Chapter 309 - 277: Needing an Anchor
Both of these invitations were quite significant.
Giving an academic presentation at the IAS was a step into the most elite circles of his field.
Teaching a public lecture for Princeton students was something else entirely.
It meant...
What this old gentleman had done on stage in Sunshine Hall today...
...would, in the future, be done on a different stage by the young man before him, who had only been an adult for a couple of years.
Professor Wiles continued.
"If you agree,"
"I’ll have my people over there send you a formal letter of invitation."
Li Dong was a bit taken aback when he heard this.
He hadn’t even been in college for a year.
He was confident enough when it came to the world of mathematics.
But... he was also just like any other nineteen-year-old. He hadn’t seen much of the world.
’What if I get to a place like Princeton and can’t stop myself from showing off? Wouldn’t that be considered rude?’
He was pondering this very question.
Beside him, Tian Gang gently tapped him on the knee under the table.
Then he said to Professor Wiles,
"Professor Wiles."
"Li Dong would be very happy to go."
"It’s just that we’ll have to coordinate on the timing."
"He’s in the middle of a research project right now."
Professor Wiles nodded.
He was, of course, aware of what Li Dong had been working on recently.
Capping the Langlands Program.
That was no small task, no matter who was handling it.
For someone as young as Li Dong to juggle both commitments, his schedule would certainly need to be arranged carefully.
Professor Wiles smiled.
"Of course."
"No problem at all."
"We’ll sort out the specifics later."
At this point, Li Dong had recovered his composure.
He said to Professor Wiles,
"Yes, Professor Wiles."
"The next little while might be difficult."
"I’m also involved with a project group over in chemistry."
"Once I’m through this busy period, we can set a date."
The room fell silent for a moment.
Tian Gang didn’t know Li Dong had joined Professor Wu Kai’s project group, so he was taken aback as well.
Liu Ruochuan, however, did know, so the corner of his mouth merely twitched.
Professor Wiles’s reaction was delayed by about half a second.
He blinked.
"Chemistry?"
Tian Gang and Professor Wiles were actually thinking the exact same thing.
Everyone knew what Li Dong’s research group was working on, didn’t they?
It was the job of capping the Langlands Program.
That was pure mathematics.
When Professor Wiles had said "research project" earlier, that’s what he had understood it to mean.
So how did the word "chemistry" suddenly pop out of Li Dong’s mouth?
Li Dong had no idea what was going through everyone’s minds.
He was just simply stating his commitments.
To him, saying the word "chemistry" was as natural as breathing.
Professor Wiles clearly thought Li Dong must have misspoken.
So he smiled again and didn’t press the issue.
He nodded.
"Alright."
"Once you’re free."
"We’ll set a time then."
He exchanged a few more pleasantries with Tian Gang and Liu Ruochuan about the recent news of an old friend at Princeton.
After that, he seemed to grow a bit tired.
His assistant came in and quietly said something to him.
Professor Wiles nodded to everyone.
"I’m going to go rest for a little while."
He slowly rose from the sofa.
Li Dong stood up as well.
As Professor Wiles reached the door, he turned back and nodded at Li Dong.
"I’ll be waiting for your good news."
Li Dong nodded back.
"Rest well, Professor Wiles."
...
After the door closed, only Tian Gang, Liu Ruochuan, and Li Dong remained in the room.
Tian Gang lowered the hand holding his teacup.
He looked at Li Dong.
"...Li Dong."
His voice wasn’t loud.
"You’re messing with chemistry again?"
Li Dong broke into a grin.
"Teacher Tian."
"I’m in Professor Wu Kai’s research group..."
"They were having some problems with the mathematical inversion part, so they asked me to take a look."
Tian Gang stared at him for several seconds.
Finally, he let out a sigh.
He couldn’t be bothered to rein this kid in anymore.
He had come to understand this kid’s "hobbies" all too well lately.
Mathematics was a hobby.
Physics was a hobby.
Chemistry was a hobby, too.
If he tried to stop him...
...it would just look like he, Tian Gang, was standing in the boy’s way.
Tian Gang shook his head and took a sip of his tea.
Liu Ruochuan watched from the side, trying his best not to laugh.
Just then, Li Dong’s eyes suddenly lit up.
He sat up straighter.
"Teacher Tian."
