ABT Chapter 0082: Are Go-Karts Considered Formula Cars?
After sharing Old Zhang's excitement for a while, Li Fanyu smacked his lips and felt something was wrong. Crap, they only talked about the project approval just now, but nothing about the funding!
That won't do. All this effort just for an approval? He quickly called An Ning.
An Ning was overjoyed to hear the news and explained the process to him. It turned out that the support funds could only be applied for once the project was approved and the qualifications were secured.
She had all the paperwork ready from her previous attempt to establish a lab in Nanhe. With some modifications, they could use it directly. With the city government's support, the process could be completed in about a week.
Then, they would build a large steel-structured workshop, bring in the experimental equipment, and officially set up the lab. If everything went smoothly, it could be done within a month.
Hearing this, Li Fanyu finally relaxed. As long as he didn't have to spend more money, everything was fine...
Understanding his concerns, An Ning kindly offered to cover the construction costs of the lab herself with her savings of several million yuan until the support funds came through.
She was already extremely grateful for Li Fanyu's involvement, which had made the project approval go so smoothly. When Li Fanyu half-heartedly offered to provide some financial support, she laughed and declined.
Li Fanyu felt a bit embarrassed and thought to himself, Sister Ning really knows how to take care of people. He then suggested a dinner celebration, inviting Cheng Ke and the three top students to join them.
Li Fanyu didn't dare to go back to the Sichuan hotpot place. After Old Zhang's poetic recitation the previous night, just thinking about hotpot gave him a headache.
They gathered at the restaurant where he had first dined with An Ning, and had a good time together. Even Old Zhang told some jokes at the table, which made the normally serious professor look more lively, much to the delight of the three top students and Cheng Ke.
As the saying goes, "If you hear the truth in the morning, you can die content in the evening." Old Zhang was in this state now. Having found his direction so late in life, anyone would feel fortunate. Moreover, freed from the constraints of the school, he no longer worried about maintaining a teacher's image. The old man seemed much more energetic now, looking several years younger.
An Ning watched the teacher and students teasing each other without reservations and felt warm inside. She was glad she had made the right decision and met the right people. Thinking of this, she glanced at Li Fanyu, who was joking with Old Zhang.
After a few rounds of drinks, everyone was feeling a bit tipsy.
An Ning put down her glass and asked what everyone had been busy with and what research projects they were working on.
Li Fanyu blushed; he had skipped classes for a long time, focusing instead on making money.
The three top students, however, were as diligent as ever, having just completed a project on ECU. Cheng Ke was currently struggling with her Japanese proficiency exam. Once she passed, she could boast about knowing four foreign languages.
"If you all want to design cars in the future, why not get some practical experience?" An Ning asked.
"Practical experience?" Everyone was puzzled, even Old Zhang looked curious.
An Ning smiled, "Yes, in design, you need to build a solid foundation, but practical experience is also important. To design a car, you have to start with the basics and gradually work your way up. It's like a child learning to walk: they need to crawl before they can stand, and only then can they start walking. Since passenger vehicles are too complex for you at the moment, you can start with something simpler."
Liu Qing asked anxiously, "What do you mean by 'the basics'?"
Seeing his eagerness, An Ning smiled and said, "A car can be as complex or as simple as you make it. I once knew someone named Li Anyi, who made refrigerators but wanted to start a car company. He used to say, 'A car is just three sofas on four wheels.' He wasn't entirely wrong. There are many types of vehicles with very simple structures, like go-karts. A go-kart is still a car. You could start from there."
Old Zhang slapped his thigh, "Well, you see, that's why experience matters. Xiao Ning, your words put us teachers to shame."
Li Fanyu frowned, "Sister Ning, are you kidding me? What’s there to research about those go-karts in parks?"
For Li Fanyu, An Ning unconsciously revealed a charm she had never shown in front of others.
She gave him a coquettish glance and said, "Don't underestimate go-karts. Although they are made up of just a frame, a two-stroke engine, and four wheels, they are also a type of formula racing car. Many famous Formula 1 drivers, such as Schumacher, Hakkinen, and Ayrton Senna, have had experience racing go-karts."
What? Go-karts also count as formula cars? Li Fanyu was even more confused. It was the first time he had heard someone say that.
In his mind, comparing the leisurely cute go-karts to the powerful and fierce F1 racing cars, he found it somewhat difficult to accept...
But the three top students were shining with excitement. They quickly grasped An Ning's guidance.
Although go-karts have a simple structure, they are fully functional, allowing for great flexibility.
Using the Three-Body Theory, this could be described as dimension reduction... In simple terms, the advanced stuff is too complicated for me to understand, but the simpler stuff I can handle!
The three students found their outlet for expression and bombarded An Ning with questions about go-karts. She patiently answered them, adopting the role of a caring elder sister.
Li Fanyu and Cheng Ke couldn't get a word in and ended up blowing bubbles in their drinks with their straws...
Despite the good mood, they didn't drink much at dinner because An Ning still had to prepare materials for the project proposal. Everyone dispersed early.
Li Fanyu intended to go home and sleep, but as soon as they left the restaurant, the three top students kidnapped him, not even giving him a chance to escort Cheng Ke back to her dorm.
After several twists and turns, the taxi carried the four of them to a small community next to the university. It wasn't until Li Fanyu went upstairs that he realized these three unscrupulous guys had secretly rented a house and were shamelessly living together!
Well, actually, it was for the convenience of studying together on their research projects, so they rented a house off-campus.
Speaking of which, the three top students were not very popular in their dorm rooms at school, and their relationships with their roommates were not very harmonious.
Liu Qing's temper was too hot-headed, and he often got into arguments with his roommates over trivial matters.
Wang Yu was taciturn; when he did speak, he tended to complain. Often, his complaints rubbed people the wrong way.
Xu Fufang had a relatively good personality, understanding and tolerant. But unfortunately, his halo was too bright; being the top student in science and having numerous academic degrees made others feel inferior...
Since returning from Germany, the three of them felt they had found their lifelong companions... I mean, they clicked instantly. So, they pooled their money and rented this small apartment off-campus.
Once inside, Li Fanyu realized that these three guys had made up their minds to study go-karts. As soon as they entered the house, they turned on their computers and started searching online for go-kart frames and parts to purchase.
The reason they dragged him over was mainly because they had just paid the rent for the month and wanted him to contribute via Alipay...
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