Chapter 58: Overwhelming Defeat

Inside the large lecture hall, over a hundred students turned their curious gazes toward Wu Tong in the back row. Professor Mu rarely called on students during his lectures, but when he did, it often spelled disaster. Many wondered who had the audacity to slack off in Professor Mu’s class and get singled out. They admired this person’s courage—so long as they themselves weren’t dragged into the fray.

However, as they turned and got a clear look at Wu Tong, their confusion only deepened. When had someone like this joined their class? After attending so many lectures together, no one recalled a student this young among their cohort. At just over sixteen, with a touch of baby fat still softening her cheeks, Wu Tong stood out starkly among the sophomore students, most of whom were nineteen or twenty.

“Come,” Professor Mu said, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Explain how this formula should be understood. You’ve been nodding all along—you must have grasped it, yes?” Whether the student truly understood or was simply pretending, he was determined to find out. He never let questions linger from one day to the next.

Wu Tong snapped back to attention, closed her notebook, and replied, “Thank you for your concern, Professor. I do have some thoughts. Regarding the formula you mentioned… and the example you gave… I believe it can also be derived from this perspective… In fact, the formula can be understood this way! Using the language of mathematics…”

Well now—what a remarkable child. Not only did she analyze the problem with clarity from a physicist’s viewpoint, demonstrating genuine understanding, she also delved deeper from a mathematical perspective, her explanation even more thorough. Few master’s or doctoral students could outdo her.

Intrigued, Professor Mu followed up with several more knowledge points, even venturing into more advanced questions. He watched Wu Tong carefully, but none of these stumped her. With just a moment’s thought, she answered each one clearly and fluently. He could tell that she was keeping pace with his explanations perfectly, grasping every point the moment he presented it.

Still, something about her answers struck him as odd. Why rely so heavily on mathematical formulas and logic? Even his own mathematical skills were being pushed to the limit by her rapid reasoning. Was she truly a student from the physics department, or had her learning taken a different turn?

The rest of the class, at first enlightened by Wu Tong’s explanations—“Ah, so that’s how it should be understood, thank you!”—soon found themselves lost as she leaped into mathematical language. Even the high achievers who could keep up with Professor Mu’s pace were left bewildered. As Wu Tong and Professor Mu volleyed questions and answers, the students looked utterly dazed, as if to ask: Who are we? Where are we?

Heavens… Could the expert kindly speak like a human, not in some divine tongue?

“Well done,” Professor Mu finally said. “But remember, physical problems are best described in the language of physics—mathematics is merely an auxiliary tool for calculation.” The last remark echoed a common sentiment among physicists; after all, there’s a saying: Those who can’t master mathematics settle for physics.

“Which class are you in?” His first question had a foundation, but the second required a solid grasp, the third and fourth demanded formidable reasoning and deeper knowledge, and the fifth—not even his graduate students could easily tackle it. A student like this could only be described as extraordinarily gifted; he found himself tempted to take on a new protégé.

At this, Wu Tong grew a little embarrassed and smiled bashfully. “I’m a CMO competition scholarship student, here for early studies. I haven’t formally enrolled yet—I’ll officially start in September. I apologize, Professor Mu, for attending your class without prior permission.”

“No need to apologize. If you love physics, you’re welcome anytime. Our university always opens its doors to those with a passion for learning!” Oh, a math competition winner—no wonder she approached every problem with mathematical logic. Now he recalled that the IMO training camp was currently being held at the university. Such trivial news rarely reached his ears; if not for seeing Wu Tong and recalling the mathematics department’s pride, he wouldn’t even have remembered.

Speaking of the IMO, another thought struck him. He’d heard the math department boasting about recruiting a promising new talent. “You’re the one who scored full marks and ranked first in this year’s CMO, correct? Our university made quite a splash this year, even making a substantial million-yuan scholarship wager to attract top talent.”

“Yes, Professor Mu. My name is Wu Tong.” She nodded. Was she already notorious at the university?

Excellent. Not yet officially enrolled—better still!

“My young friend, physics is a vast and profound field, concerned with the laws of nature and the structure of matter. Why not consider joining the physics department when the semester begins?” If he could recruit her before the math department realized, it would be a major coup!

She hadn’t even started university, yet her mathematical prowess matched that of graduate students, and her foundation in physics was equally solid, putting the entire sophomore class to shame. Such talent would be wasted if not brought into the physics department.

After all, as long as she entered Capital University, the administration didn’t care which department she chose. Physics was one of the university’s flagship programs; they had every reason to be confident.

“We have ample funding, and the hands-on opportunities here are far more engaging than those offered by the mathematics department!”

“Thank you for your kind offer, Professor Mu. I hope to learn from you in the future. Mathematics is the foundation of all sciences—I want to focus on it first, and then extend step by step into physics, building a solid base.”

“A worthy goal. Welcome to Capital University—if you ever have questions, my office is always open to you.” Though he couldn’t quite lure Wu Tong into the physics department, she was still a student of the university. With her talent, it would be a waste not to pursue a second degree. Perhaps, after some time, physics would become her main field of study. As a researcher, he was nothing if not patient—sometimes, the indirect approach was best.

“You all should learn from her,” Professor Mu said, turning to the rest of the class. “You’ve had several more years of schooling than she has, yet you can’t even compare to a high school student. If you don’t start working harder, you might as well go back to high school and start over!”

The entire tiered lecture hall fell silent. Many had once taken pride in their admission to Capital University—some were competition laureates or provincial champions, each the center of attention during high school. Now, being bested by a high schooler left them deeply unsettled.

It was only after spending time at Capital University that they truly understood: this was a place where geniuses abounded, and ordinary students could barely breathe under the weight of such brilliance.