When Lu Zhou returned home, it was almost dark.

Returning to the cabin he had been away from for a long time, the moment he pushed the door open, the dust in front of him choked him and sneezed.

"I knew I should have hired a housekeeping company to clean it regularly." Reaching out and fanning his nose, Lu Zhou looked at the dusty entrance with some headaches.

Why don't you go to the hotel tonight for the night?

After thinking about it, Lu Zhou felt that it was better to forget it.

By the time he got from here to the hotel, it would take him enough time to clean his bedroom.

It took him about an hour to clean up the study and bedroom with a broom and rag.

Leaning the broom against the wall, looking at the restored and tidy study, Lu Zhou wiped the sweat from his forehead and showed a satisfied smile on his face.

"Then there's only one last thing left."

Before going to bed, he planned to finish the day's work.

Although there is only one piece of work left to be done.

Sitting at the familiar desk, Lu Zhou spent about half an hour writing his resignation.

Looking out the window at the already completely dark sky, he casually put the two resignation papers in the drawer and turned to walk in the direction of the bedroom.

……

A special ceremony was held in Lecture Hall 1 of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.

After approving Lu Zhou's resignation, Dean Goddard conferred on him the title of Honorary Fellow.

This title is similar to that of an honorary professor at a university, and is given to scholars who have made significant contributions to a research institution, but are unable to serve or continue to serve there for a variety of reasons.

"Even if you trace the history of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, you are one of several of the most distinguished scholars. And as your colleague, I am also impressed by your research results. ”

"I'm sorry I can't work with you, but I hope that no matter where you are, you can continue to move forward on your academic path."

Lu Zhou nodded: "I will." ”

There was applause in the lecture hall.

From Dean Goddard's hand, Lu Zhou received the certificate, which symbolized the title of honorary professor.

Counting the previous honorary professorship conferred on him by President Isgrub, and the previous Columbia University and Jinling University, he has already received the title of honorary professor at three universities before that.

Although he did not deliberately collect this title, Lu Zhou was curious to see if the history books would devote a full page to the academic titles he had obtained when he was gone.

After the ceremony, Lu Zhou was about to spend the rest of his time walking around here, when Professor Feverman, who had worked with him to solve the NS equation problem, suddenly stopped him.

Pulling a pen out of his pocket, he said in a joking tone, "Although Princeton doesn't have such a tradition, I still want to give you something." This fountain pen was collected by me at the International Congress of Mathematicians in Helsinki, and it is my favorite one, and I will hand it over to you for safekeeping. ”

Because of Lang Howard's photographs of the beautiful mind, Princeton was famous for a while, and the most talked about by outsiders is probably the Princeton-style tribute that gave a fountain pen.

However, according to Nash himself in an interview, the gift of a fountain pen is only an exaggerated part of the director's exaggeration, and there is no such tradition at Princeton. However, after the movie aired, the meme was unexpectedly popular with Princeton teachers and students.

After all, for the professors here, the most things in the drawer are probably the pens they collect when they attend academic conferences.

As for the International Congress of Mathematicians in Helsinki, which Professor Fefmann is talking about, it was the one in which he won the Fields Medal.

"Thank you," solemnly accepted the meaningful fountain pen, Lu Zhou smiled and joked, "You gave me such a valuable gift, I would be embarrassed if I didn't return the gift." ”

Professor Peverman smiled: "You should give me something, gifts should be given to each other, I remember this proverb in Huaguo." ”

Lu Zhou guessed that what he wanted to say was probably a courtesy, but that thing was not called a proverb, it was an idiom.

Smiling, Lu Zhou took out a fountain pen from his pocket and handed it to him.

Taking the pen from Lu Zhou's hand, Feverman glanced at him with some surprise.

"I didn't expect you to be ready."

