Qin Ze looked in from the doorway. The classroom was no different from an ordinary one, except the desks and chairs had been cleared to the back, leaving only four or five desks with laptops on them. The students at the desks either looked up at him or focused on their own work. Professor Li was in his fifties, with graying temples, drooping brows, and a pair of unfashionable round-framed glasses. He looked like a stern, difficult old scholar.
He moved his gaze away from the computer and turned to look over. "Come in."
Qin Ze nodded and walked to the podium.
Professor Li adjusted his glasses and scrutinized Qin Ze. "You're a junior this year, right? You'll be interning in the second half of next year."
"Yes. That's why I wanted to train myself in advance." After saying that, Qin Ze suddenly realized he did not feel the slightest bit nervous. Going by his usual nature, being examined by a professor's sharp gaze should have made his legs tremble, or at least made him reserved. Yet his heart was calm—so calm that even he was surprised.
Professor Li nodded. "Although your father spoke to me, we'll handle things on their merits. The necessary assessment can't be skipped."
He took out a stack of A4 paper from the drawer, covered in a list of topics. Picking out several sheets, he handed them to Qin Ze. "These are a small portion of the topics in this mathematical modeling project. They're relatively simple. Take them and have a look. I'll give you two hours. Pick any two questions and derive the analytical equations. Xiao Liu, give him a pen."
The female student who had opened the door immediately handed him a pen.
Without wasting words, Qin Ze looked around and found no spare seats. He went to the back of the classroom and moved out a desk himself, being as quiet as possible.
Qin Ze bent over the scratch paper, deriving equations. Every so often, he glanced at the problem statement. Several times, just as he was about to work out the complete equation, he had no choice but to start over.
Mathematical modeling was a profound field, and what he was doing now did not even count as mathematical modeling. It was merely a tiny step in the twenty-five-thousand-mile Long March. Mathematical modeling, also known as math modeling, was essentially an important method of using mathematical tools to solve practical problems. Put more simply, it meant using mathematical language and methods to establish an "equation" for a certain matter or phenomenon. For example, if a mathematician wanted to predict the weather, he could collect data, build an enormous mathematical model, and use it to calculate tomorrow's weather.
Of course, that was only an analogy. Actual weather forecasting was far more complicated than that. But in truth, the meteorological bureau itself was one massive mathematical model.
Economics and mathematics were inseparable, and mathematical modeling was one of their more advanced and widely used applications.
After calculating for half an hour, sweat gradually formed on Qin Ze's forehead. At last, he found the right direction. His mathematical foundation was still too weak; he had to rack his brains just to recall many formulas. If Qin Baobao had been here, she would definitely have snorted, shoved Qin Ze's head aside, and said, "Get the hell out of my way. I'll finish it in minutes."
People said men were naturally more logical while women were naturally more emotional, so men excelled in science and women in liberal arts. But that pattern was completely reversed for the Qin siblings. Qin Baobao had been outstanding at math since childhood, never falling out of the top three. She called herself the Queen of Science. Qin Ze, on the other hand, was better at liberal arts. His greatest achievement had been winning third prize in the National Middle School Student Essay Competition.
Fortunately, he knew he was not a genius. Diligence could make up for shortcomings, and he had not given up on himself. That was why two questions capable of stumping half the students at Finance University had not defeated him.
Time passed quickly. With the help of his assistants, Professor Li steadily advanced the modeling project, occasionally holding small meetings, but none of that had anything to do with Qin Ze.
Two hours later, Professor Li seemed to finally remember Qin Ze. He stepped down from the podium and came to his desk. Without saying a word, he picked up Qin Ze's papers and examined them. The answers to the equations were written on the blank sheets in neat handwriting, with a meticulousness Professor Li liked at first glance. Then he looked at the scratch paper, covered in corrections and densely packed derivations without the slightest bit of empty space. Qin Ze's math had been trained into him by the Old Man, one lash at a time.
"Not bad." Professor Li nodded, placed the papers back on the desk, then returned to the podium. "Everyone, stop what you're doing."
