The Shadow of Great Britain

In the years he spent away from the academic circle, although he had saved some money by working as a private tutor, that amount was barely enough to sustain his basic living.

Therefore, Ohm could only make up his mind to quickly obtain a professorship; only then could he have sufficient financial strength to repay his debts.

According to Ohm's understanding, when he was studying at Erlangen University, professors there typically earned an annual income of 800 Thaler, which equates to 320 Ducats.

In recent years, as the German States began to embrace university education, professors' salaries also increased significantly.

Ohm's brother, Martin Ohm, a mathematics professor at Berlin University, had once informed him in a letter that the Kingdom of Prussia, in its effort to attract talent from other German States, had raised the salary standards for Berlin University professors to 1500 Thaler (600 Ducats), which was a full 50% higher than that of professors at other German universities.

And the University of Gottingen, comparable to Berlin University as a prestigious German institution, certainly did not rely solely on the freest academic atmosphere in the Germanic Region to attract talent; its salary levels were also on par with Berlin University.

1500 Thaler!

What an enormous sum of money!

One must know that Ohm's father, a locksmith, toiled all year long without rest and only earned 100 Thaler. This income was already not considered low for a working-class family in Erlangen.

In other words, the salary level for professors at German universities, even in industrially advanced Britain, would still be regarded as high income. 1500 Thaler is equivalent to 600 Ducats, which is 300 Pounds.

Even Charles Rowan, the Director of the Royal Greater London Police Department, only had a public salary of this amount.

While Mr. Michael Faraday, the Director of the Royal Society Laboratory, due to the constrained financial situation of the Royal Society, received a meager salary of just 100 Pounds.

Of course, Faraday's low income was primarily due to his modest desires and unwillingness to leave the Royal Society, not because he was actually worth only 100 Pounds.

For instance, Arthur's alma mater, the University of London, after its founding, had once offered 1000 Pounds to poach Faraday and invited him to become the Dean of Academic Affairs and Professor of Experimental Physics, but he was ruthlessly refused by Faraday.

While planning his repayment strategy in his mind, Ohm walked towards the gates of the University of Gottingen.

Ohm didn't enter the gate directly but stopped at the entrance to take out the recruitment speech he meticulously drafted the previous night and began promoting his upcoming private courses to the students passing by.

Compared to freshly graduated Ph.D. candidates, Ohm had abundant experience in teaching, and this wasn't his first time recruiting students for private courses, so the recruitment speech proceeded smoothly.

"Students, students! Look over here! Have you ever wondered what kind of secrets are hidden when lightning streaks across the sky? Or perhaps, when you light a lamp, what mysterious force flows through the wires? If these questions resonate with you, then I'm sure we share kindred spirits.

I sincerely invite you to join the private course I am about to offer at the University of Gottingen. It's not just an opportunity to learn, but an excursion into the mysteries of natural science. In this course, we will delve into a domain filled with exploration and discovery—experimental physics.

You might be thinking, oh, another dull theoretical course! But if you think so, you'd be wrong. On the contrary, it will lead you to personally experience the scientific principles often hidden behind daily life. You will learn which materials conduct electricity, and which insulate. You'll understand what forces drive us and make our world operate.

Try letting a current pass through a wire, feel that incredible force? Here, we'll conduct experiments together, converting the dry texts of textbooks into vivid experiences. You'll see how electricity flows through different materials and how it is affected by temperature and pressure, all this will present itself vividly before you…"

Ohm tirelessly promoted his private course, and although initially, there weren't many students gathered around him, soon some interested students stopped to listen to his speech quietly. However, despite the listeners, there wasn't anyone willing to pay just yet.

After all, there were plenty of private courses like this at the University of Gottingen, and signing up for every one would not only cost a lot of money but also leave no energy to attend all the courses.

Seeing this situation, Ohm didn't rush. He passionately announced: "I know many of you may harbor doubts about what I say. You suspect it sounds interesting now, but might be different in class. I understand your concerns, so I plan to offer everyone a free trial of 3 lessons. Today at 2 PM, I will start the course at the physics lab next to the Observatory; any interested students can register with me, at no cost to you."

When the students heard that Ohm was willing to let them try for free, someone in the crowd finally raised their hand to register.

"Do we just give our names to you?"

Ohm nodded with a smile: "Just your college, year, and name, nothing else required."

"Count me in, Law School sophomore, Otto von Bismarck."

"Otto von Bismarck…" Ohm noted down the name, but halfway through, it seemed as if he remembered something and suddenly looked up: "Hmm? Bismarck? Didn't the gazette say you went back home to report your studies to your parents?"

Bismarck tugged at his dog's leash: "Yes, but I went back at the end of last month and only just returned to school today."

"Oh…" Ohm smiled encouragingly: "Looks like you really paid attention to Hastings' School Director. Alright, remember to be on time for class this afternoon."

"Got it, I'll definitely be there on time today!" Bismarck just finished shouting and then softly muttered: "I just want to see, what exactly he's doing with that electromagnetism thing…"

With Bismarck leading, other students also began to sign up enthusiastically.

As Ohm recorded the names one by one, a smile couldn't help but spread across his face.

Perhaps because the new semester hadn't officially started yet, the recruiting situation today was much better than he had expected.

After the students finished signing up, one by one, they walked into the school, and the crowd around Ohm diminished significantly.

Ohm put away his pen, intending to take a break and have a sip of water, but just as he was about to leave, he noticed a young man, who appeared to be a student, had not left the area.

This student stood out from the neatly dressed ones earlier, instantly reminding Ohm of an article he read this morning.

He was almost the spitting image of Arthur's description of academic struggles in his early years: worn clothing, frayed boots and trousers, with only a faded white shirt maintaining his dignity.

However, despite his modest attire, the young man was well-groomed and not unpleasant to look at.

Seeing this, Ohm couldn't help but think of his early years. His heart felt a slight warmth as he thought for a moment and then proactively walked towards the young man: "Hello, would you like to register?"

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