Chapter 4

The next day, I did not let my wife go deliver takeout, and I did not let my daughter go to school either.

I made several phone calls.

The first call was to the professor who used to mentor me, who was now an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was over eighty, and still supervised students.

“Little Chen?”

“Is your project finished?”

“It’s finished, and I just came back.”

“Good, good, good.”

“When you have time, come to the academy, because that paper of yours has caused a huge international response, and has there been any news from the Nobel side?”

“No official notice yet.”

“Teacher, I want to ask you about something.”

“When does the National Youth Science and Technology Innovation Competition begin?”

“Early next month, so what, do you have an idea?”

“I want to register my daughter.”

The other end of the phone was silent for a few seconds.

“Your daughter?”

“How old is she?”

“Ten years old, fifth grade.”

“Fifth grade?”

“Are you sure?”

“That competition is attended by high school students.”

“I’m sure.”

My teacher did not ask any more and only said, “Fine, send me the materials, and I’ll ask around for you.”

The second call was to an acquaintance at the provincial education department, who had once cooperated with me on a project and later transferred there to become a deputy director.

“Professor Chen?”

“It’s been a long time since I heard from you!”

“I just came back.”

“I want to ask you for a favor.”

“Tell me.”

“My daughter has some materials, and I want to submit them through proper channels, but I’m afraid there won’t be enough time.”

“What materials?”

“Some problems she usually does, as well as records of some small experiments.”

“How old is your daughter?”

“Ten.”

The silence on the other end of the phone lasted a little longer.

“Professor Chen, may I ask what kind of problems your daughter is doing?”

“High school Olympiad math, plus some physics experiments.”

“...Fine, send them to me, and I’ll take a look.”

The third call was to a department director at the Ministry of Education, who was also an old contact.

“Old Chen?”

“You’re back in the country?”

“I just came back.”

“I read that paper of yours, and it’s amazing!”

“The Nobel Prize is basically secured, right?”

“It hasn’t been decided yet.”

“Old Zhang, I want to ask you something.”

“Does our country currently have any special cultivation channels for gifted children?”

“Yes, there are youth classes, special science and innovation programs, recommendation policies, and so on.”

“What, do you have a candidate?”

“My daughter.”

“...How old is your daughter?”

“Ten.”

The person on the other end of the phone laughed.

“All right, send me the materials first and let me take a look.”

“If she really has the ability, I’ll personally make the trip if I have to.”

After making those three phone calls, I sat on the balcony and lit a cigarette.

Seven years.

I had won three national science and technology progress awards and one international physics prize.

One of my papers had been reprinted by top journals around the world and nominated for the Nobel Prize.

The technology developed by my team had been used in the country’s most classified project.

But my wife did not know any of this, my daughter did not know any of this, and the people back home knew even less.

In their eyes, I was just an irresponsible man who had run off for seven years, whose wife delivered takeout and whose daughter was bullied at school.

I had never explained.

I also could not explain.

But today, I did not want to endure it anymore.

At two in the afternoon, I arrived at the school on time to attend the so-called communication meeting.

It was not a parent meeting, but a communication meeting specifically about my daughter.

There were seven or eight people sitting in the conference room: Teacher Zhou, the grade director, the academic affairs director, and the principal.

The principal’s surname was Ma, and he was in his fifties, with his hair combed meticulously and a slow, methodical way of speaking.

“Chen Nuan’s parent, sit.”

I sat down.

Principal Ma glanced at me, then looked at the materials on the table, and sighed.

“We called you here today because we want to discuss something with you.”

“We have learned about your daughter’s situation, and her grades are indeed quite good, but...”

He paused, as if choosing his words.

“But as for how she got those grades, we all understand in our hearts.”

“As for the school, we don’t necessarily have to pursue the matter.”

“After all, the child is still young, and taking a wrong turn is normal.”

“The key is the future.”

He leaned forward.

“We have preliminarily decided to give the No. 1 Middle School recommendation quota to Li Hao.”

“His family conditions are good, his mother is a teacher, he has been trained since childhood, and his overall quality is high.”

“As for your daughter, the school’s opinion is that she should transfer as soon as possible or attend a vocational school preparatory class.”

“There is a vocational school in the district that cooperates with our school and can admit her without an entrance exam.”

He smiled.

“This is good for your daughter too, because she can learn a skill early and get employed early.”

“Don’t delay her.”

I looked at him and said nothing.

Teacher Zhou chimed in from the side.

“Chen Nuan’s parent, stop being stubborn.”

“We are doing all of this for the child’s good.”

“With your daughter’s situation, even if she attends No. 1 Middle School, can she keep up?”

“When the time comes and she cannot keep up, she will feel even more inferior and suffer more.”

“It would be better to find a path that suits her now.”

The academic affairs director also spoke.

“That’s right, our school has been around for so many years, so what kind of student haven’t we seen?”

“Some children are just not suited for studying, and forcing them is useless.”

“Recognizing reality early is good for everyone.”

Principal Ma nodded, leaned back, and waited for my response.

I lowered my head and looked at my phone.

On the screen, a message had just popped up.

Teacher: Little Chen, I have reviewed your daughter’s materials, and I have recommended her as an exception, so the competition organizing committee will send her an invitation letter directly tomorrow.

The second message came.

Director Zhang: Professor Chen, I have forwarded your daughter’s materials to the department’s expert group, and they would like to visit your home tomorrow to have a look, so would that be convenient?

The third message came.

Old Zhang: Old Chen, I reported your daughter’s situation to the higher-ups, and they attach great importance to it, so someone from the ministry will come tomorrow, and you should prepare.

I raised my head and looked at Principal Ma.

“Principal Ma, just now, you said my daughter should recognize reality early?”

Principal Ma nodded.

“Yes, we are all doing this for her good.”

I stood up.

“Tomorrow morning, you will look again and see who reality belongs to.”