They're already in university, and the primary school system is only just starting out?

Hearing this, Liang Tianshi opened his eyes again and turned to look at him. The disappointment on the old man's face faded slightly, replaced by a hint of relief.

He looked gently at the young man before him and said slowly, "You're right. I am getting old, and my thinking can't keep up with you young people anymore. Ultimately, you will have to walk your own path in the future."

He paused here, his eyes suddenly becoming extremely solemn.

"However, I still hope to fulfill this old man's small wish."

"Please speak," Chen Lin said, immediately sitting up straight.

Liang Tianshi gazed at him, and in those cloudy yet still sharp eyes burned a blazing flame—the deepest expectation of an older generation scientist for the country and the nation.

"I hope that no matter how busy you get in the future, you will never completely leave the academic research of mathematics."

"I hope that one day you will win the Fields Medal."

"Represent our country, stand on the highest stage of the world mathematics community, and showcase your talent to the world!"

Fields Medal?

What is that?

Chen Lin's mind went blank; he had no concept of this term.

However, he could clearly feel the weight of the old man's voice and the burning expectation in his eyes when he said those words.

Chen Lin's heart was struck hard by this emotion.

Without the slightest hesitation, he nodded solemnly and, in his most sincere tone, made a promise whose weight he did not yet fully comprehend.

"Okay, I promise you."

.....

.....

On the highway, Professor Gu Ming's all-black tram sped smoothly forward.

The air conditioning in the car was on full blast, keeping out the afternoon heat.

Chen Lin leaned back comfortably in the soft back seat, guessing that Professor Gu Ming had probably bought the car after returning from abroad.

Although he didn't even have a driver's license and knew nothing about trams, not even recognizing the brand of the logo on the front of the car, it didn't stop him from judging from the futuristic interior design, the absolute quietness, and the smooth ride that made him drowsy that the car was definitely expensive.

Chen Lin was thinking that once his company was on the right track and he had earned his first pot of gold, he would replace his father's nearly 20-year-old car with one of these quiet and comfortable high-end electric cars.

Just as I was lost in thought, my phone suddenly vibrated in my pocket.

He took it out and saw that there was a new message in the WeChat group for the "0714 Mathematical Modeling Competition Offline Exchange".

Shen Yan: [@Chen Lin, where are you?]

Immediately afterwards, the teacher in charge, Qu Chengfeng, posted a photo. In the photo, Qu Chengfeng was standing with four girls, Shen Yan was holding a gleaming gold trophy, and everyone's face was beaming with smiles.

Li Zihan: [@All members, we won the Higher Education Cup! Tonight's celebration banquet in Beijing—I've already booked the venue, I'm definitely going to squeeze every last penny out of the school!]

Chen Lin looked at the photo and couldn't help but smile.

His fingers flew across the screen; first, he sent a [fireworks celebration] emoji in the group chat, then replied:

Chen Lin: [Congratulations! I'm not going; Principal Chang has already dragged me back to school. You guys have fun.]

As soon as he posted those words, the group chat immediately became lively.

Qu Chengfeng: [Hahaha, Chen Lin, this is fantastic news! The principal is personally picking you up and dropping you off—that's quite a privilege!]

Li Zihan: [Seriously? So rushed? Then our celebration banquet will be missing one main character! No way, you can skip this one, we have to make it up to you when we get back to Tianjin!]

Zhang Rong: [Yes, yes, yes, it must be added!]

Sun Jing: [It's such a pity about Chen Lin, I'll definitely do it next time!]

Chen Lin smiled and replied "No problem." Just as he was about to put down his phone, a new WeChat message popped up on his screen.

It was Shen Yan's private message.

Shen Yan: [The bonus probably won't be paid out until next month. I'll transfer the agreed-upon six thousand yuan to you in one lump sum then.]

Chen Lin: [OK] Thank you.

Shen Yan: [Are you going back to Jiangdu this summer? Or are you staying in Tianjin?]

Upon seeing this question, Chen Lin suddenly realized that he hadn't contacted Sun Yu to check on the rental apartment he had already found.

But by the time I get back to school and finish my business, it will be quite late, so it looks like I'll have to make do in room 406 for a few nights.

However, the three brothers should have all gone home, so Chen Lin is actually living alone.

