288 Prodigies Assemble! (1/2)

No one, not even Zhang Yu and Cao Tongtong could predict the sudden turnaround.

Most people could only wonder if it would get more difficult as the question went on, or whether there would be something more demanding toward the end. No one would have expected the question to end with a zero. What kind of question was that?

Pfft!

Xu Wanqing's petite mouth morphed into an ”O” shape. Soon after, she could not help herself and burst out laughing. Ye Lingchen was truly someone who did not like to lose.

”You're messing with us?”

Zhang Yu's face soured up immediately and began twitching. He felt humiliated that a math underachiever used a math problem to toy with a math genius like himself. It was practically a stain in his entire life.

”Absolutely not!” Ye Lingchen shook his head solemnly. ”I was purely creating a question, but I have to say, the way you did it was amazing!”

Zhang Yu and Cao Tongtong snorted and no longer wanted to speak.

They needed time to relieve their depression.

Finally, those teachers and professors were back to being disinterested after Ye Lingchen's little prank.

The bustling car once again reverted to calmness. It stayed quiet as they made their journey toward the venue.

Capital City Cultural Center occupied a huge area and was divided into several halls. Those halls were specially dedicated to holding various large-scale events, be it literature, mathematics, art, or social events. All of them could be conducted within the cultural center.

It was also the venue of the present competition.

There were already plenty of cars in the cultural center by the time Ye Lingchen and others arrived. Most were buses, and the number of people coming made for a lively scene.

In addition to teachers and students, many parents came from all over the nation to cheer for their children. Those parents all shared something in common—their faces were beaming with pride and they were incredibly proud of their children.

Teachers and students constantly glanced at the cultural center with anxiety, excitement, and anticipation.

Along the way, many professors seemed to know Professor Bai and the others. Many of those professors came over to say hello, in addition to showing off some of their gems.

In the middle of the tables was a large screen used to display questions. Papers and pens were also placed at the forefront of each table for the participants to use as drafts.

Meanwhile, the surrounding areas were resting areas for other players and teachers. The audience was only allowed to be on the second floor, where they would be separated by a glass panel to prevent noise from affecting the competition's proceedings.

Each team sat in their respective zones and watched the competition area in the center. Their faces were all extremely dignified and they were whispering to each other.

Since arriving there, Professor Bai's face became even more petulant. The others had similar expressions too. Their eyes swept across one participant to the other and their mood sank to rock bottom.

”The girl from Xihai Province, could it be the mental arithmetic prodigy, Qiu Luo?” Professor An inhaled sharply and his tone became hoarser.

”Yes, it should be her!” Professor Bai was very solemn. ”I remember she made the news when she was still in high school. All these years, Xihai Province hid their talents all too well!”

”Old Bai, look over there!” Professor Tang gestured. ”Do you know the boy with glasses?”