Chapter 225 - 170: Forgot to Ask for His Contact Information
Worried about disturbing Shen Yan while she was eating, Chen Lin put on his headphones and pressed play.
"Hey, what are you thinking? Liang wasn’t mad at you at all!" Professor Gongtan’s trademark booming voice came through the headphones. "That old man looks at his phone even less than I do. He didn’t even see your message when you sent it. It was me and Old Feng who told him you’d already slipped away. That’s how he found out."
Hearing this, Chen Lin’s anxious heart settled by half.
"As for why he didn’t reply to you," Professor Gongtan paused, his voice seemingly dropping to a whisper, "it’s because he’s busy right now!
You caused a huge stir today, kid. As soon as the closing ceremony ended, Vice Minister Xie from the Ministry of Education pulled Liang and Professor Qiu Chengtong into a small conference room. He said they needed to discuss your situation."
’Discuss my situation?’
Chen Lin was completely lost.
The mathematics conference was over. What else was there about him that was worth a meeting between such major figures?
At the end of the voice message, Professor Gongtan added, "It’s not convenient to discuss the specifics right now. Once there’s a result, Liang will probably contact you himself. So just stop overthinking it and head back to Jinmen in peace!"
Putting his phone away, the last of Chen Lin’s unease finally vanished.
Although he still couldn’t figure out what those important people were discussing, all that mattered was that Academician Liang wasn’t angry.
...
「At the same time, in the Pine Forest Restaurant at Yanbei University.」
The third floor of the cafeteria, normally used by students, had been transformed into a splendid, dazzling banquet hall.
Melodious classical music drifted through the air as elegantly dressed scholars gathered in twos and threes, holding glasses of champagne or red wine. They conversed in low voices in various languages, creating a relaxed yet lively atmosphere.
Long tables were covered with pristine white tablecloths and laden with a dazzling array of delicacies.
The spread ranged from glistening, enticing Caspian Sea Caviar to fresh, succulent deep-sea tuna sashimi, and even a small mountain of Australian Lobsters. Alongside them were various exquisitely prepared top-tier beef, lamb, and seasonal vegetables. Every dish showcased the organizers’ immense sincerity.
Huaxia had been a land of etiquette since ancient times, always known for its lavish hospitality when hosting guests from afar.
Moreover, this conference was of extraordinary significance.
Against a backdrop of increasingly fierce competition between Huaxia and the USA—and with Princeton even hosting a rival academic conference at the same time—every international scholar who attended in person deserved this level of high-class treatment.
This was especially true for top scholars like Schultz, Ficari, and Moitra, who were already famous and established. The fact that they came despite the pressure was, in itself, a statement—a sign of their recognition and respect for Huaxia’s academic community.
In a corner of the hall, Annie held a plate with a few delicate pastries, her eyes scanning the room with a somewhat distracted air.
She had clearly taken great care in dressing up for the evening.
A tailored, royal blue, off-the-shoulder evening gown set off her already fair skin, making it look even more delicate, and perfectly outlined her stunning, enviable curves.
If Chen Lin were there, he would have undoubtedly sighed to himself, ’It’s not just her face that’s like Daddario’s... her figure is just as eye-catching!’
Her beautiful blonde hair was swept up into an elegant bun, revealing a long, slender neck. In the light of the crystal chandeliers, her azure eyes sparkled, attracting the subtle gazes of many men nearby.
However, the center of attention herself was currently searching for something, her beautiful brow slightly furrowed.
"If you’re looking for Chen Lin, I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed."
A gentle voice came from behind her.
Annie turned to see her advisor, Professor Moitra, holding a glass of red wine and looking at her with a knowing smile.
"Professor?" Annie blinked in confusion. "Isn’t Chen Lin coming to the banquet?"
"No," Professor Moitra said, nodding as he took a sip of his wine. "I was just chatting with Director Feng from the Imperial Capital International Mathematics Research Center. He told me that Mr. Chen and his female companion quietly left before the closing ceremony even ended."
Seeing the undisguised disappointment on Annie’s face, he added with a smile, "And you’re not the only one looking for him all over the place.
Just now, at least five or six groups of scholars have asked Director Feng about his whereabouts. They all wanted a chance to have a good talk with him."
"He just left like that?"
Annie’s blue eyes were filled with surprise.
In her view, when young scholars attended a top-tier academic conference packed with major figures, networking at events like the banquet was just as important as preparing a brilliant presentation and aiming for a stunning debut.
After all, one couldn’t understand the content of every single presentation, but the banquet made those typically elusive titans of the field seem within reach.
Even just going over to toast them and exchange a few pleasantries to get your face known was an excellent move.
Who knew, an internship opportunity at some lab might just materialize over half a cocktail. The chances were slim, but not zero.
But Chen Lin? He delivered a report that was enough to shake the entire academic world and then just took off.
’This guy really is a special one,’ Annie thought to herself.
Then, slightly vexed, she said to her advisor, "Sigh, we spent most of yesterday together, and I can’t believe I forgot to ask for his contact information!"
She held up her phone, the screen showing the login interface of a newly registered WeChat account.
"I even downloaded this WeChat specifically for him."
Hearing Annie’s vexed complaint, Moitra couldn’t help but chuckle and shake his head.
He gently swirled the crimson liquid in his glass and said in a playful tone, "Chen Lin is certainly a very interesting person."
He paused, a flicker of reminiscence in his eyes. "To be honest, before coming to Huaxia, my knowledge of him was limited to that paper published in JAMS. At the time, I just thought he was an undergraduate from Huaxia with a great talent for mathematics."
"So," Professor Moitra admitted frankly, "I came here this time with a bit of a personal agenda. I wanted to see if there was a chance I could recruit him to MIT for my Ph.D. program."
Upon hearing this, Annie’s expression turned to one of ’I knew it.’
Given her advisor’s penchant for recruiting talent, it was perfectly normal that he would be tempted by a genius of Chen Lin’s caliber.
A wry, helpless smile appeared on Professor Moitra’s face. "However, just a moment ago, I inquired with Director Feng Yunhai and realized just how naive my idea was."
He looked at his student, who was talented in her own right but still struggling for her Ph.D., and slowly revealed a piece of news that took even her by surprise. "Director Feng told me that Yannan University’s application for Mr. Chen’s early graduation was officially approved by the Huaxia Ministry of Education a couple of days ago. What’s more, Yannan University will soon submit a report to specially appoint him as a professor in the mathematics department."
"A professor?"
Annie was stunned for a moment, but then it sank in and she felt it made sense.
She shrugged, saying nonchalantly, "That doesn’t seem particularly incredible, does it? Based on his presentation this afternoon and the comments from those legendary mathematicians, his mathematical talent is most likely in the same league as Professor Terence Tao and Professor Schulz."
She counted on her fingers, "Terence Tao became a full professor at the University of California, Los Angeles at 24. Dr. Schultz was appointed a W3-level full professor at Bonn University at 25, right after graduating. Chen Lin isn’t even 21 yet. At most, he’s just a few years ahead of them. For a genius of that level, it’s quite normal."
"No, I’m not finished."