The Heart of Genius Episode 26 Recap
> The Heart of Genius Recap
Bao Xiaomeng was stunned to discover her brand-name bag was fake, and even the receipt accompanying it was forged. A shop assistant confirmed the bag’s inauthenticity and suggested she look elsewhere. Meanwhile, Lin Zhaoxi attended her guaranteed pass class. Mr. Wang, the teacher, humorously referred to the less proactive students as "muggles." He outlined his teaching method: copying all formulas and theorems three times, followed by relentless practice until "you lose all hope in life."
When students inquired about alternative methods, he suggested that those with an IQ over 160 could merely read the textbook once without needing to do exercises. Challenged by a student who claimed a high IQ from a WeChat test, Mr. Wang quickly dismissed the claim. He then presented a difficult Olympiad math problem to the class.
Lin Zhaoxi, recognizing it as a variation of a 2012 Olympiad question, confidently approached the blackboard and solved it with ease, surprising Mr. Wang, who exclaimed, "You lied to me. You're not a muggle." Bao Xiaomeng, having gathered all her savings, was still 10,000 yuan short for her father, Bao Song's, compensation. She desperately pleaded with Section Chief Sun to endorse the documents, promising to pay the balance next month. Section Chief Sun refused, stating he couldn't violate regulations.
Xiaomeng then accused him of inadvertently causing her father's crime by discussing the finance office window being left open in a mahjong parlor, a conversation Bao Song overheard. She asserted that he bore some responsibility, and her father had kept quiet to protect his job. Just then, Lin Zhaosheng arrived. After a moment of thought, Section Chief Sun agreed to cover the 10,000 yuan for Xiaomeng, asking her to repay him. Xiaomeng expressed deep gratitude.
Section Chief Sun then gave Lin Zhaosheng his retirement paperwork, informing him that due to his illness and 22 years of service, he would receive 75% of his pension. He also handed Lin Zhaosheng a sum of money, explaining it was less than 10,000 yuan pooled by his colleagues who knew he was seriously ill. Lin Zhaosheng thanked them, promising to visit frequently.
Later, Bao Xiaomeng found Lin Zhaosheng and apologized for her earlier hesitation in asking him for a letter of understanding for her father. Lin Zhaosheng, understanding her difficulty, readily agreed to sign, stating it was "no big deal." They proceeded to a print shop, where he signed the document. When Xiaomeng offered compensation, Lin Zhaosheng gently refused, acknowledging her own financial struggles.
He hinted that there was a favor she could do for him, but he needed more time to think it over, and Xiaomeng pledged her availability. Meanwhile, Pei Zhi went to the boxing club to inform his coach, Yu Minghai, of his decision to quit and resume studying mathematics. Though initially taken aback, Yu Minghai was supportive of Pei Zhi's new path.
He retrieved a boxing champion trophy that Pei Zhi's father, Pei Donglai, had given to his own father as a memento. He presented it to Pei Zhi, reframing it as a gift to celebrate his "new life." A moved Pei Zhi accepted the trophy and thanked him. Yu Minghai then lightheartedly suggested Pei Zhi could repay him by handing out flyers to recruit new students.
After class, Mr. Wang asked Lin Zhaoxi to stay behind to clean the blackboard, using the opportunity to discreetly inquire about Pei Zhi. Lin Zhaoxi, however, stated that "discussing feelings will only slow my speed of solving questions" and declined to answer questions unrelated to their studies. Suddenly, Mr. Wang's colleague, Guang, rushed in, distressed that no one wanted to team up with them for the High City Modeling Competition, which required three participants.
Guang admitted he had likely alienated potential teammates by boasting they could "win even with a dog as our teammate." Mr. Wang confirmed this was the problem. Noticing Lin Zhaoxi, Guang initially mistook her for "Pei Zhi's woman," to which Lin Zhaoxi sharply retorted, "Firstly, my name is Lin Zhaoxi. Secondly, I'm not anyone's accessory." Mr. Wang clarified that she was "at most half a muggle."
Faced with their recruitment dilemma, Mr. Wang suggested his uncle could "fill up the spot" since there was no age limit for registration, a solution Guang readily accepted. Mr. Wang then reminded Guang to use more refined language, advising him not to "always say words like dog." Lin Zhaosheng, while burning the midnight oil studying math, suffered another episode of nausea and vomiting, a side effect of his medication.
Lin Zhaoxi, witnessing his discomfort, brought him a bowl of porridge, urging him to eat it. Observing her studying, he encouraged her, and she went to the yard to continue her studies. A neighbor passing by complimented Lin Zhaosheng on having such a diligent daughter, calling him blessed. Pei Zhi brought food to Luo Jing at the clothing store where she was now working after her film shoot.
He took the opportunity to inform her of his desire to study math. Luo Jing reacted with strong opposition, convinced that Lin Zhaoxi was a negative influence and that Pei Zhi would follow his grandfather's path into mental illness, declaring she would only agree "unless I died." Pei Zhi revealed he had already begun studying. He calmly confronted her, explaining that her "wrong opinions" and prohibition had caused him immense suffering.
