Hearing Cheng Nuo's words, it seemed that he was very consistent with his own point of view, Planck was very happy about this, stepped forward and took the initiative to hold Cheng Nuo's hand, and said with a serious face: "Actually, I didn't mean to take everyone to the end, that would also be a waste of the few resources of our Prussian Academy of Sciences." ”

Einstein was a little puzzled, tilted his head and said, "You just said such a long thing from the podium, and you clearly wanted us people to help reverse this terrible situation. ”

Planck denied it: "It's you who misunderstood, my meaning is very clear and easy to understand, it's just a matter of one sentence." ”

Cheng Nuo was curious: "Do your best for the country, and then die?" ”

"There is such a meaning, but you are a little too heavy." Planck was slightly embarrassed and quickly explained: "In fact, it's 'save your strength and continue to work', that's what you say." ”

Looking at Einstein, who was also a disciple and friend, Planck sighed sincerely: "I think I am first of all an honest and patriotic person, then a scientist, and finally a decision-maker of science policy. ”

Cheng Nuo deeply believes this point of view, just like he himself has always believed, science has no borders, but scientists have borders.

This is also why Cheng Nuo can accept the father of chemical warfare - Haber, even if he is unforgivable in the eyes of Britain and France and other countries, he still dares to accept it.

In Cheng Nuo's view, the First World War was originally the unequal distribution of spoils between these powers, and the friction finally deteriorated into war, and Haber, as a German, was understandable to help his homeland research weapons.

Among other things, one of Germany's rivals, the United Kingdom, Henri Mosera, was also a chemist, not only invented the first nuclear battery before World War I, but also revealed a number of undiscovered vacancies in the periodic table, which helped the young man who was not yet 30 years old to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

But such a genius person took the initiative to give up scientific research and sign up for the British Royal Engineer Corps, which is the same as Haber's purpose in researching chemical weapons, all to serve his motherland.

It's just that this guy is unlucky that he was only 27 years old when he was personally sent back to God's arms by Turkish snipers after just one year on the battlefield.

Thinking carefully about Planck around him, Cheng Nuo couldn't help but sigh in his heart: "God opens a door for you, and he will close a window for you. ”

His personal activities mainly revolve around science, but his leadership position in science has led to his frequent exposure to the public, making him a public figure in the political field.

Conservative political outlook and self-image, rooted in the era of the German Empire.

Even though his second son, Erwin, became a prisoner of the French, and his eldest son Karl died at the Battle of Verdun two years later, he still had hope for the German rulers and a matter of course for his unconditional loyalty to the country, having grown up in Prussian tradition.

Even after Mustache came to power, Planck still had a good impression of him, thinking that the new regime might bring hope to German science, but unfortunately it was not realized until the end, and the second son, who picked up his life during the First World War, was finally hanged by Mustache, which must be described as tragic.

But thinking about it, Planck is such a patriotic person, for Cheng Nuo, there is obviously no possibility of taking him away, what he can do is to build a good relationship with him, and take advantage of Germany's weakness to earn benefits for China as much as possible.

"Professor Planck, I know that the main task of almost all scientific institutes in Germany is now the study of armaments, and apart from the expected development of some of the institutes that have been converted into military institutions, the number of new institutes and the growth of research fields are no less than they were before the war.

Now the direct transformation from radical expansion to conservative defense is not a bit too passive. Cheng Nuo asked knowingly, wanting to knock on the side to see if what the other party said was the same thing as what he was thinking.

Unexpectedly, before Planck could reply, Einstein was the first to speak: "The condition on which this development depends is the prosperity of the wartime economy, which, like a soap bubble, is now inflated to the limit and is about to explode, when the Great Boom will be followed by the Great Depression." ”

Planck nodded and agreed with this point of view: "Although I don't want to admit it, the chances of Germany's defeat are getting bigger and bigger, and if we don't accumulate strength at this time, when the real winter comes, our life will be very difficult, and the wartime economy is already in the past." ”

Cheng Nuo smiled and said mysteriously on the side: "Regarding the wartime economy, there is an angle I don't know if you have paid attention to?" ”

Einstein turned his head and wondered, "What angle?" ”

Cheng Nuo raised his eyebrows and said, "Of course, it's basic research." The wartime economic boom made industry more tolerant of scientists, and the academy was able to foster basic research that had nothing to do with industry interests, which had been planned before the war but stalled due to lack of funding.

