Ch 39: Those who wronged me are now begging me for mercy

Compared to a Dinosaur, Who Isn’t a Top Student?

Confusion Level: 2000

The system instinctively warned Rong Ziyin: “Master, take care of yourself.”

Rong Ziyin was also surprised. He examined the pattern on Yao Lele’s shirt for a few seconds and quietly asked Xu Chuanzhi, “Has the reputation of the Landscape Architecture department’s toughness spread so far? Even the production team knows about it?”

Xu Chuanzhi swallowed hard, unsure of how to respond to Rong Ziyin’s fatal question.

But Yao Lele had already reached her limit and charged at Rong Ziyin, determined to give him a good beating.

Rong Ziyin quickly dodged behind Xu Chuanzhi, saying, “Lele, calm down, remember, you’re a lady!”

Yao Lele sneered, cracking her knuckles. “Ha, don’t give me that! The moment I put on this kung pao chicken-colored lipstick, I stopped being a lady!”

“Rong, you can’t run, I’m taking you down today!”

So, when the cameras for the live broadcast started rolling, the entire nation witnessed the incredibly fierce side of Yao Lele.

Rong Ziyin: “Oh no, Lele, you’ve just ruined the reputation of all the girls in the Landscape Architecture department!”

“Shut up!” Yao Lele growled, crushing the water bottle in her hand, and the entire room fell silent.

Everyone’s minds went blank, filled with just one thought: Whoa, this girl really knows her kung fu!

The entire Landscape Architecture department seemed capable of uprooting trees with their bare hands and performing feats of strength like breaking stones on their chests or smashing bricks with their palms.

And this fear, born from sheer brute force, firmly intimidated everyone from the start of the competition. When the one-on-one matchups were determined, the scrawny Environmental Protection student who was paired against Yao Lele couldn’t help but shiver.

His mind was filled with scenes from old TV dramas about legendary strongmen.

In the midst of this awkward moment, Yao Lele maintained a stern expression, her beautiful face glowing with barely contained fury, just wanting to crush the hapless production team along with everything else when she got on stage.

Yao Lele’s anger level: 5000

The system couldn’t help but sigh: “Master, look at what you’ve done to this poor girl.”

Rong Ziyin responded with complete seriousness, “Don’t be silly, today she’s wearing that spicy fish-colored lipstick. With that kind of aura, she’s ready to knock someone out!”

Hearing this, the system suddenly felt relieved. It was grateful that Rong Ziyin hadn’t said this in front of Yao Lele; otherwise, his life wouldn’t have been safe even during the competition.

After another five minutes, the host arrived, and the intense competition finally began.

The first task was to draw lots to determine the order of the group matches.

Rong Ziyin’s team was set to face off against the team of humanities and geography scholars. As the challenging team, according to the rules, Rong Ziyin’s group had the honor of drawing the lots.

Following Rong Ziyin’s suggestion, Yao Lele stepped up to draw a lot.

Sure enough, it was the last spot. This indirectly confirmed the production team’s sly tactics and the pre-written script.

Out of the six teams, theirs had the most hype, so naturally, they were saved for the final, climactic moment to maximize the audience’s engagement.

Yao Lele casually tossed the slip of paper onto a nearby table, feeling that such petty tricks were beneath them and reeked of small-mindedness.

Rong Ziyin offered a word of advice, “Don’t worry about that. Focus on what questions come up before us and use the remaining time to study them.”

“You’re right.” Yao Lele took a deep breath, quickly calming her affected emotions, and pulled out a thick little notebook from her pocket to review.

Xu Chuanzhi did the same. Although he was nervous, having Rong Ziyin remain so calm next to him gave him an inexplicable sense of reassurance, as if it wasn’t that big of a deal.

The camera operator behind them curiously zoomed in to see what they were studying, only to discover a familiar item that every college student would recognize—a condensed cheat sheet.

It was one of those small booklets where the entire semester’s key points are shrunk down, folded into a portable size for quick reference.

But aren’t they all supposed to be top students? Why are they carrying something like this?

The cameraman shot a puzzled glance at the director, who was equally at a loss.

The host, quick on his feet, made a quip, “It seems our top students from Agriculture University are quite clever, bringing cheat sheets to the match!”

Rong Ziyin responded with a deadpan expression, “The production team didn’t say we couldn’t bring them.”

“But aren’t you top students?”

Rong Ziyin shrugged, “Each field has its own expertise. If you ask me to castrate a boar, I can do it with my eyes closed.”

“From the time the anesthesia takes effect to the final stitch, it takes three minutes per boar, five minutes if you need two.”

“Don’t believe me? You can try.”

The host was stunned into silence.

His mind went blank. Should he bring over two boars, or should he offer himself as the test subject? The host suddenly felt a chill between his legs.

Confusion Level: 1000

The production team hadn’t expected Rong Ziyin to respond like this, but Rong Ziyin wasn’t finished. “Goats work too, but cows would take longer since they’re stronger.”

