Chapter 83: The First

The breakfast Li Yisheng and Professor Cheng brought for Wu Tong was quite sumptuous: a steaming, rich cup of milk, a slice of toasted bread coated generously with sesame seeds and filled with thick cuts of meat, a simple salad of fruits and vegetables with yogurt, a decadent, calorie-laden dessert, and, to Wu Tong’s surprise, two plump, round meat buns. At the sight of this familiar Chinese delicacy, Wu Tong couldn’t help but smile; she hadn’t realized how much she missed the humble steamed buns, so common in her everyday life back home.

She relocated to a high stool that served as a makeshift table and began her breakfast. Wu Tong had always had a good appetite, and after a night’s exertion, her energy had been depleted. Though she’d felt a lack of vigor during her morning exercise, the aroma of food now awakened her hunger with a vengeance—she felt as though she could devour an entire cow. Of course, that was an exaggeration, but there was no doubt she could easily finish the breakfast the two professors had brought, which was clearly arranged with abundance in mind.

By the time Wu Tong finished eating and tidied up, the two teachers were still hunched over their desks, fervently verifying calculations, their brows deeply furrowed in concentration and under the weight of their task. Wu Tong did not disturb them. She took out her laptop, set it up on the high stool, and began editing her paper. With the experience from her previous editing session, she proceeded even more smoothly this time. After completing the title, abstract, keywords, and introduction, she moved on to the main body of the paper.

Li Yisheng and Professor Cheng became so absorbed in their verification work that they didn’t realize it was already ten o’clock, the designated time for their group’s outing. Guo Jiachen and the others, not finding their team leaders, guessed correctly and came looking for them. These students were perceptive—having noticed Wu Tong’s absence for the past two days, along with Li Yisheng’s, they suspected something significant was afoot. Some even wondered if “our goddess” had performed yet another miracle.

Now, with both professors missing, they were hardly surprised. “Is it time?” Li Yisheng and Professor Cheng glanced at the students gathered outside the door, reluctant to set aside their draft papers. After two or three hours of work, they had verified only a small portion of the proof. They found the process arduous, while Wu Tong, who had developed the proof, seemed to find it even easier to check than they did. Such was the gap—not merely a difference, but a chasm, Wu Tong’s growth leaving them both awed and proud.

Still, it was their responsibility to look after these students; they couldn’t just let them wander out alone in this unfamiliar place.

Wu Tong suggested the professors take the manuscripts with them, as she didn’t really need them. The process of deduction was etched in her memory, and even if she forgot, she could reconstruct it without much effort. “Wu Tong, you keep these drafts safe—we’re heading out first,” Li Yisheng and Professor Cheng said after exchanging a glance and coming to an agreement. Before her paper was published, these drafts could not leave the room; they trusted their own character, but not necessarily that of others. After all, this hotel housed teams from nearly a hundred countries and regions, and the threat of intellectual theft was real—the notorious plagiarizing team wasn’t far from their quarters.

As expected, “our goddess” had achieved another world-shaking result! Guo Jiachen and the others were once again deeply impressed. How long had it been since her last breakthrough? Judging by the two professors’ demeanor, this was no less significant than her proof of the Zhou Conjecture. Could it be that she had now solved another world-class mathematical problem?

“How about we skip the outing today?” Chu Xiaosheng scratched his head and suggested. There wasn’t much left to see, and they’d already toured the area over the past two days.

“Yes, let’s stay in the hotel and rest,” Zhang Beibei agreed enthusiastically. They needed to stand guard—to protect “our goddess” and the pride of China.

“It’s fine—stick to the plan and go out as usual. If all goes well, I’ll have the paper finished before our flight,” Wu Tong said with a smile, closing her laptop and packing it away. “I’ll join you, too—I could use some fresh air!” She could continue editing her paper along the way and catch up further in the evening. She didn’t want to spoil the group’s fun for her own sake.

“Alright, it’s settled then!” Li Yisheng declared. He and Professor Cheng weren’t going to finish verifying the proof any time soon—best to wait for Wu Tong’s formal paper. Her process was so imaginative that, without ample time to study it, even their verification was a great struggle.

The child had worked tirelessly for two days; she deserved a break. No matter how important the proof, it wasn’t more important than her health. With Wu Tong’s talent, there would be many more proofs in the future, but any harm to her well-being would be a lifelong regret.

Besides, Wu Tong had already completed the proof; there was no need to rush by a day or two. After all, more than a century had passed without a solution—surely no one else would snatch the result within a day or two. If it were that easy, the Twin Primes Conjecture would have been proved long ago.

On July 14th, after four long days of grading, the official results for all IMO contestants were released. After confirmation by team leaders from each country, the results were publicly announced. The awards ceremony and closing event would be held the following day.

Li Yisheng came over, delighted, to share the results with the six members of the national team. “Congratulations, everyone! Wu Tong, 42 points—once again a perfect score, and the only perfect score this year. Guo Jiachen, 38; Chu Xiaosheng, 37; Beibei, you did well, 34; Nie Peng and Su Zhikang, you both scored 31! Our Chinese team has a total of 213 points, ranking first in the world. All of you are gold medalists—the entire team has won gold, and we’re number one again! The gold medal cutoff this year was 27 points. You all performed excellently and brought honor to the country. The nation is proud of you!”

What was even more inspiring, and would soon become legendary, was that during this period, Wu Tong had also proved the Twin Primes Conjecture! Her paper was nearly ready for submission, and after two days of diligent verification, neither Li Yisheng nor Professor Cheng had found any errors. The logic was flawless, the structure rigorous, and the proof displayed Wu Tong’s characteristic elegance and creativity—its brilliance left them in awe.

Once Wu Tong’s paper was released, he believed the entire mathematical world, and indeed the world itself, would be astonished.

Meanwhile, all contestants received a piece of news that left everyone at a loss for words—though for the parties involved, it was a tragedy beyond measure. The North Korean team had all their results annulled because they collectively misapplied a lemma on the third problem—this was the second time in their history that they suffered such a setback.

Today’s chapter is a bonus. I’ll try to add more chapters in the future—please continue to support me. Shang will keep working hard!

(End of chapter)