A few minutes later, Zhang Hongcai received a response.
"It should be, the handwriting is very similar. But what's with this paper? Non-commutative geometry? Your student's paper? How come there are Qiao Ze's annotations on it?"
Looking at Zhang Chunlei's reply on WeChat, Zhang Hongcai could almost be certain that Zhao from Xilin University of Technology hadn't drunk any alcohol today, at least not enough to be drunk.
This made him itch with curiosity as if scratching his ears and cheeks, wishing that the kid named Qiao Ze could appear before him right now, just so he could test him!
How was this student snatched away by Xilin University of Technology?
Are the recruitment teachers from Yanbei University stationed in Xingcheng just twiddling their thumbs?
Shouldn't such a talent have been closely monitored from middle school and directly poached by the time they reached high school?
Right, it seems that the school on the other end hasn't had any reaction either. How strange!
Moreover, given the level of the Xilin University of Technology School of Mathematics, can they really teach such a student well?
While his heart was filled with a mix of emotions, he still replied on WeChat, "Haha, just a coincidence. We'll talk more when we meet next time. I really appreciate your help today, Chunlei. Next time you come to the Capital, let me know in advance and I'll arrange a gathering."
After sending the message, he exited WeChat and let out a long sigh.
It was actually true.
Zhang Hongcai steadied his spirit, walked out of the study, and decided to continue watching TV with his partner.
But as he sat on the sofa in the living room watching the popular series on TV, he couldn't focus on the plot at all.
The vague image of a young boy lingered in his mind, simply impossible to dismiss.
"Zhang, Zhang..."
"What?"
"What are you thinking about? I called you several times, you've been out of it ever since you took that call."
"Oh, Zhao just told me something interesting. An eighteen-year-old kid who can guide a doctoral thesis in geometry. And a professor from Jiangcheng University who studies Group Theory also knows that kid and even thinks the kid's level in Group Theory might be on par with his."
The woman watching TV was stunned for a moment and looked at Zhang Hongcai incredulously, saying, "You actually believe that? Those local professors really dare to boast!"
Then, subconsciously, she thought of their own child who was a freshman in college and refused to come home even on weekends.
Both she and her husband were highly educated.
But even so, she had been worrying about her child's grades since middle school.
Fortunately, the child finally caught on in the ninth grade...
But to have professor-level skills in geometry and Group Theory at eighteen, around eleventh or twelfth grade?
Not even myths would dare tell such a tale!
It's too preposterous.
"What you're saying... Zhao Guangyao from Xilin University and Zhang Chunlei from Jiangcheng University spent this weekend teasing me with this stuff for what?"
The woman sat up, thought for a moment, and then was at a loss.
Yeah, for what?
"Your attempt to show off is too obvious, you've turned into a fool! You don't even have one ten-thousandth of Qiao's charm, okay?"
"Yes! Old Gu, take my advice, you can't grasp the essence of Qiao's disdain for everything. For example, if Qiao said that same line and it reached old Zhu's ears, he would just laugh it off, but if you were the one saying it and it reached old Zhu, trust me, retaking Mathematical Analysis for three continuous years is not a myth."
Dammit... How could my careless words in the dorm get to old Zhu's ears?"
"Because Chen and I could go snitch on you together! How about this, if you pay for the weekend meals, Chen and I won't report you!"
"F*ck off!"
As the two engaged in their heated argument, Gu Zhengliang suddenly noticed Chen Yiwen carelessly tossing his book onto the desk and picking up his phone again.
Puzzled, he asked, "Eh? Old Chen, you're not doing homework anymore?"
Chen Yiwen glanced at Gu Zhengliang and said, "Why the hell would I do homework? I almost got distracted by your nonsense just now. You guys want to take the postgraduate entrance exams to ensure better job prospects in the future. Am I so full to pursue postgraduate studies? My past diligence in learning was so that I could really do math research and become a mathematician!
But having seen Qiao Ze, I've realized that not so many ordinary people are needed in mathematics research."
"So why should I continue studying this stuff? Wouldn't it be better to play happily for four years? Will I need to draw a function graph for my tenants when I'm just collecting rent? Or talk about duality theory when dating a girl? Hell, all I need is to understand the Pythagorean theorem so I won't be cheated when buying a TV, right?"
That made a lot of sense.
But it also cut deep!
Not content, Chen Yiwen continued softly, "Qiao Ze must be off on a date with Su Mucheng. Sigh... I'll just wait until next year. I'll pick a young and beautiful freshman girl and enjoy a pure campus romance. As for you two, keep grinding at those problems!
You don't truly believe that after a few compliments from Qiao Ze, you can get into a good university's graduate program without reading or doing problems like him, do you?"
"You know there's a saying that goes, if a person indulges in pleasures at a young age, enjoying love, wine, and life, then when they get old, they'll find they truly have no regrets about their life! So I plan to live my life without regrets. As for you guys, keep trying!"
The dorm room fell into silence... their hearts ached.
After a while...
"Chen... your ability to hit where it hurts is learned from whom exactly?!"
"Ah, who else could it be? But I'm still not quite like him. Not even a tenth as good!"
Dammit!
...
By now, Qiao Ze was already standing downstairs by the dormitory building.
Unlike the girls' dorm entrance that was brightly lit like daytime, the boys' dorm entrance was dim, but the moon tonight was big, round, and bright.
Under the moonlight, Su Mucheng stood openly outside the dormitory building, her hair casually draped and fluttering in the gentle evening breeze, complemented by a neatly tailored plain dress, resembling the playful and endearing elven girls from video game models.
While many were stealing glances at her, the girl's eyes were only for the figure who walked out of the boys' dorm unhurriedly.
"Qiao Ze, over here..." The girl waved to him.
"Oh!" Qiao Ze walked sluggishly toward the girl and asked, "What's up?"
"Well, it's quite cool tonight. Let's take a walk first, and then I'll tell you all about it slowly, okay?"
"Uh... sure!"