Chapter Summaries

After Qin Lie learned that Cheng Che had proved a famous sixty-year-old conjecture and published it in Annals of Mathematics, he planned to build publicity around Cheng Che’s achievement. Cheng Che met with Peking University professors, agreed to give a talk after the paper’s publication, and was treated as their peer.

• Qin Lie searched for Annals of Mathematics and the conjecture Cheng Che had proved, then realized the significance of the achievement.
• Cheng Che told Qin Lie that he had proved the conjecture during a three-day stay in Spring City and had Professor Liu submit the paper.
• Qin Lie outlined a publicity plan connecting Cheng Che’s mathematics achievement with his tennis career.
• Cheng Che drove to Peking University to meet the dean, Professor Liu, and three other professors.
• The dean confirmed that Annals of Mathematics would publish Cheng Che’s paper in its next issue and invited him to give a university talk.
• Cheng Che agreed to return to Peking University for the talk, and the professors welcomed him as one of their own.

Cheng Che finished preparing his presentation and traveled from Rongcheng to Spring City to spend Spring Festival with his family. He arrived safely and reunited with his parents and relatives over dinner, where Xu Qian urged him to choose Yan Ruanning.

• Cheng Che prepared a presentation about his paper and completed three Louis Vuitton livestreams that drew growing audiences.
• To avoid crowds at the airport or train station, Cheng Che planned to drive from Rongcheng to Spring City after a Louis Vuitton interview.
• Cheng Che bought an Audi A6L, drove carefully through the mountains, and stopped at a service area where he overheard a traffic officer repeatedly asking a truck driver for his license.
• After nine hours on the road, Cheng Che arrived at his family’s home in Spring City and was warmly welcomed by his parents and relatives.
• Xu Qian asked Cheng Che why he had so many rumored love interests and urged him to choose Yan Ruanning, before the family gathered for dinner.

Cheng Che’s family gathered to watch the finale of Youth Here, while the drama shattered viewing records across the country. The finale’s emotional high-speed rail station scene left his family in tears and Cheng Che embarrassed but staying beside them.

• Cheng Jianguo and Xu Chengjun discussed new products for the cultural and creative goods shop, whose success helped Cheng Yulan and Xu Qian settle into a more comfortable life.
• Xu Qian persuaded Jiang Xue to make the family watch the finale of Youth Here, despite Cheng Che’s reluctance to see himself act.
• Cheng Che’s family watched the finale together and praised his performance as the episode began.
• Tengda Video’s audience surged past fifty million during the high-speed rail station scene, and President Zhao celebrated that the drama had broken every record.
• Cheng Che’s family cried as he and Wen Zhiyi smiled at each other across the tracks, while Cheng Che remained on the sofa beside them.

After Youth Here's finale drew widespread praise for Cheng Che's performance, Nike officially announced him as its brand ambassador for Greater China. The announcement immediately topped Weibo's trending searches.

• Viewers praised Youth Here's final railway-platform scene on Weibo, and many new fans celebrated Cheng Che's acting.
• Lin Ming posted that Cheng Che had drawn him from tennis into watching his drama, while Su Miaoyin wished Cheng Che happiness.
• Entertainment companies discussed pursuing Cheng Che for future roles, while Cheng Che hid in his room, embarrassed after watching his own performance.
• Qin Lie told Cheng Che that Nike wanted to announce their partnership early, and Cheng Che agreed.
• Nike announced Cheng Che as its brand ambassador for Greater China, and the post reached number one on Weibo's trending searches within ten minutes.

After Nike announced Cheng Che as its Greater China spokesperson, his fans drove an unprecedented surge in sales, and rival brands regretted failing to sign him. Cheng Che accepted his mother’s New Year’s gift while realizing the endorsement would bring him back to work early after the Spring Festival.

• Cheng Che’s fans rushed to buy the Nike styles he wore, and Nike replaced advertisements across major cities with his images.
• Nike Greater China head Mark saw online sales increase tenfold and recommended raising Cheng Che’s renewal offer and considering him for global spokesperson.
• Adidas’s regional head confronted the employee who had offered Cheng Che only three million yuan for a regional endorsement, then dismissed him.
• Nike publicized the sales surge, while Jiang Xue bought two pairs of shoes for Cheng Che’s father after learning Nike had already sent Cheng Che several boxes of merchandise.
• Cheng Che saw the Nike items waiting for him in Capital City and sighed that he would have to start work early after the Spring Festival.

