A genius? I just love studying.

Chapter 238 The Grand Duke of Orléans

As the award ceremony date draws closer, online discussions about the Clay Institute Award have become increasingly heated. Several months ago, the Clay Institute announced that Chen Hui had won the award and also confirmed the award ceremony date.

However, the internet's memory is always short, and a few months later, many people had already forgotten about it.

However, when a student studying in France took a photo of Chen Hui walking in the French Collège and posted it online, it once again drew everyone's attention to this grand event.

[Does anyone here understand this?! I jumped up from my chair when I saw the news that the Clay Institute was going to award Chen Hui! The Yang-Mills equations are one of the seven unsolved problems of the millennium, on par with the Riemann Hypothesis and P=NP! Back when I was learning relativity, my teacher said, 'This equation is like a tangled mess; if you can't solve it, I'll admit defeat,' and yet our Chinese scholars have solved it?!]

[Major Breakthrough! Professor Chen's work not only completed the full analysis of the Yang-Mills equations but also corrected the limitations of the 'mass gap' assumption in traditional gauge field theory. This means that the computational accuracy of quantum chromodynamics will be improved by more than 40%, benefiting future controlled nuclear fusion and the design of new particle colliders! Kudos to Chinese mathematicians!]

[Although I don't fully understand it, I've heard it's an achievement that could win a Nobel Prize! When Professor Chen was still studying at Jiangcheng University, my niece's classmate worked on a project with him and said he went bald on three heads—this award is well worth it!]

[Upstairs, Chen Shen is only eighteen years old, and his hair is still very thick!]

Oh, sorry, I'll post this again when he's bald, doge.

[Pfft, this is hard to believe. Professor Chen is destined to be a rabbit, isn't he?]

[Anyone who studies mathematics can keep their hair? It's only a matter of time!]

[Here's a little-known fact: the Yang-Mills equations were proposed by Professor Chen-Ning Yang and Professor John Mills in 1954. At the time, the academic community had no idea that they could be linked to the 'strong interaction'. Chen Hui's work is equivalent to adding the last 'load-bearing wall' to this 'theoretical edifice,' no wonder Nobel laureate Professor Lloyd Glück said it was 'a milestone in 21st-century theoretical physics.']

[So, does this mean Professor Chen could win the Nobel Prize in Physics for this? Can any experts analyze this?]

[I am the chairman of the Nobel Prize Committee of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. I would also like to hear an analysis from an expert. It's urgent, I'm waiting online.]

[It is suggested that Professor Chen and Professor Yang Zhenning be jointly awarded the Nobel Prize.]

If Professor Chen really wins the Nobel Prize, wouldn't he break the record for the youngest Nobel laureate? I remember the previous youngest laureate was in his twenties.

"How can that be the same? He only won an award because he was born into a privileged family and his father helped him. How can he compare to Professor Chen?"

[To the person upstairs: Stop rambling. Don't bring your fan culture's tendency to idolize one person while belittling another into academia.]

[Chen Shen is amazing! It turns out the coolest "feel-good" stories are always written in reality.]

Not only has the topic become a hot topic on Chinese social media, but it's also being discussed extensively abroad.

From Twitter to Facebook, and even authoritative media outlets like Science, everyone is talking about this.

Chinese scholar Chen Hui has solved a millennium problem, joining the ranks of Perelman (Poincaré conjecture) and Wiles (Fermat's Last Theorem), and the global scientific community calls it a "gift to humanity's understanding of the universe."

The solution to the Yang-Mills equations is not only a theoretical breakthrough—it is also key to opening up new frontiers in particle physics. We are already planning experiments to verify its predictions using a future circular collider.

While the online discussions were in full swing, the day of the awards ceremony finally arrived.

9 month 25 day,
Nine o'clock in the morning,

"Professor Chen, it's time to change into your formal attire."

Chen Hui turned and walked toward the elevator. The sound of his leather shoes clicking on the marble floor broke the silence of the corridor. The suit that Clay Institute had customized for him hung in the fitting room, with simplified symbols of Yang-Mills equations embroidered in silver thread on the dark gray wool fabric.

The tailor was adjusting the shoulder line, and when he looked up, his glasses were fogged up: "Professor Chen, this fabric is from the stock of the court textile workshop during the time of Napoleon III. When you wear it..." He paused, "it looks just like those names that rewrote the history of physics."

Chen Hui touched the front of his suit jacket, his fingertips brushing against a raised emblem—the shield of the Clay Institute, with the mathematical symbol ∞ embedded in the center.

The reflection in the mirror made him feel dazed. Although his wealth already surpassed that of 99% of the people in the world, this seemed to be the first time he had ever worn such luxurious clothes.

"Holy crap, I'm actually this handsome!"

