The unparalleled talent of the country started from Harbin Institute of Technology

Chapter 301: Journey to the West Released, Liu Xiaoli Jealous

April 12, 1986, was an ordinary day.

Wang Duoyu's home in the Harbin Institute of Technology faculty villa area.

At this moment, chaos erupted at home as Wang Meili was being berated by her ninth brother. She retorted that she had done nothing wrong.

The only one to blame is that little brat Wang Junhong; he's too smart.

She just casually mentioned wanting a son for a large sum of money, how could the little guy remember it?
And she even taught it to her father, so how can you blame her for that?
"Hmph, if I don't blame you, why should I?"

Wang Duoyu sneered:

"Don't you know that Xiao Junhong is smart and quick-witted, and has a pretty good memory?"

"Forget it, things are already like this, I'm too lazy to argue with you about this. In the future, when you speak at home, think before you speak, don't just blurt things out, and be mindful of the impact."

“There’s more than just Junhong in the family; there’s also Rongrong and the others. They’re so young and don’t understand things, but you’re an adult. You should set a good example and give the children the right guidance.”

To be honest, my younger sister is a real worry for me.

She's a mother of two, and she still acts like this. It's exhausting.

After making a couple of complaints, Wang Duoyu called over all the children, including Lu Yuening, Wang Junhong, and Li Rongrong, and carefully gave them some instructions, while also explaining to them what it meant to offer a large sum of money to have a child.

no way!
Since Wang Meili has already brought this up, we can't just let it go; we have to explain it to the little ones thoroughly.

That's all just a lie.

And it doesn't involve much technology.

The little ones nodded sensibly, agreeing to the matter and indicating that they wouldn't talk about it carelessly.

After leaving home, Wang Duoyu went to the hospital, where Liu Xiaoli and her son were still hospitalized.

In recent days, he has been frequently going to the hospital, especially after returning from his hometown after the Qingming Festival. He has been coming to the hospital several times a day.

After visiting Liu Xiaoli and her son Wang Junkang, Wang Duoyu made a phone call to Tong Jianwei, but the latter was busy and his secretary answered the phone.

"Professor Wang, the Party Secretary is taking a lunch break. I'll get it right away."

"No need. Just tell Secretary Tong I'll be at the municipal government compound in an hour."

"Okay, Professor Wang, I understand."

After hanging up the phone, Wang Duoyu did not call Kang Yumin or Zhao Guobin again.

What his sister did today wasn't a huge deal, but it wasn't a small one either.

However, there are definitely a lot of people who get scammed by offering large sums of money for a child.

It's 1986 now, and many people would be scammed at this time, losing everything they own.

This kind of thing must be stopped.

Wang Duoyu couldn't control other cities, but in Ice City, they had to be wiped out.

May these swindlers die a horrible death!

After making the call, Wang Duoyu returned to the administration building and discussed something with Liu Deben and Lü Gongliang.

"Old Liu, Old Lü, you both know the current international situation; competition is going to get increasingly fierce."

Wang Duoyu got straight to the point, getting right to today's topic:
"Although our domestic labor costs are very low, much lower than those in Europe, America, and Japan, and even wages in Southeast Asia are significantly higher than ours."

"However, a person who does not plan for the future will have immediate worries. My idea is to see if there are other ways to reduce our costs. The one thing I can think of is to connect the Songhua River and the Liao River so that these two waterways can be navigable smoothly."

There are simply too many companies affiliated with Harbin Institute of Technology!

Last year, the company achieved revenue of 27.2 billion US dollars. You can imagine how much of that was in goods sold.

Leaving aside the high-precision lithography machines, the transportation of these things is indeed very crucial and requires careful handling.

However, products such as Powerbook personal laptops, electric bicycles, batteries, and pet egg game consoles can all be directly loaded onto ships for transport.

Since so many goods need to be transported every year, a canal was dug to connect the Songhua River with the Liao River.

