I started with a ship full of max-level veterans, and I'm just a complete noob.

Jiang Ming left the deck and walked quickly back to the third-class cabin on the lower deck.

Pushing open the heavy iron door, Chen Zhiyuan was sitting cross-legged on the narrow single bed. He was holding a steamed bun in his hand, munching on it with relish. On the enamel mug on the bedside table were two other steaming buns.

"Brother Jiang, you're finally back!" Chen Zhiyuan swallowed the food in his mouth, pointed to the teacup, and said, "Eat up, eat up, it's freshly steamed in the kitchen, still warm."

Jiang Ming closed the cabin door behind him without even glancing at the two steamed buns.

His mind was completely occupied with the progress bar of the Heavenly Record, and he had no appetite for food.

"Brother Chen, do you have any blank notebooks here?" Jiang Ming walked a few steps to the bedside. "And a fountain pen, I can borrow those too."

Chen Zhiyuan froze, his half-eaten steamed bun hanging in mid-air.

"Notebook? Pen?" Chen Zhiyuan looked bewildered. "What do you need these for? Aren't you seasick?"

"Don't ask so many questions, it's extremely urgent." Jiang Ming wrung his hands anxiously. "Lend it to me for a moment, I'll buy you a new one when I get back to China."

Although Chen Zhiyuan was completely confused, he was still a kind-hearted person. He put down the steamed bun and pulled an old leather suitcase out from under the bed.

"What's there to say? We're all compatriots." Chen Zhiyuan opened his suitcase and rummaged through it for a while. "I happened to have brought a few spare copies with me."

He took out a thick notebook with a kraft paper cover and a Hero brand fountain pen, and handed them to Jiang Ming.

"Here you go." Chen Zhiyuan leaned closer curiously. "But Brother Jiang, what are you up to so late at night? Writing a letter home?"

"I'm going to find a master." Jiang Ming grabbed the notebook and pen.

"Become an apprentice?" Chen Zhiyuan was even more confused. "What kind of apprentice?"

Jiang Ming didn't answer. He turned around, opened the hatch, and rushed out without looking back.

Chen Zhiyuan was left sitting on the bed, staring at the half-eaten steamed bun in his hand, his mind full of questions.

Σ( ° △ °|||)︴

The cruise ship's corridors were narrow and cramped, and the overhead incandescent lights flickered with the rise and fall of the waves. The air was filled with the acrid smell of burning diesel fuel.

Jiang Ming gripped the brown paper notebook tightly in his hand as he followed the signs written in English on the wall and walked up to the upper deck.

Passing through the two iron gates, the scene in the corridor is completely different.

A thick red carpet was laid on the floor, and wooden wainscoting was installed on the walls. The lighting here was bright and steady, and even the smell of engine oil in the air was much fainter.

First class area.

Jiang Ming slowed his pace. His feet touched the soft carpet, but it made him feel as unsteady as if he were walking on clouds.

Cabin 107.

Jiang Ming stopped in front of a dark brown solid wood door. The brass numbers on the doorplate were polished to a gleaming shine.

This is Qian Lao's cabin.

Jiang Ming swallowed hard, his throat feeling as dry as if he had swallowed a handful of sand. His heart pounded wildly in his chest.

Should we really knock?

He was a world-leading scientist, a figure revered in textbooks for generations to come. His daily thoughts revolved around national affairs, space engineering, and missile trajectories.

What about yourself?

A 2024 college graduate who doesn't even know basic equations and can fail even mechanics of materials.

Why would you come here and ask someone to teach you from scratch?

That's a huge face!

Jiang Ming slowly raised his right hand into the air, his fingers slightly curled. But before he could touch the door, he slumped down again.

Maybe we should just forget about it.

While the cheat system "Tongtianlu" is incredibly appealing, it's also incredibly torturous. The system requires "genuine trust," and what if Qian Lao judges my behavior as attention-seeking and pushing my luck, and kicks me out?

(Ｔ▽Ｔ)

Jiang Ming paced back and forth in front of the wooden door like an ant on a hot pan.

He recalled the scene from before he transmigrated, where he was holding that third-rate diploma that his family had bought with their money, and being given the cold shoulder by HR at the job market.

He recalled the strange expressions on the deck when the group of returning scholars looked at him as if he were a monster after he revealed his academic shortcomings.

If he backs down now, he will forever remain a marginal figure on the list of scraps on the legendary USS President Cleveland in this momentous year of 1955.

"As long as you're willing to learn, it's not too late."

The words that Qian Lao said on the deck suddenly exploded in Jiang Ming's mind.

The gentleness and expectation in his tone were like a fire, igniting the resentment that had been suppressed in his heart for twenty-three years.

"I'll risk it all! If I die, I'll die and live forever!" Jiang Ming gritted his teeth and suddenly turned to face the wooden door.

If you don't work hard now, how will you survive in the future?!

He raised his right hand again.

My finger hovered less than a centimeter in front of the door panel.

He started shaking again.

That's terrifying. This is Qian Xuesen! The sense of oppression is a million times more terrifying than facing the headmaster of student affairs directly.

Jiang Ming took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and bent his fingers forcefully.

"Thump, thump, thump."

