Chapter 150 "Professor Chen"

The sun was high in the sky.

The asphalt pavement on campus was softened by the sun and felt sticky underfoot.

Li Jianming couldn't feel the heat.

Walking briskly towards the administration building, his mind was filled with the smug face of the sorcerer in the corridor, and the algebraic matrix that, despite being in the physics department, refused to lend to him. Li Jianming didn't stop on the first floor, but went straight up the stairs to the third floor.

The third-floor corridor was quiet.

When Li Jianming reached the wooden door with the sign for the vice principal's office, he stopped, took a deep breath, and knocked on the door.

"Enter."

A deep voice came from inside the door.

Li Jianming pushed open the door.

This is a spacious office, with a large, dark solid wood desk placed by the window.

Vice President Zhou, who is in charge of scientific research and personnel, was wearing a pair of half-rimmed glasses and looking down at an official document.

A cup of brewed green tea sat on the corner of the table, the tea leaves standing upright in the glass. The old-fashioned window air conditioner on the window hummed softly, blowing cool air into the room. Hearing the door open, Vice Principal Zhou looked up.

"Old Li?"

Vice Principal Zhou was somewhat surprised, put down his pen, and took off his glasses.

"Why did you come here in the middle of the day? Didn't you go to the cafeteria for lunch?"

Li Jianming closed the door behind him, walked to the desk, pulled out the wooden chair for guests, and plopped down in it.

"I can't eat."

Li Jianming, with a stern face, placed his briefcase on his lap.

Vice Principal Zhou glanced at the dark circles under Li Jianming's eyes and his angry demeanor, and he roughly understood what was going on. Working in university administration, he'd seen far too many cases of professors from different departments arguing over funding and lab space. Vice Principal Zhou smiled, stood up, picked up the thermos on the table, walked to the nearby tea cabinet, took a clean paper cup, tossed in a pinch of tea leaves, and poured in boiling water. "Have some water first."

Vice Principal Zhou placed the paper cup in front of Li Jianming and then slowly sat back down at his desk.

"Tell me, who upset Professor Li from our School of Mathematical Sciences again? Was it because the funding was slow to be approved, or because the computer lab quota wasn't enough?" "Neither."

Li Jianming didn't touch the paper cup; his gaze was fixed on Vice Principal Zhou.

"Principal Zhou, I'm here to file a complaint. I'm accusing the physicist in the Physics Department."

Vice Principal Zhou paused for a moment while holding the glass, then laughed again.

"Fang Shi? He's into his fluid mechanics, and you're into your complex network graph theory. You two usually have nothing in common. What did he do to offend you?" Vice Principal Zhou blew on the steam rising from his cup.

"I ran into him in the hallway this morning. His mid-term report on the wind tunnel model was quite impressive; he really turned things around. Do you two have some kind of misunderstanding?" "No misunderstanding."

Li Jianming gritted his teeth, his voice somewhat deep.

"Principal Zhou, are you aware of how he turned things around?"

"Make it clearer."

Vice Principal Zhou nodded.

"I heard they found a new approach, doing some kind of dimensionality reduction at the underlying logic level, bypassing the computing power limits of their few computers. Old Fang is still quite clever." "Clever?"

Li Jianming sneered.

"His 'luck' is utterly absurd! He's just forcibly seizing the lifeline of other departments and clinging it tightly to his own hands!"

Vice Principal Zhou put down his teacup, and the smile on his face faded somewhat.

"Old Li, you can't just say things like that. What do you mean by 'lifeline'?"

Without further ado, Li Jianming unzipped his briefcase, took out the autumn issue of *Diserete Mathematics*, and slammed it onto the large desk. The cover struck the solid wood surface with a crisp sound.

"Principal Zhou, please take a look at this."

Li Jianming pointed to the journal.

"I've been stuck on the complex network topology problem for five months now, specifically on redundant calculations for the core nodes."

