Jiang Yubai had always yearned for recognition from his rivals.
Lin Zhixia didn’t hold back or show any embarrassment—she straightforwardly told him he was amazing, absolutely incredible.
Her praise came suddenly, without any preamble.
It took Jiang Yubai a full day to calm his emotions.
He even told himself that Lin Zhixia wasn’t praising Jiang Yubai himself, but the Earth Legion commander from the Exploring the Universe comic series—that "Jiang Yubai" who could command thousands of troops and courageously venture into the vast cosmos.
Scenarios from comics could never happen in real life. When Jiang Yubai was six, he would still get excited about Ultraman Tiga. He would mimic Ultraman crossing his arms, pretending he could unleash cosmic laser rays.
How immature and irrational he had been back then.
Now, at nine years old, he had become a bit more composed.
Jiang Yubai knew that to earn others’ respect, he had to rely on his own efforts.
To make a lasting impression on Lin Zhixia, Jiang Yubai prepared thoroughly in advance. He specifically searched online for the definition and concepts of "physical oceanography" and even downloaded four papers published this year by Professor Shen Zhaohua.
He printed the papers, bound them into a booklet, and placed them in a transparent plastic folder. With his backpack slung over his shoulder, dressed neatly, and holding the plastic folder, he looked every bit like an emerging scientific talent.
His uncle, Jiang Shaoqi, teased him, "Truly my nephew—so young and already fond of science…"
Jiang Yubai looked up at his uncle. "Do you like science too?"
Of course not.
Jiang Shaoqi’s mind went blank at the sight of math and physics.
As the concertmaster of a top-tier orchestra, Jiang Shaoqi’s lifelong pursuit was flawless musical artistry. He tirelessly practiced his performance skills and composed his own pieces in his spare time.
Besides the violin, he was also skilled at playing the piano and harp.
With so many shining qualities, they were more than enough to overshadow his minor flaw of getting headaches from math.
He said to Jiang Yubai, "Xiao Jiang, if I hadn’t come today, your dad would have had your tutor or bodyguard accompany you to visit the university town. How could they be as talkative and cheerful as me? Hearing this, don’t you think your uncle is simply the best uncle in the world?"
Jiang Yubai only thought he was very confident.
Jiang Shaoqi couldn’t hear Jiang Yubai’s silent criticism. Hooking his car keys with a finger, he followed Jiang Yubai into the parking lot.
Today, Jiang Shaoqi had driven his own car—a rather ordinary Porsche Cayenne.
Jiang Yubai quickly got in and sat upright. Only at this moment did he confess to his uncle, "The one Professor Shen invited… wasn’t me. She invited my deskmate, and my deskmate brought me along."
"What?" Jiang Shaoqi was utterly astonished.
Jiang Yubai also told him, "My deskmate is nine years old this year. She’s a genius with an IQ above 174. Prepare yourself mentally."
"Are you exaggerating?" Jiang Shaoqi questioned again.
Jiang Yubai solemnly informed his uncle, "I’m not lying. When you meet her, you’ll understand what I mean."
Although Jiang Yubai appeared completely certain, Jiang Shaoqi still found it hard to fully believe his nephew’s words.
What did an IQ of 174 even mean?The average person's IQ generally falls between 90 and 110, and anyone exceeding 140 can be considered a genius... But surpassing 174? Is that even human anymore?
Jiang Shaoqi speculated that the so-called "genius deskmate" was probably just a slightly quicker, somewhat smarter child.
Nevertheless, Jiang Yubai's baseless boasting had genuinely piqued Jiang Shaoqi's interest. He was determined to see what kind of child could earn an invitation from Professor Shen Zhaohua herself.
At 8:30 that morning, Jiang Shaoqi and Jiang Yubai arrived at the university town.
Holding Jiang Yubai's hand, Jiang Shaoqi walked through the university gates.
A thin morning mist enveloped the entire city, carrying a crisp, damp chill in the air. As Jiang Shaoqi surveyed the university scenery, he suddenly heard a girl's voice call out: "Jiang Yubai, Jiang Yubai, you're here!"
The voice was soft, sweet, and still carried a childish lilt, reminiscent of summer desserts like Milk Cake.
Jiang Yubai immediately released Jiang Shaoqi's hand, adopting an air of dignified independence. Facing the direction Lin Zhixia was running from, he responded with particular composure: "Good morning, Lin Zhixia."
Today, Lin Zhixia wore a light pink jacket with a pale gray scarf. She came bouncing over and, upon seeing Jiang Shaoqi, politely greeted him: "Hello, I'm Lin Zhixia. Lin as in forest, Zhi as in knowledge, Xia as in summer. I'm Jiang Yubai's classmate and his deskmate. We've known each other for over four months... nearly five months now. He's my good friend."
Jiang Shaoqi looked at this exquisitely lovely little girl before him, his astonishment clearly written on his face.
This... was the legendary genius with an IQ over 174?
To be honest...
She didn't feel like a genius at all.
Jiang Shaoqi's gaze toward Lin Zhixia was filled with scrutiny and doubt.
