Chapter 149: Conviction

Amid a sea of scholars—some prideful, some admiring, some envious, and others feeling unsettled—the assembly drew to a close. The two most prestigious honors, the Hua Award and the Chen Award, had found their recipients.

To say there were no disgruntled attendees would be a lie. While not everyone is swayed by money, the competition for such high-status academic honors is fierce. Yet, what could the dissenters do? Unless, of course, they could produce breakthrough achievements of similar magnitude.

Reporters permitted into the venue captured every iconic moment; the relentless clicking of shutters filled the air, particularly when Wu Tong stepped up to receive her award, bathed in the glow of constant camera flashes. As soon as the closing ceremony was announced, the media swarmed the day’s victors.

Wu Tong did not consider herself a celebrity; she had no need for such exposure and was unaccustomed to the clamor of interviews. Moreover, Cai Yi was concerned about the chaotic crowd and the potential risks it posed. Before the session ended, Wu Tong had informed her mentors that she would depart early to wait in the car.

Once the meeting concluded, she was escorted by Cai Yi, the two of them moving with agility to slip away before the crowd could converge. Watching her nimble figure, her mentors smiled, lamenting with a sigh: how wonderful it is to be young!

Despite her quick exit, Wu Tong’s news value was too high to ignore. Major media outlets scrambled to report on her, and sensational headlines quickly flooded news websites:

[Is she truly the youngest Chen Award winner in our nation’s history?]
[An epoch-making record: seventeen-year-old genius girl awarded the Chen Chern-Shiang Prize, the highest honor in national mathematics!]

In an instant, this monumental news exploded across the internet. Enthusiastic netizens from all walks of life flooded the comment sections of major media platforms. The most common reaction was a barrage of exclamation points—an expression of shock so profound that words failed, leaving only the endless symbols to convey their awe.

After waiting in the car for a while, Pan Wenhua and the others returned. As they climbed in, Pan chuckled, teasing Wu Tong, "You young people are light on your feet and quick to slip away, leaving us old fogies to be besieged by the media!"

The reporters, unable to catch Wu Tong, were more than happy to settle for her mentors, desperate to finish their coverage.

"You're as sharp as ever!" Wu Tong replied with a bashful smile, wondering if she had accidentally thrown the two deans to the wolves.

Professor Zhou gestured lightly toward Pan Wenhua. "You’ve been calling yourself an 'old fogey' since I first joined the school twenty years ago, yet you’re still in your prime! If you’d wipe that satisfied grin off your face, people might actually believe you’re distressed. I suspect our neighbors are green with envy, wishing they could trade places with you!"

When being interviewed by the media, their dean had been positively beaming.

"Comrade Zhou, it’s not very kind to tear down one’s own colleagues!" Still, he was genuinely happy. Of the four recipients for the Hua and Chen awards, the Peking University School of Mathematical Sciences had claimed two—they were the biggest winners, after all. Surely, he was allowed to be happy! As dean, achieving such a distinction during his tenure was a point of immense pride.

"Hahaha..." A roar of hearty laughter filled the vehicle.

There was a banquet scheduled after the ceremony, but none of the group in the car felt particularly interested. They had no desire to engage in superficial networking or the noisy clinking of glasses, so they reached a consensus to head home instead.

That evening, the family, having returned in high spirits, was overjoyed to see the medals and certificates Wu Tong brought back, along with the news that had set the internet ablaze. They could not have been prouder.

"It’s a pity we’re in the capital," Jin Yuan said with a touch of regret. "If we were back home, I’d set off ten thousand firecrackers in front of our door to properly celebrate for Tongtong!"

Jin Yongqing examined the medal in his hand, wishing he had a magnifying glass to inspect every micrometer. "Tongtong, you should have told us to come back sooner!"

Compared to being out on a trip, nothing was more important than sharing in Tongtong’s joy. But the medals would still be there, and it was a rare occasion for the family to travel; it would have been a waste not to enjoy their trip to the fullest.

Wu Tong smiled silently. Her own excitement had already peaked at the venue; now, her happiness stemmed from the joy of bringing such pride to her family. She wanted to be their glory, and one by one, those promises were being fulfilled.

At two o’clock on the afternoon of the seventh, Wu Tong tidied her appearance and settled her nerves backstage. Hearing the host’s introduction, she stepped firmly toward the podium as a staff member opened her presentation slides.

Looking out at the audience, she saw the hall was packed to capacity—far more people than she had anticipated. The appeal of her presentation clearly exceeded her expectations. She had assumed this report would be nothing new, merely a repetition of what had already been published.

Wu Tong had clearly underestimated the draw of the youngest Chen Award winner; the celebrity effect was a powerful force. Who among the attendees wouldn't want to witness a lecture by someone who might one day become the youngest Fields Medalist? Her paper was profound, and without a certain level of expertise, it was difficult to even grasp; having the author explain it in person was a rare learning opportunity.

Wu Tong began by thanking the attendees for coming, then cut straight to the point. "While researching the twin prime conjecture, I kept feeling the need for a tool to crack the problem before me.

"I repeatedly studied the proofs of our predecessors regarding the properties of prime numbers, constantly drawing from their wisdom. Standing on the shoulders of giants, I found inspiration... until, while overcoming the Polignac conjecture, I created this tool.

"Regarding the method I propose, I call it the 'Infinite Group Proof Method.' It is primarily aimed at the study of the infinity of primes, allowing complex problems to become clear, simple, and intuitive..."

This was Wu Tong’s first formal lecture to the nation’s mathematical community. She spoke at a measured pace, detailing her thought process and meticulously explaining the core concepts and applications of her Infinite Group Proof Method.

With a composed expression and an air of grace, Wu Tong displayed a burgeoning stature of greatness. The content of her report was detailed and solid, truly enlightening those capable of following it. By the end, save for those with deep-seated biases, even those who had been skeptical the day before were now thoroughly convinced.

She was indeed the top-tier genius hailed as a once-in-a-century talent. They were truly no match for this girl, who was still technically a minor.

The Pearl of Peking University, a scholar of international caliber—they had truly opened their eyes today. They had been like frogs in a well, and now, they finally saw the sky.