That is, the wartime economy helps not only military science, but also basic science for research. ”

Planck, as president of the Prussian Academy of Sciences and one of the most influential scientists in Germany at present, directly or indirectly managed many projects, may now have to suspend experiments as the wartime economy slumped.

Thinking of the hard work put in, Planck's heart hurts.

Not only that, but during Planck's tenure, the University of Berlin gathered the best scientists in the world, and the University of Berlin became the place where scientists wanted to work the most.

In order to attract talents to join, Planck has made a lot of money, and all kinds of preferential conditions are desperate to rush forward.

For example, Albert Einstein, who was attracted to Berlin on another very tempting condition: as a professor at the University of Berlin, he had the right to attend classes, but he had no obligation to attend classes. This was quite tempting for Einstein, who didn't like to go to class.

But at present, because of the problem of funding, the experimental process may be interrupted at any time, and after a long time, the talent team that has worked so hard to invite has fallen apart, which makes Planck very uncomfortable.

Capturing the subtle expression on Planck's face, Cheng Nuo already had a bottom in his heart, but he didn't say anything directly at the moment.

"I think since the state can't count on the funds, why don't you think more about the private side?"

"It's a good idea, but it doesn't seem to be that easy to solve." Planck hesitated.

"I agree with this, but the wartime economy is not only used for academics, but also in its supporting industries, but as you said, once the war is lost, many companies will go bankrupt, and research funds will also be difficult to get." Einstein thought for a moment and added, "It's not easy. ”

Looking at Planck's sad face on the other side, the corners of Cheng Nuo's mouth showed an arc slightly upward, and said in his heart You are distressed, and I will come forward to solve the problem later, it will be much smoother.

But for now, the German economy at least looks okay, and it's not time to solve the puzzle.

In the next nearly half a month, Cheng Nuo tried his best to have a good relationship with Planck.

Don't look at the fact that he did not lead a school, and the number of people who received doctorates under his name was limited.

But a small number does not mean that the quality is not high, and among the students were two Nobel laureates: von Laue and Walter Both, and the famous philosopher and founder of the Vienna School, Moritz Schlick.

After several visits, Cheng Nuo's relationship with these students gradually became familiar, and the topic became more extensive.

Slowly, Cheng Nuo began to joke with them: "Professor Laue, in order to stay with Professor Planck, you voluntarily gave up the full professorship offered by other universities and became an associate professor at the University of Berlin, and now that so much time has passed, don't you regret it?" ”

Laue shook his head: "There is nothing to regret, not only me, but also the great mathematicians and great physicists in the Academy of Sciences respect the teacher, and I just stand out a little bit among them." ”

Cheng Nuo nodded with admiration, and then said: "Respect is respect, but people still have to eat, and scientific research also needs funds, if so many people want to seize such a small amount of resources, Professor Planck will also be difficult to do, right?" ”

There was a tangled look on Laue's face: "It's okay, as long as the teacher needs it, I can study the theoretical aspects by myself without any funds, and try not to delay the teacher's arrangement." ”

Cheng Nuo asked: "But even if this is the case, what if the funds are not enough?" ”

Laue muttered: "This ...... I don't know what to do about this yet. ”

Cheng Nuo smiled and patted Laue on the shoulder: "But what if I tell you that I am willing to provide enough scientific research funds for the best of you?" ”

Laue was taken aback, and was so overjoyed that he couldn't believe it: "What you said is true? If it's true, I'll tell the teacher right away so that the teacher can get a good night's sleep. ”

Cheng Nuo got up and hurriedly stopped him, and said seriously: "I haven't finished my words yet, but I don't provide funding for any research." ”

Lae was puzzled: "What kind of research can you fund it?" ”

Cheng Nuo smiled: "For example, an institution like the Coal Institute. ”

The so-called Coal Institute is a research institute newly established in Germany, which is directly related to production, mainly involving the extraction of oil products from coal such as lubricating oil, gasoline, propellant, tar and other substitutes for petroleum products, as well as the "ammonia oxidation method to nitric acid" as a substitute for Chilean saltpeter, etc., to solve the problem of energy shortage in Germany.

