No one saw, on the way back to the dormitory, under the cover of the night sky, Su Mucheng's face was as red as the brilliant sunset.
Heaven knows how she suddenly became so bold.
But when she reached the light, the girl had already adjusted her emotions, and the blush from shyness on her face had faded, leaving her complexion as pale as usual with a healthy rosiness, exceedingly confident and natural.
Anyway, she had already put herself out there, what else was there to fear?!
...
Li Jiangao had just finished his work and picked up his phone.
It was then that he noticed the long messages Qiao Ze had sent him.
After reading them carefully, he didn't know what to reply for a while.
By the time he thought of the right words to respond, it was already ten forty.
Remembering that Lu Xiuxiu had specifically mentioned that the child could fall asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow at ten thirty, he ultimately did not press the send button on WeChat.
Forget it.
He planned to find time tomorrow to have a proper chat with Qiao Ze.
The kid was still thinking too much.
Living like that would be very tiring.
If possible, Li Jiangao still hoped that Qiao Ze's life could be more relaxed, at least so he could have a colorful college memory.
But the things Qiao Ze said also prompted Li Jiangao to start reflecting seriously.
Perhaps he really should start planning the new project properly.
He couldn't have a child who wasn't striving.
It must be said that Qiao Ze's topic was indeed quite intriguing.
If a few key issues could be solved, not only could it take artificial intelligence technology to a new level, but there might also be breakthroughs in mathematical theory. For instance, solving the problem of decoupling variables during substitution could make future models built with group theory cleaner and more straightforward, with a broader range of applications.
Thinking deeper, Li Jiangao found himself genuinely attracted to the topic.
After sighing inwardly, he felt he indeed had to recognize Qiao Ze's capabilities and have a good talk with the kid.
...
At the same time, in a large apartment in the same complex as the school's single dormitory.
In the study, having just finished marking students' papers, Zhao Guangyao raised his hand to support his head and twisted his neck.
Long periods of desk work and a lack of exercise had led to some neck issues. His neck and shoulders always felt sore.
After moving around a bit and feeling somewhat better, Zhao Guangyao opened his email, intending to send the annotated papers and revision suggestions to his students.
Just as Zhao Guangyao's anger began to rise, he suddenly remembered the confident experience of submitting his article to "Geometry and Graph Theory" and being flatly rejected, and his rage dissipated like smoke.
Was it possible that he was indeed too fixated on a false issue?
Too obsessed with emphasizing the value of this set of analytical tools?
With this thought, Zhao Guangyao still patiently continued reading.
After finishing, he stared at the computer screen and started to daydream.
He suddenly realized that there might have been good reason for the editors of "Geometry and Graph Theory" to reject his article.
But he never imagined that his paper could look so awful in the eyes of others, even bringing upon him the urge to withdraw it from the journal. Only, he thought of the fact that the article already had eight citations...
Damn it!
Which industry giant's student was this Qiao Ze?!
Sending such a letter without even citing a supervisor's name!
And not even using an institutional email, but a publicly available personal email instead? What the hell?
Infuriating!
Yes, Zhao Guangyao had never considered that Qiao Ze might just be an undergraduate, let alone a high school student.
In his opinion, this Qiao Ze was most likely a student mentored by a big shot from a limited number of universities such as Huaqing, Yanbei, Shuangdan, or one of the few Mathematics Research Institutes. He might have just stumbled upon his article while researching his topic and written this email using his personal account.
Thinking this way actually wasn't embarrassing; after all, it's normal for a PhD student mentored by a top expert to be talented.
After contemplating for a moment, Zhao Guangyao still decided to write back sincerely, intending to foster good karma.
Having more friends in academia also meant having more opportunities.
Although this Qiao Ze was still just a student, his mentor might very well be an industry heavyweight.
His hands began to move swiftly over the keyboard, and soon the brief response was complete.
After editing the email, Zhao Guangyao checked it once more to make sure there were no mistakes. Only then did he click the "Send" button at the bottom of the email.
He then pushed his computer forward and took a deep breath.
The depressive feeling in his chest eased slightly.
Only when he thought of the person who had offered him advice, possibly a twenty-seven or twenty-eight-year-old PhD student just beginning to choose a research topic, did he feel a bit stifled again.
In the end, he was getting old! It seemed, in his life, he wouldn't achieve much academically!
Even a PhD student could see through what he still blindly clung to.
For a moment, he felt everything was tasteless!
Forget it, better to sleep first.