Two Dark Clouds

April 27, 1900. London, inside the lecture hall of the Royal Society.

Li Qiwei suddenly opened his eyes. It took a full five minutes before he finally accepted the reality of his soul-transmigration.

According to the chaotic memories in his mind, the original owner of this body was also named Li Qiwei, born into a prominent Han Chinese family during the Qing Dynasty.

The original owner was twenty years old and had been sent to England by his father three years ago to study, currently enrolled at Cambridge University with a major in theoretical physics.

If all went well, he would graduate next July with a bachelor's degree.

In this era, whether in the East or the West, the original owner was considered a bona fide high-level intellectual.

Thank goodness I didn't transmigrate into a foreigner; I really wouldn't have been used to that.

Li Qiwei felt a secret sense of relief, then calmed down and began to observe the audience in the hall.

Looking around, it seemed he was the only person of Asian descent in the entire venue.

Although he was dressed in a proper gentleman's suit and lacked the detestable queue on his head, Li Qiwei still felt a trace of unease. He guessed this might be due to the residual instincts of the original owner.

Coming from a backward, feudal country with weak national power, one was expected to feel inferior when meeting Westerners. Now, having traveled across the ocean to study, he was often met with cold glares.

It was likely because the original owner had been caught in such anxious thoughts that his body suddenly failed him, leading to his death and the subsequent transmigration.

However, the Li Qiwei of now would no longer be self-deprecating or timid.

In his previous life, he was a newly minted Ph.D. in physics from the University of Science and Technology of China.

Armed with insights over a century ahead of this era, and bolstered by the national fortune of that future superpower, his aura suddenly shifted!

Li Qiwei's gaze turned sharp and piercing. He scanned the hall once more before fixing his eyes on the podium.

There, an elderly man with white hair and a white beard was delivering a passionate speech.

He was the renowned William Thomson, ennobled as Lord Kelvin.

Having proposed the second law of thermodynamics and thoroughly debunked the possibility of perpetual motion machines, he was known to later generations as the "father of modern thermodynamics."

He was also an absolute senior figure in the current physics community.

However, this old man was known for his extremely volatile temper, arrogance, and difficulty in getting along with others.

At the same time, Li Qiwei confirmed that this was the famous "two clouds" lecture.

Sure enough, Lord Kelvin's voice continued:

"The edifice of physics is essentially complete, and the remaining work is nothing more than minor repairs and adjustments."

Immediately after, he added, "However, there are two small, dark clouds currently drifting in the otherwise clear sky of physics."

Hearing this, Li Qiwei smiled knowingly and whispered to himself.

"The edifice of physics is far from complete; it has barely finished laying the foundation."

And the so-called two clouds would eventually trigger a massive storm.

It would give birth to the two greatest physical theories of the twentieth century: the Theory of Relativity and Quantum Mechanics!

Countless geniuses would use their peak wisdom to craft this unprecedented scientific feast.

Just as Li Qiwei was immersed in the joy of his foresight, a voice suddenly interrupted him.

"That young gentleman, may I ask what you are laughing at?"

On the podium, Lord Kelvin looked at Li Qiwei, his tone stern and his face slightly angry.

Instantly, countless eyes turned toward him, discovering that the protagonist was an Oriental.

In this era, the East was synonymous with backwardness, while the West was the land of civilization.

The crowd was more than happy to see this Oriental make a fool of himself.

Facing the gaze of the crowd, Li Qiwei felt awkward but remained composed, speaking generously:

"My apologies, honorable Lord. I did not intend to disturb you; I was merely struck by a sudden thought regarding your speech."

He had expected that by softening his stance and offering a way out, the matter would pass.

He did not expect the old man's next sentence to ignite Li Qiwei's fury.

Lord Kelvin said coldly:

"Oh? That is truly interesting. I do not believe an ignorant and backward Oriental can understand my lecture."

"Could you tell me and everyone present what exactly you have thought of?"

Damn it!

Li Qiwei was speechless. You can mock me personally, but I cannot tolerate insults to my nation.

He stood up abruptly; at 1.8 meters tall, he was not short even among Europeans.

He then slowly looked around the room, finally staring directly at Lord Kelvin, and said firmly:

"I believe that physics has only just begun, and those two clouds will pave the way for a new era."

BOOM!

The words had barely left his lips.

The hall erupted in a chorus of gasps; everyone felt that Li Qiwei was talking big, that he was simply insane.

"This Oriental boy is too arrogant. Who does he think he is?"