So after the waterway opens, there won't be a need to build another railway directly to Dandong Port, right?
"Duoyu, you mean, digging a canal?"

Liu Deben and Lü Gongliang were dumbfounded; they had never imagined that Wang Duoyu's idea would be so crazy.

So shocking.

While modern machinery makes canal construction much simpler, and Harbin Institute of Technology is indeed very wealthy, this is still a waste of money.

The emperor who built the Grand Canal was Yang Guang. He was indeed very powerful, but his reign did not last long.

Before Liu Deben and the other man could start to have any wild thoughts, Wang Duoyu continued:

"Yes, it's about digging a canal!"

"While it sounds ambitious, it's not entirely without the possibility of success."

"Moreover, Lao Liu, Lao Lü, I'm not just giving you my opinions, I'm also representing the Want Want Group. You should have heard about the situation at the Want Want Group, right?"

In 1985, Want Want Group achieved a total overseas revenue of US$3.24 billion.

Even disregarding the $1.28 billion in domestic revenue, the revenue from overseas markets alone is staggering.

It's important to know that Want Want Group doesn't produce any high-tech products; it mainly makes ordinary products like shoes and clothes.

Yet this seemingly ordinary product has become incredibly popular overseas.

Compared to products from the Harbin Institute of Technology system, Want Want Group actually relies more on reducing transportation costs, simply because their products are not considered high value-added products.

Well, except for Pandora.

Although Pandora's products don't involve much technology, they are very profitable, making them high-value-added products.

The main reason is that Pandora's marketing is incredibly effective. From the beginning, it has positioned itself as a high-end luxury brand, and with its membership system and other marketing tactics that showcase its prestige, it has gradually grown into a successful business with the support of nouveau riche, minor celebrities, and other clients.

Although it is a well-known American luxury brand, Liu Deben and his colleagues are very clear that it is actually just a subsidiary of Want Want Group.

Wang Jianchao, the current president of Pandora, was nominally poached from Want Want Group by Pandora at a high price, but in reality, he is an employee of Want Want Group.

Liu Deben and the others didn't know exactly how Wang Duoyu operated, but the deal was done just like that.

Upon hearing Wang Duoyu's words, Liu Deben and Lü Gongliang understood why he had proposed digging a canal.

But Liu Deben still advised:

"Duoyu, I know Want Want Group needs to reduce costs, but digging a canal is no small matter, and the Harbin city government may not support such a decision."

Wang Duoyu heard this and shook his head:

"They will definitely support it, and they must support it!"

"Of course, Lao Liu, you're right. Even if Bingcheng is willing to support it, the higher-ups might not."

It's all because of this project; it involves too much money.

The canal excavation project, which stretches over 200 kilometers, is not about building a road, but about digging a canal.

The South-to-North Water Diversion Project didn't cost that much money either.

In his previous life, Wang Duoyu had never heard of the Songliao Canal being approved.

Of course, at that time, the railway logistics and highway network in the entire Northeast were already very developed.

But now?
There were few railways, and the roads were mostly dirt tracks, so let's not even mention them.

In Wang Duoyu's view, building the Songliao Canal at this time was more feasible.

Of course, there are many problems that need to be solved if this canal is to be built.

Unlike the high-speed railway from Bingcheng to Shuanghe County, the Songliao Canal mainly faces challenges related to natural conditions, engineering and technical difficulties, ecological restoration, and the conflict between water resource allocation.

The Songhua River and the Liao River have very significant hydrological differences: the Songhua River has a low utilization rate, while the Liao River suffers from water shortages and alternating droughts and floods.

If the Songliao Canal is to be built for navigation, then a large number of water conservancy hubs need to be constructed in the upstream and downstream areas.

On the other hand, the Songhua River is frozen for five months, while the Liao River is frozen for four months. This means that additional issues need to be addressed regarding navigation during the ice season.

