In the fiery red era of the heavens, refrigerators are refreshed daily.

Yang Guangming was jolted awake from his light sleep when the plane's landing gear made a heavy, screeching sound as it hit the runway at San Francisco International Airport.

The cabin began to get noisy, signaling the end of the long journey.

He rubbed his sleepy eyes and looked out the porthole. The California sun poured down on every corner of the airport without reservation, and the light was very strong.

The moment I stepped out of the cabin and into the connecting passage, a wave of dry, warm, and fresh air hit me, as if carrying the relaxing signal unique to California, quickly washing away the fatigue of the journey.

Yang Guangming took a deep breath. The air was filled with a unique scent that seemed to be a mixture of eucalyptus trees, dry meadows, and the distant ocean, which invigorated him.

In the bustling arrival hall, he soon spotted the contact staff holding up signs in Chinese.

He was a young man who looked to be in his early thirties, wearing a simple khaki jacket, and with a mild demeanor.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they got into a somewhat old-looking Ford sedan, drove away from the airport, and headed towards their final destination—Palo Alto, home to Stanford University, about an hour's drive south of San Francisco.

The vehicle drove smoothly on the busy highway. Yang Guangming noticed that the two visiting scholars next to him were staring intently at the scenery rushing past the window, and everything in front of them seemed to be novel to them.

Completely different from the vertical, space-crushing urban landscape of New York, the buildings here are mostly low-rise and brightly colored—off-white, light yellow, and terracotta red—scattered among large expanses of green lawns and towering palm trees.

The sky was a vast and clear azure, with almost no clouds in sight.

On the highway, all kinds of cars converge into a metallic torrent; pedestrians by the roadside are dressed casually, and most of them have a relaxed expression on their faces.

A sense of openness, abundance, relaxation, and vitality permeates every molecule in the air.

This feeling was both unfamiliar and subtly exciting for the two visiting scholars who had just come from a highly organized and collective environment.

As the vehicle slowly drove into the Stanford University campus, known as "The Farm," even in the bright, tranquil sunshine, one couldn't help but gasp in amazement.

This is hardly a university campus; it's clearly a meticulously planned and magnificent giant park.

As far as the eye can see, there is an incredibly expansive lawn, stretching into the distance like a green ocean. Earth-yellow stone walls, arcades, and Spanish missionary-style buildings with red tile roofs are scattered throughout, presenting a warm and substantial feel under the bright sunlight.

Tall palm trees stand like guards, and various lush subtropical plants adorn the area around the buildings and along the roads. In the distance, rolling hills are bathed in sunlight and turn golden.

Bicycles shuttle back and forth on campus, their crisp bells ringing out from time to time.

Students, in twos and threes, lay on the grass basking in the sun and reading, or sat together chatting enthusiastically. The freedom, confidence, and vitality radiating from their faces formed the most vivid scene here.

All of this forms a stark and even strong contrast with the orderly, symmetrical, solemn, and historically profound atmosphere of Tsinghua University's oriental gardens.

This is an aesthetic collision stemming from different cultural backgrounds and lifestyles.

Thanks to the meticulous arrangements made by the liaison office staff, the two visiting scholars, Professor Wang and Professor Li, were placed in a Chinese family's homestay off-campus. This not only saved them a lot of money but also made it easier for them to adapt to life and environment in a foreign country more quickly.

As a full-time degree student, Yang Guangming will need to move directly into the graduate student apartments on campus.

After saying goodbye to the liaison office staff and the two teachers, Yang Guangming carried his rather simple luggage and headed alone to the dormitory building he was assigned to, following the map.

His dormitory was a brand-new two-story apartment building, and he was assigned a two-person room on the second floor.

Pushing open the door, the room wasn't spacious, but it was clean and tidy, and the facilities were practical.

Two simple single beds are placed against the wall, along with two desks, two wardrobes, and a separate bathroom with a shower.