"It's just that I've always carried it with me," after a pause, Lu Zhou continued, "By the way, this is what I collected at the mathematicians' congress in Rio de Janeiro. ”

"Really? I'll have to keep it safe, then," Feverman smiled and continued, "and by the way, do you still have those manuscripts?" ”

Lu Zhou: "It's still there, what's wrong?" ”

Feverman: "If you don't plan to take it with you, I suggest you donate it to the Flintstone Library." Although the old librarian seemed to be a little mentally abnormal, he was quite good at maintaining paper materials and literature. ”

Hearing this proposal, Lu Zhou was slightly stunned.

Donate manuscripts to the library?

He hadn't thought about it before.

Originally, in his plan, he planned to give it to his students as a souvenir. But if you think about it, it is obviously better to leave it to an amateur for safekeeping, than to leave it to a professional.

Maybe one day he will come back on a whim.

After all, inside that page, he poured his heart and soul into it.

Lu Zhou asked in an uncertain tone, "Will the Flintstone Library store those pieces of paper?" ”

"Of course, and I don't think it's just the Flintstone Library, I'm sure any museum would be happy to take over the materials," said Peverman with a smile. ”

……

After leaving the Institute for Advanced Study, Lu Zhou went straight to the Flint Library.

When he arrived, the old man in his nightgown was leaning back in his chair and napping.

Even in Princeton, where "freaks" are everywhere, there are still few eccentrics who are so unkempt that they wear dressing gowns into the library.

Lu Zhou still remembered that the last time he came here to borrow Lyman Spitzer's manuscript, the old man played tricks on him.

However, despite his many quirks, his love for books is really beyond words.

Perhaps it is precisely because of such strange people that the original historical documents and materials here can be so well preserved.

Seeing Lu Zhou appearing at the door, the sleepy-eyed old man sniffed and let out a weird laugh.

"You're here?"

Looking at the smile that was so weird that it could scare away the people who came to borrow books, Lu Zhou sighed and said, "After so many years, don't you plan to change your look?" And that shriveled laughter. ”

"What does it matter, and who cares what a bad old man wears?" The old man smiled, reached out and touched his crutches, and stood up tremblingly, "What's more, in Princeton, which is full of weirdos, I'm the normal one." ”

No, you're probably the most abnormal one.

Lu Zhou silently complained in his heart, but he didn't say it, just casually greeted.

"When are you going to retire?"

The old man smiled: "Retirement? That might have to wait until the day I lay in the coffin. ”

Hearing this, Lu Zhou looked at him with some surprise.

"I thought that at your age, you would somewhat shy away from the word coffin."

"Why shy away? Can death be avoided just by avoiding it? We will all decay one day, but our wisdom and knowledge will be left behind for future generations to admire," staring at Lu Zhou with cloudy eyes, the old man smiled on his face, "Say, are you here to borrow books, or do you have something else." ”

Lu Zhou: "I'm going to go back to China in a while." ”

The old man let out an indifferent "oh" without any response.

After all, he was only in charge of this library, and the personnel changes at Princeton University and the Institute for Advanced Study were not in his focus.

Organizing the language in his mind, Lu Zhou continued: "When I was cleaning the house, I found a bunch of manuscripts, some of which were about Goldbach's conjecture and some about the NS equation, and it might take a little time to sort them out...... I mean, if you're interested, can you keep it for me? ”

Hearing that Lu Zhou planned to donate the manuscript to the Flint Library, the old man's face finally showed an expression of interest.

"Of course, these are the treasures of civilization, give them to me, and I will take care of them for you."

Lu Zhou smiled: "Whether it is the wealth of civilization or not, let it be judged by future generations, I just think that it will be a little troublesome to bring all those things back, and a few suitcases may not be able to fit it." And, if one day comes, I hope they will remain as they are. ”

The old man grinned: "You can rest assured about this, just like you are an expert in the field of mathematics, I am also an expert in document preservation." ”

"Really? Then I'll be relieved," after a pause, Lu Zhou joked, "By the way, by the way, if I borrow my own manuscript, do I also need to swear to the Bible?" ”

However, the old man doesn't seem to have a sense of humor in this regard.

For this joke, he said with a straight look.

"What foolish are you talking about, they are the treasures of civilization, and from the moment you finish them, they are not just your thing."