Gu Hongming scrutinized Lu Shi closely,
So young...
Too young!
Isn't it a waste to keep such a young talent in England?
Gu Hongming pondered for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "Mr. Lu, why did you cut your queue?"
He used Mandarin,
Clearly, there was an intention to make a dig.
Lu Shi, with a clear mind, appeared to be contemplating without rushing to answer.
Gu Hongming wouldn't be in a hurry either, patiently waiting.
He thought Lu Shi might give an answer like "to assimilate into England", but unexpectedly, Lu Shi said, "It's too much trouble to take care of the queue, cutting it off is more convenient. You know, water costs money here in London, I'm a poor student, I have to be frugal."
One sentence left Gu Hongming speechless, he choked on the spot, unable to utter a word for a long time.
The atmosphere was strange,
The editor's office fell silent.
Scott cleared his throat lightly,
"Could you two communicate in English so I can join in?"
Gu Hongming glanced deeply at Lu Shi before nodding and switching to English, saying, "Mr. Scott, please forgive my excitement at meeting a compatriot in a foreign land. The accent remains unchanged, the accent remains unchanged..."
Scott wasn't naive; how could he not see that Lu Shi and Gu Hongming had just crossed swords?
But some things, though understood, were left unsaid,
He chuckled and said, "Mr. Gu came here to discuss Mr. Lu's editorial, isn't that so?"
The topic was lightly circumvented.
Gu Hongming followed suit,
"Yes. I read those articles, they were enlightening, so I came all the way from China to seek advice."
This was a bald-faced lie,
It took at least forty days to travel from Foshan to London, and at that time, Lu Shi hadn't even made the crossing yet, let alone the disappearance of "Guns, Germs, and Steel".
In fact, Gu Hongming had "escaped" to London.
In July to August 1900, the Eight-Nation Alliance successively occupied Dagu and Tianjin, and reinforced with 34,000 troops prepared to invade Beijing,
Anyone with insight knew that the fall of Beijing was imminent and must have made plans early.
Gu Hongming headed south at that time.
Later, news of Guangxu's escape to Xi'an spread, and Gu Hongming, disheartened, boarded a ship and came to London, intending to move on to Edinburgh later, but unexpectedly stumbled upon Lu Shi's articles by chance, which sparked the idea of paying a visit.
But Lu Shi didn't intend to expose Gu Hongming,
He modestly said, "Just tinkering in isolation, Mr. Gu exaggerates."
Gu Hongming waved his hand,
"Mr. Lu, there's no need to be modest. Your articles are excellent and have answered many questions."
Lu Shi said, "My articles have too many conclusions and too little evidence, too much imagination in the room and too little practice outside. That's why I call it 'tinkering in isolation'. If I were to feel that I could enter the hall of fame because of this, it would be ridiculous."
This statement was sincere.
Gu Hongming was dumbfounded at someone self-deprecating like this for the first time.
He regarded Lu Shi even more highly in his heart,
It wasn't easy for a young man not to be dazzled by temporary success.
Scott, seeing the two fell silent again, took the initiative to take on the role of host and asked, "Mr. Lu's articles often mention the history of civilization development, so how do you view China? Why would technologically advanced China be caught up by originally backward Europe?"
This question was relatively neutral and not sensitive.
Moreover, there was indeed a chapter in "Guns, Germs, and Steel" called "How China Became Chinese",
Lu Shi responded readily,
"Mr. Scott, have you ever heard of Zheng He's seven voyages to the Western Seas?"
Scott looked puzzled.
Gu Hongming helped explain, "In the third year of Yongle... um... let me think... from 1405 to 1433, Chinese fleets went on seven voyages to the Western Seas, reaching as far as the coast of the Red Sea and the east coast of Africa."
Scott was shocked,
"So far? Then China's maritime technology must be very strong."
Lu Shi said, "Not just 'must be', it was very strong. However, the court later issued a ban on maritime activities, and the shipyards were thus abandoned."
Scott wasn't particularly surprised,
"The beginning of a beautiful story always has an ugly ending. This kind of backpedaling isn't unique to China, every country in the world has it. In the 1980s, London even passed a bill to continue using gas street lamps~"
Upon hearing this, Lu Shi and Gu Hongming exchanged glances, their fists clenched, even wanting to smack Scott hard,
Using gas street lamps to compare with the maritime ban!?
Lu Shi said, "But the example of China is a bit different. The Ming Dynasty was a unified feudal empire. With just one decision from the emperor, the entire fleet could be halted, and technological progress stagnated. Moreover, the consequences of such a decision were irreversible."
Seeing the big picture,
This statement superficially referred to the maritime ban, but actually addressed the reasons why the seeds of capitalism and the Industrial Revolution were stifled in their cradle.
Gu Hongming fell into contemplation,
"Is a unified empire a bad thing? Then is the fragmentation of Europe a good thing?"
He couldn't understand.
Lu Shi didn't answer because there was no need to.
Scott, on the other hand, figured out something,
"Lu, you've always emphasized the role of geography and ecology in your articles. Now, it seems that China's unity might have a lot to do with geography. The coastline is straight, the plains vast, and the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers carry immense volumes of water... whereas Europe is quite the opposite."
Lu Shi smiled,
"If, hypothetically, China were to achieve technological breakthroughs first and colonize the world, would this geographic determinism theory need to be reconsidered?"
Scott was instantly confused,
"Huh?"
He never expected Lu Shi to counter himself.
Lu Shi said, "Just now Mr. Gu asked me, 'Is a unified empire a bad thing? Then is the fragmentation of Europe a good thing?' I didn't answer because I couldn't. Many historical questions are like rolling dice; before the cup is lifted, no one knows who will have the higher roll."
Gu Hongming frowned,
"Mr. Lu, have you forgotten 'learn from history to understand rise and fall'?"
Lu Shi curved his lips into a smile,
"If that's the case, Mr. Gu, let me ask you a question: what will China's future be like?"
Gu Hongming was instantly at a loss for words,
If he knew the answer to this question, why would he be so conflicted?
Lu Shi said, "The articles I've written are just presenting a little material and then concocting grand theories, talking about 'the development of human civilization', it's just empty talk. History can be used for summarization, but it's very difficult to use it for prediction."
With a set of theories laid out, Lu Shi walked to the window, hands behind his back,
His lofty demeanor was evident.
Gu Hongming's breath quickened,
Great talent!
This is true talent!
What the weak Qing government lacked was precisely such young talents, knowledgeable in both Chinese and Western cultures.
Gu Hongming took a deep breath and said, "Mr. Lu, let's discuss some things that can only be spoken behind closed doors."
Things that can only be spoken behind closed doors...
This phrase was so familiar.
Lu Shi couldn't help but recall participating in some important meetings before crossing over, when the leaders would say, "Let's talk about some things behind closed doors", which meant that the content of the meeting that followed would be closer to the truth and couldn't be recorded or spread outside, only to be heard.
Scott, on the side, didn't understand Chinese philosophy, walked to the door and shook the doorknob,
"It's closed. Very well closed."
Gu Hongming was speechless, ¯_(ツ)_/¯
Lu Shi awkwardly said, "Mr. Scott, please allow us to occupy your editor's office for a while."