When Li Qiwei said he would provide the evidence immediately, everyone in the hall went wild.
Many people even cried out in astonishment. The calm from before had shattered, and the atmosphere began to boil.
No one could have imagined such a dramatic turn of events. Fighting the crowd alone was already impressive—was he now going to overpower them all by himself?
It was no exaggeration to say that the people sitting here were among the most intelligent in the world.
If they were still going to be crushed by a young man who hadn't even graduated from university, they could hardly imagine a scene so world-shaking.
"Oh, my God. Is Bruce really going to defy heaven? How is he going to provide evidence?"
"I can't imagine it. Is he going to conduct an experiment right here to prove it? But there's nothing here!"
"Today, we're going to witness a miracle. There's never been a moment this thrilling in the history of physics. It's like reading a popular novel."
"..."
Lord Rayleigh, Wien, and Lorentz stared at Li Qiwei in shock. In truth, all three of them agreed with Quantum Theory.
But they had still wanted to put pressure on this dazzling young man, to temper him and help him go further.
Who could have guessed that Li Qiwei would ignore all convention and offer to provide the evidence right there on the spot?
The three of them were dumbfounded, then utterly astonished. Could a person really be this much of a genius?
At that moment, the three great figures even felt a flicker of anticipation. They were about to witness the rise of a supernova in physics.
Lord Kelvin's deeply wrinkled face showed an expression of disbelief. A sudden glint flashed in his wise eyes.
It was as if he wanted to see through Li Qiwei's body and glimpse the great soul hidden deep within him.
He was about to witness the rise of a legend!
Thomson, Röntgen, Planck, and the others watched Li Qiwei with blazing eyes. Their faces remained calm, but inside, their thoughts surged like a storm-tossed sea.
"Bruce, you're still as astonishing as ever, looking down on everything."
Even Millikan, from the United States, felt his emotions catch fire.
He had thought that the United States, with its rapid development, had already surpassed its old rival Europe in both economics and science.
He hadn't expected that one student from Cambridge University could be so dazzling. Was America's dream of rising to prominence about to be outshone again?
Einstein and the others nearly cried out in excitement. Of course they believed in Li Qiwei. But they were also wondering: what kind of evidence would he present?
Wilson let out a breath of relief, feeling certain that all would be well.
After spending so much time with Li Qiwei, he had grown used to one thing: whenever Li Qiwei made a bold claim, the other party was sure to suffer for it.
A flush appeared on Marie Curie's face. Smiling brightly, she watched Li Qiwei intently.
Beside her, Langevin gazed blankly at his mentor's wife, his face full of bliss.
As for Monsieur Curie, he was excitedly discussing things with Becquerel. It had been a long time since they'd seen such an outstanding young man with such boldness.
As he spoke, Monsieur Curie deliberately glanced at Langevin, thinking that if the young man had even a tenth of Li Qiwei's excellence, it would be wonderful.
That glance startled Langevin. He quickly looked away and turned to his teacher, giving an awkward smile.
Monsieur Curie gave a quiet snort. Just looking at him made him annoyed. Always so glib—why couldn't he be as dazzling as Li Qiwei?
Some of the professors from Oxford University, however, didn't see it that way.
"Hmph. Bruce Li really is just like the rumors say. He's always showing off. Physics isn't something you can get whatever you want from."
"Young people these days have no reverence. They're always trying to make a big splash. Scientific research demands patience and focus."
"Just wait and see. I don't believe he'll come up with any convincing evidence. It'll probably be another vague theory."
"..."
Standing onstage, Li Qiwei took in every expression in the audience.
There was anticipation, envy, disdain, and schadenfreude. Whatever they thought, at that moment, he was the absolute center of attention.
Li Qiwei glanced behind the podium. There stood a huge blackboard made of four panels, its surface clean and gleaming. It clearly hadn't been used in a long time.
He turned to Lord Kelvin. "My lord, may I use this blackboard?"
"I need to write out my evidence on it."
Lord Kelvin was taken aback. The blackboard? He'd thought Li Qiwei would simply explain it aloud, as he had when answering questions earlier.
Was he going to derive the formulas on the spot? That would be astonishing!
But even if he derived the Li-Planck Radiation Formula right then and there, it wouldn't help.
Still, he nodded in agreement. The blackboard was just there for show anyway.
The people in the audience were all seized by curiosity. They wanted to see what this genius of physics was about to do.
When Li Qiwei reached the blackboard, he realized there was no chalk.
He gave a wry smile. It seemed the Royal Society had fallen on hard times—they didn't even keep chalk by the blackboard.
Then again, it made sense. The people giving talks here were giants in their fields. They wouldn't demonstrate things for the audience on the spot; that was a teacher's job.
So he turned around, spotted Chris in the crowd, and called out, "Chris!"
Chris jerked as if struck by lightning and sprang to his feet, startling the people around him—and even Li Qiwei.
It was no wonder. By now, Li Qiwei had left Chris completely awestruck. In his eyes, the man was practically a god.
Li Qiwei smiled. "Don't be nervous, Chris. I called you over because I'd like you to bring me a box of chalk."
Chris hurriedly agreed and dashed out.
While he waited, Li Qiwei addressed the crowd again. "What I'm about to write was originally going to be published in a paper in a few days."
"But since there's so much controversy surrounding Quantum Theory, I'll present it to you here today."
"If explaining Blackbody Radiation with quanta could be dismissed as a coincidence, then if it can explain this phenomenon too, I don't think any of you will still call it a coincidence."
As soon as he finished speaking, Chris came hurrying back, panting.
Li Qiwei took the chalk from him and gave him a light pat. Chris instantly felt as though he were with his girlfriend.
With everyone in the hall watching, Li Qiwei slowly walked to the blackboard.
At that moment, he stood with his back to the world, like an emperor of physics, utterly supreme, ready to tear aside the Creator's veil with his own hands.
Li Qiwei moved!
First, he wrote a title: "On a Heuristic Viewpoint Concerning the Production and Transformation of Light by Means of Quanta."
Then he drew a diagram beside it: a long strip labeled "metal," with a beam of light slanting down from the upper left and striking the metal. Several small circles escaped from the strip.
Next, he added a closed circuit to the metal strip. When he connected a forward power source, the small circles gathered together, forming an electric current.
Because Li Qiwei had drawn only a diagram and hadn't said a word, only a handful of people realized what it was after he finished.
Einstein abruptly sprang to his feet, making the people around him turn to stare. Which hothead was making such a fuss now?
But he paid no heed to their reaction. Pointing at the blackboard with a trembling finger, he said excitedly, "Grossman, this... could this possibly be—"
Grossman swallowed and replied uncertainly, "It should be... I think it is. Bruce drew this for us both back then."
"Has he really solved the problem so quickly? Didn't he say before that he only had an idea?"
"When the three of us discussed it, Bruce wasn't even completely sure."
Einstein let out a heavy breath. "Bruce is going to win again. He's going to use Quantum Theory to prove the Photoelectric Effect."
Grossman trembled all over, unable to believe it.
Boom!
That was right. By bringing the Photoelectric Effect into the world five years early, Li Qiwei would establish the correctness of Quantum Theory beyond a doubt.
And with that, he could soar like the roc, riding the wind!
Thanks to everyone for your recommendation votes. Lao Xu was so excited while writing this chapter that he gave it a seven-character title.
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