Lin Zhixia's father gently placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder and asked politely: "Hello, are you Jiang Yubai's father?"
Jiang Shaoqi looked shocked: "Me? I'm only twenty-four this year, how could I have such a big son? I'm not married and haven't been in a relationship... For the past twenty years, I've spent day and night with my violin."
After a pause, Jiang Shaoqi continued: "It's just that Jiang Yubai here shares more common interests with me, his elder. When I brought him out today, he was prepared early and couldn't have been happier."
Jiang Yubai felt somewhat embarrassed for some reason.
His uncle was the concertmaster of the orchestra. Going out with his uncle should have been quite impressive. Yet whenever his uncle spoke, Jiang Yubai felt too embarrassed to keep looking at Lin Zhixia.
Shifting his gaze to the winter sun, Jiang Yubai perfunctorily introduced: "He's my uncle, my father's younger brother."
Lin Zhixia's father smiled: "Ah, I thought so. Your uncle looks very young."
Jiang Shaoqi was indeed very young.
Tall with long legs, broad shoulders and a narrow waist, he possessed the handsome elegance of youth.
Dressed in casual clothes and blending into the university campus, he looked every bit like a vibrant undergraduate student. He followed Jiang Yubai, Lin Zhixia, and the others toward an experimental building in the physics department.
Zhu Chan stood there quietly, waiting for them.Zhu Chan was the only female doctoral student under Professor Shen Zhaohua. At twenty-seven years old, she was soon to be married, wearing a ring on her left ring finger, and seemed to carry an air of scholarly refinement.
Near the laboratory building stood a row of laurel trees, evergreen throughout the seasons, with lush branches and leaves holding dewdrops. Transparent droplets continuously slid down, just landing on Lin Zhixia's face.
Zhu Chan handed Lin Zhixia a pack of tissues.
Lin Zhixia looked up and said to her, "Thank you, sister."
Zhu Chan's lips curved into a smile as she tightened her down jacket. Her tone became exceptionally gentle when speaking to Lin Zhixia: "Your twin ponytails are really adorable."
Lin Zhixia modestly replied, "Any girl would look cute with twin ponytails."
Then, Lin Zhixia enthusiastically introduced: "This is my Dad. That boy over there is my classmate Jiang Yubai, and that young man... he's Jiang Yubai's uncle."
"Come along," Zhu Chan guided them, "follow me, Professor Shen is waiting for you."
Lin Zhixia and her Dad walked ahead, Jiang Yubai followed behind, while Jiang Shaoqi remained motionless.
Jiang Shaoqi had hardly any interaction with research scholars. He only knew that Professor Shen Zhaohua was exceptionally accomplished, with top-tier academic standing and international renown. When he met Shen Zhaohua, he would inevitably need to exchange pleasantries - but what should he say? He didn't even know what "physics" was.
He stood still for several seconds until his nephew called out: "Uncle, aren't you coming?"
Only then did Jiang Shaoqi start walking.
Along the way, Zhu Chan leaned down and said to Lin Zhixia: "Our university's ocean laboratory has an annual open day. Ordinary people can visit the laboratory on open day by making email reservations in advance. Today though, knowing you were coming has made us even happier than during open day."
"Really?" Lin Zhixia asked curiously while looking around, "But you don't really know me, do you?"
Zhu Chan revealed: "You left quite an impression on us. Do you remember Niu Siyuan? His surname is Niu, given name Siyuan. That day at the aquarium, when Niu Siyuan said he couldn't complete his model, you taught him the correct approach. After returning to school, he kept talking about you frequently."
Hearing this, Lin Zhixia's Dad looked astonished and surprised: "Is Niu Siyuan also a doctoral student? My daughter helped a doctoral student... with a model?"
"Niu Siyuan is a graduate student," Zhu Chan smiled slightly, "Niu Siyuan is a graduate student that Teacher Shen just admitted this year."
Zhu Chan stopped in front of an office door.
A golden plaque hung before the office door, engraved with the words "Professor Shen Zhaohua." Zhu Chan pushed the door open directly and led Lin Zhixia and the others into the office.
Shen Zhaohua sat at her desk, grading a student's thesis. She wore a pair of reading glasses. When she heard Lin Zhixia's footsteps, she raised her hand to remove the glasses, lifted her eyelids, and let her gaze fall upon Lin Zhixia.
Lin Zhixia said: "Hello, Teacher Shen!"
Shen Zhaohua supported herself on the desk as she stood up: "Hello there."
The office remained quiet for two or three seconds, with Lin Zhixia saying nothing more. She looked down at the notebook Shen Zhaohua had open on her desk.
On Shen Zhaohua's desk lay a notebook, a stack of papers, and a Lenovo computer.It was evident that Shen Zhaohua was a very responsible teacher. She had printed out the students' theses and made detailed annotations in the margins with a ballpoint pen.
Jiang Shaoqi stepped toward her: "Professor Shen, hello, I've long admired your reputation..." Then, he intended to introduce himself and discuss his understanding of "physics."
However, "physics" was something that, to him, barely existed.