His roommate was an American student named Mark, who was majoring in electrical engineering.

Mark was a tall, thin young man with freckles on his face and curly hair.

Seeing Yang Guangming enter, he put down his magazine, looked him up and down curiously, then flashed a bright smile, extended his hand, and said enthusiastically in English with a distinct southern accent, "Hey! You're my new roommate? I'm Mark, welcome to Stanford!"

"Hello, Mark, I'm Yang Guangming, from China, majoring in Computer Science." Yang Guangming smiled, shook the other person's hand firmly, and responded clearly in fluent American English.

"Wow! Your English is amazing! I can barely hear your accent!" Mark raised an eyebrow in surprise, his blue eyes filled with genuine admiration.

He then enthusiastically helped Yang Guangming settle his luggage and, like a skilled tour guide, introduced him to the rules and precautions for using the basic facilities in the apartment building, such as the communal kitchen, laundry room, and recreation room.

As Yang Guangming listened, he quickly began to organize his belongings.

He carefully hung his few clothes into his wardrobe; then he neatly arranged the professional books, reference materials, and thick notebooks he had brought from China on his desk, categorizing them; finally, he carefully took out a wooden photo frame from the innermost part of his suitcase, inside which was a family portrait.

He gently stroked the surface of the picture frame with his hand and placed it upright in the corner of the desk.

In the photo, his parents are smiling kindly, his wife is nestled beside him with tender eyes, and their two young children are laughing innocently.

Gazing at that familiar smile, the feeling of being a stranger in a foreign land seemed to instantly fade away, and a warm and reassuring strength welled up in his heart, allowing him to quickly settle down.

After settling into his accommodation, Yang Guangming didn't even have time to savor the campus scenery before immediately throwing himself into the tense and tedious enrollment process.

He first went to the international student office, where he patiently filled out various registration forms in front of the counter piled high with forms, verified his passport and visa, and received a student ID card and a detailed campus map as a symbol of his identity.

Then, he rushed to the Department of Computer Science to register.

In the department's administrative office, he received a thick stack of materials, including detailed course descriptions, a list of all the professors' research interests and contact information, and a thick graduate student handbook.

He declined the staff's well-intentioned course selection suggestions and went straight to the chapter on graduate degree requirements, especially the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination, and began to study it carefully.

As he knew in his past life and in this one, Stanford’s doctoral qualifying exams were known for their rigorous difficulty and comprehensive coverage.

It is not a simple knowledge test, but a comprehensive assessment designed to select students who truly possess profound academic potential, a solid theoretical foundation, and independent research capabilities.

The exam covers multiple core areas, including computer architecture, operating systems, compiler principles, algorithm design and analysis, programming language principles, artificial intelligence fundamentals, and database systems. The format includes a written exam lasting several hours and an in-depth face-to-face oral exam conducted by a committee of senior professors.

It places extremely high demands on students' breadth and depth of knowledge, logical thinking ability, ability to solve cutting-edge problems, and on-the-spot psychological qualities.

Typically, even exceptionally gifted and well-prepared American master's students need to spend at least one to two semesters, or even longer, undergoing systematic and intensive preparation before daring to attempt the challenge.

Yang Guangming studied the exam syllabus and past exam instructions word by word. His brain was working at high speed. Combining his nearly secluded intensive study at Tsinghua University over the past two months with the macro perspective he had accumulated in his previous life, he quickly made a clear decision.

He decided not to follow the conventional, safe path of pursuing a master's degree first, but instead to directly challenge the doctoral qualification exam.

He was very clear about the advantages he possessed that were difficult for others to match.

The combined spiritual power of his two lifetimes endowed him with an almost photographic memory and a learning and comprehension ability and depth of thought far exceeding that of his peers.

During his time at Tsinghua University, he not only consolidated his undergraduate knowledge, but also efficiently reorganized and deepened the core foundation courses of computer science, building an extremely solid knowledge framework.