Five or six assistants looked up.
"Let me introduce a new member. Qin Ze, from Finance Department Class 7. He's your Junior."
Qin Ze stood up and said politely, "Please take care of me."
Scattered applause followed.
Professor Li added, "Yang Chen, take care of your junior these next few days and get him up to speed on our project as soon as possible. I have another class shortly, so I'll be leaving first."
A boy in a blue T-shirt and pale white casual pants nodded with a broad smile. "Understood, Professor."
Professor Li left.
Before coming here, the Old Man had already explained things to Qin Ze in detail. One person could not possibly handle every aspect of such a massive mathematical model, so Professor Li needed assistants. The assistants were paid two hundred yuan per day for one week. Once the mathematical model was completed, Qin Ze could earn fourteen hundred yuan.
Professor Li had originally been unwilling to recruit current students. The assistants under him were all senior interns, the kind who would graduate next month. He had only agreed to let Qin Ze try because of the Old Man's influence.
Qin Ze waited at his seat for a while. Seeing that the senior named Yang Chen was buried in his work, he took the initiative to walk over and called out, "Senior."
Yang Chen glanced at him, casually pulled a stack of materials from a drawer, and said flatly, "Read these yourself first."
Qin Ze could only take the materials back to his seat and patiently work through them. A good private equity company should have its own professional market analysts, so the private equity firm that had hired Professor Li was evidently not large. Building a complete mathematical model required enormous quantities of formulas and data. Mathematics was the most rational thing in the world, and every step required repeated consideration. Qin Ze's group was responsible for returns and risk assessment.
Besides a not-too-detailed summary, the materials contained a long list of symbol explanations. Qin Ze found them somewhat difficult to understand, so he took out his phone, searched online, and translated them one by one.
In the blink of an eye, it was time to eat. The seniors in the classroom headed to the cafeteria to fill their stomachs. Qin Ze had wanted to bury himself in study with the determination to study tirelessly, but the senior in charge of the keys drove him out to eat.
Since time was limited, he ate something casually and hurried back to the classroom.
The classroom door was ajar, leaving a crack. Just as he was about to push it open, he heard someone inside speaking. "Brother Chen, what's the deal with that newcomer? We've been painstakingly building this math model for a month, and there's only a little over a week until delivery. Then he suddenly barges in and takes a cut of our labor?"
The speaker was also in Qin Ze's group, though Qin Ze did not know his name.
Yang Chen snorted. "His dad and Professor Li seem to work in the same office. He's connected. He came here to gain experience and pick up some spending money."
"Our group only has a ten-thousand-yuan bonus, and he's taking more than a thousand of it. Damn it, that's half a month's rent."
"Don't you live in the dorms?"
"Then it could pay for two trips to a massage parlor."
"Don't worry. There's an assignment today, and he hasn't even figured out the basics. I'll assign him some topics later. If he can't finish them, heh, Professor Li definitely won't like it. Do that a few more times, and maybe he'll kick him out."
Qin Ze's face darkened. These two Little Devils. He silently went downstairs and wandered around the teaching building. He sighed inwardly. Sure enough, wherever there were people, there was jianghu. This kind of battle without glittering swords and flashing knives only became more brutal after entering university. No, that wasn't right. Life was full of conflict everywhere; elementary and middle school were no exception. It was just that children were younger then and preferred to show it through violence.
Qin Ze did not like this kind of vicious scheming hidden in the shadows. He had not yet adapted to it.
More than ten minutes later, he went back upstairs and entered the classroom. Most of the seniors had returned. The Senior called Xiao Liu smiled at him, and Qin Ze politely returned the smile.
He had a specialized class at one-thirty in the afternoon. After class, Qin Ze turned down his roommates' invitation to Duo Queue and plunged headfirst into the pile of modeling materials. He was not a science prodigy like Qin Baobao, but he had one strength that even the Old Man praised highly: he remained calm in the face of major events. Those were the Old Man's exact words.