Jiang Shaoqi racked his brains but couldn't come up with an opening line.
Shen Zhaohua spoke up at just the right moment: "I have two Laboratory introductions here, first for the two youngsters." She opened a drawer, retrieved two documents, and handed them to Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai respectively.
Before this, Jiang Yubai had mentally prepared himself.
He had originally thought that this Laboratory introduction would be filled with formulas and theories he couldn't understand. Slowly turning to the first page, he saw the table of contents listing: Deep Sea Ocean Laboratory, Multi-functional Wind-Wave-Current Flume, Wind-Circulating Water Channel, High-Performance Computing Cluster Laboratory...
He didn't finish reading.
Closing the introduction, he looked up and met his uncle's gaze.
They exchanged a glance. His uncle silently mouthed: Good nephew, let's go home.
No.
Jiang Yubai would never give up halfway.
As a growing young man, he would never be defeated by minor setbacks.
Moreover, Jiang Yubai had come prepared.
Jiang Yubai unzipped his backpack, pulled out four research papers, and calmly stood beside Lin Zhixia.
Lin Zhixia indeed noticed him and asked in surprise: "Jiang Yubai, have you read these papers too?"
"I have," Jiang Yubai replied briefly.
His tutor had taught him a trick.
When reading a paper, you don't need to go through the entire content—just skim the abstract to grasp the main direction.
So he summarized: "Professor Shen Zhaohua's latest paper mainly focuses on... continental shelf circulation."
"Exactly!" Lin Zhixia naturally continued, "That paper generally simulates the continental shelf circulation of the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, and East China Sea in the twentieth century. The model's computational results align with the trend data from actual observations."
After saying this, she picked up a pen and pointed its tip toward a paper on the desk awaiting corrections.
"Can I... write on the paper?" she asked, looking up at Shen Zhaohua.
Shen Zhaohua saw in her eyes a natural yearning for science. When interviewing graduate and doctoral students, Shen Zhaohua always hoped to recruit students like this.
Such students would achieve great things in academia. Or rather, Shen Zhaohua preferred to nurture them, to help them achieve great things.
Every graduate or doctoral student was one of Shen Zhaohua's life works. At sixty-seven years old, she had already lived at least two-thirds of her life. While her vision was still clear, she wanted to exert all her efforts to train more successors.
Marine physics is an emerging discipline, with vast unknown worlds still waiting to be explored.
Shen Zhaohua and her students only need to take small steps forward, striving to pass knowledge through generations. Perhaps one day in the future, they could drive the most significant breakthrough in marine science in human history.
Through brief academic exchange, Shen Zhaohua detected Lin Zhixia's extraordinary talent.
Most importantly, Lin Zhixia was only nine years old this year.She was too young. So young that she could create infinite possibilities.
Moreover, despite being fully aware of her differences from ordinary people, she maintained an unassuming and unhurried attitude, articulating her thoughts with simplicity and caution.
Her insatiable thirst for knowledge drove her beyond her comfort zone.
She took the initiative to tell Shen Zhaohua, "I want to revise the data model in this paper."
Shen Zhaohua brought a chair for her: "Write as much as you want."
Lin Zhixia sat in the chair without hesitation: "This paper constructs a deterministic prediction model for the dynamic concentration changes of particles in a specific marine region. There's one thing I don't understand—why was a deterministic model used here?"
This paper happened to be written by Niu Siyuan.
Niu Siyuan was a graduate student newly recruited by Shen Zhaohua this year.
From a conventional perspective, Niu Siyuan was a diligent, proactive student who loved academic pursuits.
However, over two months ago, a question Niu Siyuan raised at the marine aquarium was unexpectedly answered by Lin Zhixia in person. This left him with a headache for quite some time.
Niu Siyuan was twenty-three this year, in the prime of his youth and full of vigor. Having been selected by the mentor he had long admired, he joyfully stepped into the world of scientific research, ready to make bold strides and prove his capabilities...
And then, he was schooled by a nine-year-old girl.
How could this be?
Niu Siyuan had always assumed that Lin Zhixia's parents were highly educated intellectuals, like professors.
When professor couples chat at home, they inevitably use some technical terms. Those casual remarks must have been overheard by Lin Zhixia.
Upon hearing that Lin Zhixia was coming to visit Shen Zhaohua and would bring her dad along, Niu Siyuan couldn't sleep well last night. He lay awake until midnight and barely managed to get up this morning, rushing straight to the experimental building of the physical oceanography department.
Niu Siyuan arrived just in time.
As he pushed the door open, his mentor Shen Zhaohua's eyes lit up.
Niu Siyuan immediately felt elated. He thought the paper he had just submitted was exceptionally outstanding and perfect, earning his teacher's praise and recognition.
He didn't notice Lin Zhixia leaning over the desk. From his angle, she was blocked by the desktop computer's monitor.
Gazing at Shen Zhaohua, his tone tinged with anticipation, he asked, "Teacher Shen, have you read my paper?"
To his surprise, Shen Zhaohua replied with a smile, "Not yet."
Not yet?
