Chapter 42

During the break, Zheng Wen hurriedly ran to the back, ready to explain to Liu Meng to clear up the misunderstanding and reconcile. However, when she looked for him, there was no sign of Liu Meng at his seat, and his backpack was gone. She called him, but the phone was directly turned off. She thought, "Liu Meng can't be so petty, can he?"

With no way to find him, she had no choice but to sit back down. She saw that Du Yi and Teacher Kong Jidao were chatting. Du Yi said, "I've heard a lot about Teacher Kong from Harbin Institute of Technology, who has a deep understanding of mathematics. Listening to this class today, I truly benefited a lot. When I was a freshman, there were many things I didn't understand in Advanced Mathematics, but now it feels like a sudden enlightenment."

Du Yi wasn't exaggerating; Teacher Kong Jidao's lectures were indeed excellent, with clear logic and a talent for explaining complex problems in simple terms, directly addressing the essence. Therefore, the more one had studied, the more they appreciated his teaching. Liu Meng had the same feeling when he first attended his class.

"Who would have thought you would also join in the fun? I've heard a lot about you. You won the national first prize in the Olympiad and achieved excellent results in international competitions, and were directly admitted to Tsinghua University. You are one of the two most talented mathematicians I've seen in all these years."

Teacher Kong Jidao was delighted to see these young talents with outstanding mathematical abilities and praised them with a smile.

"Ha ha, the other one must be Liu Meng, right? I didn't expect Teacher Kong to have such a high opinion of Liu Meng. It's no wonder my father also admires him, saying he might really solve the Cita Pan Conjecture." Zheng Wen interjected.

Teacher Kong Jidao nodded in agreement. In private, he and Zheng Zhong had often talked about Liu Meng, and both had high hopes for this young man.

"Is it Liu Meng? I've heard about him from Gu Pan. He is indeed a rare mathematical genius. I would really like to meet him if I have the chance. Is he not in class today?" Du Yi asked, suddenly very interested.

"He did come, but he disappeared before the class was over. I guess he left early." Zheng Wen pouted, feeling very annoyed by Liu Meng's pettiness.

"He just had some ideas and went to look up some materials. This kid respects me enough to send me a text message before he left. In mathematics, having ideas is the most difficult part. Some people can be stuck on a single point for years. When you have an idea, you should seize it." Teacher Kong Jidao smiled and explained on behalf of Liu Meng.

Zheng Wen was skeptical. "Is that really the case? Not because he's petty? He looks like a petty person."

At this moment, Du Yi was shocked. A freshman was actually working on the Cita Pan Conjecture. He had studied this conjecture in his third year, and it was indeed a very bizarre problem that couldn't be solved with conventional methods. One had to seek inspiration from classical mathematical theories.

This conjecture was still a very popular topic in the current mathematical community, with many top mathematicians studying it, but no one had solved it. Despite this, many people continued to work on it, finding it a very interesting challenge. Du Yi had also studied it for a while, but later chose to pursue a degree in economics, which took up his time and prevented him from continuing his research.

There was no way around it; his family business needed him to inherit it. His parents had already shown leniency by allowing him to major in mathematics, but as a condition, he had to take a minor in economics.

Glancing at Gu Pan, Du Yi felt uncomfortable. He knew her personality well and could easily infer some information from what Zheng Wen said. Zheng Wen, Gu Pan, and Liu Meng seemed to be very close, but when Liu Meng was mentioned, Gu Pan showed no emotion, remaining cold and distant.

This was very unusual. Gu Pan usually had a cold and distant demeanor in front of others, but she was usually very relaxed when he was around.

Today, even when they came to school together, she was still like this, which was very abnormal.

Du Yi had a vague feeling that something was wrong, which was why he suddenly had a strong interest in accompanying Gu Pan to class and even listened to the math lecture.

He wanted to understand Gu Pan's current living and learning environment.

Now, he had some understanding. Gu Pan was a very competitive girl, and it was natural for her to admire boys with outstanding talents. If this highly talented Liu Meng were to sincerely attract her, it would be difficult for her to resist.

Girls at this age, just entering university, were particularly eager for romantic love.

Thinking of this, Du Yi suddenly felt a great sense of crisis, fearing that he might lose Gu Pan, and felt a sudden tension.

He sighed inwardly. Gu Pan came from a good family, and even if he inherited a large family business, she would not appreciate it in the slightest, especially since this wealth was not earned by his own efforts.

If I solve the Cita Pan Conjecture, Gu Pan will surely be proud of me. Du Yi made up his mind. After returning to Tsinghua University, he would focus on solving the Cita Pan Conjecture and must solve it!

Listening to their conversation, Gu Pan felt very annoyed. She didn't want to join in, and used the excuse of going to the bathroom to leave the lecture hall. She didn't know why, but hearing them talk about Liu Meng made her very restless.

