The cafeteria was bustling with activity.
Rong Ruoyao and Song Huai sat by the window.
She looked up and asked, "Were you seated near Rong Yu during the exam?"
"We were quite far apart," Song Huai paused before adding, "She handed in her paper half an hour into the exam—when most people hadn’t even finished half. There’s no way she could’ve copied from anyone."
Rong Ruoyao was stunned.
How… how was this possible?
A humanities student who switched to science just two weeks ago, participating in a national-level competition and scoring full marks to advance to the next round?
It was utterly unbelievable.
"Unless…" she hesitated, "she got the answers in advance?"
Song Huai frowned. "That’s a possibility."
Others around them were speculating too.
But because Ji Zhouye looked ready to throw a punch, the murmurs gradually died down.
Rong Yu ate quietly, undisturbed.
Chen Nian complained, "Wild Brother, you’ve been swiping my meal card since the day before yesterday. Even this morning, you made me pay for your yogurt and snacks. That’s eighty-three yuan in total. When are you paying me back?"
Ji Zhouye’s face darkened. "You’re making a fuss over eighty yuan?"
"Well, I’m broke," Chen Nian shrank his neck. "My grandma collects scrap to support me. I can’t just spend half my allowance on you…"
Ji Zhouye: "…"
He knew Chen Nian’s family was poor—his father had passed away, his mother remarried, and he was raised by his grandmother. Ji Zhouye had even tried to help him discreetly before.
But this guy had too much pride, refusing to take advantage of anyone… which made Ji Zhouye feel guilty about mooching off him now.
Chen Nian asked timidly, "Wild Brother, just give me a straight answer—when’s the money coming?"
Ji Zhouye had no choice but to glance at Rong Yu.
Rong Yu set down her chopsticks. "Chen Nian, your grandma works hard to put you through school. Yet here you are, not even bothering to open your textbooks. Do you think she’d be proud of that?"
Chen Nian: "…"
Why did that sound exactly like a lecture from the principal?
He lowered his head. "My cousins and brothers all dropped out after high school to work, no matter their grades. I figured I’d do the same…"
Their conversation drifted over to Rong Ruoyao’s ears.
She knew Ji Zhouye was poor, but she never imagined it was this bad—he couldn’t even afford meals without borrowing money. What an eye-opener.
The thought that someone like him had once pursued her made her cringe with embarrassment.
Then she looked up and saw Rong Yu handing money to Chen Nian—covering Ji Zhouye’s debt.
She couldn’t help but laugh.
Song Huai stood up. "Let’s go to the study hall."
That afternoon, Rong Yu was still working through the second-stage trajectory calculations for a minor planet.
A misstep forced her to start over.
Suddenly, the classroom buzzed with chatter.
She snapped out of her focus and looked up—Math Teacher Wu Su had been called out by the principal mid-lecture.
"Apparently, Teacher Wu published an article online that shook the math world. A professor came to our school just to discuss it with him!"
"Look, the principal himself is escorting the professor!"
"I looked it up—it’s Professor Min Shenyan, a national academician and deputy director of the Mathematical Research Institute. Holy cow, this is a real heavyweight!"
"Good lord, an academician actually set foot in our school…"
In the conference room, the principal, vice-principal, and other senior leaders gathered to welcome Professor Min.
Min Shenyan, in his sixties, wore a pristine suit and carried an air of precision.
After exchanging pleasantries, he requested a private discussion with Wu Su about a theoretical problem.
The article Wu Su had posted online only contained the first-stage proof. Min Shenyan was eager to hear the second-stage derivation and, while on a business trip to Haicheng, decided to drop by Haicheng No. 1 High School for insights.
Wu Su’s hands trembled with excitement.
This was an academician—a titan in the field, someone he’d only ever seen in news reports. And now, this man was humbly seeking him out.
The rush of pride made Wu Su’s heart pound wildly.
Then Professor Min posed a sharp, technical question.
Wu Su’s blood ran cold. He froze from head to toe.
"Something wrong, Teacher Wu?" Min Shenyan sipped his tea. "Haven’t started on the second-stage derivation yet?"
Wu Su hurriedly nodded. "I’ve been busy lately. Haven’t gotten around to it."
The first-stage proof had come from Rong Yu.
He needed time to fully absorb it before tackling the next phase…
Who’d have thought Professor Min would show up in person?
He laughed awkwardly.
Min Shenyan narrowed his eyes slightly, pointing to a step in the first stage. "Between this and the next step, there should be another possibility…"
His question was too specialized.
Wu Su’s expertise didn’t stretch that far.
Sweat beaded on his forehead as he wiped his glasses nervously.
Min Shenyan spoke calmly. "Do you have an assistant handling this part of the calculations?"
Seizing the lifeline, Wu Su exhaled in relief. "Yes, Professor. One of my students assisted with the derivations. This section was her work. Should I call her in to explain?"
Min Shenyan nodded.
Still scribbling equations, Rong Yu was summoned to the conference room in confusion.
Wu Su introduced her. "Professor, this is the student—Rong Yu."
Min Shenyan didn’t dismiss her for being young. He repeated his question.
Rong Yu picked up a pen and sketched a parabola on paper. "A parabola is an infinitely open curve, fundamentally different from ellipses or hyperbolas. If we introduce a convergence factor to gradually narrow its opening…"
Min Shenyan paused. "You’re suggesting the focal length decreases in a patterned sequence?"
"Assume the nth parabola is one-third of its predecessor. The entire system would form a self-similar linear…" Her pen flowed effortlessly, sketching one diagram after another as she spoke.
Min Shenyan’s interest was piqued. He grabbed a pen too. "Following your logic, the convergence of parabolas transforms into a geometric problem… Fascinating. Truly fascinating…"
The two went back and forth, deep in discussion.
Wu Su couldn’t get a word in.
An hour later, Min Shenyan suddenly laughed. "We’ve even worked out the second-stage derivation! Young lady, with talent like yours, how have I never heard of you before?"
Rong Yu felt the same exhilaration.
She smiled. "Now you know."
"You’ve got a sharp wit." Min Shenyan’s tone turned serious. "Would you consider becoming my student?"
Wu Su’s eyes nearly bulged out of his skull.
Professor Min—taking on a student?
In the math world, scholars of Min Shenyan’s caliber could be counted on one hand. Rumor had it he accepted only one student a year, usually Ivy League PhDs at the very least…
And now he wanted Rong Yu—a high schooler?
What unbelievable luck!