Of course, this ice age shipping problem can be solved by using railways and highways, but if that's the case, why not just keep using railways and highways?
After all, building the Songliao Canal requires a lot of time, effort and money, because it is not just about digging the canal, but also about building a large number of water conservancy hubs.

The Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River already represents a huge investment; how could the Songliao Canal be such a small water conservancy project?

Moreover, once the Songliao Canal is built, the existing railway and highway bridges will have to be demolished and rebuilt because the reserved navigation height is insufficient.

Furthermore, regarding the conflict between ecological restoration and water resource allocation, the drought problem in the Liaohe River Basin is already very obvious. If we want to build the Songliao Canal, this problem needs to be solved first.

In the original timeline, the country had already approved the feasibility report for the Songliao Canal in 1994, but the plan was never implemented.

The specific reason is obvious without even asking: they must be due to a lack of money, technology, and strength.

"But Lao Liu, Lao Lü, we can't just sit idly by because of these speculations. If we wait a few more years and incur significant costs, it will be too late to start construction then."

Upon hearing Wang Duoyu's words, Liu Deben and Lü Gongliang both fell silent.

After a long while, Liu Deben and the other man finally nodded and agreed to fix it.

Harbin Institute of Technology needs to develop, so reducing costs is an unavoidable issue.

Moreover, one thing is almost certain: the human resource costs of technical engineers and workers in the Harbin Institute of Technology system will only continue to rise.

In industrial production and manufacturing, reducing costs boils down to factors such as raw materials, labor, machinery efficiency, and transportation.

If we can't address issues like raw materials and machinery efficiency, then reducing transportation costs becomes essential; otherwise, profits will only dwindle.

The Plaza Accord has been a hot topic recently. Why are so many Japanese companies, such as Toyota, Nissan, and Peugeot, rushing to build joint ventures in China?
While the huge domestic market is one reason, with sales and profits in international markets halved, Japanese companies like Toyota naturally want to find ways to explore new markets, reduce costs, and improve product quality in order to increase sales and ensure profits.

Both Liu Deben and Lü Gongliang witnessed firsthand how Wang Duoyu's previous words had come true.

Therefore, Wang Duoyu's suggestion regarding the Songliao Canal, and the reasons for building the Songliao Canal, must be true.

Moreover, the idea of ​​building the Songliao Canal had been proposed as early as the Kangxi era, so it was nothing new.

"Alright, let's set off now. I've already arranged to meet with Secretary Tong and the others."

Upon hearing Wang Duoyu's words, Liu Deben and Lü Gongliang were speechless. It seemed that Wang Duoyu had them completely under his thumb.

Half an hour later, as soon as Wang Duoyu arrived at the entrance of the municipal government compound, Tong Jianwei, Kang Yumin, and Zhao Guobin were already waiting for him, along with some other staff members.

Wang Duoyu disliked this kind of scene very much.

I've said it many times, but it's no use each time; they always have all sorts of excuses.

It's really frustrating.

"Secretary Tong, please don't do that again. I'm just an ordinary professor."

Upon hearing Wang Duoyu's words, Tong Jianwei and the others nodded with smiles, but inwardly they were all grumbling: What kind of ordinary professor is he?

Putting aside Wang Duoyu's nickname of "local tyrant," just considering his professorship, could he be an ordinary professor?
A world-renowned mathematics professor, the only "Emperor of Mathematics" in the mathematics world, is certainly no ordinary person!
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Wang Duoyu and the others arrived at the conference room. After taking their seats, Wang Duoyu drank a sip of cool water and then got down to business.

Whenever he goes out, he drinks boiled water and only drinks tea on very rare occasions.

Wang Duoyu wasn't skeptical of those who said drinking tea was good for his health, but he simply wouldn't do it.

People who drink water regularly tend to enjoy it more.

Because boiled water is really good for the body, he drinks at least 2,000 milliliters of water every day, but not too much more.

If you want to live longer, you inevitably have to pay a price; that's for sure.

