On McKinley's issue, Lu Shi didn't want to say more.

He waved his hand,

"That's it."

So Franklin's pen moved again, and he wrote:

Speaking of Mr. Former President, Professor Lu seemed to have a trace of ignorant sadness and was reluctant to start a conversation......

Lu Shi: "......"

I couldn't help but complain: "Mr. Roosevelt, it's almost there." ”

Franklin hurriedly smiled,

"Yes, yes, yes. Rest assured, I'll delete this paragraph. ”

He tore up the piece of paper, crumpled it up, and threw it into the trash bin next to him, probably thinking that the writing was a little too outrageous.

Lu Shi said: "Let's talk about business." ”

This is a hint and a warning.

Franklin understood, "Let's talk about global university rankings?" ”

Lu Shi nodded,

"Okay."

The corners of Franklin's mouth curled up and said, "Professor Lu, I'm curious, if you were to preside over it, where would you place Harvard University in the rankings?" ”

Lu Shi almost vomited blood,

I didn't expect the other party to ask such a very entertaining question.

Franklin continued,

"Professor Lu, don't talk about those scenes, what 'the standard is not out, it is not easy to define', it is too boring. I just want to know, what is the position of Harvard University in your mind? How does it compare to oxen and swords? ”

Lu Shi groaned,

For a long time, he said, "Harvard is not on par with Cambridge today." ”

Franklin came in a hurry,

"Do you say 'now'?"

Lu Shi said "um" and explained: "In the foreseeable future, Harvard will have a huge advantage in the number of students, which is determined by the scale of higher education. ”

"It's a matter of quantity and quality," Franklin said. ”

Lu Shi said: "You misunderstood, more quantity does not mean poor quality. ”

Franklin asked, "What about the disciplines?" ”

Lu Shi thought for a while and replied: "I think that in the future, Harvard University will have more courses in business and law, and it will be more prominent." ”

Franklin couldn't help but be surprised,

"Why? It's only been a few years since Harvard set up the Department of Economics! ”

Lu Shixiao,

"Some time ago, I went to the Department of Economics and met several young gentlemen who had a unique view of monopoly and trading."

Speaking of "monopoly", Franklin's gaze changed slightly,

He blinked and said, "I've heard about that, too." You've talked to Bell, Mayer, and Stearns, and you've come up with a hypothetical model. Professors of economics spoke highly of the hypothetical model. ”

Lu Shi was stunned for a long time before realizing that the other party was talking about "Ultimatum Game".

Model or something......

Sounds a bit like mathematical modeling.

Lu Shi asked, "You also heard about that?" That's right, I don't think all transactions are zero-sum. ”

"Zero-sum (zero-sum) ......"

Franklin chewed on the word,

It is not difficult to understand literally, it refers to a situation where the sum of the benefits of both parties is zero,

That is, when one person gains more benefits, the benefits of the other person or one party are correspondingly reduced, so that the total benefit for both parties remains zero.

To put it simply, what one party gains is what one party loses.

Franklin kept digging in his memory,

He said: "This is Professor Lu's newly established definition, right? I've never heard of it before. ”

Lu Shi scratched his head,

"I just think that's the right thing to say."

Franklin exclaimed, "Of course it's appropriate! To tell you the truth, Professor Lu, you really make me admire! You just said that the model of dividing gold coins is not zero-sum, so can you give an example of a zero-sum model? ”

There are many such examples.

Lu Shi pondered for a moment and said, "Now there are two gang leaders, and they need to play a game about guts to decide the right to speak. Two men each drove a carriage in the opposite direction, and whoever could not hold on first and ordered the horse to dodge was a coward, and he was considered to lose; Whoever fears the imminent death and bravely rushes forward is regarded as a hero. ”

Several reporters from the Crimson newspaper fell into deep thought.

Someone said, "Will this happen in real life?" ”

Franklin said contemptuously, "Reality? Reality can only be more absurd than that. Think of the former president...... Ahem......"

A perfunctory cough.

I can't go into detail about McKinley.

Franklin awkwardly changed the subject: "This kind of thing is actually entirely possible, and there are many impulsive people who are encouraged by others. ”

Lu Shi spreads his hands,

"You can understand that it is necessary for discussion. It is easier to illustrate the problem by using the example of people who love to go to extremes. ”

The crowd expressed understanding, and then fell into deep thought.

In the game of land time, whoever is afraid of death first and drives to avoid it will lose.

However, if the two sides fight to the end, the outcome will be disastrous -

Fight like Kilkenny cats.

This outcome is the worst for both the individual and the entire group involved in the game.

But if both sides retreat and give way, although they are physically safe, they will lose their right to speak in the gang, which is equivalent to social death, and both will lose.

