Chapter 64
Ji Zhixing is seriously injured!
Wuliang News published a video report on Weibo, and the sensational headline quickly attracted a wave of traffic.
Lin Lang, who had been keeping a close eye on online news, was shocked when he saw the headline. How could he be seriously injured? He had contacted Ji Zhixing earlier to confirm that he hadn't been injured in the shooting two days ago! Had something else gone wrong? Was the security situation in the United States really that bad?
He opened the video, but it kept buffering. He took out his phone to contact Ji Zhixing, but if Ji Zhixing was truly seriously injured, contacting him at this time would only hinder his treatment. If this was actually fake news, then judging from the time, Ji Zhixing was probably already at the ICM conference venue, and it wasn't appropriate to disturb him.
At this point, the video finally buffered and started playing.
Lin Lang stared intently at the computer screen. The video report first reviewed the thrilling events of the first day of the ICM conference. He wanted to fast-forward, but was afraid of missing any details. His mind raced with wild thoughts: Could it be that Ji Zhixing had actually been injured the day before yesterday, but had only told them the good news and not the bad?
We spent seven or eight minutes recounting the events of the first day of the ICM conference, and then finally got to the point—Ji Zhixing suffered a serious vocal cord injury!
Lin Lang was speechless for a long time. This was such a clickbait title!
It was expected that Ji Zhixing's vocal cords would be damaged, given that he spoke for nearly ten hours the day before yesterday. Many people in the comments section of related news articles over the past two days predicted that Ji Zhixing wouldn't be able to speak today.
Lin Lang wiped the sweat from his nose. It was a good thing that Ji Zhixing wasn't seriously injured, but he still felt like punching someone!
The midday news outlet probably knew that its attempt to capitalize on the situation would draw criticism, so it deliberately included an interview with an ENT doctor in the last two minutes, as a way of expressing its concern for Ji Zhixing.
The doctor gave instructions remotely, saying that Ji Zhixing should avoid speaking loudly or for extended periods of time for 3-5 days.
Even so, the comments section was mostly filled with people cursing the clickbait headlines.
Therefore, when Wuliang News published its second report, "Ji Zhixing Wins Fields Medal!", many netizens also regarded it as clickbait to attract attention.
Of course, some people clicked on the report hoping for the best, but the report contained no pictures or videos to prove that Ji Zhixing had actually won the Fields Medal. It only contained long passages of text introducing the Fields Medal's status, history, and past winners. The claim that "Ji Zhixing won the Fields Medal" wasn't mentioned even once in the main text.
Netizens who were tricked twice left angry comments.
"Is it really worth attracting traffic with clickbait headlines? I've already reported it, you're welcome!"
"They are whistleblowing and manipulating public sentiment, knowing full well that everyone is hoping for good news."
"Sigh, is there any chance that Ji Zhixing will win the Fields Medal? I've been worried ever since the news of the 30th ICM Conference came out."
"We've been discussing this in our group, it's a mixed bag. After all, the 29th official ICM conference this year just awarded four Fields Medals, and the 30th one is too close and too rushed. It's different from previous conferences."
"It's probably impossible. In previous years, the Fields Medal was awarded at the opening ceremony, but there was no news about it the day before yesterday."
"The Navier-Stokes equations absolutely deserve a Fields Medal; it just depends on whether the academic community recognizes Ji Zhixing's achievements."
"The news these past two days has focused on the shooting, with little mention of the briefing itself. Does anyone know the outcome of the meeting?"
“This kind of academic conference is not an exam in class, and it doesn’t come with a grade. And just because no one points out the flaws during the conference doesn’t mean they won’t point them out afterward. Otherwise, the Clay Mathematics Institute wouldn’t have set a two-year verification period.”
"Actually, it's not a big deal. Ji Zhixing is only 21 years old, far from the 40-year age limit for the Fields Medal. Even if he doesn't win it this year, he has a great chance of winning it next year."
"I'm not optimistic about the next conference either. Domestic mathematics education is too utilitarian and rigid. I have doubts about the correctness of Ji Zhixing's solution to the Navier-Stokes equations. It might be disproven before the next conference."
