Cheng Che picked up the remote control and pressed a button.
The first page of the paper appeared on the screen behind me.
Title, abstract, and the beginning of the main text.
The dense formulas and symbols would make an ordinary person dizzy just by looking at them.
But he didn't read the paper aloud.
He started by explaining the most basic definition.
What is a polynomial with integer coefficients? What are its roots? What is the unit circle?
His voice was steady, and he spoke at a slow pace, as if he were giving a lecture to a group of freshmen.
The mathematicians in the front row listened attentively, occasionally glancing down to take notes.
Most of the students in the back row didn't understand the details, but they were captivated by his storytelling style.
People started spamming the chat with comments.
Although I couldn't understand a single word, I was deeply moved.
[He spoke so well, it felt like listening to a public lecture.]
[I'm actually listening attentively to a math presentation, am I crazy?]
[You're not alone, up ahead]
He explained the background of his conjecture so vividly that I felt like I could understand it.
[Wake up, you don't understand. You're just looking at him.]
Yes, most viewers were indeed watching him.
The attention from countless viewers through Stars Surrounding the Moon and internet live streams simultaneously triggered his Sapiosexual Boy, making him instantly reach ninety points.
With the combined effects of the [ Humanity's Darling ] and [ Enchantment ] buffs, his charm value reached an unprecedented 95.
What does 95 points mean?
The chat in the live stream suddenly became dense at one point, like someone throwing a stone into a calm pond.
Wait, he looks better and better the more I look at him.
[I wasn't paying attention to his face just now, I was actually listening to math... no, I was looking at his face.]
[The way he adjusted his glasses made my heart flutter.]
He paused at one point, tilted his head, and that gesture was so cute.
[His appearance with the gold-rimmed glasses makes him look exactly like a schoolteacher from the Republican era, but a younger version.]
[I hereby declare that, from today onwards, gold-rimmed glasses are my favorite item.]
[His fingers are so long, even the way he holds the remote control pen looks good.]
[Has anyone taken a screenshot? I want to use it as my wallpaper!!!]
[Screenshot +1, I've taken thirty screenshots already]
[Calm down, this is a math conference]
I don't care what kind of meeting he's in, I just want to see his face!!!
And in living rooms across the country, in front of countless television sets or computer screens, similar things are happening.
In a typical three-bedroom apartment in Capital City.
Li Wei is a high school sophomore and a fan of Cheng Che.
There are posters of Cheng Che on the walls of her bedroom, and her phone contains all of his match videos.
Cheng Che's report meeting was broadcast live today, and she sat in front of her computer early in the morning.
Her dad was sitting in the living room looking at his phone, and her mom was washing dishes in the kitchen.
"Dad, Mom, come and see!" Li Wei called out.
Her mother poked her head out from the kitchen. "What are you looking at?"
" Cheng Che's lecture! Mathematics! From Peking University!"
Her dad scoffed from the living room, "Someone who plays tennis, what's he doing giving a math presentation?"
That's what he said, but he still came over.
The reason is simple: the walls of her daughter's house are covered with pictures of this boy named Cheng Che. His phone screen saver is his picture, his chat background is his picture, and even his notebook cover has his face printed on it.
The father felt a little jealous.
"I want to see what this kid looks like," he muttered as he sat down next to his daughter.
Her mother wiped her hands and came closer.
Three people were staring at the screen.
Cheng Che was explaining a complex formula derivation. He circled several symbols on the screen with the remote pen and then said:
"This step is crucial; if it doesn't hold true here, the entire subsequent proof will be wrong."
Li Wei's father originally only intended to take a quick look and leave.
He leaned back on the sofa, arms crossed, his expression one of scrutiny that said, "I'll see what you're capable of."
Then Cheng Che tilted his head slightly.
He adjusted his glasses, his gaze sweeping across the auditorium, a faint smile playing on his lips.
The light shone on his face, reflecting a thin beam of light off his glasses.
Li Wei's father was stunned.
He lowered his hand from his chest.
My heart skipped a beat, as if something had gently bumped into my chest.
That face, that aura, that calm and composed posture on the podium—a thought popped into his mind:
If only this were my own son.
The [ Same-Sex Strangulation ] took effect silently in that instant.
That feeling of being touched was quickly locked into the range of "admiration" and "envy," transforming into a pure recognition of excellence.
Li Wei's mother reacted much faster than him.
She leaned closer to the screen, her eyes widening, and let out a soft gasp of surprise.
"Ouch."
She stared at Cheng Che for several seconds, then turned and patted Li Wei's arm, her voice trembling:
"Girl, is this the face you see every day?"
"Um!"
Why didn't you show it to me sooner?
Li Wei: "... Mom, I posted it on the wall."
Her mother completely ignored her daughter's explanations and turned her attention back to the screen.
She cupped her face in her hands, her eyes sparkling, and murmured:
"How come this young man is so handsome? Listen to the way he speaks, so steady and reliable. And look at your dad, he even smacks his lips while eating."
Her father, who was still savoring the feeling of his heart racing just moments before, turned pale upon hearing those words.