Chen Lin: [I'm not going back; I'll stay in Tianjin.]

The message was sent and received a reply almost instantly.

Shen Yan: [Okay, I'll be going back to Tianjin in a couple of days. I'll treat you to a meal then.]

Chen Lin stared at the short line of text on the screen for a moment, then replied with "Okay".

He put down his phone, leaned back in his chair, and couldn't help but smile.

I felt a secret thrill inside.

It wasn't entirely because of the six thousand yuan bonus that was about to be in his pocket.

More importantly, he felt that his relationship with Shen Yan had taken a big step forward by chance because of Yang Han's inexplicable interference.

After spending some time with her, Chen Lin had a basic understanding of Shen Yan's personality.

Shen Yan appears aloof and not very talkative, but she's a social butterfly who doesn't know how to say anything polite or formal.

Since she personally said she wanted to treat me to a meal alone, it definitely wasn't just a casual remark; she genuinely intended to keep inviting me to meals in the future.

This means that I will have many opportunities to spend time alone with her in the future.

This is much closer than the previous "paid consultation" partnership.

Not bad, not bad.

Chen Lin was in a great mood. He turned off WeChat and was about to browse Weibo and Tieba to see what fun things were happening today when Principal Chang Kai, who was next to him, finished making a phone call.

Chang Kai turned around, a warm smile on his face, and said to Chen Lin, "Chen Lin, I've already spoken with Director Kong of the Academic Affairs Office. They'll prepare the necessary application materials immediately. As soon as we arrive at the school, we'll go to his office first to process your change of major!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Lin immediately replied, "Okay, then I'll trouble you, Principal."

Professor Gu Ming, who was focused on driving, glanced at Chen Lin through the rearview mirror and suddenly asked, "Chen Lin, are you planning to stay at school this summer and not go back?"

"Yes, that's right." Chen Lin nodded. "There are still some things to take care of in Tianjin."

"That's perfect." Gu Ming's tone was warm and appreciative. "We can schedule a few times to finish the exams for those required math courses and earn the credits. Then, I'll take some time to tutor you individually and teach you how to write your graduation thesis so you can get that done as soon as possible."

"No problem, thank you Professor Gu." Chen Lin agreed readily.

Chang Kai nodded in satisfaction and added, "You don't need to worry about the company's establishment. I'll start making arrangements as soon as I get back, and have the school's professional team come up with a plan for coordinating with President Peng. I'll contact you as soon as I have some initial information. You'll also need to contact President Peng then."

As he spoke, he took out his phone, opened WeChat, and displayed his personal QR code.

"Come on, Chen Lin, let's add each other as friends so we can keep in touch in the future."

Chen Lin quickly took out his phone and scanned the QR code to add Chang Kai. With a soft "beep," Chang Kai accepted his friend request. Immediately afterward, Chang Kai sent him a business card.

[Yannan University - School of Mathematics - Gu Ming]

Chen Lin casually clicked "add" as well.

Seeing that everything was almost arranged, Chang Kai completely relaxed, leaned back in his chair, and his signature kind smile returned to his face.

He looked at Chen Lin with interest and asked, "By the way, Chen Lin, what did you two talk about in Professor Liang's office just now? I saw that Professor Liang's expression was a bit complicated when he came out."

"It's nothing," Chen Lin said honestly. "I just explained my personal choice to Professor Liang. Although he was a little disappointed, he eventually understood. Then I promised him that I wouldn't completely give up scientific research in the future, and I would still do some research as long as my energy allows."

At this point, Chen Lin paused, recalling his solemn promise at the end, and added, "Oh, right, I also promised him that I would try my best to compete for that... Fields Medal."

After listening, Chang Kai nodded thoughtfully, without any particular reaction.

Gu Ming, who was driving, was very surprised to hear Chen Lin's words. Almost instinctively, he looked at Chen Lin in the rearview mirror with an extremely shocked expression and asked, "Fields Medal?!"

"Yes." Chen Lin was a little confused by his reaction, and scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly. "Actually... I didn't know what kind of award it was. I saw the look of anticipation in Old Liang's eyes at the time, and I didn't want to disappoint him, so I agreed."

Upon hearing this, Gu Ming's lips twitched involuntarily, feeling somewhat amused and exasperated.