Cheng Che’s four top-tier endorsements stunned the entertainment industry and gave his fans a chance to silence his detractors. On Lunar New Year’s Eve, he celebrated with his family and shared New Year greetings with his team, classmates, and friends, ending the chapter on a video call with Su Miaoyin, Su Qingyue, and Yan Ruanning.

• Rolex and Gucci announced Cheng Che as a spokesperson and brand ambassador, adding to his Louis Vuitton and Nike endorsements.
• Cheng Che’s fans posted screenshots of his four endorsements in rival stars’ supertopics, and the critics fell silent.
• While cooking with Jiang Xue, Cheng Che explained that Qin Lie had turned down the Spring Festival Gala invitation for him, though his paper presentation was his real priority.
• At the family’s New Year’s Eve dinner, Cheng Che sent red envelopes to his studio team, high school classmates, and the group chat with Su Miaoyin, Su Qingyue, and Yan Ruanning.
• Su Miaoyin, Su Qingyue, and Yan Ruanning joined Cheng Che on a video call to exchange New Year wishes, while Xu Qian teased him for talking with three older women.

After returning to Capital City, Cheng Che balanced promotional shoots with self-defense lessons from Zhao Gang. His paper appeared on the Annals of Mathematics homepage and in print, sparking excitement across academic circles while Cheng Che remained unaware of the wider reaction.

• Cheng Che treated Guo Xin, Zhou Mingxuan, Lin Xiao, and Su Qingyue to a meal in Spring City before returning to Capital City for promotional shoots.
• Zhao Gang began teaching Cheng Che basic self-defense, and Cheng Che quickly learned the moves.
• Cheng Che received a notification that he had completed the fourth stage of the Intelligence Trial and found his paper listed on the Annals of Mathematics homepage.
• Cheng Che picked up a printed copy of the journal and read his paper at home.
• Professor Liu and the Peking University dean discussed the publication and planned a larger presentation as mathematicians around the world debated Cheng Che’s proof and background.
• News of Cheng Che’s achievement spread across the internet while he continued reading his paper, unaware of the commotion.

Peking University student Song Zhixing discovered that Cheng Che had published a complete proof of the Integer-Coefficient Polynomial Root Distribution Conjectures in the Annals of Mathematics. As news of the proof spread online, Cheng Che’s manager Qin Lie activated a publicity plan and began arranging coverage of the upcoming academic presentation.

• Song Zhixing read Cheng Che’s proof in the Annals of Mathematics and recognized the author as the famous tennis player and actor Cheng Che.
• Song Zhixing and his classmates reacted with shock as they confirmed Cheng Che’s identity and discussed his achievements in mathematics, tennis, and entertainment.
• Peking University announced that Cheng Che had independently proved the conjectures and would give an academic presentation in late February.
• The announcement spread across social media, and the topic of Cheng Che’s proof reached the top of the trending list.
• Qin Lie saw the trending topic, activated Plan A, and ordered his team to explain the journal’s prestige, confirm the presentation details, and arrange media interviews.

Cheng Che’s independently completed proof of the Integer-Coefficient Polynomial Root Distribution Conjectures sent the internet into a frenzy, and Peking University publicly confirmed his achievement. As he prepared slides for a livestreamed academic presentation, he claimed the rewards for Intelligence Trial: Stage Four.

• Cheng Che’s paper and accomplishments surged across internet platforms, overwhelming trending searches and straining their systems.
• Skeptics questioned whether Cheng Che had truly proved the conjectures and accused Professor Liu and Peking University of fabricating the achievement.
• Peking University announced that Cheng Che had independently completed the paper, was its sole first author, and had passed anonymous peer review and repeated expert verification.
• Jiang Xue read the university’s announcement and told Cheng Jianguo that their son’s achievement made her happy.
• Cheng Che adjusted the slides for his academic presentation, then claimed the active talent Academic Descent and the item Time Hourglass.

After receiving powerful system rewards, Cheng Che gained specialized mathematical knowledge and read congratulatory messages from his family and friends. He returned several calls, while Pei Jingshu’s missed call remained unanswered.

• Cheng Che received Academic Descent and a Time Hourglass, then used Academic Descent to learn part of Alan Baker’s work on lower bounds for linear forms in logarithms.
• Cheng Che read Jiang Xue’s and Cheng Jianguo’s messages expressing pride and concern, then replied to his parents.
• Cheng Che promised Guo Xin roast duck and told the Room 302 group he would give them extra lessons.
• Cheng Che spoke with Su Miaoyin, who congratulated him and reminded him to cook for her, then called Su Qingyue, who said she was proud of him.
• Yan Ruanning asked Cheng Che to teach her calculus, and he agreed; afterward, Cheng Che noticed a missed call from Pei Jingshu.

