Doing It Over Again [Rebirth]

19: Competition

The second stage of the competition was held in the banquet hall on the second floor of the hotel. When Shen Shao arrived at the venue, an entire arena had been set up. Lighting, sound, and cameras were all in place. Instead of an academic competition, it was more like a TV station filming a program.

He understood why the participating schools had protested about the irrational nature of the competition process but hadn't actually withdrawn. Everything came down to money and fame.

The sponsors wanted to increase the exposure of their products, the TV station wanted to improve its ratings, and the schools wanted to raise their visibility. That was why the competition was set up to be so slippery for the students.

"I don't think they should call this competition a math league. They should call it 'Who's A Genius?' It's even more brutal than the Math Olympiad." Zhang Li's sarcasm skills had been activated. She added quietly, "Shen Shao, the face of our school depends on you." Although she thought she could probably deal with the mental math competition, the third stage was completely beyond her. After all, she hadn't entered the mysterious realm of geniuses.

When Shen Shao looked back, he saw that both Zhang Li and Zeng Ping were wearing "I believe in you" expressions. Feeling a little helpless, he touched his nose. "Guys, don't look at me like that. I really don't have a clue either." Then he sighed. "I just hope the questions aren't too bizarre. Otherwise it really will be embarrassing."

"Shen Shao, Shao Ge, Shen Da Ge, you have to hold on ah." Zhang Li put her hands together and pleaded. "The whole school might be watching."

Zeng Ping followed along, nodding again and again.

Shen Shao: ...

Suddenly the pressure was so high. Whatever happened to friendship first, competition second?

The competition was structured like a "wheel war". The participants took turns based on the number they drew beforehand. If they gave the correct answer within fifteen seconds, they'd continue on to the next round of questions. If their answer was wrong, they'd be immediately eliminated. This would continue until only ten people were left.

Shen Shao drew No. 14. It wasn't long before it was his turn to enter the arena.

He walked in front of the middle table, bowed to the three judges, and waited for the question.

"Are you ready?" the female lead judge asked gently.

Shen Shao nodded. "Ready."

"Good, then we'll begin." The female judge gave him a reassuring smile and pressed the button on the table. A random question popped up on the big screen.

"The countdown has started."

Shen Shao finally understood why some of the participants' faces were so unhappy when they came out. The judges were staring, the cameras were filming, and the countdown was beeping. If their psychological fortitude wasn't good enough, their brain would turn to mush. If that happened, how could they calculate anything in fifteen seconds?

The first round was relatively easy. It was just a simple multiplication problem.

"Please answer the question."

"164458."

"Correct."

The three judges turned on their lights in unison, indicating that Shen Shao passed. He bowed in the direction of the judges and quickly walked out.

After leaving the field and walking to the waiting area, Shen Shao was greeted by the applause of the five people in his group. He smiled shyly and sat down beside Zeng Ping. "Zhang Li, it's almost your turn. Go and get ready." After saying this, he gave her a cheering gesture.