The Performance of the Clown and the Master

After the exhibition ended, it was getting dark. Actually, it was almost six o'clock, but Daylight Saving Time, it gets dark later than usual. At six o'clock, the sun set, but the sky was still bright, just not as bright as before.

"Wait a moment..." Just as Lin Qi was about to leave with the crowd, Mr. Truman did not leave with him, but said, "If you are bored, you can go outside and take a look. I want to talk to some of them."

Although most of today's non-hot air balloon aircraft exhibitions ended in failure, the president believes that the development of fixed-wing aircraft has made significant progress compared to the past. It is foreseeable that if these people receive more resources and financial assistance, they should soon be able to come up with a usable aircraft.

It may not be able to carry much, but it at least meets the military's current needs—to fly over the Sea Surface and detect killers hidden beneath the Sea Surface.

As for the inventor known as the "egg that can't fly," he was also among those invited. In fact, he was one of the reasons why Mr. Truman came to the exhibition today.

In the eyes of Mr. Truman and the Navy, this aircraft, which can take off and land vertically without a runway, is perfect for the current needs of national defense. It does not require a large area to take off and land, and it is more flexible than a hot air balloon.

Although today's test flight failed, Mr. Truman and the Department of Defense still believe that with sufficient funding, they can make this design a reality.

So Mr. Truman and the Department of Defense's special envoy meant that they could be given funding to speed up their research, but on some conditions.

Lin Qi shook his head and said, "It's alright." He didn't leave but stood next to Mr. Truman. A short while later, two inventors appeared in front of them.

"I watched your entire performance, and to be honest, I'm very disappointed. This is no joke; every aircraft needs our best young men to pilot it."

"I can accept that they sacrifice themselves on the front lines in military confrontations with the enemy, and that dying for the country is the highest honor for a soldier, but I will not allow them to sacrifice themselves because of the stupidity of their own people!"

The Department of Defense's special envoy was also watching the two men. Everyone was watching them, which put a lot of pressure on them. The inventor of the propeller took off his glasses and said, "I'm sorry."

"No need for apologies!" Mr. Truman said with an air of authority. "All you need to do is make your invention better..." It was clear that both inventors wanted to say something, but Mr. Truman didn't give them the chance.

He raised his hand to stop the two men. "Although you failed, I saw progress in you. So after discussing it with the special envoy, I decided to allocate a portion of the Military Expenditure to you to further modify your existing design."

Upon hearing this, the two inventors, who had already given up hope, were stunned. It took them a while to react. They swallowed hard, their eyes gleaming with a cautious yet greedy light as they looked at Mr. Truman. One of them asked, "How... how many?"

"Each person will receive 200,000 initially. If any of you make a breakthrough first, we will provide a second grant of no less than 300,000. But there is only one opportunity, and we currently only need one type of aircraft."

"As for the specific terms, the special envoy will discuss them with you!"

Mr. Truman looked intently at the two men. "Please remember that your invention is related to young people who are willing to fight for their country. I don't want them to lose their lives because of the flaws in your design before they even see the enemy."

"If you actually do that, I will put you in Military Court and put you on trial!" he said, extending his hand before the two could refuse. "Then, goodbye, gentlemen!"

After saying goodbye to the two men and leaving the stands, Lin Qi recalled the helicopter control consoles he had seen before, which were far more complex than the one he saw today. He did not believe that with the current technology, it was possible to develop a helicopter, such a powerful weapon in inland warfare.

Mr. Truman was not an emotional person, nor was he easily persuaded or even deceived. He couldn't help but ask, "I'm curious, how did the inventor of that propeller plane convince you, the one that can take off and land on the spot?"

As soon as the two left the aircraft exhibition area, Mr. Truman, without explaining, found the stalls selling various aircraft model toys next to the exhibition area, paid ten dollars, and got a handmade wooden fixed-wing airplane.

He forcefully pulled the propeller off, then pressed his hands together against the small stick used to hold the propeller in place, and rubbed it hard...

The propeller shot into the sky in an instant, so fast and so steady. Mr. Truman looked at Lin Qi and said, "That's how he convinced me. I asked some physicists, and they believe that as long as there is enough force, it is entirely possible to take off and land on the spot."

Lin Qi never expected that a "bamboo dragonfly" could convince Truman and the military to allocate funds for something that had no basis in reality. But this also explains why the Federal fervor for invention could continue to burn at this time.

