"What’s going on?"
"Why is it like this? I find my own lecture boring, so how is it that Zhao Yi appears so engrossed?"
Finally.
The class ended.
Wang Gang took a deep breath, smiled, and turned to Zhao Yi, "Academician Zhao? How was it? Was there anything you didn’t understand?"
"You were very clear, I understand everything." Zhao Yi said with a satisfied smile, "You’re indeed a wonderful teacher, I plan to attend your next class as well."
His words seed sincere and full of admiration.
Wang Gang was rooted to the spot, reflecting back on the lecture, he couldn’t see anything ’exceptional’ about it.
...
After class.
As Wang Gang was leaving the classroom holding his textbooks, he saw a familiar figure quickly descending the stairs. Without thinking, he called out, "Old Hu? Hu Zhibin?"
"Huh?"
"Clomp, clomp."
Hu Zhibin poked his head out from the staircase, pretended to wipe nonexistent sweat from his forehead, and chuckled, "Wang Gang, I ca to find Zhao Yi. He’s not in the classroom anymore, is he?"
"How did you know Zhao Yi was here with ?" Wang Gang asked, puzzled.
"Heard it... heard it from so students." Hu Zhibin explained carefully, "I thought he would be at the School of Sciences office or the dical Center, but soone ntioned that he might be here attending a class. I found that quite unusual, so I ca here to check."
"Well, he did co."
Wang Gang sighed, "I have no idea what Zhao Yi was thinking, attending my lecture."
"It’s indeed strange!" Hu Zhibin also sighed, then asked with interest, "How was it? Having such a distinguished academician attending your lecture."
"Don’t remind ."
Wang Gang lanted, "The most frustrating part is, he said he wants to co again."
"That ans you’re doing well!" Hu Zhibin gave a big thumbs up, "Everyone in our university knows you’re an excellent lecturer, you’re widely recognized! The students speak highly of you! I suppose Zhao Yi heard about it and decided to attend."
"But my course is about chanics..."
"I know."
Hu Zhibin said, "These past few days, it seems like Zhao Yi has been studying engineering, things like kinetics, engineering, chanics... he probably heard about it..."
"Who did he hear it from?" Wang Gang had a sudden suspicion and looked at Hu Zhibin doubtfully.
Hu Zhibin quickly waved his hands, raising his voice a bit, "Wang Gang, you’re misunderstanding sothing here, I had nothing to do with this. Considering our relationship, do you think I’d persuade Zhao Yi to specifically attend your lecture? Your course is about chanics, Zhao Yi is studying mathematics and dical sciences..."
"You’re right, but didn’t you just say..."
"Yes!"
Hu Zhibin raised his voice even further, "He’s been reading books about chanics recently, that’s why he ca to attend your lecture. Don’t over think it, Wang Gang. The fact that Zhao Yi chose to attend your lecture is proof of your capability, right?"
"Well, that’s true..."
Wang Gang was flattered and felt better, but soon frowned, "He said he’d co again."
"That proves you are a good lecturer."
"Let tell you the truth." Wang Gang sighed, recounting how he had hastily covered the material and failed to guide the students properly, and finished with, "Despite that, he said my lecture was not bad."
Hu Zhibin shook his head while listening.
Wang Gang was puzzled.
Hu Zhibin explained, "Think about it! Who is Zhao Yi? A genius, a super-genius! As comndable as Einstein, Euler. No, even surpassing Einstein, surpassing Euler... anyway, he’s amazing. Can people like us really understand him? No. So don’t try to understand Zhao Yi’s thinking with your own mindset."
Wang Gang felt an epiphany.
That’s right!
"So, what I thought was poorly taught might be considered well-taught by Zhao Yi? And conversely, what I think is well-taught, might be..."
"Exactly!"
Hu Zhibin nodded in agreent.
"Thank you, Old Hu. You’re a true friend. Now I know what to do."
Hu Zhibin pretended to stroke a non-existent beard and said, "A promising student..."
"Get lost!"
Hu Zhibin was right.
Zhao Yi’s evaluations and needs are different from ordinary students. He’s using ’attending lectures’ as a substitute for ’studying on his own’.
Wang Gang kept covering the key points during the lecture, without wasting any ti, he went from one point to the next.
Zhao Yi comfortably understood everything he taught and rembered it. He realized that Hu Zhibin was right, attending the lecture was the right choice. It’s more efficient than reading the books on his own. There’s a lot of extraneous information in the books, like basic exercises and examples, which aren’t really useful to him.
Wang Gang’s lecture helped him ’simplify’ the content. Attending the lecture felt effortless and it’s faster than studying on his own.
Perfect!
When Zhao Yi returned to his office at the School of Sciences, he picked up his books and started reading again. He persevered for more than half an hour but found it uninteresting. He put the book down and continued with his particle mathematics research.
As a ’visiting professor’ for the Kunlun Engine Research Group, it’s still a ’part-ti’ job. He studied and researched when he felt like it, there was no need to invest all his energy. Besides, accumulating basic knowledge is not a one-shot deal.
It has to be done gradually.
He’d made progress on the research combining particle boundary theory with mass before his trip to the research base in Huanan City. Maybe revisiting it now would bring new insights.
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