"Well, we're here today to talk about the Songliao Canal."

As soon as Wang Duoyu spoke, Tong Jianwei, Kang Yumin, and Zhao Guobin were immediately surprised.

They were all familiar with the Songliao Canal project; in fact, several of their previous leaders had mentioned it.

In fact, Tong Jianwei and his colleagues had also considered this possibility because Jianghai Securities and Bingcheng Bank had made a profit of 1.91 billion US dollars at the end of last year.

For the three leaders, if they could push forward the implementation of the Songliao Canal project during their term, it would undoubtedly be a major achievement.

Despite the fact that in recent years, due to the vigorous development of the Harbin Institute of Technology system and Want Want Group, Tong Jianwei, Kang Yumin and Zhao Guobin have all been confirmed for promotion.

The chances of Tong Jianwei and Kang Yumin being transferred are very high.

It would be even better if some arrangements could be made before the transfer so that the benefits of this achievement could be enjoyed afterward.

For example, being transferred to Liaoning.

why?
Once the Songliao Canal project is implemented and construction begins, it will bring new development opportunities to port cities in Liaoning.

In Liaoning, there are three major ice-free ports: Dalian Port, Lushun Port, and Xingshutun Port. The Liaohe River estuary is in Panjin. In the future, inland waterway vessels coming from Harbin can be transferred at Dalian Port.

In short, if Tong Jianwei and his team want to get things done, they need to plan ahead.

Now that Harbin has money, and with the support of Wang Duoyu and Harbin Institute of Technology, the Songliao Canal project is just around the corner.

In the following period, Wang Duoyu didn't waste any time talking, and Tong Jianwei and his team began to vigorously promote the Songliao Canal project.

So, Wang Duoyu, Liu Deben, and Lü Gongliang only stayed at the municipal government office compound for less than an hour before the Songliao Canal project was basically finalized.

The next step is to assign technicians to advance this project, including the construction of large reservoirs and water conservancy projects, how to address floods and droughts in the Liao River, and ice-breaking plans for the river during the winter freezing period.

In fact, icebreaking in winter is relatively simple; it can be solved by developing an icebreaker for inland waterway transportation.

Secondly, it is necessary to ensure the smooth and unobstructed flow of the entire waterway during the winter icing period.

Then there's the issue of bridge heights for railways and highways, which also needs to be redesigned.

These are all relatively simple; anything that can be solved with money isn't a problem.

Therefore, we need to spend more time planning the overall project and figuring out how much money it will cost and how long it will take to complete. These are the urgent issues that need to be addressed.

The top three officials in Harbin are very proactive in pushing this forward.

Shenyang and Changchun will certainly be willing to assist, because the economic development benefits of opening up this inland waterway are obvious.

They will be even more proactive, especially in Shenyang.

Wang Duoyu didn't follow up on the matter further. Instead, after discussing the Songliao Canal, he talked to Tong Jianwei and the others about something else.

"Secretary Tong, Mayor Kang, it's like this, recently in our Ice City..."

He mentioned the matter of offering a large sum of money to have a child.

Despite Wang Duoyu's status and position, there was absolutely no need for him to pay attention to this matter. Not only was it beneath him to be discussed, but it also only affected a small group of people.

Only the greedy would be willing to believe this.

"Distinguished leaders, this matter may seem trivial, but it must be dealt with severely. Moreover, some scammers even infiltrate rural areas, which is undermining our foundation."

"We must take this seriously and eradicate these people behind the scenes, leaving them no chance whatsoever."

After a pause, Wang Duoyu continued:

"And then there are the human traffickers I mentioned before. They're also a key target. We have to crush them all and get rid of them."

People who haven't experienced this will never understand or comprehend it.

Tong Jianwei and the others nodded repeatedly, their expressions extremely serious assuring Wang Duoyu that they would definitely investigate the matter thoroughly.