Then why did the teacher look so pleased to see him?
What was the reason for the teacher's spring-like warm smile?
Why did the teacher seem as excited as if he had discovered a new meaning in life?
As Niu Siyuan pondered, he suddenly heard Lin Zhixia call out, "I'm reading your paper! Senior Niu Siyuan, can I discuss your paper with you?"
Niu Siyuan focused his gaze and saw Lin Zhixia peeking out with half her face visible. Her eyes sparkled, gleaming with a thirst for knowledge.
She had also tied her hair into twin tails with a pink strawberry hair tie—in Niu Siyuan's eyes, they were like two horns sprouting from the head of a little demon from hell.
On the blank pages of that paper, Lin Zhixia had written a long summary and formula derivations.
Without a doubt, this little demon from hell was about to bring Niu Siyuan a brutal day of reckoning.Niu Siyuan's lips lost all color, as if he had encountered a ghost in broad daylight.
Jiang Yubai, who had been watching from the sidelines for a long time, let out a laugh.
Jiang Yubai only laughed once. But his attitude was very clear. He was delighted to see Lin Zhixia deliver a stunning blow to this graduate student—this proved Lin Zhixia's formidable and profound strength. Someday in the future, when Jiang Yubai defeated Lin Zhixia, he would undoubtedly feel an even greater sense of accomplishment.
Meanwhile, Niu Siyuan finally realized that his advisor, Shen Zhaohua, was overjoyed by Lin Zhixia's presence.
He couldn't help but straighten his back, feeling a twinge of shame, yet he stubbornly asked, "Do you have any revisions for my paper?"
"Yes," Lin Zhixia replied.
Niu Siyuan held his breath. "What did I get wrong?"
Lin Zhixia calmly explained, "I wouldn't say you got it wrong. It's just that, in my understanding, deterministic models are a special case of stochastic models. Your data model accounts for the effects of frictional wind speed and interface waves in stratified media, and you've also corrected the positive feedback of water vapor using the Clausius-Clapeyron equation. However, due to the limitations of deterministic models, this paper cannot predict probability distributions in real-world environments. It only ensures consistency between experimental predictions and experimental samples. So, I think you could reconsider the parameter settings and extend the entire model to stochastic sample points, making it more universal in a mathematical sense."
In an instant, the room fell silent.
"What is she talking about?" Jiang Shaoqi whispered to his nephew.
Jiang Yubai reminded him indifferently, "Before we left this morning, I told you Lin Zhixia is a genius. You didn't believe me. You said I was exaggerating."
Jiang Shaoqi covered his mouth. His complexion was pale, his jawline perfectly defined, and he always wore black gloves, making the gesture seem abrupt—this refined musician suddenly exuded an air of earnest simplicity.
Not far away, Lin Zhixia and Niu Siyuan were still arguing intensely.
Debating opposing viewpoints in a paper is like going to war.
Talent is the weapon, perseverance is the armor, and courage is the cavalry.
Niu Siyuan refused to concede defeat. Holding a pen, he tapped the tip lightly on the paper twice. "Little Lin Zhixia, in our field, there are researchers who specialize in deterministic models. By saying this, you're dismissing the contributions of our predecessors."
"That's not what I meant... It's not that deterministic models are useless," Lin Zhixia tilted her head, looking puzzled.
Her communication with Niu Siyuan wasn't going smoothly.
She felt that Niu Siyuan hadn't understood her explanation at all.
If he didn't agree with her revisions, he should have refuted her from the perspective of data modeling. What was the point of bringing up the contributions of predecessors?
Niu Siyuan, holding back his frustration, elaborated, "I continued the topic from my undergraduate thesis and expanded the model. From September to December this year, I spent most of my time on data collection and processing."
Before he could finish, his advisor Shen Zhaohua interrupted, "Niu Siyuan, your concept, topic selection, and overall structure are fine..."
Pausing briefly, Shen Zhaohua finally found something positive to say: "Your writing is excellent."
Writing?If the only highlight of a paper is its writing style, how tragic that would be!
Faced with his advisor Shen Zhaohua, senior Zhu Chan, and the little devil Lin Zhixia, Niu Siyuan was on the verge of breaking down.
He thought to himself: Could it be that a promising young man in his twenties like me can’t even compare to a nine-year-old girl?
Fate dealt him a heavy blow, and his figure wavered unsteadily.
He steadied the table with one hand and posed a soul-searching question: "Lin Zhixia, you want to modify my model. How exactly do you plan to change it? If we discuss a few parameters, can you immediately construct an expression?"
"I probably can?" Lin Zhixia ventured tentatively.
Shen Zhaohua, however, left Lin Zhixia an escape route: "Why not start with the simplest model first." She glanced toward Zhu Chan.
Understanding her advisor's intention, Zhu Chan immediately posed a problem for Lin Zhixia: "Lin Zhixia, come here. Suppose we have a mixture containing sand, silt, and mud. If we pour this mixture into a container filled with water at an inclination angle beta, its flow state is known in hydrogeology as turbidity current..."
"I know," Lin Zhixia replied obediently.
