The lobby of the Hotel Corinthia.

He handed his passport to the check-in staff at the front desk, glanced at Professor Feverman in the direction of the door, and suddenly asked in a casual tone.

"The level of security here seems a bit unusual...... What else is happening here besides the International Congress of Mathematicians? ”

"No, sir," said the receptionist, who patiently explained the high level of the conference in thirty days, the International Congress of Mathematicians, which will be held in two days' time, and the Corinthia Hotel will provide the highest standard of service for the conference throughout the duration of the conference, and I wish you a happy week ahead." ”

“…… That's right, thank you. ”

Putting away his passport, Professor Feverman smiled and nodded to the receptionist, then walked over to Professor Deligne, who was standing by and looking at his watch.

"And he came! As I said, he wouldn't miss such an interesting meeting! ”

Speaking in an excited tone, Professor Feverman's face was filled with excitement that did not match his age, as if he had watched a football game in which the first goal was not scored until the last ten minutes, and he happily muttered what he had said countless times along the way, "I don't know where his research has been, it's really exciting!" ”

Looking at his old friend with a blank face, Professor Deligne, who was about to complain that his movements were too slow, sighed and changed his words.

"You didn't read the paper he posted on the official website?"

Peverman: "Look, what's wrong?" ”

Deligne: "Then why do you ask such a question?" If he did anything new, you would see it in that paper. If not, then no, don't know what you're expecting. ”

Feverman: "Because my gut tells me that there's definitely more to what he's been doing this year. ”

Professor Deligne's eyebrows furrowed.

"So, you know him well?"

There was a hint of mockery in his tone that was not maliciously devoid of it, like most Princeton professors would have a little Princetonian arrogance to a greater or lesser extent.

But I don't know if I didn't hear it, or if I was used to this old friend's personality and didn't pay attention to it at all, Professor Feverman just nodded and said with a confident smile.

"Of course, after all, we have worked together before, and I still have this confidence."

Hearing his old friend's confident speech, Deligne smiled faintly and said disapprovingly.

"Then you must be disappointed by your overconfidence, I have noticed all the papers he has published in the past year, the quasi-Riemann conjecture and the superelliptic curve method are his only research results on the Riemann zeta function, and then he even went to study economics with the old man Krugman, which seems to be called the L-Z model...... It's something like that, anyway. ”

Generally speaking, a scholar's research direction can be traced from his recently published papers.

Since the end of last year, or the beginning of this year, from the Sullivan's conjecture to discuss manifold classification in differential topology, to the L-Z model in economics, no matter which research results are made, they have nothing to do with the Riemann zeta function.

No matter how optimistic he is, Professor Deligne can't imagine that there is still a slight possibility that he is still working on propositions related to the Riemann conjecture in the past six months, rather than choosing to give up......

To be honest, Deligne was actually a little disappointed with such a result.

His disappointment did not come from the results that Lu Zhou had already achieved, after all, in terms of Lu Zhou's current achievements, he was already quite proud, and it was impossible to find fault with it.

However, this is only for the average person.

For a scholar like him, only by truly taking off the crown standing on Mount Everest, and only by truly solving the propositions that plague the vast majority of scholars in the whole world, can his academic achievements move forward.

Therefore, the fact that he had achieved such fruitful results in the conjecture in it, but chose to give up in the end, is what really makes Professor Deligne feel sorry.

If even he can't solve this problem, perhaps this conjecture can only be left until the end of the century, when a scholar who is more talented and mathematically intuitive than he can hope to solve it......

Professor Deligne's expression sensed some of his concerns, but Professor Feverman only smiled faintly and said in a relaxed tone.

"I think you're overthinking."

Raising his eyebrows, Professor Deligne said in apparent disbelief.

"Oh? You know what I'm worried about? ”

Ffeifferman: "Of course you know, after all, we've worked together more than once, and you've always been so confident in your analysis, but you have to admit that sometimes when people are overly concerned about something, they tend to have a narrow vision. ”

"You mean I'm narrow-minded?"