Most importantly, he possesses a macro-level vision and profound understanding of the development trajectory of this discipline over the next few decades.

This allows him to view many issues and debates in the current field from a higher perspective. When faced with some open, forward-looking, or even tricky questions, he has a unique insight and problem-solving approach that is almost like a "dimensionality reduction attack".

He quickly estimated in his mind: if he concentrated all his energy and made full use of the unparalleled resources of the Stanford Library, and supplemented his knowledge with some cutting-edge knowledge and details of specific fields, he was quite confident that he could complete his preparation within a month and pass this crucial exam.

If successful, he will skip the master's stage and go directly into doctoral studies and research. This will not only significantly shorten the time to obtain a doctoral degree, exceeding the expectations of the country and the liaison office, but will also give him an extremely valuable window of time that he can arrange himself so that he can start to implement the "plans" in his mind about the future as soon as possible.

The first step in making up his mind was to meet with his temporary academic advisor, an associate professor named Robert Davidson.

According to the information provided, Professor Davidson is not old, only about thirty-five or thirty-six years old, and his main research area is distributed systems.

When Yang Guangming knocked on Professor Davidson's office door, he saw a scene that was almost exactly as he had imagined.

The office wasn't large, but it was almost entirely filled with books, preprints of papers, and various drawings.

A rather bulky-looking computer terminal sat on a table in the corner, its green cursor blinking and jumping on a black screen.

Professor Davidson himself was wearing a wrinkled plaid shirt and faded jeans, his hair was a little messy, and he was engrossed in writing something among a pile of documents, a typical image of a Silicon Valley scholar.

"Come in!" Hearing the knock, he looked up, pushed up his glasses, and looked at Yang Guangming through the lenses. "You are... Yang Guangming? The one from Tsinghua University?" He flipped through the folder beside him, his tone casual and friendly.

“Yes, Professor Davidson, hello, sorry to bother you.” Yang Guangming looked relaxed, with a strong sense of confidence in his eyes.

“Welcome to Stanford. Please have a seat.” Professor Davidson gestured to a chair across the table piled with books. “I’ve reviewed your materials; your foundation is very solid. So, what specific ideas or preliminary plans do you have for your studies at Stanford?”

Yang Guangming gently moved the book on the chair aside, sat down properly, and said directly, "Professor Davidson, I have carefully studied our department's curriculum, research directions, and especially the process and requirements for doctoral training."

Based on my personal knowledge and learning ability, I hope to begin doctoral studies as soon as possible. Therefore, I plan to apply to take the doctoral qualifying exam next month.

"Doctoral qualifying exam?" Professor Davidson was clearly taken aback, his body instinctively leaning forward slightly as he scrutinized the seemingly calm and even somewhat frail Chinese student before him.

His tone carried obvious surprise and a hint of admonition, "Are you sure? I must remind you, this exam is extremely difficult."

It covers a very wide range and requires a high level of depth, focusing not only on memorization but also on understanding and application.

Many outstanding students who are native English speakers and have grown up in the local education system often need to prepare for one or two semesters, or even longer, and still may not pass in the end.

You've only just arrived in the US, you probably haven't fully adjusted to the time difference yet, and the environment is still unfamiliar... Isn't this a bit too hasty?

“I am very grateful for your reminder, Professor Davidson, and I fully understand the challenge of this exam.” Yang Guangming’s gaze was calm as water, but his tone was unusually firm. “During my time at Tsinghua University, I took advantage of various opportunities to systematically study and deeply master most of the core content required for the exam.”

I think it's worth trying.

If I pass, it will undoubtedly save valuable time; even if I fail, this experience will allow me to more clearly recognize my shortcomings and point me in a more precise direction for future learning.

Professor Davidson stared into Yang Guangming's clear and confident eyes, trying to find a trace of hesitation or bluff, but he failed.

