Chapter 242 - 181: Submission Invitation

Chapter 242: Chapter 181: Submission Invitation

Liang Tianshi’s tone grew firm. He spoke deliberately, "Rather, this nomination should have belonged to Chen Lin all along!"

"With Chen Lin’s current accomplishments and potential, he’s more than worthy of the ’Outstanding Talent’ designation. With this title, he can legitimately participate in the most central and critical projects, allowing him to make even greater contributions to our country!"

At this, Liang Tianshi leaned forward slightly, his gaze burning as he stared at Xiang Wentian, his voice laced with an earnestness he couldn’t hide.

"The projects you were unable to finish."

A slight tremor ran through Xiang Wentian’s body. The playful amusement in his eyes instantly faded, replaced by a deep, indescribable, and complex emotion.

Xiang Wentian fell silent.

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he slowly turned his head to once again gaze out the window at the azure surface of the lake.

The sun was still bright, the lake was still calm, and the distant mountains were still beautiful.

After a long while, Xiang Wentian heaved a long sigh.

He pulled his gaze back and looked at Liang Tianshi, a faint smile returning to his face.

But this time, the smile held a hint of relief, as well as a measure of anticipation.

"Liang, I can agree to your request."

Hearing this, Liang Tianshi’s eyes immediately lit up. He was about to thank him, but Xiang Wentian raised a hand to stop him.

"But I have one condition."

Xiang Wentian’s tone turned serious. "I need Chen Lin to come see me. I want to speak with him in person."

Liang Tianshi was slightly stunned, then nodded thoughtfully.

He thought for a moment and asked tentatively, "Does it have to be in person? I have Chen Lin’s WeChat. I can have him give you a voice or video call right now."

"No."

Xiang Wentian shook his head, his tone firm.

"I still prefer to communicate face-to-face. Especially for something like this. I want to see this young man with my own eyes, hear his words from his own mouth, and get a sense of his presence."

He paused before adding, "You should know I’m not one to make important decisions from behind a screen."

Liang Tianshi nodded. "Alright, I’ll contact Chen Lin."

"Good." Xiang Wentian grunted in satisfaction, then added as if he’d just remembered something, "Oh, right, Liang, when you speak with Chen Lin, don’t put too much pressure on him.

Just tell him an old man wants to meet him for a casual chat. Don’t make it sound like an interview."

"Don’t worry, I know the right approach," Liang Tianshi said with a smile.

The two chatted a bit longer. Seeing that Xiang Wentian was beginning to look tired, Liang Tianshi tactfully rose to take his leave.

"I won’t disturb your rest any longer, then. I’ll get in touch in a couple of days, once I’ve contacted Chen Lin and confirmed a time."

"Alright." Xiang Wentian gave a slight nod, watching as Liang Tianshi left the room.

When the door closed again, the hospital room returned to silence.

Xiang Wentian lay quietly on the hospital bed, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.

After a long moment, he slowly raised a hand and gently beckoned to the nurse sitting nearby.

"Liu, bring me my phone."

The nurse immediately stood up, picked up a well-worn senior’s phone from the bedside table, and carefully handed it to Xiang Wentian.

Xiang Wentian took the phone, expertly flipped through his contacts, found a number saved as "Hang," and dialed it.

The phone rang a few times and was answered.

"Elder Xiang?" A respectful young man’s voice came from the other end of the line.

"Hang," Xiang Wentian said, his tone calm. "I need you to look into someone for me."

"Of course, sir."

"His name is Chen Lin, the young man who’s been all over the news these past couple of days." Xiang Wentian paused, then added, "Use my clearance. Start from high school. Check his academic history, family background, social connections... check it all."

"Understood, Elder Xiang. When do you need it by?"

"The sooner the better." Xiang Wentian considered for a moment. "Can you get it to me by noon the day after tomorrow at the latest?"

"No problem, Elder Xiang. You can count on me."

"Good. Thank you for your trouble."

Hanging up the phone, Xiang Wentian put the phone back on the bedside table and closed his eyes again.

He muttered to himself, "Chen Lin..."

...

...

「Meanwhile, in Jinmen, at the Yannan University Innovation Space.」

「4:30 p.m.」

Chen Lin sat at his desk, having just finished meticulously reviewing his paper from start to finish. After confirming there were no obvious, elementary mistakes, he prepared to email it to Professor Gu Ming for a final check.

He opened his email, preparing to compose a new message.

However, the moment the email interface popped up, he was slightly taken aback.

[Unread Mail (1)]

Chen Lin subconsciously clicked open his inbox.

In the sender field, an email address he was very familiar with was displayed—it was the official submission email for JAMS!

"Hmm?"

Chen Lin raised an eyebrow, surprised.

The last time he submitted to JAMS, from submission to the final official publication of the paper, he had only received three or four emails in total, all of them procedural notifications.

’I haven’t submitted a new manuscript, so why is JAMS emailing me?’

With a bit of curiosity, Chen Lin clicked open the email.

The email’s subject line was concise: [Re: Cooperation Invitation from JAMS]

Chen Lin quickly scanned the body of the email.

The sender was "Bob Williams," a senior editor at JAMS.

Dear Mr. Chen Lin:

First, please allow me to, on behalf of the *Journal of the Great Beautiful Country Mathematical Society* (JAMS), extend our most sincere congratulations on your outstanding achievements at the recent International Congress of Mathematicians!

Your presentation and live demonstration on the control of hallucinations in generative models have caused a massive stir throughout the mathematics community. We on the JAMS editorial team were equally stunned and are filled with anticipation for your research findings.

We noted that you have previously published a paper in JAMS on the boundaries of manifolds in Differential Geometry. That paper reached an exceptionally high standard in both its theoretical depth and its practical value, and it also brought JAMS greater attention from the academic community.

Therefore, we sincerely hope that after you have compiled the new algorithm you presented at the conference into a formal academic paper, you will once again choose to submit it to JAMS.

To show our sincerity, I would like to make the following commitments to you:

First, we will treat your paper with the most serious and professional attitude. From the moment you submit your first draft, our editorial team will get involved, assisting you with polishing and revisions to ensure the paper meets the highest standards in language and formatting.

Second, given the importance and influence of this paper, we will not follow the standard procedure of assigning a single reviewer. Instead, your paper will be subject to a comprehensive evaluation by an authoritative review team composed of multiple Fields Medal laureates. We believe such a review panel will not only ensure the quality of the paper but also guarantee your work receives the highest level of recognition from the academic community.

Third, once the paper passes review, we will arrange for its publication at the fastest possible speed. We promise the entire turnaround time will be less than half that of a regular submission.

We are well aware that, given your current academic standing and influence, many top-tier journals will be extending offers to you. Nevertheless, we sincerely hope that JAMS can continue to be your platform of choice for publishing your most important findings.

We look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

Bob Williams

Senior Editor, JAMS Editorial Department

’Damn, JAMS moves fast.’

’The video from the math conference has only been viral for two days, and their editor is already reaching out.’

’But on second thought, it makes perfect sense.’

’After all, the competition between academic journals is just as fierce.’

’Especially the top journals in mathematics, like JAMS, the *Mathematical Annals*, and *Inventiones Mathematicae*. Every year, they’re all vying for the best manuscripts to boost their impact factors and academic standing.’

’Right now, this paper of mine isn’t just a prize for JAMS—it’s a hot commodity for any mathematics journal!’