At five in the afternoon, Professor Li returned. Tasks were assigned to each group, and before announcing the end of the day, he unusually remembered Qin Ze.
"How much of the materials on returns and risk assessment have you understood?"
"I've been figuring it out by myself. I haven't fully grasped it yet," Qin Ze said.
Professor Li immediately frowned and looked at Yang Chen. "Didn't I tell you to guide him?"
Yang Chen looked innocent. "I gave him the materials and told him to ask me anything he didn't understand. But he didn't ask any questions all day. I thought Qin Ze had a solid foundation and had worked it out himself."
Damn it, when did you ever say that?
Professor Li glanced at Qin Ze but said nothing. He announced the end of the day. Professor Li's indifferent attitude disappointed Yang Chen somewhat. Only Qin Ze could vaguely guess what he was thinking. The modeling project was already nearing its end. It was true they lacked assistants, but how could Professor Li possibly invite a half-baked student like Qin Ze to join? He had probably done it for the Old Man's sake. The Old Man had also hinted that day: if there was anything he did not understand, he could ask him.
So Professor Li did not care whether Qin Ze was just loafing around. His father was helping behind the scenes anyway.
Qin Ze asked Yang Chen for more materials. Yang Chen did not refuse and handed him a stack of photocopies. What could a current university student possibly get out of merely reading materials?
After they wrapped up, there was still plenty of time. He sent a message in the group chat: "Freedom!"
A moment later, Li Liang replied, "Get over here, quick! We need you to take command. Damn it, I can't carry them."
Zhao Baliao followed with, "I'm the one who can't carry you guys. I fought one against three and swore I wouldn't retreat. Then I turned around and—damn it, where were my teammates? They were all dead and back at the fountain."
Then came Liu Ziqiang: "I'll just quietly watch you guys brag and say nothing."
Qin Ze's lips curled up. He put his phone back in his pocket, slung his shoulder bag over his back, and jogged toward the internet cafe.
The familiar seats, the familiar three beasts. Cigarettes hung from their mouths as they lounged sideways in their gaming chairs. Since they were waiting for Qin Ze, Li Liang was watching match videos in his spare time, Zhao Baliao had a small window open to watch Island Nation ****, and Liu Ziqiang was playing with his phone.
Out of habit, Qin Ze put a cigarette between his lips, powered on the computer, and narrowed his eyes as he puffed out smoke.
"Summer vacation is at the end of the month. Why are you messing around with this? Be careful you don't fail a class." Li Liang took a hard drag.
"I'm earning some spending money. I can't let my sister support me forever." Qin Ze took out mineral water from his bag and handed each of them a bottle.
"Investment modeling isn't easy. There are too many factors to consider. How did the first day feel?" Liu Ziqiang, whose grades were the best of the three, unscrewed the cap, took a drink, and asked with a grin.
"Whether it's difficult doesn't matter. I just ran into a bastard today, so I'm in a bad mood," Qin Ze complained.
"You have a story, but I have no booze. Want to tell us about it?" Li Liang said as he invited Qin Ze into the game.
"Just some ****. I'll find a chance to deal with him." Qin Ze curled his lip.
"Make sure you bring Baliao when the time comes. Use his human cannon to ram that **** right in the ass." As soon as Li Liang finished speaking, he suddenly shouted in alarm, "Are you insane? Why did you invite a noob?"
Someone with the ID "Slim Waist" had slipped into their team. It was the Bronze noob who had screwed them over so badly that day.
Slim Waist enthusiastically typed in the lobby, "Hooray, hooray! Great God, you're finally online."
"Great God, you guys are Duo Queueing, right?"
"This little lady has lost three straight games today and dropped another rank."
"Great God, carry me and help me climb. I'll video chat with you."
None of the three beasts wanted to respond to her. Even Zhao Baliao, starved for affection as he was, disdained speaking to her. There were too many online crossdressers these days. Just imagining a burly man on the other side of the screen was nauseating.
Qin Ze replied teasingly, "Nude (censored) chat?"
"You're so naughty!"
The screen went dark, and the game began.
Before you continue