Marrying My Bestie's Ferocious Brother - He Calls Me His Baby!-Chapter 133 - 132: Math Professor Poaching? Sorry, I Just Want to Farm
Lin Wan Yi’s steps stopped at the staircase.
She held her book and slowly turned around.
The elderly professor with graying hair had already pushed through the crowd, rushed up to the blackboard in just a few steps. He adjusted his reading glasses on his nose and nearly pressed his face to the board, muttering incessantly, "Martingale method... Yes, it’s the martingale! Directly from the essence, bypassing all complex integral transformations... Genius! This thinking is simply genius!"
The surrounding students hardly dared to breathe.
"It’s Professor Qian! Professor Qian Xuezhang from the mathematics department!"
"Oh my, this question even startled Mr. Qian!"
An uncontrollable exclamation arose from the crowd. Qian Xuezhang, the pillar of Beijing University’s mathematics department, a leading figure in the field of probability theory in the country. The weekly problems he posed, those who could solve them were the top talents of the department.
Professor Qian finished studying the blackboard, suddenly raised his head, his eyes sharp as an eagle, precisely locking onto Lin Wan Yi.
"Classmate, did you solve this problem?" His voice, due to excitement, sounded somewhat hoarse.
Lin Wan Yi held her book and calmly nodded. "Yes."
One word, understated.
Professor Qian’s eyes instantly lit up brilliantly, and he stepped up to Lin Wan Yi, examining her up and down as if she were a piece of unparalleled jade.
"Good! Great!" He repeated ’good’ twice, "Your thinking is unique, effortlessly transformed, your mathematical talent is the best I’ve seen in the past ten years! Which class are you in? Who is your mentor?"
Without waiting for Lin Wan Yi to answer, from the crowd, a pale-faced Chen Zhiyuan, like grasping the last straw of salvation, inserted his voice sharply.
"Professor Qian! She’s not from our mathematics department!"
He pointed at Lin Wan Yi, his voice carrying a barely detectable bitterness.
"She’s from the agricultural college!"
Agricultural college?
Professor Qian froze. The surrounding students also froze.
A freshman from the agricultural college, using less than two minutes, solved a problem that the top students of the mathematics department studied all morning without any clues?
This is more incredible than any tale.
After an initial moment of shock, Professor Qian was ecstatic.
This means, this is an unpolished gem!
"Agricultural college?" He slapped his thigh, the wrinkles on his face stretching into a grin, "What folly! Absolute folly! A promising student like you, how can you waste your talents on farming? That would be a tremendous loss of talent for the nation!"
He looked at Lin Wan Yi, his gaze fervent enough to burn.
"Classmate, listen to me. Change departments! Go handle the paperwork now! I will personally go to the principal to get approval for you! Join my tutelage, and I promise, within three years, you’ll be standing on the highest podium of the national youth mathematicians’ competition!"
"Boom!"
The crowd exploded in excitement.
Professor Qian personally wants to accept a student!
This is an opportunity even the top students in the mathematics department cannot attain!
Countless envious, jealous eyes focused intently on Lin Wan Yi.
Chen Zhiyuan stood there, swaying slightly, almost unable to stand steady. His pride was thoroughly shattered at this moment. The mentor he aspired to, now seemed like a desperate merchant, eager to heap all favors on a woman he most despised.
Humiliation, boundless humiliation.
However, in face of this olive branch that could change a life, Lin Wan Yi merely shook her head gently.
Her voice remained calm, like a deep pool without ripples.
"Thank you for your kindness, Professor Qian."
"But I will not change departments."
What?
Everyone thought they had misheard.
Professor Qian’s smile also froze. "W-why? Do you think my level can’t guide you?"
"No." Lin Wan Yi looked at him, her gaze clear and firm, "You are a leading figure in the field of mathematics, it would be my honor to be guided by you."
She paused, then her words took a turn.
"But to me, mathematics, or any advanced theory, if it cannot be applied practically, if it cannot solve the most fundamental issues for this nation, for millions of people, then it is just a string of symbols lying on paper."
She raised the German edition of "Soil Physical Chemistry" in her arms.
"I came to Beijing University not for awards, nor to become an expert in a certain field."
"I only want to master my skills, to return to the land."
"With the knowledge I acquire, make sure problems like sweet potato black spot disease no longer occur, make sure bollworm is no longer a farmer’s nightmare, so that every acre can yield more grain."
"Mathematics is very important to me." She smiled slightly, revealing a set of white teeth, "It is a powerful tool for solving these problems, but it is not my goal."
"My goal is to ensure everyone has enough to eat."
Words carrying weight, spoken neither hastily nor slowly, resounded firmly.
The entire third floor was eerily quiet.
The students, who previously held a spectator’s mindset, now had expressions solely of shock and a hint of self-awareness.
Perspective.
This is the disparity in perspective.
When they were still smugly or jealously dwelling on the solution to a problem, or the favor of a renowned mentor, this woman’s vision was already turned towards this vast land, towards the bowls of countless compatriots.
Professor Qian stared at her, his clouded old eyes flickering with something.
For a long time.
He let out a deep, long sigh, yet on his face appeared genuine admiration and approval.
"A true ’ensuring everyone has enough to eat’!"
He nodded, his voice of utmost seriousness.
"I was too fixated, too narrow-minded."
He looked at Lin Wan Yi, with a tone now void of recruitment, remaining purely in admiration.
"Classmate Lin, I take back my previous words. Having a student like you at Beijing Agricultural College is a blessing for the school, a blessing for the nation!"
He took a step back and solemnly made a promise to Lin Wan Yi.
"Although you are not joining my mentorship, the doors of the mathematics department are always open to you! The library’s restricted materials are accessible for your reference at any time! Should you have any academic issues, you may come to me, or any professor in the department!"
"This is the treatment you deserve!"
The weight of these words surpassed the offer to take her under his wing by a thousandfold!
This was the entire mathematics department offering special access to a student from the agricultural college!
Lin Wan Yi held her book and deeply bowed to Professor Qian.
"Thank you, Professor Qian."
She straightened up without further ado, holding her book, turned around, and walked down the stairs.
The "click, click" of her heels on the concrete ground echoed, as if stepping on Chen Zhiyuan’s heart. He watched the slender yet upright figure disappear around the bend, his throat tasted sweet, a rush of iron flooded in.
Lin Wan Yi stepped out of the library’s heavy doors; the afternoon sun was somewhat glaring.
She raised her hand for shade, about to head back to the courtyard.
A hurried figure, accompanied by a gust of wind, rushed over from the other end of the tree-lined path.
"Classmate Wanyi! My dear comrade! You’re finally out!"
The visitor was none other than Dean Li of the Agricultural College, sweat covering his forehead as he stopped in front of Lin Wan Yi, holding his knees, panting heavily.
"I... I just heard, that old Qian from the mathematics department wants to poach you? He... he didn’t cause you any trouble, did he?"
