Chapter 161 - 120: Journal Selection and Joint Interview
Chen Lin thought about his schedule for the month. His main focus would definitely have to be on his mathematical research and the paper he was preparing to submit to a top journal.
So, he glanced at the calendar in the bottom right corner of his computer screen and replied: [Principal Chang, on my end, I’d prefer to set the date for late September, something like the 25th or 26th.]
Chang Kai: [Alright, we’ll do as you say! I’ll have someone from the publicity department connect with you beforehand with the specific time, location, and interview outline.]
Chen Lin: [No problem.]
...
...
「Time flew by, and soon it was Monday, September 22nd.」
At 9:30 in the morning, Chen Lin meticulously organized the results of his research from the past twenty-plus days.
It amounted to twenty A4 draft sheets, filled to the brim on both sides—exactly forty pages in total.
’My research has probably entered a completely new and more difficult phase,’ he vaguely sensed.
Back when he was researching the "High-dimensional Monge-Ampere Equation" for his thesis, with the help of his [Little Mathematician] state, he could work for three hours a day and consistently produce five pages of high-quality derivations.
But now, as he began to tackle the tough nut that was "Manifold Boundary and Hallucination Control in Generative Models," his output had shrunk. Despite working with the same high level of focus for two and a half hours each day, he could only produce a single draft sheet—a mere two pages.
However, Chen Lin wasn’t too bothered by this.
When it came to academic research, quantity was never the standard for measuring value.
He had absolute confidence in the results of his research.
Following the familiar path to Professor Gu Ming’s office, Chen Lin placed the stack of draft papers on the professor’s desk.
Gu Ming meticulously read the forty pages of derivations from beginning to end.
He read extremely slowly, his brow furrowing and relaxing in turn. Finally, he let out a long breath.
Professor Gu had already been stunned by Chen Lin’s thesis once before. So, while his face was still filled with pleasant surprise this time, he managed to avoid losing his composure on the spot like he had last time.
He picked up the phone on his desk and directly dialed the extension for Director Guo Qizhi.
Before long, Director Guo Qizhi arrived in a hurry.
After he also finished reading the forty pages of drafts, this affable old gentleman, who was usually all smiles, wore an expression of unprecedented seriousness and emotion.
He looked up at the remarkably young student before him and praised him from the heart, "Chen Lin, you... you truly are a genius!"
After that, the atmosphere in the office shifted into a state that Chen Lin found rather peculiar.
The two heavyweights of the Yannan University Mathematics Department were now acting like a pair of children who had just received a beloved new toy. They gathered around the stack of draft papers, excitedly discussing with Chen Lin which top SCI mathematics journal they should submit this paper to.
"I think submitting to the *Annals of Mathematics* would be the safe bet," Professor Gu was the first to offer his opinion. "After all, it’s universally recognized as number one and has the greatest impact."
"Not a good idea, not at all." Director Guo Qizhi, however, shook his head and offered a different opinion. "The review period for the *Annals* is too long, often taking one or two years.
What Chen Lin needs most right now is to make a name for himself in the international academic community as quickly as possible, to lay the groundwork for his participation in the World Congress of Mathematicians at the end of the year. I suggest submitting to the *Journal of the American Mathematical Society*, also known as JAMS."
He looked at Chen Lin and explained, "JAMS is famous among the big four journals for its fast review speed. Plus, its style is more inclined toward groundbreaking research like yours that can pioneer new directions. I think your paper is a perfect match for JAMS’s character!"
In the end, the three of them reached an agreement.
The target: JAMS!
"Chen," Professor Gu said, clapping him on the shoulder with a gratified smile. "First, go to the official JAMS website and familiarize yourself with their formatting and specific submission requirements. Then, try to write a first draft yourself. Don’t be afraid of it not being good enough; just write boldly. After you’re done, I’ll help you revise and polish it, word by word."
"Okay. Thank you, Professor Gu. Thank you, Director Guo."
Chen Lin nodded and solemnly accepted.
After leaving the office and returning to his rented apartment, Chen Lin didn’t delay for a second.
He spread the twenty draft sheets out on his desk one by one, opened his computer, and created a new Word document.
For the next two days, Chen Lin poured nearly all his time and energy into this project.
During the day at his company, after handling some business matters, he would put on his noise-canceling headphones, completely shutting out the hustle and bustle of the outside world. He’d then focus completely on converting the mathematical language from his draft sheets into a paper that met the standards of an academic journal.
When he returned home at night, he would dive right back into his study and continue working late into the night.
...
...
「Thursday, September 25th.」
Chen Lin strolled into the office right at 9:00 AM.
Starting last week, as the back-to-school rush gradually died down, Yunqing and Shen Yan had returned to their normal internship schedule of working three days a week.
To be honest, during the few days they were busy with school-opening matters and didn’t come to work, the large office had felt a bit too empty.
Sun Yu was a quiet, diligent guy who just buried his head in his work. If you didn’t initiate a conversation, he could go a whole day without saying ten words, unless he needed to report something business-related to Chen Lin.