My IQ has been increasing year by year.

Chapter 218 The rumors got more and more exaggerated

Zeyang, Sunshine Family Compound.

Chen Jianguo did not go to the factory.

The factory manager personally approved his leave, his polite tone making him uneasy.

He sat on the old, peeling sofa in the living room, with newspapers piled up on the coffee table in front of him.

Some of these newspapers were snatched by him when he went downstairs to buy breakfast, some were slipped in by his neighbors through the crack in his door, and others were forcibly shoved in by a group of young people waiting outside as soon as he opened the door in the morning.

Liu Xiuying was busy in the kitchen, but the range hood wasn't on, because she was afraid the noise would be too loud and people outside would hear.

She would occasionally peek out at Chen Jianguo, her eyes revealing a complex mix of wanting to laugh but not daring to, which eventually turned into a hint of anxiety.

Chen Jianguo held a cigarette between his fingers, but didn't light it. He looked down and flipped through the papers one by one.

The top one is "Reference News".

The layout is neat, and the titles are printed properly. In the international academic and scientific section, there is a bolded title:

Princeton's Amazement: A 13-Year-Old Chinese Boy

The content quoted a short commentary from the British newspaper The Times.

"The algebraic specter from the East plunged the school of continuous geometry into collective silence."

Professor Pierre's statement was not just an announcement of his acceptance of students, but more like an academic ultimatum that transcended time.

In the corridors of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, veteran mathematicians are re-examining a country they've overlooked, and the source of it all is a Chinese boy not yet 14 years old.

Chen Jianguo frowned as he looked at the words "ghost".

Although he was a technician, he felt alienated from this kind of vocabulary.

ghost?

Why does this foreigner say such unlucky things?

He stared at the corner of the newspaper for a while, then pressed his finger hard on the number 13.

He put the newspaper aside and picked up the overseas edition of the People's Daily.

The title is very accurate:

Mathematics Knows No Borders, Geniuses Have Their Places: Professor Pierre Announces Acceptance of Chinese Teenager Chen Zhuo as His Sole Disciple

The article states: "This is not only an honor for Chen Zhuo personally, but also a fruitful result of many years of dedicated work in basic science education in our country."

Professor Pierre, a leading figure in the field of algebraic geometry, is world-renowned for his rigor and aloofness. However, when faced with Chen Zhuo, this master gave him extremely high praise.

This recognition from the very top of the academic pyramid proves that Chinese youth have already acquired the ability to engage in dialogue with the world's top minds in terms of the depth and breadth of their logical thinking.

Chen Jianguo straightened his back.

This newspaper makes it clear that it is the only one.

He had been a technician for half his life and knew what being the only one meant.

That is the most critical reference point in the process flow, and there can be no tolerance whatsoever.

He then opened the Provincial Capital Evening News.

The newspaper's style suddenly changed, with half a page dedicated to Chen Zhuo's photographs.

That was a side profile of Chen Zhuo eating in the USTC cafeteria. I don't know which reporter took the picture. The sunlight shone on Chen Zhuo's collar, making his thin shoulders look unrealistically heavy.

The title is in extra-large boldface:

Princeton's Descending Table: Analyzing Why Pierre Had to Be Chen Zhuo

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...According to multiple sources interviewed by this newspaper, Professor Pierre used the highly offensive metaphor of explaining the sun to a blind person in his open letter.

This is not only praising Chen Zhuo, but also a warning to those Western scholars who have questioned him. At the age of 13, Chen Zhuo is now like a nuclear weapon in the field of mathematics.

He doesn't need to speak; simply sitting there is enough to declare to the world:

The era of Chinese geniuses has arrived.

Chen Jianguo's hand trembled slightly when he saw the word "nuclear weapons".

He thought to himself, "These newspaper writers really dare to write."

But the most outrageous things are yet to come.

He picked up several local morning newspapers from Zeyang.

