Chapter 114: Professor Zhuang and the Two Women

After finishing everything, the two women skillfully pulled Professor Zhuang's rocking chair from the balcony into the room.

"Hey, I was enjoying the sun just fine; why did you push me in? How annoying!"

The elder sister ignored him, turned the rocking chair around, snatched Professor Zhuang's phone, and said with a scolding look, "Teacher, how old are you? You're acting like a child. The phone still has 60% battery, but you've already been playing for two hours. You're not allowed to play anymore. Be good!"

"I haven't even played for 2.5 hours yet. Let me play for another half hour."

"No, you can't play anymore. It's bad for your eyesight."

Professor Zhuang looked aggrieved and turned the rocking chair away himself. "Hmph!"

The younger sister reached out and turned the chair back. "Handsome old man, don't be angry. Besides, the two of us have been the subject of gossip lately. Please be more diligent; many students and teachers are saying we're your little mistresses."

There was a clear hint of dissatisfaction in the two women's tone.

Professor Zhuang, however, didn't mind in the slightest. He gave a proud smile and said, "Don't worry about what they say or do. Those female professors are just jealous of this handsome old man. They can't have me, so they slander me."

"The kids are jealous they didn't get to be my students, so they blacken my name. As long as you two aren't actually my little mistresses, it's fine."

Hearing this, the corners of the two women's mouths twitched slightly, as they were used to this.

The professor picked up his teacup, took a sip, and looked at the two women playfully. "You're thirty minutes earlier than usual today. Usually, I can play games for 2.5 hours before you show up. Do you have something to discuss with your teacher today?"

The two women thought for a moment and said in unison, "Jiang Zhe."

As soon as those words were spoken, Professor Zhuang's playful mood vanished, and the expression on his face gradually became solemn.

Because Professor Zhuang, the gold-medal professor, knew of Jiang Zhe.

Seeing their teacher's expression, the two women's eyes lit up. "Teacher, you know him?"

Professor Zhuang nodded. "I've heard colleagues talk about him, and then I looked him up online. Last night, he was even deciphering a dream I had ten years ago."

"But he went off on a tangent as he spoke. After all, that dream is on the same level as the Brain in a Vat."

"It requires a lot of supporting evidence to be fully analyzed."

"His performance was impromptu and he didn't plan his time well, so he didn't finish the analysis."

The elder sister asked curiously, "Then what do you think of your own dream?"

The younger sister added curiously, "It seems like your dream could also be explained through biology, Teacher. Butterflies don't actually dream..."

Professor Zhuang looked at the younger sister with boredom. "You, oh you. You try to explain philosophy with other disciplines for everything. You always want to be so literal. In the end, the answer you get is only the truth as you perceive it."

"Hehe, we also came today to ask if Jiang Zhe's content is correct. After all, many of those things could cause widespread discussion internationally. But I checked foreign forums and magazines, and there isn't a single shred of news about him. So I'm not sure what Jiang Zhe is after; it's like I can't find his motive."

"Right, I thought so too. Aside from some content lacking experimental data, many are topics we are currently researching. He shouldn't be a hidden gem in a small Television Station."

As she finished, Professor Zhuang rested his chin on his hand and thought for a moment. "Everyone has different pursuits. Not long ago, he was just a fresh college graduate. Following his previous path, his life would have remained stagnant."

"After he entered Suzhou TV Station, he gradually revealed knowledge and insights that don't belong to a twenty-four-year-old."

"In my view, he has awakened [Innate Wisdom] and become a [variable]."

"variable?" the two said together.

The two women frowned.

Earlier, they had heard Jiang Zhe say this in a video.

A variable knows they are a variable; a Constant will mistakenly believe they are a variable, when in fact they are a Constant.

As for Innate Wisdom, all three knew it was a Zen concept from Buddhism.

The younger sister asked on a whim, "Teacher, can I find Jiang Zhe's past life in historical records? I'm very curious about him now!"

Professor Zhuang shook his head. "Like Jiang Zhe said himself, the Collective Unconscious is a net covering the human race. I strongly agree with this; however, what I agree with is Carl Jung's version."

"Jiang Zhe expanded on Carl Jung's Collective Unconscious."

