This paper traces the academic interactions between the author and Mr. Chen Shigang since their first meeting in 1993, highlighting Chen Shigangs profound expertise as a theoretical physicist and his distinctive mentoring approach. Through key instances such as the discussion on the “three-dimensional maps” problem during their first meeting, the authors transition into strong field physics research under Chen Shigangs guidance, and later guidance on scholarly writing and research methods, the article underscores Chen Shigangs consistent adherence to first principles and his focus on uncovering the essential of a problem. It also reflects his academic wisdom in balancing “interest-driven” and “demand-driven” research. Chen Shigang not only guided the author toward continual breakthroughs in research but also profoundly shaped the authors academic path and approach to nurturing talent through his educational philosophy of “teaching benefits teachers as well as students” and “educating students according to their aptitude.”