There's a newspaper called "Zeyang Morning News" where the headline takes up a third of the front page:

"The Light of Zeyang! A 13-Year-Old Boy Makes the World Bow Down: Unveiling the Genius Genes Behind Chen Zhuo"

In this report, the reporter interviewed the government-run kindergarten where Chen Zhuo had worked.

A teacher from back then reminisced in front of the camera.

"I remember when Chen Zhuo was in kindergarten, he would often sit alone in a corner. At the time, we thought he was daydreaming, but now that I think about it, he was clearly deducing the mysteries of the universe. His eyes were completely different from the way other children looked at building blocks; they were a kind of profound look that penetrated the surface of matter."

Upon seeing this, Chen Jianguo finally couldn't help but sneer.

"Seeing through the surface?"

He muttered to himself.

"That little brat didn't know anything about the mysteries of the universe back then. He was probably just waiting for me to pick him up after get off work."

He then flipped through the pages.

Some digest-style weekly magazines are even more outrageous.

There is a book called *Shenzhou Wenzhai* (China Digest) with a sketch of Chen Zhuo on the cover and the title:

"Pierre's Telepathic Connection: How Did a Chinese Teenager Convince a World-Class Master Using Brainwaves?"

The content states: "According to unverified sources, when Chen Zhuo is thinking late at night, a weak magnetic field is generated around his brain, causing the electronic devices in the dormitory to experience a brief logical deviation."

It was this extraordinary brainwave frequency that led Professor Pierre, far away at Princeton, to believe, through some kind of academic intuition, that he was the one who could solve the century-old deadlock.

The article even forcibly inserted a little GG at the end.

Experts warn that genius brains require extremely high concentrations of lecithin, such as certain deep-sea fish oils.

"7

Chen Jianguo was so angry that he threw the magazine on the ground.

"Nonsense, pure nonsense!"

He stood up and walked around the living room twice.

A noisy sound came from outside the window.

In old residential areas like Sunshine Family Compound, the most lively things usually happen when the elderly are slaughtering pigs and sheep or arguing over a few cents' worth of vegetables.

But in the past two days, there have been unfamiliar faces downstairs, some wearing suits or carrying cameras, and some are even asking which unit and number Chen Jianguo lives in.

Even more outrageous, he saw something even crazier in several small advertisements posted by real estate agents in the hallway.

Last night, when he went downstairs to throw out the trash, he saw a newly posted red paper on the stairwell wall. It read: "Seeking to purchase any apartment in this building at a high price, especially those above, below, or next door to Chen Zhuo's apartment. Price negotiable. Generous reward offered to real estate agents. Reason:..."

The God of Literature has descended to earth, his aura is boundless.

Chen Jianguo initially thought it was a prank, but this morning he saw a banner hanging at the entrance of the residential compound that read: "Congratulations to Chen Zhuo, a student from the Sunshine Family Compound, on becoming a Fields Medal successor!"

Next came the names of several real estate companies.

Houses in old industrial areas like Zeyang City were originally hard to sell, but now someone is offering double the price just to buy this old building that is leaking and has exposed wires.

The reason is so absurd it's outrageous—

"To be imbued with divine aura".

"Jianguo, look at this."

Liu Xiuying came out of the kitchen with a cell phone in her hand; it was a text message from Zhang Qiang's mother.

Chen Jianguo leaned over to take a look.

The text message said that Zeyang No.1 Middle School is going crazy. The alumni association, which usually doesn't hold a meeting even once a semester, held a meeting last night and decided to urgently expand enrollment.

The alumni association originally had a very high entry threshold, requiring members to be at least at the department level or have assets worth tens of millions.

What now?

Anyone in the same grade as Chen Zhuo, or even those who had studied at the No. 1 Middle School of the city for half a year, were frantically trying to get in.

Zhang Qiang, whose grades were at the bottom, was actually listed as a key person of concern by the alumni association secretariat. Not only was he issued a membership card, but he was also invited to attend some kind of genius development seminar.

