A genius student? Ha, they're nothing but ants at your feet!

Chapter 141 Forum for Young Mathematicians

Forum for Young Mathematicians.

If you mention this name to outsiders, most people would probably just think it's a high-end-sounding summer camp.

But in true academia, this is handled by world-class academic institutions...

This is a prestigious international academic event for the younger generation, co-hosted by MIT and the renowned Clay Mathematics Institute!

Its core mission, to put it nicely, is to discover the next generation of mathematicians with the greatest potential for breakthroughs on a global scale and to build a platform for the exchange of ideas that transcends national borders.

To put it bluntly, this is a "breeding contest" of the world's top IQ monsters.

The dozens of invited participants were all terrifying academic prodigies representing the pinnacle of their respective countries' youth in terms of intelligence:

Among them are gold medalists who scored full marks in the International Mathematical Olympiad;

There are super research stars who have already published important academic papers as the first author in top journals during their high school or undergraduate years;

Even more impressively, some of these talented young people are recommended by top academic institutions or industry leaders who personally write letters of recommendation.

Throughout the vast history of mathematics spanning over a century, countless academic giants have left their mark on textbooks and become renowned figures in the academic world...

In their youth, before they achieved legendary status, they all made their mark on this forum, which resembled a Roman gladiatorial arena, with dazzling brilliance.

It's no exaggeration to say that the Fields Medal, Abel Prize, and even Nobel laureates who walk out of this hall alone...

If you were to bring them all together, they would absolutely be enough to host a high-profile, large-scale conference that would attract global media attention!

Because of the unparalleled authority and sacred aura of the event, the young researchers gathered in the hall at this moment all harbored extremely strong competitive hostility and vigilance towards those around them.

The way each person looks at the other is as if they are looking at the stepping stone to their future ascension to the throne.

However, among this group of arrogant and self-important geniuses...

Su Hao is undoubtedly the most eye-catching, the most attention-grabbing, and the most despair-inducing outlier!

There's no other reason than that Su Hao is the only invitee in the forum's decades-long history to have met all three of the forum's thresholds!

Even the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) went so far as to use its special fund to fully reimburse his round-trip airfare and luxury hotel accommodations.

All privileges and green lights were given to ensure that this renowned genius could attend smoothly!

Nine o'clock in the morning.

The historic Gothic-style conference hall on the MIT campus was already packed with young academic elites from all over the world, dressed in sharp suits.

Several self-proclaimed exceptional Ivy League undergraduates are holding abbreviated academic resumes printed with their so-called "interim research results".

Like selling insurance, he smiled broadly and handed the insurance to the tenured professors walking around, desperately trying to become a familiar face in this world of fame and fortune.

Meanwhile, the other students on the periphery gathered in small groups, exchanging business cards and speaking at an incredibly fast pace, even faster than a rapper...

Briefly describe the research projects you are currently working on, thereby expanding your high-quality academic network.

The entire venue was filled with academic competition, and everyone wanted to stand out and prove themselves.

"Squeak—"

The heavy solid wood door of the venue was quietly pushed open by the staff.

Immediately afterwards, a slender young man dressed in simple casual clothes stepped into this battlefield with nonchalant steps from the cold winter morning light.

The boy slightly raised his head.

It was an Eastern face that was much younger and more youthful than any of the other attendees.

However, there was absolutely no need for anyone to check his conference badge.

The moment all the geniuses present saw that face, they were struck by lightning and immediately recognized his renowned identity!

Su Hao!

The air pressure seemed to drop suddenly at that moment.

At first, only a few people near the door suddenly stopped their loud conversation and cast wary, scrutinizing glances at them.

But less than three seconds later, the suppressed gasps and whispers of shock spread like an unstoppable plague throughout the hall!

"Oh my god... Could that boy who looks like a middle school student be the legendary Su Hao who suddenly appeared out of nowhere in Xia Kingdom?"

"There's no mistake, it's him! That freakish monster who, at the age of twelve, crushed the most difficult final problem in IMO history and took first place..."

"My God, can you believe it? I heard that the final problem in this year's IMO was so difficult that it almost reached the edge of the Millennium Conjecture. It was insanely difficult!"

Even the organizing committee thought no one could solve it, but he chopped it off like a whirlwind!

"What's so special about this? I've read his paper on the Four Color Theorem published in a journal. The bizarre derivation process and the angle of approach were so rigorous that it was chilling!"

After my advisor read the entire paper, he skipped work for a week and was later diagnosed with depression!

