That Hard?

On the small blackboard.

This super-difficult problem, which Liu Bin had said was too hard to be selected as an official IMO question, had been solved by the student before them in just eight short lines.

Just like yesterday's problem, it was eight lines again—equally concise and clear.

It made people wonder whether the problem was really that difficult.

At the very least, Chen Liang beside him could not quite understand it.

He glanced at Liu Bin next to him, wanting to ask something, but when he saw Liu Bin's wide-eyed expression, he ultimately gave up.

Liu Bin was probably even more confused than he was right now.

Then, his gaze settled on the student beside them, who was staring at the small blackboard and had yet to notice them.

This kid...

He really was a second-year student?

What a pity!

How great would it have been if he were one of their third-year students?

At that moment, Xiao Yi truly had no idea that he had already been surrounded. He narrowed his eyes, examined the problem again, and reviewed his solution in passing.

"Hmm... This problem was pretty difficult. It actually took me a little over six minutes."

If he had not suddenly thought of an ingenious method, a little over six minutes really would not have been enough. It might even have taken ten minutes.

After sighing with emotion, he was about to put the chalk back where it belonged.

But just then, he heard a faint voice beside him. "'Actually,' it took you nearly six minutes?"

The sudden voice startled him. When he turned around, he was stunned. Why were there suddenly so many teachers gathered behind him?

More and more third-year students had also noticed what was happening and gathered around. They were all curious about who this mysterious Math Prodigy was, so they had eaten faster than usual and rushed over as soon as they finished.

And so, Xiao Yi found himself surrounded several layers deep.

"Uh..."

He began to break out in a cold sweat.

But then Chen Liang, the third-year Grade Director, spoke up. "Student, don't be nervous. We just came to ask you a few things."

Xiao Yi turned to look at him and thought carefully. This man seemed to be one of the school administrators? He had seen him during flag-raising ceremonies before.

But... he had only solved a problem. Why had even a school administrator come over?

Chen Liang smiled kindly and continued, "Student, what grade and class are you in? What's your name?"

They were practically checking his household registration!

Xiao Yi complained inwardly again.

Could the problem on the small blackboard not be written on?

If they did not want anyone writing on it, why leave chalk beside it? Was this some kind of entrapment?

Of course, despite thinking that, he answered honestly, "I'm Xiao Yi from Class 3 of Science Stream, second year."

The moment he said he was a second-year student, Xiao Yi saw the people before him reveal astonished expressions, followed by all kinds of murmurs.

He listened carefully, and among them were remarks like—

"Holy crap, he really is a second-year student. That's insane."

"How is his brain even built? I could accept him solving those two problems from the past couple of days, but he solved today's problem too? Is he a freak?"

"What did he grow up eating? He solved another one today!"

"Wow, this junior is so handsome! And he's so smart too. Should I ask for his contact information later?"

How had something different gotten mixed in there?

Xiao Yi tried to see which girl wanted his contact information, but unfortunately, he could not spot her. What a pity—the voice had sounded quite nice.

Ahem!

He suddenly realized what kind of thoughts he was having. How disgraceful!

Right now, he should be studying hard. What joy could dating possibly offer compared to studying?

His gaze became resolute.

But the next moment, that resolute gaze turned blank with astonishment.

"Hello, Xiao Yi. I wonder, would you be interested in the USTC Young Scholars Program?"

The voice from beside him immediately made him turn toward another middle-aged man.

The man's words also left Xiao Yi confused.

The USTC Young Scholars Program?

"What... do you mean?"

Chen Liang smiled and said, "Xiao Yi, let me introduce you first. This is Professor Liu Bin from the School of Mathematics at the University of Science and Technology of China."

"And the problems on these three blackboards were all set by Professor Liu over the past three days. Each of these three problems has a difficulty level comparable to an International Mathematical Olympiad competition problem, especially today's problem."

Chen Liang looked at Xiao Yi's solution on the small blackboard, then at Liu Bin, who was staring fixedly at Xiao Yi. "And according to Professor Liu, this problem was so difficult that it was not even selected as an official problem by the International Mathematical Olympiad."

"And now you've solved it, so Professor Liu believes you are fully capable of entering the USTC Young Scholars Program."

Chen Liang's words immediately made the third-year students present suck in a breath again.

What?

This problem had been rejected by the IMO organizing committee because it was too difficult?

That could happen?

The students who had participated in Math Olympiad competitions had all been tormented into doubting their lives by this problem today. Upon hearing this, the stifled frustration in their chests finally eased.

But then they thought about it again. Damn, this second-year student had actually solved such a difficult problem?

This was...

Didn't that mean that if this guy participated in Math Olympiad competitions, he could cut through every obstacle on his way to the China IMO National Team, and perhaps even bring home a gold medal?

As for the USTC Young Scholars Program...

Compared with an IMO gold medal, the prestige of the two seemed roughly comparable.

An IMO gold medal might even carry more weight. After all, there were at most six IMO gold medals in China each year, and sometimes not even one, while the USTC Young Scholars Program accepted dozens of students every year.

Of course, compared with everyone else's shock, Xiao Yi was even more shocked.

"Damn, those three problems were that hard?"

He had thought they were merely difficult math problems unique to third-year students. They did have some difficulty, but surely not the kind of difficulty that reached the absolute top tier. Yet now that he heard this...

However, the moment he said that, the third-year students present felt even worse.

What did he mean?

What did he mean by "that hard"?

Chen Liang did not know whether to laugh or cry. "What else? You think this problem was easy?"

Xiao Yi scratched his head and said shyly, "Uh... that's not what I mean. I just thought that although these three problems had some difficulty, if you thought about them a little, you should more or less be able to solve them, right?"

Chen Liang: ...

Students these days really were not modest at all!

To be honest, he could not solve this problem himself.

And the polite third-year students around them: Fuck you?