The host was even more bewildered and couldn’t respond for a few seconds. When he finally regained his composure, he quickly moved on, eager to continue with the competition.

But the other top students weren’t having it. “We can review right before the match?” they asked, incredulous.

Rong Ziyin replied righteously, “If the exam was about veterinary science, you could bring books and find the answers first!”

“And the reason you didn’t bring materials is probably because you couldn’t gather them, right?”

His words hit the mark. In an instant, everyone except Xu Chuanzhi and Yao Lele fell silent.

There were forty books, divided among six teams. Rong Ziyin’s team took seven, leaving the others with only about six books each. Some teams had even fewer. Even if they wanted to make cheat sheets, they couldn’t.

But how did Rong Ziyin’s team manage to get all the materials?

“Did you get all the resources?”

Rong Ziyin nodded. “Yes, we did.”

“That’s impossible! How did you do it?” The other teams were shocked, exchanging bewildered glances.

The books chosen by the production team were rare, specialized texts. Unless you searched through major libraries, they were almost impossible to find, even online. So how did Rong Ziyin’s team manage it?

Rong Ziyin smiled and waved his cheat sheet, saying something that made everyone want to hit him, “Take a guess?”

” … “

Anger Level: 10,000. The other top students all felt a strong urge to beat up Rong Ziyin.

Meanwhile, the viewers in the live stream were buzzing with discussion.

“This guy Rong Ziyin is too much! If you’re going to cheat, just admit it. His excuses are infuriating.”

“Yeah, this show has never done this before! He’s really embarrassing Agriculture University.”

“Hey, you should be more understanding! Did you see which department they’re from? The mock exam was about the breadth of knowledge, but the competition is about depth. The production team is clearly using Rong Ziyin and Yao Lele’s wide range of knowledge to set them up as cannon fodder.”

“I agree. What’s wrong with preparing some study materials? The other teams are all related to the topic anyway!”

“Hmph, goes to show that good looks help. Since when did looks get you ahead in academia?”

“What’s wrong with you? Stick to the topic; this has nothing to do with looks!”

The viewers were divided, and soon the comments section was filled with arguments. As the discussions heated up, the show’s viewership increased by nearly a third by the time the first match ended.

Rong Ziyin’s statement, “Each field has its own expertise; I can castrate two boars in five minutes,” quickly trended on social media.

But whether this trending topic was bought by the production team or was genuine is unclear.

The forum at Agriculture University was in an uproar again.

They had long seen through the production team’s tricks, which only made them more furious about how they were misrepresenting Rong Ziyin.

“Everyone online is bashing Rong Ziyin, but I think he’s right!”

“Of course he’s right! This competition isn’t fair. If it were about the breadth of knowledge, it should be a comprehensive exam. This setup is just a trap!”

“The worst part is how they’re making him look bad! What’s so special about castrating two boars in five minutes? With Rong Ziyin’s speed, he could handle a whole group in an hour! These people have no clue.”

But their anger was futile, unable to influence the viewers’ wild interpretations.

Meanwhile, the number of viewers in the live stream reached a peak, surpassing all other shows at that time.

It was clear that people tuned in for one of two reasons: either they were curious about the guy who made such bizarre statements, or they wanted to see what would happen to Rong Ziyin’s team in the end.

In this tense atmosphere, the showdown between Rong Ziyin’s team and the Humanities and Geography team finally began.

The host made a joke about ladies going first, so Yao Lele was the first to step onto the stage.

Putting down her notes, Yao Lele took a deep breath, ready to compete. Before she left, she glanced at Rong Ziyin, paused for two seconds, and finally said, “Don’t worry.” Then she walked onto the stage.

Three minutes of rapid-fire questions—the first to make a mistake loses.

This was Agriculture University’s first match, crucial to their success!

The hearts of Agriculture University students were in their throats, and the rapidly scrolling comments slowed down. Everyone’s attention was on the match.

But the result was unexpected. Despite her last-minute cramming, Yao Lele was unexpectedly formidable.

Yao Lele was always a strong-willed girl, and her bright red lipstick not only enhanced her complexion but also gave her an unstoppable queen-like aura.

Her enunciation was clear, her reactions swift. As soon as a question was asked, she quickly gave the correct answer. She seemed unstoppable.

Yao Lele’s opponent clearly didn’t expect this outcome. A single mistake, and he lost to her.

“Thank you,” Yao Lele smiled as she left the stage, leaving the Environmental Protection student to question his life choices.

“I won!” Yao Lele excitedly shouted as she rejoined Rong Ziyin and Xu Chuanzhi.

Rong Ziyin said nothing, but Xu Chuanzhi sighed, “Brother Rong, Lele, I think I’m going to lose.”

Xu Chuanzhi was being honest. The questions in Rong Ziyin’s group were particularly difficult. Xu Chuanzhi didn’t have prior knowledge in this area, and cramming last minute, though helpful, left gaps.

He had been holding onto a glimmer of hope that with enough effort, he might stand a chance.