Zhu Chan asked her, "Have you read papers related to turbidity currents?"
"Mm-hmm," Lin Zhixia nodded, "Its English name is turbidity current."
Zhu Chan marveled, "Your English must be quite good too?"
Lin Zhixia remained silent, so Jiang Yubai answered for her: "Her English is quite good. She could understand everything you just discussed even if it were all in English."
Zhu Chan was suddenly filled with endless admiration: "Lin Zhixia, have you read many research papers?"
Lin Zhixia's Dad suddenly interjected: "When our Xia Xia was five years old, she begged and pleaded for us to get her academic papers. No one in our family taught her. She would become completely absorbed reading books by herself..."
Dad originally wanted to say that his daughter was naturally extraordinary, and he didn't even know how to properly educate such a child.
But his words carried a different meaning to Zhu Chan's ears.
Zhu Chan truly never imagined such a wonderful thing existed in the world!
A five-year-old child who could read academic papers?
Zhu Chan was about to get married, had a stable relationship with her boyfriend, and the young couple was immersed in their own world with no immediate plans for children.
But after meeting Lin Zhixia today, Zhu Chan felt stirrings of excitement, wishing she could rush home to grab her boyfriend and immediately start the next generation. Then when her daughter turned five, she could read academic papers together with her mother.
The imagined life was too wonderful. Overwhelmed with emotion, Zhu Chan couldn't help but cover her mouth tightly.
Advisor Shen Zhaohua continued Zhu Chan's earlier question: "Setting the turbidity current's density as rho, inclination angle as alpha, and thickness as h, if you allow the turbidity current to enter the container, how do you think its velocity could be expressed?"
Lin Zhixia spread out her scratch paper: "This seems like a basic concept. The turbidity current's density must be greater than water's. Dividing the difference between rho minus alpha by alpha, we obtain the density difference of the turbidity current, which drives the fluid motion. This density difference multiplied by gravitational acceleration g, multiplied by the turbidity current's thickness h and the sine of angle beta, divided by a coefficient... here we need to introduce empirical and sliding friction coefficients..."
Shen Zhaohua brought over a chair and sat beside Lin Zhixia.
She modified the initial conditions and added variables to Lin Zhixia's formula.
Lin Zhixia gasped with an astonished "Wow!": "So that's how it can be written! I understand now, thank you Teacher Shen!" Then, extrapolating from this understanding, she created more constraint conditions and equations.
Shen Zhaohua was amazed by her comprehension.
Niu Siyuan was also stunned speechless.Shen Zhaohua looked up and said to her student Niu Siyuan, "See, Lin Zhixia's expression is flawless. We've added conditions to make her mathematical description more universal. Your paper is well-written, and the data analysis is correct, but let's aim for a higher standard."
Niu Siyuan grabbed his thesis, utterly ashamed and flushed red.
Shen Zhaohua told him, "Niu Siyuan, stick to the topic I assigned you. Your undergraduate thesis is a good direction. As Lin Zhixia just mentioned, I'd prefer you switch to a stochastic model."
"But..." Niu Siyuan scratched his head, unable to articulate his theoretical basis.
Shen Zhaohua walked toward the office door: "Next month, I'll be on an ocean expedition. Your senior classmates will help look after you."
Jiang Yubai followed Shen Zhaohua out. He couldn't help asking her: "Teacher Shen, will you have your students look after Lin Zhixia too?"
"Absolutely," Shen Zhaohua murmured with a sigh, "Lin Zhixia's talent is rare."
Jiang Yubai pressed further: "Have you ever seen a student as smart as Lin Zhixia?"
Shen Zhaohua paused mid-step. Dressed in a cashmere sweater with a cotton coat draped over her arm, her outstretched hand was covered with brown age spots: "I've seen many geniuses, but unfortunately they weren't my students. Among those I've personally mentored, there was indeed one... exceptionally intelligent."
Jiang Yubai eagerly asked: "What happened to that student later?"
"Became ordinary among the masses," Shen Zhaohua replied truthfully.
The phrase "became ordinary among the masses" originated from "Lament for Zhongyong."
"Lament for Zhongyong" is an essay by Wang Anshi, a Northern Song Dynasty scholar. The essay tells the story of a child prodigy who, due to lack of educational opportunities, eventually degenerated into an ordinary person.
Jiang Yubai had heard of it vaguely.
All along, Jiang Yubai's wish had been to defeat Lin Zhixia. But when he heard that Shen Zhaohua had personally witnessed the fall of a genius, an inexplicable struggle surged in his heart.
Thousands of thoughts gradually settled in his mind, eventually converging into an urgent wish—he hoped that Lin Zhixia would remain a genius forever, always able to absorb the knowledge she loved, explore the fields she enjoyed, and pursue the realms she dreamed of.
He hoped she would always be happy.
Preoccupied with thoughts of Lin Zhixia, Jiang Yubai was distracted for some time.
Having just heard from Shen Zhaohua about a genius's downfall, he couldn't help worrying about Lin Zhixia's well-being.
