My IQ has been increasing year by year.

The air outside Van En Building carried the crispness unique to autumn; breathing it in felt cool and refreshing, instantly clearing the mind.

Chen Zhuo slowly walked down the steps, casually putting his hands into his pockets.

By this time, it was completely dark. Princeton is at a relatively high latitude, so the autumn sunset always sets very early.

One by one, the streetlights on campus lit up, casting a warm yellow glow on the red walls and onto the thick layer of fallen leaves on the lawn. Chen Zhuo didn't take the main road; instead, he chose a shady path and walked slowly, stepping on the fallen leaves.

Once you step outside the campus boundaries, the outline of Nassau Street becomes clear.

It's a bit more lively here than at school, the streetlights are brighter, and the shop signs on both sides of the street are colorful, exuding a sense of life. It's dinnertime, and the streets are filled with students carrying backpacks in twos and threes, as well as quite a few town residents.

Chen Zhuo followed the house number and searched forward.

After crossing an intersection, he stopped in front of a restaurant with a rather inconspicuous storefront.

The signboard is made of wood, with the words "Oak Barrel" engraved on it in bold lettering, and a retro wrought iron wall lamp hangs above the entrance.

Chen Zhuo glanced at his watch; it was 6:25.

He didn't rush into the house. He turned around, leaned against the wall, and stood quietly in the light and shadow of the wall lamp.

A chilly evening breeze blew by, and he hunched his shoulders slightly, pulling his coat collar up a little.

Just two or three minutes later, a familiar figure appeared across the street.

Miao Shi'an wore a dark gray casual jacket, with the collar of his light blue striped shirt open and no tie. The gold-rimmed glasses on his nose gleamed faintly under the streetlight. Seeing Chen Zhuo standing in the lamplight, Miao Shi'an paused slightly, then walked over with a smile.

"Pretty punctual."

Miao Shi'an stopped in front of Chen Zhuo and first looked at the restaurant's entrance.

"This is a good location. It looks quiet and not as chaotic as those neighborhoods in Manhattan."

"This is my first time here too."

Chen Zhuo smiled, turned sideways, and pushed open the door.

"Let's go inside and warm up."

The bell above the door frame jingled once.

Upon entering, the first thing you smell is a strong aroma of barbecue, followed by the warmth of the heating system enveloping your entire body.

The restaurant was dimly lit, and the landscape paintings on the wall were blurred into soft blocks of color by the candlelight.

Each table was covered with a clean checkered tablecloth, and in the center of the table, the flame of a glass candle flickered.

Although there were quite a few people seated, they were all talking in hushed tones, even the sound of knives and forks hitting plates was kept very low.

A waiter in a black vest quickly came forward.

"Good evening, gentlemen. Do you have a reservation?"

"have."

Chen Zhuo recited the name left by Wu Li.

The waiter flipped through the thick register, then looked up, his smile widening.

"Oh, Mr. Woolley reserved the best seats by the window. Please follow me."

The waiter led them through the tables and chairs until they reached the floor-to-ceiling windows at the far end of the restaurant.

This place is really nice; it offers a view of the street while also having a relatively private space separated by a decorative pillar.

The two sat down opposite each other, and the waiter handed them the menu.

"I'd like a cup of hot water, please."

Chen Zhuo made his request before even looking at the menu.

"Same."

Miao Shi'an placed the menu flat on the table and nodded to him.

After the waiter turned around, Miao Shi'an leaned back in his chair and tilted his head to look at Nassau Street outside the window.

The streetlights there resembled a continuous string of warm yellow lines, occasionally casting very long shadows of passersby.

"This store looks nice."

Miao Shi'an turned around and looked at Chen Zhuo.

"These window seats must be quite hard to book normally, right?"

Chen Zhuo picked up a napkin and spread it on his lap. Thinking of the excessively tidy office that afternoon, a slight smile involuntarily appeared on his lips.

"The school assigned me an assistant. I just met him this afternoon. His name is Woolley, and he's in his early thirties."

Chen Zhuo picked up the hot water that had just been brought to him and took a sip.

"I casually asked him if there was a quiet place, and he first rejected all the bars at the street corner, saying that they were the alcohol-vaporizing areas for undergraduates and were so noisy that they gave people headaches." "Then he recommended this place, because it has a physical buffer zone of 400 yards away from the alcohol-vaporizing areas."

Miao Shi'an was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled softly.

"A 400-yard physical buffer zone? Is he giving you an administrative report or conducting ballistic calculations?"

"That's not all."

Chen Zhuo put down his cup and, mimicking Wu Li's expressionless, articulate tone, spoke.

"Since I happened to help their manager clarify a misunderstanding about the definition of a parking ticket with the campus police last month, I think they'll magically make room for you at a good table tonight." Chen Zhuo's imitation was spot-on, especially the misunderstanding about the definition, his tone was spot-on.

Miao Shi'an couldn't hold back this time and kept shaking his head and laughing.

"That's interesting. He's meticulous, knows how to handle things, and most importantly, he knows how to use personal connections to his advantage while also being considerate of others. He's perfect for shielding you from all the red tape and saving you a lot of trouble," Chen Zhuo nodded, deeply agreeing.

