Randolph’s.”

Doylin’s unspoken message was clear: if Randolph wasn’t brought back, Seigel didn’t need to rush to return alone.

Seigel smiled bitterly. “Alright then.”

...

By the time the paper was submitted, Lin Ran knew that number theorists worldwide were probably buzzing about him.

Kobayashi Kunihiko and his group of Japanese mathematicians had spent a week in Hong Kong.

Though Kobayashi’s lectures lasted only three days, they visited Hong Kong University almost daily to discuss matters with Lin Ran, even if it was only for an hour or two after his seminar, which wore him out.

Besides academic exchanges, Lin also met once with shipping magnates Xu Aizhou and Dong Haoyun, explaining in detail how container data structuring could be practically implemented at ports.

These two shipping magnates had united in the face of container standards.

Not only did they join forces, but they also gathered numerous shipping companies in Hong Kong to form a joint venture named Hong Kong Shipping, aiming to set the standards themselves. Among them was the rising figure of the 1960s, Pao Yukang.

The honeycomb deck system and conical guide post positioning device were easy enough to grasp, with structural diagrams and models aiding understanding.

Container data structuring, however, was more complex, especially when it came to optimizing large sample data structures, necessitating Lin Ran’s explanations.

To ensure the pilot project’s success, they even recruited a batch of math graduates from Hong Kong University specifically for this work.

Lin Ran’s training was mainly directed at these math graduates.

Everyone was excited; normally, they wouldn’t even rank in the top fifty for Professor Lin’s seminar, yet here they were attending his lectures in this manner.

“We’ll mainly use paper cards to record data. Think of it as a card index system similar to a library catalog...”

“When recording data in physical ledgers, make sure to follow chronological order...”

Considering practical realities, it was unrealistic to expect anyone to immediately buy IBM 1401 or 1620 computers to create a database system.

Even if purchased, modern database management systems didn’t exist at this time.

So initially, only manual recording methods could be used, integrating multiple manual techniques.

Fortunately, they were only building container data structures for a single route at this stage, so manual recording wasn’t too problematic.

If it truly became a standard, developing dedicated databases and management systems could follow later.

...

They could even start a database service based on this system, potentially blocking Oracle’s path.

“I thought Professor Lin’s lectures wouldn’t be hard?” Liang Zhengyuan complained. He was a graduating undergraduate from Hong Kong University’s math department.

“Yeah, I think it’s quite understandable. There are plenty of examples to help reduce difficulty. The Hong Kong newspapers just made it sound like only immortals could comprehend Professor Lin’s lectures,” agreed Liao Mingji, a classmate sitting beside him, also from the same school and major.

They couldn’t understand why the media portrayed Lin Ran as an aloof mathematical genius, detached from the mortal world.

The narrative went that Lin’s talent was so exceptional that no problem was difficult for him, so he taught mostly what he found easy, leaving students feeling as if they were listening to an incomprehensible celestial script, unable to relate to ordinary understanding.

Both Liang and Liao had thought the same before being notified of the training. They were so nervous the night before that they couldn’t sleep, only to find the reality entirely different from the press portrayal.

Lin Ran’s lectures were easy to understand; even the seventy-year-old Xu Aizhou listened attentively.

“Professor Lin, thank you for your help. We will definitely do our best to make this a success and make Hong Kong’s standard the global standard!” After the training, as Lin Ran got into his car to leave, Xu Aizhou shook his hand firmly and didn’t let go.

Though old, Xu’s insight remained sharp. After Lin’s clear and simple explanations, he understood that if they could properly utilize this container data structure, the company could easily gain tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars in profit annually from a management perspective.

Combined with the honeycomb hull structure, which could increase cargo capacity by 30%, and the conical guide post positioning device, which could prevent cargo damage, the benefits to maritime shipping were enormous.

If Hong Kong’s shipping industry could secure a stake in container standards, it would mean more than just money; it would grant unprecedented opportunities to Hong Kong’s maritime sector and industry as a whole.

“The container revolution will make sea power greater than land power.

Starting next year, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) will begin establishing international standards for containers, defining uniform sizes, structures, and markings. This standardization will enable containers to be widely used globally, achieving seamless connection among ports worldwide under American leadership.

Traditional bulk cargo loading and unloading can take 3 to 5 days per ship, whereas container ships reduce this to 8 to 12 hours, improving efficiency by over 80%. The widespread adoption of mechanized loading equipment will further reduce labor and time costs...”