Vice Principal Zhou leaned forward slightly, his gaze falling on the journal.

"The computing power exploded, but we couldn't find the general formula. The polynomials were growing at the factorial level. The students in the mathematics department were calculating day and night, losing clumps of hair, but they just couldn't derive it." Li Jianming's voice revealed a hint of suppressed heartache.

He reached out and flipped through the journal, turning to the page with the folded corner, and pushed it in front of Vice Principal Zhou.

"A month ago, I saw this article. It proposed a brand-new discrete algebraic matrix that can directly cut off meaningless exhaustive enumeration and forcibly complete the logical loop with a nonlinear compensation term." Li Jianming looked at Vice Principal Zhou.

"Principal Zhou, this is the key that's been turned on—a key specifically designed to unlock the computing power deadlock! With this person's guidance, I can guarantee that my graph theory project will achieve full convergence and be ready for completion and submission within a week at most!"

Vice Principal Zhou glanced at the article title, then looked at the famous names below.

"C. Zhuo, Huazhong University of Science and Technology."

Vice Principal Zhou read out the name, his brows furrowing slightly.

"Someone from our school? From the math department?"

"Not from the mathematics department."

Li Jianming took a deep breath.

"I checked. A few months ago, Derian from Princeton published an article that specifically thanked him. He's in our physics department! He must be someone who works in interdisciplinary fields, the Professor Chen that Fang Shi was talking about, the one who helps them with the fundamental dimensional reduction!"

Vice Principal Zhou leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.

"You mean, the alchemist used Professor Chen's algorithm to solve their wind tunnel model problem?"

"It's not just borrowing!"

Li Jianming raised his voice.

"A month ago, I took this journal to Fang Shi and asked him to introduce me to Professor Chen. I wanted to bring the data to him for advice. Guess what Fang Shi said?" Vice Principal Zhou looked at him.

"The sorcerer said that Professor Chen is a loner who doesn't like to meet people and is currently completely isolated in their laboratory adjusting models."

Li Jianming sneered.

"Okay, I accepted it at the time. After all, these were key projects, and they were in the critical stage of development. I felt embarrassed to poach people from them."

Li Jianming paused for a moment, his chest heaving violently.

"But today, Fang Shi's project is complete! The interim report is even out! I went to him again to borrow someone, but Fang Shi told me that Professor Chen was so mentally exhausted from deriving the matrix that he couldn't even stand up, so he was sent back to his hometown to recuperate! He even unplugged the phone line and refused to see any visitors!"

Upon hearing this, Vice Principal Zhou's brows furrowed completely.

Having spent so many years in academia, he understood the meaning behind this kind of rhetoric immediately.

"So, you think the alchemist is protecting his food?" Vice Principal Zhou asked.

"He's not hoarding food; he's engaging in academic monopoly!"

Li Jianming slapped the edge of the desk.

"Principal Zhou, a pure math genius of that caliber, an academic giant capable of creating new rules, was actually used by that 'Fangshi' as a computing tool to build some kind of wind tunnel model! After finishing it, to prevent our math department from contacting him, he even made up a lie like he was sick and went back to his hometown!"

Li Jianming stared at Vice Principal Zhou, his eyes bloodshot.

"That's a national resource, a treasure for the entire USTC. I'm making this clear today: if that alchemist doesn't hand over the person, and my research project fails, none of us will have an easy time." The office fell silent.

Vice Principal Zhou sat in his chair and rubbed his temples.

The nature of this matter has changed.

He initially thought it was just two old men arguing in the corridor, but now it involves two old professors, and even a reclusive genius whose name was specially added to Derian's article, a name that even he, the vice-principal, didn't know.

The alchemist's methods were indeed extremely unethical.

If true, this is a classic example of parochialism, treating the public talents of the school as their own private property.

"Old Li, don't get agitated."

Vice Principal Zhou picked up the green tea on the table, took a sip, and moistened his throat.