Zhang Qiang's mother said in a text message.

"Jianguo, Qiangqiang is under too much pressure right now. Those big bosses from the alumni association are grabbing Qiangqiang's hand and asking what brand of pencils Chen Zhuo usually uses. They even want Qiangqiang to give them the scrap paper Chen Zhuo has used. Qiangqiang is locking himself in his room to memorize formulas right now, saying he can't let Chen Zhuo down."

Chen Jianguo stared at the text message and remained silent for a long time.

He returned to the sofa and picked up the stack of newspapers again.

That extreme sense of pride and extreme absurdity were fighting in my chest.

I'm proud because that old man Pierre is truly amazing.

He clearly saw in the Reference News that the old man was like a "pope" abroad.

By accepting Chen Zhuo, he essentially gave Chen Zhuo a ticket to the pinnacle of the world. The entire nation of China was celebrating and feeling triumphant because of this.

But absurdly, in his eyes, Chen Zhuo was still that thirteen-year-old boy who would get so angry that he would jump up and down while tutoring Zhang Qiang in physics, and who could only fall asleep after eating two bowls of beef noodles when he got home.

Now, this child has been turned into a god by this stack of newspapers.

There was a sudden knock on the door.

"Thump, thump, thump!"

It's very rhythmic, but very powerful.

"Jianguo! Open the door! It's me, Old Wang!"

The factory manager's voice rang out from outside.

"The provincial TV station is coming; they say they want to film a segment about the daily life of this genius father. Why are you hiding? This is a great thing! It's bringing honor to our machinery factory and to Zeyang!"

Chen Jianguo didn't move.

Immediately afterwards, a few more business cards were slipped under the door.

The business card was printed with the titles of a certain brain tonic and a certain training institution.

There was even a voice shouting outside.

"Mr. Chen! We are from the manufacturer of Life Light! If Chen Zhuo can just leave a bottle of our medicine on the table during the interview, even if he doesn't drink it, we are willing to donate 500,000 yuan to Zeyang No. 1 Middle School, and we have also prepared 200,000 yuan for your personal nutrition expenses!"

Two hundred thousand.

In Zeyang at this time of year, you could buy two large single-level apartments.

Chen Jianguo felt a buzzing in his ears.

He glanced at Liu Xiuying, who was so frightened that she shrank back at the kitchen doorway, waving her hands to tell him not to open the door.

Chen Jianguo bent down and picked up the stack of newspapers on the ground one by one, folding them neatly.

He turned around and walked towards the small bathroom.

That was the only place in the house with a latch that could completely block out outside noise.

He closed the door and bolted it.

There was only one small, tall window in the bathroom, through which the morning sunlight slanted in and shone on the slightly yellowed white tiles.

Chen Jianguo sat on the toilet seat and took out the Nokia phone he had recently bought from his pocket.

He pulled up his contacts and dialed the number that was pinned to the top.

The dial tone went off three times.

"Feed? Dad."

Chen Zhuo's voice came over.

Upon hearing this voice, Chen Jianguo's previously tense shoulders suddenly slumped.

"Xiao Zhuo, it's me."

Chen Jianguo lowered his voice, as if he were explaining some secrets about working behind enemy lines.

"Dad, where are you making this call? Why is there a sound of water?"

Chen Zhuo asked on the other end of the phone.

"In the bathroom, we have no choice but to hide here. The factory manager is banging on the door outside, reporters from the province are setting up their machines downstairs, and even Grandpa Wang, who repairs bicycles, wants to come in and ask if you could really recite pi when you were three years old."

Chen Jianguo exhaled a puff of smoke, watching the smoke rings dissipate in the cramped bathroom.

"Dad read today's newspaper, it's all about you, that foreign devil Pierre... Is he really that powerful?"

Chen Zhuo remained silent for a moment on the other end of the phone before speaking.

"Very impressive, extremely impressive, basically the pinnacle in the field of mathematics."

Although Chen Jianguo couldn't understand math, he understood it perfectly.