"Ha! What a big mouth you've got, even bringing up the education system. If China's math education is so terrible, then why do we win almost all the gold medals in the International Mathematical Olympiad?"
"I admit that test-takers do work very hard, but the Fields Medal and the International Mathematical Olympiad gold medal are not even in the same league. Don't try to compete with me."
"174 gold medals in the International Mathematical Olympiad and 0 Fields Medals. That speaks volumes."
"The only two Chinese-American Fields Medal winners, Shing-Tung Yau and Terence Tao, both grew up and received their education abroad." (smiling face emoji)
The sarcastic and sarcastic voices grew louder, and the number of confrontational comments surged. Xiao Bian, the editor of Wuliang News, was torn between two things: one half was happy to have met the KPIs, and the other half was worried about the trend of public opinion, mainly worried about crossing the line and getting caught in the middle.
Xiao Bian took out his phone and texted his friend at Harvard University again: Has the result come out yet?
He dared to publish the report "Ji Zhixing Wins Fields Medal!" because he received a tip from a friend that the conference chairman, Professor Bolton, was arguing with the International Mathematical Union to award Ji Zhixing the Fields Medal. Therefore, to save time, he first published a vague news report.
If Ji Zhixing wins the award, then his report will be the first to be published; if Ji Zhixing doesn't win, then he can simply say that the news was wrong, or that the headline was actually a kind of good wish, since he didn't mention it directly in the main text.
Harvard Square Hotel.
Zhu Ren was nagging Yan Anjin endlessly.
"Give me a straight answer! What is it... huh?" Zhu Ren didn't dare to say the words "Fields Medal" directly. He was a little anxious and afraid that if he said it, it wouldn't "come true".
Before the ICM conference, his mind was preoccupied with whether Ji Zhixing could successfully withstand the debates from the world's top mathematicians. Only after the presentation did he realize the possibility of winning the Fields Medal.
If Ji Zhixing does indeed win the Fields Medal, it will be the first Fields Medal awarded to a native-born Chinese, which is of great significance.
Yan Anjin certainly hoped that Ji Zhixing would win the award and felt that he was very likely to win it, but he was not a member of the International Mathematical Union, so how could he know the accurate information?
Undeterred, Zhu Ren asked again, "Do you think there's any chance of winning other awards if we don't get this one?"
He knew that the ICM conference had four awards, and that winning one, big or small, would make the trip worthwhile and shut up the unscrupulous mouths of some media outlets.
Yan Anjin shook her head: "The other three awards all have specific conditions."
The Gauss Prize is awarded only to those who have made achievements in applied mathematics, the Newanlina Prize is mainly for the field of computer mathematics, and the Chern Prize is the highest level of lifetime achievement award in the international mathematics community. Ji Zhixing is only 21 years old, and it is too early to talk about lifetime achievements.
“However,” Yan Anjin said, seeing Zhu Ren pacing anxiously, “at least he’ll be named ‘Best Youth Speaker.’”
There is only one "Best Young Speaker" award each year, and it is not easy to obtain this honor.
"That's obvious!" Zhu Ren wasn't comforted at all. He rolled his eyes at Yan Anjin: "Who else could it be but Zhixing, the 'Best Young Speaker'?"
Although Chinese speakers have been named "Best Youth Speaker" in previous years and received enthusiastic praise from the media, Ji Zhixing's situation is different this time. If he only receives the title of "Best Youth Speaker," he might be ridiculed by some biased and unscrupulous media outlets.
While Zhu Ren was filled with worry, Ji Zhixing was packing his bags. After the closing ceremony and banquet today, he could return to China.
After eating steak for two or three days, Ji Zhixing was craving rice, even just with pickled vegetables!
Previous ICM conferences typically last 6-9 days, as there are activities in 20 mathematical disciplines, and many mathematicians are invited to give presentations or apply to give presentations.
However, this conference only had one speaker, Ji Zhixing, and no other activities were arranged as is customary, so the originally planned agenda only lasted two days. One day was for Ji Zhixing to give an academic report, and the other day was for the closing ceremony and banquet.
The academic conference was held the day before yesterday, and the closing ceremony was supposed to be held yesterday, but it was postponed by a day due to the sudden shooting.
