Li Dong stared at his phone screen.
This [Benjamin Franklin] guy really wasn’t just blowing smoke.
Back then, to prove that lightning wasn’t the wrath of the gods but was the same in nature as static electricity on the ground, the madman had dared to fly a kite in a thunderstorm.
The lightning traveled down the hemp rope and was captured in a Leiden Bottle. That was the first time humanity had ever truly tamed the majesty of the sky!
Compared to Franklin’s performance art of "courting death," going up in a hot-air balloon was also quite dangerous, but in terms of visual impact, it was admittedly just a tiny bit less impressive.
However, the creator of the periodic table was clearly a stubborn fellow.
[Mendeleev]: A crude attempt! That’s nothing but senseless courage!
[Benjamin Franklin]: Heh, I dared to take on electricity!
[Mendeleev]: I have seen storms from the sky!
[Benjamin Franklin]: Heh, I dared to take on electricity!
[Mendeleev]: I gambled with my life at high altitudes!
[Benjamin Franklin]: Heh, I dared to take on electricity!
Mendeleev was clearly having a hard time keeping up. He wasn’t a man of many words. If he had brought up his achievements in chemistry, Franklin wouldn’t have stood a chance. (We’re not talking politics here, only academics.)
But the big-bearded man seemed determined to beat Franklin only in the "courting death" department, so in the end, the verbal spar ended with Mendeleev’s defeat.
But Li Dong was as shrewd as they come. He figured if he could help Mendeleev regain his footing, he could definitely fleece him for some goodies.
And so, a bold idea began to form in his mind. ’So, Franklin, you can conquer lightning, huh? But can you conquer the sky?’
Li Dong immediately switched out of WeChat, opened his browser, and started searching.
"Wright Brothers Flyer I schematics," "Early biplane aerodynamic layouts," "Early applications of the internal combustion engine in aviation"...
A massive amount of information appeared on his phone.
Thanks to the boosts from [Logic 0.1] and [Memory 0.1], Li Dong quickly extracted the core essentials from all this material.
’I don’t need overly complex modern aviation theory; their industrial base from that era couldn’t build it anyway.’
’I just need to clearly explain the three core points: the Bernoulli principle for wings, the three-axis control system, and a lightweight internal combustion engine.’
Li Dong packaged all this information into a document titled "Initial Exploration of the Design of Heavier-than-Air Flight Vehicles.pdf".
Then...
[Cramming for Finals]: @Mendeleev, Your Excellency, no need to get angry over such a small matter.
[Cramming for Finals]: I have a way for you to win this competition of courage.
[File Sent Successfully: Initial Exploration of the Design of Heavier-than-Air Flight Vehicles.pdf]
[Cramming for Finals]: I believe this document should allow you to win a decisive victory over Mr. Franklin.
Mendeleev was a frequent lurker, so he was quite familiar with Li Dong’s handle, "Cramming for Finals."
He has a foolish nephew... COUGH COUGH...
He was the master who could provide Newton with new ideas.
[Mendeleev]: !!!
[Mendeleev]: Your Excellency? Does the title of this document mean you have a way to make an object heavier than air fly without relying on buoyancy?
[Cramming for Finals]: Of course. You can take a closer look at the document.
[Benjamin Franklin]: Cheating! This is cheating!
However, no one paid any attention to Franklin’s protest.
Just as the document was sent, an unexpected lurker was suddenly baited out.
[Leonardo da Vinci]: My God!!!
Li Dong froze.
Da Vinci?
[Da Vinci]: @Cramming for Finals, this... Is this real?
[Da Vinci]: Fixed wings? Not flapping wings like a bird? I’ve spent my whole life drawing ornithopters, imitating the skeletons of countless birds, yet I always failed... Was my direction wrong from the very beginning?
[Da Vinci]: Your Excellency, I will study this first. If it is truly as you say in your document, I will have a generous reward for you.
Even through the screen, Li Dong could feel the old man’s excitement.
For Da Vinci, flight was his dream, and also his regret.
Just then, another profile picture spoke up.