Cheng Che apologized to Pei Jingshu for not telling her about his paper and promised to share things with her from then on. As his achievement shook the entertainment industry and drew official recognition, Qin Lie watched Cheng Che’s reputation become untarnishable.

• Pei Jingshu called Cheng Che after learning about his paper and asked him to tell her about important things in the future; Cheng Che promised to visit her.
• Gu Yan’s old remarks about academic credentials resurfaced beside Cheng Che’s paper and Peking University’s announcement, prompting widespread ridicule and a deleted statement from Gu Yan’s studio.
• Entertainers avoided discussing Cheng Che’s achievement, while some of his friends reposted the news in support.
• Qin Lie refused to have his studio manage the comments and confidently let online discussion continue.
• CCTV Daily praised Cheng Che’s mathematical achievement, tennis victory, and acting work, and noted his upcoming lecture at Peking University; Qin Lie celebrated the recognition.

After Cheng Che proved a sixty-year-old mathematical conjecture and gained widespread attention, his sponsors moved to renegotiate and upgrade their deals. Esquire also invited him to a new photo shoot that would highlight his mathematics.

• Old Zhou called a meeting at Louis Vuitton after Cheng Che’s proof and the CCTV report went viral, and the team agreed to offer him fifty million a year.
• A Louis Vuitton vice president told Old Zhou that headquarters wanted to consider making Cheng Che a global spokesperson after his contract renewal.
• Mark asked Nike headquarters to upgrade Cheng Che to global brand spokesperson, and they agreed to consider it after his presentation.
• Andrew asked Rolex headquarters to consider placing Cheng Che’s ads on the global market after the presentation.
• Gucci decided to upgrade Cheng Che from brand ambassador to global spokesperson and create a worldwide campaign themed “Intelligence and beauty can coexist.”
• Teacher Chen told Esquire’s assistant to invite Cheng Che to a new shoot featuring his mathematics alongside his school uniform, tennis outfit, and formal wear.

Cheng Che’s paper reignited attention around his work in entertainment, tennis, and mathematics as his upcoming talk drew interest from scholars worldwide. He prepared the presentation in his Capital City apartment and added a personal opening about pursuing several ambitions at once.

• Producer Fang and Director Zhou celebrated the increased value of Youth Here after Cheng Che’s paper boosted the drama’s popularity.
• The Walking the Flower Road Together production head ordered more Cheng Che footage and a larger budget for the Europe segment.
• The ATP praised Cheng Che as a champion, Federer called him a genius, and fans around the world shared their admiration.
• Mathematicians from leading universities planned to attend Cheng Che’s talk, while a French professor said he would travel to Capital City after studying the conjecture for thirty years.
• Cheng Che revised his presentation and added that his proof had made him believe one person could do several things well if they wanted to enough.

Cheng Che declined to reshape his Esquire photos, explaining that being a student and a tennis champion best represented him, while foreign mathematicians gathered in Capital City for his presentation. He began the packed Peking University lecture by introducing the conjecture he had proved and explaining its appeal before turning to his paper.

• Cheng Che gave a CCTV interview and said he was not a genius, but someone who spent more time on things and could sit still.
• Cheng Che told Teacher Chen not to reshoot the Esquire photos, saying his school uniform and tennis clothes represented him best.
• Foreign mathematicians arrived in Capital City, and their visits drew attention on Weibo.
• Cheng Che prepared backstage as Peking University's packed auditorium and a livestream audience waited for his presentation.
• The dean introduced Cheng Che, who took the lectern amid applause and began by telling the story of the conjecture he had proved.
• Cheng Che described the conjecture's structural beauty, displayed his paper, and began explaining what made it interesting.

Cheng Che presented his mathematical proof at Peking University while his exceptional charm captivated viewers across the country. As he moved on to the proof’s core, scholars focused on his explanation and fans continued watching him in admiration.

• Cheng Che began his presentation by explaining basic mathematical definitions, while the auditorium and livestream audience listened.
• The buffs activated by the viewers’ attention raised Cheng Che’s charm to ninety-five, and the livestream chat filled with comments about his looks and manner.
• Li Wei’s parents watched the presentation with her, and both praised Cheng Che, prompting playful comparisons between him and Li Wei’s father.
• Female fans who had joined the livestream to criticize Cheng Che became captivated by him and declared him their idol.
• Mathematicians praised Cheng Che’s clarity and predicted he would quickly become a leading algebraic number theorist.
• Cheng Che advanced to the core of the proof, and the scholars sat up to follow as viewers continued admiring him.