"Yes, especially the way you look at the problem, haven't you considered this possibility, maybe because he found in these questions a connection that we didn't find? This is not uncommon. ”

When it came to Professor Feverman's words, Professor Deligne hit the nail on the head, "but this possibility is very small, I have carefully studied several of his papers, and it is not easy to say anything outside of mathematics, but as far as mathematics itself is concerned, the mathematical methods used in it are not of great significance for the study of Riemann zeta functions, and even several papers have no linear or progressive correlation with each other in a mathematical sense." ”

Professor Feverman: "Maybe it's just that we can't see ...... It's useless to say more, do you want to make a bet? ”

Professor Deligne frowned: "Bet on what?" ”

Professor Feverman smiled confidently and said: "I bet that his research results are definitely not only those at the beginning of the year, and he has definitely not given up on the research on the Riemann conjecture." ”

"Otherwise......"

"He won't schedule his 60-minute presentation for the last one before the closing ceremony."

……

While the two old men in front of the elevator were still arguing about whether Lu Zhou was still studying the Riemann conjecture, Lu Zhou and Schultz, who were sitting in a taxi to the suburbs of St. Petersburg, happened to revolve around the Riemann conjecture.

“…… You haven't made any new progress in the past six months? ”

"Maybe it's not just half a year, maybe it's more than half a year," Lu Zhou made a helpless expression on his face, leaned back on the back seat of the taxi, shook his head and said, "I have tried to improve the hyperelliptic curve analysis method, and I have also tried to find answers from the group structure theory, but it still doesn't help." From time to time, I even have thoughts that even I find terrible, and perhaps the Riemann hypothesis is most likely correct, but it cannot be proven. ”

"You're not alone, but I think you can be a little more optimistic," he said, patting Lu Zhou on the shoulder, Schultz continued, "At the very least, you are better than most people if you can create such an excellent mathematical tool as the hyperelliptic curve analysis, and even prove the quasi-Riemann conjecture, which has been so overwhelming for a century." ”

"But for me it doesn't make sense," Lu Zhou said with a sigh, "I'm sure you should be able to understand this feeling." ”

Schultz: "No, I can't, thank you. ”

Lu Zhou: "......?" ”

After nearly 40 minutes of driving, the taxi finally arrived on the outskirts of St. Petersburg, and the nearby buildings gradually returned from bustle and prosperity to simplicity.

According to the taxi driver, the area is a famous mecca for mathematics, and the Skeklov Institute of Mathematics is located on this old stone road, and a mathematician who rejected the Fields Medal lives nearby.

At the same time, the Fontanka Canal, which flows through the center of St. Petersburg, and the stone and brick roads, street lamps and benches along the riverside, are where the heroes and heroines of Dostoevsky's "White Nights" meet.

After getting out of the car, Schultz took Lu Zhou to the nearby residential area.

Most of the houses in the neighborhood are similar to the single apartment type in China, which is very suitable for young people, but it is difficult to say how many young people will live comfortably in such remote suburbs.

After walking behind Lu Zhou and Schultz for a while, Wang Peng suddenly spoke.

“…… You've come full circle here. ”

Hearing this, Schultz had a helpless smile on his face, stopped and grabbed the long hair that was scattered on the back of his head with some trouble.

"Actually, the last time I came here was a long time ago, this kind of apartment building with dense windows is very tricky, if you don't come often, you can't remember where it is......" Seeing the expression on Lu Zhou's face gradually become speechless, Schultz stopped talking, coughed awkwardly and said, "I'd better find someone to ask." ”

Schultz happened to have a photo of Perelman on his phone, but it didn't matter if he didn't, he could easily find it on Google.

I have to say that the handsomeness of the person still has a bit of an advantage, whether it is men, women or children, in front of that sunny smile, most people will be very enthusiastic to help after hearing his request.

As for the shabby look......

Of course, there are benefits.

At least when you're in seclusion, you don't have to worry too much about being disturbed.

"Do you know this person?"