Since Wang Duoyu has said so, how could Tong Jianwei and the others not take it seriously?
If Wang Duoyu hadn't brought it up, they wouldn't have bothered to pay any attention to it.

Because it's insignificant; these are things that the local police stations and public security officers should be doing.

Indeed, these police stations should be given more responsibility to protect the property and safety of the people.

Several days have passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, while Wang Duoyu was busy with research and development work in the Yuanchang large wind tunnel laboratory, Qiu Chengtong called.

"Professor Wang, what have you been busy with lately? I haven't seen you around at all."

"Professor Qiu, I'm outside. What's wrong? Is there something you need?"

"The 20th International Congress of Mathematicians is just around the corner. Which day are you planning to go to Berkeley?"

The 1986 International Congress of Mathematicians was held in Berkeley, USA, a city home to the renowned University of California, Berkeley. This university was also where Shing-Tung Yau pursued his doctorate, and where Shiing-Shen Chern studied.

Also, Berklee College of Music isn't actually in Berklee, so don't get it wrong.

"Oh, I've been busy lately and completely forgot about it. I'll check on it again in a couple of days."

Has Wang Duoyu forgotten?

It was obvious that he hadn't forgotten; rather, he had never intended to attend this year's conference.

He would have likely attended this year's International Congress of Mathematicians if it had been held outside the United States, but unfortunately, it was held in Berkeley, USA.

If he actually attends this conference, he may very well never return.

Of course, there's a high probability he won't be taken seriously and will easily return to China.

But he wouldn't take that risk, and he wouldn't go abroad.

He's been quite busy lately, and he also wants to delve deeper into the strong solutions to the Navier-Stokes equations to see if it's possible to completely solve the final part of the problem.

Although he knew it would be difficult, what if it were possible?
You should always have dreams!

Shing-Tung Yau: “.”

After exchanging a few words in silence, Shing-Tung Yau hung up the phone.

As clever as he is, it was not difficult for him to guess Wang Duoyu's thoughts.

But if you see through something, don't say it, otherwise it will be awkward.

Since Wang Duoyu is willing to act, then let's just play along. It's no big deal.

After hanging up the phone, Shing-Tung Yau was still thinking of a reason to persuade Charles Feifman and others.

John Milnor and others had high expectations for this International Congress of Mathematicians.

They are getting old, and each time they participate, they may not have the opportunity to participate again.

They're all getting on in years, after all.

Only those in their fifties or sixties understand that every extra day you live is a bonus, a chance to experience that feeling.

If they were all seventeen or eighteen years old, or even twenty, well, then of course they could go anywhere in the world.

The next day, Wang Duoyu held the baby in the hospital and coaxed the little one to sleep.

Wang Junkang spent more than half a month in the hospital and finally recovered.

"Then let's process the discharge today."

After receiving confirmation from the hospital director and other doctors, Wang Duoyu nodded and processed the discharge procedures for Liu Xiaoli and her son Wang Junkang.

"Yay, that's great! Mom, you can finally come home! We missed you so much!"

Upon hearing this, the little kids excitedly shouted it out.

Wang Junan also mentioned that his family's several wolfhounds miss his mother very much.

Liu Xiaoli: “.”

Snapped!
Wang Duoyu lightly patted the back of the little brat's head. "You can just say you miss your mom, why bring those dogs along? Just because you like dogs doesn't mean your mom likes dogs too."

After having children, our home is never short of liveliness.

Although children are said to speak without restraint, Wang Duoyu would still slap the little brats whenever he heard them spouting nonsense.

Especially after the last time he offered a large sum of money to have a child, he gave those kids a thorough lecture.

Soon after completing the discharge procedures, Wang Duoyu and the others returned home.

Since the two sisters, Wang Meili and Wang Meihe, have gone to Europe, the house is not as lively.

However, the four sisters, Li Rongrong, Lu Yuening, Li Shumin, and Lu Yuexin, all lived at Wang Duoyu's house.

