Qiao Yu's indifferent attitude almost made Lan Jie choke.
Just yesterday he was so resistant, and today he's so compliant? How can this kid change his mindset so quickly?
Alright, I can only say that when it comes to making money, this little guy is truly serious.
"Alright, as long as you're willing to quit smoking. The school's training schedule for the Olympic Competition is every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 4:00 to 5:30 PM. For the next month, you don't have to attend your third afternoon class. Just arrive at the electronic classroom 302 in this building by 4:00. The schedule for the holiday classes will be announced separately."
After composing himself, Lan Jie began to explain seriously.
Qiao Yu nodded, then proactively asked, "Is it just three classes a week? What books should I read in my spare time? At home, I only have a copy of 'Introduction to Riemannian Geometry'."
"Riemannian Geometry? Why are you reading that?" Lan Jie was a bit stunned and asked.
"Doesn't self-studying it help in competitions?" Qiao Yu asked in return.
Lan Jie gulped and then shook his head decisively, emphasizing, "No, it doesn't help at all."
"Oh, that's good." Qiao Yu breathed a sigh of relief, which indicates that the Olympic Competition questions might actually be quite simple.
"Can you understand that book?" Lan Jie couldn't help but ask.
To be honest, Lan Jie had encountered Riemannian Geometry during his master's studies, but it was just a basic understanding since he didn't need an in-depth knowledge of it.
"I can't fully understand it." Qiao Yu honestly shook his head and said, "The sections discussing manifolds and tangent spaces are fine, but when it comes to Riemann metrics, connections, and curvature, it gets a bit difficult."
"Have you also self-studied calculus, linear algebra, and topology?" Lan Jie was very surprised; this was information he hadn't been aware of.
To understand the basics of Riemannian Geometry manifolds, one must have systematically studied these subjects, otherwise, it's impossible to comprehend concepts like smooth manifolds, tangent spaces, and vector fields.
Similarly, without exposure to linear algebra and topology, understanding concepts like vector spaces, linear mappings, bases, coordinate systems, open sets, closed sets, and continuous mappings would be impossible.
Without understanding these, one cannot grasp the structure of manifolds in the book.
Qiao Yu nodded: "I've watched quite a few lectures online here and there. I've also borrowed some books from the library to skim through."
Lan Jie shook his head and said seriously: "The content of the Mathematics Olympiad exam in geometry mainly includes plane geometry and solid geometry, covering Euclidean geometry and triangular geometry. In fact, all Olympic Competition questions will not include university-level mathematics. But in your case..."
At this point, Lan Jie hesitated for a moment, then bent down to open the cabinet under his desk. After a moment, he pulled out three books and handed them over.
"If you have a lot of extra time and want to study advanced mathematics, you can start by systematically reading these three books. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me."
Qiao Yu took the books from Lan Jie's hand and carefully looked at the titles.
One was "Principles of Mathematical Analysis Volume 1" by Feihkin Goltz, the second was also "Principles of Mathematical Analysis," but the author was Lu Ding, and the other was "Introduction to Algebra and Number Theory" by Feng Keqin.
Then Qiao Yu handed back Feihkin Goltz's "Principles of Mathematical Analysis Volume 1" and said, "Thank you, Teacher Lan, but I don't need this one. I've self-studied this book on mathematical analysis."
"You've self-studied it?" Lan Jie was a bit surprised, but he didn't say much and took the book back, saying, "In that case, you can briefly go through Lu Ding's book. Some methods in the two books can complement each other."
"Okay, Teacher Lan."
Lan Jie pursed his lips and suddenly thought of something, saying, "By the way, I'm not too sure about your understanding of advanced mathematics. You can check out the global mathematics competition organized by Little Alibaba.
If you manage to make it to the finals and achieve good results, there's prize money involved. The gold prize is thirty thousand US dollars, and the excellence award is two thousand US dollars. The official website also has practice competitions to help you get familiar with the system, and you can also download past exam papers to test your mathematical level."