[Isaac Newton]: To escape the grasp of gravity?
Newton was clearly also drawn in by the topic and downloaded the document.
Li Dong had originally thought Newton would comment on the aerodynamics part.
However...
[Isaac Newton]: I see!
[Isaac Newton]: @Cramming for Finals, Your Excellency, the description of the "internal combustion engine" in this document has solved a major puzzle for me!
[Isaac Newton]: I had been wondering how to efficiently convert thermal energy into mechanical energy.
[Isaac Newton]: Now, seeing the "four-stroke" structure you mentioned in the document, it’s a simply genius design! Although I still need to research that electric spark, the mechanical structure is simply perfect.
Li Dong was dumbfounded.
’Wait, Master, are you trying to scoop your successors again?’
’I only sent this to teach Mendeleev how to build an airplane.’
Before Li Dong could even finish his internal complaints, a group announcement appeared at the top of his screen.
[Group member "Isaac Newton" has been exposed to the core principles of the "internal combustion engine" ahead of time through your document.]
[The technology tree of Parallel Universe No. 1666 has once again deviated dramatically...]
[The spark of the Second Industrial Revolution has been ignited prematurely, before the First Industrial Revolution has even fully unfolded.]
[Congratulations, you have once again triggered a butterfly effect. The permission to invite others to the group has been unlocked.]
Li Dong was stunned.
’I really didn’t mean to fleece Newton...’
’Why is he shedding wool all by himself?’
Although that’s what he was thinking, his hand didn’t hesitate for a second as he tapped "Accept".
[You have received Isaac Newton’s thanks.]
[Attribute Acquired: Concentration +0.1 (Permanent)]
[Description: Another gift from the founder of Classical Mechanics. Your cerebral cortex seems to have undergone an enhancement.]
Li Dong instantly felt the world around him become clearer.
The sight of leaves swaying in the wind, the sound of a basketball hitting the ground on the distant court...
He could rapidly classify all this information in his brain, with no interference between them.
’This feeling...’
Li Dong took a deep breath.
’This is awesome.’
[Mendeleev]: Your Excellency! This is incredible!
[Mendeleev]: So what we’ve been missing all along wasn’t wings, but a powerful heart and the correct wing shape!
[Mendeleev]: I heard there are two silly brothers who fix bicycles across the ocean, tinkering with some kind of flying machine all day. I’ll go show them these schematics. If we team up, we can definitely build this thing!
[Mendeleev]: @Benjamin Franklin, just you wait!
At that moment in Mendeleev’s parallel universe, the Wright Brothers felt as if they were living in someone else’s shadow.
[Benjamin Franklin]: No cheating! This is cheating! Isn’t anyone going to do something about this?!
Once again, dead silence. No one paid him any mind.
Li Dong smiled, shook his head, and locked his phone screen.
Just as Li Dong was about to check out that "permission to invite others" thing.
"Li Dong!"
Zheng Hua walked in from outside the office.
"Li Dong, I have some good news for you!"
Good news?
Li Dong was unimpressed.
’What good news could possibly be better than fleecing the group for knowledge?’
Zheng Hua walked slowly up to him and said in a heartfelt, serious tone.
"The principal just spoke with me! In light of your outstanding performance in the preliminaries, the school has decided..."
"As long as you make it into the finals of the Huaxuan Cup, the school will give you a twenty-thousand-yuan scholarship directly!"
"And if you win an award, all tuition and fees will be waived, plus you’ll get another ten thousand!"
Li Dong thought he had misheard.
"How... how much?"
"Twenty thousand?!"
In Li Dong’s eyes, the "divine experience" of +0.1 Concentration instantly lost its appeal.
"Teacher Zheng, you’re not pulling my leg, are you?"
Li Dong was so excited he was tongue-tied.
"Of course I’m not! The principal promised it himself!"
Zheng Hua patted his chest.
At this moment, Li Dong felt more focused and more eager for knowledge than ever before.
For that twenty... oh, no, for the glory of the school!
I’ll give it my all!

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