He paused for a few seconds, seemingly organizing his thoughts, before beginning to explain things to Chen Lin in a serious tone.

"Chen Lin, let me put it this way: you can think of the Fields Medal as the Nobel Prize of mathematics."

"This award is given out only once every four years, with no more than four winners each time. Moreover, it has an extremely strict rule—the winners must be under forty years old."

Gu Ming's voice was exceptionally clear: "This regulation is to recognize young mathematicians who have made the most outstanding and significant discoveries early in their careers."

He paused, his tone carrying a complex emotion that was hard to describe: "To date, our country... has never had a mathematician of Chinese nationality win the Fields Medal."

A brief silence fell over the carriage.

Chen Lin was stunned after hearing Gu Ming's introduction.

Only then did he realize how heavy the expectations were behind Academician Liang Tianshi's words of entrustment.

That was a profound hope that transcended personal honor and disgrace, and entrusted the academic dignity of the entire nation and the entire people!

Seeing Chen Lin remain silent in the rearview mirror, Gu Ming assumed he was intimidated by the difficulty and significance of the award, and quickly reassured him, "Of course, you don't need to put too much pressure on yourself. This goal is indeed still very far away. But..."

He then changed the subject, his tone filled with determination and encouragement: "With your talent, you really have a chance to give it a try! This summer, we'll start with your graduation thesis, treating it as your first step towards familiarizing yourself with research and reaching this goal!"

Chen Lin nodded slowly, but did not speak.

He wasn't intimidated by the so-called difficulty.

With the title of "Little Mathematician," any mathematical problem is just a matter of time before he solves it.

He was simply analyzing the situation calmly.

Gu Ming's words made Chen Lin understand that to win the Fields Medal, one must produce significant achievements while young.

My age is exactly what I'm looking for.

The only thing missing now is a sufficiently significant achievement.

Chen Lin's mind started to wander.

It seems that once I get back to Tianjin and settle down, I'll need to find some time to calmly search online and figure out what research direction I should pursue, and produce some impressive results.

.....

.....

After a journey of less than two hours, Professor Gu Ming's tram smoothly entered the gates of Yannan University.

During the summer vacation, the campus, devoid of its usual hustle and bustle, appears exceptionally tranquil.

There were few pedestrians on the main road, only a few figures carrying backpacks and walking hurriedly, probably undergraduates staying on campus to prepare for postgraduate entrance exams or graduate students doing research.

The vehicle came to a stop in front of the office building, and the three people got out.

Chen Lin pulled his suitcase out of the trunk, the wheels making a soft "gurgling" sound on the smooth stone road.

The three of them headed straight for the Academic Affairs Office.

In the Academic Affairs Office, Director Kong had already prepared tea and materials, and was sitting upright, waiting. Upon seeing Chang Kai enter, he immediately jumped up from his chair, his face beaming with a respectful smile.

"Principal, you're back!"

Chang Kai waved his hand, stepped aside to let Chen Lin pass, and got straight to the point: "Old Kong, this is Chen Lin. Please get the matter of changing majors arranged as soon as possible."

"Okay, okay, no problem!" Director Kong replied repeatedly. When his gaze fell on Chen Lin and the suitcase beside him, a hint of curiosity flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly covered up by a professional smile.

The process that followed was so fast that even Chen Lin was taken aback.

All I can say is that with the principal personally overseeing the process, Director Kong personally taking charge, and two young teachers assisting him, the three worked together seamlessly.

"Chen Lin, here, sign this application form for changing your major."

"Please check this personal information confirmation form for any issues. If there are no issues, please sign it."

"And this one..."

"Alright, the paper materials are all ready. Xiao Ji, come and operate the system."

The young teacher named Xiao Ji typed rapidly on the keyboard, her fingers flying across the keys with lightning speed.

Less than ten minutes later, he looked up and nodded at Director Kong.

Director Kong immediately turned to Chen Lin, his face beaming like a blooming chrysanthemum: "Chen Lin, everything's done. You can now log into the school's internal system to confirm your personal information."

Chen Lin took out his phone and skillfully logged into the school's academic affairs system. Opening his personal information page, he looked closely and, sure enough, the original [School of Arts - Chinese Language and Literature Major] had been changed to—

[School of Mathematical Sciences - Mathematics and Applied Mathematics Major - Applied Mathematics Specialization]