SFS Chapter 120 Rebuke
Chapter 120 Rebuke
A commotion broke out in the crowd. An Asian man wearing gold-rimmed glasses squeezed to the front, craned his neck, and loudly announced his identity.
"Hello, I am Shintaro Abe, a senior foreign correspondent for the Sankei Shimbun."
He pushed up his reflective glasses, his tone carrying undisguised skepticism.
"Professor Cronin, please forgive my bluntness:"
That is a century-old problem that has baffled and frustrated top mathematicians worldwide for over 150 years!
Now you're declaring from your high position that we should believe this was solved by a thirteen-year-old boy from Xia Kingdom who never even went to university?
Don't you find this absurd?
Don't you think this violates basic biological common sense?
Upon hearing this news, most ordinary people would likely have reasonable questions:
In the so-called derivation process, was there really no academic interest group, arranged by the Xia Kingdom's official authorities, providing illegal technical assistance or ghostwriting?!
"Whoosh—"
Cronin's gaze instantly sharpened like a knife as he stared intently at the Japanese reporter.
The temperature in the entire venue seemed to plummet instantly, followed by a ten-second, oppressive, almost suffocating silence...
Cronin made no attempt to hide his displeasure and contempt, spitting out a rude remark through gritted teeth.
"Mr. Abe, what makes you think you can compare yourself to everyone on this stage?"
Are you implying that we, the experts on the verification committee, are all easily fooled idiots?
"ah……?"
Shintaro Abe's expression froze instantly; he was clearly stunned by the scolding!
"Listen up, you layman!"
Cronin shouted sharply, his voice carrying throughout the arena via microphone.
"A mathematical proof is never the kind of sensational trick you see in your media headlines!"
It's not something that can be summed up in a binary way like "right or wrong"!
"When a mathematician picks up a pen, how should he deduce the entire logical framework, choose which definitions and lemmas to use, and establish a symbolic system with ingenious and brilliant structure...?"
All these invisible yet real traces of thought are like the unique genetic signature deep within each researcher's soul...
It's indelibly imprinted on every inch of the manuscript; no one can erase it!
"In Su Hao's original dozens of pages of paper that shocked the world, we old guys saw with absolute clarity two completely opposite yet perfectly integrated qualities!"
It was a kind of youthful arrogance, untouched by worldly refinement, even tinged with a touch of wild and unrestrained pride!
And an incredible leap of inspiration that can brutally break down all known conventional theoretical barriers with brute force!
This extremely unconventional and exaggerated personal style cannot be faked by any adult tainted by academic stagnation!
So, Mr. Abe, the incredibly stupid question you just asked is not only questioning the boy's innocence!
It is an outrageous and shameless insult to those on stage, and to all mathematicians around the world who dedicate their lives to the pursuit of truth!
Quiet.
A deathly silence.
The entire press conference, which had been as lively as boiling water, instantly fell silent, as if everyone was trembling with fear.
Everyone held their breath, listening intently to the furious and relentless reprimand from this titan of power in academia, who was like a storm of fury!
"You mean... this was really accomplished by that young man from Xia Kingdom, all by himself?"
Despite being thoroughly berated, the reporter remained relentlessly defiant.
Seeing this, a hint of mocking sadness flashed in Cronin's eyes. Instead of answering directly, he threw out a question at him.
"Mr. Abe, may I ask you casually, did you attend university?"
This sudden question completely stunned Shintaro Abe.
His mind went blank for a moment, and under the mocking gazes of his colleagues, he could only bite the bullet and stammer out:
"Ah...? Yes! Of course! I graduated from the Journalism Department of Waseda University!"
"Very good. Since you are a so-called high achiever..."
Cronin stared intently at him, his tone calm yet carrying an extreme sense of oppression.
"Then please recall, during your university years..."
To tackle a complex technical problem without any external assistance, what is the longest you can continuously think for in minutes?
This question is extremely relatable and simple enough that even elementary school students can understand it.
However, when faced with this seemingly insignificant problem...
This quick-witted senior foreign correspondent was as if he had been choked, completely stuck, and didn't dare to utter a sound for a long time.
"Uh...maybe...perhaps..."
"No need to think about it. Ten minutes? Thirty minutes?"
I dare say it won't take more than an hour!
Cronin ruthlessly interrupted him.
"It's not because you're inherently more mediocre than others, but because the vast majority of people in this world simply lack this kind of extreme focus!"
"But, do you know..."
Su Hao, for this boring question that no one cares about.
From the age of four, when he could barely hold a pen, he spent over nine long years alone in the dark, racking his brains!
Cronin's voice suddenly rose, his face contorted in a ferocious grimace!
"Through more than three thousand two hundred days and nights of mad torment, I never wavered for a single second!"
If you still can't empathize with or understand the terrifying weight behind those seemingly light words, "nine years"!
Unfortunately, there's nothing more to say between us then!
Cronin turned around and left his last words to the other reporters.
"In the end, I can only tell you a cruel truth!"
Throughout the long course of human history, at certain specific moments, Heaven has indeed acted without any logic.
It will truly be incredibly biased, giving away the starlight that could illuminate the entire mathematical night sky.
He poured everything, without reservation, into that one and only person!
His last words were spoken very softly, as if they were a long, drawn-out sigh.
But to the hundreds of people in the audience, it carried the weight of a thunderbolt!
The tense backs of the domestic media personnel listening in the audience suddenly relaxed.
Their eyes welled up with tears, and their faces beamed with a relieved expression...
And that sense of national pride that seeps from the very bones and can never be suppressed.
"Cough, cough!"
Shintaro Abe, a reporter for the Sankei Shimbun, was now completely red-faced and dared not even lift his head, feeling as if his face had been slapped to pieces.
Amidst mocking glances, it slunk away like a stray dog, tail between its legs, into the depths of the crowded throng.
An eerie yet powerful silence fell over the scene, lasting for several seconds.
Once Cronin had completely stepped down from the podium, the head of external relations for the Chinese Mathematical Society, drenched in sweat, rushed forward in a flurry of activity...
He grabbed the microphone and forcefully took control of the situation:
"Dear media friends, thank you for your participation."
With the verification work having reached a preliminary consensus, today's joint press conference has now officially come to a successful conclusion!
We will issue a unified announcement through the official channels of the China Mathematical Society as soon as possible regarding any substantial progress in Su Hao's proof.
Thank you all for coming!