I was a top student in America.

Emily and her two female companions hadn't gone far when the petite Asian girl beside her couldn't help but turn around and start gossiping:

"Which college was that guy from? How did he help you?"

"Not a college student." Emily put her phone back in her shorts pocket. "He's a high school student at my dad's school. When I applied to college, he had someone help me revise my application essays."

The Latina girl on the other end immediately chimed in, "High school student? Wait, is that the math summer camp genius you mentioned before?"

"Yes," Emily nodded. "He made it into the black belt group at summer camp. My dad said he might represent America in an international competition."

The Asian girl paused for a moment, then said, "But he looks tall and big, more like an athlete."

"He really is on the high school basketball team," Emily laughed. "He was even in the Chicago Tribune recently for making the game-winning shot in the tournament. Anyway, my dad always raves about him."

"A math genius who can also play sports?" The Latina girl raised an eyebrow. "Such a nice guy, introduce him to me!"

……

Li Ao also faced a lot of questioning.

Taylor, as if she'd discovered a huge secret, leaned closer and said, "I didn't realize, Leo, you've only just arrived at UIUC and you already know such a pretty girl? And you even got her number?"

"Your flirting skills are pretty good. I almost believed your nonsense just now. What the hell is this 'I only like studying' thing...?"

Li Ao was speechless in the face of Taylor's teasing.

Although he knew of Emily, he had never met her before, so he casually explained, "She's my high school math teacher's daughter, a freshman in college this year. I've never met her before."

"Sigh, why doesn't our high school math teacher have a pretty daughter who would ask me for her phone number?" Taylor sighed deeply as he watched Emily's retreating figure.

Kevin and Ethan didn't speak, but exchanged a glance, their faces full of disbelief.

Li Ao was too lazy to explain anymore; the more he explained, the worse it got, and it was pointless to say anything.

He's here at the summer camp to try and secure a spot on the national team; he doesn't have time to think about anything else.

As for whether he truly "likes learning," everyone will understand in a few days, so there's no need to waste time talking about it.

……

The group walked around the main lawn, returned to their dormitory, and continued to study the IMO past papers together.

Li Ao had already solved these problems, so he didn't participate in the discussion.

He pulled out a thick book on linear algebra and started studying it on his own, hoping to improve his intelligence attribute even further.

Kevin had just finished explaining a geometry problem when he glanced at the books on Kevin's desk and casually reminded him:

"Leo, matrices and determinants aren't on the syllabus for this summer camp. But if you encounter anything you don't understand, you can ask my cousin. He's a graduate student in the Physics Department at UIUC and is doing research at the university this summer. I'll introduce you two later."

Li Ao, who was studying linear combinations and generative spaces, looked up and smiled.

He hasn't encountered any major obstacles yet.

With the help of the glossary entries, understanding abstract concepts such as vectors and spaces is effortless.

Sometimes, he can even apply what he's learned to other situations and easily deduce small conclusions for later chapters.

However, since Kevin meant well, he naturally nodded and accepted the favor: "Okay, thank you."

Kevin turned back and continued explaining the problem to Ethan and Taylor.

Soon, only the sound of pen tips gliding across draft paper remained in the dormitory.

……

At 2:50 a.m. the next day, Li Ao opened his eyes precisely on time.

After sleeping for more than four hours, he had fully recovered.

So I quietly got out of bed, without waking up my roommates, grabbed my bag, and went to the Granger Engineering Library, which is open 24 hours a day, to study.

When I came out of the library after studying an entire chapter of "Mathematical Analysis," it was still dark.

He simply turned around and went to the school gymnasium, did a few sets of strength training, and then did some cardio.

Around 7 o'clock, after he finished showering and pushed open the door to enter the room, Taylor and the others were just getting out of bed.

After all, they are all high school students, and their biological clocks are relatively regular; no one sleeps in late.

Seeing him come back from outside drying his wet hair, Taylor was stunned: "You... just finished your morning exercise?"

