Chapter 276 Smith's Letter

October 3, 2040.

Beijing, sky ladder project Headquarters.

Lin Mo sat in his office, a letter lying before him.

The envelope was a plain white one with no sender's address, only a single line of handwritten recipient information: "To Mr. Lin Mo, Beijing, China." The postmark showed that the letter had come from Cambridge, England.

He had been staring at the letter for five full minutes.

Li Xiao pushed the door open and entered. Seeing him like that, she paused for a moment. "Senior, whose letter is it?"

Lin Mo looked up. "Smith's."

Li Xiao's eyes widened. "That Smith? The Nobel laureate? The Smith who's always contradicting us?"

Lin Mo nodded.

Li Xiao leaned in, looking at the letter curiously. "What did he write? Is he questioning us again?"

Lin Mo shook his head. "I haven't read it yet."

“Then why haven't you opened it?"

Lin Mo was silent for a second, then he picked up a letter opener and carefully opened the envelope.

The letter was on ordinary A4 paper, printed, but with a handwritten signature at the end. Lin Mo unfolded the paper and began to read.

Dear Mr. Lin Mo:

Please forgive me for contacting you in this manner. I know we have had many disagreements. I once publicly questioned your Nuclear Fusion data and wrote articles mocking the possibility of the sky ladder project. In the eyes of many, we are rivals.

But I want to tell you a secret.

After the successful Nuclear Fusion ignition, I suffered from insomnia for a whole week. It wasn't out of jealousy, but because I realized I was wrong. You proved the authenticity of those data points and the capability of your team. That night, I sat in my office watching your live stream, silent for a long time.

Later, when the sky ladder project's foundation was laid, I said, 'I'm not optimistic, but I hope you succeed.' Those words were sincere. It wasn't a pleasantry; I truly hoped you would succeed.

Now, you have truly succeeded.

The space elevator has been built, and the mecha have made their debut—what you are doing has already exceeded my imagination. As someone who has spent a lifetime in physics, I must admit: you are ahead of the world.

I used to believe that science has no borders, but scientists have a homeland. I still believe that. But this phrase has another layer of meaning: precisely because scientists have a homeland, we should cooperate even more in science. Because science, in the end, serves all of humanity.

That is why I wanted to write this letter.

It is not to apologize, although I should. Nor is it to curry favor, although I hope to establish a connection with you. I just want to tell you: I respect you, I respect your team, and I respect the achievements you have made.

If there is an opportunity, I hope we can cooperate. Not to defeat anyone, but to allow science to go further.

Of course, if you are unwilling, I understand. After all, I have said many unpleasant things over the past years.

Regardless, please accept my sincere respect.

Sincerely,

Regards,

James Smith

September 28, 2040, in Cambridge

After Lin Mo finished reading the letter, he fell silent.

Li Xiao couldn't wait any longer. "Senior, what did he actually write?"

Lin Mo handed her the letter.

Li Xiao took it and scanned it quickly. As she read, her expression changed from surprise to confusion, and finally to a complex sense of being moved.

"Senior," she looked up, "this Smith seems... quite sincere."

Lin Mo nodded.

Li Xiao asked again, "Then how do you plan to reply?"

Lin Mo stood up and walked to the window. Outside, Beijing's autumn colors were in full bloom, and the ginkgo leaves were a dazzling yellow.

He was silent for a long time.

Then he walked back to his desk, picked up a pen, and wrote a single line on a sticky note.

"Cooperation welcomed. Lin Mo."

He folded the note, put it into a new envelope, and wrote down Smith's address.

Li Xiao looked at the line of words and was stunned. "That's it?"

Lin Mo nodded. "That's it."

“You're not going to write anything else?"

Lin Mo shook his head. "No need."

Li Xiao thought about it and then smiled.

"True. These two words will be enough for him to ponder for quite a while."

At three in the afternoon, Lin Mo sent the letter out.

As he walked out of the post office, Chen Xueming called.

"Old Lin, I heard Smith wrote you a letter?" His voice was full of curiosity. "What did he say?"

Lin Mo briefly summarized the content.

After listening, Chen Xueming was silent for a few seconds and then said, "Is he... softening up?"

Lin Mo thought for a moment. "It's not softening. It's acknowledgement."

“Acknowledging what?"

"Acknowledging that we did it." Lin Mo looked at the distant sky. "He is a scientist. A scientist's dignity doesn't lie in never admitting a mistake, but in acknowledging the facts once they are seen."

Chen Xueming laughed on the other end of the phone.

"Old Lin, you're just too tolerant. If it were me, I'd definitely have to throw a few jabs at him."

Lin Mo also laughed. "Why jab at him? He said he wants to cooperate, so we'll cooperate. Matters of science aren't about holding grudges."

Chen Xueming was silent for a while and then said, "Alright, I'll listen to you."

After hanging up, Lin Mo stood at the post office entrance, watching the crowds come and go.

Three years ago, Smith was still questioning their Nuclear Fusion data on television. Two years ago, he wrote articles mocking the sky ladder project. A year ago, he sent an encrypted message saying he was willing to provide help. Now, he had personally written a letter saying he hoped for cooperation.

Time really can change many things.

That evening, Lin Mo told Wang Zhenguo about the matter.

After hearing it, Wang Zhenguo was silent for a long time.

Then he said, "Xiao Mo, you did the right thing."

Lin Mo looked at him.

Wang Zhenguo continued, "On the path of science, one cannot go far alone. You need rivals, and you also need friends. Smith is a good rival, and he might also be a good partner."

He paused and smiled slightly.

"When I was young, I also had such a rival. Later, we became friends. Although he is gone now, I have always remembered him."

Lin Mo nodded.

Wang Zhenguo looked at him, his gaze full of affection.

"Xiao Mo, you have already learned how to be a true scientist."

Lin Mo was stunned for a moment, then he smiled.

"Teacher, it was you who taught me."

Wang Zhenguo shook his head. "You learned it yourself."

Late night, Cambridge.

Smith sat in his office, a cup of stone-cold coffee in front of him. Outside, the church bells had just struck twelve.

He had been waiting for three days.

Ever since he sent that letter, he had been waiting for a reply every day. Although he knew Lin Mo might not reply at all, might not care about his apology, or might have long since forgotten him.

But he still waited.

His assistant pushed the door open, holding an envelope. "Professor, there's a letter for you. It's from China."

Smith stood up abruptly and took the envelope.

He opened the letter and took out the note.

There was only one line on it:

"Cooperation welcomed. Lin Mo."

Smith stared at that line for a long time.

Then he laughed.

As he laughed, his eyes grew a bit red.

He walked to the window and looked out at the Cambridge night. The church spires pierced the starry sky, and stars twinkled in the night.

Thirty-six thousand kilometers away, there was an invisible cable connecting the Earth and space.

That was built by the Chinese.

And now, that person had said to him: Cooperation welcomed.

He whispered, "Thank you."