Orion Crest, Series_1

Chapter 156: We need your help

　　As the academic meeting of the American Mathematical Society came to an end, Orion finally got on a flight back to his home.

　　He didn't notify anyone in advance, quietly bought a ticket, quietly got on the plane, and quietly returned to his hometown in Jordon.

　　It's better to be at home, Jordon is much warmer than Princeton.

　　"It's snowing there?", Martha worried.

　　Orion: "It's been snowing pretty hard, since Christmas."

　　Breyton asked, "Is it cold where you live?"

　　Orion thought for a moment and said, "My house has a fireplace, and with the doors and windows closed, it's not too cold inside the house."

　　Trista, who hadn't said anything, asked with interest, "A fireplace? You moved, Orion? How big is the house?"

　　" Kinda big, I think, but not too expensive." Orion smiled and said, "You can come and have fun this summer if you're interested."

　　"You bought a house there?" Breyton looked at Orion with wide eyes in surprise, "So are you gonna come back then kid?"

　　Orion said without thinking, "Of course I'm coming back, my alma mater's maths college is still waiting for me to save it. As for the house, just sell it when I come back, it doesn't cost much anyway."

　　Breyton grunted, "You've got money, but you've been wasting it."

　　"It's a pity to sell the house, it's better to keep it, it's also good to charge a rent," Martha's focus was elsewhere.

　　If you keep it, you will have to pay property tax, and the house in Princeton has no room for value-added, plus he is a "foreigner", and does not benefit from New Jersey's homestead tax exemption policy.

　　If he is working there, it is fine, he can pay personal income tax to offset the property tax. But when he returns to Gordon, Princeton will not be able to help him pay his taxes.

　　Orion, enjoying a rare two days of leisure, did not have to worry about work matters for the time being.

　　However, to achieve his level of scholarship, it was impossible not to be noticed.

　　Orion stayed at home for less than two days before the call from the school came.

　　Without any surprise, the one who called was naturally Professor Tang.

　　During the call, Old Tang was asking with a smile, "Mainly, I want to discuss something with you."

　　Orion no longer joked, but changed to a serious tone and asked, "Something big or something small?"

　　Old Tang said seriously, "I don't know about the big and small things, but it's definitely a good thing for you."

　　Orion thought about it and graciously said, "Alright then, before I go back to Princeton, I'll make a trip to Gordon university!"

　　......

　　Gordon University.

President Harvie and Professor Tang greeted Orion with a smile.

　　"Professor Orion, it's good to see you."

　　Shaking Professor Harvie's hand, Orion smiled and said, " Sorry to keep you waiting, how are you?"

　　"Professor Harvie, can you give me a clue? What exactly is the matter?"

　　"Actually, it's not a big deal," Harvie continued after a moment's pause, "Just a month ago, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Energy, in conjunction with a number of ministries and commissions, issued a programme to support the research and development of new energy technologies, and established a series of development directions, from photovoltaic technology to new-generation battery technology. And they intend to build a high-tech industrial park along the metro line at Gordon University, integrating the talent resources of Gordon's major universities. The leader of the working group is the director of the Energy Bureau, and when he heard that you haven't returned to Princeton, he specially put the first stop of his working trip here."

　　Saying that, Professor Harvie looked at Orion and smiled kindly.

　　And after hearing that Orion had one reaction.

　　This is not a big deal at all, right?

　　Continuing, he said, "Did he say what he wanted to see me about?"

　　Professor Harvie smiled and said, "I don't know exactly. But I assure you, it's definitely something good."

　　......

　　Professor Harvie's words were certainly believed by Orion.

　　After the group returned to the school, in an office in the Faculty of Chemistry's teaching and research building, Orion met Professor Walter, as well as an unexpected person.

　　In Boston, they had met once.

　　"Professor Orion, we meet again." Looking at Orion with a smile on his face, Lewis extended his right hand.

　　Orion smiled and shook his hand, saying, "Hello Director Lewis."

　　When he was in Boston, Lewis had paid him a visit in his private capacity and asked his opinion on the direction of lithium battery technology.

　　"Call me Lewis," Lewis said with a smile as he let go of his hand, "Originally, I was planning to visit you in Jordon, but the working group still has a lot of arrangements to make and can't leave. So, I can only ask you to come to Gordon, and I hope Professor Orion won't be surprised."

　　Orion smiled slightly, " Not at all, I just happened to want to come over to my alma mater as well."

　　Lewis nodded, paused for a moment, slightly changed his expression to something serious, and looked at Orion and said seriously, "After speaking with you in Boston last time, we comprehensively discussed your proposal. After the expert group's investigation, we finally concluded that lithium-sulfur batteries are indeed the most suitable choice."

　　Lithium-sulfur batteries are certainly more of a realistic possibility than lithium-air batteries. The fact that the state is setting this direction means that more funding can be directed to this area, rather than being wasted on topics that have no practical significance other than being published in Nature and Science.

　　Of course, Orion wasn't naive enough to think that his own opinion really shaped the country's policymaking. At best, what he said in Boston was a vote for lithium-sulfur batteries, if that was the only influence.

　　And he was pleased to see that his vote had worked.

　　Orion readily said, "Lithium-sulfur batteries are a very promising direction, I'm glad."

　　"It is also thanks to Professor Orion's guidance," Lewis smiled politely before pausing for a moment and stating the reason for his visit, "In fact, I came to visit you this time, mainly to ask for your help."

　　Orion: "Help?"

　　"Yes," Lewis nodded seriously and continued, "Energy development is the top priority of our industrial manufacturing, and in order to strengthen the capabilities of Made in France, we need batteries with higher energy storage performance, which should preferably have low production costs, simple production processes, and a high number of recyclable uses."

　　"However, the general feedback we have received from industry is that there are still a lot of theoretical challenges to be solved in order to produce such batteries. Otherwise, neither safety nor the number of recyclable cycles can be effectively guaranteed."

　　"Although we don't claim hegemony, we can't allow others to build patent barriers on the platform of international trade and erect a fortress that snipes our new energy strategy."

　　"You are an expert in this field," Lewis said with a sincere tone, "We need your help!"