Cheng Che completed his three-hour presentation of the conjecture proof at Peking University and received a standing ovation from more than eight hundred people. Professor Liu told him he would be nominated for the State Natural Science Award and receive the new Annual Young Mathematician Breakthrough Special Award in March, bringing Cheng Che closer to completing his Intelligence Trial; meanwhile, Walking the Flower Road Together announced a trip to Paris.

• Cheng Che presented his proof in full, and more than eight hundred people stood to applaud him as Qin Lie and Chen Wei watched backstage.
• Louis Vuitton, Nike, Rolex, Gucci, and Esquire congratulated Cheng Che online after his successful presentation.
• Professor Liu told Cheng Che that the dean and he planned to nominate him for the State Natural Science Award and that the Xia Country Mathematical Society would give him the Annual Young Mathematician Breakthrough Special Award in March.
• Cheng Che accepted the March award, realizing it could let him complete his Intelligence Trial and become a Higher Incubus months before the State Natural Science Award was presented.
• At a banquet with visiting scholars, Cheng Che discussed his proof and a Princeton professor’s paper with the professor.
• Walking the Flower Road Together announced that its next trip would go through Europe and end in Paris, prompting fans to celebrate online.

After Walking the Flower Road Together announced its Europe season, agents tried to secure guest spots or replace cast members, while Su Jianqiu, Ning Qing, and Han Zheng held on to their places. Qin Lie set aside Cheng Che’s many new offers to prioritize the Europe season and went to pick him up from a Peking University banquet.

• Agents called Mango TV to seek guest spots and challenge Su Jianqiu and Ning Qing’s places, but the production team and their agencies kept the cast members secure.
• Old Wu confirmed Han Zheng’s spot was safe and warned him to stop acting pretentious and make better use of his time alongside Cheng Che.
• Han Zheng agreed to change his behavior, recognizing how much exposure Cheng Che brought him.
• Qin Lie reviewed a flood of variety-show and event invitations for Cheng Che and told Chen Wei to record them without replying.
• Qin Lie cleared Cheng Che’s schedule for the Europe season until mid-March and left to pick him up from a Peking University banquet.

Cheng Che chose a historical drama, a romantic comedy, and two variety-show appearances from the many projects offered to him, while planning his upcoming tennis season. Four days later, he joined the European trip for “Walking the Flower Road Together” and was surprised to find Yan Ruanning had arrived as a female guest star.

• Qin Lie reviewed Cheng Che’s project offers, and Cheng Che accepted the drama “The Realm and Old Friends” and the romance movie “Easter Egg.”
• Cheng Che chose guest appearances on “Let’s Eat” and “Keep Running, Youth” and turned down the other offers.
• Qin Lie outlined Cheng Che’s tennis schedule, and Cheng Che decided to play both North American Masters before reassessing his preparation for clay.
• Qin Lie told Cheng Che that Louis Vuitton, Nike, Rolex, and Gucci were considering endorsement upgrades worth about 150 million annually, but Cheng Che chose to revisit the matter in the second half of the year.
• Cheng Che agreed to join “Walking the Flower Road Together” on its Europe trip, then met the production crew at Hongqiao Airport four days later and discovered Yan Ruanning was the new female guest star.

Cheng Che and the other guests traveled to Paris, where they visited the Louvre Museum as part of a team challenge. The next morning, Qin Lie told Cheng Che that the museum had been robbed.

• Cheng Che greeted Yan Ruanning at the airport and explained that he had learned music from her, while Su Jianqiu teased them about their relationship.
• The guests flew to Paris and formed teams for a Louvre challenge to photograph three designated exhibits.
• Cheng Che, Su Jianqiu, and Yan Ruanning visited the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory of Samothrace, and Cheng Che sent his mother a photo of the Winged Victory.
• The guests explored Paris and had dinner before returning to the hotel for the night.
• Qin Lie called Cheng Che the next morning and told him that the Louvre Museum had been robbed.

After the Louvre Museum theft, online discussion about Cheng Che and Yan Ruanning’s visit sparked rumors and fan arguments. The production team decided to keep filming in Paris with tighter security, while Cheng Che learned the police wanted him to give a statement.

• News of the Louvre Museum theft reached Xia Country, and a photo of Cheng Che, Su Jianqiu, and Yan Ruanning at the museum went viral.
• Fans argued over Cheng Che and Yan Ruanning appearing together, pushing their names onto Weibo’s trending list.
• The production team canceled Louvre-related plans but decided to continue filming in Paris with upgraded security measures.
• Qin Lie told Cheng Che that the Paris police wanted him to come to the police station and give a statement about his visit to the Louvre Museum.