Tian Gang looked up, eyeing him warily.
"What are you scheming now?"
Li Dong said with great earnestness,
"Teacher Tian."
"Did you know that Professor Wang Zhigang and I have started a research group?"
"Focusing on the Langlands Program."
"The interviews just finished a couple of days ago, and the group’s basic structure is in place."
"The goal is to put the final roof on the great edifice of Langlands."
Tian Gang grunted in acknowledgment.
He held his teacup, feigning nonchalance.
"I know."
"Just make sure you do a good job, kid."
At this, Li Dong sighed.
"Teacher Tian."
"I want to do a good job."
"But the people in the group..."
He paused.
"To be honest, I’m not feeling very confident."
"I can only be with the group once a month. For the other twenty-nine days, I have to rely entirely on Professor Wang and the other teachers to oversee things."
"And you know, Professor Wang is perfectly capable of leading a group, but for a project that aims to cap the entire Langlands Program..."
"...I just feel like we need a pillar of strength to hold everything together."
"Someone to just be there."
"Only then will I feel at ease."
The hand Tian Gang was using to hold his teacup trembled slightly.
He held back for several seconds.
In the end, he almost burst out laughing.
He glanced at Liu Ruochuan, as if to say, ’Did you put him up to this?’
Liu Ruochuan pretended not to notice, sipping his own tea.
Then he turned his gaze back to Li Dong.
This kid really had a way with words, with that "pillar of strength" line.
Still, Tian Gang couldn’t agree too readily.
He put on a show of taking another sip of tea.
"But..."
"Kid, you know I have a lot on my plate as well."
"I’m not sure I can spare the time."
Li Dong quickly interjected,
"You won’t have to, Teacher. You don’t need to spend too much time on it."
"You just need to have your name on the roster."
"Just by being there, you’ll give everyone peace of mind."
He said this with the utmost sincerity.
But inwardly, he was cursing.
’Teacher Tian, you obviously want to join. Can’t you just say so? You have to make me coax you into it.’
Tian Gang pretended to hesitate for a long moment.
Finally, he nodded.
"Fine."
"Alright, then."
"I’ll join and help you manage the team."
"But don’t worry."
"If you really produce any results,"
"don’t put my name on anything I didn’t contribute to."
Li Dong could tell he was being completely sincere with that last statement.
For someone of Tian Gang’s stature, there were already countless papers with his name on them.
Most weren’t papers he had primarily authored; they were papers that benefited from his prestige.
So, whether his name was on another paper or not was of little importance to Tian Gang.
And for Li Dong, whether Tian Gang’s name was included was even less important.
If he could truly cap the Langlands Program...
...the names on the paper would be secondary.
By then, this temple of learning, Yan University, could truly stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Princeton.
He gazed out the window, unable to stop himself from imagining that day.
He wondered if, decades from now, a small building would be erected in the little courtyard of the Yan University School of Mathematics.
With a name inscribed on the lintel above the door.
Li Dong shook his head, pushing the thought from his mind.
He nodded to Tian Gang.
"Teacher Tian, then it’s settled."
"I’ll be going then. I still have some things to do."
Tian Gang waved his hand dismissively.
"Go on, go on."
...
Li Dong left the lounge and headed over to the School of Chemistry.
The elderly Zhang Lufang had no classes today.
She was in her office, sitting in her chair and reviewing the revised manuscript of *Advanced Inorganic Chemistry*.
Li Dong pushed the door open, entered, and gave the old professor a slight bow.
"Teacher Zhang."
"I’ve come to give you a report."
He briefly updated her on his progress in Professor Wu Kai’s research group over the past little while.
He didn’t mention the part about them "going down the wrong path."
Nor did he mention his trip to the Tsinghua Institute the day before.
He just said that Teacher Wu had given him a few days off to tinker on his own.
He’d had an idea, run a set of data that morning, and it had matched up.
After all, she was the one who had introduced him to Professor Wu Kai’s group, so he had to report back to her.
After listening, the elderly Zhang Lufang leaned back in her chair and said to Li Dong,
"Keep up the good work."
"I’ll be waiting for your good news."
When Li Dong left Zhang Lufang’s office, the sun outside was already beginning to set.
He had left in the morning, and by the time he was heading back, it was already dusk.
He took a long, deep breath.
Then he started walking toward his dorm.