Chapter 59: Chapter 58: A Decision That Goes Against Ancestors' Will
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"Oh, Liwei is leaving already?"
"Yes, Madam, Professor has already finished discussing the topic with me."
"Oh, then be careful on the road."
"Okay, thank you, Madam."
Listening to the polite conversation coming from the living room, followed by the sound of a door closing, Zhao Guangyao sighed in his heart.
However, he did not get up, but sat in his study and started to reread the annotations that Qiao Ze had made on Zhang Liwei's paper.
After finishing, he fell into deep thought, then stood up and began to pace around his solid wood desk in the study.
About ten minutes later, Zhao Guangyao made up his mind. He sat back at the desk, then picked up his phone and began to take photos of the paper until he had photographed all of the more than ten pages. Only then did he open WeChat and sent the entire draft of the paper over.
Afterward, he exited WeChat and made a phone call.
"Professor Zhang, this is Zhao Guangyao from Westwood University of Technology. Are you busy?"
"Professor Zhao, hello, hello. No, not busy. I'm just idly watching TV with my wife, what's up?"
"Oh, it's like this, Professor Zhang, one of my students is working on noncommutative geometry, but as you know, I've been doing algebraic geometry all my life, so I really can't give him much help. He submitted a paper requesting opinions, and I have sent you the annotations via WeChat. Could you find some time to take a look for me?"
"That matter? Sure, just wait a moment. I'll go to my study and have a look. I'm going to hang up now."
"Alright, thank you for your trouble, Professor Zhang."
After finishing, both sides hung up the phone. Zhao Guangyao sat quietly at his desk waiting for the other party's reply, lost in thought.
Join us at m_v le mpyr
Behind him stood a bookcase filled with books, and his impressive desk was stacked with manuscripts, yet Zhao Guangyao had no inclination to touch any of them.
After waiting half an hour, a message came through on WeChat.
"Professor Zhao, I think the advice given is very reasonable, and some of the comments even gave me some inspiration. If your student isn't inclined to change his topic, he might as well try out the ideas suggested in these annotations."
Zhao Guangyao read the reply, his mouth twitching, then he began to type.
"Oh, thank you, Professor Zhang. I'll have my student consider these opinions carefully and think about how to proceed with the proposition. Ah, the youngsters these days, I've told him, we mathematicians need to let go of prejudices, respect talent, yet he still feels those providing opinions are just high school students, and he's too proud to rewrite according to these suggestions."
The messages from the other side came back so fast, three in a row.
"?"
"Uhm, Professor Zhao, are you saying these annotations were provided by a high school student?"
"You're not joking?"
Zhao Guangyao immediately replied: "Ah? Don't you know yet? I thought you were already aware. It's the student everyone was fighting over at the conference in Xingcheng, the one snatched up by Zhang Chunlei, Liu Jie, and others. I heard that the kid spotted a mistake in a lemma proof regarding Group Theory in the third issue of 'Mathematics Annual' from Princeton at a glance.
Several professors went to verify according to the method he suggested, and it turned out that the kid was actually correct. That's the student who was accepted into our Westwood University of Technology Mathematics Institute."
"!!!"
"What are you saying? A high school student who not only understands commutative geometry but also knows Group Theory? And spotted an error in 'Mathematics Annual' at a glance? And it was proven right? Professor Zhao, you haven't been drinking today, have you?"
"Professor Zhang, why don't you ask around with Zhang Chunlei from Jiang University? I also find this quite absurd, but it just so happens. Hey, I won't lie to you, I was also shocked at the time, but now I'm over that, just feeling that I'm really old!"
After sending this message, there was no reply from the other side.
Zhao Guangyao wasn't bothered at all, instead, he relaxed and started humming a song.
"The passing years, the perplexities of those days, true or illusory, hard to choose, joy and sorrow, departures and reunions, all have once been..."
...
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Yanbei University, West District Professor Building.
Zhang Hongcai was searching for a contact in his mobile phone.
He knew Zhang Chunlei.
It was two or three years ago, when Zhang Chunlei came to the Capital for a meeting, they happened to sit together, and after chatting, they discovered they were actually related and exchanged numbers.
But because their research interests didn't overlap, they didn't communicate much on a regular basis. No, it would be more accurate to say that they hadn't really communicated since that time.
After all, the disdain chain is everywhere, even divided by region.
Even among university professors.
For example, university professors from Mingzhu don't think much of their counterparts from other parts of Huaxia, with the exception of the Capital, while professors from Capital University don't think much of their counterparts from all other areas of Huaxia.
Normally, this sentiment isn't expressed openly, but with more interaction, one can sense that polite sense of superiority.
Pfft, as if you're worthy to compete with us for a project we noticed first!
Soon enough, Zhang Hongcai found Zhang Chunlei's number in his contacts and didn't hesitate to call him.
Although he still didn't understand what Professor Zhao meant, a high school student being able to write those annotations was enough to pique his interest.
"Hello, Chunlei, remember me?"
"Haha, Hongcai, forget anyone but I certainly can't forget you! Last time I passed by Yanbei University, I wanted to give you a call to grab a meal together, but unfortunately, just then a friend from the teacher's college called, and I missed the chance!"
"Hey, next time in such a situation, invite me too. The teacher's college is close to us, and many there are old friends already!"
"Sure, sure! By the way, Hongcai, did you need something from me today?"
"Haha, indeed, I wanted to ask you about something. I've heard that you met a promising student in Xingcheng during a meeting a while back?"
"Geez... Good news really travels a thousand miles, huh! Don't even mention it; he's far from just a promising student, you know! Let me put it this way, he's already a towering tree. Just yesterday, I asked Professor Li on WeChat about the kid's recent situation, and I tell you...
well, I think it won't be more than a year or two before your Yanbei University will have a very strong impression of him."
"From what you're saying, how do you think his level compares to yours?" Zhang Hongcai couldn't help but make a joke.
But that joke caused silence on the other end for quite a while, and Zhang Hongcai almost thought he had offended him and that the call had been ended.
"Hello...?"
"Ah... Hongcai, that wasn't right of you, why remind me of this? I suspect, just suspect, that my level could probably be on par with his right now? But in another year or two, that's hard to say. After all, he's only eighteen, and I'm nearing forty-eight."
Zhang Hongcai was silent for a while, then asked, "After all that, what's the kid's name?"
"Really? You know about him but not his name? Who mentioned this to you, Liu Jie? Qian Zhengming?"
Zhang Hongcai was somewhat annoyed...
He had forgotten to ask Zhao Guangyao.
"Ah... Why ask about that? I heard it from a professor here in the Capital."
"Oh... The kid's name is Qiao Ze. Qiao of a great tree, and Ze of abundance to the world."
"Chunlei, another favor? Have you seen Qiao Ze's handwriting?"
"Hmm, I have."
"Great, I'll send you a couple of pictures later, could you take a look and see if the handwriting on them is his?"
"This... Sure."
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