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The Difficult Journey Home of Qian Xuesen
墨書 Inktalez
Pasadena, a beautiful small town near Los Angeles, is home to one of the best universities in the world, the California Institute of Technology.
On a day in June 1955, a scene unfolded on the streets that startled the usually calm passersby: several sharply dressed men in black, resembling FBI agents from a movie, suddenly appeared out of nowhere, looking anxious and scanning their surroundings.
They questioned each other, "How could it be missing?" "Where did it go?" It seemed they had just lost something due to carelessness and were now frantically searching for it.
Restlessly blaming one another, they exchanged hurried words before quickly dispersing. Just seconds later, they vanished like raindrops merging into a river.
Unbeknownst to these men in black, a middle-aged man with yellow skin was watching their every move from a nondescript café around the corner, his alert gaze fixed through the glass window.
He knew all too well that those men were not just resembling the FBI; they were indeed the FBI.
Once the FBI left, the middle-aged man let out a sigh of relief and quickly began writing on a piece of paper. The paper had been stealthily torn from a cigarette box moments earlier, and he wrote in Chinese:
"Mr. Shu Tongtai: Since our farewell in September 1947, we have not communicated..."
This middle-aged man was precisely the target being tracked by the FBI.
In the eyes of the all-powerful FBI, he appeared to be a refined gentleman but was considered more dangerous than missiles—a national enemy that posed a significant headache for the mighty United States.
Now, he hurriedly finished writing what he needed to say, tucked it inside an ordinary family letter, and sealed it in an addressed envelope.
Casually exiting the café, he discreetly slipped the letter into the mailbox outside with swift movements while no one was watching.
It was to be sent to Belgium, and if all went well, it would also bring him and his family back to their homeland.
In that letter, the final signature was a Chinese name: Qian Xuesen.
To all appearances, Qian Xuesen did not resemble a criminal at all.
He was a scientist, primarily focused on aerospace engineering, specifically rockets and missiles.
However, Qian Xuesen was more than just a "scientist."
In 1935, at the age of 24, he came to the United States to study under the world-renowned academic master, Von Karman.
More than a decade later, Qian Xuesen had achieved great success and became a scientist as accomplished as his mentor.
He rose to the highest social echelons, serving as a member of the U.S. Scientific Advisory Committee, where he had access to top-level national secrets and reported the latest scientific advancements directly to the highest commanders of the United States Air Force, frequently inspecting military bases across the country.
He also provided consulting services for the United States Jet Engine Company and could review classified contracts signed with the U.S. military at any time.
At 35, he became a full professor, the youngest in the history of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Before reaching his forties, he had already established himself as one of the most authoritative, talented, and pioneering figures in American aviation.
He married Jiang Ying, the daughter of Jiang Baili, a military advisor to Chiang Kai-shek. Together they had children, lived in a mansion, and earned high salaries.
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