First Meeting

December 30, 1900, London, King George V Dock.

Li Qiwei had brought Li San and Hong'er, and the three of them had already been waiting here for almost two hours. None of them was the least bit impatient; instead, they kept gazing into the distance.

Li Qiwei had told them the general outline of the Spark Plan, and both were delighted.

Li San and Hong'er had been waiting with bated breath. At last, someone from home had arrived. Now they would have people to chat with in their spare time and wouldn't feel so lonely.

Earlier, Li Tingzhao had sent a telegram briefly introducing the Spark Plan members. Wang Luyao's arrival in particular had filled Li Qiwei with curiosity.

What was this? After all this time, had the female lead finally entered the story?

The ship they were traveling on, the Sea Breeze, was expected to dock today, and all three were very excited.

Unlike Li San and Hong'er, Li Qiwei was excited because the Spark Plan was about to get underway.

Ever since the Quantum Conference in London had ended, he had become a hot commodity at Cambridge University.

Vice Chancellor Caldwell had met with him personally and promised to take care of all his concerns, as long as he focused on experiments at the Cavendish.

As for the doctoral entrance exam? There was no such thing! Professor Thomson had simply waived the whole process, letting him go straight from his undergraduate degree into a doctorate.

The university had even promised that if Li Qiwei published another major discovery, they would award him his doctorate after only six months of study.

Li Qiwei was left gaping in astonishment. But then he thought it over and realized he might be the one getting the short end of the stick.

On the strength of Quantum Theory and the Photoelectric Effect alone, he deserved ten Cambridge doctorates.

The university wanted to squeeze Li Qiwei for another payday, then go to the government for money. Their calculations were so blatant the beads on their abacus were practically flying off.

But Li Qiwei didn't mind. He took the opportunity to request that three Huaxian students be admitted to Cambridge and awarded degrees if they graduated with passing marks.

As for Wang Luyao, Li Qiwei decided it was better not to ask. The university certainly wouldn't agree.

But she hadn't come to study there anyway. At worst, he could teach her himself.

Caldwell was a little hesitant, but in the end he gritted his teeth and agreed, insisting that the three students pay at least half their tuition.

Li Qiwei had nearly burst out laughing. He had been prepared to pay the whole amount himself, and was glad he hadn't blurted that out first.

Just as Li Qiwei's thoughts were wandering, Hong'er suddenly cried out, "Young master, look! The ship's here! Could those be people from home?"

At her words, Li Qiwei hurriedly looked over. He recognized the characters for "Sea Breeze" on the ship's hull and shouted, "Wonderful! That's them!"

The elegant ship gave a mighty roar as it slowly pulled into the dock.

Before long, the cabin doors opened. Li San stood among the crowd like a reef, holding up a huge sign with Li Qiwei's name written on it in Chinese characters.

Soon, three men and a woman spotted them and headed their way.

Wang Luyao recognized Li Qiwei at once. That fluttering feeling in her heart, mixed with more than twenty days of intense longing—now that she was seeing him in person, she could no longer hold herself back.

She ran straight into Li Qiwei's arms, tears in her eyes and her voice choked with emotion. "Brother Qiwei, I finally get to see you."

Li Qiwei felt as though he'd been struck by lightning. Clearly, his predecessor's instincts had kicked in; memories from childhood flashed before his eyes like scenes from a film.

It took a long while before Li Qiwei patted Wang Luyao on the back and said gently, "All right, there are so many people here. We'll talk when we get back."

He looked calm, but inside he was secretly delighted. I may not have a literature degree, but I can still flirt.

Li San and the other onlookers silently watched them lay on the dog food. Only Hong'er's expression was a little strange—happy, yet disappointed—but nobody noticed.

On the train from London to Cambridge, He Yujie and the other two were bursting with excitement. They kept asking Li Qiwei all sorts of questions, as well as what he planned to do next.

Looking at the three young faces before him, Li Qiwei felt a rush of emotion. They were the future of Huaxia.

The details of their lives surfaced in his mind. They were clearly no ordinary people, and their backgrounds were quite interesting too.

He Yujie's father had once served as a county magistrate; he came from a family of officials.

Xia Yuanli came from a family steeped in poetry and books. Influenced by his elders from childhood, he had a deep grounding in traditional culture.

Xu Qitai came from a family devoted to Western learning. He had been familiar with mathematics, physics, and chemistry since childhood, and had even translated scientific papers.

Sure enough, Huaxia's elite had begun to rise in this era. And only people like them could lead countless ordinary people in building a new world.

This also showed that the Qing Dynasty had long since lost the people's support. Officials, gentry, and intellectuals alike had all opened their eyes to the world.

Filled with ambition, Li Qiwei swept his hand through the air. "Yujie, Yuanli, Qitai, don't worry. I've already made all the arrangements. Once you arrive, you can go straight to Cambridge University."

"Wow!" all three exclaimed at once. They clearly knew what Cambridge was, especially Xu Qitai, who asked excitedly, "That's the university Newton attended, right?"

Li Qiwei smiled. "That's right. You know quite a bit, Qitai."

Xu Qitai grinned. "I once helped my grandfather translate Newton's Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy, but it was far too profound."

Li Qiwei was stunned. Good grief, this kid had a solid foundation. To his embarrassment, he himself had never read the book. He'd have to be more careful about showing off in the future.

At that moment, Wang Luyao asked sweetly, "Brother Qiwei, can I study at Cambridge too?"

"Uh, well..." Li Qiwei faltered, then explained, "Lu Yao, Cambridge University doesn't admit women yet, so there's nothing I can do."

"But I can teach you privately. I'm even better than the university's teachers."

"That goes for you three as well. I've put together a set of textbooks, and I'll teach you all together when the time comes."

Wang Luyao pursed her lips and puffed out her cheeks in disdain. "I thought the West was a more advanced civilization, but it turns out they discriminate against women just the same."

"I could even attend a foreign-run girls' school back home."

Li Qiwei could only smooth things over by joining He Yujie and the others in cursing the British government and Cambridge University.

As they continued talking, Li Qiwei got a better sense of their personalities.

Xu Qitai was the oldest, but lively and cheerful, quick-witted, and very good with people.

He Yujie was meticulous and quiet, fond of pondering things—a natural fit for scientific research.

As for the youngest, Xia Yuanli, he was strong-willed and refused to accept defeat. He was determined to become a master of Western learning and return to serve Huaxia.

Though the three had very different personalities, they were all clever and full of promise. Li Qiwei's confidence in the future of the Spark Plan grew by the minute.

Then he looked at Wang Luyao sitting beside him. A faint, sweet fragrance drifted into his nose, and her snow-white skin looked so delicate it seemed it would break at a touch.

She was utterly lost in the three young men calling her "Sister Lu Yao" again and again, her face blooming with smiles.

Li Qiwei took a deep breath and gazed out the train window. Suddenly, he found himself filled with anticipation for the life ahead.

Around nine that evening, the group finally reached their lodgings in Cambridge. Li Qiwei told them to get a good night's rest.

The next day was New Year's Day according to the Western calendar, and he would host a welcome feast for all four of them.

After that, it was time to put the first three Spark Plan members through a punishing regimen.

Once they had settled in, Li Qiwei planned to use the teaching methods of a certain middle school from his later life and let the young men experience the thrill of cramming for the National College Entrance Examination.

Master mathematics, physics, and chemistry, and you could travel the world without fear.

Thank you to reader [2019015] for the monthly ticket. Lao Xu is asking again for follows, favorites, and votes. Thank you all for your support. The Spark Plan members are all here, and the protagonist is about to get down to business.