December was the beginning of winter in Jinling.
The red leaves on the mountain had already receded, leaving the ground full of withered yellow leaves. However, if one looked into the distance, one would still be able to see patches of green on the mountain. Winter was the home of coniferous forests.
Because Lu Zhou lived nearby, when he wasn't busy, he would often change into his sportswear and go for a morning run or a night run.
To him, this place was like his backyard. If he had to ask who was more familiar with this place than him, it would probably be the people who were responsible for his safety from a technical point of view …
"… I remember that some of the participants who came to the academic conference organized a mountaineering activity, why didn't you go with them?"
Faltings: "… I'm an old man, why would I want to go with a young man?"
Lu Zhou said, "I'm also a young man."
Faltings went silent for a while and spoke in a nonchalant tone.
"… Alright, I almost forgot if you didn't mention it."
Lu Zhou: "…"
An old man's stamina couldn't keep up. Professor Faltings was only halfway up the mountain, and he was already out of breath. He reached out and unbuttoned his trench coat, took off the round hat on his head, and looked back at the stone steps that he had already walked on. Looking at the empty mountain road, he took a few breaths and said.
He took a few breaths and said, "There's … no one here?"
"After all, it's late December." Lu Zhou stopped walking and placed one hand on his knee. He took out a water bottle from his backpack and took a sip. He wiped his mouth and said, "The weather is so cold, and it's not a holiday, so there are very few tourists. If you want to see the beautiful Purple Mountain, you have to wait until early October. At that time, the mountains and plains were covered in gold, and when the wind blew, it looked like waves. "
Faltings raised his eyebrows. He seemed to be a little interested.
"It looks like you come here often?"
Lu Zhou smiled and said, "My mansion is halfway up the mountain."
Faltings: "…"
Even though he was the director of the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics, his savings obviously weren't enough for him to build a mansion on the edge of a scenic spot …
However, none of this mattered.
At this age, whether it was a house or a car, there was no longer any value worth pursuing for him.
After resting for a while, the two of them continued forward.
After walking on the mountain for a while, Professor Faltings was already panting heavily. Although the stubborn old man seemed to want to persist, considering his physical condition, Lu Zhou could only say that it was getting late. Not only would it be inconvenient to walk down the mountain, but there was also nothing to see. Only then did Lu Zhou persuade the old man.
The two stopped at the rest area halfway up the mountain. Lu Zhou found a familiar restaurant. After greeting the owner, he asked him to prepare a grilled fish and beer.
Sitting on the stone table next to the railing, the two of them chatted while eating grilled fish.
"The grilled fish here is more delicious than the one in the hotel last night … What's its name?"
"It doesn't have a name." Lu Zhou opened a can of beer and said with a smile, "You can see it in many small restaurants in China. It's usually called grilled fish or Wanzhou grilled fish. The cooking method is basically the same, the only difference is the ingredients. It's very suitable for eating with rice, especially with alcohol … Speaking of which, can you drink? "
Professor Faltings smiled and opened the can with his skinny fingers.
"Are there Germans who can't drink? In the countryside where I live, it might not be that convenient to go to the supermarket, but I can definitely find a pub. "
Lu Zhou shrugged and spoke with a smile.
"Really? Why didn't I notice it when I went to Berlin? "
"Because it's the city center, not a place to enjoy life." Professor Faltings took a sip of beer and wiped his mouth. He then looked at the mountain road not far away.
The sky gradually turned yellow, and the edge of the jungle was covered in a gauze-like halo. The old man squinted his eyes at the beautiful scenery. He took out his phone from his pocket and took a photo.
"Speaking of which, how far is the top of the mountain?"
Lu Zhou thought for a while and replied.
"Based on the speed just now, it will take about two hours."
Professor Faltings went silent for a while. He suddenly sighed with regret.
"Then I'm afraid I can't go up."
When Lu Zhou heard this, he went silent for a while.
Even though he felt like the old man seemed to be implying something, he didn't know what to say at the moment. He could only comfort him and change the topic to something less serious.
"It's okay, there are still many opportunities. We can leave earlier next time."
However, Lu Zhou didn't know if the old man didn't understand his good intentions or if he didn't care at all.
Professor Faltings looked at the sunset in the sky and went silent for a while. He then shook his head and slowly spoke.
"Time waits for no one, especially for people like us who don't have much time left. It's almost like we're counting the days we have left to live while counting the unfinished business."
In the face of time, everyone was equal.
Whether it was a king or a farmer, when the final moment came, they could only face death equally.
After pausing for about half a minute, the old man retracted his gaze from the distant sunset. His gaze fell on Lu Zhou's face again.
"Right now, you are probably the person closest to God in this world … or the person closest to the truth. Since the death of Mr. Grothendieck, this is the first time I feel like there is such a person in this world. He may know the answer that we all want to know. "
Lu Zhou: "… Thank you for the compliment."
"It's not a compliment, it's a piece of advice … Of course, it also includes the blessing of an old man." Professor Faltings took a deep look at Lu Zhou and continued, "Whether I can see that day or not, I hope you don't give up. If there is anyone who can really solve this problem, it is probably only you. "
The old man, who was always serious and sarcastic, suddenly smirked and spoke in a joking tone.
"… If I'm not here that day, remember to leave a copy on my tombstone. But remember not to let me wait too long, I'm afraid something will crawl out from under my tombstone and knock on your door. "
Lu Zhou drank his wine in silence. He suddenly smiled and spoke.
"Forget about the tombstone, I swear I won't let you wait too long … Three years at most. Within three years, I will definitely find the exit of this maze."
"Three years?"
Professor Faltings was amused by Lu Zhou's words. He smiled.
He shook his head and looked in the direction of the top of the mountain. After a while, he continued.
"It's good to be young."
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