Staring at the photo in Scholz's mobile phone, the Russian girl, who was still smiling brightly, suddenly subconsciously frowned with a little disgust.

"Who is this? Terrorist/terrorist? Or some kind of performance artist? ”

It's no wonder that she showed a disgusted expression, after all, the man in the photo really didn't dare to compliment.

The unkempt beard crawls all over the chin, and the sparse curls hang back like a dog's tail, and although the shape is somewhat similar to Schultz's hair, it shows two completely different styles.

It's like a plaid shirt, some people can wear it like an idol, but some people look like a programmed ape no matter how you wear it.

Sighing, Schultz said a little nerve-wracked: "I'm sorry, I'll go and ask again." ”

The Russian girl smiled and said, "Good luck, but I think it's better for you to give up, I haven't seen this man in two years here." ”

After asking around, not a single person who knew this photo was there.

Occasionally, a few people recognized him as if he was a well-known mathematician and had been on the news, but when they heard that he lived nearby, the few who recognized him shook their heads.

to not deny the possibility of him living here.

It's just pure, and I don't have the impression of seeing it at all.

Just when Lu Zhou couldn't help but wonder if this lonely hermit had moved, finally an old man not only recognized the photo in Schultz's hand, but was also very familiar with his appearance, touched his chin and said.

"I know him, he used to work at the Szkélov Institute of Mathematics and is a very famous mathematician......"

Lu Zhou immediately: "How long ago?" ”

"About ten years ago, when I was a janitor at the Szeklov Institute of Mathematics, I often watched him go to work in a pair of shabby jeans and a shirt. In addition to being a mathematician, this guy is also one of the weirdos in the institute. ”

Lu Zhou: "......"

More than ten years ago......

He was still in high school at the time.

Is it already such a distant thing?

Following Lu Zhou's question, Schultz continued to ask: "Then do you know where he lives?" ”

"If he hadn't moved or died, he would have lived over there," he said, pointing to a nearby apartment building, and the old man continued, "I only know where he lives, but where it is, you might as well take a little trouble and start with his neighbors." ”

Seeing the direction that the old man was pointing, Schultz and Lu Zhou breathed a sigh of relief, and their faces showed expressions of gratitude.

"Thank you! Helped a lot. ”

After that, Schultz took Lu Zhou and Wang Peng and walked in the direction pointed by the old man.

Soon arrived at the downstairs of the apartment, and when Lu Zhou and Schultz were discussing and starting to inquire from a few floors, they happened to see two people with foreign faces also standing at the entrance of the apartment building.

What's even more coincidental is that one of them, Lu Zhou, also knows.

It was Professor Paul Krugman, whom he had met in Shanghai some time ago......

The two men apparently didn't notice him, and were standing in front of the entrance to the apartment building, muttering to each other.

"I wonder if we're on the wrong side," Albert muttered, looking at the apartment building in front of him, "does this look like a place of seclusion?" ”

"You can't be wrong, this is the address given to me by the IMU Secretary." Glancing at the small note in his hand again, confirming that the address was here, Krugman said in an affirmative tone, "No matter what, I won't take the wrong path." ”

Albert continued, "But what if he won't open the door for us?" If he doesn't open the door, we can't even be sure if he's inside or if he's ignored. ”

Krugman: "You don't know him, and although he may seem like an unapproachable guy, just ask him some math questions and he will answer you very patiently, and his attitude is surprisingly good." ”

Albert raised an eyebrow and said, "Have you been in contact with him?" ”

"No, but I know a beautiful lady who used to work at the Sczeklov Institute of Mathematics, and she told me so," after a pause, Krugman continued, "Listen, my friend, we must not be discouraged. If there is any other place than the arrogant Princeton, there are good old people who can help us, and this is the only place. ”

Albert sighed and muttered as he continued: "Actually, I am working with Professor Lu, whose Lu-Bewley model and LZ model are simply genius, especially the research idea of analyzing macroeconomics through calculation, which coincides with my research!" ”

"Don't think about it, I'd like to bring in Faltins if I could, but is that possible? I only met that guy at the beginning of the year, and he was a young man, but he was sometimes more stubborn than the old men in Princeton, not to mention our plans-"

Just as Krugman was chattering and frantically complaining about the landing boat with his companions next to him, a familiar voice suddenly came from the side.

