It took Lu Zhou about ten minutes to explain to his father what the Riemann Hypothesis was, what proving it meant, and, most importantly, the issue of his bank card PIN...
Of course, that was only in layman's terms.
If he had tried to explain it academically, he probably would not have managed it even if he talked until his mouth went dry and drained the entire lithium-sulfur battery in his phone.
Still, Lu Zhou felt that his father's mood had improved considerably after their little chat. Later, his father even put him on speaker and brought his mother over so they could listen together as their son, now an academician, talked about mathematics.
By then, Lu Zhou had realized that perhaps his parents did not really care whether his PIN was secure. They simply wanted to hear his voice a little longer.
At that thought, his nose stung.
Perhaps he really should make more time to visit home.
But this was no time to get sentimental. There was still something important waiting for him to handle.
Sniffling, Lu Zhou slipped his phone back into his pocket.
Glancing at the rearview mirror, Wang Peng, who was in the driver's seat, placed his hands on the steering wheel and asked succinctly.
"Where to?"
"301 Hospital."
"All right."
301 Hospital.
Outside the South Building.
A man wearing a white shirt stood there with a bouquet of carnations in his hand. He looked as though he had been standing there for quite some time.
He had bought the carnations at a flower shop near the hospital. His clothes were the same ones he had worn at yesterday's presentation in Saint Petersburg; he had not had time to change.
Most patients admitted here were people of considerable standing, and their visitors were usually