The wet nurse only needs to come twice a day, because the two sisters, Li Shumin and Lu Yuexin, can have half breast milk and half formula, plus a little bit of complementary food.

After all, Li Shumin and Lu Yuexin are already four or five months old and can eat a little bit of complementary food, such as rice cereal.

"Uncle, can I watch TV?"

It was exactly 11:30 a.m. when Li Rongrong asked very obediently.

She really wanted to watch TV, and so did Wang Junhong, Lu Yuening, and Wang Junan. However, Li Rongrong was the boldest and dared to ask.

The Wang brothers were both terrified of their father and dared not ask. Lu Yuening was more obedient and sensible than Li Rongrong, and had a quieter personality, so she wouldn't ask on her own initiative.

“Of course, you’ll see.” Wang Duoyu nodded with a smile, while Liu Xiaoli was somewhat surprised.

She only stayed in the hospital for a little over half a month, and then her situation seemed to change.

Before she was hospitalized, Wang Junhong and his family, although they hadn't destroyed the house, were definitely not as well-behaved as they are now.

Seeing her expression, Wang Duoyu chuckled softly:
"Xiaoli, don't be fooled by their appearance. You know the children's personalities, and old habits die hard. It will take a very long time to change their nature."

We have a television at home, and it's a large-screen color television.

However, this television was not turned on very frequently or for very long periods of time.

Because Wang Duoyu wouldn't allow it.

He'd rather these kids play in the mud and sand outside than sit in front of the TV for long periods of time without moving.

In his past life, Wang Duoyu had experienced this kind of enjoyment.

He was only eight or nine years old at the time. Because he was particularly greedy in the spring and summer, he happened to find a peach tree planted by someone while herding cattle. There were many peaches on it that were not fully ripe but were already edible.

So he went to pick some to eat, but he wasn't tall enough, so he jumped up to pick them, and as he fell, he unfortunately got hurt by the bamboo.

The pain was excruciating.

Friends who have lived in the South know that the bamboo grown there is about the thickness of an average child's arm. It is planted diagonally in the soil and compacted, with one end cut off at an angle to create a sharp point.

At the time, Wang Duoyu didn't notice that because the bamboo was blocked by weeds, when he jumped down, without pants to cushion the fall, the soft flesh next to his knee was torn open.

Because of this incident, the scar stayed with him for the rest of his life, making him remember this event and the peach forever.

Besides that, because of his injury, he didn't have to herd cattle or do farm work; he could just stay home and watch TV.

Moreover, his family didn't have a TV at that time, so he watched it at his neighbor's house; it was the famous Journey to the West.

Back then, there weren't many forms of entertainment. Movies and TV series from Hong Kong and Taiwan could keep you entertained for an entire day.

Sometimes, even on rainy days when there's no way to go out to work, they can spend the whole day watching music videos.

"It can't be that exaggerated," Liu Xiaoli said with a smile, she didn't quite believe it.

Wang Duoyu didn't argue with her about it. Regardless of whether it was right or wrong, she was a new mother and hadn't even finished her postpartum confinement period yet.

Therefore, keeping her in a good mood is what Wang Duoyu should do.

Of course, he could also maintain a pleasant mood by not arguing with her.

There's no need to be too fussy about everything. It's not a matter of principle. It's good to be a little oblivious sometimes.

Meeting is difficult, parting is even more difficult.

At this moment, Wang Duoyu heard the theme song of a TV drama coming from the television set, which surprised him.

Immediately afterwards, the children's voices rang out.

"It's a young mother, it's a young mother!"

"Oh, Junhong, is that your stepmother?"

The sound of Lu Yuening and the others surprised Wang Duoyu and Liu Xiaoli. They exchanged a glance and then went to the living room in tacit agreement.

At this moment, Wang Duoyu's eighth sister spoke.

"Hey Ninth Brother, look, isn't this your eldest son's stepmother?"

