Reborn in 2014: A One-Man Tycoon

The test questions left by Wei Mingjun caused an uproar among all the students.

Although they are not yet clear about the true meaning behind this test question.

Professor Zuo Silan is one of the leading figures in China's economics field.

Since this is a topic that Professor Zuo Silan is currently researching, its difficulty should not be underestimated.

How could these students, who are just starting out and haven't even truly entered the field of economics, possibly handle it so easily?

Meng Chuan was internally ranting and raving about Wei Mingjun:

"That old guy is really ruthless, actually throwing out a global problem to test us freshmen."

Indeed, this question about the root causes of national rise and fall is a tough nut to crack in the global economics community.

Countless top economists have been arguing about this endlessly, with no one willing to concede.

Its difficulty is comparable to Goldbach's Conjecture in the mathematics world.

Over the decades, numerous economists have worked tirelessly, proposing a variety of theories.

Among the more well-known theories are the geographical factors theory and the cultural factors theory.

For example, the more advantageous a country's geographical location, the more prosperous its economic development.

But this theory simply cannot convince the public.

Regions like the Middle East and parts of Africa have uniquely advantageous geographical locations.

Connecting the Eurasian continent, its economy should theoretically be booming.

But the reality is chaotic, with the economy stagnating for a long time.

This global problem will remain unsolved until 2024, ten years from now.

Finally, a theory that can be widely recognized by economists around the world emerged: the rise and fall of a nation is closely related to its system.

The theory was proposed and successfully proven by an economist from Turkey.

He was awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Economics for this.

Meng Chuan was aware of this theory because the award was trending on various social media platforms at the time.

Meng Chuan was also "forced" to see a lot of related information on Douyin.

However, Meng Chuan only had a general understanding of the scholar's research theories.

Meng Chuan only had a superficial understanding of many of the professional academic terms involved.

They are in a state of "knowing what it is, but not why it is".

Suddenly, an extremely audacious idea popped into Meng Chuan's mind:

"If I can prove this theory, wouldn't that mean I also have a chance to win the Nobel Prize in Economics?"

Thinking of this, Meng Chuan's heart suddenly raced, and his eyes gleamed with excitement.

The Nobel Prize in Economics!

This is a supreme honor that cannot be bought with wealth.

Moreover, obtaining a doctoral degree requires publishing high-quality papers.

They also need to give speeches at forums with a certain level of influence.

Or win a sufficiently prestigious award in an international competition.

If I could win the Nobel Prize in Economics, what could be a more impressive achievement?

In fact, the most difficult part of many theories is discovering something from scratch.

Once we have this crucial "1", the difficulty of subsequent deductions from "1" to "100" will be greatly reduced.

It's like navigating a maze; only by finding the right entrance can you successfully reach the destination.

Now, Meng Chuan has realized that "national system" is the right direction.

It's as if Meng Chuan has already stood on the shoulders of giants.

As long as you forge ahead, you've already won more than half the battle.

After having this idea, Meng Chuan could no longer sit still.

The class meeting is over, and now it's free time.

Moreover, tomorrow and the day after are Saturday and Sunday.

I can use these two days to do some research.

"Meng Chuan, idol, where are you going?"

Jiang Zhenyu, with his sharp eyes, spotted Meng Chuan as he stood up and immediately followed him like a little tail.

"I'm going to the library."

Meng Chuan didn't dislike Jiang Zhenyu, who was very outgoing.

On the contrary, he had a lively personality and a carefree smile that was always on his face.

It makes people feel very friendly and has a natural sense of humor.

"My idol is just different. He doesn't miss any opportunity to learn. No wonder he got a perfect score on the college entrance exam. I'm completely in awe of him."

Jiang Zhenyu's flattery comes out of his mouth without hesitation.

The exaggerated tone was almost too much for Meng Chuan to handle.

Just as Meng Chuan was about to respond, Jiang Zhenyu preemptively spoke up, trying to ingratiate himself:

"Let's go together! I'm also planning to do some research. Do you know where the library is? I can show you the way."

"alright."

Meng Chuan couldn't refuse.

After all, he really didn't know where the library of Shanghai University was located.

Shanghai University's campus is very large.

Meng Chuan took a short stroll last night and almost got lost.

"Idol, do you know how outrageous the homework Professor Wei Mingjun assigned us is?"

As Jiang Zhenyu led the way, he launched into a long-winded monologue, complaining to Meng Chuan:

"The root causes of a nation's rise and fall are, in the field of economics, comparable to Fermat's Last Theorem and Goldbach's Conjecture in the field of mathematics!"

"There is still no conclusion on this issue that can convince everyone. He actually threw such a difficult question at us students."

"Even if we're geniuses, we're not gods!"

"If any of us can actually prove this theory, I'll smash the ancestral tablets in my house and enshrine his image from now on. I'll burn three sticks of incense for him every morning and evening!"

Jiang Zhenyu and Meng Chuan walked side by side, their mouths chattering nonstop, like clockwork.

But the more Meng Chuan listened, the more surprised he became, and he couldn't help but ask:

"You actually know the theory of the root causes of national rise and fall?"

Meng Chuan really didn't expect this.

I only learned about this theory because I watched TikTok in my later life.

Jiang Zhenyu, a student who has just graduated from high school and is about to officially begin his freshman year of college, has not even really taken any economics courses yet, but he also knows about this theoretical problem.

"Hehe, I've been obsessed with economics since I was a child, and I've read a lot of books on the subject."

Jiang Zhenyu said with a hint of pride, but quickly became humble again:

"However, I was just browsing blindly. Compared to you, my knowledge is nothing but a drop in the ocean."

"Don't say that. You're already very capable. Don't call me idol. Just call me Meng Chuan."

Meng Chuan responded with a wry smile.

Meng Chuan really didn't dare to be presumptuous.

Jiang Zhenyu's profound understanding of economics at such a young age is truly remarkable; he is a genius among geniuses.

As for himself, he was merely relying on his photographic memory and the advantage of being reborn.

To put it bluntly, he's a "pseudo-genius".

Ten years from now, all of these advantages will have disappeared.

He has never experienced how the world will develop ten years from now.

"By the way, brother, now that you know about this theoretical problem, do you have your own thoughts on it?"

Meng Chuan asked Jiang Zhenyu a question, his mind also carrying a hint of testing.

"Hehe, I wouldn't call it an opinion, but I do have an idea."

Jiang Zhenyu said with a humble expression:

"The mainstream theories nowadays, such as the 'geographical location theory,' 'human factors theory,' and 'national resources theory,' are all unreliable in my opinion."

“For example, countries like Japan, Singapore, and Switzerland rely almost entirely on imports for their resources, yet they are still developed countries.”

"Therefore, I believe that international environmental factors are the fundamental cause of the rise and fall of nations."

"Take our country for example. By participating in globalization, integrating with the world, and becoming the world's factory, our economy has taken off."

At this point, Jiang Zhenyu looked at Meng Chuan expectantly, as if seeking praise:

"Idol, what do you think of what I said?"

Her eyes were filled with a longing for Meng Chuan's approval.

Meng Chuan looked at Jiang Zhenyu with admiration and said:

"That's right and that's wrong."