Chapter 69: The Rival's Admiration

Jiang Zhe's words left the confused audience completely bewildered.

"Is this something I'm supposed to be watching?"

"A 24-year-old host is calling a natural science expert unprofessional?"

"Holy crap, let's take it easy, man. Don't be so arrogant or you'll really get flamed."

"..."

The audience was truly anxious on Jiang Zhe's behalf.

In their view, extracting atoms from nature seemed feasible.

But what they didn't know was that for professional scholars, this was a question of the simplest order.

...

Inside the lecture hall at Kyoto University of Science.

The physicists present were all frowning deeply.

"Is this Ouyang here to sabotage the show?"

"Exactly. Such a simple question doesn't even warrant wasting a chance to ask. Even I could answer that."

"What on earth is this Ouyang doing?"

"..."

Professor Hua Yunfeng looked at the big screen and couldn't help but shake his head. "Jiang Zhe probably offended someone unintentionally. Someone who doesn't believe Jiang Zhe proposed the theory himself is testing him with an extremely simple question."

Professor Feng, standing nearby, nodded repeatedly. "Yes, it looks like there's about to be a bloodbath."

Those who knew, knew; those who didn't, didn't.

Many scholars from other fields at the scene looked completely lost.

"What are they talking about?"

"Why can't I understand?"

"Is this really that simple?"

...

Inside the leadership conference room at the Television Station.

Station Manager Zhao and Wang Guosheng didn't think anything was wrong with the question itself.

However, they both felt that Jiang Zhe's approach was somewhat problematic.

Even if the question was simple for him, he shouldn't have said so in public. Where was he leaving the scholar's dignity?

Coincidentally, Wang Lin let out a cold snort. "Station Manager, Director, don't look like that. This Ouyang really is here to cause trouble."

Station Manager Zhao turned around. "Cause trouble? How so?"

Wang Lin said without hesitation, "This question could be answered by a first-year physics undergraduate. If you ask me, he might have been sent by our competitors. Or maybe Ouyang thinks we're following a script; after all, without a script, it's hard for anyone to propose original theories and solve various paradoxes."

Wang Guosheng understood and asked with a look of surprise, "So, he's testing the authenticity of Jiang Zhe's lecture? His goal isn't to ask a question, but to see if our station is using a script?"

Wang Lin nodded, confirming it. "Exactly!"

Station Manager Zhao remarked with emotion, "I didn't know what was going on, but I didn't expect so many people to be jealous of us. Let's see how Jiang Zhe handles this."

While the leaders at the scene were confused, Ouyang on the other end of the phone fell silent.

Soon, the person on the phone took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, it's my fault. Honestly, I didn't want to believe that a 24-year-old could suddenly appear out of nowhere and propose so many unbelievable theories and solve various paradoxes."

Jiang Zhe asked straightforwardly, "Who invited you?"

Ouyang didn't hide it and responded directly, "I was invited by Kun City Television Station. I'm sorry, I'm very sorry to meet you in this way."

As the words fell, Jiang Zhe was stunned. "Kun City..."

Kun City and Su City...

Well, they had always been two cities that didn't get along, at least in this world.

Kun City wanted independence, and Su City wouldn't allow it.

As a result, these two cities competed in everything, from the leaders down to the common people.

Su City was proud of its people, and Kun City was proud of its own; whenever they met, there was bound to be a fight!

They even competed over how many famous singers and actors each city produced.

Jiang Zhe was truly speechless!

If you want to fight, then fight. What does it have to do with me, a person from Northern Jiangsu?

Yes, Jiang Zhe actually wasn't from Su City, but from north of the Yangtze River, the hometown of Han Xin: Huai'an!

It was just that his education had been completed in Su City!

Inside the leadership conference room.

Station Manager Zhao gritted his teeth. "Damn that Kun City, they've brought their competition to our Television Station. What does this have to do with Jiang Zhe from Northern Jiangsu? If you have a problem, come at me! Hiring outside help to sabotage us... just wait until you see what I do to Kun City next time!"

Wang Guosheng didn't know what to say and just shook his head helplessly.

In the livestream chat, the audience also came to a realization.

"Holy shit... so it was a competitor!"

"Neither of these two cities will accept the other as the big brother, and now they've brought it here."

"Damn it, am I the only one curious about the answer to that question?"

"I'm a physics student. Let me tell you, the answer is very simple. Ouyang basically wasted a chance to ask a question that could have helped him progress."

"Sigh, that's so annoying. Give that question chance to me! I'm confident I could win the Nobel... Bragging Prize."

"Hahahaha!"

"..."

While the audience turned their fire on Ouyang...

Jiang Zhe, on TVs and phones, gave a slight smile and began to explain.

"But since you've raised the question, I have no reason to refuse to answer."

"Regarding your question, I am willing to explain it to my audience."

"First: The hypothetical machine you mentioned that can extract atoms from nature is achievable. It can be done with simple equipment in any basic laboratory."

"Second: The second machine you mentioned, the 'Assembly Machine,' is impossible to realize."

"Because!"

"An Assembly Machine violates the laws of nature. This machine is like Maxwell's Demon."

"By the way, Maxwell's Demon—its existence violates the laws of nature."

"In nature, it is impossible for any organism or machine to control the movement of individual molecules."

"Why?"

"Because the movement of molecules is random and irregular."

"Even at this very moment, the movement of molecules inside my body is unpredictable, random, and irregular."

"You use your hypothetical machine to predict the state of the molecules in my body at this second, and then you create a new person based on those molecular movements."

"Okay, but in the next second, the molecular movements in my body suddenly change. And the changes in my molecules will be completely different from the changes in the person you newly created."

"Even if you were lucky enough to obtain the machine and then lucky enough to create me, that 'New Jiang Zhe' you made would still be different from me."

"One could even say that the New Jiang Zhe you created isn't me at all!"

"On this point alone, Mr. Ouyang, the 'Assembly Machine' you spoke of is impossible to realize."

"It is impossible for an 'Assembly Machine' to predict the movement of every single molecule."

At that moment, in the lounge of the Kun City Television Station Station.

The middle-aged Professor Ouyang Baili, dressed in a black suit, showed a smile.

He had confirmed it—

Everything Jiang Zhe was saying was completely unscripted.

The experts who had asked questions before weren't actors playing along either.

Jiang Zhe, he really had the genuine substance.

Now, Ouyang no longer doubted that the previous Bootstrap Paradox was indeed Jiang Zhe's original work.

On the big screen, Jiang Zhe smiled and continued his explanation.