Franklin concluded, "The game is really zero-sum, winner-takes-all. ”

Lu Shi said: "If the two are impulsive and reckless, then they are likely to rush forward under the encouragement of the belief that 'soldiers can be killed and not humiliated' until they are both destroyed." At this point, the zero-sum becomes a negative sum. ”

negative sum,

Another new word.

Franklin glanced at Lu Shi in surprise, and his heart became more and more admirable.

Lu Shi said: "The question now is, what should you do if you are a game party? ”

No one can give an answer.

Franklin could see that the beauty of the game was that:

It seems to prove that in a certain situation, the more irrational a person is, the more likely he is to be a winner and get the desired outcome.

But if both are irrational......

Well, forget it.

Franklin thought about it for a long time, the CPU was about to be dry burned, and he still couldn't come up with the so-called "optimal solution".

"It's hard to choose," he said. ”

Lu Shi said: "Therefore, it is best for us to avoid entering the predicament of wanting to stop, which is the best policy." ”

Franklin's pen is going crazy again:

After telling this example, Professor Lu had a gentle smile on his face, like the kind of smile that a tolerant teacher only has when teaching stupid students. He is such a warm person, always with a warm smile......

Lu Shi: "Gross! ”

was spit out directly by the flesh.

The Mirror, which he hosts, is not so sensuous in its interview columns.

It can only be said that

is worthy of being a top student at Harvard, and his writing is so good.

Lu Shi complained: "Mr. Roosevelt, let's just say, can this kind of content be ......?"

Franklin shook his head,

"Can't! I'm sure my classmates enjoyed this kind of content. ”

He carefully folded and put away the paper, and continued, "And, the game you gave me was really interesting. Harvard students, professors, will definitely try to come up with answers, and maybe even write papers. ”

If there is a paper born from this, then game theory will also come early.

Lu Shi sighed,

"Okay~Okay~ I don't care how you write it."

Franklin continued, "Let's talk about race again? ”

This problem must not be avoided,

The beginning of the 20th century was not modern, and the United States had not yet reached the point where it was distracted from such topics.

Lu Shi said: "The Chinese Exclusion Act? ”

Franklin nodded,

"When the bill was introduced, it was not only Chinese workers, but also Latin America, Spain, and Ireland...... They are also coolies. Therefore, there is a theory that the "Chinese Exclusion Act" appeared because Chinese workers were passively involved in trade union activities, and even betrayed the union, which caused dissatisfaction and rejection among other workers. In 1882, the eligibility to vote was expanded, giving those elected members the opportunity to promote Chinese exclusion, so the Chinese Exclusion Act was born. ”

Lu Shi replied: "This set of rhetoric is not entirely unreasonable, but in essence, it is still the workers who harm each other. ”

Franklin said, "Professor Lu disagrees? ”

Lu Shi said: "When you are weak and discriminated against, there is always a crime that suits you, if it is a Chinese worker who forms a union, then the crime is to be extraordinarily grouped, repeatedly disrupt the normal construction period, and do not do much, but much more." ”

Franklin understood,

"Therefore, Professor Lu believes that there is an effect first, and then there is a cause."

Lu Shi shrugged,

"What you think is the cause may be what I think is the effect. I'm not used to thinking in terms of race, and I like to start with the economic base. ”

Franklin admired Lu Shi more and more,

He didn't dwell on the issue anymore,

"It's okay, Professor Lu, we can reserve each other's opinions. It's not a big deal. ”

Lu Shixiao,

"It may not really be a big deal for the United States right now."

The tone of his voice was prophetic,

Franklin listened awkwardly.

Lu Shi waved his hand,

"Let's talk about something else. Let's talk about literature, history, or even education, tabletop game design. ”

Franklin from the admonition,

So, the next question ceased to be sharp and lasted for thirty minutes.

The final note is:

Professor Lu calmly and elegantly responds to one problem after another, and his knowledge is like the ocean and the sky, so wide that it seems that there is no boundary, and people are fascinated by it. Moreover, he never hesitated to share his wisdom, which is admirable......

This cowhide is about to blow into the sky.

Lu Shi was a little unaccustomed to it at first, but in the end he adapted to it and let it go.

End of interview.

The reporters began to pack their things.

Franklin deliberately slowed down his movements, waited for the others to leave, and immediately closed the door, saying, "Professor Lu, Theodore has something to say that he wants me to consult you for him." ”

Lu Shi couldn't help laughing,

"I didn't expect that the United States also has the setting of 'saying something behind closed doors.'"

Franklin looked at the doorknob,

Keep it closed.