But after Yao Lele’s match, he realized he had no hope, and he felt deeply dejected.

Rong Ziyin patted his shoulder, “It’s okay. Just treat it like a game. Remember, it’s the total score that counts.”

“Yeah,” Xu Chuanzhi nodded, then followed the order and stepped onto the stage, standing in the same spot Yao Lele had just vacated.

Standing opposite him was the top student with dual degrees in history and archaeology. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the match officially began.

It was a complete rout.

From the moment Xu Chuanzhi took his place until he was knocked out, it took less than ten questions, making him the fastest defeated contestant in the show’s history.

The host, seemingly caught off guard by the result, stood frozen on stage for a full three seconds before awkwardly inviting Xu Chuanzhi off and offering him a few words of consolation.

The chat exploded again.

“Hahaha, what the hell was that? Even the host was stunned!”

“I’m dying, Yao Lele surprised me earlier, but this guy? This is just too funny!”

“See? Cheaters never prosper. Those little notes were useless, and he lost anyway!”

Students from Agriculture University were fuming, their anger almost tangible. How could they mock someone who had lost on a question so obscure you couldn’t even find the answer on Baidu?

Switch places, and that archaeology student wouldn’t even know how to start a mechanical modeling software, let alone compete against Xu Chuanzhi.

Xu Chuanzhi was visibly dejected. After returning to his team, he remained silent, though his hands were clenched tightly at his sides.

Humiliation—an almost bone-deep humiliation.

Even though the host had only paused for three seconds, his shocked expression, along with the surprise on everyone else’s faces, was burned into Xu Chuanzhi’s memory.

The looks that seemed to say, “How could someone be so weak?” felt as if he had been stripped naked and slapped in front of everyone.

But was it his fault that he couldn’t answer the question?

Those obscure questions would stump even experts in the field.

“Brother Rong, I saw it! That archaeology student sighed in relief.”

“He didn’t know the answer either, you know?” Xu Chuanzhi whispered to Rong Ziyin, his voice thick with emotion.

“I swear, I didn’t mean to… I really didn’t know that one!” Xu Chuanzhi’s voice cracked as he spoke.

Yao Lele, unable to watch him suffer, patted his shoulder. “It wasn’t your fault. That question wasn’t even in the forty books.”

“So it was intentional?” Xu Chuanzhi looked up, confused, at Rong Ziyin.

“Yes, it was deliberate, to increase the difficulty,” Rong Ziyin said. He had the clearest understanding of the scope of this competition among the three of them and knew that Xu Chuanzhi’s question had content outside the designated range.

This was completely different from previous episodes, making it another seemingly random but actually calculated move by the production team.

It was meant to ensure Xu Chuanzhi’s failure, to crush Rong Ziyin’s team and generate new talking points for the audience, all while piling even more pressure on Rong Ziyin for the final match.

System: This is disgusting.

Rong Ziyin: Indeed. How dare they?

Xu Chuanzhi had represented the national team in international competitions, bringing honor to the domestic research community. He had earned accolades and filed patents, a future engineer with a bright future. He was a true academic, and the production team had humiliated him for the sake of their show. Were they not afraid that this could destroy his confidence, causing the research community to lose a rising star?

Yao Lele was trembling with anger, but Rong Ziyin had already stood up, ready to face the final match.

“Rong Ziyin!” Yao Lele wanted to say that if he lost, they might as well all die right there. But she couldn’t bring herself to say it, knowing that Rong Ziyin wasn’t in this field either. Such demands would be nothing short of emotional blackmail.

But Rong Ziyin just smiled and reassured her, “Don’t worry, Agriculture University will win!” Then he confidently strode onto the stage.

Facing the humanities and geography student across from him, Rong Ziyin’s opponent couldn’t help but look at him with sympathy.

It was clear that, after the previous incident, he had also noticed the production team’s manipulations.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have been so impulsive that day,” he apologized softly to Rong Ziyin.

Rong Ziyin said nothing, seemingly unbothered.

The host stepped between them, smiling as he spoke, “As team captains, why don’t each of you say a few words to the production team before we start?”

“How about you go first, Rong Ziyin from Agriculture University?”

“Sure, but can I say anything?” Rong Ziyin asked.

“Yes, of course,” the host replied, but he couldn’t shake a growing sense of unease.

Sure enough, after pausing for a second, Rong Ziyin said, “Honestly, I regret joining this stupid show.”

“What ‘Search for the Strongest Scholar in Ten Thousand Years’? There’s not an ounce of culture here.”

“Chinese history started with the Shang Dynasty, spanning just over 3,700 years. Before that, the Xia, Yao, Shun, and the Three Sovereigns covered about a thousand years, but we still haven’t found key written records.”

“So who are you comparing the previous four thousand years to?”

“Are you comparing it to the Sui Ren clan, who discovered fire by drilling wood on Kunlun Mountain 12,000 years ago?”

“Honestly, you might as well make the timeline even longer. How about a billion years?”

“Compared to dinosaurs, who isn’t a scholar?”

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