Three days passed quickly.
The day to head to Shangjing for the expert interview soon arrived.
The school reimbursed their high-speed train tickets to Shangjing, but they had to pay for their own hotel rooms.
After arriving in Shangjing by high-speed train, the three of them each booked a room at a hotel near Yanjing University.
Nothing happened that night.
At exactly eight the next morning, the three met up in the lounge outside the interview venue at Yanjing University.
By the time they arrived, the venue was already packed. Besides the various competing teams, reporters from several capital media outlets were interviewing the shortlisted contestants inside.
Not wanting to appear on television, Lu Zhou chose a secluded spot to sit down, took out the printed copy of his paper, and began making final preparations.
However, before he had read even two lines, he heard a discussion nearby.
"...The judges have already decided who gets the awards before the interviews. The interview is just to verify that your paper is genuine." Not far away, a smug-looking top student leaned back in his chair and chatted with several nearby teams in the tone of an experienced veteran. "This is my third time here."
The listeners beside him were surprised. "So the winners have already been decided?"
"The press releases have already been written!" the top student said with a laugh.
"Master, where are you from?"
"Wudaokou."
Expressions of admiration appeared on everyone's faces.
As expected of a top student from Wudaokou. He really was extraordinary!
Three National First Prizes in a row—his strength was terrifying!
This big shot was probably here for the Higher Education Press Cup this time!
But didn't Wudaokou University disdain participating in the National Mathematical Modeling Contest, placing importance only on its own internal competitions?
Sure enough,