Rao Jie looked at Wu Rong with some emotion. Sometimes, when Wu Rong spoke sincerely from the heart, it made Rao Jie feel as if he was being showered with sweet words.
Unable to resist, Rao Jie reached out and patted Wu Rong's head. "Then why don't you want to tell me?"
Wu Rong pouted and replied, "Because it's embarrassing. It seems a bit childish to care about such things. If you knew, you'd definitely think I'm petty and impulsive."
Rao Jie thought to himself: Does Professor Wu have some misunderstanding about himself? Isn't he just like that?
Rao Jie couldn't help but chuckle. "Don't worry, I won't."
Wu Rong looked at Rao Jie suspiciously, and Rao Jie blinked his sincere big eyes. "Even if I do, I still like you."
Feeling a bit dazed from Rao Jie's coaxing, Wu Rong finally summarized the past events. He was indeed a student of that excellent mathematician, working alongside Nina and a few others under their teacher's guidance. Wu Rong stood out among them, already capable of independently conducting research projects.
Although Wu Rong preferred to work alone, there were times in research when he inevitably needed help from others. Whenever this happened, he would turn to his group members for assistance.
The problem arose with the person who helped him. After two years of hard work on a research topic, Wu Rong finally achieved results. However, at that moment, his work was stolen and published under someone else's name, gaining significant recognition.
The thief was one of the best male members of their group, someone who had gotten along well with Wu Rong—who was also the teacher's son.
Wu Rong had no evidence to prove that the work was his own. Although the other group members knew the truth, they were all friends with the thief and felt closer to him since he was the teacher's only son. Naturally, they didn't dare testify against him. Even those willing to speak up were ultimately silenced by the teacher.
The teacher personally came to persuade Wu Rong not to pursue the matter any further. He humbly begged Wu Rong for forgiveness and even offered to let him take over one of his valuable research topics in exchange for Wu Rong's understanding because he didn't want his son's reputation in the Mathematics Community to be tarnished.
The teacher was not a bad person; he just protected his son too much. His humble actions made it impossible for Wu Rong to continue pursuing the issue.
Naturally, Wu Rong could no longer stay there, so he gave up everything and left England to return home. Before leaving, he asked the thief why he had done it. For someone like Wu Rong, who found it difficult to consider someone a friend, being betrayed by a friend felt far more devastating than reporting a theft.
Although the thief felt guilty in front of Wu Rong, he had no regrets about his actions because the glory and recognition now bestowed upon him were what he had always sought after. This achievement allowed him to step out of his father's shadow; people began recognizing him as an individual rather than just the son of a famous mathematician.
When he first saw Wu Rong's research, he thought it would never succeed. But as Wu Rong approached success, he clearly understood that once published, he could surpass his father.
So he stole what rightfully belonged to Wu Rong in order to fabricate his own status in the Mathematics Community and became one of the most anticipated young mathematicians.
After hearing his reasoning, Wu Rong punched him and then walked away.
……
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