After the Spring Festival, Cheng Che stayed in Spring City for two more days.
He invited Guo Xin, Zhou Mingxuan, Lin Xiao, and Su Qingyue out for a meal.
As soon as they met, Guo Xin insisted that he treat him to a meal, saying, "You're a big star now, you have to have a good meal."
Cheng Che took them to a private restaurant on the Spring City Old Street and ordered a table full of food.
Halfway through their meal, the proprietress recognized him and nearly dropped her plate in excitement. In the end Cheng Che had no choice but to slip away through the back door of the kitchen.
Two days later, he flew back to Capital City.
The following days were filled with non-stop work.
The Nike promotional video was filmed at a stadium in JD.com. Cheng Che ran more than a dozen laps in full sports gear, and the photographer followed him around for an entire afternoon.
The Rolex advertisement was filmed in a high-rise office in the China World Trade Center. He was wearing a suit and sitting in front of a floor-to-ceiling window, the watch face on his wrist reflecting the sunlight.
Gucci had the most materials; he changed outfits seven times. Towards the end of the shoot, he sat in the dressing room with his eyes closed while the makeup artist touched up his makeup, and then he fell asleep.
He was busy, but Qin Lie and Chen Wei were even busier.
Qin Lie spent half a month eating at his hometown during the Qin Lie Festival, and when he came back, his face was round.
Chen Wei was the same; her mother made her soup every day, saying, "Working outside is hard, you need to nourish yourself."
As soon as the holiday ended, the two of them followed Cheng Che for a week. Qin Lie's face slimmed down, and Chen Wei also lost several pounds.
Every time they got on the bus, the two of them would lean back in their seats and fall asleep, one snoring and the other drooling.
Fortunately, there were bodyguards.
Qin Lie's newly hired bodyguard is named Zhao Gang. He is in his early thirties, a retired soldier, not tall but very muscular.
He doesn't talk much, but he's efficient.
His main job was driving, and he was also responsible for Cheng Che's daily safety.
When Cheng Che sat in the back seat, he often saw Zhao Gang's profile in the rearview mirror. He was very steady, like a rock.
One day after work, Cheng Che asked, "Brother Zhao, do you know how to fight?"
Zhao Gang glanced at the rearview mirror. "I know a little."
Can you teach me?
Zhao Gang paused for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. But it depends on whether you can handle the hardship."
Cheng Che smiled and said, "I can eat it."
From then on, every morning before starting work, Zhao Gang would arrive half an hour early Cheng Che some basic self-defense skills in the open space downstairs in the community.
Cheng Che learned very quickly; his talent as Martial Arts Prodigy prodigy was undeniable. He could replicate 70% of Zhao Gang's demonstration after just one time.
At first, Zhao Gang was just teaching casually, but later he discovered that the kid was really talented, so he started teaching him more seriously.
One afternoon, Cheng Che had just finished a brand event and got into his car.
Qin Lie and Chen Wei were already asleep in the back seat.
Cheng Che leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
Then, a notification I hadn't heard in a long time rang in my ears.
[ Intelligence Trial, Phase Four: Publish one article in an international academic journal during undergraduate studies. Completed!]
Cheng Che suddenly opened his eyes.
He sat in the back seat, paused for two seconds, and then the expression on his face changed from tired to joyful.
He didn't immediately check the reward, nor did he disturb the sleeping Qin Lie and Chen Wei.
He took out his phone, opened his browser, and entered the official website address of the Annals of Mathematics.
He saw it immediately when the webpage loaded.
His paper is the first article in the "Latest Articles" section on the homepage.
Title: Limit Homomorphism and Continuity: On the Idea of Structure Preservation Common to Three Branches of Mathematics.
Author: Cheng Che. Corresponding author: Professor Liu.
He clicked on it and glanced at the abstract and main text of the paper.
The paper is formatted formally, with clear formulas and standardized figures and tables. The footer includes the volume number and page number for the next issue.
Then he saw the editor's note.
The editor added a brief commentary at the end of the paper, the gist of which was:
This paper solves a long-standing problem, presents a novel proof, and demonstrates the author's exceptional mathematical intuition through the interweaving of three branches. The editorial board considers this a landmark paper and therefore highly recommends it.
Cheng Che stared at the comment for several times, then smiled.
He put his phone away, leaned back in his chair, and looked out at the city.
Qin Lie and Chen Wei were still asleep. Zhao Gang was driving in front, glanced at them in the rearview mirror, and didn't say anything.
After the car stopped, Cheng Che gently patted Qin Lie on the shoulder.
"Arrive?"
"We're here," Cheng Che said. "You guys go back and rest first, I'll go upstairs by myself."
Qin Lie mumbled an "oh" in his sleep and got out of the car with Chen Wei.
Cheng Che did not go straight home.
He went to the parcel locker at the entrance of the residential complex and picked up a package. The package wasn't big, but it was very heavy.
He carried the package upstairs, entered the house, and placed it on the dining table.
Open.
Inside is a sample copy of the magazine.
The latest print issue of Annals of Mathematics has a dark blue cover with the journal's name and volume number printed on it.
He flipped to the table of contents and found his paper. Then he turned to the main text and saw his name printed on the paper, the lead type clearly visible.
Cheng Che sat at the dining table, opened the journal, and read through it page by page.
He stared at it for a long time.
At this moment, the academic community in Xia Country and even the world is experiencing a significant upheaval.
In his office at the Peking University School of Mathematical Sciences, Professor Liu stared at the computer screen, his fingers trembling slightly.
He refreshed the Annals website three times to confirm that the paper was indeed on the homepage.
He picked up his phone and called the dean.
"Dean, the paper has been published on the homepage."
There was a pause on the other end of the phone, followed by the dean's deep breathing.
"Okay," the dean said.
Meanwhile, across the ocean, several mathematics professors are discussing this matter on a mailing list.
Have you seen the latest issue of Annals? There's a complete proof of Integer-Coefficient Polynomial Root Distribution Conjectures.
"I saw it. The author is from the Xia Country, and his name is Cheng Che."
" Cheng Che? I've never heard of that name."
"I checked, she's Peking University undergraduate, nineteen years old."
The mailing list remained silent for a long time.
Then someone replied.
"Nineteen years old, an undergraduate student, solved the Schinzel-Zassenhaus Conjecture. That's impossible."
"But the paper is right there. I've read it three times and can't find any flaws."
"If this is true, then this person is the most astounding mathematician since Wiles."
The discussions on the mailing list are getting longer and longer, and more and more people are participating.
Someone looked into Cheng Che's past and discovered that he was not only a mathematician, but also a tennis player who won a Grand Slam Champion, appeared on variety shows, and acted in TV dramas.
One professor wrote in an email, "I've taught math for thirty years, and this is the first time I've encountered something like this. I don't even know what words to use to describe this person."
Meanwhile, in the conference room of the Peking University School of Mathematical Sciences, the dean and Professor Liu had been holding a meeting overnight to discuss the specific arrangements for the report.
The report meeting, originally scheduled for the end of February, may now be moved up and expanded in scale.
"Notify the entire university," the dean said. "Also, notify the mathematics departments of other universities across the country. This conference is not just a matter for Peking University, but for the entire mathematics community in Xia Country."
In Cheng Che's apartment, he was sitting at the dining table, flipping through his thesis.
But he was unaware of the news, which was originally from a small academic circle.
In the blink of an eye, it caused a sensation on the internet.