"I wish I heard my name, and it still seems to be speaking ill of me."

The two of them who were talking were startled by the sudden sound.

Krugman, in particular, really jumped to the side as if he had seen a ghost, looked at Lu Zhou and said.

"Hell, where did you come from?"

"I'm here to attend the IMU conference in St. Petersburg," answering the question truthfully, Lu Zhou then glanced at Schultz next to him, "It just so happened that this gentleman invited me to come and visit his old friend, so I came over." ”

Staring at Schultz for a moment, not recognizing the young man, Professor Krugman said with a frown.

"You ......"

"Schultz," he took the initiative to stretch out his right hand and shake it with the two old men, Schultz smiled and nodded and continued, "It's good to meet the two. ”

“…… Krugman, a professor of economics at Princeton University, was next to Albert-Laszló Barabís, a physicist better known than academics. ”

"Hey, wait, what do you mean to be more famous than learning? You old thing, you're sure you're not blind—"

Ignoring Albert, who was protesting next to him, Professor Krugman looked at Schultz and continued with blazing eyes, "You know Perelman well? ”

Hearing this question, Schultz's expression became a little subtle, and he shrugged his shoulders and said.

"I think I know him well, but...... I don't know what he thinks of our friendship-"

"What are you doing here? Have a party? ”

A sudden voice from the side interrupted Schultz in the middle of his sentence.

Just like what happened to Krugman and Albert just now, I saw a tall and burly man in shabby jeans and shirts, carrying two plastic bags stuffed with cheap ingredients, and at some point he had already walked next to the group.

I have to say that his raunchy dress and sense of presence are indeed low enough, and no one is aware of his existence when he walks so close.

However, upon spotting him, Professor Krugman immediately smiled brightly and extended his right hand to him.

"Hello, Dear Professor Perelman...... I'm Krugman and I've made an appointment with you in my email. ”

"I'm not a professor anymore," Muttered in Russian, Perelman's gaze swept over several people, and suddenly stopped on Lu Zhou's face.

After a moment, he spoke abruptly.

"Are you Lu Zhou?"

"It's contemptible," Lu Zhou nodded and said in a friendly manner, "It's nice to meet you." ”

"Me too," although he wanted to raise his arm to shake Lu Zhou's hand, he was carrying something in both hands, and Perelman had to give up after shrugging his shoulders.

“…… If you have something to say in the house, you will block the aisles. ”

Before Schultz and Lu Zhou could speak, Professor Krugman had a bright smile on his face and hurriedly agreed.

"Thank you for the invitation, I also think it's better to come to the house and talk."

Ignoring Professor Krugman, Perelman's gaze swept over the faces of several people in turn, and finally stared at Wang Peng for a while.

"You don't look like you're a scholar, and you don't feel like you're coming with questions."

The tone of the speech didn't look like a welcome at all.

Wang Peng nodded, ready to explain the nature of his work, but was interrupted by Lu Zhou's light cough.

"You wait here for me for a while, I'll be down soon."

The expression on his face was a little hesitant, but after glancing at the look on Perelman's face, Wang Peng finally nodded.

"Okay."

"If there's something remember to call me."

Of course, this so-called call is not the kind of dialing number, but an alarm device triggered by a keyword set up by Lu Zhou on his mobile phone.

Seeing the worried expression on his face, Lu Zhou smiled and patted his arm.

"There's nothing wrong with being careful, but don't be too nervous."

"Wait for me here, I'll come down in a moment."

After that, the group left Wang Peng in place and walked upstairs.

-

(There are some things in reality, but I haven't been busy, so I won't divide the chapters today.) Although there is only one chapter, it is actually the same as two chapters~)