He has met students from all over the world, including many geniuses and eccentrics, but it is extremely rare to find someone like Yang Guangming who, upon arrival, goes straight to his goal without any buffer and behaves with such calmness and confidence.

"Well... it's good to be confident, especially in the field of computer science."

Professor Davidson pondered for a full half minute before finally nodding and ceasing his attempts to dissuade him. "I suggest you familiarize yourself with the environment thoroughly, especially the main library and the engineering library. Look for compilations of exam questions from recent years and the department's recommended reading list, and do a self-assessment first."

If you persist after the evaluation, you can register for the exam next month.

"Thank you, Professor! I will prepare diligently and will not let you down," Yang Guangming expressed his gratitude.

After leaving Professor Davidson's office, Yang Guangming did not go directly to the library. Instead, he returned to his dormitory and began writing furiously, compiling a detailed report with clear logic and rigorous arguments, outlining his decision, his reasons, and his analysis of the exam's difficulty and his own abilities.

The next day, he took public transportation to the Liaison Office of the United States in the Bay Area in downtown San Francisco to give a formal report to the education staff who were in charge of international student affairs in his area.

He was greeted by a counselor surnamed Liu, who was about forty years old. He was wearing a well-fitting Zhongshan suit, his hair was neatly combed, and he looked shrewd and capable. His eyes revealed the prudence that comes with long-term experience in foreign affairs.

Consul Liu took the report, gestured for Yang Guangming to sit down, and then put on his glasses and began to read it carefully, page by page. As he read on, his brows furrowed slightly, and his expression became increasingly serious.

"Sunshine Ming."

Counselor Liu finally put down the report, crossed his hands on the table, and said in a solemn and cautious tone, "I have carefully read your report."

First of all, I must affirm that your idea is bold and ambitious, demonstrating the spirit of Chinese youth who are not afraid of difficulties and dare to strive for excellence.

He first gave a general affirmation, then changed the subject, "However, as the management cadre responsible for your studies and life, I must seriously remind you that you must fully, and even more fully, recognize the high difficulty of the Stanford PhD qualification exam."

This is not merely an assessment of book knowledge, but a comprehensive test of academic potential, way of thinking, expression ability, and even the Western academic paradigm.

For students whose native language is not English and who have grown up in a completely different education system, the challenges increase exponentially.

We usually, or rather, consistently advise freshmen against doing this.

The risk is too high!
Failure could severely damage your confidence, negatively impact your subsequent learning, and waste this invaluable initial period spent adapting to the language environment and academic atmosphere.

He paused, then spoke with even greater earnestness: "According to the original plans of the country and the university, your first step is to pursue a master's degree, which is a very safe and proven successful path."

With the foundation you built at Tsinghua University and the abilities you demonstrated, completing your master's degree step by step with excellent grades, and then applying for doctoral studies, will greatly increase your chances of success and make the process much smoother.

We think you should reconsider carefully and not...aim too high.

After some deliberation, he ultimately used this slightly derogatory term.

Yang Guangming listened quietly, without any sign of offense or displeasure on his face.

He had anticipated this reaction, or even stronger opposition.

After Counselor Liu finished speaking, he responded in a calm but firm tone: "Counselor Liu, thank you very much for your reminder and concern."

I have repeatedly considered the difficulties and risks you mentioned, and I am fully aware of them.

My request was not made on a whim, but based on an objective assessment of my own learning ability and existing knowledge.

During my time at Tsinghua University, I systematically mastered most of the core content required for the exam through self-study and in-depth research.

I believe that trying a challenge, even if I ultimately fail, will allow me to identify my shortcomings more quickly and clearly. This might be more efficient in guiding my subsequent research than learning in a step-by-step manner.

Therefore, I believe that investing this month is worthwhile and a well-considered choice. He raised his head, his gaze calm and confident as he met Counselor Liu's scrutinizing eyes, and continued, "Please trust me and give me this opportunity to try."

I will develop a detailed study plan down to the hour, make full use of every minute of this first month, and go all out to prepare for the best possible outcome.

