Jiang Fuyue scored full marks.
Everyone else: zero.
In the end, Xie Dingyuan asked her, “Do you have anything else to say?”
Jiang Fuyue thought for a moment. “If we had a supercomputer, we’d get the results faster.”
Everyone: “…”
Just like the previous day, as soon as they left the exam room, the scores for all three hundred or so contestants were displayed on the electronic screen.
First place: Jiang Fuyue, with a perfect score of 600.
Second place: Fan Ye, with 500.
Third place: Gao Zhaoming and Huang Hui, tied.
Thus, the Huaxia team took the top four spots in this IOI competition, with one member achieving a perfect score.
Notably, Andre rose to eighth place, securing a gold medal.
“Congratulations.” Xie Dingyuan extended his hand toward her.
Jiang Fuyue glanced up and, instead of shaking his hand, lightly patted the back of it. “Professor Xie, your final question allowed me to widen the gap by 100 points from second place. I’m really curious, how do you feel about that?”
“Deserved and well-earned.”
“Is that supposed to be a compliment?”
Xie Dingyuan replied, “Didn’t I make it clear?”
Jiang Fuyue’s lips curved into a faint smile. “Not bad yourself.”
To weave the essence of the P versus NP problem into a competition question that led to collective protest among the contestants, and to deliver a final blow that left most of them with “zeroes” — that was Xie Dingyuan’s true brilliance.
This achievement was enough to leave a remarkable mark in IOI’s history.
Decades, maybe even centuries from now, computer enthusiasts would know of a Huaxia biochemist named Xie Dingyuan — yes, a biochemist! Invited by the organizers, this big name had set the final IOI question for one specific year, a question that only one contestant solved perfectly, while everyone else failed.
“….Well, what do you think? Will this make you go down in history?” Jiang Fuyue paused, then turned around, hands clasped behind her back, giving him a playful smile, her eyes hinting at amusement.
Xie Dingyuan nodded, showing no embarrassment.
“Sounds good,” he said.
Jiang Fuyue clicked her tongue, and then he continued—
“Also, congratulations to you.”
“?”
“As the only contestant to score full marks on this year’s final IOI question, you stood out among a sea of zeros. If I do end up remembered in history, your name will surely be there too.”
Jiang Fuyue replied, “So I should thank you, then?”
He replied, “No need.”
“…” She had to admit, his confidence was impressive.
Xie Dingyuan then asked, “What are your thoughts on the P/NP problem?”
A glimmer flashed in Jiang Fuyue’s eyes. “What thoughts?”
“I watched your programming steps from start to finish.”
While others only cared about whether the test results were correct, Xie Dingyuan was the only one who observed her entire coding process.
Quick mind, quick eyes, quick hands — Jiang Fuyue was even more exceptional than he’d expected.
This level of brilliance made his heartbeat quicken, beyond his control.
At one point, he felt as if this young girl was glowing.
A light that drew him in, though he didn’t dare reach for it too quickly.
All he could do was keep reminding himself — go slow, be careful!
“So?” She looked at him, smiling nonchalantly.
You saw it all, so what?
Xie Dingyuan didn’t beat around the bush. “If you continue developing your ideas, maybe the P/NP problem could be solved in less than fifty years.”
Some scientists had predicted that it would take at least fifty years, if not longer, to solve the P/NP problem.
Jiang Fuyue responded, “Are you joking?”
Xie Dingyuan asked, “How do you know it won’t happen? The Russian mathematician Grigori Perelman proved the Poincaré conjecture, didn’t he?”
Jiang Fuyue replied calmly, “Grigori Perelman is an internationally renowned mathematician. I’m just a high school student. Professor Xie, you’re setting the bar a bit high for me.”
Xie Dingyuan gave her a deep look. “So, you think it’s impossible to solve the P/NP problem within fifty years?”
Jiang Fuyue didn’t respond.
Xie Dingyuan continued, “There’s reliable news that the ‘Navier-Stokes Existence and Smoothness’ problem is close to being solved. Two of the seven Millennium Prize Problems have already been tackled; doesn’t that mean the P/NP problem could be next?”
She frowned, a trace of caution appearing in her eyes. “What are you really trying to say?”
Noticing her guarded expression, he gave a wry smile internally, though his face remained calm. “Maybe… I could be more than just your academic advisor. Perhaps I could try being a life mentor?”
Jiang Fuyue wanted to laugh but held back, replying with a long, “Oh~” “So you see me as a practice subject.”
He responded seriously, “I consider us friends.”
Unfazed, Jiang Fuyue replied, “Friends, huh? I thought you wanted to be my life coach.”
A glint of light flashed across Xie Dingyuan’s eyes but was quickly suppressed.
He wanted that, really wanted that! Desperately!
But now was not the time to say it — he had to take things slowly and steadily…
“So, can you tell me your real thoughts?” When it came to academics, Xie Dingyuan’s seriousness and rigor made him look exceptionally professional.
For the first time, Jiang Fuyue found the charm and value in this man as “Professor Xie.”
Even with his usual aloofness and cold gaze, he didn’t seem quite as annoying anymore…
Jiang Fuyue’s thoughts: When this guy isn’t annoying, he’s actually pleasant to look at.
Love is a process of discovering each other’s shining qualities; don’t rush it, okay? Just as there’s no rush here, there’s no rush for you readers either!