"If what you say is true, then Fang Shi was indeed wrong. These are all projects of USTC, and they are all our own. How could he cover them up like this?" Vice Principal Zhou put down his teacup, his expression becoming serious.

"Okay, don't rush to argue with him. Since Professor Chen is an employee of our school, the transfer and secondment can be handled through normal administrative procedures. I will personally transfer him to the School of Mathematical Sciences for a few days. No matter how much the eccentric scholar tries to protect his own, he can't stop the school's administrative transfer order."

Upon hearing this, Li Jianming's tense shoulders finally relaxed.

He let out a long sigh of relief.

"I'm happy with your words. I don't ask for much. I don't need to be seconded. I just want Professor Chen to take a look at the boundary conditions of my Laplace matrix and ask me a few questions in person. That will be enough." Vice Principal Zhou nodded.

He reached for the black landline phone on his desk and picked up the receiver.

"I'll have the personnel department check Professor Chen's file right away to see which teaching and research section in the Physics Department he's assigned to."

Vice Principal Zhou pressed a short number.

The phone went dead with a beeping tone.

Li Jianming sat down in the chair, reached out and picked up the slightly hot paper cup, and took a sip of water.

After drinking the hot water, the anger that had been building up inside him for half a month finally subsided considerably.

Alchemist, you think you can hide someone until they die of old age?

You can't make a living person disappear in front of the school's administrative system, can you?

The phone is on.

"Hello, is this Director Wang? This is Lao Zhou."

Vice Principal Zhou spoke into the microphone in a very calm tone.

"I need your help with something. Could you check the faculty and staff roster in your personnel department? There's a professor, or associate professor, or possibly a retired researcher in the physics department surnamed Chen?" Vice President Zhou looked up at Li Jianming.

"I don't know his full name, but his pinyin abbreviation is 'C. Zhuo'. Yes, please search for him now. The School of Mathematical Sciences needs to borrow this comrade to guide the work of a key project. It's urgent. Once you find him, please give me his file number and office extension number."

After Vice Principal Zhou finished speaking, he tucked the microphone over his shoulder, reached for his pen, and prepared to take notes.

The office was quiet.

Li Jianming held the paper cup, his eyes fixed on the black landline phone, waiting for the name that haunted his dreams.

A minute passed.

Two minutes passed.

I heard the sound of typing on a keyboard on the other end of the phone, followed by the rustling sound of flipping through paper files.

Vice Principal Zhou's brows slowly furrowed.

"No? How could there be no one?"

Vice Principal Zhou asked a question into the microphone.

Li Jianming tightened his grip on the paper cup and abruptly raised his head.

"Director Wang, please investigate more thoroughly."

Vice Principal Zhou's tone became somewhat serious.

"Look up all the tenured teachers in the physics department whose names contain the sound 'Zhuo,' such as the 'Zhuo' in 'scholarly' or the 'zhuo' in 'clumsy.'" Another series of keyboard clicks came from the other end of the phone.

A moment later, Director Wang's voice came through the receiver. His voice was quite loud, and even Li Jianming, who was sitting opposite him, could hear it. "President Zhou, it's true. There are a total of 142 faculty and staff members in the Physics Department. There are five teachers with the surname Chen, but none of them match the name. There is absolutely no such person among the professors and associate professors. I even checked the temporary researchers who are listed in the laboratory, and none of them are there."

Vice Principal Zhou was stunned.

He held the microphone between his fingers and looked at Li Jianming sitting opposite him.

Are you sure?

"I checked the latest database of all faculty and staff in the entire school, including those who retired due to illness. There is really no such person."

Director Wang answered very decisively on the phone.

"Okay, I understand."

Vice Principal Zhou hung up the phone.

He put down his pen and looked at Li Jianming.

"Old Li, the personnel department said that there is no professor with that name in the physics department, not even a teacher."

The paper cup in Li Jianming's hand wobbled, and a few drops of hot water splashed onto the back of his hand, but he seemed not to feel it.

