A genius? I just love studying.

Chapter 236 Schultz's Letter

King's College Hall, Cambridge

The soaring fan-shaped vaulted ceiling of King's College Hall, with its stained-glass windows refracting the afternoon sun into geometric patterns, complements the iconic blue and gold flag of the IMO.

A huge IMO problem board hangs on the dais beneath the Gothic relief, displaying classic problems from this year's competition. On either side are displayed the British Royal Warrant and bronze nameplates of past IMO perfect scorers.

Six hundred participants and guests, dressed in formal attire, sat on oak benches. Long tables were covered with dark blue velvet and had copper nameplates engraved with the Fibonacci sequence.

Cambridge University's Department of Mathematics Head, Dr. Couchel, delivered a speech in Latin, while the organ played a melody adapted from Hilbert's 23 Questions.

Sitting in the front row, hearing this wonderful melody, Chen Hui thought of Li Zehan and the piano he played when he was at Yanbei University.

If Li Zehan were here, he would probably be very interested in this piece of music.

"Now, please welcome Chen Hui, a mathematician from China, to present the awards to the winners!"

As Kocher finished speaking, the Chinese contestants sitting in the middle immediately stirred.

The leader of the Chinese team this time was a professor from Yanbei University. He did not know Chen Hui personally, but he had heard of Chen Hui's achievements. Looking at the young man who stood up, he felt a sense of pride. He had finally waited for this day. Mathematicians from China could also be award presenters on such an important occasion!

"Wow, it's Chen Hui!"

Shi Haojia exclaimed, his eyes shining with excitement. He had participated in the math competition because he was encouraged by Chen Hui's story, and Chen Hui had long been his idol.

"Good guy!"

Liang Peixuan slapped his thigh. No wonder Chen Hui said he would give him a surprise.

Unfortunately, he didn't live up to expectations and only won a bronze medal this time, making him the worst performer on the national team this time.

But he has done his best.

He was never a gifted contestant; he got to where he is today through hard work. He never expected that the difficulty of the questions would increase so much this year, and there wasn’t even a single contestant who got a perfect score.

Such difficulty is not very friendly to a hard-working athlete like him.

"Chen Hui?"

Sitting next to Liang Peixuan, Deng Leyan muttered to himself, looking at Chen Hui who was slowly walking towards the award stage. Suddenly, he felt a little dazed, thinking of that rainy day at Saclay University last year.

It had only been a year, but it felt like half a century had passed, and even his memories felt distant.

"Congratulations to Deng Leyan, gold medalist at the 66th IMO..."

Hearing his name called on the awards stage, Deng Leyan snapped out of his daze and looked at Chen Hui, who was also smiling and looking in his direction.

With a long sigh, Deng Leyan stood up and walked towards the awards stage.

At this time last year, Chen Hui walked onto the stage with him to receive the award. He never expected that today, the other party would become an award presenter and have solved a millennium problem.

"Congratulations!"

Chen Hui smiled and said to Deng Leyan, feeling a sense of kinship with this talented young man from Chengdu, who was also his former teammate.

As Deng Leyan accepted the medal from Chen Hui, he suddenly felt that the medal, which symbolized honor, was somewhat tasteless.

My fellow participants in the same IMO year are already aiming for the Fields Medal, while I'm still winning an IMO gold medal.

The vicissitudes of life can sometimes drive you crazy.

"Wow, Chen Shen, I've finally met you in person!"

Can I take a picture with you?

"Chen Shen, please sign your autograph for me!"

"Yes, yes, I wish Shi Haojia a future as a great mathematician!"

Unlike Deng Leyan's silent sighs, another gold medalist from China was so excited that he couldn't stop talking as soon as he stepped on stage. When he got Chen Hui's autograph, he even put the gold medal aside, as if Chen Hui's autograph was something more important than the IMO gold medal.

Liang Peixuan looked at Deng Leyan and the others on the stage with a complicated expression.

Although bronze medalists also go on stage to receive their awards, there are so many silver and bronze medalists that usually, after the list is announced, everyone goes on stage together for a group photo and that's it. Unlike gold medalists, there are no separate awards ceremony.

"Hui, can I be your student?"

"Of course, the IMO gold medalists aren't just a few from China," a young man with a goose-shaped back said in somewhat broken Chinese. "With Chen Hui's current achievements, his fans are no longer limited to China."

"If you are interested, you can apply to Jiangcheng University. If you pass the interview, you can certainly become my student."

Chen Hui did not refuse. Winning the IMO gold medal was enough to prove the boy's talent. In mathematics, talent determines a lot.

"awesome!"