He took a deep drag on his cigarette.

"So, he's backing you up?"

I guess so.

Chen Zhuo's voice sounded somewhat helpless. "He made such a big fuss because he wanted to put pressure on HKUST. He was afraid they wouldn't let me leave. He was telling the whole world that I was one of his people."

"Okay, okay."

Chen Jianguo said "good" twice, his eyes getting a little hot.

"Xiao Zhuo, your father has been a junior technician all his life. I understand one thing: if a part doesn't have a top-notch quality inspection report before it leaves the factory, it won't fetch a good price. And you... have obtained the best quality inspection report in the world."

"Winning glory for the country, that's no exaggeration."

Chen Jianguo changed his posture, holding the phone even closer to his face.

"But Dad has to remind you, people outside are portraying you as a god. Some newspapers say you have a magnetic field in your brain, and others say you are the reincarnation of the Purple Star. Just now, a medicine seller offered me 200,000 yuan to help him sell brain-boosting liquid."

Chen Zhuo chuckled softly on the other end of the phone.

"Dad, did you accept it?"

"Do you think I need his little bit of money?"

Chen Jianguo cursed.

"I slipped his business card back under the door, but let me tell you, you're in the spotlight right now. Everyone in Zeyang is watching you. Even the houses in the Sunshine Family Compound have gone up in price. They're saying that buying our shabby house will give birth to a genius."

"This is ridiculous."

"Let them be," Chen Zhuo said. "Once Zhang Qiang finishes his exams, no one will be watching our house anymore."

"Zhang Qiang?"

Only when this name was mentioned did Chen Jianguo remember the important matter.

"Zhang Qiang is going crazy. His mother says he only sleeps four hours a day now, and spends the rest of his time doing physics problems. She says if you become a master in the future, he won't even be able to get into the top high school, and he'll never have the face to call you again."

Chen Zhuo remained silent for a while on the other end of the phone.

"Okay, it was a twist of fate."

Chen Jianguo's tone became much more relaxed.

"Okay, you can stay at USTC. Don't rush back. Once this crazy phase is over, Dad will come to Huizhou to pick you up."

"dad."

Chen Zhuo suddenly called out to him.

"What's wrong?"

"Let Mom choose the decorations and furniture for the new house in Jinxiu Garden. If she runs out of money, just tell me, I have more."

Chen Jianguo was stunned for a moment, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up.

"I know, your mom picked a pink one, it's so tacky, I haven't dared to tell her yet."

I hung up the phone.

Chen Jianguo sat on the toilet seat for a long time.

The factory manager shouted even louder from outside the restroom.

"Jianguo! Open the door! I see the bathroom light is on!"

Chen Jianguo ignored him.

He looked down at the stack of newspapers he had brought in.

In the crease of the bottom newspaper, there was a line of inconspicuous small print.

It was a popular science article about adolescent mental health, in which the author advised parents not to put too much pressure on their children.

Chen Jianguo tore off the line of text, folded it neatly, and stuffed it into his shirt pocket.

He pushed open the bathroom door.

Facing her was Liu Xiuying's anxious face, and outside the security door, a tidal wave of noise and glory belonging to her own son.

Chen Jianguo straightened his back.

As a technician, he knew that no matter where the external tolerances led, as long as the reference point remained, the machine would not malfunction.

"Liu Xiuying, go open the door."

Chen Jianguo walked to the entrance and threw the stack of newspapers into the trash can.

"Let the factory manager in. And tell that medicine seller that my son doesn't drink fish oil; he only drinks the 1.5 yuan bag of soy milk from the USTC cafeteria."

At that moment, the sunlight of Zeyang shone through the old corridor into this ordinary family compound.

Outside, there is a grand narrative of winning glory for the country.

It contains the mundane life of daily necessities.

Chen Jianguo knew that his thirteen-year-old son was bringing glory to the country in his field.

This feeling is even better than drinking three bottles of Moutai!

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