After packing his luggage, Ji Zhixing opened the medicine box, broke off a few capsules and pills, put them in his mouth, and swallowed them with water infused with Malva nut.
Professor Bolton visited him early yesterday morning and, noticing his sore throat, asked his family doctor to prescribe medication. After taking the medicine three or four times, Ji Zhixing was able to speak briefly today.
The closing ceremony started at 3 p.m., and Ji Zhixing left home at 2:30 p.m., accompanied by Zhu Ren and Yan Anjin.
Throughout the journey, Zhu Ren hesitated to speak, but ultimately refrained from saying anything that might add to Ji Zhixing's psychological burden.
Ji Zhixing could tell from the director's expression that he was worried about the Fields Medal. Of course, he had his hopes, but he had a good attitude. He figured if he didn't get it this year, he would definitely get it next year. The Fields Medal was his for the taking; he was only 21 years old, what was there to rush!
The closing ceremony was held in the same conference hall as on the first day, but there were noticeably more security personnel on site.
"That's more like it!" Zhu Ren muttered.
Born in the new China and raised under the red flag, the day before yesterday was truly the first time in his life he had directly witnessed gunfire. At first, he didn't even realize what was happening, thinking it was some kind of sound or lighting equipment that had exploded. Later, when the experienced Westerners began to flee the venue, he noticed that Joseph was holding a gun.
He still feels a bit scared when he thinks about it now. If Ji Zhixing had lost his life or been seriously injured here, he would never have peace of mind for the rest of his life.
The number of people attending the closing ceremony today was not as large as on the first day, but the entire conference hall was still full.
As the clock struck three, the closing ceremony began.
Professor Burton, as the conference chair, delivered the opening remarks.
He began by mentioning the incident from the day before yesterday, and the main representative of the organizing committee expressed his deepest apologies to Ji Zhixing, who was in danger, and to all the participants who were frightened.
"Hurry up! Stop with all this pretense!" Zhu Ren thought to himself. He had been anxiously anticipating the award ceremony, and all he wanted to do was press the fast-forward button.
Many people shared his sentiments, including many Chinese netizens watching the live broadcast of the event.
Xiao Bian's friend Peng You was urged by him to find an inconspicuous corner in the venue to secretly do a live broadcast on his phone. This only live broadcast channel naturally attracted many people who were interested in Ji Zhixing, the NS equation, and this year's ICM conference.
The number of viewers in the live stream quickly climbed to the "hundred million" mark, causing severe buffering issues. However, despite their complaints about the rudimentary platform, viewers refused to log out.
Xiao Bian grabbed the technician by the neck and forced him to expand the capacity immediately. Zhu Bi'an, the editor-in-chief of Wuliang News, also urgently recalled all the technicians and news editors who were on leave.
Whether Wuliang News can leap over the dragon gate and rise to the ranks of first-tier news media depends on this battle!
In the dead of winter, Zhu Bi'an was so anxious and sweating profusely that he took off his down jacket and wool vest.
He genuinely hadn't expected so many people to pay attention to this news. After all, the general public doesn't usually care much about academic matters, and the award involved wasn't the Nobel Prize, China's most prestigious international award. In fact, many people might not have even heard of the Fields Medal before.
However, considering the commotion caused by the Navier-Stokes equations a while ago, and the fact that the protagonist is Ji Zhixing, who is very well-known online, it is not hard to understand.
Zhu Bi'an stared at the live broadcast screen. On the stage, Professor Bolton was still slowly and earnestly stating his view that "academics must never, and will never, succumb to violence." Many mathematicians in the audience nodded in agreement.
However, he wasn't an academic and didn't have much empathy. Instead, he urged the other editors to speed up their work, releasing a round of press releases about the significance of the Navier-Stokes equations, the history of the ICM conference, and the origins of the Fields Medal to generate a surge in readership.
Xiao Bian urged Peng You to go to the front row to pat Ji Zhixing on the shoulder to see his reaction, but Peng You refused. His mentor was sitting in the front row, and he dared not let his mentor see his unserious behavior.
After all, the ICM conference is a grand gathering and sacred event for mathematicians!
Professor Burton finally finished his remarks on the shooting, and then conveyed the resolution of the International Mathematical Union, awarding Ji Zhixing an honorary certificate for "Best Young Speaker".