At the same time, I am willing to bear all the consequences that may result from a failed attempt.

Looking at the young man before him, Counselor Liu sensed a quality different from that of ordinary international students from his calm tone, clear and logical expression, and those clear and firm eyes—a confidence deeply rooted in his heart, stemming from absolute strength, rather than youthful arrogance.

He recalled the near-perfect evaluations he received from China regarding Yang Guangming's studies and selection process at Tsinghua University, as well as the high praise from several senior professors for his talent and potential, and his resolve began to waver.

Perhaps such a student really cannot be judged by common sense?
Silence filled the office once again.

After a long silence, Counselor Liu let out a soft sigh of relief, his expression softening somewhat, and said, "Since you are so insistent and have presented sufficient reasons, demonstrating great determination... then we can approve your application in principle."

He saw a glint in Yang Guangming's eyes, but immediately raised his hand to stop him from saying thank you, and added seriously, "However, you must strictly abide by your promise, formulate and strictly implement the study plan, and regularly give me a brief report on your preparation progress."

We will monitor your situation closely.

Comrade Yang Guangming, please remember that your studies and life here are not just your personal matter, but also, to a certain extent, related to the image and spirit of Chinese students as a whole.

"Please rest assured, you and the organization!" Yang Guangming stood up and solemnly promised, "I will strictly abide by the discipline, do my best, and never let down the organization's trust and expectations!"

After obtaining the liaison office's "approval in principle," Yang Guangming returned to the Stanford campus and immediately threw himself into a month-long, highly disciplined, and intensive sprint to prepare for the exam.

His life instantly became as regular and efficient as a precise clock.

Every morning at six o'clock, as the first rays of sunlight in Palo Alto sweep across the hills and fall upon the campus, he gets up on time.

After a quick wash and breakfast, he slung his backpack over his shoulder and hurried straight to the magnificent Cecil H. Green Library, which boasts a vast collection and quiet study space.

Following the exam syllabus and the recommended reading list obtained from the department, he systematically searched for and borrowed relevant classic textbooks, authoritative collections of papers, the latest technical reports, and compilations of past exam questions from the vast sea of ​​books in the library.

His learning methods are highly structured:
During his prime time in the morning, he usually focuses on a core area, such as computer architecture and composition. He studies the classic works of Patterson and Hennessy, and reads several pioneering papers on RISC architecture in parallel.
In the afternoon, he would switch to another area, such as algorithm design and analysis. He would not only memorize classic algorithms, but also focus on understanding the mathematical principles and design ideas behind them, and try to solve some challenging problems.

In the evenings, as the library lights grew warmer and quieter, he would organize his notes from the day's studies and complete a large number of practice problems and timed tests.

His learning efficiency is astonishingly high.

Thanks to his extraordinary memory and the combined mental strength gained from his two lifetimes, reading a large amount of literature and absorbing information became twice as effective.

He reads extremely fast and has an almost photographic memory. More importantly, he can quickly understand the intrinsic connections between complex concepts and seamlessly integrate new knowledge into his existing, solid knowledge framework.

His macro-level perspective, accumulated from his previous life and overlooking the entire development of the discipline, gave him a unique "penetrating power."

When reading papers that are currently considered cutting-edge, in addition to the groundbreaking theoretical parts that have received much attention and praise, he can often keenly perceive their potential limitations and even see their possible future evolution.

This high-level perspective allows him to understand and analyze problems from several dimensions that are more comprehensive than those of ordinary students, and even some researchers.

In addition to immersing himself in the vast collection of books in the library, he also deliberately made time to audit some core courses for senior undergraduates or doctoral students, such as Professor Jerry Kay's "Advanced Topics in Operating Systems" or Professor Donald Knut's "Algorithm Analysis".

He not only listened, but also observed and experienced Stanford's teaching style, classroom interaction patterns, and the angles from which professors asked questions.

