Chapter 88 - 67: Fields Medal
At these words, Liang Tianshi opened his eyes again and turned to look at him. The look of disappointment on the old man’s face faded slightly, replaced by a hint of gratification.
His gaze softened as he looked at the young man before him, and he said slowly, "You’re right. I’m old, after all. My way of thinking can’t keep up with you young people anymore. In the end, the path forward is one you’ll have to walk yourselves."
He paused, his gaze suddenly turning incredibly solemn.
"However, I still hope you can grant this old man one small wish."
"Please, tell me." Chen Lin immediately sat up straight.
Liang Tianshi stared at him. Within his cloudy yet still-sharp eyes burned a fervent flame—the deepest hope a scientist of the older generation held for his country and his people.
"I hope that no matter how busy you become, you will never completely abandon academic research in mathematics."
"I hope that one day, you will win the Fields Medal."
"Represent our country, stand on the world’s highest stage for mathematics, and show your talent to the entire world!"
The Fields Medal?
What was that?
Chen Lin’s mind was a complete blank. He had no idea what it was.
But he could clearly feel the immense weight in the old man’s voice and the fervent hope in his eyes as he spoke.
Chen Lin’s heart was struck by the sheer force of this emotion.
Without the slightest hesitation, he nodded solemnly and, in his most sincere tone, made a promise whose weight he did not yet understand.
"Alright. I promise you."
.....
.....
On the highway, Professor Gu Ming’s jet-black electric car sped smoothly forward.
The powerful air conditioning kept the sweltering afternoon heat at bay.
Chen Lin lounged comfortably in the soft rear seat, guessing the car was a recent purchase Professor Gu Ming had made after returning from abroad.
He didn’t even have a driver’s license, was clueless about electric cars, and couldn’t even recognize the logo on the vehicle’s front. But that didn’t stop him from concluding the car was far from cheap, based on its futuristic interior, its dead-silent ride, and a smoothness so profound it made him drowsy.
’Once my company is up and running and I’ve made my first pot of gold,’ Chen Lin mused, ’I’ll replace that old clunker Dad’s been driving for nearly twenty years. I’ll get him a high-end electric car just like this one—quiet and comfortable.’
As his mind wandered, his phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket.
He pulled it out and saw a new message in the "0714 Math Modeling Competition Offline Exchange" WeChat group.
Shen Yan: [@Chen Lin, where are you?]
Immediately after, their team advisor, Qu Chengfeng, posted a photo. In it, Qu Chengfeng stood with four female students. Shen Yan held a gleaming golden trophy, and every single person was beaming.
Li Zihan: [@everyone, We won the High Education Cup! I’ve already booked a place for the celebration dinner in the Imperial Capital tonight. Time to make the school treat us big time!]
Chen Lin looked at the photo and couldn’t help but smile.
His fingers flew across the screen. He first sent a [Fireworks] emoji to the group, then replied:
Chen Lin: [Congrats! I can’t make it. Principal Chang has already kidnapped me and is taking me back to school. Have fun, you guys.]
The moment he sent his message, the group chat erupted.
Qu Chengfeng: [Hahaha, Chen Lin, that’s fantastic news! The principal giving you a personal ride... that’s some VIP treatment!]
Li Zihan: [Seriously? He’s in that much of a hurry? Our celebration is missing its guest of honor! Nope, you owe us for this meal. You have to make it up to us back in Jinmen!]
Zhang Rong: [That’s right! You have to!]
Sun Jing: [What a shame, Chen Lin. Definitely next time!]
Chen Lin smiled and typed back, "No problem." Just as he was about to put his phone away, another WeChat message popped up.
It was a private message from Shen Yan.
Shen Yan: [The prize money probably won’t be distributed until next month. When it is, I’ll transfer the 6,000 yuan we agreed on to you all at once.]
Chen Lin: [[OK] Thanks.]
Shen Yan: [Are you going back to Jiangdu for summer break? Or just staying in Jinmen?]
Her question was a sudden reminder: he still hadn’t contacted Sun Yu about the rental apartment he’d found for him.
’But it’ll be pretty late by the time I get back to school and take care of everything. Looks like I’ll have to crash in Room 406 for a few nights.’
’My three roommates have probably all gone home by now, so I’ll have the place to myself.’
Chen Lin: [I’m not going back. Staying in Jinmen.]
She replied almost instantly.
Shen Yan: [Okay. I’ll be back in Jinmen in a couple of days. When I am, I’ll treat you to dinner.]
Chen Lin stared at the brief message on his screen, stunned for a moment. He then replied with a simple, "Okay."
He put his phone down and leaned back against the seat, the corners of his mouth creeping into an uncontrollable smile.
He was gloating inwardly.
It wasn’t just about the six thousand yuan in prize money that would soon be in his account.
More importantly, he felt that thanks to Yang Han’s bizarre interference, his relationship with Shen Yan had, by a strange twist of fate, taken a huge leap forward.
After spending some time with her, Chen Lin felt he had a pretty good grasp of Shen Yan’s personality.
Shen Yan might seem cool and distant on the outside, and she wasn’t very talkative, but socially, she was completely straightforward. She didn’t bother with superficial pleasantries.
So when she personally said she wanted to treat him to dinner, it wasn’t just a casual, polite offer. She genuinely meant it.