Chapter 7: Core Advantages

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Cherry Springs State Park is touted as the best stargazing spot near New York, but in reality, it’s not even in New York State—it’s in Pennsylvania, about a four-hour drive round trip.

On the way back, Lin Ran had already sorted out most of his thoughts.

Whether in 1960 or 2020, his greatest advantage was the information gap—various kinds of information gaps.

From globally sensational events like the assassination of Kennedy to technical details such as the Apollo spacecraft’s escape tower design using solid fuel rockets.

The Apollo escape tower was powered by bundled solid-fuel miniature rockets, somewhat like the firecrackers children play with: a simple, reliable, but less precise method correcting trajectory instantly upon explosive ignition.

These varied layers of information disparity formed the core of his advantage.

Much of what was top-secret core information back then has since been declassified by 2020, now publicly accessible in libraries for historians to study.

Conversely, 1960 held a wealth of information gaps from 2020’s perspective.

For example, manned lunar landings that America itself could no longer replicate; if he had been involved throughout, wouldn’t that mean he understood every technical detail intimately and could re-create the monumental lunar landing feat in 2020?

Yet, information gaps aren’t something you can exploit just by willing it.

Especially the apparent information gaps versus the actual operational intelligence needed—there’s a distance between them, which is known as historical distortion.

Historical distortion arises from many causes: historians may be influenced by personal biases, emotions, political stances, or cultural backgrounds, leading to less objective or skewed accounts.

Alternatively, historians might rely on limited sources that are incomplete, inaccurate, or tampered with.

Moreover, historians often can’t witness events firsthand and must depend on secondhand accounts or rumors, which have been passed down multiple times, further distorting the information.

Mining history directly from eyewitnesses is the best leverage for utilizing information gaps.

"Being a great scientist in 1960 and a historical mediator in 2020—that might just be a shortcut at the outset," Lin Ran thought.

The business he had done previously could aid him now and would continue to do so in the future.

In fact, among the world’s top 300 universities, he could find acquaintances through his WeChat contacts.

To Lin Ran, all this formed part of his information edge, and if he were to start a business, a wealth of talent could be chosen from this pool.

As his mind evolved, each person’s traits expressed during their conversations became vividly clear.

"But for now, returning to 1960, the Fabian Society is a promising entry point," Lin Ran mused. "But this will require careful planning. I need to have a thorough chat with Sister Xiao Man later. If possible, borrowing the Fabian Society badge left by her grandfather would be ideal—I just don’t know if it’s lendable."

The client on the other end of the video call was the daughter of a close friend of his mother—someone he simply couldn’t refuse.

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Familiarity aside, business is business, and consulting fees must be charged.

Once he organized his thoughts, the Zoom video conference on his computer shared a Word document screen:

“Basic Information: Female, Chinese Ph.D. advisor, Assistant Professor at a U.S. News Top 10 university.

An undergraduate from a lower-tier 211 university, Ph.D. and postdoc from a U.S. News Top 10 school.

Academic profile: over 30 publications.

Research areas: new materials, composite materials.

Principal investigator on two NIH-funded projects.”

The basic info was sparse; Lin Ran scanned it quickly, and he already had his answer in mind.

A U.S. News Top 10 Assistant Professor means a faculty member at one of the ten best universities in the nation.

NIH refers to the National Institutes of Health in America, akin to the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. For a newcomer, securing NIH grants is no easy feat, let alone two projects.

“Except for the lower-tier 211 undergrad, the resume is nearly flawless. A female Chinese Ph.D. advisor might have a preference for female Chinese students, as similar backgrounds foster empathy towards your situation and needs.”

Just a few words quickly earned the trust of the client on the other side because she too, driven by similar considerations, had placed this advisor as her top priority for doctoral applications and had recently received an offer from her.

“But—” Lin Ran dragged out the word. Clearly, the client took the bait immediately: “But what?”

