Chapter Ninety-Three: Great and Small

“Hahaha... Enough joking, let’s get down to business!” Professor Zhou Wenping laughed heartily; teasing a child was indeed a delight, especially when the child happened to encounter such a fortuitous event.

“Did you just receive a call from abroad and block it? Also, did you check your email at all?”

Huh? How did Professor Zhou know about that? Wu Tong almost wondered if he possessed some sort of clairvoyance.

“Relax, I don’t have any supernatural powers, nor am I monitoring you. The call was from the International Mathematical Union’s office. They first called me to ask for your number, then tried reaching you. When they couldn’t get through, they asked me to contact you!”

“Uh… I thought it was a scam call, so I hung up and blocked it. I’ve been getting too many emails lately, so I muted notifications and batch process them every few days!” Wu Tong admitted sheepishly, rubbing her nose.

Recently, she was beset by a barrage of advertisements and invitations from prestigious overseas universities. Her phone constantly buzzed with notifications, which she found unbearable, so she had muted her email notifications.

“Hahaha… Wu Tong, your vigilance is commendable—keep it up! But this time, you can let them through. It’s good news. Congratulations, Wu Tong! You’ve been invited to give a presentation at the International Congress of Mathematicians. I won’t hold you up—let them discuss the details with you! Don’t forget to check your email!” Professor Zhou chuckled as he gave his advice, then ended the call.

Wu Tong released the number from her blacklist, opened her inbox, and saw the latest email—all in English. It was formally signed by the ICM. The gist congratulated her for proving the Zhou Conjecture in May, and now for conquering the Twin Prime Conjecture. She was formally invited to present a forty-five-minute report at the International Congress of Mathematicians in August. The email included a link for uploading her report and some instructions.

She recalled that she had previously received a similar email, but at that time, the content was more of an invitation to attend the conference rather than to present.

She hadn’t paid much attention then, but now it struck her—this was a formal invitation to give a report!

Her phone rang again, and this time Wu Tong answered directly.

“It should be good morning, since it’s morning where you are, Miss Wu!” Alvin wanted to remark that her phone was incredibly difficult to reach, truly impossible to contact.

After his previous email went unanswered, he had to find Professor Peng, also from China, who would be giving an hour-long report at the conference, then reach out to Professor Zhou at Peking University, and finally managed to get in touch with Wu Tong.

But thinking of those stubborn, temperamental academic giants, and this rising star—already among internationally renowned scholars, perhaps even at the forefront—he decided against any sarcastic comments.

He immediately adopted a more courteous tone: “Sorry to disturb your precious family time. I am Alvin from the International Mathematical Union, responsible for organizing the upcoming Congress of Mathematicians.

Apologies for the abrupt invitation. Professor Berg was unexpectedly injured by his Caucasian Shepherd dog, which broke his limbs. We are honored to invite you to deliver a forty-five-minute presentation at the International Congress of Mathematicians. All your expenses—airfare, accommodation—will be fully covered by us… I hope this isn’t inconvenient for you!”

“Due to time constraints, I’m sorry, but we can only give you ten days to prepare your report!” Ten days should suffice for her to prepare a concise summary of her proof of the Twin Prime Conjecture; time at the conference is limited, and every detail cannot be explained word for word.

All mathematicians participating have solid foundations—there’s no need to break things down as for students.

“Ten days…” Wu Tong felt like scratching her head—ten days to tackle the Polignac Conjecture. She suspected she would be busy again, destined for another round of intellectual storm this month.

Still, it was the ICM—her first international conference. She had to present something substantial, to uphold her country’s reputation. Busy or not, she’d manage and take a vacation afterward!

“All right, I understand. Within ten days, that is, by the end of July, I’ll upload my report as soon as possible!” Fortunately, when she completed the proof of the Twin Prime Conjecture, she already had some ideas. If she pushed herself, she could rise to the challenge!

“Thank you for your understanding and support. Please extend my greetings to your family, and may you enjoy each and every day!” With everything settled and the troublesome matters finding a splendid resolution, Alvin signed off gracefully.

“Tong Tong, whose call was that? You were speaking English, right?” Xu Meifeng and Jin Yu finally spoke up when Wu Tong hung up, curious and eager.

During Wu Tong’s call, Xu Meifeng nudged her sister-in-law in curiosity. Teacher Jin, unable to make sense of the conversation, indicated that her English had long been returned to her teacher—she only understood the initial greeting: good morning.

Their daughter’s rare return prompted Teacher Jin to reschedule her morning class to stay home and spend time with her.

But she couldn’t help feeling that her daughter’s supposed vacation was even busier than their own jobs—busy enough to reach the international stage.

Xu Meifeng and Teacher Jin exchanged glances, suddenly feeling as if their generation was falling behind, unable to keep pace with Wu Tong’s progress. Perhaps they needed to learn international languages themselves? If only international languages became Chinese; then they’d have the purest native environment.

When Wu Tong conversed entirely in English, they held their breath, not daring to interrupt.

“It’s nothing—just an invitation to an international mathematics conference. The scheduled speaker had a minor mishap, and since I’ve made some progress in mathematics, they invited me to fill in. The event is in the latter half of August, so I’ll likely fly to Hydra in Bologna. When the time comes, I’ll join our school’s professors and those from our country attending the conference. The whole trip will be in hotels—it’s very safe!” Wu Tong explained lightly, but her invitation to an international academic conference, especially as one of the main speakers, was certainly a source of pride.

“That’s already amazing! Our Tong Tong is going abroad, stepping onto the international stage—let’s celebrate together tonight!”

On the other end of the sofa, Jin Xin was lounging against the armrest, playing games. Suddenly, his game seemed much less appealing. The Zhou Conjecture, the Twin Prime Conjecture—these, to his sister, were mere small achievements? So what counted as a major achievement?

Thanks to a year of intensive English study for college entrance exams, his English was currently at its peak, and he had just encountered the term International Congress of Mathematicians, ICM. His sister had already reached the point where her first step abroad was to ascend the most prestigious stage of the ICM as a speaker.

He wanted to post online: “My little sister is too amazing—what should I do? As an older brother, I’m trembling in awe!”

“Tong Tong the great, do you still need an accessory?” Jin Xin sprawled across the armrest, raising both hands, suddenly tempted to give up striving and become a professional little brother, living off his sister’s accomplishments. It was obvious—before he could even become someone who could shelter her, his sister had already become a towering phoenix tree.

“Dream on! Do your duty by guarding our country’s gates!” Xu Meifeng laughed, patting her son’s shoulder, and the whole family burst into cheerful laughter.

(End of chapter)