Chapter Forty-Eight: Modest Efforts

"Professor Zhou, before signing with Jing University, there are a few things I'd like to confirm with you. Once everything is clear, we can proceed with the agreement." Facing this group of elite scholars, Wu Tong spoke candidly; she lacked the artful scheming others might employ.

"What questions do you have, Wu Tong? Are there any shortcomings in the conditions we've discussed?" This young student seemed utterly unimpressed by Hua Qing's financial temptations, earning their sincere admiration.

"Jing University will follow the final plan and won't offer less than the 500,000 yuan scholarship promised by Hua Qing."

This point, once spoken, was never denied.

"It's not about that. Jing University's offer has already exceeded my expectations," Wu Tong replied honestly. "What I want to confirm with Professor Zhou is: if I sign the guaranteed admission agreement, can I still participate in the college entrance exam? I promised my brother I'd take the exam with him, and I personally want to experience the exam hall myself."

Missing the college entrance exam was an obsession rooted in her memories of a past life and the driving force behind her efforts over the past half year—she wanted to settle it herself.

Being the top scorer in the mathematics competition carried weight, but to most people, its significance was unclear; the top scorer in the college entrance exam, however, was a household name across the country.

She wanted to dedicate the honor of being the top scorer to her family, to leave the title to her school so the education system would notice Xin Cheng No. 1 High School and perhaps provide resources and support—her way of repaying her alma mater.

Xin Cheng's educational resources were scarce; she had only her academic abilities, limited as they were. All she could do was contribute what little she could.

"Of course you can. Although after receiving guaranteed admission, we won't be looking at your college entrance exam score, if you wish to experience the exam, there's absolutely no problem! Haha... With your current grades, Wu Tong, if you perform steadily, are you aiming to be the top scorer of Zhongyuan Province?"

Scoring 746 in the five-province league without any bonuses, such a promising student would have caught the attention of Jing University and Hua Qing even without the competition.

"If you win the IMO gold medal and also achieve top scorer in the college entrance exam, I can personally guarantee a minimum monthly stipend of 10,000 yuan during your university years. Each year, you'll be eligible for so many scholarships your hands will be full. I can even break precedent and help you apply for a one-million-yuan entrance scholarship!"

He repeated himself: Jing University's scholarships are never afraid of rewarding outstanding students.

If Wu Tong could perform steadily and score near-perfect marks in the college entrance exam, the 20-point bonus for CMO national first prize would be unnecessary; she'd already be the national top scorer.

Such a historical feat—combining IMO gold medalist and college entrance exam top scorer in one—would be a miracle unseen since the exam's reinstatement. If claimed by Jing University, imagine the boost to its reputation!

Jing University would not be stingy, but would honor such brilliance with heavy scholarships worthy of the glory.

"One million?"

The Jin family and Wu Jingzhong and Jin Yu, listening nearby, felt their hearts race. What astronomical numbers were these? Weren't they discussing Wu Tong's guaranteed admission? How did the conversation escalate to such sums?

"Professor Zhou, do these conditions require Tong Tong to do anything?" Wu Jingye and Jin Yuan spoke almost simultaneously. With years of business experience, the brothers knew nothing comes without a price.

Jing University offered such terms, but was there something they wanted from Tong Tong? They would never sell their child; every detail had to be clear, and caution was paramount.

One million, plus various stipends—Jin Yuan wondered if his years of business could even amount to that figure. They had every reason to be careful.

In a small town, what family had ever seen such money?

"Mr. Wu, Mr. Jin, please rest assured. This is Jing University's reward for outstanding students. As long as Wu Tong continues to excel academically, this is only the beginning, not the end. There truly is a house of gold in books—studying really can earn you money!" Professor Zhou's tone softened, soothing the anxious hearts of both families.

...

"Thank you, Professor Zhou. Thank you, Jing University, for the encouragement. I have no objections to the first question. My second question: if I enter Jing University, can I skip grades to complete my studies faster?"

She wanted to go further on the path of research, perhaps stay at the university or enter a research center, pursue a master's or doctorate. With her learning ability, following the standard academic timeline felt wasteful; it would slow her progress.

"Absolutely. Jing University never restricts truly exceptional students to the standard pace."

Professor Zhou's eyes lit up. The fact Wu Tong raised this question showed her absolute confidence in herself, likely rooted in her current academic progress.

"University coursework—especially in pure mathematics—is not as simple as high school. If you wish to graduate early, Wu Tong, I assume you've already started self-studying university textbooks. May I ask, how far have you gotten?"

"Advanced mathematics, linear algebra... I've already mastered all the basic university textbooks through self-study. Right now, I'm researching number theory. Unfortunately, in our county library, I've only managed to borrow elementary number theory."

The county's resources were limited, but Wu Tong had borrowed every mathematics book available. Elementary number theory was her second round of borrowing.

The deeper she studied, the more she was captivated by the beauty of mathematics.

She was fascinated by the major conjectures mentioned, even briefly.

The Zhou Conjecture, the Twin Prime Conjecture, whether the Fibonacci sequence contains infinitely many primes; the 3X+1 Collatz Conjecture; and, most revered by her countrymen, the crown jewel of number theory—the Goldbach Conjecture...

In 1966, China's pride, Mr. Jing Run, proved the "1+2" case, that any sufficiently large even number can be represented as the sum of two primes or a prime and a semiprime. Yet the strong version of Goldbach's Conjecture remains unsolved.

These conjectures are like pearls hidden in an attic without stairs; to behold their brilliance, one must build each step with their own mathematical knowledge and climb toward the treasure.

Mastery of all basic university texts? Already delving into number theory, a field only graduate students in pure mathematics explore? Wu Tong's learning progress shocked all the Jing University professors and student representatives once again.

Li Yisheng, associate professor in Jing University's Mathematics Department, had modest experience in number theory. Now intrigued, he grabbed a scrap of paper, quickly scribbled out a math problem, and handed it to Wu Tong.

"Come, Wu Tong, take a look at this problem and share your thoughts," Li Yisheng said, adding that he wasn't trying to make things difficult, but simply wanted to gauge Wu Tong's grasp of the material. Once Wu Tong entered the university, he could tailor his teaching accordingly.

As long as Wu Tong could offer some basic ideas for solving the problem, she didn't need to solve it completely—he would be convinced of her genuine mastery.

A few student representatives glanced at the problem, feeling as if they recognized the characters but not the question itself. What on earth was this?

It felt like a hedgehog being eaten by a dog—no way in, no way out.

Though they weren't pure mathematics majors, they were Jing University students, after all. Had they just embarrassed their school?