The Bounty Question Outside the Corridor

"What? The problem on the small blackboard in the hallway has been solved?"

"Huh? Really? Let's go take a look!"

In Fei City, at the USTC High School, similar conversations were breaking out in every senior classroom.

For a moment, the senior students, who had been intensely focused on their revision and pushing themselves hard for the college entrance exams just over three months away, all stopped their studies at once. They rushed out of their classrooms and gathered in a corner of the school hallway.

In that corner stood a small blackboard, and on it was a math problem.

This blackboard and the problem written upon it had appeared in this corner that morning. Throughout the day, almost every senior student had come by to watch and attempt to solve it.

However, until the evening study session, no one had managed to complete this "bounty."

The difficulty of this problem was immense, reaching the level of a competition problem. Without professional training in mathematics competitions, it was essentially impossible to solve.

Even for those with competition training, without real talent, it was impossible—students who had participated in competitions, and even some who had won awards in last year's Chinese High School Olympiad Mathematics Competition, had admitted they couldn't solve it.

But at this very moment, the blackboard, which previously held only the problem, now displayed the proof process written out in a very neat hand.

It was remarkably concise, spanning only six lines.

"Brilliant! So that's how you solve it!"

"What is this Bézout's Identity used here? How come I've never even heard of it?"

"Huh? What's so brilliant about it? Brother, explain it to me, I don't understand any of this!"

Among the onlookers, discussions erupted. Those who understood were filled with awe, while those who didn't were completely bewildered.

People are different; it is perfectly normal for some to understand and others not to.

But at this moment, regardless of whether they understood it or not, the students present shared one absolute commonality: they could not have solved the problem before seeing this answer, which stood in stark contrast to the student who had.

"That's amazing, they actually solved it. In that case, do they have a chance to participate in the independent recruitment for the University of Science and Technology of China?"

"Yeah, after all, this problem was set by Professor Liu from the University of Science and Technology of China. He said that whoever could solve it would be given a chance at independent recruitment, and there's even a possibility of being admitted with lower score requirements."

"That's so awesome."

The eyes of the senior students present were filled with envy.

As students of the USTC High School, they were naturally very familiar with the University of Science and Technology of China. As a top-tier domestic university and a member of the C9 League, it was full of appeal to all students, except for those whose grades were already stable enough to enter top-tier universities.

If one could enter the University of Science and Technology of China through independent recruitment, the difficulty would clearly be lower, not to mention the potential for reduced score requirements after solving this problem.

It was safe to say that over ninety percent of the students present were tempted.

However, the only question now was—who was the student who solved it?

Looking around the crowd, no one stepped forward to claim credit.

As for impersonating?

Sorry, there was a surveillance camera right above them; they weren't that stupid.

"The teacher is here, everyone make way."

Just then, at the back of the crowd, several teachers arrived. The students quickly cleared a path to let them through.

The lead teacher was someone the students knew well: their Grade Director, Chen Liang. He was beaming as he said to the middle-aged man beside him, "Professor Liu, please don't forget what you said yesterday about giving the student who solved the problem a chance."

Clearly, the middle-aged man beside him was Professor Liu Bin from the University of Science and Technology of China.

Liu Bin chuckled and said, "Director Chen, I certainly wouldn't lie to you. Given the relationship between our two schools, we will definitely prioritize resources for you. As long as the problem is truly solved, I will not break my word."

"That's good, that's good."

Chen Liang laughed and nodded.

For a Grade Director like him, being able to send one more student to a school like the University of Science and Technology of China would count as another point of merit for him.

At this point, they finally pushed through the crowd of students and arrived in front of the small blackboard.

Liu Bin stepped forward and began to examine it.

He had set this problem, and besides being a mathematics professor at the University of Science and Technology of China, he held another title: a member of the Chinese Mathematics Competition question-setting committee.

Every year, the Chinese Mathematics Olympiad featured problems he had helped create, and he had also participated in setting questions for the IMO.

Therefore, he knew exactly how difficult this problem was.

Otherwise, how could so many talents at the prestigious USTC High School have been stumped by it for nearly a day?

However, what comforted him was that the problem had finally been solved.

And it was done...

Beautifully!

In his own standard answer key, it took ten lines to prove, but here on this small blackboard, it took only six.

Furthermore, his own proof had not utilized Bézout's Identity.

While others saw the brilliance in the application of Bézout's Identity, as a mathematics professor and veteran question-setter, Liu Bin saw another layer of genius: the placement of Bézout's Identity was perfectly timed, which was the only reason it could be completed in just six lines.

Simple, clear, and... a total flex!

"Very good, truly excellent."

Liu Bin nodded with satisfaction, then turned around to face the students present and asked, "Which student solved this problem? You should be aware of the reward for doing so. Come now, explain your thought process to me, and this reward shall be yours."

The students present immediately began to stir, turning their heads one after another to cast envious glances around the room, searching for anyone who might raise their hand.

However, even after a long while, no one stepped forward.

The scene fell into an awkward silence.