Following the direction of her finger, Zhu Ling's figure did indeed appear on the television screen.

Zhu Ling looked exceptionally beautiful at that moment; every smile and gesture brought the Queen of the Women's Kingdom to life.

Perhaps it's because her life experiences in this time and space are more different that her acting seems so convincing.

Neither Wang Duoyu nor Liu Xiaoli uttered a sound, and the other kids, including Wang Junhong, didn't dare to say a word either.

But the little kids were whispering and gossiping: the song was nice, and Junhong's mom was so pretty.

Hearing what the little ones said, Wang Duoyu could only laugh.

But as soon as he smiled, Liu Xiaoli jealously stomped on his foot and then snorted as she went back to her room.

Because Wang Duoyu kept his eyes glued to the television screen.

Although Zhu Ling is very beautiful, Wang Duoyu kept staring at her, especially in front of her. Wasn't that going too far?

"Xiaoli, you... Ouch, that hurts so much!"

Wang Duoyu tried to play the victim to gain Liu Xiaoli's sympathy, but he only attracted the attention of little kids like Lu Yuening and Li Rongrong, and couldn't attract Liu Xiaoli's attention.

Liu Xiaoli knew that she hadn't used any force at all; she was just venting her frustration, nothing more.

Sigh, look what's happened.

If he had known, he shouldn't have agreed to let Li Rongrong turn on the TV.

Losing big!
Before dinner, Wang Duoyu coaxed Liu Xiaoli for a while and finally made her happy.

However, during the meal, Wang Junhong suddenly said cautiously:
"Mom, I miss my stepmother. She hasn't come to see me in a long time, and she didn't come to see me on my birthday last year either."

“If you miss her, then tell your dad. Why tell me? I can’t go to Beijing.”

Liu Xiaoli rolled her eyes and said that she didn't want to hear the name Zhu Ling anymore, and anything related to Zhu Ling was also unacceptable.

Upon hearing this, the little guy immediately looked at his father with expectant eyes.

"Why are you looking at me?" Wang Duoyu glared at him. "We just got back, and you want to go out again? Have you forgotten the trouble you caused in Beijing last month?"

How long has it been since?

Moreover, given Wang Junhong's excellent memory, he certainly hadn't forgotten.

So he wanted to go to the capital, but there was no way he could.

Since he can't go to the capital, he can forget about seeing his stepmother.

However, when Liu Xiaoli saw the little guy burying his head in his food, looking dejected and listless, her maternal love overflowed.

"Didn't you reprimand him before? Why are you bringing it up again? He just misses his stepmother, that's only natural. Besides, you were going to Beijing on a business trip anyway, so why don't you take him with you next time?"

Wang Duoyu: “.”

You're the good guy, so I'll be the bad guy?

Liu Xiaoli was clearly aware of this, but she didn't acknowledge it.

Anyway, she's a new mom now, and she's the oldest in the family, so we can't upset her.

Left with no other choice, Wang Duoyu had to agree to it.

However, my next trip to Beijing won't be so soon; I'll have to wait a while longer.

Moreover, Wang Duoyu didn't want to go to the capital; he wanted to go hunting or travel to other places.

May is almost here, and the most scenic places in the country are probably in the south, right?
After all, the weather in the south is just right this season, neither too hot nor too cold, making it perfect for going out for a stroll and enjoying the spring scenery.

However, before Wang Duoyu could decide where to go for sightseeing, John Milnor and his group arrived at the mathematics department's teaching building office two days later.

"Professor Wang, you've been unusually quiet lately. I heard you've been busy with research, but I haven't seen you publish any papers. Have you switched to applied mathematics?"

Inside the office, a group of professors were sitting in front of Wang Duoyu, chatting about scientific research.

Wang Duoyu explained helplessly about his current research topic: the functor conjecture!
John Milnor himself knew best how difficult and complex this problem was.