It has been established for less than half a year, and it has already made small gains.

Laue reacted somewhat: "In other words, from basic research to applied technology research, are you willing to provide scientific research funding?" ”

Cheng Nuo shook his head and said: "I'm afraid it's not enough to just apply technology research, what I want is "industry-based", that is to say, scientific research should represent the needs of the industry and serve the interests of the industry. ”

In fact, although Germany was defeated in World War I, the monopoly capital groups benefited a lot from the war. The profits brought by it far exceed the imagination of the capital group, and it can be said that it is the beginning of the windfall profits of capital through large-scale modern warfare.

What Cheng Nuo wants to do is to obtain more technology through limited investment, so as to bring more benefits.

The so-called is just a model, and there will be iron research institutes, coal research institutes, non-ferrous metal research institutes, etc., all within the scope of Cheng Nuo's investment.

Compared with Britain, although China and Germany are now belligerents, relations between the two countries have been much better after the war.

The unequal treatment of China and Germany at the Paris Peace Conference after the war caused the two countries, which had good relations before the war, to quickly abandon their old grievances.

Germany became the first Western power to renounce all unequal treaties in China by signing a separate peace treaty with China, and Sino-German relations began to normalize on the basis of equality, friendship and reciprocity, and ushered in a special "golden twenties".

The Weimar Republic, which was rebuilt after the war, became an important place for a new generation of Chinese scholars, including great men, bosses, Zhang Junmao, Chen Yinke, etc., to study and investigate with revolutionary soldiers, thinkers, and artists.

Just sending students to study in France can no longer satisfy Cheng Nuo's appetite.

Studying in Germany and allowing students to study in research institutes that they have invested in, so as to obtain more advanced technology, is also in Chengnuo's industrial plan.

However, investing in industry is such a big thing, and Laue does not dare to make an idea.

After thinking about it for a long time, I finally said, "I have to ask the teacher's opinion." ”

Fortunately, it was not far from Planck's home, and Cheng Nuo carefully calculated the time and felt that the heat was almost over.

After all, a few months later, on the battlefields of World War I, the Allies had successfully switched from positional warfare to movement warfare, something that no offensive on the Western Front had failed to do since the fall of 1914.

In contrast, Germany was constantly being repulsed, and even Kaiser Wilhelm II began to negotiate secretly with his subordinates to see how to deal with it in order to hopefully obtain armistice conditions that were not too harsh.

In other words, at present, the entire German monarchy and people have lost the spirit of the past.

If you don't contact Planck again, I'm afraid that the other party will really break the jar and break it, and it won't end well when the time comes.

Coincidentally, Einstein was also at Planck's house, but he was still carrying a bulging bag, and he hadn't had time to take it off, and it was obviously not long after he arrived.

Seeing Cheng Nuo come in, Einstein took the initiative to get up to greet him, and said mysteriously: "I guess today is a special day, so I specially prepared two things, Cheng, before you take them out, you can guess what?" ”

Frowning and thinking for a moment, Cheng Nuo replied, "Is it a surprise for Professor Planck?" ”

Einstein smiled and nodded, "Of course." ”

Cheng Nuo blurted out: "That must be a basic physics research paper, after all, Planck hopes that after you arrive in Berlin, you can work with him to solve the basic problems of physics, especially the integration between physics and chemistry, in order to get a new theory of matter." ”

"Although you are right, I am sorry to tell you that you are wrong to put it here." Einstein shrugged, took things out and put them on the table, and said, "Not only is it wrong, but you don't understand romance yet."

"As a scientific researcher, and you are still younger than me, you should know how to be romantic, enjoy life, scientific research is not a dead brain."

Following the direction, what appeared in front of Cheng Nuo was a bouquet of roses and a violin.