In class, he always chose a seat near the front but not inconspicuous, listening attentively. Occasionally, during the discussion, he would ask some core questions in his already quite fluent and natural English.

These questions often hit the nail on the head, demonstrating the questioner's profound understanding of the essence of the problem, and gradually attracted the attention of a few astute professors and classmates.

His roommate, Mark, is a typical American student who is outgoing, loves socializing, and enjoys attending parties and club activities.

At first, he was full of curiosity about his taciturn Chinese roommate who suddenly appeared and spent almost all his time in the library.

Mark had repeatedly invited Sunshine to pizza nights or various parties organized by the apartment building, trying to pull him into his social circle.

But Yang Ming always politely but firmly declined, saying apologetically, "Thank you, Mark, but I really need to prepare for a very important exam."

After a few times, although Mark felt that his roommate's life was a bit too "monotonous" and "boring," and even privately nicknamed him "study machine," he fully respected Yang Guangming's choices and personal space, and stopped bothering him too much. He would only occasionally ask curiously when Yang came back at night, "Hey, Yang, how's your preparation for that dreadful exam going?"

Time flew by in this daily, single-minded, and arduous practice.

Yang Guangming seemed to have entered a state of "flow," where all external distractions were automatically blocked out. His entire world consisted only of abstract symbols, complex logic, and endless knowledge points. He didn't even feel tired, only a sense of fulfillment and joy from constantly absorbing knowledge and pushing the boundaries of his cognition.

Just twenty days later, when Yang Guangming closed the last page of the last important reference book he had assigned and gently placed the newly published book back on the shelf, he sat quietly by the window in the library, feeling a sense of relief throughout his body, and gently closed his eyes.

The afternoon sun shone warmly on him through the huge glass window.

Instead of mechanically recalling specific knowledge points in his mind, he tried to organize the core knowledge system of computer science in a complete and organic way, like building a huge "knowledge tree," from the roots to the trunk, and then to the branches and leaves.

He felt that the various originally independent fields were connected by countless invisible threads, forming a coherent whole.

An unprecedented sense of control over knowledge and a strong sense of self-confidence filled his heart, as warm and real as the California sunshine.

He realized that he was ready. Even more ready than he had anticipated.

Without further hesitation, he went to the Computer Science Department's teaching office that afternoon and formally submitted his application to take the doctoral qualifying exam that month. His application was quickly accepted, and the exam was scheduled for a week later.

In this final week, Yang Guangming did not choose to continue frantically cramming new knowledge into his brain or engage in intensive practice problems.

He deeply understood the principle of "balancing tension and relaxation".

This week, his main tasks became reviewing, organizing, filling in gaps, and most importantly, adjusting his physical and mental state.

He reduced his time in the library and increased his time walking and jogging on campus, basking in the California sun and breathing fresh air to ensure his brain got enough rest and relaxation, so that he could face the upcoming challenges with the clearest mind, the most abundant energy, and the most peaceful state of mind.

The exam day arrived as scheduled.

The written exam was held in a spacious classroom in the department and lasted for a whole day.

There are two sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, each lasting three hours, covering multiple core areas from hardware to software, and from theory to application.

The exam paper was not only voluminous but also extremely difficult, including in-depth explorations of basic concepts, comprehensive questions requiring the flexible application of various knowledge to solve complex problems, and even some open-ended questions that touched on current research hotspots and had a clear exploratory nature.

The atmosphere in the examination room was heavy; the only sound was the scratching of pens on paper.

Yang Guangming sat by the window, calmly and methodically reviewing the question, thinking, and working out the calculations on the draft paper before clearly and systematically writing down his solution on the answer sheet.

His thinking is exceptionally clear, and his writing flows smoothly. Even when faced with extremely tricky and seemingly insurmountable problems, he remains calm and fully utilizes all the knowledge and thinking tools accumulated from his past and present lives to approach the problem from a unique and ingenious angle, analyzing it layer by layer to provide a logically rigorous and well-reasoned solution.