"Hmm." Li Ao draped his sports jacket over the back of the chair. "The gym here is pretty good. I just did some cardio and then went to the library to read some books."

Upon hearing this, the other three all looked over: "Wait, it's only a little past seven, what time did you get up?"

"Around three o'clock, I'm used to being at home, so I can't fall asleep."

Kevin, who was still half asleep, instantly snapped awake upon hearing this: "Leo, you don't just sleep three or four hours a day, do you?"

"Almost. Don't worry, I'll be quiet and won't disturb you." Li Ao said, casually draping a damp towel over the edge of the bed.

The room was silent for two seconds, and the group of people looked at each other in bewilderment.

"I'll go downstairs and read for a while, then we'll have breakfast together." Li Ao ignored their reactions, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and headed straight out the door.

After closing the door, Kevin sighed, "No wonder this guy can study for sixteen hours a day and still be so energetic after only four hours of sleep. Who could stand that?"

Taylor declared directly, "I hereby declare that, effective today, Leo is excommunicated."

This time, Kevin and Ethan were surprisingly in sync, and neither of them objected.

The summer camp participants spent the rest of the morning preparing for the placement test.

Some were doing practice problems, some were reading books, and some were simply strolling around to relax.

After breakfast, the four roommates did not gather together to discuss the matter, but instead went to study on their own.

With the preliminary exam just around the corner, everyone is feeling a bit of urgency.

Li Ao didn't go back to his dormitory; instead, he went to a mathematics classroom near the Altgerd Building.

During the day, this old building looks like a castle, with its thick stone walls, narrow windows, and striking clock tower, standing out from the surrounding modern buildings.

Old photos and display boards hang in the corridor, introducing the mathematicians who once worked here.

Li Ao stopped in front of a display board.

The document records the history of the proof of the Four Color Theorem: Kenneth Appel and Wolfgang Haken completed this work at the University of Illinois with the help of computers.

This was a major event in the history of mathematics—for the first time, large-scale computer verification took center stage in mathematical proofs.

Initially, many traditional mathematicians did not agree, feeling that the massive exhaustive search results generated by machines lacked the clean and beautiful logical aesthetics of paper and pen proofs.

But no matter how controversial it was, the four-color theorem was eventually proven.

Mathematics has never been limited to just one tool.

Paper and pen, blackboard, computer—as long as they are logically sound, they can gain historical recognition.

Li Ao stood in front of the display board for a moment, and his heart inexplicably calmed down.

Further ahead is the bulletin board, which displays recent academic achievements and lecture announcements.

The most eye-catching thing was a huge poster: renowned mathematician Terence Tao will be giving an academic lecture at UIUC soon.

This young mathematician in his early thirties won the highest honor in mathematics at the International Congress of Mathematicians in Madrid last August, thanks to his contributions in multiple fields such as partial differential equations, harmonic analysis, and combinatorics.

Fields Medal.

He was awarded the prize at the same time as Perelman, who solved the Poincaré conjecture, although the latter did not even go to accept the prize.

Li Ao stared at the poster for a long time.

Since his rebirth, he has been working desperately to escape the quagmire of Chicago's South Side.

Now, as his mathematical talent gradually comes to fruition, he is finally able to set his sights on even greater scientific heights.

The Fields Medal, awarded every four years, is the dream of countless mathematicians.

For him now, pursuing this honor is still too far away.

However, as long as the attributes continue to improve and the affixes continue to accumulate, it is not impossible that this will happen one day.

He looked away, found an empty classroom, sat down, opened "Mathematical Analysis," and immersed himself in it once again.

After an unknown amount of time, a new panel notification appeared in view:

[Under intense study conditions... Stamina +0.1]

[Stamina: 110.0]

[Unlock the keyword: Endurance]

[Affix Effect: Your stamina and energy consumption rate is greatly reduced; the specific effect varies as your stamina attribute increases.]

……