He clarified that his past mental health issues in Germany were caused by "fear," not by genetics or mathematics. He confessed that he had withheld the full truth from her: while a professor confirmed he carried the schizophrenia gene, his symptoms were "more like anxiety disorder," stemming from the internal conflict between his love for math and his mother's disapproval. Pei Zhi tearfully admitted to cutting his thigh to cope with the "guilt about deceiving you" and his fear.
He credited Lin Zhaoxi with encouraging him to confront his challenges. He also explained that her treatment of him "as a mental patient" sometimes made him prefer staying at the boxing club over coming home. He assured her his symptoms had not recurred and he no longer felt guilty or scared, declaring, "even if my mental illness relapses, I won't be afraid anymore. Because I can defeat it." He earnestly asked for her trust one more time.
Luo Jing, visibly moved, tearfully embraced him and agreed, with one condition: he must "pay close attention to your body condition. If you have any problems, stop immediately no matter how much you love math." Pei Zhi solemnly swore to abide by her request. Later, Mr. Wang informed Guang that his uncle had refused to join the modeling competition, having been scolded by his aunt due to the requirement of living at the competition venue.
Guang, frustrated, again suggested finding "anyone on the street," repeating his infamous phrase about winning "even with a dog as our teammate," which further annoyed Mr. Wang. The next morning, Lin Zhaoxi arrived early for class, and Mr. Wang approached her, asking if she was interested in the modeling competition. Zhaoxi initially declined, prioritizing her postgraduate studies.
Mr. Wang explained the competition schedule was after the preliminary exam and before interviews, and she would simply need to "help us form a team." When Zhaoxi inquired why she was specifically chosen if anyone could "fill up the spot," Mr. Wang revealed the competition was jointly hosted by Gaocheng Navigation and Sanwei University, with numerous Sanwei University Mathematics Department professors serving as judges.
He framed it as a "good opportunity to impress these teachers and increase your possibility of passing the interview" for her postgraduate application. Considering the academic advantage, Lin Zhaoxi agreed. When she asked why she, in particular, was chosen, Mr. Wang simply responded, "You're early. You're not late. That's important." Later, Lin Zhaosheng called Bao Xiaomeng to discuss his gambling plan. Xiaomeng expressed apprehension, reminding him of her father's disastrous experience.
Lin Zhaosheng explained his dire need for 150,000 yuan to cover Lin Zhaoxi's postgraduate expenses, with no other quick way to raise the funds without burdening his daughter. He considered it his responsibility and confessed he sometimes envied Zhaoxi. He claimed to have a foolproof "card counting" strategy to win. He asked Xiaomeng if she could "act," outlining his plan: they would go to a casino on an abandoned cruise ship.
Xiaomeng would pose as his daughter, and on the first day, he would intentionally lose to establish a "persona" as a "lucky fool" who would surely return, thus ensuring the casino wouldn't obstruct him. This strategy, he explained, involved "eat the bait and leave the hook," with the real winnings planned for the next day. They proceeded to the casino, and their coordinated acting went smoothly, attracting no suspicion.
Lin Zhaosheng introduced Xiaomeng as his daughter to Brother Tao, a casino employee. After deliberately losing money as planned on the first day, Lin Zhaosheng informed Xiaomeng, "Everything is going well. We'll proceed as planned tomorrow." Meanwhile, Pei Zhi encountered Lin Zhaoxi outside a classroom. He sheepishly admitted he hadn't come specifically to pick her up, but "just came across you after a political class." Lin Zhaoxi playfully teased him about his honesty.
Pei Zhi then shared the good news that he had confessed his desire to study math to his mother, and "she agreed." Zhaoxi expressed her delight. Pei Zhi then handed her his domestic psychologist's phone number, asking her to contact the doctor if she noticed "anything wrong with me, and I can't overcome it by myself." Zhaoxi accepted it, promising to keep it safe, while reassuring him of his strength.
She then asked for his help with some math problems from her class. Upon returning home, Lin Zhaoxi found her father washing dishes. She playfully remarked on him doing dishes both when she left and when she returned. He casually dismissed it, stating he simply had to eat. She then noticed he had only consumed one box of nuts, reminding him about the other box.
He quickly claimed he was saving it for after dinner to avoid getting inflamed, then went to prepare noodles. At the boxing club, Pei Zhi was informed he had a visitor. It was Zhang Liang, who dramatically recited a poem about hard work and the fleetingness of youth, then chided Pei Zhi for "fall[ing] down" while he himself had been "working really hard in Japan."
Pei Zhi calmly greeted him, inquiring about his transition from studying hotel management in England to Japan. Zhang Liang explained that his family's hotel business "was closed down," which, he declared, was a "blessing in disguise" as it allowed him to pursue "physics," his true passion, unburdened by parental expectations. Zhang Liang then mocked Pei Zhi for being in a "shabby place" and for seemingly prioritizing "muscles much more than your brain."
He arrogantly offered Pei Zhi a boxing "experience class," while also deriding him as "rude" and an embarrassment to their high school's "straight A students." He concluded by stating, "I'm relieved since you're having a hard life. I'm leaving," adding that Pei Zhi didn't "have the right" to see him off, as they were "not at the same level now." He further boasted that he would attend "Yongchuan University next year. Its math department is famous." After Zhang Liang departed, Pei Zhi smiled to himself, recognizing his old rival's enduring pride and arrogance.