At this point, many keyboard warriors with dark intentions and a desire to see others succeed have already begun to offer their opinions.
"In previous years, the announcement of the 'Best Young Speaker' was the grand finale, right? The chairman will say a few more words and then the conference will be over."
"Sigh, it's really unfair to Ji Zhixing. He traveled all the way across the ocean, almost losing his life there, only to receive this 'consolation prize'."
"What a good actor! He's even laughing, but he's probably cursing inside, hahaha!"
"That old man talked for so long but didn't mention the Navier-Stokes equations at all, which shows that Ji Zhixing's so-called solution is actually wrong, right?"
"I guessed it long ago, but people didn't believe me. Without reforming China's rigid education system, don't expect to produce any real mathematical talents."
"Seriously, where did all these gloating people come from? How miserable must their real lives be!"
"The Chinese education system has many drawbacks, but at least it vigorously promotes elite education for all, which is better than the Western system of directly dividing education into 'elite education' and 'common education' based on class."
"The conference isn't even over yet, and you're already jumping to conclusions. Be careful you don't get proven wrong."
"I don't understand the Navier-Stokes equations, but I know that 8 SCI papers are enough to crush most researchers. Sorry if I offended anyone, I was specifically referring to that keyboard warrior who always brings up systemic issues."
"Actually, having the courage to question the Navier-Stokes equations is already quite remarkable. My supervisor once assigned me a topic related to this, and when I heard it, I was trembling all over and felt like my soul had left my body!"
"Damn! It's stuck again. Can someone provide a text translation?"
"My system is completely frozen too. Someone please leave temporarily. It's already at 200 million, how can it not be frozen!"
However, just like when an elevator is overloaded, many people stand there waiting for others to leave, and those who enter the live stream are afraid that if they leave, they will never be able to enter again. Only a few people actually click the "X" to close the live stream window.
Inside the conference hall.
Ji Zhixing had already returned to the stage with the "Best Young Speaker" certificate. After all, this was his first international honor, and he valued it highly and was very happy about it. He thought to himself that he must make a copy and burn it at his grandfather's grave when he got back.
Professor Bolton continued speaking on stage, his voice passionate and rousing.
"More than two hundred years ago, Euler wrote the preface to the Navier-Stokes equations, setting the tone for this mathematical story; in the nineteenth century, Navier wrote a pivotal chapter; and Cauchy brought this long story to a dramatic turn..."
Upon hearing this, the young mathematicians below couldn't help but chuckle softly, and Ji Zhixing smiled as well.
Although Professor Bolton's words sounded romantic, they couldn't change Cauchy's "devilish" nature.
Unlike Navier, who focused on the study of fluid viscosity, Cauchy introduced the concept of stress tensor of fluid elements into the Euler equations, making the already relatively simple equations more accurate but also more complex. Generations of mathematicians suffered greatly from this, and at this point, they found the phrase "a sudden turn of events" deeply comical.
Zhu Ren's heart clenched. He understood that Professor Bolton's revisiting of the history of the Navier-Stokes equations couldn't have been without reason. What else could it be for?!
Professor Burton was still telling the story of his "white moonlight" with deep emotion.
"Finally! Stokes made a creative modification to the story, extending Newton's law of viscosity from one dimension to three dimensions, and the Navier-Stokes equations were born!"
“But,” Professor Bolton’s voice turned low, “for a long time, the Navier-Stokes equations stood like a mountain before all those seeking solutions to fluid problems. It was a dream that everyone longed for but could not attain, and it was also my lifelong aspiration!”
Many mathematicians, upon hearing this, couldn't help but tear up; they had made countless efforts. But often, they also fell into deep doubt due to seemingly insignificant progress, wondering if they were getting closer to their dreams or drifting further away.
Many people looked towards the first row, towards Ji Zhixing sitting there.
Professor Bolton also set his sights on Ji Zhixing.
"And today!" His voice turned impassioned, "the dream has finally come true! Mr. Ji Zhixing from China has written a brilliant ending to this story that has lasted for more than two hundred years!"
Many people spontaneously stood up and clapped, and the applause grew louder and louder.
Professor Bolton let everyone vent their excitement for a while before pressing his hands down several minutes later, and the applause subsided.