Beside him, Liang Peixuan marveled at his own handsomeness in the mirror, his eyes glued to the reflection. "It turns out I've always been held back by my clothes!"

"This is what I should be wearing!"

As the only two relatives and friends brought by Chen Hui, the two also enjoyed the treatment of having custom-made suits.

For a high school student who had always worn a school uniform, the dramatic changes were indeed a huge shock.

After admiring the photos for a while, Liang Peixuan took out his phone, took a picture of himself and Chen Hui, and sent it to their group chat, specifically tagging Li Hai.

After changing, Chen Hui and his companion walked out of the fitting room and met up with Chloe in the lobby.

The Clay Institute customized a blue French-style dress for Chloe, with the main color being Versailles misty blue silk satin, which presented a gradient luster like glacial meltwater under the light. Wearing this dress, Chloe looked like a princess.

After meeting up, the three of them took a car from the Grand Palais in Paris to the Collège de France.

The street scenes on both sides receded into the distance, and Chen Hui's thoughts drifted.

In just a few days, it will be a day of national celebration. Consider this big prize as my birthday gift to my country!

The auditorium of the Collège de France was more solemn than I had imagined.

This 17th-century building was once the royal theater of Louis XIV. Its dome, composed of three hundred hand-blown glass panels, now reflects a pale golden glow in the morning light.

A huge banner hung in the center of the auditorium, which read "Celebrating the Breakthrough in the Complete Solution of the Yang-Mills Equation - Dedicated to Professor Chen Hui," and below it was written in Latin "Veritas numquam perit" (Truth Never Dies).

Guests have been arriving one after another, and the front row seats are already full. To the left is Professor Glück, the Nobel Prize laureate in Physics, who is writing notes on the back of the program with a pen. To the right is the French Minister of Higher Education, whose suit lapel is adorned with the gold badge of the French Academy of Sciences.

Fefferman was also sitting in the first row.

Schulz and Touquet were also there, and they were giving Chen Hui bright smiles.

Chen Hui met the first person to greet him at the side door—Laurent Deschamps, a member of the French Academy of Sciences, who was wearing a dark gray suit with a gold laurel leaf badge of the French Academy of Sciences pinned to his lapel.

“Professor Chen,” Deschamps grasped his hand, “today is not only your honor, but also the honor of France!”

The solution to the Yang-Mills equation has improved the accuracy of quantum chromodynamics by 40%, allowing our nuclear physicists to finally see the dance of quarks more clearly!

As Chen Hui walked across the red carpet, he heard the constant clicking of camera shutters.

Long lenses and short lenses crowded both sides of the red carpet, making Chen Hui squint.

Among them, he spotted familiar Chinese media outlets. He nodded slightly in that direction, and at the same time, the Chinese photographer pressed the shutter.

He was unaware that this photo would be the cover of this report.

"Please welcome Jean-Pierre Dupont, Director of the Clay Institute, to give a speech," the host announced.

The 78-year-old director walked onto the stage with a silver-inlaid cane, a red rose tucked into his suit pocket.

“Fifty years ago, when Mr. Yang and Mr. Mills proposed the non-Abelian gauge field theory,” DuPont’s voice trembled with excitement, “they wrote at the end of their paper, ‘We believe that this theory will become the cornerstone of future particle physics.’ Today, Professor Chen Hui is using the scalpel of mathematics to polish this cornerstone even more brilliantly.”

"Now, please welcome Dr. Chen Hui to the stage to receive the award!"

Chen Hui stood up and walked onto the red carpet leading to the awards stage.

He glanced back at the hall, but unfortunately did not see Mr. Yang Zhenning.

At his age, he could hardly endure such a long journey, but he must be able to feel the glory of this moment in the distant East.

The moment his leather shoes stepped onto the red carpet, the lights on the dome of the auditorium suddenly focused.

Twelve honor guards in silver-blue uniforms carried the bronze trophy up the steps. The base of the trophy was inscribed with "To the man who rewrote the laws of physics," and the core formula of the Yang-Mills equation was carved on the edge.

This trophy was specially designed for Chen Hui by the Clay Institute; it's a one-of-a-kind trophy in the world!
As Chen Hui accepted the trophy, his fingertips touched the warmth of the metal—the warmth of the geothermal heating system at the Collège de France, and also the warmth of humanity's eternal pursuit of truth. Thunderous applause erupted from the audience.

Chen Hui also took the microphone from the host, saying, "This equation not only explains the nature of the strong interaction,"

He spoke into the microphone, his voice more steady than expected, "and it reveals a truth: the beauty of mathematics will ultimately become a bridge to physics. When we solve an equation, we not only understand the language of the universe, but we also hear its heartbeat!"

"This is not the end, but the beginning!"

Chen Hui said firmly and forcefully.

