Chapter 216: Bullsh*ting Is Not A Good Habit
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Lu Zhou could guess the truth on the matter.
He cut off a piece of rib and stuffed it in his mouth.
“Poor kid…”
This world was unfair.
Lu Zhou was lucky to be born in a peaceful country.
Lu Zhou tried to stuff his face, but he could not finish the food. In the end, he gave up.
When he saw the remaining ribs, he said in his heart.
If I knew they would give so much, I would’ve asked Luo Wenxuan to come with me.
However, the taste…
Is pretty good.
Lu Zhou left the BBQ restaurant and returned to his hotel.
Back at his hotel, he started to sort out his daily notes.
Suddenly, his phone rang.
When Lu Zhou picked up the call, he heard Professor Tang’s voice.
“When do you plan on coming back to China? Are you still coming back to University of Jin Ling this year?”
Lu Zhou was stunned but he quickly understood why Professor Tang was asking him these questions. He said, “It’s nearly New Year, so I plan on going back to my hometown.”
Professor Tang was unsurprised by Lu Zhou’s answer. He smiled and said, “You’re not coming back? There’s still an award waiting for you here.”
Lu Zhou, “Award?”
Old Tang smiled and said, “You’re a master’s student now, right? So you can be nominated for the Annual Person Award. You don’t have to give a presentation like last year, just take the prize on stage.”
Lu Zhou smiled and said, “This… I’ll give it to people that need it. I’ve already won it before! I’ll let other people have a chance.”
University of Jin Ling’s Annual Person Award was valuable in China.
It basically guaranteed a job. Any company would want someone with the award.
However, since Lu Zhou already won the Cole prize, he was not interested in small awards like this.
Professor Tang asked, “You really don’t want it?”
Lu Zhou, “I’m good!”
Old Tang smiled and did not insist. Instead, he said, “Okay then… The school won’t have to give you the million yuan then! It’s fine if you don’t want it.”
“Pfft!”
Lu Zhou nearly spat his water out.
He coughed and said, “How much?”
Old Tang smiled and said, “What do you mean how much? You don’t want the award anyway.”
Lu Zhou asked, “Isn’t the award only $10,000 yuan? What is this million for?”
“Other people are awarded $10,000 yuan, but you get a million yuan,” said Professor Tang with a smile. He then said, “This is the decision that the school made. I heard it from Dean Qin.”
Lu Zhou: “…”
Seeing that Lu Zhou was speechless, Professor Tang smiled and placed down his vacuum flask.
After a while, he sighed and said, “You’ve changed a lot over the past year. But one thing you didn’t change is your love of money! Loving money isn’t anything bad since you can’t do research without money and you also can’t get a wife… But remember, don’t make it too high of a priority or it’ll come and bite you in the ass one day.”
“I understand!” said Lu Zhou. With a serious tone, he added, “The conference ends on the 23rd. If the school needs me, I’ll fly back immediately!”
Professor Tang smiled and shook his head as he said, “It’s fine, take your time with the conference. The ceremony for the Annual Person Award can be delayed. I’ll just talk about it with Principal Xu.”
Lu Zhou smiled and said, “Then teacher… Are the million yuan award still on the table?”
“On!”
The situation was different than last year.
Having won the Shiing-Shen Chern Mathematics Award and Cole Prize, Lu Zhou was not winning this Annual Person Award for himself. He was doing it for the honor of the University of Jin Ling!
Just like if Einstein won the Nobel Prize, it was not only an honor for Einstein, but it would also be an honor to the Nobel Prize.
A school-level honor was too insignificant for Lu Zhou. Therefore, in order to get Lu Zhou to come back to the school, the school “slightly” raised the amount of the award.
The school was even willing to reschedule the award ceremony to match Lu Zhou’s schedule.
…
Lu Zhou had been in California for a week. Two days before Christmas, the academic conference finally ended.
This academic conference also awarded a Best Young Speaker Award.
The award winner was a French professor in his thirties. His report was a breakthrough on partial differential equations.
Due to a conflict in his schedule, Lu Zhou missed this report. However, Lu Zhou read his thesis and the level of his report was indeed worthy of this award.
There was also a Best Overall Speaker Award.
This award was undoubtedly given to Professor Helfgott.
His research in Goldbach’s conjecture would be the most dazzling research result of the year.
If this old man had not already received a Cole Prize, Lu Zhou might have some competition.
However, the old man did not care about the award too much. He was just happy to see that people recognized his research.
Of course, he was also happy about the $20,000 USD prize.
After the closing ceremony, Lu Zhou bought a plane ticket back home.
He originally planned to transfer at Shanghai, then fly to Jiangcheng.
However, his university had invited him to go back, and he had agreed.
While he was using his knowledge of geometry to pack his suitcase, Xiao Tong suddenly called him on WeChat.
Lu Zhou picked up the phone and turned on the loudspeaker.
Xiao Tong was wearing pajamas in bed. She yawned and asked, “Brother, when are you coming back?”
It was nighttime in China and it looked like this girl was about to go to sleep.
Lu Zhou was packing the chocolate he bought for his sister and replied casually, “I’ll come back before the New Year, why?”
Xiao Tong said, “Two good news, which one do you want to hear?”
“You got first in your class for the monthly test?”
Xiao Tong’s eyes widened as she said, “Brother, you’re a god!”
After all, Xiao Tong was Lu Zhou’s sister, so she had half of his intelligence.
Lu Zhou smiled and said, “What else could it be? Go on, what’s the other good news?”
Xiao Tong smiled and said, “Old Ma told me to ask if you want to give a speech at your old high school?”
Lu Zhou was speechless and he asked, “What kind of good news is this?”
Xiao Tong, “This is good new! Are you not going to go?”
Lu Zhou was too lazy to go, but he still asked, ” Do you want me to go?”
Xiao Tong eyes lit up, “Yes!”
Lu Zhou sighed and said, “Then I’ll go.”
Xiao Tong cheered and said, “Yay! Brother, you’re the best!”
Lu Zhou shook his head and smiled.
Why does she even want me to go?
If only she could use this energy on her studies.
