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

Holding the book "Starting from Zero: Complete Lectures on the Fundamentals of Mechanics" in his hands, Jiang Ming felt that this thin book was heavier than a thousand-pound iron block.

These are lecture notes written by Qian Xuesen himself!

His handwriting was vigorous and neat; even the lines in the force analysis diagram were drawn as straight as if they had been measured with a ruler. This kind of artifact, which only exists in museums, was now truly in the hands of this academically challenged student.

"Don't just stand there." Qian Xuesen pulled out another chair and sat down, pointing to the notebook in Jiang Ming's hand. "Turn to the first page. Since we're going to have a make-up lesson, let's start with the most basic Newton's three laws of motion."

"Oh, okay!" Jiang Ming quickly pulled himself back to reality and hurriedly flipped through the lecture notes.

He sat upright, his back ramrod straight, not daring to even breathe loudly.

This is one-on-one tutoring from a max-level expert!

"Newton's First Law, also known as the Law of Inertia," Qian Xuesen said in a calm and gentle voice, "is that every object persists in its state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line unless compelled to change that state by forces acting upon it. You've heard this in class before, haven't you?"

"I've heard of it," Jiang Ming nodded honestly.

Although he was a slacker, he still remembered this kind of junior high school physics stuff. The problem is, he can only memorize it; he's completely lost when it comes to doing practice problems.

"Then do you understand its essence?" Qian Xuesen looked at him.

Jiang Ming opened his mouth, his mind filled with long, dry definitions, but he couldn't come up with any words.

He was so anxious that sweat started to bead on his forehead.

If he can't even answer such basic questions, wouldn't Professor Qian think he's hopeless and kick him out?

Just then.

"Knock knock knock".

There was a sudden knock on the hatch.

Jiang Ming shuddered like a startled rabbit, nearly dropping the pen in his hand. (Ｔ▽Ｔ)

Oh no! Could it be that they think I'm too stupid and have sent someone to "see me out"?

"Go in." Qian Xuesen said without turning his head.

The door was pushed open, and a young man wearing a gray Zhongshan suit and black-rimmed glasses walked in. He was carrying a tray with two steaming cups of tea on it.

This is Qin Lu, a fellow scholar who returned from abroad on the same ship. He would also help Qian Lao with some trivial matters in his life.

"Mr. Qian, I noticed your lights were on all the time, so I went to the kitchen and got you two cups of hot tea," Qin Lu said, placing the tea on the table.

Qin Lu turned his head and saw Jiang Ming sitting next to him, and was stunned for a moment.

He clearly knew the name of the last person on the list, the "underachiever," and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but he didn't ask any questions and just nodded politely.

"You've worked hard, just leave it there." Qian Xuesen pointed to the table.

Qin Lu tiptoed out, closing the door behind him.

The cabin fell silent again.

Jiang Ming stared intently at the steaming cup of tea on the table, his heart pounding with anxiety.

In the old society, serving tea was a sign that the host was about to see the guest out. Was Mr. Qian implying that he could leave? (°Д°)

Unexpectedly, Qian Xuesen picked up one of the cups of tea and handed it to Jiang Ming.

"Have some water, don't be so nervous." Qian Xuesen smiled. "This isn't an exam room, so you don't need to be afraid of answering incorrectly. Physics is meant to explain life, so just say whatever comes to mind."

Jiang Ming accepted the teacup with a sense of flattery. The scalding heat spread through his palm, miraculously calming his wildly beating heart.

He took a deep breath and decided to go all out.

Regardless of the formula definition, explain it in plain language that you can understand!

"Mr. Qian, I have a silly question." Jiang Ming put down his teacup and pointed to a pencil on the table that had rolled backward because of the waves.

"The boat rocked a bit just now, and this pen rolled backward without being pushed," Jiang Ming gestured. "The book says it stays still unless there's an external force. So why did it move if it wasn't touched?"

He paused, then looked at Qian Xuesen tentatively.

"It's because the ship is moving forward, but the pen 'wants' to stay where it was. So, from our perspective, it appears to be moving backward relative to the table. That's its 'inertia,' right?"

After saying that, Jiang Ming nervously swallowed.

This explanation is too colloquial, even bordering on the absurd and unsophisticated. To speak such plainly in front of top scientists is like trying to teach a master swordsman how to wield a great sword.

however.

