Chapter 57

Frankie stared at his phone, the words familiar yet strung together in a way that seemed to mock his understanding.

Lost in thought for too long, his thick framed glasses slid down his nose before he caught them with a single hand, nudging them back into place with a practiced push. Squinting, he looked at the screen once more.

Frankie, a znan in his sixties, face etched with lines of time and fingers trembling slightly, deleted his meticulously typed message to replace it with a less certain reply, “Are you pulling my leg?”

An eighteen–year–old girl proving Batra’s Conjecture? It seemed about as likely as a piglet winning at the Kentucky Derby

LearnLover replied, “What?”

LearnLover continued, ‘What’s your email?”

Frankie composed himself and sent his email address. Then, setting down his phone, he waited in silence.

Patience, he reminded himself.

Over the years, there had been many claims of proving Batra’s Conjecture, only to fall apart under scrutiny. riddled with errors. Perhaps this girl was just another wild goose chase.

He took a deep breath. About five minutes later, a reminder from his computer announced the arrival of an email, his phone lighting up in tandem.

LearnLover said, ‘I sent it. Did you get it?‘

Frankie asked, half in disbelief, “Do you even know what you’ve proven?”

Perhaps she didn’t understand the magnitude of the conjecture in the mathematics.

LearnLover replied, “Batra’s Conjecture. It was tough, sure. I had it half done when you first reached out. With this last week, it took me about twenty days total.

Frankie was dumbfounded.

had spent their

With

hope, Frankie replied, “Alright, I’ll take a look.”

pages of draft proofs, binding them in order before turning to the first page. Once he started reading, he couldn’t

yet to reply. With ten minutes left before class ended, she pulled out a

watched her with a mix of curiosity and concern. He’d been researching Batra’s Conjecture and realized she’d attempted to

You

him, indifferent, and quickened her pace to leave.

explained to her, “You can’t underestimate others in the National League. Do you know the first place in the Galaxy Math Whiz Competition last year? He got 270 points as a sophomore last year! Moreover, he won the first prize in the National League last year. If he hadn’t had a physical problem and didn’t go to the winter camp, he might have been accepted by the Top Crest

he was noisy, picked up her books quickly, and walked out with her arms.

was still following her, still trying to ramble Juliana came out of physics class. At the sight of Hanley. she hastily came after

to her, sheepishly shifting the conversation, “I heard Mr. Stanton visited you for an assessment. With your

a smile, her voice a

“But why? I heard Stanton took

head. “It’s Jay She seemed so lonely and never had

as I thought, Cordelia, raised in an

workbook, but she kept silent, letting Hanley stick to

assumptions

his phone, Hanley, who do you think will take the top spot in the National League? Keen’s leading the polls,

not a title easily won. Cordelia’s too green. What do you think, Hanley?”

Lost in t

glanced toward the last row where Cordelia packed her bag. Memories flooded back when he was the math wunderkind.

“Td say

Hanley couldn’t help but watch her go,

his mind.

she could surprise them all.

be higher for the statewide math competition. Only the top whiz would be plucked from the ranks to compete in the National League showdown. Everyone else, despite being dubbed first–rate,

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