If someday in the future, Jiang Yubai surpassed Lin Zhixia... he would definitely remain humble and composed, not letting Lin Zhixia feel angry or fearful.
Lost in thought, Jiang Yubai followed Shen Zhaohua. Their group entered the gate of the Marine Deepwater Laboratory.
Lin Zhixia was overjoyed. She circled around Shen Zhaohua and asked excitedly: "Teacher Shen, is that the Marine Deepwater Laboratory?"
"Yes," Shen Zhaohua explained patiently, "It can simulate deep-sea winds, waves, currents, including hurricanes and freak waves."
"So impressive!" Lin Zhixia praised.
The scene before her was rare, and driven by curiosity, Lin Zhixia pressed against a glass window. She stared intently at the water tank. She saw an experiment on "hydrodynamic performance of deepwater equipment" underway.Inside the massive pool, the vast water surface was churned into waves by the hurricane-force winds, the ripples shattering the reflections of lights across the water. The pool was bottomless, lined on all sides with specially designed stainless steel "wave-absorbing banks."
These "wave-absorbing banks" could withstand the intense impact of wind and waves.
Lin Zhixia was completely captivated.
Zhu Chan called out to her, "Lin Zhixia?"
Lin Zhixia turned her head and responded cheerfully, "Sister."
Zhu Chan’s heart softened instantly, and she quickly suggested, "Let me take you to see our data acquisition system. Have you ever seen a computer cluster? It’s a concrete implementation of high-performance computing."
Lin Zhixia was especially excited: "Yes, Sister! I know about computer clusters—I’ve read related papers! Its English name is 'cluster.' It combines the computational power of all computers within the cluster, greatly improving the system’s processing efficiency."
Before leaving, Lin Zhixia didn’t forget Jiang Yubai. She grabbed his sleeve and pulled him along to the data acquisition Laboratory.
With Jiang Yubai and Lin Zhixia gone,
only Shen Zhaohua, Jiang Shaoqi, and Lin Zhixia’s Dad remained in the deep-sea ocean Laboratory.
Waves crashed against the shore with a heavy sound, the water illuminated by lights in a layered, textured effect. The Laboratory’s ever-changing scene truly resembled the deep waters of the ocean world.
Jiang Shaoqi sighed in admiration, "Physical oceanography is remarkable."
Shen Zhaohua didn’t respond. Instead, she turned to Lin Zhixia’s father: "Hello, may I ask how to address you?"
The father showed a hint of embarrassment: "Hello, Teacher Shen. I’m Lin Zhixia’s Dad, my name is Lin Fugui."
Lin Fugui and his wife had struggled for many years in the provincial capital, going through great efforts to finally settle down. Yet, he often felt adrift and unsettled. With elderly parents above and young children below, he felt obliged to save for emergencies. Although he could barely be considered a "small business owner," he tried to minimize social expenses.
But Shen Zhaohua, a renowned professor from a top-tier university, burdened with major projects under the National Natural Science Foundation, had actually taken out an entire day to host Lin Fugui and his daughter, speaking to them politely and respectfully... This stirred many emotions in Lin Fugui’s heart.
Shen Zhaohua’s time was precious. She skipped any preamble and got straight to the point: "Mr. Lin, your daughter Lin Zhixia is an exceptionally intelligent child. I enrolled in the Physics Department at Peking University in 1955, and after graduation, I studied abroad in the former Soviet Union. Upon completing my studies, I returned to China and found work at this university. To this day, I have mentored over a hundred students. Among them were some with extraordinary talent who also excelled in their studies. But at nine years old, they might not have compared to Lin Zhixia..."
Lin Fugui’s face showed surprise, and his tongue seemed to tie: "Our Xia Xia, she really, really loves reading."
Shen Zhaohua nodded slightly: "It’s not just about reading or innate talent. In our era, access to information wasn’t as abundant as it is today. The new information age has fostered more outstanding talents. Lin Zhixia has her own interdisciplinary system. She has a solid foundation in foreign languages and can grasp complex concepts in mathematics and physics. What’s most rare is her high comprehension and positive mindset."
Shen Zhaohua didn’t hold back in her praise, with just a few words elevating Lin Zhixia to unparalleled heights.
The deep-sea ocean experiments had not yet concluded.The waves surged violently, like a great river churning, their currents swift and towering several meters high, crashing fiercely against the edges.
Water splashed in all directions, as if landing on Lin Fugui. He felt a chill in his palm and asked softly, "What exactly does Teacher Shen mean? As parents, have we... hindered Xia Xia's growth these past few years?"
"Not exactly," Shen Zhaohua replied.
She extended a hand, resting it on a stainless steel railing.
Her skin was sallow, marked by obvious wrinkles, with veins protruding prominently, bearing the weathered traces of years gone by.
She often went to sea for scientific expeditions. In the unpredictable marine environment, a research vessel could encounter accidents at any moment. Hurricanes, storms, hidden reefs, and electromagnetic interference—all served as reminders of how insignificant humans are in the face of nature.
In earlier years, Shen Zhaohua and her students had endured many hardships.
