From Around the World

By mid-May, the atmosphere in Jinling had grown unusual.

As the date of the lecture drew closer, scholars from around the world flew into the city. This metropolis, which had little presence in international academia, gradually took on a more scholarly air.

Once the hotels providing accommodation and the Jinling City government learned the situation from Jin University, they took it seriously. From removing small advertisements to coordinating traffic, the city government gave the green light to many things the university could not handle on its own.

After all, a world-class academic lecture attended by more than a thousand scholars and drawing attention from both physicists and mathematicians did not come along often, even internationally. Hosting it was not only an honor for the university, but also a chance for Jinling City to present itself to the world.

At the very least, it was a matter of saving face. At a higher level, it was a matter of political achievement. There was no room for carelessness.

Outside the InterContinental Hotel.

An elderly man in a black coat climbed the steps with a suitcase in hand and checked his watch at the entrance. Just then, a man in a gray suit came toward him from the elevators in the lobby.

Faltings raised an eyebrow when he saw the man coming out of the hotel. "I didn't expect you to arrive before me."

"You were too slow," Kliqing said with a smile. "I got here two days ago."

Faltings asked, "Have you seen him?"

"Yes. I visited him at Jinling University yesterday. He seems to be doing well. Afterward, he showed me around his Institute for Advanced Study and some interesting sights nearby." Kliqing paused, then joked, "So there are advantages to arriving early."

"You know that's not what I care about,"