Chapter 279 - 262: Working Under East God

Chapter 279: Chapter 262: Working Under East God

After Li Dong’s paper came out, he had pored over it five or six times.

Each time he finished, he would be dazed for a long while.

’I might get to help East God put the final cap on the Langlands Program?’

He didn’t dare to be the least bit careless.

On the bed opposite him,

Wang Feng was writing notes, glancing at his phone from time to time.

Wang Feng was also a second-year graduate student, advised by Associate Professor Liu.

Associate Professor Liu and Professor Wang were close collaborators. He had also been on the previous research team for the GL₂ to GL₃ local-global compatibility project.

Now, Li Dong’s paper had killed that project dead. There wasn’t even a chance to salvage it.

Associate Professor Liu and Professor Wang had collaborated for many years, so it was only natural they would join Li Dong’s research group this time. He had also told Wang Feng to prepare well for the interview.

But deep down, Wang Feng wasn’t happy about it.

It wasn’t that he lacked ambition.

He simply had a very clear plan for himself.

During his two or three years of grad school, he would churn out a passable short paper, ideally getting his name listed as second author under Professor Wang or Associate Professor Liu.

That would look much better on his resume.

After graduation, he’d pursue a Ph.D. if possible. If not, his family had already paved the way for a position in a financial data-related field.

His original plan was to just buckle down, finish the GL₂ project with Associate Professor Liu, get his second author credit, and be done with it.

But who would have thought Li Dong would publish a paper on GL(n)?

His original thesis topic was just... gone.

’And now I have to join Li Dong’s group?’

Honestly, he didn’t want to go.

Because Associate Professor Liu had told him.

This time, their goal was to put the final cap on the Langlands Program.

Wang Feng rolled his eyes inwardly.

’Even Terence Tao said this thing would take twenty or thirty years.’

’If I get involved in this, how am I supposed to publish a paper in the next two years?’

’How am I supposed to scrape by and graduate?’

’All my time will be gone, and any results are up in the air.’

But it was his advisor’s directive, after all, so he had to go.

So, he was reluctantly preparing for it.

He wrote for a while longer, then set his pen down.

"Old Fu."

Wang Feng turned his head.

"What do you think we’re really going to do if we get in?"

"Put the final cap on Langlands?"

"Even if Li Dong is a total genius, he’s not superhuman."

"Even Terence Tao said it would take twenty to thirty years."

"If we join, aren’t we just along for the ride?"

"How am I supposed to publish my graduate thesis?"

Fu Chen didn’t even raise his head.

He knew this was just how Wang Feng was.

But he still replied calmly.

"Even if we don’t get any major results right away, we’ll still learn something."

"How many people would kill for a chance to work under East God?"

Wang Feng rolled his eyes.

He scoffed.

"Fine. Whoever wants to go can go."

He pushed his papers aside, took out his phone, and started messaging his girlfriend.

Fu Chen didn’t try to persuade him anymore.

To each their own.

He lowered his head and continued reading the paper in his hand.

...

「Meanwhile.」

On the third floor of the School of Mathematics’ academic building.

Outside Wang Zhigang’s office, a crowd of people hoping to join the group had formed.

But he wasn’t flustered.

He had gotten through his entire life by being one thing: steady.

’Anyway, I’ll just take them one by one.’

The vast majority of those waiting in line were doctoral students.

There were all kinds of people among them.

Some genuinely wanted to follow Li Dong and see the Langlands Program through to the end.

Others were just hoping to get their names on the roster so they could add a line to their resume: "Participated in a national-level mathematics project led by Li Dong."

Professor Wang only had to do a simple check and ask a few basic questions, and they would show their true colors. He could weed out more than half of them in a single pass.

Outside the office, several associate professors and professors from the School of Mathematics were also there.

There weren’t many.

Normally, with a name like Li Dong’s as the main draw, every professor in the Yan University School of Mathematics should have been scrambling to get in.

But in academia, many things couldn’t be forced by academic credentials alone.

No matter how brilliant Li Dong was, he was, after all, not even twenty.

For senior professors to join, they would have to listen to him and follow his research direction...

...that was a mental block not everyone could overcome.

By a window in the hallway.

Two elderly professors stood there, holding thermoses and pretending to admire the view, but their eyes kept darting toward Professor Wang’s office.

"Old Chen, you’re not going to go ask?"

"Forget it, forget it."

The one named Chen waved his hand dismissively.

"At my age, getting involved in this would be so tiring."

"Let’s leave the opportunity to the young people."

The professor beside him just grunted in agreement, saying nothing more.

But he knew perfectly well what was going on.

’What "leave the opportunity to the young people"?’

’He’s just too proud to ask.’

After all, the two of them had been out for drinks with some colleagues not long ago, and over the table, they had voiced some minor criticisms about a proof in Li Dong’s paper.

Of course, they were just being contrarian for sport, fueled by a bit of alcohol. No one took it seriously.

But now that Li Dong’s group was recruiting, if the two of them were to get in line at this very moment...

...they would lose face completely.

So the two old professors just stood there, holding their thermoses and making small talk.

Just then.

Two figures appeared at the far end of the hallway.

One in front, one behind.

It was Liu Ruochuan and Professor Penrose.

"Hello, Dean Liu!"

"Hello, Teacher Liu!"

"...You’ve come too?"

Everyone in the hallway, including the older professors, greeted them.

Liu Ruochuan smiled and nodded in response.

Penrose didn’t understand Chinese, but he recognized faces.

Whoever smiled at him, he would smile back.

The pair walked through the crowd, heading straight for Professor Wang’s office.

Professor Wang looked up, set down his pen, and greeted them.

"Dean Liu?"

"Professor Penrose?"

Liu Ruochuan waved his hand and said.

"Old Wang, put me and Professor Penrose down."

"Go ahead and arrange it. How’s this interview going to work, anyway?"

Professor Wang froze on the spot, completely stunned.

’Interview Liu Ruochuan and Penrose?’

’What kind of joke is this?’

’One is the Dean of the School of Mathematics, guaranteed to become an academician in the second half of this year.’