December 23rd, in a large lecture hall at the Yan University Science Building.
This was a lecture given by Liu Ruochuan, the dean of Yan University’s School of Mathematics.
Originally, it was a high-tier elective course intended for some undergraduate students from Yuanpei College and the School of Mathematics.
But Liu Ruochuan’s reputation was just too great. The classroom wasn’t just packed; even the aisles and the space next to the trash cans by the back door were filled with people.
Many graduate students from the School of Mathematics had shamelessly snuck in to audit the class.
And in a corner of the second-to-last row, Li Dong, who had been missing for over twenty days, finally appeared as if nothing had happened.
He was currently focused on Liu Ruochuan’s lecture.
"When we deal with p-adic Hodge theory, we often need to connect the topological properties of algebraic varieties with their arithmetic properties..."
Liu Ruochuan turned around, looking at the chosen ones below whose brains were on the verge of frying.
"Especially when examining the representations of the absolute Galois group on p-adic local fields, the vast period rings introduced by Fontaine—like B_dR and B_cris—are an unavoidable hurdle."
"They are like a series of special filters. Through these filters, we can transform those abstract p-adic Galois representations into relatively manageable linear algebraic structures."
"In other words, filtered phi-modules."
Liu Ruochuan lectured at a very fast pace, a stark contrast to the elderly Zhang Lufang.
"This ties into the local-global compatibility of the Langlands Program we discussed earlier, at a fundamental level."
"You shouldn’t view Algebraic Geometry as a collection of isolated figures. In higher dimensions, it is intrinsically intertwined with number theory."
The freshmen in the audience had long since started recording with their phones. After all, Old Liu had said that was the only way to keep up with his pace.
Only Li Dong, watching the isomorphic mappings of the p-adic period rings on the blackboard, gave a slight nod.
’So that’s how it is. The transition from local to global relies on this kind of homotopic algebraic extension...’
RING RING RING...
The bell rang.
"Alright, that’s all for today."
Liu Ruochuan dismissed the class, then beckoned to Li Dong in the second-to-last row.
"Teacher Liu," Li Dong said respectfully as he walked up.
"Just call me Teacher. Have you forgotten again?"
Then, Liu Ruochuan lowered his voice and asked.
"So, kid. How’s it going?"
Li Dong gave an "OK" sign with a wry smile.
"I’ve more or less established the framework for the general direction."
"Using Fourier optimization and scaling of the test function, I’ve tried to push the theoretical boundary of |α| past the ’dead line’ of 1."
"But..." Li Dong sighed.
"To completely compress the error boundary to approach zero and push the interval to α∈[1, 2], the detailed estimation of the remainder term for the prime square term involved is just too massive."
"I still need to verify whether it will work. I estimate it will take several more months to grind it out."
When Liu Ruochuan heard this, his heart skipped a beat.
He had only asked casually.
’You mean this kid really pushed past the dead line of 1?’
’He can’t be joking, right?’
Since Montgomery’s Conjecture on Association was proposed in 1973, countless top minds in the international analytic number theory community have thrown themselves at it, only to be hopelessly stuck within the theoretical boundary of |α|
And now, Li Dong was nonchalantly telling him that the door had been pried open a crack?
Liu Ruochuan took a deep breath, suppressed his shock, and nodded.
He didn’t offer to join Li Dong’s research, nor did he mention anything about providing guidance.
For a scholar of his caliber, academic integrity was what mattered most.
This project was Li Dong’s from start to finish. Unless Li Dong personally invited him to solve a specific module, he would never touch the first-author credit for this paper.
"Take your time and be thorough. Don’t rush."
Liu Ruochuan patted Li Dong’s shoulder, then changed the subject.
"Just a reminder, the ICCM will be opening in Shanghai in a few days.
Your 45-minute invited talk is scheduled for the afternoon of the second day of the opening ceremony. Don’t forget to get your leave request approved by your advisor."
"Okay, Teacher. I’ll remember."
Liu Ruochuan had his own departmental administrative matters to attend to, so he left in a hurry after giving his instructions.
When Li Dong turned around, he found that his three roommates, Wang Hao, Liu Qiang, and Chen Nan, had already slipped away without a trace.
At Yuanpei, when a god of studying was privately discussing a top international conjecture with the dean, mortals were self-aware enough not to stick around and get their minds blown.
Li Dong slowly walked out of the Science Building, planning to grab a bite at the Nongyuan Cafeteria.
As he walked, he pulled out his phone and sighed helplessly.
In the entire group, only [Isaac Newton]’s profile picture was lit up.
Li Dong had previously sent a tentative message in the group, trying to feel things out.
