Chapter 21

Under Chen Yang's influence, this issue of *Science Fiction World* was passed around among many of the boys in the class. They kept urging the ones in front to read faster so they could take a look at what kind of science fiction could be so captivating.

However, the class period was short, and only a dozen or so students managed to finish reading. The rest waited eagerly for Chen Yang, Li Yi, and others to describe it.

"Chen Yang, are you guys stupid? It's break now, hurry up and run to the school gate to buy it. If you wait, it might be sold out," a female classmate, unable to bear it, reminded these foolish classmates.

"Yeah, even though my copy was confiscated by the teacher, I can still buy another one. I'll just skip breakfast tomorrow," Chen Yang quickly stood up and loudly said in the classroom, "Is anyone coming with me to buy *Science Fiction World* at the school gate? Let's go together!"

"I'll go! I waited a whole class period and it didn't even reach me. You guys are too unfair."

"Exactly, it got intercepted while being passed around. I might as well buy it myself."

"Baa, baa, let's go together. We need to hurry, or we'll be late for the next class."

"The next class is with Mr. Mo, let's rush!"

A group of boys in school uniforms rushed out of the classroom, one after another, sprinting out of the teaching building, racing to the school gate. They had the newsstand owner bring over several copies of *Science Fiction World*, then quickly turned around and ran back.

...

At this moment, in the teachers' office, Han Fei threw the confiscated *Science Fiction World* aside and complained to his colleague across the desk, "Students these days, one generation is worse than the next. They even read these magazines in class. How can this be? The college entrance exam is next year, and their grades aren't improving. It's really worrying."

"*Science Fiction World*? They read this in class? They should be properly disciplined. I think we should just assign more homework. They're just too idle."

The middle-aged physics teacher casually picked up the magazine and flipped through it. Since the high school science department's teachers' office was here, everyone was familiar with each other.

Happily, he had no classes for the next few periods, so the balding physics teacher couldn't stop reading. He read from the beginning all the way to "The Rural Teacher."

"Old Mo, come and take a look at this science fiction story. It's really interesting. A rural teacher teaches the students Newton's three laws of motion before he dies, and in the end, these students save the Earth by reciting the three laws."

"What do you mean? Memorizing such basic laws can save the world? That's a bit far-fetched."

"Just read it yourself. I find it very interesting. It's not just about the science; the portrayal of reality is also very accurate. I have a classmate who went back to the countryside to teach. I used to hear from him every year, but I don't know how he's doing now."

"Old Mo, I'll read it. Throw it over here. I don't feel like getting up."

"What's the author's name? I want to see what other science fiction he's written. It's very interesting. Even though our country is developing well, there are still people in the mountains and poor areas who are silently contributing."

These teachers, with no classes to teach, slowly passed the magazine around, each noting the names of the stories. They all felt a sense of resonance.

In the universe, other species directly transmit information, but Earth chose the profession of teaching to pass on knowledge, without relying on genetic memory.

As the bearers of civilization, teachers serve as the medium of knowledge transmission between generations, a concept from the ancient era of galactic civilization. This made every teacher in the office feel honored and recognized, and they naturally paid more attention to the other content.

"Have you noticed that the author has a fairly comprehensive understanding of physics? It's not like other science fiction novels that just make things up. The galactic war, using stars as fuel for travel, and the questions used for civilization testing are all based on something."

"The smallest units of matter, the direction of heat flow in objects, the ratio of the circumference to the diameter, the source of stellar energy, and the basic principles of biological evolution are all well explained. The examples given are just right for students to understand."

"This is true science fiction, with both imagination and a connection to reality. Although I haven't read much, this one is definitely excellent."

"During the next class, I'll recommend it to my students to show them the importance of studying physics."

"Ha ha ha, that's a good idea. I'll try it tomorrow. Now I'm starting to wonder if the author might be a rural physics teacher, writing so realistically."

"Let's search for the author online. Someone who can write like this is probably already famous. I want to buy his previous books and see if there's a collection."

"Let's go to the Xinhua Bookstore after work. I'll buy a couple of books for my lesson preparation."

In just a short time, these teachers were won over by Lin Han and were even willing to look for his other books. However, they were destined to be disappointed, as he was a completely new writer.

...

The class bell rang quickly, and the balding physics teacher Li Dian, holding his lesson plan, walked in as the bell sounded. The students of Class 8, Grade 2 sat up straight, waiting for the class to start.

"Alright, class."

"Good morning, teacher!"

"Students, before we start today's class, I want to tell you a story. Has anyone in the class read the latest issue of *Science Fiction World*? If so, please raise your hand."

Li Dian rarely said such things, but today he stood at the podium, patiently communicating with the students.

After he asked, the students began whispering to each other, unsure of what Li Dian meant. But no one raised their hand for a long time.

"No one? I'm not trying to confiscate your books; I just want to discuss the after-reading feelings of one of the articles."

At this moment, a small, chubby boy with glasses sitting by the window timidly raised his hand, looking a bit scared, "Teacher Li, I've read it, but I only read it during my free time."

Li Dian smiled, "It's fine. There's a short story called 'The Rural Teacher' that tells the story of a group of students in the mountains learning physics to save the world. If one day you were replicated by aliens, could you ensure that you pass their civilization test and prevent Earth from being destroyed? Do you remember Newton's three laws of motion? Let's hear them together."

"An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass, and the direction of the acceleration is the same as the direction of the net force. The action force and the reaction force between two objects are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction, and they act along the same line!"

The students recited the three laws in a cacophony, each vying to be the first, making the classroom quite chaotic.

Hearing this, Li Dian said with great satisfaction, "Very good. At least you have the ability to save the world. Now, let's return to the textbook and start today's lesson. Turn to page 76."