Recalling those experiences, she spoke candidly to Lin Fugui: "The academic world itself can be quite volatile. Going years without any output in foundational disciplines brings immense pressure, enough to make even the brightest children doubt themselves. If you involve Lin Zhixia too early, confining her to a specific research scope, dictating what she must do and what she mustn’t, her passion for research... might very well be worn away. Later, I’ll ask her about her own thoughts."
Lin Fugui sighed. "Ah, yes. Our Xia Xia is very opinionated and loves freedom... She’s too clever."
Shen Zhaohua chuckled lightly. "I’ve met a few geniuses, including titans in academia, and their minds are all very open. Our university has excellent teachers across every department. I plan to arrange an access card for Lin Zhixia, allowing her to freely use the university’s library resources."
She had considered everything meticulously.
Lin Fugui quickly expressed his gratitude on behalf of his daughter: "Thank you so much, Teacher Shen. If Xia Xia has any questions, could she come to the university to consult you?"
But Shen Zhaohua replied, "I’m usually quite busy. I have to go on research voyages at sea. There are tasks to complete every quarter, and I often travel for work. For at least half the year, I’m not on campus."
Lin Fugui hurriedly apologized. "I’m sorry, Teacher Shen. I didn’t mean anything by it—just asking."
Shen Zhaohua smiled. "It’s alright, Mr. Lin. My research group has seventeen students and a number of postdocs. I always leave a few of them on campus. If Xia Xia has any questions, she can ask them. When Lin Zhixia comes to the university, it’s best if an adult accompanies her. She’s only nine—no matter how brilliant her mind is, she’s still a little girl who knows little of the world."
"Absolutely, absolutely!" Lin Fugui agreed.
After a brief silence, Shen Zhaohua asked, "Have you considered letting Lin Zhixia skip grades? Also, the gifted youth program... do you plan to enroll her in it?"
The equipment in the deep-sea laboratory gradually ceased operation, data collection complete. The vast water surface became eerily calm, the surging undercurrents vanishing into the faint play of light and shadow.
Lin Zhixia’s voice shattered the silence.
She came running out from a room across the way, shouting as she ran, "Dad! Dad! I saw the computer cluster! It’s my first time seeing the Linux operating system in person! I’m so happy! The command line in Linux is so much fun!"She darted over to her father like a lively little rabbit.
But her father suddenly asked her, "Xia Xia, do you want to skip a grade?"
She tilted her head. "Xia Xia doesn't want to."
The atmosphere in the room suddenly turned awkward.
Her father tried to coax her. "Xia Xia, be good."
She blinked. "Xia Xia won't."
A warm smile appeared in Shen Zhaohua's eyes. She bent down slightly and asked Lin Zhixia, "Don't you want to attend the gifted class?"
Lin Zhixia countered, "I've read the 'Gifted Class Learning Management Measures' published this year. Students must take required university courses. Is the gifted class equivalent to starting university early?"
"That's right. You love reading papers and doing research. When you saw the Linux operating system, you seemed so delighted. Don't you want to go to university earlier?" Shen Zhaohua gently persuaded.
Lin Zhixia took a step back and bumped right into Jiang Yubai.
Jiang Yubai steadied her shoulders, then let go. He whispered to her, "Lin Zhixia, don't be afraid. I'll transfer my courage to you."
His courage solidified into something tangible, breaking through insurmountable barriers and deeply inspiring Lin Zhixia.
Lin Zhixia immediately straightened her back. "I... I want to choose my own future."
Shen Zhaohua nodded, following Lin Zhixia's line of thought. "You want to choose your own research direction? You don't want a teacher to guide you from the front?"
"Rather than 'guidance,' I prefer it to be an equal exchange," Lin Zhixia replied thoughtfully.
Shen Zhaohua asked in return, "If you stay at the experimental elementary school, where no one can communicate with you as an equal, isn't that a waste of talent? Don't you want to meet other gifted children? These suggestions of mine are basically for your own good."
Facing Shen Zhaohua directly, Lin Zhixia calmly stated, "Here's the thing, Teacher Shen. I believe Lin Zhixia is a person, not a resource. Whether I'm wasting my time should be defined by me. Teachers from gifted classes worldwide, no matter how brilliant, don't understand me better than I understand myself. Like me, their understanding of the world is limited. The methods they use to educate me are all learned from external sources. This world isn't just about mathematics and physics; there are all kinds of people. I don't want to be categorized as part of an extreme minority."
There was one more thing Lin Zhixia didn't say out loud.
She knew that American mathematician William James was once considered the person with the highest IQ in the world. With an IQ exceeding 250, he was fluent in French by age four, lectured on four-dimensional space at Harvard University at nine, and became a mathematics professor at a prestigious university at sixteen. Unfortunately, he produced almost no academic achievements. He lived a lonely life and died in poverty.
Shen Zhaohua carefully pondered their conversation and joked with a smile, "What do you think about the protagonist of 'Regret for Zhong Yong'?"