[Studying for College Entrance Exams]: Sir Newton, how have you been lately?
In response, the god of Classical Mechanics replied with extreme impatience.
[Isaac Newton]: No time! I’m in the Royal Society’s workshop, watching over those idiots arranging vacuum tubes!
[Isaac Newton]: Damn it, this wiring is more complicated than the orbits of celestial bodies!
Looking at Newton’s replies, Li Dong didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
’Well, this master is currently obsessed with manually building the physics cheat for the Third Industrial Revolution. He has no time for me at all.’
However, Li Dong wasn’t actually too panicked about his cheat system crashing.
He already had a theory.
The source of it all was the "Fragment of the Calculation of Non-trivial Zero Points of the Riemann Zeta Function" that Gauss had given him.
The group chat had malfunctioned right when he used a supercomputer to run the zero-point data up to a certain threshold.
Therefore, the underlying logic of this chat group was definitely deeply tied to the fundamental truths of mathematics and the universe.
’As long as I can completely push back the boundary of Montgomery’s Conjecture on Association, I should be able to become the official Group Leader. The group will probably be restored then.’
Li Dong didn’t think about it at all.
He was a pragmatist.
’Investigating the ultimate mysteries of the universe? That’s a problem for the future, not something he should be worrying about right now.’
’My Basic Attributes are all only at 0.3 right now! Even at the most generous estimate...’
’At best, I’m just one-third of a New, not even a ton. How the hell am I supposed to understand this group’s underlying mechanics!’
Meanwhile, in Universe No. 1666, Newton, whose scalp was tingling from being zapped by cables: ???
Before he knew it, Li Dong had walked into the Nongyuan Cafeteria.
Just as he got a serving of spicy diced rabbit and two side dishes, he turned around and ran right into an acquaintance.
"Junior, here to eat?"
Li Dong looked up and saw it was Qi Yu.
For some reason, looking at Qi Yu made Li Dong feel an uncontrollable sense of guilt.
The way Qi Yu was looking at him... how to describe it...
It was like she was looking at a scumbag who loves them and leaves them!
"Ah... right, eating."
"Are you done eating, senior?" Li Dong asked with a dry laugh.
Qi Yu nodded and then started walking out of the cafeteria.
But after just two steps, she suddenly stopped and turned back to look at Li Dong.
"Junior."
"Did you ever figure out that phase shift deviation in synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction you asked about before?"
Hearing this question, Li Dong started breaking out in a cold sweat.
’Lady, my brain is full of prime numbers, complex planes, and contour integrals right now! What time do I have for chemistry’s X-rays?!’
’My top priority right now is to get my cheat system back online!’
Still, one must never lose face.
As a top-tier beast who had published a first-author paper in a top journal as a freshman, he had to maintain his image.
Li Dong’s expression didn’t change as he offered a confident and composed smile.
"Yes, your explanation was very detailed, senior. I understand it completely now."
Qi Yu glanced at him.
"Oh."
Then she left without a backward glance.
Only then did Li Dong let out a sigh of relief. He carried his tray to an empty corner and started to tackle his plate of spicy rabbit.
After eating and drinking his fill, Li Dong strolled over to his advisor’s office.
He was heading to Shanghai that afternoon for the ICCM conference. Although Li Dong felt it would probably be fine even if he didn’t request leave, he still had to go through the proper administrative procedures.
Otherwise, what if people said he, Li Dong, was getting arrogant because of the special treatment he received?
KNOCK KNOCK.
Li Dong knocked on the door and walked in.
The advisor, who was frantically working on his doctoral thesis at his computer, looked up and saw it was Li Dong.
"Li Dong, you’re here again?"
’This kid, he just came back to class not long ago, and now he’s here again?’
’It’s not another leave request, is it...?’
Li Dong said with a broad grin.
"Director Liu, how about approving a leave request?"
Director Liu: ...
’It really is... ’
"What are you taking leave for this time, Brother Dong?"
"How many times have you requested leave since the semester started?"
Students from the Sixth Middle School’s honors class: Yes, yes! That’s his M.O.! Back in Sixth Middle School, he’d ask for leave, and then he’d come back with the national championship trophy for the Huaxuan Cup! And he earned a million in cash on the side!
When Li Dong heard the nickname, he was so startled he quickly waved his hands.
"Whoa! No, no, no, Director Liu! You’re flattering me. How can you call me Brother Dong? Just Li Dong is fine!"
Li Dong quickly handed over the leave request form and reported obediently.
"I’m requesting leave to go to Shanghai to give a 45-minute invited academic talk at the ICCM."
The hand with which Director Liu was about to sign the form froze mid-air.
’I shouldn’t have fucking asked!’

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