Interstellar to 80s: A Scientist's Farming Mission

At the competition, the Huaxia Team was the first to submit their answer.

After the judges practically scrambled over each other to get it, the answer was placed on the table. They all crowded around in a circle, craning their necks to get a look.

Watching the Huaxia Team submit their answer first, the other five teams were surprisingly calm, as if this was only to be expected.

Although they were deeply resentful, in the face of such overwhelming skill, any defiance was just stubborn pride.

Unconsciously, they seemed to have already accepted the fact that the Huaxia Team was better than them.

The five competing teams continued to work on the problems, while the members of the Huaxia Team once again had nothing to do.

A scene of stark contrast emerged in the competition hall.

On one side, teams were furiously scribbling, whispering in heated discussions from time to time. On the other... was an absurd comedy.

The members of the Huaxia Team were seen twiddling their thumbs, folding paper airplanes, and picking at split ends. If taking off their shoes wasn’t frowned upon, they’d probably be trimming their toenails too.

In short, every little idle trick one might do in class was on full display in the competition hall.

”This is good!”

”This is even better!”

”My God, how did I not think of this formula?”

”With this, they’ve solved the problem in the simplest way possible.”

”I think my uterus just quivered!”

”Piss off! You’re a damn man!”

The judges started chatting and joking around, completely ignoring the decorum of the event.

”COUGH COUGH—COUGH COUGH—COUGH COUGH COUGH COUGH—”

The host was off to the side, coughing his lungs out. Finally, one of the judges looked up. Just as the host was about to speak, the judge said callously, ”Go cough somewhere else. Don’t spray all over our table.”

The host really wanted to curse them out, but his professionalism—and his paycheck—forced him to hold it in.

”You’re right, sir. I’ll back away now.”

The host backed away. As for reminding them to be quiet, he decided he couldn’t be bothered and chose to let it slide.

’No matter how much they pay me in the future,’ the host thought, ’I’m never hosting one of these academic competitions again!’

’This is just plain bullying! So what if they’ve read... a few more years’ worth of books than me? What’s there to be so arrogant about!’

No one knew about the host’s silent tirade, as the competition continued on.

As time went on, the judges grew even bolder, even starting a full-blown debate among themselves out in the open.

Strangely enough, the other five teams didn’t complain. Instead, they seemed to focus even harder on solving the problems.

The reporters in the audience were baffled. Since when were other countries so accommodating?

Shouldn’t they be going head-to-head, fighting to the bitter end? Had some major international shift happened without them knowing?

Just as one reporter was about to check the international news, the first part of the competition came to an end.

All the teams submitted their answers.

The moment they handed them in, the only thought on the minds of the other five teams was, ’As long as we can get second place, that’s good enough.’

As for first place, it was best not to even think about it.

With the conclusion of the first part of the competition came the lunch break.

The Huaxia Team was the first to rush out. Rumor had it the cafeteria was serving steak today, which was infinitely better than yesterday’s cheese-baked-something-or-other.

By the time the other teams arrived at the cafeteria, the Huaxia Team was already tackling their second steaks.

”I want it well-done, none of that pink stuff.”

The Huaxia Team was ordering. Someone passing by overheard them and couldn’t resist making a snide comment, ”What an amateur. Steak is only good medium-rare.”

The Huaxia student on the receiving end of the comment simply took his steak calmly and sprinkled a little salt on it.

”Humanity discovered fire so we could eat cooked food, but you’re still stuck eating raw meat and drinking blood.”

The Huaxia student walked past him, tray in hand.

”Hey, you—”

”Don’t cause trouble.”

The student who had shouted was pulled back by his companion and went to order his own steak.

’Why does the medium-rare steak I usually love suddenly look so... bloody today?’

After lunch, the six teams returned to the competition hall.

The other five teams were eager to go. They had come to a silent agreement to prepare problems specifically to stump the Huaxia Team—not to win first place, but just to see them fail.

As usual, the Huaxia Team was the last to arrive. They coolly took their seats and waited.

”BING—Good afternoon, everyone. The next part of our competition is about to begin. Will a representative from each team please come to the stage and submit the problem you’ve prepared? All problems will be displayed on the whiteboard. The team that solves the most problems within the time limit will be the winner.”

”Let the competition begin.”

After announcing the rules in a monotone, the host collected the problems from each team and handed them to an assistant to write on the board.

He had completely forgotten about his actual job of hyping up the crowd.

”Isn’t this cheating?”

”How can they use a problem like this?”

”Aren’t there any rules for the competition?”

”Who could possibly solve that?”

Once the first problem was written on the whiteboard, all the guests and reporters in the audience who could understand it gasped in unison.

’Isn’t that a famous unsolved math problem? Can you even use that here?’

’Why aren’t the judges or the host reacting? Why is this whole competition so bizarre? Can someone please explain what’s going on?’

The answer was: no one could. Because every competitor in the room was staring at the Huaxia Team.

Aside from the Huaxia Team, the other five teams had each submitted an unsolved mathematical problem—the kind that had stumped mathematicians for centuries.

Only the Huaxia Team had submitted a problem that seemed simple but was actually quite profound. However, no one was trying to solve it. Everyone was waiting for the Huaxia Team to make a move.

Under the expectant, speculative gazes of the crowd, the Huaxia Team finally made their move.

Jiang Xia directed his teammates to get pens and paper ready.

He then personally walked over to the reporters and said politely, ”Please record our problem-solving process. We’ll need it as proof, since we plan on publishing a paper on this.”

With that, Jiang Xia led a few reporters back to the Huaxia Team’s area, where An Ning had already begun her solution to the first problem.

The moment she put pen to paper, the judges could no longer remain in their seats. They rushed over, crowding around to watch and ponder her work.

Her very first step sent the judges deep into thought. ’Ah, so that’s how it works.’

Before long, all the other teams had gathered around as well.

In the end, the organizers simply used the reporters’ cameras to project An Ning’s work onto the main screen for everyone in the hall to see.

The solution took five full hours to complete.

And that was with An Ning’s thoughts flowing so clearly that she didn’t need to pause to think, writing the entire proof in one go.

When the first problem was finally solved, An Ning shook her aching wrist and asked, ”Did any of the other teams solve a problem?”

The answer was no.

An Ning understood. She stood up, pointed to the stack of paper beside her, and said, ”Since none of the other teams solved a problem, doesn’t that mean we’ve won?”

Hmm? It seemed so.

’But... don’t you want to solve all of them?’

For some reason, everyone there was convinced that An Ning could solve all of the problems.

”Alright, we’re submitting our answer. Please announce the results.”