216: Chapter 216: The Person Who Shocked the Nearly Nobel Laureate

Upon hearing Jiang Zhe's insights, this retired old professor from Shanghai Physics University was suddenly so astonished he was speechless.

Today, he had originally just come out to earn some money as usual, and incidentally see if there were any noteworthy prospects.

Jiang Zhe's feat of clearing all the online basic problems from high school to doctoral level in a single day had indeed caused a shock among the teachers and professors within the institution.

He had originally intended to pose a difficult, cutting-edge question to test this young man's depth and see if he was genuine gold or just gold-plated.

In the best-case scenario, he expected to hear some slightly innovative but shallow insights combined with textbook knowledge.

Who would have thought that this young man wouldn't take the bait at all? He directly stood up from the chessboard, reached out, and flipped the board over, then pointed at the pieces on the ground and said: "Professor, stop playing this. Let me tell you what kind of wood this piece is carved from—this wood might be very ordinary, just picked from a pile of scraps in the toy factory next door!"

Holographic Universe Theory?

The universe is an interface where code runs, while gravity is just a rendered special effect?

How is this an answer an examinee should give?

This was clearly a grandmaster who had founded a school of thought, giving a popular science lecture to an ignorant junior!

Professor Sun felt a chill rise from the soles of his feet. At first, he thought the analogy was vivid and clever, but the more he reflected on it, the more hair-raising it became.

If spacetime and gravity—the very cornerstones of building the world—were some kind of derivative phenomena from an even deeper level,

Then wouldn't the hundreds of years of effort in physics have just been studying the pixel patterns of the real world's images, while directly ignoring the true reality game engine code?

He sat before the computer, looking at the calm and composed Jiang Zhe, unable to find the words to speak a rebuttal for a time.

At this moment, in the livestream, the viewers went completely wild!

"The professor is like: Who am I? Where am I? What did I just hear?"

"Hahaha, the professor's expression management has completely failed!"

"Holographic Universe—although I still don't get it, it sounds freaking awesome!"

"So you're saying we might be living in a super program? Thinking about it is terrifying!"

"Not exactly, it's just an analogy. Reality and games just share a similar attribute, rather than the real world being a game."

"The bro is basically saying: I'm not here for an exam, I'm here to give you a lesson."

Inside a Huaqing University dormitory.

Professor Wu said with a look of bewilderment, "He just explained the core dilemma of the Theory of Relativity and Quantum Mechanics using universe code."

"This guy actually explained it so well that even that old fellow Sun Guangcheng was left speechless?"

Ouyang Baili said with a face full of excitement, "This is exactly his style! Jiang Zhe doesn't play around with complex mathematical formulas; he uses the most straightforward logic and analogies to directly blast through Sun Guangcheng's cognitive barriers. The Holographic Universe—the conjecture is too beautiful, and too terrifying!"

Inside the Principal's office.

The physics teacher, Old Yu, had his brow furrowed deeply. "It's over. After hearing this, how am I supposed to teach Newton's Laws in the future? Do I have to write a disclaimer on the edge of the blackboard: [This law may be the result of a universe program rendering; the final right of interpretation belongs to the Universe Programmer]?"

On the side, Old Wang, Principal Fu, and Xiao Wang listened with amusement, nodding their heads in disbelief one after another.

In the Kyoto History Family Quarter.

Professor Chen Runzhi, Qian Mingyi, Professor Wang Shouren, and Professor Liu Guangyi, though they didn't know much about the details of physics, were left shaken by the macro perspective and confidence Jiang Zhe showed in viewing the vast universe as a parseable program.

Inside the villa's living room.

Professor Sun on the other side was silent for a full two and a half minutes before speaking again, though his gaze was already different when he looked at Jiang Zhe.

"Mr. J."

"Your insights are truly impressive. No, they are shocking."

"I apologize for my previous shallow intentions."

"This is by no means an answer an examiner should receive from an examinee; it is more like a baptism of my personal cognition."

Speaking to this point, he asked with a burning gaze, "If I may follow up with a question—in this Holographic Universe conjecture, what does our universe rely upon?"

"Or rather, what does this universe look like? Or further, what is the carrier of the higher dimensions outside the universe, and what might it look like?"

Jiang Zhe, however, shook his head gently. "If our universe were truly a holographic screen projected from deeper information,"

"Then let me ask, could a two-dimensional shadow forever trapped within this screen ever jump out of the screen to witness with its own eyes what the three-dimensional world outside looks like?"

Professor Sun shook his head. "That's impossible; because a two-dimensional world has no concept of up or down, only forward and backward; this is an absolute barrier of dimensions."

"Once they entered the three-dimensional world and witnessed our reality, a cognitive barrier would arise; they would be unable to understand, because their cognition does not allow two-dimensional beings to comprehend our three dimensions."

"Correct!" Jiang Zhe summarized. "In my conjecture, the outside of the universe is truly four-dimensional; it might be like a Tesseract, a new thing composed of countless planes."

"Because we can speculate about a 4D world but cannot thoroughly perceive it, all guesses are meaningless; because that does not belong to attributes within human cognition!"