"impossible."

Li Jianming stood up abruptly.

He reached for his desk and slapped the book "Discrete Mathematics" hard.

"It's printed in black and white in the top journal! This set of discrete algebraic matrices has truly broken through the wind tunnel deadlock of the physics department! Fang Shi was calling me 'Old Chen' to my face just half a month ago!" The bloodshot eyes of anger reappeared in Li Jianming's eyes.

"How could such a large, living person not be there? Principal Zhou, this must be the work of that sorcerer! He deliberately had the personnel department remove the file to hide the person! Or perhaps he never gave Professor Chen a formal position and is keeping him in the lab as an unregistered individual!"

Vice Principal Zhou frowned even more as he listened to Li Jianming's somewhat crazy speculation.

University personnel files are not so easily taken away.

Even if a Taoist priest is extremely protective of his food, he wouldn't go so far as to defy the entire school's administrative system for the sake of a single project.

But Lao Li is right. The article is here, and the project is running smoothly. It can't be a ghost, can it?

Vice Principal Zhou stared at the journal on the table.

"C. Zhus, Huazhong University of Science and Technology."

Since they are students of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, as long as they breathe in this school, it is impossible for them not to have a record.

"Old Li, please sit down."

Vice Principal Zhou calmed himself down and picked up the receiver again.

"Since it's not in the faculty and staff database, let's expand the scope."

This time, Vice Principal Zhou directly dialed the school's network information center.

Huazhong University of Science and Technology's online database has just been established. Although it's not perfect, basic information on all faculty and students has already been entered. "Hello, is this the Information Center?"

Vice Principal Zhou's voice turned cold and hard, carrying an unquestionable air of authority.

"I am Zhou Qiping. Grant me full access to the university's central database. Regardless of whether he is a faculty member, a support staff member, a temporary worker, or even a cleaner, search for him by name throughout the entire USTC system." Vice President Zhou looked at the journals on the table.

"Search for Chen Zhuo, the pinyin is ChenZhuo."

Vice Principal Zhou paused for a moment.

"I found it. Just fax me your student record or personnel file."

I hung up the phone.

A hush fell over the office.

Li Jianming did not sit down. He stood in front of the desk, staring intently at the white fax machine in the corner against the wall.

The air conditioner was blowing cold air onto his back, but he felt hot all over.

His mind is now filled with the face of that sorcerer.

He wanted to see how the sorcerer would explain his lie about returning to his hometown to recuperate once the documents were faxed over and laid out in black and white. Time passed by, minute by minute.

Three minutes later.

The white fax machine in the corner suddenly beeped softly.

Immediately afterwards, a buzzing sound of gears turning came from inside the machine.

Li Jianming's eyes lit up.

Found it! It was indeed at the school!

With a soft printing sound, a thin sheet of thermal fax paper slowly emerged from the output tray.

Vice Principal Zhou stood up, walked to the fax machine, and reached out to tear the paper off.

He only glanced at it.

I only glanced at it.

Vice Principal Zhou's hand, which was holding the fax paper, suddenly stopped in mid-air.

His gaze was fixed on the paper, his previously furrowed brows instantly relaxed, and then his eyes slowly widened.

The expression on his face changed from confusion to astonishment, and finally to utter disbelief.

He even picked up his reading glasses again and put them on, bringing the paper close to his eyes to examine the stamp and date of birth carefully. "Da."

Vice Principal Zhou opened his mouth and uttered a meaningless monosyllable.

He slowly turned his head and looked at Li Jianming, who was standing in front of the desk with an eager expression on his face.

Vice Principal Zhou's gaze was extremely strange.

The way he looked at Li Jianming wasn't like he was looking at a highly respected mathematics professor, but rather like he was looking at a mentally unstable madman. "Principal Zhou, is this the man?"

Li Jianming, completely unaware of Vice Principal Zhou's unusual behavior, asked urgently.

