Chapter 1095 Poverty Is only One of the Reasons

After class, Lu Zhou spent about ten minutes answering the students' questions, whether simple or complex, before putting away his textbooks and leaving the classroom.

Standing up from the seat in the back row, Perelman, who had been waiting for a long time, also walked out of the classroom and walked up to Lu Zhou.

After walking all the way like this, with a pensive expression on his face, he suddenly spoke.

"A very ordinary class."

Lu Zhou smiled, and casually replied, "It's originally a course for undergraduates. If it's too difficult, they may not understand it."

Perelman: "Why are you lecturing to undergraduates?"

Lu Zhou: "Occasionally reviewing why the obvious is obvious helps us to think about those things that are not so obvious, why they are not obvious... In fact, this is also Fermi's point of view, and I agree with him. I can't tell Among the students who have taken my class, there are several Fields Medal winners, which is much more accomplished than myself.”

The expression on Perelman's face remained unchanged.

For the awards in the mathematics world, he has always been in pursuit of purity, so it is impossible for Lu Zhou to resonate when he said this sentence.

However, the first half of the sentence made him fall into deep thought, and he couldn't help muttering, chewing this sentence again.

"...something that isn't so obvious."

"Yes," Lu Zhou nodded, and said in a chatty tone, "such as motivation theory and the Langlands program, these seemingly easy-to-understand things actually explain not-so-obvious principles. The essence of numbers and shapes What is it? Our civilization has been thinking about this question since the existence of mathematics. And in history, great mathematicians are often also theologians or philosophers.”

Perelman: "Are you a theologian?"

Lu Zhou: "It's a pity that I am a materialist who accepts death...here, this is my office."

Taking out the key and opening the door, Lu Zhou turned on the light.

Usually there are people on duty here, but today is Saturday, and his three assistants get off work after four o'clock. As for the students, since he has never made a rigid requirement to clock in at the office, weekends are basically spent in the library or doing their own things.

"Help me move that whiteboard out of the corner."

"OK."

Walking forward, Perelman dragged the whiteboard out from the corner, and Lu Zhou took out a marker pen from the drawer of his desk.

Just as he walked to the whiteboard and was about to start answering the questions of this friend who came from afar, footsteps came from outside the office, and another acquaintance knocked on the door and walked in.

"Academician Lu, I'm here again—you, are you Professor Perelman?" When he saw Perelman standing next to Lu Zhou with his arms folded and thinking, Dean Qin was shocked. , even the voice became incoherent.

He just came back from the meeting, and he was planning to discuss with Lu Zhou how to deal with this matter. He didn't expect to see this great god in Lu Zhou's office.

Seeing this strange old man, Perelman hesitated a little, nodded, and replied in fairly standard English.

"Yes...is there a problem?"

"No, there's no problem, it's just that we didn't expect you to pay us a sudden visit." Controlling the excitement in his heart, Dean Qin smiled and continued, "It would be great if you greeted us in advance."

Perelman looked at him with a strange expression: "...I just came to exchange some questions with Professor Lu. Do I need a special application?"

"No, no, that's not what I mean. Greetings and applications are a bit different. It's just that we need to prepare. How can I say..."

Seeing Dean Qin's embarrassing expression, Lu Zhou thought about it for a while, and immediately understood what he was thinking. He couldn't help but shook his head with a smile, and said.

"Leave it to me here."

Heaving a sigh of relief, Dean Qin nodded with a smile and said, "Then please...I, I will communicate with you later, and you are busy first."

After finishing speaking, Dean Qin said goodbye, left the office, and closed the door behind him.

Since Lu Zhou and the old man communicated in Chinese in the second half, Perelman didn't understand, so he looked at Lu Zhou in confusion and asked.

"What did you just say?"

"It's nothing, it's just a trivial matter about work," Lu Zhou smiled, opened the pen cap with his thumb, and looked at the whiteboard, "Let's continue."

...

This time in China, Perelman obviously made sufficient preparations.

Judging from the small notebook he carried with him, it not only contained some commonly used Chinese texts marked with phonetic symbols and corresponding words, but also densely listed a lot of notes he made while researching that thesis.

To be honest, answering Perelman's question is not an easy task even for Lu Zhou. He is still researching many things himself, and only 60% to 70% can give a clear answer.