"Winning a prize of thirty thousand US dollars, isn't that more than two hundred thousand RMB in prize money? Do you have to pay taxes? Are there any fees for converting it to RMB?" Qiao Yu instantly fired off three questions in succession.
Lan Jie was slightly taken aback, and then saw the glint in Qiao Yu's eyes.
Honestly, he just mentioned it casually, seeing as the conversation had reached this point. He didn't expect the guy to be so sensitive to the prize amount, especially since his focus was on whether he could participate, and Qiao Yu was already thinking about taxes...
"Of course, prize money needs to be taxed. But if you don't have much other income, if you really win the prize, your mom can apply for a tax refund next March. As for receiving US dollars, since it's a global competition, converting it to RMB shouldn't require a fee."
Lan Jie explained.
He wasn't too detailed because, truthfully, he didn't know, having never received a prize.
"Over two hundred thousand." Qiao Yu sighed.
If only he could win a gold prize, earning that money would instantly double the family's assets. At least it would make him feel more at ease to participate in the competition.
Lan Jie glanced warily at Qiao Yu and warned, "Do you understand what a global mathematics competition means? Your competitors are not just peers of your age. There're master's and Ph.D. students from domestic universities like Huaqing and Yanbei and top students from overseas colleges like Cambridge and Harvard.
Also, although the preliminary round is open to anyone who registers and is conducted online, strict proctoring measures are in place for the finals. So don't even think about cheating—winning a prize wouldn't be worth it in the end."
Lan Jie's concerns were understandable.
He could sense Qiao Yu's obsession with making money.
That wouldn't be so bad, but the key is that this guy still has a rebellious streak.
Lan Jie had no doubt that if Qiao Yu did find a way to cheat, he would not hesitate to do it for the prize money.
"Don't worry, Teacher Lan, I know what I'm doing. To be honest, from primary to high school, I've never cheated in an exam." Qiao Yu replied.
Honestly, Lan Jie was still a bit worried. He believed Qiao Yu hadn't cheated in exams at least during junior high, as his apparent grades hadn't significantly regressed. But after all, those exams had no monetary rewards.
He wanted to say more but, recalling that Qiao Yu was just a fifteen-year-old going through a rebellious phase, he refrained from adding anything further.
Triggering a rebellious response could lead to unforeseen troubles. So Lan Jie switched the topic to the high school entrance examination: "I heard from your Teacher Yuan that you plan to take the exam normally?"
Qiao Yu nodded and replied, "Yes."
"Confident?" Lan Jie pressed further.
"I think passing the regular high school line should be no problem." Qiao Yu said conservatively.
Lan Jie noncommittally nodded and then frankly said, "Qiao Yu, you have talent. As long as you're willing to show it, I believe no matter where you go in the future, it'll be discovered. However, I still hope you can stay at Railway First Middle School.
This is not only for your benefit; I actually have my own selfish reasons. But one thing is certain: only at Railway First Middle School can I ensure all the previous promises I've made to you will be fulfilled. Frankly, considering your situation, I personally think there are risks with taking the high school entrance exam this year. Are you sure you want to take it this year?"
Qiao Yu raised his head and confidently smiled, saying, "How about this: in the next mock exam, if my score, including the previous physical education and biology/geography results, is not enough to reach 620, then I'll follow your arrangements."
Lan Jie hesitated for a moment and said, "Then... alright."
"Should I leave now?"
"Yes, don't forget tomorrow afternoon at 4:00 in classroom 302."
"Okay, goodbye, Teacher."
"Wait, let me add you on WeChat."
"Uh, sorry, Teacher Lan, I didn't bring my phone today."
At that moment, Qiao Yu thought of Xia Keke. See, it's all the little girl's fault.
"Ah?" Lan Jie glanced at Qiao Yu: "Alright, take down my number, 13XXXXXXXX, add me when you get home."
"Oh, wait, don't be in a rush to leave, give me your number too."