The audience erupted in even more enthusiastic applause.

After the awards ceremony, Chen Hui and the invited guests moved to the nearby Palais de Paris Hotel.

Originally part of a noble residence surrounding the Palais Royal in Paris, the hotel features red brick walls and arched window frames that reflect the architectural characteristics of the Second Empire. More than a decade ago, Hilton took over the renovation, preserving the original building structure while incorporating modern minimalist design elements. Only 50 rooms remain after the renovation.

The hotel is adjacent to the Louvre, the Royal Palace and Place de la Concorde. Historically, it was a gathering place for artists and diplomats, and many historical figures have stayed there. Of course, Chen Hui's stay will probably also be recorded in its historical events.

In the luxurious banquet hall,
"What happened to the grand banquet we were promised?"

"I'm still not full."

Liang Peixuan sat next to Chen Hui and muttered to himself.

Chen Hui hadn't expected that a true French feast would be so "small and exquisite".

"Let's go back and eat instant noodles."

Fortunately, they were prepared and had stocked up on a lot of instant noodles at the hotel.

After the dinner, a dance was held in the adjacent hall. Terence Tao and Schultz, each with their female companions, swayed on the dance floor, fully enjoying the celebratory moment.

Even Professor Fefferman was dressed in a well-tailored suit, like an old aristocratic gentleman, dancing gracefully with his female companion on the dance floor.

The music was soft and elegant, and the dance moves were graceful and relaxed.
Chen Hui, the winner of the Clay Institute Award, naturally became the undisputed protagonist, but at this moment everyone seemed to be immersed in the music and had no time to pay attention to him.

Chloe, dressed in a blue evening gown, stood behind Chen Hui, eager to try.

Just then, a delicate young woman, as beautiful as a porcelain doll, gracefully appeared, smiling as she extended her right hand to Chen Hui. "Professor Chen, may I invite you to dance?"

"I can't dance."

Chen Hui politely declined.

"As the main character today, you can't do without dancing."

Burton walked over with a wine glass in his hand, and said with a meaningful smile.

Terence Tao also came over to join in the fun, saying, "That's right, you should learn to dance. You'll have plenty of opportunities to dance in the future."

"It's okay, I can teach you."

The porcelain doll-like girl opposite him also smiled and said.

"My pleasure!"

Chen Hui extended his right hand, took the hand of the porcelain doll-like girl, and walked together onto the dance floor.

It would be impolite to refuse such an invitation.

"You can call me Karina."

Karina said with a smile, holding Chen Hui's right hand with her left and placing her right hand on his shoulder.

"ouch!"

Before she could finish speaking, she cried out in pain as Chen Hui stepped on her foot.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I really can't dance," Chen Hui apologized awkwardly.

"It's okay, we'll take it slowly, left foot... right foot..."

Karina laughed even more heartily. It turned out that Chen Hui had refused earlier because he really couldn't dance.

It's quite a strange feeling that even such a genius has things he can't do.

"Haha, it's rare to see this guy get his comeuppance. I should have invited him to dance sooner!"

Schultz stood outside the dance floor, gloating with a glass of wine, while Fefferman laughed heartily, as if recalling a funny incident from his youth.

However, Chen Hui's dance steps soon became more relaxed, even carrying a mathematical precision, as if his steps had been measured with a ruler.

Schultz and the others were already used to it; they had experienced the same thing when they first learned martial arts.

"You learn so fast, is this what a genius is?"

Karina exclaimed in surprise, recalling that it had taken her a full week to reach this level.

"Because I have a good teacher!"

Chen Hui answered with a smile.

This was his first time dancing like this, and it was a strange feeling; he felt pretty good about it.

Liang Peixuan sat alone in a booth at the back, showing off his plate of desserts. He hadn't eaten enough at the dinner party, and these macarons were quite delicious.

After eating and drinking his fill, he looked at Chloe beside him and said quietly, "Although I don't understand, I think that if you want something, you have to take the initiative."

Chloe shook her head.

After a moment, she spoke softly, "That is the daughter of the Grand Duke of Orléans!"

She couldn't compare to her in terms of family background or appearance.

"Do you French have dukes?"

"Although the official title has been abolished, they still refer to it that way within the family."

Chloe didn't say much, but Liang Peixuan understood the weight of this Grand Duke title. With five thousand years of history in China, many things could be found in historical records, so it was nothing new.

Dynasties come and go, but families remain for a thousand years.

On the other side, Burton, holding a wine glass, stood with a typical French aristocratic old man, also watching the group of young men and women dancing gracefully on the dance floor.

I really envy you for having such a wonderful daughter!

Burton sighed deeply, his voice filled with regret.

The old man raised his glass, took a small sip, and smiled without saying a word.

(End of this chapter)