novelraw Chapter 88 Ascension
Chapter 88 Ascension
Ding-dong!
At the same moment, at the Dragon Country Academy of Sciences, inside an office.
An assistant had just lifted a cup of coffee when the email notification sound interrupted her.
“A new email?”
She tilted her head.
“Who sent it?”
Up to now, the only place she had left her email address publicly was in the research project briefing materials led by Academician Gao Yan.
But she had hardly ever received anything meaningful.
Curious, she clicked the link.
“Oh?”A sound of disdain escaped her as her lips curled almost to her ears.
“Goldbach’s Conjecture again! Sigh, these amateur theorists really get everywhere. How did it end up in my inbox!”
Having worked here for years, she had long heard the stories: hundreds of emails poured into the Academy’s official inbox every single day—wild fantasies about perpetual motion machines, and three hundred and seventy-eight thousand varieties of “proofs” for Goldbach’s Conjecture.
Terrifying.
“Sigh, better decline politely.”
Bored out of her mind.
As she skimmed the email, she typed blindly on the keyboard, advising the young sender named Jiang Ran to first format his materials into proper chapters and then submit them to an academic journal.
In truth, this was just shifting the burden of peer review onto journal editors.
But that was fine.
Reviewing manuscripts was their job anyway.
After finishing the courteous response and glancing through half a page of the attached proof, she raised her right hand high, ready to hit Enter and send.
Key.
Key…
Key.
“Huh?”
She blinked.
Something felt off.
This proof manuscript… didn’t look like it came from an amateur crank. It employed many rare theoretical frameworks…
While none of them were overly complicated, they certainly weren’t things one encountered in daily life—or even in a standard university advanced mathematics course.
“This is… interesting.”
She abandoned the reply for the moment, grabbed her mouse, and began scrolling.
Scroll…
Scroll…
Scroll…
Two hours later.
“Professor Gao！！！！！！！！”
A blur of motion shot down the corridor, clutching a laptop, charging straight into the director’s office!
Two hours later.
Inside the director’s office, several academicians had gathered, brows tightly furrowed.
“It seems… it might actually work.”
An elderly man nodded.
“At the very least, I don’t see any errors. I just can’t quite believe it… Could a three-hundred-year-old problem really be solved so simply? ‘You only need to verify 1+1.’”
Another academician spoke.
“Since Mr. Chen proved 1+2, Goldbach’s Conjecture has only had the final 1+1 problem remaining. As long as the argument holds consistently at that point, the entire method stands.”
Gao Yan leaned back in his chair, pulled open a drawer, and took out a thick stack of A4 paper.
“The email sender said they do not wish to publish publicly, nor to claim authorship. They want to donate the results to the Dragon Country Academy of Sciences free of charge. Of course, the sentiment is admirable—but we cannot shamelessly accept it like that. In any case… everyone take some pages and verify independently. This matter is not to be spread for now.”
Four more hours passed.
Though it was already deep into the night, the air in the director’s office seemed to boil.
“Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable!”
Several top academicians trembled with excitement.
“Goldbach’s Conjecture… it’s truly been conquered!”
“It’s unimaginable—this line of reasoning… so ingenious, ingeniously beyond words.”
“Director Gao, which scholar accomplished this? This is a once-in-a-generation genius!”
“If this is really published, the entire global mathematics community will be shaken.”
Director Gao looked at the group and allowed himself a gratified smile.
But.
He was calmer than the rest.
Because only he knew the origin of that email—and since the sender had requested confidentiality, he had not told anyone present.
The sender was a nineteen-year-old university student from Donghai City.
Jiang Ran.
Truly, talent arises generation after generation.
Nineteen years old.
Goldbach’s Conjecture.
Had he not witnessed it himself, he would have dismissed it as pure fantasy.
And…
“…”
Thinking of the email, Director Gao couldn’t help but laugh.
“This child must have quite a personality. Very humorous.”
The assistant turned her head.
“Professor Gao, why do you say that?”
“Because he really does enjoy jokes. Look at the final request he wrote—he’s clearly teasing us.”
Director Gao struggled to contain his amusement, pointing to the final line of the email.
“Look. He says he wants no awards, no honor, nothing at all—just a recommendation letter to transfer from junior college to a bachelor’s program!”
Hahahahahahahaha!!
The director’s office erupted in hearty laughter—
“Ahhhhhhh!?”
Donghai City, inside a certain meeting room.
The assistant’s jaw nearly hit the floor, her eyes bulging.
“Y-you—you said you’re from which school?”