Having provided study abroad consultations to countless clients, Lin Ran had developed a mature script; it was normal for them to fall for it. Pursuing a Ph.D. is a marathon of time and energy—a high-stakes gamble in many ways.

Since it’s a gamble, spending two thousand yuan on outside support is hardly expensive.

The price had risen from two hundred to two thousand, relying not only on information gaps but also on a nuanced grasp of client psychology.

“But she might be an academic ‘Daji’.”

“She finished her Ph.D. and postdoc at a U.S. News Top 10 university and stayed on as faculty. For someone from a lower-tier 211 undergrad to directly pursue a doctorate at a top 10 U.S. school, only two possibilities exist: either her academic strength is truly exceptional, requiring significant undergraduate achievements beyond GPA, or a professor really favors her.

“Looking at her publications—over thirty papers—this is insufficient for an assistant professor in the top 10 North American schools, especially in materials science.

“Again, two possibilities: either she’s relatively young, or her papers are of exceptional quality.

“So she must have displayed extraordinary academic talent in undergrad and produced high-impact results during her Ph.D. and postdoc—both are indispensable.

“Is it likely for someone with such talent to have only a 211 undergrad? Possible, but unlikely.

“So I suspect the academic ‘Daji’ scenario is more probable.”

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The woman on video blinked her large eyes, her lashes seeming to ask what an academic ‘Daji’ meant.

“In simple terms, it means relying on beauty to gain the favor of a big shot, who then propels her upward. Having a beautiful woman in the lab is visually pleasing too.

“If that’s the case, joining her group might only result in being sidelined and suppressed, unable to access her biggest resource—the big shot who mentors her.

“Since the big shot grants her resources because of her looks, she may deliberately suppress you to prevent you from claiming similar favor.”

The client first blushed at the compliment about her own appearance, then grew concerned at Lin Ran’s warning: “What should I do then?”

She partly believed him because Lin Ran had a modest reputation in Jiaotong University and the broader applicant community, and also because she knew some hidden facts—that this Chinese female advisor was indeed considered charming for her age.

“Can you share her detailed information with me?” Lin Ran asked.

The client switched the screen to the advisor’s academic homepage.

Upon reviewing the homepage, Lin Ran’s suspicions were mostly confirmed: “Hmm... this advisor has been recruiting students since last year and currently has two. If I recall correctly, one senior I mentored is now pursuing a doctorate under her.

“Should I call him to ask?”

“Don’t bother. We get only one day off for New Year’s—such a ripoff. This advisor spends all her time attending academic conferences. Whenever someone publishes in a top journal, she thinks it might be a new hot topic and makes us chase after it.

“There are just two students under her—me and another guy—and we’ve already been assigned over ten hot topics to follow. We can barely focus on our actual work. I don’t even browse Weibo anymore; seeing the trending topics just gives me headaches.

“Whenever I ask about my main work, they say I should check with her Ph.D. advisor—is she my direct mentor or is my advisor? If that’s the case, why not communicate directly with her advisor?

“Lin Ran, honestly, stay away from Chinese female Ph.D. advisors. Every single one is a trap. Everyone I know who’s worked under one complains. When you apply for your Ph.D., be very cautious. I was fooled by the prestige of a top 10 North American school—knowing there’s a tiger on the mountain but still choosing to climb it...”

The complaints echoed across the Pacific, reaching the distant shore. The client’s expression changed instantly—thankfully, she had paid for a consultation; otherwise, she might have fallen into the trap without realizing it.

After the call, Lin Ran said, “I’ll send you this senior’s WeChat later. You can chat with him to get the full picture.”

This finally dispelled her last doubts. Without connecting on WeChat, there would always be the suspicion of fabricated stories; once connected, faking it would be too costly.

“Two thousand yuan in hand, but now figuring out how to talk to Sister Xiao Man is truly a headache,” Lin Ran sighed deeply after ending the video conference.