"Which department is he in?"

Vice Principal Zhou remained silent.

He took a deep breath, picked up the fax paper, and slowly walked back to his desk.

He didn't hand the paper to Li Jianming, but instead placed it flat on the table and tapped the black-and-white printed passport photo with his finger. "Old Li."

Vice Principal Zhou's voice sounded somewhat unreal.

"You just slammed your fist on the table and accused the alchemists of monopolizing academic knowledge."

Vice Principal Zhou pointed to the photo on the paper.

"The Professor Chen you've been searching all over the world for, the one who wrote the Discrete Algebraic Matrices—is he him?"

Li Jianming lowered his head.

My gaze fell on the fax paper.

In the upper right corner of the fax paper was a black and white one-inch passport photo.

The boy in the photo has neat short hair, delicate features, and a gentle and peaceful demeanor; he has an extremely young face.

Li Jianming's gaze slowly moved downwards.

Name: Chen Zhuo.

Gender: Male.

Date of birth: October 1992.

Department: Junior Class.

Year of study: Sophomore.

Li Jianming stood there, like a sculpture that had suddenly lost its power.

one second.

two seconds.

three seconds.

The cold air from the air conditioner swirled across the tabletop.

Li Jianming stared at the words "sophomore year," and his brain completely stopped working for a moment.

All my thoughts, anger, and anxiety were crushed into powder by this flimsy piece of fax paper.

His face, which looked somewhat withered from years of staying up late, turned visibly red.

C. Zhuo, the one who wrote the code to sever the combinatorial explosion matrix.

The academic giant whom he worshipped and regarded as his savior.

The person he addressed as "Professor Chen" repeatedly, and who even went so far as to run to the vice-principal's office and slam his fist on the table just to meet him.

Is he a twelve-year-old sophomore in college?

Moreover, he wasn't even a math major!

Suddenly, Li Jianming couldn't help but recall what the Taoist priest had said to him on the sofa half a month ago.

The Taoist priest, holding a teacup, said with a serious expression, "Old Chen is a recluse and hates being disturbed."

The sorcerer said in a serious tone, "Old Chen is currently in complete isolation in the laboratory, adjusting the model."

This morning, Fang Shi stood in the corridor, his face full of grief, and said, "Old Chen is getting old, his mental capacity is severely depleted, he can't even stand up, so he's been sent back to his hometown." Li Jianming began to tremble uncontrollably.

His hands, which had held chalk all his life, were now gripping the edge of the fax paper, the knuckles turning bluish-white from excessive force.

The sorcerer was not lying.

Chen Zhuo was indeed adjusting the model; there was no official staffing.

But that damned old bastard Fang Shi actually called a twelve-year-old sophomore "Old Chen" all the time! Fang Shi, taking advantage of his misunderstanding, completely fabricated the story of a sophomore being a janitor, watching with a clear conscience as this old math professor was led around like a monkey for a whole month! He tricked him out of a month of anxiety, tricked him out of two weeks of tears, and even tricked him out of his dignity by causing such a scene in the administration building today!

"Fang±..."

Li Jianming gritted his teeth, his voice squeezed out from between them, carrying an extreme sense of absurdity and humiliation.

He abruptly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes wide open, and let out a piercing roar in the empty vice-principal's office. "Fang Shi!!! You old bastard!!! I'm not finished with you!!!"

Vice Principal Zhou sat in his chair, looking at Li Jianming, who was trembling with anger and seemed on the verge of having a stroke, and then at the academic record of a twelve-year-old sophomore on the table. He thought this whole thing was so absurd that even a movie wouldn't dare to portray it like this.

Vice Principal Zhou took a deep breath.

He picked up the telephone receiver on the table again and dialed a number.

The call was connected.

"I am Zhou Qiping."

Vice Principal Zhou's voice rang out in the office.

"Call the physics department immediately and have Fang Shi come to my office right now!"