The night before the college entrance exam results were released, I redeemed my Peking University ad

Abel Prize laureate and Princeton Institute for Advanced Study professor Fefferman shared the post, his tone full of amazement:

"I conquered three number theory peaks in three days and solved a Millennium Problem in one day. I can't find the right words to describe this talent."

"The ICM, held every four years, is certainly important, but witnessing the dawn of a new era in mathematics is even more important! I will go to China! I believe that everyone who truly loves mathematics will go!"

Following this, Schneider, director of the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics and Wolf Prize laureate, issued a direct notice to the entire institute:

"All researchers in topology and number theory should immediately adjust their entire schedule for August and September."

We all participated in the verification conference in China.

If we miss this, we might miss the most important mathematical moment of the entire 21st century.

Even Professor David from Berkeley, who had previously been the most vocal and publicly mocked Ji Bai for being "young and arrogant and ignorant of academic etiquette," quietly deleted his previous post and reposted a new one:

"I apologize for my previous reckless remarks."

Faced with such achievements, all accusations of "arrogance" seem utterly ridiculous.

True geniuses don't need to play by the rules of the world.

I will go to China; I want to hear his thoughts firsthand.

One after another, the bigwigs at the top of the pyramid made their statements, like heavy hammer blows to the heads of all those who still held a mocking attitude.

No one mentioned "apology" anymore, and no one brought up "military training" again.

The eyes of the entire world are fixed on China.

Everyone knows that this is no longer a question of "whether or not to go to China to verify".

This is the problem of "arriving too late and not even being able to get a spot to witness history".

Many young scholars who had already registered with ICM were willing to forfeit their full registration fee in order to change their flight tickets and travel to China first.

"At worst, I'll rush over during the second half of ICM and go to China to finish the verification conference first, otherwise I won't be able to sleep well this month."

"I saved up half a year's worth of funds, which was only enough to go to the United States. Now I grit my teeth and fly to China first. Witnessing history is more worthwhile than anything else."

"Tickets are already booked!"

"I can't wait!"

"I'm going to witness history!"

The entire global academic community is moving in the same direction, with a momentum far exceeding everyone's expectations.

……

IMU headquarters building.

The atmosphere in the meeting room was so heavy it could drip water.

Charles sat in the head seat, and emails requesting withdrawal kept popping up on his computer screen.

From top Fields Medal winners to ordinary academic attendees, dozens of applicants had already submitted their applications within just one hour.

They either canceled the entire ICM trip or applied to postpone their personal report, all citing the same reason: "to go to China first to participate in the verification of the Poincaré conjecture."

Previously, they were planning how to maintain ICM's momentum, how to manipulate China, and how to save face in a dignified way.

Now, if they keep putting on airs and acting all high and mighty, this year's ICM conference will practically be empty in a few days.

"Oh my God! We can't keep going like this."

The blond-haired board member broke the silence first: "If we continue like this, we won't just lose face, we'll lose the reputation of the entire IMU! The International Congress of Mathematicians, held every four years, has all its core scholars gone to China. If word gets out, we'll become a laughing stock for a century."

"What should we do then? We just said we would postpone the verification conference, and now we're changing our minds. It's too embarrassing." The bald director frowned, his face full of resentment.

Charles rubbed his throbbing temples and let out a long sigh.

He couldn't understand how things had come to this.

An eighteen-year-old Chinese boy single-handedly turned the international mathematics community upside down, an order that had been in place for over a century.

"Postponing is definitely not an option."

Charles spoke slowly, his voice hoarse: "Everyone is eager to wait now. If we suggest postponing again, we'll be going against the entire academic community."

He paused, as if he had finally made up his mind:

"Issue a statement! Say that in order to meet the eager expectations of the global mathematics community and ensure the timeliness of academic exchanges, we formally propose that the verification conference in China be moved forward to early July."

"IMU will assemble a top-level official verification team to go to China as soon as possible to participate in the work."

The people in the conference room looked at each other in bewilderment.

They were the ones who wanted to postpone it before, and now they're the ones who want to bring it forward.

But at this point, this is the only way.

This satisfies everyone's wishes while preserving the last bit of face for IMU.

"I agree! If we drag this out any longer, everyone will leave."

"Let's just release it this way. At least nominally, it's our initiative to propose the adjustment for the sake of academics."

Soon after, the official IMU account released a new statement, still using official and high-sounding wording, but with a complete 180-degree turn in attitude:

[Latest statement from the International Mathematical Union regarding the verification of Mr. Ji Bai's research findings:]

In light of the widespread attention and enthusiastic discussion within the global academic community, and to ensure the timeliness of academic exchange and promote the common progress of the global mathematics field, IMU formally proposes:

The originally planned results verification conference will be moved forward to early July!

At that time, IMU will assemble a top-level official verification team, led by a Fields Medal winner and including leading scholars in number theory and topology, to participate in the verification process.

Mathematics knows no borders! We look forward to joining hands with the Chinese academic community to witness this historic academic moment!

The statement was met with widespread approval from the global academic community.

"It should have been like this a long time ago! Why wait until August? It should have opened in July! I can't wait!"

"IMU finally made the right decision. Real academic achievements should come first, rather than the prestige of ICM."

See you in China this July! Witness history!

……

When the news reached China, the whole country was in an uproar!

This time, no one is concerned about whether the conjecture is difficult or whether the proof is correct.

Everyone had only one thought in their minds: They bowed their heads!

Although it sounds noble and noble, saying it's all for the sake of mathematics, bowing your head is still bowing your head!

For the past century or so, the Chinese academic community has followed in the footsteps of the West, publishing papers in their journals, attending conferences according to their schedules, and even having to defer to their approval for research results.

But today, the once high and mighty IMU has proactively changed its schedule, bowed its head, and is rushing to come to China.

I've been holding this in for far too long.

"That felt so good! So satisfying! From 'refusing to attend' to 'actively begging to move the event forward,' that's a really satisfying slap in the face!"

"Having lived for almost forty years, this is the first time I've seen the international academic community give us so much respect!"

"I never dared to imagine before that one day top Western scholars would be vying to come to our country to hold verification conferences!"

"It's not that we're begging for their approval; it's that they're rushing to witness history! This is the true confidence of a great nation's academia!"

"My grandfather was a professor. He spent three years working on publishing an international paper. When he saw the news just now, he said with tears in his eyes, 'I have no regrets about dying.'"

"Ji Bai is awesome!"

"Emperor Ji Bai cleaved the heavens with a single sword strike, forcefully elevating the Eastern mathematical community to the pinnacle of the world!"

"All the immortals have come to pay homage! All the immortals have come to pay homage!"