Qian Xuesen was slightly taken aback, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

He didn't laugh; instead, he nodded very seriously.

"Well said." Qian Xuesen tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "You didn't use a rigid concept of a frame of reference to memorize it, but instead used the intuitive concept of relative motion, such as 'it wants to stay in place,' to understand inertia. This kind of thinking, which breaks away from formulas and returns to the essence of phenomena, is much better than rote memorization."

Jiang Ming was stunned.

Holy crap! The pro praised me?! Σ(っ°Д°;)っ

"Many international students fail in the US because they treat physics like math, their minds filled only with dry letters and calculations." Qian Xuesen looked at Jiang Ming, his eyes filled with genuine admiration. "You don't understand those complex derivations, but you've retained the purest intuition. That's a very valuable way of thinking."

Jiang Ming felt a surge of heat rush straight to the top of his head!

He, a man who had been labeled a "fool" and a "fake" for over twenty years, was actually recognized for his learning mindset by a great man of the century!

"Then let me ask you another question," Qian Xuesen followed up with his second question, "If this ship suddenly accelerates, what would you feel if you were standing on the deck?"

Now Jiang Ming was completely at ease.

He no longer bothered to search his mind for those obscure technical terms, but instead directly applied his life experiences.

"I'll lean back!" Jiang Ming blurted out, "because my legs accelerated with the boat, but my upper body still has momentum and wants to maintain the speed I was at!"

"What if you brake suddenly?"

"I'll lunge forward!"

"Very good." Qian Xuesen took back the pencil and drew a simple force diagram on the paper. "Now let's translate your feelings into scientific language. This 'force that makes you lean back' is called 'inertial force' in a non-inertial frame of reference..."

In the cramped cabin, only the scratching sound of pens on paper and the back-and-forth conversation could be heard.

Jiang Ming studied with great eagerness.

He discovered for the first time that those obscure and difficult theories could be so interesting once they were broken down into common sense in everyday life.

Time passed by, second by second.

The clock on the wall had already pointed to midnight.

"That's all for today." Qian Xuesen closed the documents in his hand, rubbed his slightly sore temples, and said, "Don't try to do too much at once. Take the handouts back and study them slowly. There will be a lecture on the ship in a few days where I will talk about some new aerospace theories. You can come and listen in, and understand as much as you can. Before the lecture, read through the first few chapters of this basic handout."

"Okay! Thank you, Mr. Qian!"

Jiang Ming stood up excitedly, carefully put the lecture notes into his pocket, and bowed deeply.

He's full of energy now, and he even feels that if he goes to a lecture tomorrow, he'll be willing to write it down and slowly work through it!

Jiang Ming turned and walked to the door, preparing to open the hatch.

"By the way, Jiang Ming."

Qian Xuesen, standing behind him, suddenly spoke, his voice lower than when he was lecturing, carrying a subtle seriousness.

Jiang Ming turned around: "Sir, is there anything else you need?"

Qian Xuesen sat behind his desk, the dim light of the desk lamp shining on his thin face, making his eyes appear particularly deep.

He looked at Jiang Ming and slowly asked, "During your studies in the United States, did you come into contact with any of the latest technical publications or internal journals?"

Jiang Ming was stunned for a moment, then immediately shook his head.

His predecessor was a slacker who just coasted through his studies. He hadn't even flipped through a few pages of a proper textbook, let alone read any technical journals.

"No, I rarely even go to the school library," Jiang Ming answered truthfully.

Qian Xuesen stared at Jiang Ming for two seconds, nodded slightly, folded up the English newspaper in his hand and put it away, saying softly, "It's good that you haven't encountered this before. Go back and rest. Take a look at the basic lecture notes these next few days, and remember to audit the lectures in a few days."

Jiang Ming, clutching the black basic lecture notes, left first class as if he had found a priceless treasure.

For the next few days, Jiang Ming practically glued himself to the small table in third class. He spent his days studying the lecture notes Qian Xuesen had given him, and his nights organizing his notes by the dim light. He would painstakingly write down anything he didn't understand, preparing to ask for clarification later.

Seeing that he was really starting to work hard, Chen Zhiyuan stopped joking around and just brought him two extra steamed buns every day.

The way the returning scholars on the ship looked at him gradually changed from initial awkwardness and curiosity to complex observation.