He couldn't help but be surprised: "Professor Lu, I don't understand your humor very well. ”

Lu Shi said: "It's okay, it's not humorous, you just treat me as a self-talker." ”

Franklin could feel that Lu Shi's ridicule was not malicious, and he didn't delve into it, so he said, "To be honest, Theodore asked me to ask Professor Lu a little ...... Some...... Forehead...... Professionally, I thought that Professor Lu would not be good at it, but after the interview just now, my thinking has completely changed. ”

Lu Shi was curious,

Vice President...... No, what does Mr. President want to consult? ”

Franklin smiled mysteriously,

"Monopoly."

Lu Shi was stunned for a long time, and realized that what the other party wanted to say was not a board game, but a deeper problem that the United States is now facing-

Trust.

Lu Shi thought for a moment and asked, "Is it Carnegie or Rockefeller?" ”

Dale Carnegie was the giant of the American steel industry, while Rockefeller was at the helm of Standard Oil.

Franklin looked surprised,

He still finds it unbelievable that a Chinese should be insightful about the capital situation in the United States.

“……”

“……”

“……”

There was a grave silence in the room.

Lu Shi said: "Don't be surprised, steel and energy, for a booming industrial country, is there anything more important than both? Mr. President's main concern is naturally these two. ”

was completely seen through, and Franklin was not ready to hide it,

"It's Standard Oil."

"Tsk......"

Lu Shi was staggered.

As soon as Theodore came to power, he was going to make a big move, and he was indeed a macho man from the sky.

"Doesn't the U.S. have a Sherman Antitrust Act?" he said. If I remember correctly, the bill aims to crack down on monopolistic practices in the market and protect consumer rights. ”

Franklin sighed,

"If there is a law, it can be enforced? Professor Lu may not have thought too simply. ”

Lu Shi said: "My thoughts are just the opposite. It is precisely because of the law that Mr. President's next actions are just. ”

Franklin whispered, "'Next behavior'?" What is Professor Luk's thoughts? ”

Lu Shi said: "What else? It's nothing more than a three-step walk~"

Franklin said, "Can you elaborate on that?" ”

What happened once in history, of course, Lu Shi can tell,

He said:

“

The first step is to conduct a detailed investigation of Standard Oil, station personnel, and audit its operating status and financial data;

The second step is to split the company according to the requirements of the anti-monopoly law, requiring all subsidiaries and affiliates to be separated from the parent company, and each spun off company must comply with the scale and business scope of the enterprise as prescribed by law;

The third step is to strengthen supervision, so that the split companies cannot carry out business crossover and resource sharing, and cannot carry out price coordination and market share division.

”

Lu Shi finished in one breath.

Franklin looked at him in amazement.

This special meow ......

Is this guy just a professor? Really not a politician?

Lu Shi continued: "Of course, the real difficulty lies in practice. If Mr. President wants to accomplish the feat of splitting the trust, he needs to mediate many forces, and the difficulty of this is already unimaginable to me. ”

Franklin muttered, "Is this unthinkable? Your imagination is enough. ”

Lu Shi listened and laughed,

"However, this is only a symptom and not a cure. The split of the industrial trust may lead to a financial trust in the future. This is dictated by the capitalist system. ”

And that's exactly what happened.

After the split of Standard Oil, it is still a bunch of Big Macs:

Mobil Oil, Exxon Oil, Chevron Oil, BP......

On the basis of these companies, the Rockefeller consortium has become one of the most powerful conglomerates in the United States, which has extended its sphere of influence to all sectors of the national economy.

Franklin frowned,

"Professor Lu, you have too little confidence in the United States."

Lu Shi laughed even louder,

"Don't have faith!? I'm clearly too confident in the United States, okay!? ”

His self-confidence made Franklin uncomfortable.

For a moment, Franklin thought of "The Year of 1587 of Insignificance", in which there was a great prime minister—

Zhang Juzheng.

The prime minister's reforms were undoubtedly successful,

But what about the end result?

People are dead, and politics are gone.

Could it be that Theodore will also become the Zhang Juzheng of the United States?

The United States is the Ming Dynasty!

Da Ming, it's the United States!

Is this really not a joke?

Unconsciously, a thin layer of cold sweat appeared on Franklin's forehead and back, his lips trembled, and he didn't know what to say.

He couldn't help but look at Lu Shi,

"Professor Lu, didn't you say before that history can't predict the future?"

Lu Shi said: "Yes, yes, it is impossible to predict the future. ”

"Whew~"

Franklin couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, and remembered the task assigned to him by his cousin, and said, "Professor Lu, are you willing to be a staff member for the current president of the United States?" ”

(End of chapter)