"It's really reassuring. This afternoon he gave me a thick, brick-like code of conduct manual, saying that according to the procedure I have to keep it safe." "You read it?"

Miao Shi'an raised an eyebrow.

"Am I crazy?"

Chen Zhuo smiled.

"I asked him if there was a closed-book exam, and he said no. So I just pushed the book back to him and told him that I was entrusting it to him for safekeeping. I told him that if I was about to break the rules, he should stop me in advance. And he actually took it back."

Miao Shi'an's smile deepened.

"I have a feeling that you'll have a pretty comfortable two years at Princeton, barring any unforeseen circumstances."

The waiter brought over the steak, and the sizzling sound interrupted the conversation.

The two of them each ordered a simple sirloin steak, served with a vegetable salad and roasted potatoes until golden brown.

As the sound of knives and forks cutting through the steak filled the air, the conversation gradually quieted down.

"Are you going back to Manhattan tonight?" Chen Zhuo asked.

"I'm not going back. I'll just find a hotel in town for the night."

Miao Shi'an cut off a small piece of beef.

"The train leaves at 9 a.m. tomorrow, heading directly to Boston."

"Is everything settled at the house?"

"Yes, my family has already bought it for me. I heard it's a super large apartment in the city center."

Miao Shi'an spoke in a casual tone, even somewhat nonchalant.

"My advisor has already started sending me a back-to-school welcome package."

"How are you finding your new major?"

Chen Zhuo looked at him.

Miao Shi'an put down his knife and fork, raised his head, and thought for a while.

"When we were learning physics, we were looking for a unique solution. No matter how convoluted the process was, the final answer was always there. Right was right, and wrong was wrong. That feeling was very straightforward." He looked at the flickering candlelight on the table, his tone becoming somewhat wistful.

"Looking at those declassified documents and historical agreements now is really... a headache."

"It's all a mess. The demands of all parties are clashing, the bottom line is being tested, and there are a bunch of unreasonable compromises and selfish motives mixed in. It's very abstract." Chen Zhuo listened quietly.

"For you, this is simply a process of completing the logical puzzle."

Chen Zhuo gently replied.

"Maybe so, let's take it slow."

Miao Shi'an smiled nonchalantly.

The restaurant was indeed well-heated, and after sitting for more than half an hour, Miao Shi'an felt a bit sweaty on his forehead.

He unbuttoned his coat and hung it on the back of the chair behind him.

The sleeves of the light blue shirt he wore underneath were a little long. Miao Shi'an lowered his head, unbuttoned the right sleeve, and skillfully rolled it up twice, tucking the sleeve into the middle of his forearm. Chen Zhuo's gaze fell on the scar on his right arm.

Miao Shi'an didn't take it seriously and continued rolling up his left sleeve. His movements were natural, and his nonchalant manner made it seem as if the scar was just some dust that had been accidentally rubbed on. Chen Zhuo's gaze lingered on the scar for less than a second before subtly shifting away.

Just then, the waiter came over to refill the water.

After the waiter had walked away, Chen Zhuo, while chopping potatoes on his plate, casually remarked as if discussing tomorrow's weather:

"When you go to those places again, be more careful and don't always think you can solve everything."

He didn't look up, nor did he stop what he was doing.

Miao Shi'an tapped his fork lightly on the plate.

He glanced down at the old scar, a souvenir from his internship in the Middle East.

Then, he raised his head, looked at Chen Zhuo opposite him, and showed a very sincere smile.

"Don't worry, once you've learned your lesson, you'll never forget it."

Miao Shi'an put the sliced ​​beef into his mouth, swallowed it, and then continued speaking.

"I was a bit of a bookworm back then, always thinking that the rules in books were universal. Now I know how to protect myself in that kind of environment, and I know what to do at what time. I know what I should do." Chen Zhuo nodded.

"That's good, let's eat."

The topic was subtly shifted.

No one mentions the war zone anymore, nor do they bring up those thrilling details.

They reminisced about their days in the training camp, the endless, grueling practice tests, and their old classmates who used to stay up all night together but have now gone their separate ways. The meal lasted for over an hour, and by the time they paid the bill and left the restaurant, it was already quite dark outside.

The streets of Nassau were becoming increasingly deserted, most shops had turned off their lights, and only a few streetlights dutifully guarded the quiet street. Occasionally, a gust of wind would blow, swirling a few fallen leaves on the ground.

The two walked to the crossroads.

Turning left leads back to Pierre's house, while turning right leads to the hotel.

The wind was quite strong, making everyone's hair stand on end. Miao Shi'an wrapped his coat tighter around himself, looked at Chen Zhuo, and spoke in a carefree tone.

"Alright, go back now. You don't need to see me off tomorrow morning; someone will pick me up."

Chen Zhuo stood under the streetlight and nodded.

"Let me know in the group chat once you're settled in."

"I know, Rory Barnacles."

Miao Shi'an turned around and waved to Chen Zhuo with his back to him.

"Go back to working on your Hodge conjecture, get some sleep, I'm off!"