"Pan, wait for me!" Zheng Wen called out from behind, but Gu Pan pretended not to hear and quickly walked away.

Zheng Wen's mouth pouted high.

"Zheng Wen, my phone is dead. Can I borrow yours?" Du Yi suddenly said to Zheng Wen. The little girl had always admired Du Yi, so she naturally complied and handed over her phone.

Du Yi casually flipped through the phone and quickly found Liu Meng's number. He only needed one glance to remember the eleven-digit number. He could instantly memorize over fifty numbers and perform mental calculations as well as a calculator, a talent he had shown since childhood.

He had won numerous honors in mathematics throughout his life.

Outside, Gu Pan took several deep breaths of fresh air, feeling a bit better. She tightly gripped the handle and thought to herself, "Damn it, why am I so upset? I won't have any good feelings for such a selfish and petty guy. Humph, he's not handsome, not cool, not stylish, and shameless!"

After hiding in the bathroom for a while, she involuntarily took out her phone and dialed Liu Meng's number. The prompt tone immediately came: "Sorry, the number you dialed is turned off."

She quickly hung up, feeling relieved. She didn't know why she had dialed the number. If he had answered, she wouldn't have known what to say, but not getting through made her feel a bit uncomfortable. She was truly frustrated.

......

Immersed in the world of mathematics, Liu Meng sat for eight hours. When he finally relaxed his stiff body, he realized that it was already dark outside.

"Wow, what a great feeling!" he sighed. Tracing the origins of modern mathematics, the gains of this day were more than what he had learned from textbooks in the past twenty years. For example, the origin and proof of integral formulas were so bizarre and unimaginable.

It was like opening a new world, where he could freely explore.

He hadn't eaten lunch, and the hunger quickly hit him. His stomach growled, and he turned on his phone, receiving a message from Zheng Wen: "Petty guy, where did you go?"

Liu Meng smiled and didn't reply, deciding to fill his stomach first. He went to a nearby convenience canteen and ordered three beef-filled pancakes. The fresh smell of beef wafted from the just-out-of-the-pan pancakes, making his mouth water. He took large bites, enjoying them with millet porridge, a strange but delicious combination.

Millet porridge could soothe a very hungry stomach, making it easier to digest the beef-filled pancakes.

After finishing his meal, he left the canteen, and his phone rang. It was an unknown number, but he answered it anyway.

A magnetic voice said, "Are you Liu Meng? Hello, I'm Du Yi. You might have heard of me. Do you have time to meet? I'm at your school."

"Sure!" he replied succinctly.

"Where are you? I'll come find you."

"West Gate."

Du Yi was already at the school. He hadn't gone home as he told Gu Pan but had been waiting. He wanted to meet Liu Meng and was a bit hesitant, but thinking of Gu Pan, he had to see this young man and try to persuade him with some benefits.

The canteen was near the main building, and there was a small forest to the left, with stone tables and benches not far from the road. The two sat there, and Du Yi looked at the freshman. At first glance, he seemed ordinary, but after a few more looks, one could sense the young man's composure and dignity.

Liu Meng, though showing no reaction, was also paying attention to Du Yi. After a few glances and a brief interaction, he had a good idea of what kind of person Du Yi was. He concluded, "This is a principled gentleman. What does he want from me?"

"Junior Liu Meng, I apologize for disturbing you. Let me introduce myself. I'm Du Yi, a senior in the mathematics department at Tsinghua University. You can call me senior or Du Yi." Du Yi spoke in a gentle and refined manner.

"Senior, hello. I've heard a lot about you. It's an honor to meet you," Liu Meng replied, being friendly and polite in response to Du Yi's courteous demeanor.

After a moment of hesitation, Du Yi continued, "Gu Pan and I grew up together, and she always calls me brother. This might be very forward, but I have to ask: Are you pursuing Gu Pan? Do you like her? Do you understand her?"

Liu Meng didn't expect such a direct question. It was a private matter, and he felt somewhat annoyed, but seeing Du Yi's gentle attitude, he tried to remain patient. "Senior, this is very personal. I really don't want to answer."

"Pan has a strong personality and is hard to get along with in private. She needs a lot of accommodation, and there are many other things..." Du Yi continued, more to himself than to Liu Meng.

"Senior, what exactly do you want to say?" Liu Meng was confused.

Du Yi felt a bit embarrassed and paused. "I hope you will stay away from Gu Pan and not pursue her. You won't make her happy. In return, I can guide you in mathematics and recommend you to my mentor, a famous mathematician in China, or help you get a well-respected job through my family connections."

Hearing this, Liu Meng felt a surge of anger. He hated hearing such words, even though Du Yi was being very tactful and sincere.

"Senior, you're overthinking it. I have no intention of pursuing Gu Pan, and she doesn't have any feelings for me. You're worrying unnecessarily," Liu Meng said, maintaining a calm expression despite his anger.