"Solving the Navier-Stokes equations signifies another period of rapid development for related disciplines since the 18th century. 'Mathematicians worldwide: Be proud to make new contributions to knowledge!' These are the words inscribed on the medal by Mr. Fields. Without a doubt, Mr. Ji Zhixing rightfully deserves such a medal!"
"I hereby formally announce that the mathematician who has been awarded the Fields Medal at the 30th International Congress of Mathematicians is Mr. Ji Zhixing from China!"
The audience erupted in applause, and Ji Zhixing turned to thank everyone. Then, he stepped onto the stage and, suppressing his excitement, accepted the Fields Medal, a prize coveted by countless mathematicians.
Meanwhile, the list of the Top Ten Outstanding Young People of China for the year, which had been delayed, was finally officially announced, and Ji Zhixing's name was prominently featured!
After receiving the news from the front lines, numerous domestic media outlets uploaded their prepared news articles to various platforms, and two related entries quickly appeared on Weibo.
Ji Zhixing wins the Fields Medal!
"China's first Fields Medal!"
Both entries were followed by the bright red "爆" (explosive) character, and the internet was in an uproar!
The netizens gathered on the Wuliang News live streaming platform quickly dispersed, and the previously choppy live stream finally started moving.
Zhu Bi'an was filled with remorse, pounding his chest in frustration. He had messed up at the most crucial moment, completely missing every detail of the awards ceremony!
Xiao Bian picked his nose, gloating. "Hmph! Back then, Zhu Bi'an refused my application to cover the conference, saying he actually wanted to take advantage of a paid trip. Now look at him, he regrets it!"
The dinner that day was not open to just anyone, but it was equally unremarkable. Most of the mathematicians had already had extensive exchanges with Ji Zhixing at the first day's conference, so the dinner was mainly for networking and exchanging contact information.
Blake also handed Ji Zhixing a business card, and only then did Ji Zhixing realize that this was Blake, who was known as the "genius of number theory".
The two were chatting happily when, during the conversation about the shooting that day, Blake's expression suddenly changed. Oh no! He had previously thought Ji Zhixing looked too refined and that Julianne would never like him. But he hadn't expected that Ji Zhixing, despite his seemingly frail appearance, would be so physically strong—a formidable foe!
Ji Zhixing, both amused and exasperated, said that he was devoted to academics and had no intention of dating for at least the next one or two decades, which made Blake turn from annoyed to delighted.
After returning to China, Ji Zhixing was extremely busy for a period of time. He was constantly on the go, attending events such as the Top Ten Outstanding Youths of China, provincial and municipal government commendation meetings, Guangling University's end-of-term commendation meeting, and various media interviews. He was spinning like a top.
In addition, his high school invited him to go back and give a lecture. Ji Zhixing originally planned to go back to sweep his grandfather's grave, but when he thought of the care the school and teachers had given him back then, he agreed. He also donated money to his alma mater to build a library.
After returning to Guangling University, Zhu Ren personally went to dormitory 310 and handed Ji Zhixing several international emails.
"What is this?" Ji Zhixing asked.
Zhu Ren shook his head: "I didn't open it to check, so I'm not too sure."
However, these were all official letters from prestigious international universities such as Harvard, Cambridge, and Princeton, and he figured they were all trying to poach him.
Ji Zhixing opened each letter and found that they were all offers from prestigious universities, all promising huge scholarships and inviting him to pursue graduate studies.
Zhu Ren felt a lump in his throat. The seedlings he had planted for two and a half years were about to be uprooted after only one harvest. Although he was happy for Ji Zhixing, he also sighed for Guangling University.
Such news always spreads very quickly, and by that very day, all the students at Guangling University knew that Ji Zhixing was about to go abroad to study.
After discussing it, the members of the former Zero Gravity Society, now Zero Gravity Company, decided to each contribute a little money to hold a farewell banquet for Ji Zhixing, and even specially made an invitation at a printing shop.
Physics students who had attended Ji Zhixing's tutoring classes shared the same sentiment.
Ji Zhixing was baffled when he received two invitations: "I had no plans to study abroad!"
Because the learning system has been upgraded once again!
A note from the author:
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