"He extended the Collective Unconscious to [Reincarnation] and can provide real-life cases and evidence. He is indeed a very thoughtful person!"

"The Collective Unconscious encompasses many of his past lives. He might have been a soldier who died in a war, a landlord everyone hated, or even an official in ancient times..."

"If you want to find him, you'd have to search through billions of dead people without complete records."

At this point, Professor Zhuang grinned. "Go ahead and look!"

Hearing this, the younger sister looked frustrated. "Teacher, I was just saying. That's such a blow to my confidence. How could I possibly find it!"

"Exactly. Since you can't find it, don't ask such a stupid question. Don't ask it again, okay?"

The elder sister asked thoughtfully, "Teacher, speaking of your dream, do you have an answer for it yourself? If you don't use other disciplines to explain it."

Professor Zhuang gave her a look. "There is no answer. It's just a definition: cherish the present, seize the future, and don't become a person of destiny."

"If he insists on giving an answer, the final direction will inevitably lead back to the Brain in a Vat."

"When Jiang Zhe connects my butterfly dream to the Brain in a Vat, things get serious."

All three present knew—"

Zhuang's Butterfly Dream and the Brain in a Vat belong to the same level of thought experiment.

Zhuang Zhou Dreams of a Butterfly appears foundational on the surface, while the Brain in a Vat appears advanced.

The former is a discussion of reality versus illusion and the meaning of the present; the latter adds scientific evidence to the concept of reality versus illusion, letting more students know that [Reality] is actually impossible to find.

It could also be said that the Brain in a Vat is the answer to Zhuang Zhou Dreams of a Butterfly, and Zhuang Zhou Dreams of a Butterfly is the answer to the Brain in a Vat—as someone inside the circle, one can never decipher what is outside the circle!

If someone were to crack these two thought experiments...

Then Professor Zhuang would nod solemnly and tell them: [You are amazing!]

"However..." Professor Zhuang said thoughtfully, "If there aren't even any videos of Jiang Zhe abroad, it means someone has noticed him."

The elder sister asked with a solemn face, "Teacher, what do you mean?"

Professor Zhuang glanced out the window, and seeing there was no surveillance, he spoke freely. "I heard from some old colleagues before that a mysterious case occurred in Su City. The Ministry of State Security noticed Jiang Zhe, but they didn't have evidence to pin him down. Later, through careful investigation, they noticed the person who jumped from the TV station building was Jiang Zhe, who rescued three police officers and killed five criminals. Due to lack of evidence, the state dropped the investigation."

Hearing this, the two women gasped. That's impossible!

The mysterious powerhouse incident that was all the rage recently—was it really most likely Jiang Zhe?

"Teacher, how is that possible? Through mathematical calculations, I found that anyone jumping from that building would definitely die!"

"Exactly. I didn't believe a single word of the Su City police's rumor clarification."

Professor Zhuang shook his head. "Actually, I'm not certain either, but looking at his historical trajectory and the situation after he appeared, it seems he possesses more than just Innate Wisdom. The Ministry of State Security cares more about national security, which is why no news or trace of Jiang Zhe could appear abroad."

"As long as they check, they can find Jiang Zhe's call records and what he said to Professor Feng Zhiyuan and Professor Hua Yunfeng."

Yes, people with high social status, including senior leaders, actually knew about these things.

The only ones who didn't know were the common people and those with low social status.

"Just keep this information to yourselves; don't spread it around."

Professor Zhuang didn't reveal anything more, feeling there was no need to get the two children into unnecessary trouble.

The sisters couldn't help but gasp.

*Hiss*~ It's still hard to believe. Our world really has a variable, and a significant one at that!"

"I thought it was just simple science popularization and deciphering, but I feel like the water here is very deep!"

"I'm so curious about the meaning of this variable's existence!"

"Out, out! Don't disturb this old man while I'm playing games."

Professor Zhuang issued an order for them to leave.

"Yes, yes, yes, we're leaving now."

"Teacher, I'll come to cook lunch; remember not to lock the door."

"I know, I know."

"And also, remember to watch Jiang Zhe's livestream tonight."

"Get Out!" Professor Zhuang barked in English.

"Yes Sir!" the two said together. They turned, saluted with a giggle, and then left completely.

...