"Pan is still young, and I can't always be by her side. After two months, I was surprised by her changes. I'm afraid I can't understand her or keep up with her. Liu Meng, you're very talented, but freshmen still have the habits of high school students and tend to have a good impression of excellent students. I'm worried that Pan might feel the same way about you. I know it's probably just my overthinking, but I can't afford to lose, so I have to be cautious," Du Yi continued.

Du Yi was a determined person. Once he decided to do something, he wouldn't easily give up or change his mind. He couldn't imagine his life without Gu Pan.

Marrying this girl had been his dream since he was young.

"You have no right to arrange my future. If I like Gu Pan, I will pursue her. If she likes me, I will love her. Why should I change my mind or suppress my feelings because of some empty promises you make?" Liu Meng said calmly, but his lips were slightly curled, a habitual expression of his anger.

The atmosphere became increasingly tense.

Du Yi was also a proud person. He felt that today's patient conversation with Liu Meng showed his utmost sincerity, but Liu Meng didn't buy it, which made him somewhat displeased. He said in a hard tone, "From what I know, you are a financially disadvantaged student with limited family income. I have no intention of looking down on you, but there's an old saying: women rely on marriage, and men rely on their families. Even if you have a strong mathematical talent, what good is it? How many talented young people in China have become internationally renowned? What can you offer Pan to make her happy? Her family would never agree, and it would only lead to mutual suffering."

Liu Meng admitted that Du Yi was right, but he couldn't tolerate being pressured like this, feeling humiliated. The more he felt this way, the calmer he became, coldly looking at Du Yi, who had now become the person he wanted to defeat.

"I understand that money isn't everything, but without money, nothing is possible. One million is a lot, especially for a poor boy like me. I understand the importance of money."

Du Yi's rigid expression gradually relaxed, feeling somewhat pleased. Finally, a poor boy couldn't resist the temptation. One million could buy a luxury house in a big city like Harbin. He couldn't help but look down on the boy in front of him.

Liu Meng's lips curled in a contemptuous smile. "But I can earn my own money. Put away your condescending attitude and your refined gentleman act. I won't fall for it."

The sudden change in attitude made Du Yi's face turn red. The contrast was too great, and he didn't expect Liu Meng to change so quickly. He said, "One is a vague dream, the other is real money. Think carefully. Don't be overly idealistic."

"Senior, if there's nothing else, I'll leave. You can think I'm being pretentious, but my heart tells me your offer is unacceptable." Liu Meng stood up and walked away.

Du Yi shouted, "Liu Meng, what makes you so arrogant? Your outstanding mathematical talent? I've studied the Cita Pan Conjecture too. After returning to Beijing, I'll start researching it again. You might feel不服 (unconvinced), but my wealth is just the accumulation of my parents, and you just have a poor background. I will use the mathematics you are proud of to completely defeat you. At that time, I hope you can retain your current arrogance and step back."

"If I solve it first, will you step back?" Liu Meng turned around, coldly looking at Du Yi, whose handsome face had lost its refined demeanor, showing anger and embarrassment.

Facing Liu Meng's aggressive gaze, Du Yi opened his mouth but couldn't bring himself to use his relationship with Gu Pan as a bet. There was no need for such a competition. They were not on equal footing. What did Liu Meng have besides his talent?

Liu Meng smiled contemptuously, full of disdain. What can a person do without courage? Even if they are rich and intelligent, they are just a waste.

Du Yi, who had grown up smoothly and in praise, felt a sense of defeat when faced with the aggressive gaze of a junior. His blood boiled, and he said fiercely, "I won't play with Pan's happiness. Let's compete and see who is better."

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Goodbye." Liu Meng walked away with large strides.

On the way, Liu Meng's heart was churning with a sense of humiliation, but a surge of excitement and determination followed. A belief that he could not be challenged and must win.

He unconsciously returned to the library, looked at the three large characters above the entrance, and walked in.

He sent a text message to Guo Yuting to take a leave and turned off his phone.

He must focus.

He found all the relevant books and worked tirelessly.

I will solve it before you, Du Yi, the Cita Pan Conjecture!

After finding the right direction, he began to establish the relevant mathematical theories, expressing the principles in mathematical formulas. This conjecture, which could only be understood intuitively, had to be formalized to be proven, which was the most crucial step.

Time passed, and Liu Meng continuously flipped through books, writing and drawing on paper. He filled a sheet, crumpled it, and threw it away.

The library was closing at 10 PM, and the bell rang.

Liu Meng suddenly felt very frustrated. He was at a critical point and had just gained some insights. Interrupting this train of thought would make it hard to regain the feeling.

Because of the challenge, his mind was in a perfect state, and he was unwilling to give up such an opportunity. He grabbed the book he was reading and rushed to the bathroom to avoid the security guards, continuing to read.

Squatting on the