His strong mental fortitude ensured that he could maintain a high level of focus and sharp thinking even under prolonged and intense mental exertion.

The second day is the oral examination, which is a more direct and rigorous test of the candidates' psychological qualities, on-the-spot adaptability, and academic potential.

The oral exam was conducted in a small conference room, where a committee of five senior professors from the department, each with significant achievements in their respective fields, took turns asking him questions.

Among these five professors was Professor Hoffman, whom he had heard of before and who was renowned in the fields of artificial intelligence and computer theory.

Facing the scrutinizing gazes of five academic authorities, Yang Guangming withstood immense pressure.

He tried to remain calm and communicated, discussed, and even debated with the professors in fluent and accurate English.

The professors' questions were wide-ranging, not only delving into his understanding of fundamental knowledge but also focusing on probing his research thinking, critical thinking skills, ability to ask questions, and views on the future development of the discipline.

Yang Guangming's solid theoretical foundation, keen academic insight, and especially his unique perspectives on some cutting-edge issues that sparked future wisdom, left a very deep and even amazing impression on the professors present, especially Professor Hoffman.

This oral exam, in some ways, transcended the ordinary meaning of an exam and resembled a high-quality, high-level academic discussion.

After all the exams were over, there was a brief but inevitably somewhat anxious wait.

Although Yang Guangming was quite confident in his performance, a trace of uncertainty still existed before the final results were announced.

Three days later, in the afternoon, he was reading a research paper on early neural networks in his dormitory when he received a call from the department's academic secretary, informing him to go to the department office immediately.

His heart skipped a beat, but he quickly regained his composure, straightened his clothes, and hurried over.

In the department office, the woman in charge of graduate student affairs smiled and handed him a formal notification letter. Yang Guangming took the letter and quickly scanned the English content—

"We are pleased to inform you that you have successfully passed the doctoral qualifying examination for the Department of Computer Science at Stanford University. Following a comprehensive evaluation by the examination committee, your overall performance has been rated 'Outstanding.' Congratulations! You are now officially qualified to pursue a doctoral degree in Computer Science..."

Upon seeing this, Yang Guangming's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.

He let out a slow, soothing breath, as if releasing all the stress and fatigue of the past month.

Despite having anticipated it, it wasn't until this moment, seeing the official confirmation in black and white, that this huge weight was finally lifted, and a tremendous sense of accomplishment and joy instantly spread throughout my body like a warm current.

Suppressing his excitement, his first action was to follow procedure and submit a written report of the good news to Counselor Liu of the liaison office.

Upon receiving the report, Counselor Liu called almost immediately.

On the other end of the phone, his usually calm voice was filled with barely suppressed joy and high praise:
"Comrade Yang Guangming! This is fantastic news! You succeeded! And you even received an 'Excellent' rating! That's truly remarkable! You've brought honor to Chinese students studying abroad and set a great example!"
"I need to immediately report this to Team Leader Zhou and the authorities back home. You've far exceeded the organization's highest expectations!" Counselor Liu's excitement was palpable.

He knew perfectly well that Yang Guangming's move not only proved his outstanding personal abilities, but also meant that his study abroad time would be significantly shortened by directly entering the doctoral stage.

"Thank you for your encouragement and support, Counselor Liu! This is just the beginning. I will continue to work hard and live up to the organization's training and expectations." Yang Guangming held the microphone, his tone remaining humble.

After the results of this exam were announced, news that a Chinese freshman had passed the doctoral qualifying exam directly with an "excellent" rating began to circulate quietly in a small circle.

The first person to congratulate Yang Guangming was naturally his temporary academic advisor, Professor Davidson.

"Yang! Congratulations!"

This time, Professor Davidson greeted him directly at the office door with a genuine smile on his face. "This is truly an amazing achievement! Several professors in the department who participated in the oral exam, especially Professor Hoffman, spoke very highly of you!"