The boy was so excited that he danced with joy. He had studied Chinese for so long for this day. He originally planned to apply to Jiangcheng University, but he never expected to meet his idol at the IMO.

Soon, the gold medalists came up and went down, the silver medalists went up to receive their awards, and after a long ceremony, it was finally the bronze medalists' turn to go up on stage.

Because there were too many people, Chen Hui awarded the medals to one of the representatives, which made the silver and bronze medal winners grit their teeth and regret that they hadn't scored more points in the exam.

When it was the bronze medalist's turn to receive his award, Chen Hui presented the medal to the representative, took a medal from a tray held by a staff member, and slowly walked towards Liang Peixuan.

"Congratulations!"

Chen Hui smiled brightly and handed the medal to Liang Peixuan. He knew that Liang Peixuan had put in a lot of effort to get to where he was today.

If he didn't have a panel, his maximum potential would probably be limited to Liang Peixuan at this point.

"Thank you!"

Liang Peixuan accepted the medal and proudly wore it around his neck; he deserved it.

Little did he know how many people, both on and off the stage, were casting envious glances his way.

After the awards were presented, the ceremony should have ended, but given the special nature of the presenter, Kautcher suggested with a smile, "Let's have Mr. Chen Hui, the solver of the Millennium Problem, say a few words to the future pillars of mathematics!"

A thunderous applause erupted from the audience. The IMO contestants, who had been eagerly anticipating the awards ceremony, clapped excitedly, which made these geniuses seem to regain some of the childlike innocence that should be present in their youth.

Chen Hui was caught off guard; this was not the procedure that had been agreed upon beforehand.

But with the microphone already at his lips, and looking at the expectant crowd below, he still took the microphone.

Walking to the center of the stage, looking at the crowd below, he slowly began to speak, "Being able to sit here, each and every one of you has already proven your talent; each and every one of you is a master at solving problems!"

"Mathematics is about solving problems. I hope you can maintain your interest in mathematics, keep moving forward, and unravel the mysteries of the mathematical world."

"Mathematics does involve solving problems, but it becomes interesting when you take it away from solving problems!"

After Chen Hui finished speaking, he walked off the stage.

After a moment of silence, thunderous applause erupted once again.

Most of the participants were somewhat confused, clearly not fully understanding the meaning of Chen Hui's words. However, Chen Hui's words today will leave a seed in their hearts, which may quietly sprout one day.

……

Across from King's College, at The Cambridge Chop House, a traditional steakhouse, Chen Hui savored the cuisine from the culinary desert of the British Empire. To be honest, the steakhouse was quite good. The sirloin steak with red wine sauce and English roast beef was flavorful, with a crispy exterior and tender, juicy interior. It was a unique and enjoyable meal to have occasionally.

"No, so your so-called surprise is just giving me an award?"

Sitting opposite Chen Hui, Liang Peixuan ate his meat with gusto, but said with great dissatisfaction.

"Otherwise, you wouldn't have won the gold medal either."

Chen Hui smiled.

"and many more."

Liang Peixuan raised his hand and took out his bronze medal from his pocket. "Look at this glittering gold color, how can it not be a gold medal?"

"Okay, then I'll take you to France to receive the award in a couple of days!"

This was the surprise Chen Hui had prepared for him.

Before coming to the UK, Chen Hui received a notification from the Clay Institute, which explained some matters related to receiving the award.

Perhaps seeing how successful the Nobel Prize was, Mr. Clay borrowed a lot from the ceremony for the Millennium Problem award, which included a grand gala where the winners could bring their family and friends to walk the red carpet.

Chen Hui originally planned to accept the award quietly, but since Liang Peixuan happened to be there, they decided to accept the award together.

"The Clay Institute Award?"

Liang Peixuan's face lit up with excitement. Although no one had ever received this award before, he could roughly guess from the few words Chen Hui had revealed that it would be a grand occasion. Even though he wasn't the main character, being able to participate in such a scene was still very exciting.

He had already won an IMO bronze medal and was already in the top six in the CMO, so getting into Tsinghua or Peking University was a piece of cake. It wouldn't hurt for him to take this time to travel around.

Chen Hui nodded. "So, are you satisfied with this surprise?"

"It's alright."

Liang Peixuan could barely suppress the smile on his lips, but he still maintained a stubborn demeanor.

Chloe watched Chen Hui and the other person talk, a faint smile on her lips. After spending more than half a year in China, she had already been studying Chinese diligently and could understand the two people talking without any problems.

Of course, what made her even happier was that her teacher had promised to take her along when she received the award!

"Do you plan to continue pursuing mathematics in the future?"

After a few jokes, Chen Hui finally asked.

"of course not."