“Donghai Vocational College of Foreign Economics and Trade.”
Jiang Ran repeated calmly.
“This—!”
The assistant fell speechless, her mind racing.
This had to be some kind of self-deprecating joke.
Students from elite universities often liked to give their schools low-sounding nicknames, pretending humility while actually boasting.
Director Gao pressed his lips together, sitting on the sofa, adjusting his glasses, momentarily stunned.
He had rushed from Kyoto to Donghai for this matter, contacting the phone number in the email immediately.
All along the way, he had thought this young man was being playful.
He had never expected—
He genuinely wanted to transfer upward!
Still, after so many years navigating storms and waves, Gao Yan had seen too much. After a brief shock, he composed himself.
“Jiang Ran, would you mind if I ask a few questions about the reasoning in your manuscript?”
“Of course,” Jiang Ran replied casually.
Director Gao asked several pointed questions. Jiang Ran answered each one clearly.
Truth be told.
This was all thanks to Professor Zhang Yang.
Actually…
When he thought about it, this wasn’t a duel between himself and Director Gao at all.
It was a cross-temporal contest between Gao Yan and his own closed-door disciple.
Clearly.
Director Gao’s questions were simply to confirm whether Jiang Ran had truly written the proof.
Jiang Ran understood that perfectly.
Neither of them needed to state it outright.
After a long while.
Director Gao set down the manuscript and let out a long breath.
“A hero truly emerges in youth. Jiang Ran—impressive. Truly impressive.”
His eyes shone with admiration.
“I won’t waste words on praise. Let’s discuss the request you mentioned in your email.”
He cleared his throat and sat upright.
“Are you certain you wish to give up this supreme honor? You must understand what a perfect proof of Goldbach’s Conjecture signifies in today’s mathematical world.”
“You wish to donate it freely to the Dragon Country Academy of Sciences. I understand and respect that. But from our standpoint, we hope outstanding scholars receive the recognition, respect, and honor they deserve.”
“Of course, if you have concerns, we can temporarily publish the results under the Academy’s name while permanently reserving your authorship. When you feel ready, we will publicly restore the honor that rightfully belongs to you.”
“No need.”
Jiang Ran waved a hand without hesitation.
“I only need a recommendation letter.”
“The recommendation letter is no issue.”
Director Gao smiled and spread his hands.
“That doesn’t even require discussion. For talent like yours, I would gladly write a recommendation letter for any university or research institute you wish.”
Remembering Jiang Ran’s vocational college, Gao Yan quickly suppressed his smile and spoke seriously.
“Yes, academic environment matters. I have an old friend—Qiu Tongcheng. You must know him.”
“The purpose of his University Student Mathematics Competition is precisely to give outstanding students—who, for various reasons, failed to enter top universities—another opportunity.”
“On that point, I share his philosophy. So… tell me, Jiang Ran. Which university do you wish to attend?”
“Donghai University,” Jiang Ran said.
Director Gao inhaled deeply and leaned back, fingers interlaced over his abdomen.
“Donghai University is indeed excellent.”
“But… have you considered somewhere even better? Qingbei, Dragon Science University, or mine as well. Mine is actually quite good—strong academic atmosphere.”
Pfft.
Seeing Professor Gao hesitate as if holding back words, the assistant couldn’t help covering her mouth to stifle laughter.
On the plane over, Professor Gao had been saying repeatedly that he wanted to take Jiang Ran under his wing.
At the time, she had teased him: “Don’t you already have a closed-door disciple?”
Professor Gao had snorted.
“Just because the door was closed doesn’t mean it can’t be opened again! Where do you find seedlings like this!”
So.
When he’d just now praised Donghai University and then subtly promoted his own, he had almost said outright, “Let me be your advisor!”
But clearly.
Director Gao respected Jiang Ran’s wishes.
Jiang Ran was no fool.
He understood the subtext.
“Thank you, Director Gao, for your recognition. I’m honored.”
He smiled faintly.
“However, Donghai University has always been my childhood dream. I truly wish to pursue my studies there.”
Director Gao pressed his lips together and nodded silently.
Ah.
Such a brilliant talent.
Hard to let go.
If he went to Donghai University… who knew which advisor would benefit.
Ah…
So reluctant.
So—
Wait?
Director Gao’s eyes widened.
He suddenly thought of someone.
“Jiang Ran.”
He stood up abruptly.
“Do you know any professors at Donghai University? Any courses you particularly want to study?”
“I… haven’t thought that far,” Jiang Ran admitted honestly.
His real goal was simply to get into Donghai University. The specific major didn’t matter.
