Chapter 65 - 48: Feng Yunhai
Liang Tianshi was completely unbothered. He gestured for him to sit down again, his voice even. "Please, sit. I understand your reaction. However, the chance that this is fake is quite low."
He briefly recounted the whole story, from how his grandson, Liang Xiaodong, had found the mysterious seller on an online marketplace, to how he had once again sought their help for a problem from Han Sibo’s "Fortify the Basics" prep class.
"And that’s the long and short of it," Liang Tianshi summarized. "From the moment Xiaodong placed the order to when he received the two pages containing the complete, step-by-step solution, less than twenty minutes had passed. Xiaodong and this person have no connection, so there’s no reason for him to help them fake their abilities."
After listening, Feng Yunhai sat back down on the sofa. His brow furrowed tightly as he was lost in thought.
He was well aware of the caliber of this problem.
It wasn’t just its difficulty; it was the devious and elegant approach it required, placing extreme demands on the solver’s mathematical intuition and command of the necessary tools.
Back then, the fact that Wei Beichen had solved it in under an hour had stunned the entire training camp’s coaching staff.
’Twenty minutes? That’s not a genius. That’s a monster.’
After a moment’s thought, Feng Yunhai offered the most logical explanation: "Is it possible that this student has seen the problem, or a similar solution, somewhere before?"
"I considered that possibility as well." Liang Tianshi nodded, having clearly already done so. "I had Cai do a quick search online and even queried several of the best AI models currently available. The result was the same. We found a few scattered posts asking about the problem or discussing it, but none had the right approach, let alone the complete solution."
Feng Yunhai’s frown deepened. If it wasn’t available through public channels, then only one possibility remained.
"Is it possible that back when you were leading the IMO national team, one of the other coaches privately saved the problem, and it’s been circulating in some niche competition-prep circles? This student may not have competed in the IMO, but maybe they attended a high-level training camp where an instructor happened to go over this exact problem?"
"That’s certainly a possibility we can’t rule out," Liang Tianshi readily admitted.
After all, so many years have passed; it’s impossible to trace where all those materials went. If they simply memorized the answer, then the caliber of this "genius" would be significantly diminished.
However, his tone shifted, becoming serious and solemn once more. "But, Yunhai, we must also consider the other possibility, and treat it with even greater importance—that someone, completely on their own, truly can solve this problem in under twenty minutes."
Feng Yunhai’s heart skipped a beat again, seemingly of its own accord.
He still found it hard to believe and couldn’t help but voice one last doubt. "Liang, if a student with this kind of talent truly exists, why are they a complete unknown? Even if they don’t do competitions, with their skill level, getting into our ’Fortify the Basics’ program at Yanbei or Huaqing should have been a walk in the park, shouldn’t it? Why would they just go through the regular college entrance exam and end up at Yannan University?"
"That’s the crucial question," Liang Tianshi sighed. "We have far too little information right now."
He looked at his star student, a sharp glint in his eye, and revealed his true purpose.
"That student I had Principal Chang Kai at Yannan University look into, a young woman named Shen Yan, is leading a team in the Advanced Mathematics Cup Modeling Competition. They’ve already made it to the final, in-person presentation round."
He paused, then said, enunciating each word, "On July 14th, at Huaqing University, they will hold the final awards ceremony and academic exchange. I intend to test this young person there, in person."
"A live test?" Feng Yunhai’s eyes lit up, and he said with relish, "Professor, count me in! I wouldn’t miss a show like that for anything!"
Liang Tianshi laughed heartily. He knew Feng Yunhai would react this way.
He looked at Feng Yunhai and asked, as if joking, "If she turns out to be the real deal, how about you pull some strings to get her transferred to your School of Mathematics at Yanbei?"
Feng Yunhai slapped his thigh and answered without a moment’s hesitation, "Absolutely, no problem! If she’s willing to come, I’ll go talk to the admissions office myself! But..."
But then his tone shifted. He smiled and shook his head. "I’ve heard of Principal Chang Kai at Yannan University. He’s a shrewd character. If he really has such a promising talent on his hands, I doubt he’ll let her go easily, will he?"
"Where there’s a will, there’s a way." Liang Tianshi’s gaze, however, held an unshakeable determination.
"I’ll handle Chang Kai. The crucial thing now is to first confirm whether this child is truly a diamond in the rough."
His gaze drifted past the confines of his office.
"If she truly possesses that level of mathematical talent, then unless she herself is dead set on staying at Yannan, I will do everything in my power to ensure a genius like her receives the best possible nurturing."