He couldn't help but think of the advertisements that used to be plastered all over the streets, "Aredai, a touch of Aniu Dai!"

Perhaps it is precisely because of these easily deceived investors that the market for inventions and creations is so booming. Lin Qi smiled and shook his head, not continuing to ask about this topic, but instead heading with Mr. Truman to the next planned booth—the harpoon gun.

Fishing spears are commonly used by fishermen along the coast, and some lazy people also like to use them.

Rather than the slow pace of fishing, some people prefer to scatter bait where fish congregate, then wait for the right opportunity with a speargun, pull the trigger, and catch a big fish.

This is much more enjoyable from a sensory perspective than fishing, and it also saves a lot of time.

The harpoon they were about to see, or rather the harpoon arrow that it fired, was what Mr. Truman was interested in.

Not only were there military personnel present, but representatives from Vipai Industries and several other military industrial companies were also on site. They will conduct a comprehensive assessment and then make a decision.

This inventor is clearly different from the previous ones. He has already enjoyed the benefits of the times in invention and creation. He has received checks from the Department of Defense or military enterprises more than once. Even one of the technologies in the torpedoes that Vipai Industries is currently providing to the Navy comes from this inventor.

This is a typical example of a successful person. Success allows him to have more funds to pursue his creative ideas. He can earn a lot of money without working and still satisfy his hobbies, which is why many people enter this industry.

If nothing unexpected happens, he may gradually go bankrupt after his inspiration runs dry. He can only sell his ideas and cannot run his own business. This is the most tragic thing about these folk inventors. They don't even have the right to kneel before capital.

The inventor of the harpoon gun is demonstrating his invention in front of a huge glass tank. That's how exhibitions are; people come and go, and apart from "one-off" exhibits like aircraft, everything else is repeatedly shown.

The inventor was a very thin man with a beard. He wore a pair of high-waisted rubber overalls, which were popular among farmers and fishermen in the South because they were waterproof.

However, wearing it in the summer is a real ordeal, because even though it keeps out the outside water, the inside water will still make them sweat profusely.

He wiped his sweat as he demonstrated his newly invented harpoon.

"... See that, everyone? This process might be very quick, and not everyone will notice it, so I used a special Foreclosure Auction some special photos..."

"... After our fish arrow is launched, the air blast inside the arrow shaft will bounce and break, so that compressed air can be ejected from the air hole at the front of the arrow, creating some bubbles just before the arrow enters the water."

"This will significantly increase the initial velocity of the harpoon upon entering the water..."

Mr. Truman, the Ministry of Department of Defense officials, and representatives from various military industries were all engrossed in the invention, while Lin Qi didn't quite understand it. However, from their serious and focused expressions, he could roughly tell that it must be a very important invention.

Lin Qi wasn't very interested in this; after greeting Mr. Truman, he wandered around on his own.

He didn't realize until he shared it that he had assumed radio technology in this era was highly sophisticated, but he discovered he was wrong.

Radio technology has passed its initial period of mystery, and sometimes you have to admire these amateur scientists and inventors; they always manage to surprise you with a sense of disorientation.

In the busiest area, Lin Qi saw a middle-aged man dressed in a very avant-garde style, wearing a hat modified from a motorcycle helmet with two spiral coils on it, and there seemed to be some tiny electric sparks inside the coils.

He was enthusiastically introducing his product to others—according to him, as long as one wears this helmet and meditates for a period of time, one can detect other people's brainwaves and understand their inner thoughts without using any instruments.

Two young and beautiful girls seemed to disbelieve that it was all true. They had secretly written something on a piece of paper behind the inventor's back, and the inventor easily read what they had written.

More and more people gathered around, many vying to have the inventor glean their innermost thoughts. Regardless, the inventor could always accurately discern the inner thoughts of each person he selected...

It's a classic scam, but people believe it, just like people believe there are Professionals called mediums who can communicate with the dead, just like people believe there are Professionals can easily control other people's fates...

This is an era of rapid scientific and technological advancement, but also an era rife with fraud. Here, swindlers and gurus perform on the same stage. Many years later, when these people recall this scene, will they find it ridiculous?

Or should we treat this as a precious memory?

I forgot to add a title, so you can consider this a freebie.