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nTranslator: Legge Editor: Legge

nSeveral days later.

nIn the morning.

nSomewhere.

nThis was a research institute 1 under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

nWhile Zhang Ye was resorting to math formulae to study the success rates of obtaining those rare items due to his prolonged boredom in prison, the researchers and scholars from the Chinese Academy of Sciences were worrying over a major matter. They had such an expression on their faces for about a month now.

nA research fellow raged, “So can we solve it or not!”

nA male researcher gave a bitter laugh and said, “Give us a little more time. We will seek help from more people.”

nThe research fellow said, “It’s almost been two months already. We must overcome this difficulty; there are no two ways about it! I don’t care what ways you all resort to, and I don’t care who you all find, as long as it is someone who can design the algorithm, I am even willing to ignore my position and beg them for help. Mathematics is the foundation of all sciences. If we can’t get past this stage, we won’t be able to do anything else! This algorithm is too important! Even if we can wait, the country can’t!”

nA female researcher said, “It’s no use getting mad at us.”

nAnother research fellow rapped the table and said, “Old Chi, why are you getting angry at the kids? You can’t blame them. Aren’t you yourself also at your wits’ end?”

nFellow Chi said, “Old Zhou, my main research area is not in mathematics.”

nA young man nervously said, “We’ve already approached all of the professors that we could think of and tried asking them.”

nFellow Zhou considered things. “There are still a few we haven’t asked though.”

nFellow Chi asked, “Who?”

n“Like Dean Pan of Peking University’s School of Mathematical Sciences?” a researcher said.

nFellow Chi, who was almost 80 years old, curled his lips and said, “Are you serious? Little Pan might be good enough in education, but he has lost touch when it comes to math research. I can’t imagine him being the answer.”

nThe female researcher said, “How about Professor Xin from the Tsinghua University alumni?”

nFellow Chi shook his head. “I’ve never even heard of her.”

nFellow Zhou asked, “You mean Xin Ya, right? Hai, she’s rather popular among your younger generation. However, she won’t be able to design the algorithm.”

nEveryone fell silent.

nThen they sighed.

nPeople from the Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science 2 of the Chinese Academy of Sciences came over, then left. Many of the well-known mathematicians had been invited to come and take a look at the problem, but even they left. They had basically assembled all of the mathematicians in the country, but all of them were confounded. A few famous Chinese mathematicians did not get sit down before picking up the document to have a look and turning around to leave. It wasn’t that they did not want to give it a try, nor that they were unwilling to do their part for the country, but that this algorithm was too difficult to come up with. An old research fellow who had retired from the Chinese Academy of Sciences was even asked to come back to take a look at it. But after having a look, he simply said, “There can’t be more than five people in the entire world who can design such an algorithm, and all five of them are in America.”

nBut some people did not believe that.

nFor example, Fellow Chi. For example, Fellow Zhou.

nThey refused to believe any of that!

nWho says that our people can’t do it?

nIf the Americans can do it, then what logic dictates that we can’t do the same?

nFellow Chi clenched his teeth and said, “Think of someone, let’s all think of the possible candidates!”

nSomeone suggested, “Will Professor Bai be able to do it?”

nFellow Chi firmly said, “Don’t mention him. He’s changed nationalities and is a Chinese American. He’s no longer a Chinese citizen, so why would you expect him to come back to help? Would that be possible?”

nSomeone said, “Then, is Old Chu still around?”

nFellow Zhou sighed. “Old Chu is still alive, but his health is failing.”

nOne by one.

nOne after another.

nNames were thrown out but none of them were reliable choices.

nFellow Chi’s expression grew gloomier. “In this great country of ours with over a billion people and several thousand years of history, surely there can’t be no mathematician capable of designing this algorithm, right? Ah?”

nAt this moment, a middle-aged woman entered from outside. “Dad, are you talking bad about us mathematicians again?”

nFellow Chi frowned. “Little Xue, why haven’t you left yet? Also, don’t call me Dad when we’re at the research institute. Address me as Fellow Chi. How many times have I told you that already?”

nChi Xue smiled. “Alright then, Fellow Chi, please don’t address me as Little Xue here either. Please call me Fellow Chi, Jr. I am one of the managers of this project, so before this math algorithm is solved, I won’t be going anywhere. Let’s all work on it together.”

nThis research institute used to have only one Fellow Chi around, but the Chinese Academy of Sciences had sent over Fellow Chi’s daughter from the Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science due to a recent major difficulty coming up in a national research project that involved the formulation of a mathematical algorithm. The people at the research institute were seeing the father-and-daughter pair bicker almost every day. The father had a bad temper while the daughter was mild-mannered, so the contrast between the two couldn’t be more huge. With the two of them as research fellows of the Chinese Academy of Sciences as well, this made them a really unique pair at the academy.

nFellow Zhou asked, “Little Chi, have you made any progress yet?”

nChi Xue shook her head. “I’ve spent a month’s time and come up 20% of an algorithm, but I don’t know if it will work yet. Because no one will know if the algorithm is correct until we get to the final step. There’s even a possibility that we get to the final step and still find ourselves unable to produce a formal verification 3 .

nFellow Chi said, “Then wouldn’t that be all for naught?”

nChi Xue said, “Dad, I know that you’re not in the best of moods recently. Everyone is also feeling frustrated over how the algorithm is still not produced. But don’t vent your anger on us mathematicians. I can’t design this algorithm because I’m not capable enough and am limited in my abilities. However, there are still many talented people in our world of mathematics.”

nFellow Chi said, “Who else is there? Didn’t we already approach everyone we could? All of them said that it couldn’t be done! It’s not like I have something against mathematicians. I’m just very anxious.”

nChi Xue smiled. “Let me recommend someone to you all then.”

nFellow Zhou’s eyes lit up. “You have a candidate?”

nChi Xue smiled and said, “I thought of someone. Other people might not be able to design this algorithm, but he should be able to.”

nFellow Chi immediately said, “Such a person exists? Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

nChi Xue said, “I didn’t say because I was afraid that you all wouldn’t be able to get that person.”

n“Why wouldn’t we be able to get that person?” Fellow Chi said, “Is he in America?”

nChi Xue said, “Well, that’s not it. He’s in China, and he’s a Chinese citizen through and through.”

nFellow Zhou laughed and said, “Little Chi, then you’re underestimating us. With your dad and my status at the academy, as well as our influence, how difficult could it be to ask for any academic or professor from anywhere in the country? Just say it! Whoever it is, your dad and I will go and ask for them to be transferred here!”

nFellow Chi also started talking big. “That’s to be expected. As long as there’s someone who can produce this algorithm, I can invite them here even if they’re hiding in the desert, soaking in the sea, or locked up in a pris—” Fellow Chi’s words got stuck in his throat!

nFellow Chi froze!

nFellow Zhou froze!

nWhen all of the researchers present heard this, they were also stunned!

nBut Chi Xue just smiled and spread her hands, saying, “There, it’s on the two of you now.”

nFellow Zhou said startled, “What? Are you talking about him?”

nA female researcher said dumbfoundedly, “D-Didn’t he get sentenced?”

nChi Xue said, “But he’s the greatest mathematician that we have in China.” She added, “And no one else comes close.”

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