"Physics can already predict celestial orbits and invent telegraphs to transmit sound across thousands of miles, yet he claims it has only just begun."

"As expected of an inferior race from an ignorant region; he probably doesn't even know what physics is."

Li Qiwei could clearly hear the various taunts ringing in his ears, yet he remained completely indifferent.

Even though many of these people were among the top scientists of the age.

He remained high-spirited, looking down on everything as if he were detached from the entire world.

"Heh," Lord Kelvin said. "Weakness is not the original sin; arrogance is. This is the reason why your civilization has failed."

Li Qiwei couldn't be bothered to continue bickering with the old man, and his next sentence was even more earth-shattering.

"Lord Kelvin, I am willing to make a wager with you. Within five years, I will use a paper to solve the Cloud Problem and prove that I am right."

BOOM!

This time, the venue was in complete uproar.

Many people even stood up, wanting to get a good look at this self-righteous fellow.

Where on earth did he get the courage to say such things?

At this moment, a few people seemed to recognize Li Qiwei and pointed at him, saying:

"His name is Bruce Li, from the Qing Dynasty in the East, currently studying physics at Cambridge University."

"It is said he even brought a manservant and a maid with him; he doesn't look like he's here to study at all, but rather to sightsee."

"Haha, so he's just a joke!"

Then, another roar of laughter broke out.

However, there was a young man in the crowd who merely looked at Li Qiwei with curiosity, without uttering a single mocking word.

He had typical Jewish features, a head of slightly curly black hair, and deep, profound eyes that radiated confidence.

Li Qiwei paid no attention to this, remaining calm and composed.

He gazed intently at Lord Kelvin, waiting for the other's response.

The latter did not show the expected rage, but instead smiled faintly, speaking slowly as if lost in memory:

"When I was ten years old, I became the youngest university student at the University of Glasgow."

"At seventeen, I entered Cambridge University for advanced studies, publishing three papers that same year."

"At twenty-two, I was hired by the University of Glasgow, becoming a professor of physics and serving for over fifty years."

"At twenty-seven, I was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences."

"At fifty-three, I was elected a member of the French Academy of Sciences."

"At sixty-six, I became the President of the Royal Society."

"Today, although I do not hold any official position, I still have a certain degree of influence in the world of physics."

"I say this not to boast, but to tell you, young man, just what kind of existence you are speaking to."

Immediately, to the confusion and shock of everyone present, Lord Kelvin said:

"Young man, I accept your challenge!"

BOOM!

This instantly pushed the atmosphere of the venue to its absolute peak.

No one could understand why the high and mighty Lord Kelvin would make a bet with an unknown boy.

Especially since the other party came from Asia, which was essentially a desert of civilization and science.

Regardless, by tomorrow morning, this bombshell news would spread throughout the entire physics community.

Li Qiwei watched the agitated crowd with a calm expression.

He was joking; as a physics PhD from the future, combined with the memory enhancement brought by his transmigration.

Even ten Lord Kelvins would be soundly defeated; this was a crushing superiority that transcended the era.

The reason he set the term at five years, rather than throwing out the Theory of Relativity on the spot, was simply out of caution.

After all, he had only just transmigrated and was not yet familiar with the situation, so it was unwise to act rashly.

Although he couldn't slap their faces immediately, he couldn't afford to lose the war of words.

Thus, after the venue gradually quieted down, Li Qiwei smiled and said:

"My Lord, I admire your talent."

"But we have an old saying in Huaxia: 'Each generation produces its own geniuses, and each leads the way for hundreds of years.'"

"Although you have achieved much, you are old after all; the era belongs to the younger generation."

"Furthermore, we Huaxia people are not inferior to any race!"

These resonant words made many look at Li Qiwei with newfound respect; this young Oriental man was different!

The conference could have ended right there.

The subsequent speeches were merely a formality that no one cared about anymore.

Under the gaze of the crowd, Li Qiwei strode out of the hall with his head held high.

At the same time, the Jewish youth in the venue kept his eyes fixed on Li Qiwei as he departed.

Then, as if having made up his mind, he ran out after him.

[The author has returned from chapter one hundred.]

[If you don't like the early plot, you can try starting from chapter 36.]

[The author is a newcomer, the type who improves with every chapter, so the later parts are truly brilliant—the readers all say so!]

[I will carefully study and improve based on everyone's suggestions. Lao Xu thanks you all here!]

A new author with a new book, I humbly ask you, dear readers, to add to your favorites, rate, and support it. Thank you!