Song He thought it would be Lou Jinghui or the four unlucky students. Who could have known that when he opened the door, he would find a huge crowd outside!
People of all kinds had gathered in the corridor, gazing at him with curious yet reverent looks. They were perfectly quiet, creating a rather strange atmosphere.
"You..." Song He said blankly.
"May I ask if you're Tang Jiang?" someone asked, coming over to shake his hand. His tone was excited. "How was the dinner with Dewitt? Could you share some details?"
"Congratulations! Congratulations!" Another hand squeezed out from the crowd and grabbed Song He's hand tightly.
Once someone took the lead, the scene immediately became lively. The corridor grew as noisy as a basin of fish food being tossed into a koi pond, with koi of all shapes and sizes rushing over to compete for it and sending splashes flying in every direction!
"Hello, Teacher Tang. I'm an Associate Professor from UPenn..."
"Congratulations, Teacher Tang! Our university and yours are friendly partners..."
"Here's my business card. Could I add you as a contact, Teacher Tang?"
Song He hurriedly shook hands and offered his thanks. Then he suddenly understood: these people had come to pay their respects and build connections!
Being selected for the Dewitt Dinner was no less significant at this Mathematics Summit than Fan Jin passing the imperial exam. The neighbors had collectively come to congratulate the newly successful scholar!
All visitors were guests, but there was someone in the room whose personal items made it inconvenient to receive guests. Thus, Song He closed the door and shook hands and exchanged pleasantries with everyone in the corridor, engaging in tedious social formalities.
It was within expectations that young mathematicians would come to make friends, but quite a few old