Amidst the surging clamor, Su Hao's expression remained as calm as a stagnant pool.

His eyelids were slightly lowered, and with each step he took forward, the previously crowded people around him would fall into an eerie, deathly silence, as if they had seen a ghost...

They spontaneously stepped aside, creating a wide passage for him in the crowded center of the hall!

Immediately afterwards, countless complex gazes, filled with extreme curiosity, deep fear, and inquiry, followed him closely and were fixed on his back.

Faced with this suffocating sense of oppression that could break the psychological defenses of any adult scholar, Su Hao didn't even raise an eyebrow.

He seemed to have subconsciously become accustomed to this "monkey-watching" gaze.

He didn't even lose his rhythm, his expression as calm as if he were just browsing a market. He casually found an empty seat on the side, pulled out a chair, and plopped down.

Hello.

As soon as he sat down, Su Hao glanced at the other students sitting at the same round table, who were staring blankly at him.

He gave a very kind smile and greeted him softly.

"Whoosh—!"

The opposing team's geniuses, who were revered as gods in their own country, instantly tensed up like stones.

The coffee cup in his hand nearly tipped over on the spot. As if he had been greatly frightened, he stammered as he got up and replied:

"Hello! Nice to meet you! My name is Yusuke, and I'm from Japan. I'm... I'm the first place winner of this year's IMO."

"I...I am Maria, from the University of Warsaw, Poland..."

This is not just polite talk; it is blatant hierarchical suppression.

Their extremely reserved tone towards Su Hao, even their voices were trembling, conveyed the immense pressure and deep-seated awe they felt as if they were being watched by a legendary "god"!

This is all because Professor Cronin, the supreme figure in the mathematics world, after reading Su Hao's first draft and giving that extremely high praise that shook the entire academic community.

In the global community of young mathematicians, the name Su Hao has completely shed its ordinary connotations.

It transforms into an insurmountable mountain, and is also synonymous with the "ultimate boss"!

Tell me, who wouldn't be trembling with fear if they bumped into a max-level demon king the moment they stepped out of the starting village?

"Ladies and gentlemen, the forum is about to begin. Please take your seats.

(Ladies and gentlemen, the forum is about to open. All participants are kindly requested to conclude their discussions and return to their seats.)

Guided by the staff's announcements, everyone felt as if they had been granted a pardon and quickly found their seats. The air in the venue was so heavy it seemed as if it could drip water.

Before long, the heavy curtain at the front of the venue was slowly drawn back.

An elderly man in a dark suit, with a serious expression, strode onto the podium, holding a thin piece of paper in his hand.

The person who came was the chairman of this forum—the current chair of the Department of Mathematics at MIT.

Professor Harold Whitman.

This top mathematician, who comes from Oxford University in the UK and exudes the aristocratic heritage of his generation, is already a living fossil who has been deeply involved in the research and education of pure mathematics for more than forty years.

The unique theorems he left behind in the fields of algebraic topology and mathematical logic are enough to erect a monument in the history of mathematics.

Not to mention, he is also a recipient of the Abel Prize, the highest honor in academia.

At this moment, the frost of time has turned his temples into a full head of silver hair.

But the moment he stood behind the podium, looking down slightly at the entire audience...

Those deep eyes shone with a sharp and piercing light, in no way inferior to any of the spirited and self-important young people in the audience.

The power of the strong is silent.

He stood steadily in front of the microphone and reached out to adjust the microphone.

This is the only action.

The previously noisy meeting room, which had been filled with slight whispers, instantly fell into complete silence.

Welcome, young mathematicians!

Professor Whitman's slightly hoarse yet highly penetrating voice echoed throughout the hall.

His gaze was sharp as he casually surveyed the ambitious and eager eyes in the room.

Ultimately, his gaze lingered on the corner where Su Hao was, intentionally or unintentionally, for an extra half second.

"As someone who has been involved in the mathematics community for over forty years, before the forum officially began..."

I would like to use my privilege as chairman to offer a piece of advice to those of you who will soon grasp the truth of the world.

At this point, he deliberately paused slightly, slowly picked up the glass of water on the podium to moisten his throat, whetting everyone's appetite.

"The most fatal mental trap that we mathematical researchers are most likely to fall into when climbing the ladder of truth—"

It's about over-reliance on your so-called intuition.

"Mathematics often betrays your intuition and shatters your beliefs in the coldest and cruelest way in the universe."

To demonstrate this, let's conduct a simple thought experiment.