The old man posted the paper on arXiv around 5 PM Beijing Time, which was approximately 11 AM French Summer Time.
Louis Martin approved the paper on the arXiv backend around 11:40 AM French Time. At that moment, it was 5:40 AM Eastern Standard Time.
Yes, at this hour, Lott Degen was still asleep. In April, Princeton is in spring, and at dawn, this is the most restful time for sleeping.
The sudden ringing of the phone startled Lott Degen out of his dreams. In fact, it startled not just him, but also his wife, who angrily kicked him...
"Damn it, Professor Degen, can't you let that damned phone stay quiet while you're sleeping?"
Lott Degen, forcibly awakened, angrily picked up the phone from the nightstand.
Yes, though he was also a victim of being disturbed, not only could he not complain, but he also got kicked. Who was he going to reason with?
