Beijing.
Chen Baohuaâs home.
The family was watching TV while eating, talking, and laughing.
The TV news happened to broadcast the site of the Century of Physics conference in Shanghai. Chen Yushan put down the chopsticks in her hand, her eyes glued to the screen.
Chen Baohua noticed the shining expression on his daughterâs face. He felt a little unease as he joked, âYouâre not going?â
Chen Yushan sighed. She then replied in a bad mood, âI planned to go with him originally... But something suddenly happened at work. I had to come to Beijing for a business trip, so he went by himself.â
She had even booked the maglev tickets to Shanghai, and she was frustrated about this matter for a while.
However, Lu Zhou comforted her, saying that watching it through the TV and being at the scene were the same and that no matter how far apart, their hearts were close together.
Lu Zhou was getting better and better at talking to girls.
Just like that, the two were separated. Lu Zhou went to Shanghai, while she came to Beijing.
Since she rarely visited her hometown, Chen Yushan didnât stay at a hotel. Instead, she stayed with her parents.
She didnât like to come back here except for the holidays, because she was always urged by her relatives to get married.
But that wouldnât happen anymore.
When someone asked, she could finally say that she had a boyfriend now!
Not to mention that her boyfriend was so excellent!
â... My old friend from the Entertainment Department Office says that the whole country wants to research physics.â He looked at the TV, which was showing the president walking down from the podium and heading toward Lu Zhou. Chen Baohua said emotionally, âProfessor Lu is at least half of the reason for this.â
Chen Yushan was stunned.
âThe whole country...? Isnât that a bit exaggerated?â
Chen Baohua spoke with a smile.
âNot an exaggeration. When Chen Jingrunâs story was first reported, didnât it set off a wave of mathematicians in the country? Back then, people even put up posters at the office. Posters about Goldbachâs conjecture and ten ways to prove Goldbachâs conjecture... Itâs actually quite fun to think about it now.â
âAmazing...â
Chen Baohua asked bitterly, âSo, whatâs going on with you and Lu Zhou?â
Chen Yushan blushed. She said shyly, âWeâre dating...â
Chen Baohua stared at his daughter for a while. He suddenly sighed.
Chen Yushan asked, âWhy are you sighing?â
âNo reason.â Chen Baohua lit a cigarette and said, âWorried my daughter canât get married, worried when she gets married. This is the catch22 of being a father! Wait till youâre a mother, youâll know what I mean!â
Mother Chen looked at Chen Baohua smoking. She suddenly said, âOld man, no smoking in the house.â
âWhat old man!â Chen Baohua glared and said, âIâm still too young to be called old. Call me old when Iâm holding my grandson!â
He put out the cigarette.
Chen Yushan blushed, not knowing what to say.
She wasnât worried about getting married. After all, both of them were so busy. Even if they got married, they wouldnât have a child any time soon.
âDad, donât be in a hurry, thereâs still time...â
âStill time?!â Chen Baohua turned his head and glared at his daughter. He said, âYour mother had you in her early twenties. Look at the calendar. What year is it? Kiddo, heâs an academician in his early thirties. Not to mention his career, and heâs fair looking. If you say there arenât any temptations in his life, I donât believe you.â
Chen Yushan became anxious. She blushed and said, âWhat are you talking about! Heâs so busy, he doesnât have time.â
âItâs not about whether heâs busy or not.â Chen Baohua sighed and said, âIn fact, I want you to find a normal guy in our neighborhood... However, your relationship is your own decision. Daddy is just reminding you, donât hesitate too much; if you hesitate, the opportunity will fly away.â
Chen Yushan blushed and said, âFly, fly away?! Dad! You, Iâm leaving after I finish eating!â
âOld man, what are you talking about there! You think our daughter is no match for Lu Zhou?â Mother Chen said.
Seeing how he seemed to have angered both women, Chen Baohua decided to stop talking.
However, just as he was about to change the conversation, the image on the TV shocked everyone...
...
At the Shanghai International Convention and Exhibition Center.
After seven days, this large-scale academic summit with more than 100,000 participants finally went into the final conclusion.
At the closing ceremony of the No.1 conference hall, the president stood in front of the podium. On behalf of China, facing the scholars inside and outside the conference hall, as well as the people of the world, who were sitting in front of their TVs watching this grand event, he gave his best wishes and blessing to the physics community.
In fact, when the president appeared on stage, many people in the audience were surprised. No one would have thought that such a powerful figure would appear at an academic conference.
This showed Chinaâs respect for academia. After the presidentâs speech was over, there was warm applause from the audience.
In midst of the warm applause, the president nodded and walked off stage. This was followed by Lu Zhou walking onto the stage.
Lu Zhou adjusted the microphone. After clearing his throat, he spoke in a clear and steady voice.
âThank you all for coming to Shanghai, for the summit that affects the future of humanity.
âFor centuries, our discipline has been able to prosper to where it is today because we understand the importance of communication and cooperation.
âHere, on behalf of the ILHCRC council, I would like to extend my highest respect and gratitude to all scholars who are battling on the road of physics and to all those who are concerned about our common cause in the future.
âThe Century of Physics conference ends here!
âLet us give a wave of applause to ourselves and to the future!â
The audience burst into applause again.
The sound was like a tumbling ocean wave, smashing the entire venue.
Bathed in applause from the audience, Lu Zhou waited quietly for half a minute for the applause to subside.
Then...
Just when everyone thought that the closing ceremony was over, he spoke again.
And this time, it was like he threw a nuclear bomb...
âAlso, one more announcement.
âThe next ILHCRC committee meeting will be held in a week to determine the members of the ILHCRC board of directors, as well as the chairman!
âAfter the election and the handover work, I will resign from the ILHCRC board of directors!â
The atmosphere seemed to have been frozen.
The president, standing backstage, turned around and walked away.
Luo Wenxuanâs mouth was open. Although it was something that had already been decided, Lu Zhouâs announcement of this matter here still made it difficult for him to conceal the surprise on his face.
Dobrik, Wei Hong, Witten, Wilczek... The physicists who knew Lu Zhou but didnât know the inside story were in disbelief.
No one thought that Lu Zhou would announce his resignation here!
The entire conference hall fell into a deathly silence.
And the exhibition hall outside the conference hall...
Was completely blown up by the cries of surprise and disbelief...