"It might have no shape, or its shape might be so complex it resembles both the microscopic and the macroscopic; it is an existence that is absolutely meaningless!"

Hearing this, a flash of relief crossed Professor Sun's face.

If the conjecture were true, then the truth outside the universe might be something isolated from human cognition!

Jiang Zhe's answer was so logically self-consistent and undeniable.

After a long time, the look of an examiner completely vanished from Professor Sun's eyes, replaced by admiration, and he simultaneously turned off the beautification filter on his screen.

"Student J, with your talent and vision, continuing with this conventional academic advancement process is completely meaningless and a pure waste of time."

"Would you be interested in coming to Shanghai Physics University? I can recommend you for a Specially Appointed Researcher position. My laboratory, resources, and connections will all be fully open to you!"

Just then, someone in the livestream cried out in surprise.

"Wait, why does this old gentleman look so familiar now that he's turned off the filter?"

"Holy crap, it's Sun Guangcheng! It's Professor Sun Guangcheng, the mainstay of Shanghai Physics years ago, the big shot who almost touched the Nobel Prize with his Condensed Matter Theory!"

"It really is him! Didn't he retire long ago? Why is he working as an examiner for this online institution?"

"Isn't that simple? I heard his son failed in some investments a few years back and ran up debts. The old gentleman is out here using his remaining energy to earn some money and help his son fill the hole!"

"Hiss~ Having a big shot of this level come out to work... but the bro is even more amazing; he got a big shot like this to personally extend an invitation, and for a Specially Appointed Researcher position at that!"

"This move by the bro is truly a dimensionality reduction strike, turning the examiner into a fan!"

Xiao Yu also covered her mouth in disbelief. Although she didn't quite understand Sun Guangcheng's prestige, she still understood terms like 'Nobel Prize' and 'big shot.'

Before the computer, Jiang Zhe was somewhat surprised by the sudden invitation; however, he still shook his head.

"I thank this professor for his kindness and recognition."

"However, I currently have no plans to enter any fixed academic institution. I enjoy my current freedom more. I'm sorry to disappoint you!"

Professor Sun couldn't help but sigh, though he seemed to have expected it. "A pity. Oh well, everyone has their own ambitions. As for the subsequent subjects like University Physics and Mathematical Theory, in my capacity as the presiding professor for this assessment, I declare that you have passed them all without examination, with your grades recorded as optimal!"

"However!"

"Other disciplines, such as the theory and practice of Biology, Chemistry, and Engineering, still have their respective professors in charge. I have no right to overstep my bounds, so you will still have to go through the process!"

"Once you have completed the entire process, the value of the degree you obtain will be among the top tier in the country, even comparable to Huaqing University and Dabei University!"

Extremely few people had ever passed this!

After all, Jiang Zhe had chosen the 'All-subjects' track rather than a 'Single-subject' one.

It wasn't that no one had passed in twenty years, but rather that those who chose All-subjects were almost non-existent; they could be counted on two hands!

Naturally, the value was of the highest level!

"That is enough. Thank you again!" Jiang Zhe thanked him sincerely.

As the screen switched, an old professor wearing gold-rimmed glasses with a very stern, slightly chubby face appeared in the video window. His temperament was different from Sun Guangcheng's easygoing nature, appearing somewhat more cold and uncompromising.

"Hello, Student J," this professor said expressionlessly. "I watched your performance in the fields of mathematics and physics just now; your ability for association and summarization is astounding."

"However—"

As his tone shifted, a flash of white light glinted off his lenses.

"Biology may be related, but Ecology is a field quite different from mathematical logic."

"It is full of chaos, chance, historical dependency, as well as a complexity and purpose unique to living organisms that is difficult to fully quantify."

"I am the presiding examiner for this comprehensive assessment of Biology and Ecology. My surname is Zhou!"

He gave Jiang Zhe a moment to react, then continued speaking:

"So, are you ready?"

Seeing this, inside the Kyoto History Family Quarter, Ecology Professor Liu Guangyi burst out laughing with a "pfft." "Hahahaha!"

"Old Liu, what's wrong? Do you know him?" Professor Chen Runzhi hurriedly looked at Old Liu.

Professor Liu Guangyi pointed at the face on the screen, both amused and surprised. "More than just knowing him—this guy is called Professor Zhou Qinghe, my university classmate. I told him his name had too much water in it, that his papers would be 'watery' in the future and he wouldn't make much money; then he got all worked up with me."

"And then, even though he became a professor in this life, his son is a gambler; he hasn't ended up with much money in this life. Now he's out being an examiner to earn money, almost exactly like Sun Guangcheng before him."

"Back in university, I was always a step ahead of him. I didn't expect... him to end up here as an examiner."

Professor Wang Shouren looked at Old Liu curiously. "Meaning, he's below you? And now he's testing Little Jiang?"

Professor Liu Guangyi suddenly grinned. "Hehe, then it's even more interesting. I want to see how this defeated old classmate of mine can test this monster who could even leave Sun Guangcheng dumbfounded."}