Scholar Xiao

Xiao Yi finally understood why the other examinees in the group chat said this exam was too abstract.

It turned out that after the three street-answering questions in the morning, there was another session in the afternoon. This session involved analyzing excerpts from famous mathematics papers, identifying the mathematical methods used, and then the academicians would pose a question based on these methods for them to solve.

Two excerpts would be provided, and they would have three hours to complete the exam.

Xiao Yi finally realized how difficult this exam truly was.

The afternoon session was entirely about testing their abstract thinking in mathematics, seeing if they could extract and generalize the essential mathematical methods from specific examples. This was a crucial skill for any mathematics scholar! This was precisely the goal of the academicians in setting this exam! From among so many mathematical prodigies, they aimed to select students who possessed this vital ability!

For a moment, Xiao Yi felt his blood boil with excitement.

He was fired up! This was great! It was challenging!

He loved problems like this, discovering the essence of mathematics within a limited time, even if it involved topics he had never encountered before. He couldn't help but start looking forward to it.

He closed the exam syllabus and returned to the chat group interface. Suddenly, he noticed someone had mentioned him.

He scrolled up and saw it was that student from Jingda University, Chen Muhua, who had mentioned him. Looking at the previous chat history, it seemed this guy had made it into this year's national training team for the mathematics competition. Making it into the national team meant he had not only won a gold medal in the CMO exam but also ranked quite high.

However, he didn't know this guy. Why would he mention him? He glanced at the message.

Jingda University - Chen Muhua: [@USTC - Xiao Yi, you're the famous Xiao Yi, right? The Top Scholar from Hui Province?]

Well, it seemed this guy knew him. Below this message, others saw Chen Muhua's words and started buzzing.

[Whoa, is that the Top Scholar from sophomore year? Damn, we have so many big shots here!] [He's not just a big shot, he's a legend!] ...

Seeing these messages, Xiao Yi shook his head with a wry smile and replied: [@Jingda University - Chen Muhua, hello, it's me.]

Jingda University - Chen Muhua: [I didn't expect to meet the real Scholar Xiao! I'm also from Hui Province. Although I got a recommendation to Jingda University through the math competition, I also took the Gaokao this year. To get 741 points on such a difficult exam, Scholar Xiao, you're truly amazing!] [It's a shame I thought we'd be classmates at Jingda, but I didn't expect you to go to USTC.]

USTC - Xiao Yi: [Haha, we're both studying math, maybe we'll have a chance to meet in the future.] Jingda University - Chen Muhua: [That's true. I'm looking forward to that day. And I wish Scholar Xiao the best of luck on this exam.] USTC - Xiao Yi: [And I wish you the best of luck too.]

Watching their conversation, other students also started chatting about this year's Gaokao, and many were amazed by Xiao Yi's 741 score. Xiao Yi put down his phone. He had initially expected to encounter a "classic villain" who wanted to compete with him on this exam's results, but it turned out this person just wanted to get acquainted with him. He noticed that Chen Muhua had also sent him a friend request.

He readily accepted the friend request and chatted briefly with others in the group. Although he had to grind through his studies every day, he wouldn't refuse necessary social interactions like this. Once the group's attention shifted away from him, he put down his phone, lowered his head, and continued reading the paper, still Zhang Yitang's paper on the Twin Prime Conjecture. He had been reading it for many days, even longer than he had spent on Fermat's Last Theorem. As he read more and more, new ideas gradually began to form in his mind. Perhaps one day, these ideas would fully coalesce. Forming a "Spear of Conjecture"!

Eight days passed quickly. Xiao Yi's fervent excitement finally led him to the day of the joint examination for university mathematics programs. The examination venue for USTC was naturally in one of its teaching buildings. The exam was scheduled to start at nine o'clock. He walked into the USTC campus and looked at the scene before him. As a university named after "science and technology," USTC's campus didn't boast any famous scenic spots. It was like a rigorous STEM major who didn't pay much attention to his outward appearance. However, the good landscaping did add a touch of gentleness to this "STEM major." This wasn't Xiao Yi's first time at USTC. As someone born in Fei City, it was highly unlikely he had never visited USTC. Not to mention that he had previously attended USTC High School, and their school naturally organized trips to USTC for visits and learning activities.

He didn't linger on the scenery for too long, heading straight for the School of Mathematical Sciences.

The exam venue was upstairs in the School of Mathematical Sciences. Since only 45 people were participating in this written test, the number wasn't too large, and all 45 were assigned to a large lecture hall for the exam.

Soon, he arrived at the examination hall. Quite a few students were already seated inside, including some "kids" who looked like they were half his age.

It was obvious that these kids were geniuses from the Gifted Class, possibly only fourteen or fifteen years old.

Xiao Yi couldn't help but sigh. It was only after coming to a place like this that he realized how many geniuses there actually were in the world.

Of course, he was also confident that he wouldn't lose to any genius.

Were geniuses stronger than cheaters?

At this moment, the young students present were also chatting. They probably figured that two-thirds of the people in this exam hall would become their future classmates, so they were getting acquainted beforehand.

Even if they didn't become classmates, they would still be schoolmates. After all, even if someone was eliminated, they would just return to the Gifted Class or the School of Mathematical Sciences, which wasn't much different.

Xiao Yi quickly found his seat. After sitting down, he quietly waited for the exam to begin.

However, at this moment, a "kid" from the Gifted Class, sitting in the row next to him, leaned over and said, "Scholar Xiao?"

Hearing this title, Xiao Yi immediately felt a wave of shame.

Someone had called him that in the chat group before, and it was acceptable online, but now that it was happening offline, his shame surged.

He turned his head, looked at this "kid," and said, "Just... don't call me Scholar Xiao. Just call me by my name."

The kid said casually, "What's the big deal? I heard the seniors in the Gifted Class all call each other 'Scholar So-and-so.' So you can call me Scholar Ye too. My name is Ye Cheng."

Xiao Yi put his hand to his forehead. "Alright, Scholar Ye."

Everyone had become a 'Scholar' now, it seemed.

[Seeking collection, seeking recommendation tickets, seeking monthly tickets, seeking follow-up reading!!]