Chapter Sixty-Three: Trembling

The list was announced, and the directors on stage continued with their official words of encouragement—such as, "You are all the future of our nation's mathematics community. Do not lose your ambition over temporary successes or failures; continue to strive forward for the development of mathematics in our country..." They also listed a few points to note, and with that, the closing ceremony was declared over.

Zhang Ping led the two outstanding students from Central Plains Province along the roads of Peking University, chatting with them about their experiences in the training camp. Most of the conversation was carried by Feng Yueyue; Wu Tong, during this period, had barely set foot in the classroom except for exams, mostly immersing herself in independent study or auditing lectures, so there wasn't much to say.

"You've both done very well. Keep it up—the next round will officially confirm the national team spots. Yueyue, just do your best, and don't put too much pressure on yourself!" Zhang Ping smiled in reassurance. As for Wu Tong, this child had already proven her strength and was basically guaranteed a place on the national team, breaking Central Plains' long-standing zero breakthroughs. The province's education system and the mathematics society were elated beyond measure.

Feng Yueyue's chances for the IMO national team were a bit slim, but no one expected to secure two spots at once. With her performance, she still had hope for the Asia-Pacific Math Competition, which was a considerable achievement for Central Plains this year.

This time, the twin stars from Central Plains made many parents envy them—soon, even parents across the country would admire their children's determination!

"Alright, Teacher Zhang, I understand!" Feng Yueyue nodded; she had already thought things through and knew her own goals, not discouraged by temporary shortcomings.

"Yueyue, pack your bags when you get back; we'll return to Central Plains together. What about you, Wu Tong? Are you coming back with us?" Although Zhang Ping hadn't brought the two children here together, if they planned to return together, he would make sure their journey home was properly arranged.

"No, Teacher Zhang. I still have some things to take care of here!" The draft of her paper on Zhou's conjecture was nearly finished, and she expected to send it to Teacher Li for review later.

Next came submitting the paper and participating in Teacher Li's arranged discussions. Once these were done, Wu Tong anticipated that the next IMO training would start. She could skip classes in the training camp under the teacher's exemption, but she still needed to stay at Peking University, respecting the teacher and the rules. There was no way she could go home anytime soon.

When she had come to the capital, she had originally expected to return home at this time, but an unexpected achievement had delayed her journey.

Fortunately, after the opening ceremony, during the weekend, her uncle arrived in the capital as promised, bringing seasonal clothes and delicious food prepared by her grandmother, mother, and aunt.

After bidding farewell to Coach Zhang Ping and Feng Yueyue, Wu Tong returned to her dormitory to continue editing her paper. Before long, she typed the last word, completing her proof of Zhou's conjecture—the first draft of her paper. Stretching her shoulders and neck, Wu Tong opened a bottle of milk to replenish her energy, resting for a moment.

The milk was also prepared by her uncle; her family's care for her was always so meticulous. Yet, she herself, like a grown eaglet, had flown out of the nest once her wings became strong, unable to stay by their side forever. If not for her ambitions, Wu Tong would have gladly become the kind of classic "mommy's girl" seen in later generations, a full-time child staying with her family; she was, after all, quite attached to home.

With the paper completed, Wu Tong began translating it as required.

It was her first time handling such a large translation, but Wu Tong adapted easily. Many academic books at Peking University were in their original language, and her vocabulary had grown through memorizing dictionaries and studying original materials. Translation was not a difficult task for her.

That evening, Wu Tong finished translating the entire paper. Though not as flawless as a native speaker, her sentences were at least smooth, and the grammar was generally correct.

Now that the country was growing stronger, much of the progress in mathematics was openly shared, and many resources were available domestically. Wu Tong had no interest in studying abroad, so she was not overly meticulous about language—so long as it was acceptable.

Leaving home to study in the capital already made Wu Tong homesick, and her family worried about her. Studying abroad would be even more unbearable for the whole family!

She read through her work from beginning to end, checked for errors, and saved the final document before resting.

Just as Teacher Li had reminded her, health was the foundation of revolution. Wu Tong always ensured proper rest unless truly necessary, maintaining her sleep. No matter how busy or how much she loved learning, she never missed her morning exercise.

The next day, after her morning workout and breakfast, Wu Tong set out with her laptop toward Li Yisheng's office.

Li Yisheng's office was in the mathematics department building. Wu Tong had been there several times and knew the route well. Her sense of direction was decent, and she had never gotten lost on the vast campus of Peking University.

Li Yisheng, concerned about Wu Tong's progress, had been arriving at the university early these days. When Wu Tong arrived, one of Li Yisheng's students was also approaching the office to ask for help.

"Wu Tong, you're here! Did you finish your paper?" Li Yisheng, seeing the two enter, chose to first ignore his own student and eagerly asked Wu Tong about her progress.

Paper? The student who entered with her silently opened his mouth in surprise. If he remembered correctly, this young lady was here as part of the IMO national training team—she was already writing papers? As a graduate student, he felt a chill.

"It's done, Teacher Li. Please take a look when you have time!" Wu Tong placed her laptop on Li Yisheng's desk, intending to let him first attend to the other student.

Only then did Li Yisheng notice the student who came in with her. "Wang Haiyang? What brings you here?"

"Professor, I have a question I need to ask!" Wang Haiyang pretended not to notice the look in Professor Li's eyes—"When did you arrive?" As an adult, being so thoroughly ignored by the professor, he felt he ought to be under the car, not in the office.

"A question, is it? Wu Tong, you're free, right? Why don't you help your senior with it? I'll take a look at your paper first." Li Yisheng, eager, opened her laptop and gave a quick instruction. The type of university-level problem posed was unlikely to trouble Wu Tong.

"Certainly, Teacher Li!" Wu Tong nodded. "Senior, please show me your question, and let's discuss it together!"

Wang Haiyang silently handed over his notebook.

"A linear algebra question, is it... First, let's write out the coefficient matrix corresponding to the quadratic form... A and B are similar, so their properties are related... We find that both A and B have eigenvalues of 0.5... It's an orthogonal matrix..." Wu Tong glanced at the problem, picked up the pen clipped to the notebook, and began explaining as she wrote.

"Do you understand, Senior?"

Wang Haiyang watched as Wu Tong merely glanced at the question and, almost without thinking, wrote out a smooth and detailed solution. The problem that had made him scratch his head was resolved by Wu Tong as if she were slicing through vegetables—so effortlessly that he began to suspect he was attending a fake university.

"I basically understand now!" The young lady had explained everything so clearly, helping him analyze the problem from start to finish. If he still couldn't grasp it, he might as well jump into Weiming Lake and spare the university its pride.