Lin Zhixia continued to elaborate on her insights: "The essay 'Regret for Zhong Yong' actually supports my viewpoint. The protagonist faded into obscurity because his parents didn't allow him to continue learning or acquiring knowledge from the outside world. He unfortunately remained at an elementary level. But that's not me. I will never stop absorbing information from the outside world. I think, therefore I am. I myself am my own lifelong teacher. Even the most powerful artificial intelligence should learn to train itself and find the parameters that suit it best."Lin Zhixia's statement of "I think, therefore I am" made Shen Zhaohua take a deep breath.
Perhaps it was because she was older and had narrowly escaped death several times at sea. In recent years, she rarely empathized with the emotional fluctuations of young people.
When she first heard Lin Zhixia mention "I think, therefore I am," Shen Zhaohua's initial reaction was to laugh. But upon deeper reflection, she found herself genuinely moved. She suddenly remembered her younger self—how many years ago was that?
1955, forty-nine years ago, when she had just stepped onto the campus of Peking University. She recalled the "Virtue and Talent" dormitories by the Weiming Lake and the Xinhua Bookstore named "Island Pavilion."
In the blink of an eye, forty-nine years had passed.
Her parents, mentors, and two close friends from back then had all passed away.
The ocean has existed on Earth for hundreds of millions of years. In comparison, humans are short-lived and fragile beings. Fortunately, history and civilization can be passed down like a torch, contributing to eternity.
Shen Zhaohua collected her thoughts and softened her tone: "You just said you don’t want to be categorized as part of an extreme minority. What did you mean by that? Do you only want to interact with ordinary people?"
Lin Zhixia blinked gently: "My way of thinking might be different from that of ordinary people, and I’m carefully observing them. But in this world, are any two people exactly the same? Our greatest similarity is that we are all different. Every soul is equal."
By now, Shen Zhaohua roughly understood Lin Zhixia’s meaning—Lin Zhixia’s interest lay in exploring the unknown world. Moreover, she did not want to be constrained by anyone.
Children of Lin Zhixia’s age usually harbor a deep-seated reverence for adults.
But Lin Zhixia was different. She seemed to believe that all people are born equal, with interconnected souls.
If "knowledge" were a school of fish in the ocean, Lin Zhixia would be a fishing vessel. She roams the vast sea, casting her net widely to capture the immense schools of fish representing various disciplines.
She is accustomed to relying on herself, setting sail against the wind and waves.
She needs no helmsman.
After organizing her thoughts, Shen Zhaohua explained bluntly: "Academic pursuits require exchange, and academic thinking needs training. The wise may err after much thought, while the foolish may gain insight after much consideration—you cannot always consider everything thoroughly. Besides fundamental sciences, you’ve probably read philosophy as well. Lin Zhixia, your talent is exceptional, and your heart is kind. I truly admire that. I want to see you shine. You may not realize it yet, but the future belongs to you."
Lin Zhixia blushed at her praise.
Shen Zhaohua continued: "People’s thoughts change at different stages of life. Look at me—I’m sixty-seven this year, and my thoughts are different from what they were a decade ago. I suggest you skip grades and join the junior high Olympiad class... the provincial No. 1 Middle School’s junior high Olympiad class gathers the top middle school students in the city. Take the entrance exam, get in, and experience the competitive atmosphere. When you have free time, come visit our university. The doctoral students in our research group would be very happy to discuss academics with you."
Lin Zhixia tilted her head slightly.
Clearly, she was carefully evaluating Shen Zhaohua’s proposal.Shen Zhaohua thought for a moment, then deliberately provoked Lin Zhixia: "If you're afraid of the pressure in No. 1 High School's Olympiad class, maintaining your current pace isn't bad either. You're still young, with so many options ahead of you."
"I'm not afraid at all," Lin Zhixia muttered softly.
Shen Zhaohua immediately wrote down a phone number for her.
"The phone number of the provincial No. 1 High School principal," Shen Zhaohua told her. "If you want to skip grades, you can contact her directly."
Lin Zhixia casually asked, "Teacher Shen, do you know the principal of provincial No. 1 High School?"
Shen Zhaohua sighed and answered truthfully: "She is my daughter."
The principal of provincial No. 1 High School...
It should be a quite respectable position.
Yet, Shen Zhaohua's tone carried a hint of pity and regret.
Shen Zhaohua even used her own daughter as a cautionary example to motivate young Lin Zhixia: "Once you choose the path of scientific research, you'd better not give up halfway. All my children have given up—none of them persisted to the end."
Lin Zhixia nodded vigorously: "I won't give up!"
Shen Zhaohua crouched down in front of Lin Zhixia and extended her pinky finger: "Shall we make a pinky promise?"
Without hesitation, Lin Zhixia immediately linked pinkies with her: "Pinky swear, ride the wedding sedan, a hundred years no changes!"
Shen Zhaohua smiled warmly: "A hundred years no changes."
"Scientific research is my lifelong pursuit." When making this promise, Lin Zhixia's attitude was solemn, as if taking an oath.
The clear light fell upon the floor, the Laboratory resembling a sacred hall where surging water waves transformed into a hymn, singing praises to human brilliance and ideals.
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