Chapter 244 - 183: Xiang Wentian’s Question

Chapter 244: Chapter 183: Xiang Wentian’s Question

"No problem, Academician Liang. I’m at your disposal."

"Mm." Liang Tianshi seemed satisfied with his quick agreement and continued, "This friend of mine is named Xiang Wentian. If you’re interested, you can look him up online. However, the information online isn’t necessarily complete. Many of his achievements are still classified."

At this point, Academician Liang’s tone grew more serious. "Do not reveal anything about this meeting to anyone, understand?"

"Understood!" Chen Lin immediately replied.

"Alright, that’s all for now," Academician Liang said, then hung up the phone.

A moment later, Chen Lin received a new message on WeChat. It was a phone number from Academician Liang.

After hanging up, Chen Lin opened his web browser and typed the name "Xiang Wentian" into the search bar.

The search results were scarce, consisting mostly of outdated official press releases with vague descriptions. They only stated he was "a renowned Chinese physicist and expert in fluid power and control, who has made outstanding contributions to multiple major national projects."

Chen Lin then opened a ticket-booking app on his phone and checked the route.

Yuxi didn’t have an airport, so he had to fly to Kunming first, then transfer to a high-speed train.

He immediately booked his tickets: a flight from Jinmen to Kunming for early the next morning, and a high-speed train ticket from Kunming to Yuxi departing an hour after the flight landed.

After buying the tickets, Chen Lin glanced at the time. It was almost quitting time.

He walked over to Huang Yiyi’s desk and informed her, "Assistant Huang, I have to go out of town for something tomorrow. If anything comes up at the office, just give me a call."

"Okay, President Chen." Huang Yiyi nodded.

After taking care of that, Chen Lin packed up his things and left for the day, right on time.

He had just reached the door when he saw Yunqing and Shen Yan, who had also packed their things and were about to leave.

When Yunqing saw him, her big, bright eyes immediately curved into crescents. She said with a wide smile, "Boss, aren’t you going to treat us today? The math conference was great advertising for the company! You should at least treat us to a big meal to celebrate, right?"

Chen Lin glanced at her, deciding to take her down a peg.

"Let me tell you, Assistant Yun, you shouldn’t get too attached to the company."

He said with a straight face, "So what if I advertised for the company? Even if business grows, your intern salaries will stay the same. They won’t go up by a single cent."

Hearing this, Shen Yan, who was standing to the side, couldn’t help but cover her mouth to hide a smile.

Yunqing was taken aback by his words but wasn’t angry at all. Instead, she put her hands on her hips and said, "We can talk about raises later. For now, you’re buying dinner!"

Chen Lin looked at her defiant pose, sighed in resignation, and then broke into a grin.

"Alright, alright, let’s go."

...

...

「The next day, two in the afternoon. Yuxi High-Speed Rail Station.」

Chen Lin, pulling a small suitcase, walked out of the station exit and dialed the number Academician Liang had given him.

After the call connected, he simply stated his name and location. The person on the other end replied with a curt, "Wait where you are," and hung up.

In less than twenty minutes, a black sedan silently pulled up in front of him.

The car drove on, leaving the hustle and bustle of the city behind, until it reached the base of a secluded hillside.

A taciturn middle-aged man had picked him up. He led Chen Lin up a small path of stone steps to an unremarkable-looking convalescent home on the hillside.

Chen Lin was led into a suite.

The outer room was a sitting room, decorated in a quaint and elegant style. The inner room was presumably the bedroom.

By the window of the sitting room, Chen Lin saw an elderly man.

He was wearing a loose-fitting patient’s gown and sitting in a wheelchair. His figure was gaunt, his face pale, and his whole being exuded an unconcealable frailty.

But his gaze was still as sharp as an eagle’s.

"Have a seat."

The elderly man had noticed his arrival, and a gentle smile appeared on his face. His voice, though not loud, carried an air of undeniable authority.

"Chen Lin."

Chen Lin hesitated for a moment before sitting down in the mahogany chair opposite the man.

The chair had clearly been carefully placed. After he sat down, they were both at eye level, making conversation effortless.

"You are Xiang Wentian, Elder Xiang?" Chen Lin asked tentatively.

Although Academician Liang had mentioned that Elder Xiang was recuperating, Chen Lin hadn’t expected the man to be this frail.

Xiang Wentian nodded slowly and smiled with a touch of self-deprecation. "Did Academician Liang tell you that I’m actually several years younger than him? The way I look now is mainly because of an illness. Cancer."

Chen Lin was at a loss for words, not knowing what to say.

The atmosphere was filled with the particular awkwardness and unease a junior feels when facing a seriously ill elder.

As if sensing his discomfort, Xiang Wentian dropped the pleasantries and got straight to the point.

"Then let’s cut to the chase."

Xiang Wentian looked at Chen Lin and asked his first question.

"At the math conference, when Professor Deligne asked you on the spot to derive the final algorithm," his sharp eyes seemed to see right through people, "did you already have a complete and clear path for the proof in your head at that moment?"

Chen Lin paused for a second, then asked, somewhat puzzled, "Elder Xiang, why do you ask that?"

Xiang Wentian smiled, a smile that held a hint of all-knowing clarity.

"I’ve watched the video of your presentation very carefully, several times over."

He said slowly, "I noticed that when Professor Deligne issued that challenge, your expression was one of surprise as well. It seemed you hadn’t expected to be asked to calculate it on the spot.

But after Professor Figali gave you his presentation time, you started writing on the whiteboard immediately, with almost no thought or hesitation."

"Moreover," Xiang Wentian added with emphasis, "during the entire time you were writing, you never once paused, got stuck, or hesitated. That fluency and confidence didn’t look like you were thinking on the spot. It was more like..."

Xiang Wentian paused, as if speaking had taken too much of his energy and he needed to catch his breath.

He took a breath before continuing in a tone of absolute certainty.

"More like... you were simply transcribing a complete, flawless derivation that already existed in your mind, copying it verbatim onto the whiteboard."

"To be frank," Xiang Wentian’s eyes were fixed intently on Chen Lin, "I’ve met more scholars in my life than the vast majority of people in this world.

Even the most brilliant geniuses, when writing out a complex derivation and proof, would have a hard time doing it like you did—without the slightest pause—even if they’d already worked through it in their head."