Three muffled knocks suddenly rang out in the quiet corridor.

After striking those three times, Jiang Ming's heart rate instantly soared to 180 miles per hour.

He felt his calves cramping uncontrollably, his legs were as weak as two cooked noodles, and he almost peed his pants on the spot.

A soft footstep came from inside the door.

"Squeak."

The hatch was pulled open from the inside.

Qian Xuesen was wearing a gray wool vest over a neat white shirt. He wore his signature round metal-framed glasses and held a folded English newspaper in his hand.

Qian Xuesen was clearly taken aback when he saw Jiang Ming standing outside the door, covered in sweat.

"Jiang Ming?" Qian Xuesen was somewhat surprised. "It's so late, is something the matter?"

Jiang Ming's mind went completely blank for a moment.

He had prepared a whole host of opening remarks while pacing back and forth in the corridor. He had prepared phrases like "This junior is eager to learn" and "I am willing to contribute to the construction of our motherland." He even had a script in mind on how to subtly express his poor academic foundation.

But upon seeing Master Qian, all those memories vanished.

"I...I..." Jiang Ming stammered, his tongue as if it were tied in a knot and he couldn't straighten it.

Qian Xuesen did not urge him or show any impatience; he simply stood calmly in the doorway and looked at him.

"I'll get extra lessons!" Jiang Ming suddenly closed his eyes, shouting at the top of his lungs like a martyr preparing for his heroic sacrifice, "You just said on the deck that as long as you're willing to learn, it's never too late! I've borrowed a notebook and pen; I'd like to ask you to give me extra lessons!"

After shouting those words, Jiang Ming shut his mouth tightly, cold sweat dripping down his face.

The corridor was eerily quiet.

(°Д°)

Jiang Ming groaned inwardly.

Oh no, that was too reckless.

Who comes to bang on a big shot's door late at night and forces them to take extra lessons? The way he's behaving makes him look like a shameless scoundrel.

He was even prepared to be coldly shut out by Mr. Qian and completely blacklisted.

A few seconds later.

"Come in."

Qian Xuesen's voice remained gentle, even carrying a hint of barely perceptible laughter.

Jiang Ming suddenly opened his eyes and looked up in disbelief.

Qian Xuesen had already stepped aside, making way for him to enter.

You just agreed like that?!

Jiang Ming was completely stunned and stiffly stepped into the cabin.

Although the first-class cabin is much larger than the third-class cabin, it felt very cramped at this moment.

Because the bed, the table, and even the corners of the carpet were piled with all kinds of thick books, foreign language periodicals, and hand-drawn drawings.

"Sit down," Qian Xuesen said, pointing to the only empty wooden chair next to his desk.

Jiang Ming cautiously walked over, only daring to sit down with half his buttocks touching the edge of the chair. He gripped the borrowed brown paper notebook tightly in both hands, placing it on his knees.

"I originally thought that your confession on the deck was just a way to save face for yourself." Qian Xuesen walked to the desk, put down the English newspaper in his hand, and said, "The fact that you had the courage to come and knock on my door with a notebook shows that you really want to learn."

Jiang Ming's face turned red; he was so ashamed he was practically steaming.

His initial decision to knock on the door was indeed largely driven by a desire to increase his trust level with Tongtianlu.

But now, faced with Qian Lao's unreserved acceptance, he really wanted to grasp this lifeline and learn some real skills.

"Mr. Qian, my foundation is really weak," Jiang Ming said, forcing himself to admit his shortcomings once again. "You might have to start teaching me from the very basics. Wouldn't that be taking up too much of your time?"

Qian Xuesen opened the drawer of his desk and shook his head.

"The country is short of people. Knowing a little is better than knowing nothing at all." Qian Xuesen rummaged through his drawer. "The fact that you boarded this ship at this time shows that you still have this country in your heart."

Jiang Ming sat in the chair, nervously watching Qian Lao's back.

【Ding! 】

Deep in my mind, the ancient chime of a bell suddenly rang out.

The Record of Heaven opened in my mind, and a line of shimmering golden characters leaped onto the page.

[The change in the level of trust with Qian Xuesen: from initial contact to complete trust!]

Jiang Ming felt a surge of joy.

This shameless door-knocking tactic really worked! The progress bar has been pushed forward by a huge step!

Just then, Qian Xuesen took out a black notebook from the drawer, turned around and handed it to Jiang Ming.

"Since you're going to learn, don't use your blank notebook anymore. Take this and look at it first, then come ask me if you don't understand anything."

Jiang Ming blankly reached out his hands and took the black notebook.

The cover has a rough texture, looks quite old, and the edges are even frayed.

He subconsciously turned to the first page.

The paper was slightly yellowed, covered with strong, vigorous handwriting. The layout was neat, and even the formulas and diagrams were drawn as if they had been printed.

Jiang Ming's pupils contracted sharply, his breathing stopped for a moment, and his eyes involuntarily stung.

This was the first time in his life that he had been valued in this way by a top-tier figure he was completely unfamiliar with.

"Mr. Qian, this is... your own notes?" Jiang Ming trembled as he took the well-bound handwritten book, the opening title of which was "From Zero to Hero: Complete Lecture Notes on the Fundamentals of Mechanics".