He patted Yang Guangming on the shoulder, his tone filled with surprise, "Professor Hoffman told me personally that he was very interested in the depth of knowledge and intellectual dynamism you demonstrated in your oral exam. He would like to schedule a time to talk to you in detail about your future research direction."

Professor Hoffmann? Yang Guangming's heart skipped a beat.

Professor Hoffman was one of the top scholars he hoped to meet, an authority in the fields of artificial intelligence and formal methods.

He immediately responded respectfully, "It is my honor, Professor Davidson. Thank you very much for your introduction."

During his meeting with Professor Hoffman, Yang Guangming once again demonstrated his academic qualities, which far exceeded those of his peers.

He not only answered Professor Hoffman's professional questions on computational complexity, logic programming, and early machine learning models fluently, but also offered his unique, insightful, and forward-looking perspectives on some current research bottlenecks.

Some of his ideas even impressed Professor Hoffman, who saw a new possibility.

Professor Hoffman greatly admired him and immediately expressed his welcome to join his research group to conduct research on the fundamental theories of artificial intelligence.

To Yang Guangming's even greater surprise, Professor Hoffman offered to apply for a "President's Fellowship" for him, a very limited and highly competitive scholarship with a very generous amount of money, to fully support his tuition, living expenses, and various research costs throughout his doctoral studies.

Professor Hoffman was very efficient; just two days later, Yang Guangming received the official notification that he had been awarded the "President's Special Scholarship".

This scholarship provides substantial funding for doctoral studies, amounting to up to $8,000 per semester!
This means that Yang Guangming not only entered the doctoral program at an astonishing speed and studied under top professors, but also solved the most troublesome financial problem for all overseas students, obtaining a generous scholarship that allowed him to openly and confidently pursue academic research!

The news spread like wildfire among international students and liaison offices.

After receiving Yang Guangming's formal report on the matter of the mentor and scholarship, Counselor Liu felt not only surprised and delighted, but also extremely gratified and excited.

He immediately wrote a telegram himself, sending enthusiastic and highly complimentary messages to the domestic education authorities and Tsinghua University, detailing this series of good news.

In his report to China, he spared no praise, highly commending Comrade Yang Guangming for his outstanding professional abilities, indomitable will, calm and clear strategic vision, and strong patriotism and sense of responsibility. He believed that Yang Guangming had set an excellent example for Chinese students studying abroad, demonstrating the top level and unlimited potential of the young students cultivated by the new China.

Yang Guangming quickly spread out the letter paper and wrote a letter each to his family in Shanghai and Professor Jinlan.

In the letter, he described in detail his initial impressions upon arriving in the United States, the scenery of the Stanford campus, his preparation for the exam, and the good news that he finally passed the exam, gained the appreciation of famous teachers, and won a scholarship.

Between the lines, there is a deep sense of gratitude for the teachers' meticulous guidance, a profound longing for the selfless support of family, and a patriotic heart.

These two letters needed to be relayed by the foreign affairs department, and it was impossible to keep their contents completely confidential, so Yang Guangming paid close attention to the wording in the letters.

Thus, Yang Guangming, with his undeniable strength and outstanding performance, far exceeded the highest expectations that the organization and liaison office could set for him.

This not only proves that he is fully capable of establishing himself at Stanford, one of the world's top universities, but also that he can stand out in the most dazzling way.

This is crucial.

This provided Yang Guangming with ample free time and extremely flexible autonomy to pursue his hidden "get-rich-quick schemes," while also minimizing unnecessary attention, inquiries, and constraints from management.

He is now a doctoral student in the Department of Computer Science at Stanford University, studying under a renowned professor, enjoying a generous scholarship, and has no need to worry about basic living expenses or use up the country's precious foreign exchange resources.

Sunshine's Stanford career, in a way far exceeding everyone's expectations, officially and spectacularly began. (End of Chapter)