"...Your question is very interesting, but unfortunately I can only answer these, and the rest may only be answered after the entire research is completed."

"It's okay." After closing the notebook in his hand, Perelman shook his head, a hint of admiration appeared on his expressionless face, "I planned to discuss these things with you, but I didn't expect you to know so much. many……"

Lu Zhou: "..."

I wipe.

You said it earlier!

Originally, he thought that this guy had summed up these questions when he was flipping through his thesis, but he didn't expect that he was only half right. These problems are indeed true when I read my own papers, but they are not the problems that appeared in my own papers at all.

The expression on his face didn't change much, Lu Zhou smiled and said modestly.

"Everyone, each other, from the questions you asked, I think you have studied the Grand Unified Theory. It just so happens that my research group is still short of people... I don't know if you are interested."

When he said this, Lu Zhou didn't have much hope. After all, this guy's nature and temper can be said to be famous in the mathematics world.

Unexpectedly, Perelman's reaction was beyond Lu Zhou's expectation again. He didn't even think about it for a while, and then nodded directly and said.

"If my work is necessary, please include me in it."

After saying this, Perelman saw that Lu Zhou hadn't spoken for a long time, so he frowned and continued.

"……Any questions?"

"...It's nothing, it's just a bit of a surprise, I didn't expect you to agree so readily."

After recovering from the surprise, Lu Zhou was happy and said happily, "Everyone's work is essential, with your help, I believe this building under construction will be more perfect... …Anyway, you are welcome, and now we are comrades in the trenches.”

With that said, Lu Zhou turned around and returned to the side of the desk, and took out a document from the open drawer. After briefly checking the contents above and confirming that he had taken it correctly, he handed the document to Perelman.

"Here is a document about visits and exchanges. It has been stamped. You just need to sign your name. With this, you can apply for a new long-term visa at the Immigration Bureau."

"In addition, I guess you don't have a place to live. The newly built dormitory building of Jinling University happens to have an apartment with a decent environment. It is about 90 square meters. It is on the campus. The laboratory buildings are very close. I can help you apply for the status of a visiting scholar. Similarly, you only need to sign this document—"

Hearing the series of arrangements thrown by Lu Zhou, Perelman was stunned for a moment, then quickly stopped him, and said with a headache on his face: "...Wait, what do you mean by visiting scholar?"

Lu Zhou: "The literal meaning, in short, is to take a temporary position at Jinling University in the form of a specially-appointed professor. After all, you live in their dormitory."

Perelman frowned and said, "I don't want to work, and I'm not interested in teaching. I'll leave here after completing the grand unified theory of algebra and geometry. If possible, just give me a sofa to sleep on. There's no need to prepare an apartment for me." .”

Lu Zhou shook his head: "That's not acceptable, not to mention that even if it's a sofa, you have to have a place to put the sofa."

Perelman shrugged and said, "I heard from Schultz that your family is quite big."

Lu Zhou coughed lightly and said, "...Don't even think about that. Except for my parents and sister, no one has ever been able to spend the night at my house."

Perelman: "..."

Seeing that Perelman didn't speak, he seemed to be hesitating, Lu Zhou continued: "You don't have to worry about the class, even if you are a special-term professor, it doesn't mean you have to take the class. Of course, if you want to teach If you do, I think those students who love mathematics will be sincerely grateful for your generosity, and there will also be a handsome salary calculated according to the class hours."

Perelman muttered and explained: "It's not that I don't like teaching, I just don't want to waste time on these insignificant things."

Lu Zhou: "So I didn't force you."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome," Lu Zhou smiled and stretched out his right hand, "It is my honor to be able to complete this great cause with you."

Holding Lu Zhou's hand shook, Perelman showed a rare smile on his face.

But soon, as if he had thought of something, his expression suddenly became a little embarrassed.

"I... have another request, and I may have to trouble you."

Letting go of his hand, Lu Zhou nodded with a smile.

"Tell me, I can solve it for you."

Perelman coughed lightly and said.

"A 90-square-meter apartment is too big. Can you change it to a smaller one, about 20 square meters? I will feel uncomfortable living in a house that is too spacious."

After being stunned for two seconds, Lu Zhou looked at him with a strange expression, and said speechlessly, "...I always thought you chose to live in that kind of place because you were poor."

Perelman corrected stubbornly.

"Poverty is only one of the reasons."