When did I smack my lips?
"You smack your lips all the time," her mother said without turning her head. "And look at how he dresses, that suit, those glasses, he's like a dashing gentleman from a book. And look at you, sitting on the table in your underwear and tank top."
Her father opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but after glancing at Cheng Che Che's face on the screen and then at his own pajamas, he swallowed his words.
He paused for a moment, then suddenly spoke.
"This kid..." he said, his tone carrying a complex emotion, "Is truly outstanding. I'm impressed."
Her mother added insult to injury, "What about when you were young?"
What happened to me when I was young?
"You couldn't even play ping-pong well when you were young."
Her dad. "..."
Li Wei stood beside her parents, completely stunned.
This was the first time in her life that her father had praised a celebrity in front of her.
And for the first time, her mother disliked her father because of someone she saw on TV.
Similar reactions are flooding the screen in the live chat.
I brought my parents over to check, and they actually didn't leave!!!
[My mom asked me who this was, and I said it was Cheng Che. She said, "This young man is really energetic," and then she sat down and didn't leave!!!]
[My dad just said, "This kid is going to amount to something," this is the first time in his life he's ever praised a celebrity!!!]
My grandma passed by, glanced at the child, and asked whose child he was. I said his surname was Cheng, and she said, "The Cheng family produces talented people!"
My younger brother was playing video games, but I dragged him over, and now he's actually watching intently, even putting down his phone.
My roommate isn't a fan of celebrities, but he just walked past my desk, stood there watching for five minutes, and then asked me if Cheng Che had a girlfriend.
[My dad was silent for a long time, then said, "This kid is better than I was at my age." My mom rolled her eyes.]
My mom asked me how old Cheng Che was, and I said nineteen. She said, "Then you still have a chance." Me:??? Mom???
[A top-quality idol recognized by parents nationwide, Cheng Che is one of a kind]
My mom is scolding my dad right now, saying, "Look at other people." My dad looks aggrieved.
My dad just stared at the screen for ages, then said, "If you're going to have a son, he should be like this." I thought to myself, "Dad, your son is sitting right next to you."
The female fans of other celebrities, on the other hand, had even more complicated feelings at this moment.
They clicked in with a critical mindset.
Cheng Che is incredibly popular lately, boasting four top luxury brand endorsements, a top math magazine, and Australian Open Champion —something their idols can't even achieve.
They were unconvinced and wanted to see what made this person so special.
Then they started the live stream.
Cheng Che stood behind the podium, tilting his head slightly as his gaze swept across the auditorium.
His glasses reflected the light, and a faint smile played on his lips.
At that moment, [ White Moonlight ] was triggered.
With 95 points of Charisma, the effect of this buff is amplified to the extreme.
As the girls watched the screen, their lingering resentment seemed to vanish as if gently erased by something.
He... is so gentle.
I originally wanted to see what he looked like, but now I'm a bit stuck.
[Oh no, my heart is racing!]
[I didn't come here to nitpick, so why am I taking a screenshot?]
My mom asked me why I was staring at the computer and grinning like an idiot.
I have a feeling that I've met the person I love most in my life.
Wake up, your idol is still waiting for you to vote!
[Sorry, I might have to switch to another internet provider.]
I watched the moment he pushed up his glasses ten times.
[I hereby declare that from this day forward, Cheng Che is my only idol!!!]
[His voice is so beautiful! ahhhhhh!]
The way he focused when he explained math to me... it killed me.
[Now I understand why some people can be fans of both academic excellence and good looks at the same time; it's because they are the embodiment of both.]
[Aaaaaaah, he laughed again!!! He laughed again!!!]
[I don't care, I don't care, I want to marry him!!!]
[Queue up!!! Queue up behind!!!]
[Excuse me, I'm here first!!!]
In the auditorium, the mathematics luminaries looked at Cheng Che on the podium and expressed their feelings in a completely different way.
A professor with gray hair in the front row turned around and whispered something to his colleague next to him:
"This child explains things even more clearly than I do."
The colleague next to him nodded. "If he pursues an academic career, within five years, he'll be among the top three in algebraic number theory in China."
"Five years? You underestimate him. He's only a freshman this year. He'll be in that position before he even graduates with his doctorate."
A young scholar from Princeton in the back row pushed up his glasses and stared at Cheng Che for a long time.
He spent six years pursuing his PhD at Princeton and met countless brilliant people.
But the nineteen-year-old boy standing on the podium possessed a quality I rarely saw.
"When has the mathematics world ever produced someone like this?" he muttered to himself.
In the live chat, one comment was pushed to the top.
[I understand that saying now. Some people are born to amaze the world.]
Cheng Che picked up the remote control and turned to the next page.
"Now comes the core part of the proof," he said. "From here, I'll go on a bit faster."
The scholars in the auditorium sat up straight.
The chat went silent for a moment.
Then someone posted a message.
[You math students listen to the proofs, I can't study math, so I'll just watch. We each get what we need.]
This comment was followed by a long string of "+1" and "Ahhhhhh!"