It was December, which meant winter in Jinling.
The red and yellow leaves that once covered the mountain had fallen to the ground. However, far away in the distance, the green taiga forests still thrived.
Because this mountain was close to Lu Zhou’s house, he liked to put on his sports clothes and come here for a run.
This was like his back garden. He knew this place like the back of his hand. The only people who knew this place better than him were probably the security members who were responsible for his safety…
“I think the attendees of the conference organized a mountain biking event, why didn’t you go with them?”
Faltings: “Why would an old man like me hang out with those young folks?”
Lu Zhou said, “I’m a young folk.”
Faltings went silent for a second and said, “Right, I totally forgot.”
Lu Zhou: “…”
Old people were generally out of shape. Halfway up the mountain, Faltings was feeling a bit tired. He unbuttoned his jacket and took off his hat. He looked around and spoke while gasping for air.
“How come… there’s no one here?”
“It is December.” Lu Zhou stopped walking and rested his hands on his knees. He took out his water bottle and took a sip. He wiped his lips and said, “It’s so cold, plus it’s not a holiday, there aren’t many tourists. The best time to visit Purple Mountain is in early October. The mountain is filled with golden leaves.”
Faltings raised his eyebrows and looked surprised.
“It seems like you come here often?”
Lu Zhou smiled and said, “My mansion is nearby.”
Faltings: “…”
Even though he was the director of the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics, his income was obviously not enough to buy a mountain-side mansion…
However, this didn’t matter to him.
When someone reached his age, materialistic things didn’t matter anymore.
After a short break, the two continued to walk.
After a while, Faltings began panting. Even though he seemed like he didn’t want to give up, considering his physical condition, Lu Zhou decided to stop the hike here. He convinced the old man that there was nothing to see at the top of the mountain.
Lu Zhou found a familiar restaurant on the mountainside and asked the restaurant owner for some grilled fish and beer.
The two sat on the stone table, eating fish while chatting.
“The fish here is better than the one at the hotel… What is it called?”
“It’s not called anything.” Lu Zhou opened a bottle of beer and said, “You can find it in many Chinese restaurants. It’s usually called grilled fish or barbecued fish. The recipe is usually the same, and it pairs well with beer… Speaking of which, are you allowed to drink?”
Faltings smiled and opened a beer.
“What kind of German doesn’t drink? It’s not that easy to find a supermarket in my small hometown, but you can definitely find a pub to drink.”
Lu Zhou shrugged and smiled.
“Oh really? How come I didn’t notice your drinking culture in Berlin?”
“That’s a big city, and it’s not a place for enjoying life.” Faltings took a sip of the beer and wiped his mouth. He looked at the city view from the mountain.
The sun was slowly setting, giving the city a red-yellowish glow. Faltings looked at the beautiful scenery and took a picture with his phone.
“Speaking of which, how far is the top of the mountain?”
Lu Zhou thought for a second and replied, “With our speed, two more hours.”
Faltings went silent for a while. He then sighed.
“Looks like I’m not going up there then.”
Lu Zhou went silent for a second.
He didn’t know what to reply, so he tried to comfort Faltings.
“It’s fine, there are still opportunities in the future. Next time, we’ll leave earlier.”
However, Faltings didn’t seem to notice Lu Zhou’s display of kindness.
He stared at the setting sun for a while and shook his head. He spoke slowly.
“Time doesn’t wait for people, especially for those who have very little time left. When you reach my age, you’ll be counting the days you have left.”
When it came to time, everyone was equal.
Whether it was the king or the farmer, they all had to face death one way or the other.
After about thirty seconds, the old man looked away from the sunset and stared at Lu Zhou.
“Right now, you’re the closest person to God… Or the closest person to universal truth. Ever since Mr. Grothendieck passed away, I have always felt like there could be someone else like Grothendieck on Earth. Someone who knows the answer to all the questions.”
Lu Zhou: “… You’re too kind.”
“Not kind, it’s more like… advice.” Professor Faltings looked at Lu Zhou and said, “Regardless of whether I can witness that day or not, I hope you won’t give up. If there’s anyone who can solve this problem, it is you.”
The old German, who was usually sneerful and sarcastic, suddenly smiled and joked.
“If I’m gone by then, please leave a thesis copy on my tombstone. But don’t make me wait too long, or else I might have to climb out and knock on your door.”
Lu Zhou, who was drinking his beer, suddenly smiled and said, “Forget about the tombstone, I promise you won’t have to wait too long… Three years, I can definitely solve this in three years.”
“Three years?”
Faltings was amused, and he laughed out loud.
He shook his head and looked at the scenery far away. After a while, he said, “It’s good to be young.”