Chapter 81

Chapter 81

"Did you know? They say Professor Zhang has taken on a remarkably brilliant student, exceptionally talented. For that tough Fluid Mechanics exam, she got a perfect score. The students in his class have all seen her paper—answered perfectly, no mistakes at all."

The speaker was a materials science student, whose classroom was next door to the fluid mechanics one. Their class had even fewer people, maybe less than fifteen. The one talking now was a young man who seemed quite lively.

After he finished, a long-haired girl chimed in: "That's right, I heard about it too. The young woman I live with mentioned it as well. She looks about fourteen or fifteen, still a young girl, and yet so impressive. I wonder if we'll get a chance to meet her in person."

Then came another round of discussion. In a sense, Feng Xia's reputation as a prodigy had already spread.

Feng Xia was oblivious to all this for now. She was deeply engrossed in fluid mechanics. For the past few days, apart from eating and sleeping, she had spent all her time reading. As she read more and more, her understanding of fluid mechanics deepened.

Fluids refer to flowing substances: oceans, drifting clouds, mist—all fall into this category, including the omnipresent air, which is part of the study of fluid mechanics.

Countless scientists had dedicated themselves to studying their mechanical properties, thus giving birth to fluid mechanics.

By figuring out why birds in the sky have better aerodynamics and why fish in water are more agile, and obtaining these key theories, humans could mimic birds to create airplanes and imitate fish to develop submarines. The core theories behind these scientific achievements would be cataloged by the state, only to be revealed to the public when technology advanced to the next stage.

So Feng Xia encountered an equation that was unavoidable in studying fluid mechanics:

the Navier-Stokes equations, which describe the motion of viscous incompressible fluids. Abbreviated as N-S equations.

One of the seven Millennium Prize Problems, solving it would earn the solver a million dollars from the Clay Institute. It was a dazzling jewel at the pinnacle of fluid mechanics, captivating the minds of countless scientists.

Feng Xia was now intensely interested in this problem too.

"So this is what you've been studying lately." Old Man Zhang leaned in to look at the slightly messy formulas on the young girl's scratch paper, along with her own rough calculations. He patted Feng Xia on the shoulder, pleased. It was a good thing for a young person to have lofty ambitions. Seeing Feng Xia so dedicated, Old Man Zhang felt deeply gratified.

But then the old man continued: "Studying the Navier-Stokes equations is a good thing, but your knowledge base isn't sufficient yet. To research it, you first need to thoroughly understand all the fluid mechanics books. Otherwise, trying to pluck this jewel will only trap you in a quagmire. You absolutely must read these books."

With that, he listed a few titles and then huffed and puffed to fetch six or seven books, some in Flower Kingdom editions, others from different countries. Feng Xia nodded, stacked the books neatly, and said she would study them carefully.

Old Man Zhang added: "Youth without recklessness is wasted. When I was young, I too longed to solve a problem that would shock the world, to make a name for myself or leave a legacy. But as I grew older, I no longer had the strength to climb such peaks. Little girl, I hope you can achieve what I couldn't when I was young. I was far worse than you back then. I really don't know how you, such a young girl, can be so calm. By the way, after you finish these books, go find the physics professor at Huaqing University. Their materials are more comprehensive than ours."

Having said that, he walked away with his hands behind his back.

In his view, the girl was currently just interested in the Navier-Stokes equations, but seeking a general solution was still too premature. However, Old Man Zhang had great confidence in Feng Xia. Even if she didn't solve the problem, she would undoubtedly become a shining star in the Flower Kingdom.

But even for Feng Xia, reading a dense masterpiece on fluid mechanics from the Bear Country left her a bit dizzy. Since Old Man Zhang was away that morning, she decided to get up and head to the cafeteria for some food before returning to continue reading.

The Peking University cafeteria didn't offer great value, but it had a wide selection of dishes. Food was available from morning to night, and Feng Xia was satisfied with that. She knew the way to the cafeteria well, having been there many times.

On the way, she passed a basketball court. Young people playing ball were rare these days, but not nonexistent. Some nearby youngsters occasionally came to play, as Professor Chen Yue had told her, though Feng Xia had never seen them herself.

Today, as it happened, she did.

Two or three young women with braids, wearing crisp new shirts, sat on chairs watching a few young men play basketball. The young men were tall and looked particularly handsome when running. From a distance, Feng Xia heard the bouncing of the basketball on the cement floor. She didn't even lift her eyes and simply walked around the edge of the court.

She wondered if the cafeteria still had meat sandwiches or maybe steamed buns with vermicelli filling. They were all delicious, except that bean juice—it was absolutely awful. Feng Xia recalled the taste and frowned. It was like sour soybean milk.

"Quick, quick, get out of the way!"

A man shouted loudly. The young woman sitting on the chair seemed frozen, staring blankly as the basketball flew toward her. It was about to smash into her nose. Her lips trembled as she wanted to dodge, but her body wouldn't move. At the critical moment, a fair, slender hand caught the ball steadily, just an inch or two away from the girl's face!

"Qian Qian, are you okay? You scared me to death!" The girl beside her, who had just tried to pull her friend away, hugged her tightly. The young woman who had almost been hit burst into tears, burying her face in her friend's arms. Her rational friend pulled her over to thank Feng Xia. Feng Xia nodded coolly. Just then, a young man ran over, sweating profusely. His eyes flashed with admiration when he saw Feng Xia.

Today, Feng Xia was wearing the pink sweater that Ms. Chen Yue had chosen for her, highlighting her fair skin, red lips, and dark hair, making the young girl look flawless.

The young man was grinning cheerfully and said to Feng Xia, "Young lady, thank you so much for catching the ball. Otherwise, Qian Qian would have been hurt. Really appreciate it."

Feng Xia turned to Qian Qian, who was still in tears, and asked, "Your boyfriend?"

Qian Qian nodded. Even if she had thought so before, she didn't now. She had almost been killed by him, and he was still cheerfully apologizing to someone else without showing any concern for her. At a time like this, if he truly cared about her, he would have at least asked if she was scared.

By then, the other players had gathered around. Feng Xia remained completely calm. She nodded at Qian Qian, then suddenly slammed the ball onto the ground. It bounced high, hitting the smiling man squarely in the face. Feng Xia had held back her strength, but he still ended up with a bloody nose and collapsed dizzily into his buddies' arms.

Feng Xia didn't even spare him a glance and headed toward the cafeteria. For a moment, no one tried to stop her.

Qian Qian's eyes sparkled, and she murmured dreamily: "That was so cool! I really, really like her!"