So it's normal that Wang Duoyu needs to spend some time answering, isn't it?
Following this topic, they began to exchange ideas.

Two hours and thirty-five minutes later, David Bryant Manford finally spoke:

"By the way, Professor Wang, what day are you planning to go to Berkeley? We could be on the same flight!"

The 20th International Congress of Mathematicians is unavoidable; the date and location have already been set.

To be honest, Wang Duoyu really wants the next edition, the 21st edition, to be held in Harbin, but he doesn't know if it can be confirmed smoothly.

After vaguely glossing over the matter, Wang Duoyu proactively changed the subject, asking everyone if they supported casting their votes for holding the next conference in Harbin.

"Of course, I'd love to vote. I love Harbin so much."

David was the first to speak, followed by Smail, Charles Feifman, John Milnor, and others, who all expressed their willingness to vote.

"Okay, thank you everyone." Wang Duoyu was overjoyed and expressed his gratitude repeatedly.

The next session will be in 1990, so there are still four years to go.

Given Ice City's current status, and with John Milnor and his group willing to help, then this matter is almost certainly going to happen.

If the 21st International Congress of Mathematicians is held in Harbin, Wang Duoyu will definitely attend, and many mathematics professors and PhDs from across China will also participate.

Distracted by Wang Duoyu's question, David Bryant didn't press Wang Duoyu about when he was going to Berkeley or whether they should travel together by plane.

It's already late April, and in just over two months, it will be time for the conference.

The sooner it's settled, the better.

In fact, Wang Duoyu had already received a report invitation from the Executive Committee of the International Congress of Mathematicians, but he had not yet replied to them about whether he would attend.

Since the report meeting last May, he has not published any more influential basic mathematics papers.

The few papers published were all ordinary papers with little to show for their work and were not worth mentioning.

So even if he went to Berkeley to give a report, it would just be repeating the same old ideas, with nothing new to offer.

Besides, it's impossible for him to go to Berkeley.

Let's just postpone it a little longer.

Besides, if he didn't attend this year's Congress of Mathematicians, would he still be able to win the Fields Medal?
Wang Duoyu has a great attitude and doesn't have many thoughts at all.

Although the Fields Medal is the Nobel Prize of mathematics, Wang Duoyu has already won it once, so whether he wins it a second time is of little concern to him.

It would be best if we could get it, but it's okay if we can't.

However, Wang Duoyu looked at the frontrunners for this year's Fields Medal and realized that his chances of winning the medal were very high.

Who told him to now hold five major scientific research achievements in his hands: the honeycomb conjecture, the restricted Bernside conjecture, the geometric Langlands conjecture, the fundamental lemma of automorphic form theory in the Langlands program, and the reciprocity law conjecture?

Any one of these five research achievements could easily earn any mathematician a Fields Medal, let alone all five from Wang Duoyu.
Just like the previous Fields Medal, which Wang Duoyu won in 1983, it was also highly prestigious.

There are three very important papers on the Poincaré conjecture. Keep in mind that Smail won a Fields Medal with just one paper proving space in five dimensions and above.

Wang Duoyu's achievements extend beyond just three papers; he also has two major research accomplishments: the ABC conjecture and Fermat's Last Theorem.

Therefore, considering that Wang Duoyu had five major scientific research achievements to win the Fields Medal, one can imagine how valuable that medal must be.

No wonder the global mathematics community generally considers him the emperor of mathematics.

After watching John Milnor and his group leave, Wang Duoyu composed himself and quickly got back to his work.

In recent times, in addition to being busy with the Mach 5 fighter jet project and the Dawning supercomputing project, he has also been following up on the fighter jet improvement project of Heilongjiang Aircraft Manufacturing Plant.

However, the relevant aviation technology personnel have not yet arrived in Harbin, so Wang Duoyu can only wait a little longer.

In the evening, after finishing his day's work, he returned home and was greeted by Zhu Ling, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.

(End of this chapter)