“Then let me recommend an advisor!”
Director Gao grinned and pulled out his phone.
“I have a student teaching at Donghai University. Just promoted to graduate advisor this year. He doesn’t have any students yet. Next semester, you can enroll directly under him!”
“Zhang Yang. From the School of Physics. An excellent young man—my closed-door disciple. Well… not absolutely closed. Temporarily closed.”
“How about it? Look up his résumé and research direction when you get back. If you’re interested, you can go straight into his graduate program.”
The assistant watched Professor Gao rack his brains to secure the student and couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen him this happy.
What an abacus he was playing.
Zhang Yang was already his disciple. If Jiang Ran studied under Zhang Yang, wouldn’t he naturally become the academic grandfather? A generation removed perhaps—but still under his lineage.
“Alright.”
Jiang Ran agreed immediately.
If anything, he had been hoping for exactly this.
Professor Zhang Yang had once helped him.
And in truth…
Before they ever formally became teacher and student, Zhang Yang had already been someone Jiang Ran deeply respected.
Back in that unseen, sunless prison twenty years in the future.
He had once sworn to repay him.
Now.
Wasn’t this the opportunity?
If he wanted to prevent Zhang Yang from researching quantum tunneling, what better way than to stay at his side as his student and whisper caution into his ear?
“Hm?”
“Hm?”
This time, it was Director Gao and the assistant who were stunned.
That smooth?
That decisive?
Jiang Ran truly did not play by conventional rules.
“I’ll write the recommendation letter right now!”
As if afraid Jiang Ran might change his mind, Director Gao picked up a fountain pen and began writing swiftly.
At the top: Donghai University.
In the middle: formal explanation.
At the end: Gao Yan.
Entirely handwritten.
The weight of it was unmistakable.
Jiang Ran accepted the letter and glanced over it.
“I’ve seen Donghai University’s graduate admission regulations. They require joint recommendation from three academicians.”
“…”
Director Gao smiled knowingly and patted Jiang Ran on the shoulder.
“Child, you just take this letter to Donghai University. If they say the number of signatures isn’t enough, bring it back to me. I’ll add thirty more.”
Outside the hotel, standing by the roadside.
Jiang Ran exhaled deeply.
Clenched his fist.
Perfect.
Two worries resolved at once.
Next semester, he could enroll directly in Donghai University’s graduate program—and his advisor would be Zhang Yang.
A golden opening.
Once at the main battlefield of Donghai University—
He could search for the Film Camera Club senior.
Search for materials on the Positron Cannon.
Wait for Lu Yu, the super genius, to enroll.
Trace the clues to the spacetime shuttle.
As long as any one of those succeeded…
He could bring Cheng Mengxue back to life.
Return to Worldline 0.
Though the path would be far more twisted than imagined, as long as the final outcome was good, that was all that mattered.
“Time to return to school.”
He folded the recommendation letter.
“Need to go through procedures first.”
Thirty minutes later, Jiang Ran returned to the dormitory.
“Hm?”
All five roommates were there.
But each one looked dispirited, morale crushed.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“What’s wrong!?”
Roommate No.1 sprang up, pointing at him.
“Look what you’ve done!”
He shoved a notice across the table.
Jiang Ran took it and stared.
“Expulsion Notice!?”
He looked again.
Yes.
It was indeed his own expulsion notice.
It stated that student Jiang Ran, due to continuous absence for one month and failure to correct behavior after repeated warnings, was hereby dismissed.
Heavens…
Expulsion.
Such a distant word.
Call it “dismissal” if you like.
But in truth, there was no negotiation. You didn’t get to refuse being “advised” to leave.
“That seems excessive,” Jiang Ran muttered.
“I missed one month and they expelled me?”
“You’ve got nerve saying that!”
Roommate No.2 snapped.
“Our school is strict! The fact they tolerated you for a whole month before expelling you—that’s already mercy!”
“Jiang Ran! We warned you! Now look what happened!”
Jiang Ran waved a hand and tossed the notice onto the table.
“Not quite the end of the world.”
“How is it not!?”
Roommate No.3 sighed.
“You won’t get your diploma! Your college entrance exam was for nothing!”
“Exactly!”
Roommate No.4 stomped angrily.
“The job market is brutal! We’re already at a disadvantage. Now you don’t even have a diploma—how are you going to compete with bachelor’s degree holders?”
“Simple.”
Jiang Ran turned around, smiling faintly as he unfolded the recommendation letter in his hand.
“I’ll just move straight into graduate school.”