Liang Peixuan's eyes were firm, clearly indicating that he had already made up his mind. "I'm going to study materials science."

"I know my talent in mathematics. If I continue to study mathematics, I don't even know if I will be able to graduate with a doctorate. On the contrary, I am very confident in doing applied mathematics."

Liang Peixuan, who had just won an IMO bronze medal, said with great pride, "The three most important directions in the current era are materials science, new energy, and artificial intelligence. The other two directions depend on breakthroughs in materials. The fourth generation of semiconductors is waiting for me to discover them!"

Chen Hui and Chloe couldn't help but chuckle.

For a high school student, it is already quite an achievement to find a field of interest before graduation. Many high school students are still clueless and know nothing until it comes to choosing their majors, relying entirely on luck.

Liang Peixuan knew a little, but not much.

Sorry, fourth-generation semiconductors have already emerged, and are even close to being industrialized and used in many products.

These messages are not secrets to those in the industry, but ordinary people do not have access to them and often only become aware of them when new things are widely promoted.

"What, you don't believe me?"

Having just won an IMO bronze medal, Liang Peixuan was bursting with confidence. "Although my math skills are insignificant among mathematicians, they may not be the worst among materials scientists. I'm thinking that a lot of math can be used in materials science research. Maybe I can open up a new path in the future, like computational materials science, just like computational chemistry."

"By then, the Nobel Prize will be a piece of cake. We are both Fields Medal winners and Nobel Prize winners, and it will be a wonderful story to tell that we are both brilliant in our time."

Chloe smiled and glanced at Liang Peixuan, then looked at Chen Hui.

It must be said that Liang Peixuan's idea was very good, but it seems that Chen Hui had already done this step ahead of time.

"Okay, then congratulations in advance to the future Nobel Prize winner!"

Chen Hui smiled and looked at Lao Liang, who was lost in his daydream, without saying anything more. He would naturally find out when Liang Peixuan studied materials science.

"A tribute to future Fields Medal winners!"

Liang Peixuan also raised his glass, his face flushed, and said.

Chloe watched the two people opening champagne in the middle of the room, smiling without saying a word.

After a few rounds of drinks and dishes, Chen Hui asked, "By the way, how's Li Hai doing lately?"

"That guy is doing great. While you're not around, he's always showing off his love in front of me."

"Showing off their love?"

"That's for sure. Last summer, he hooked up with a girl from the next class, and now they're really into each other."

"No wonder he asked me to bring him perfume!"

"He said he wanted to study computer science and become a programmer after graduation. I heard the salary is quite good, and he plans to marry his girlfriend after graduation."

Liang Peixuan sighed.

Chen Hui was also taken aback. He wasn't even eighteen yet, and he hadn't expected that his former classmates would already be thinking about marriage...

After the meal, everyone was in high spirits, and the group took a stroll along the River Cam at King's College.

As the sun sets, the golden willows along the riverbank shimmer in the golden sunlight, casting vibrant shadows on the rippling waters of the Cam River.

By this time, the River Cam was already boiling with cheers, and twelve slender racing boats were neck and neck like arrows released from a bow at the bend.

The Trinity College light blue boat suddenly accelerated, the helmsman yelling "Bump them now!", the bow almost touching the stern of the St. John's College boat in an instant.
boom!
The wooden oarlock snapped with a loud crack, and the foreboat's helmsman stumbled and fell into the cabin, while the Trinity College oarsmen raised their oars and leaped into the water, their torn opposing team flags floating in the shimmering spray of the river.

Audiences from both sides of the strait frantically banged on beer bottles, and some threw their college badges into the air.

The St. John's team members who had fallen into the water laughed as they swam to shore. Their captain, wiping the seaweed off his face, shouted, "We'll be back from Modrin Bridge next year!"

As dusk fell, the shouts of a new round of pursuit echoed from the Silver Street Wharf, much like the sparks flying from the horseshoes of medieval knights on the cobblestones.

This is the Cambridge University boat race, where the college teams are lined up longitudinally on the narrow River Cam, spaced 1.5 boats apart, and then race at full speed to catch up with the boat in front after the starting signal.

If the bow of the following boat touches the stern of the preceding boat, it is considered a successful collision. Both boats immediately dock and withdraw, and the positions are switched the next day. The final ranking of the colleges is determined by the number of successful collisions.

Chen Hui and his team arrived at the perfect time, as today was the last day of the competition. After the competition, the members of the winning team lit torches and jumped into the River Cam. Students on the shore sang the college's battle song and celebrated all night long.

The next day, Chen Hui informed the leader of the China IMO team and then took Liang Peixuan and the other person to France.

But as soon as he boarded the train, he received a call from Schultz!

(End of this chapter)