Chapter 78: The Hidden Genius (Second Update)

Everything before had merely been a prelude; Zhang Chu had already harvested wave after wave of reputation points from the audience before him. Now, this self-introduction was his ultimate move. Perhaps, when it spread across the internet, people would know there was someone to speak on their own behalf, but not the circumstances in which these words were said.

This would inevitably circulate throughout the entire network. As long as the production team didn't cut this segment and it aired smoothly on Friday, the reputation it would earn would far surpass the effect of disseminating countless toxic chicken soup quotes.

“Now that you’re standing in the challenger’s position, the other ten top scorers are your opponents. Do you have any goals this time?”

Zhang Chu pondered seriously, then replied confidently, “My goal is, of course, to stand undefeated and become the champion of this episode. A soldier who doesn’t aspire to be a general isn’t a good chef.”

His clever remarks once again drew laughter from the audience. This wasn’t just a top scorer—he should moonlight as a comedian!

Fortunately, Li Hao was mentally prepared. He responded, “Please select one of the ten opponents for your duel.”

Zhang Chu scrutinized his opponents. They were both male and female, some wore glasses, others were impeccably made up, but there was no way to discern their strengths just by appearances.

Since he intended to stay undefeated, Zhang Chu simply chose contestant number one, planning to challenge them in order, defeating each one successively.

“Why did you choose number one? Is it because Zhou Biyao seems weaker?” Xiao Tao quietly set a trap for Zhang Chu—after all, this was a variety show and needed some drama.

But Zhang Chu’s answer surprised everyone. “No, no, by the time we’ve reached this stage, there’s no real difference between strong and weak. I found it hard to choose, so I decided to start with number one and see if I can defend my position in sequence.”

Zhou Biyao, now singled out, was starting to sweat. She was the liberal arts top scorer from Qiongzhou Province, naturally reserved, and now, being the first to be challenged by Zhang Chu, she was even more nervous.

Standing at the center of the stage, Zhang Chu could only apologize inwardly to this scholarly young woman. The title of champion was his for the taking, and as the first sacrifice, she was bound to attract attention.

Of course, as this was a quiz show, they couldn’t linger forever; their duel was about to begin.

“What pigment absorbs the energy from light in photosynthesis and converts carbon dioxide into oxygen?”

The first question was evidently a giveaway. Even Zhou Biyao, as a liberal arts student, could answer it easily.

Within the twenty-second window, Zhang Chu answered without hesitation, “Chlorophyll.”

The answering format of “Stand Undefeated” was crisp and decisive, unlike “Happy Dictionary,” where Wang Xiaoya would repeatedly ask if you were sure, if you wanted to change your answer, truly sure, etc.

The two contestants answered alternately; whoever got it wrong would be eliminated. The rules were that simple.

After Zhang Chu answered correctly, the pressure shifted to Zhou Biyao. She bit her lip lightly—what if the next question was also biology?

On the surface, liberal arts students in their second year still had to study biology, but it was only one class a week and often taken over by other teachers.

When Zhou Biyao saw the question on the big screen, she was almost in tears—wasn’t this just the production team messing with her?

“From a flat perspective, which single-celled organism resembles the sole of a straw sandal?”

A science student might quickly provide the answer, but Zhou Biyao was not one. Faced with this question, she could only rely on her middle-school knowledge and memory. After more than ten seconds had passed, she hesitantly answered, “Paramecium?”

The audience was anxious—if she got the first question wrong, what was the point of recording the show?

Li Hao immediately said, “Correct!”

The sound effects erupted cheerfully, then shifted to urgent drumbeats.

The questions soon returned to normal. Whether math or cultural questions, Zhang Chu handled them with ease, never taking more than five seconds to answer.

Back and forth the two went, with the difficulty gradually increasing, and the outcome seemed imminent.

“A book has 100 pages. Xiaoming read one fifth on the first day, one quarter of the remaining pages on the second day, and finished the rest on the third day. How many pages did he read on the third day?”

Strictly speaking, this question wasn’t difficult, especially for these top scorers. The challenge lay in the time constraint; to read the question and calculate the answer within twenty seconds was no easy feat.

Zhang Chu’s fans in the studio were nervously sweating for him—could his reign as champion end so soon?

The countdown clock ticked loudly, and the audience held their breath, afraid to disturb Zhang Chu’s concentration.

“Ten seconds left.”

A small child suddenly called out, “Go, Zhang Chu!”

Zhou Biyao silently prayed, Please don’t answer, please don’t answer…

Actually, the answer was simple if you weren’t misled by the question. Zhang Chu, having once connected his mind with his math teacher, now had greatly improved mathematical ability. Without using the system, he swiftly arrived at the answer.

“Sixty pages.”

Zhang Chu answered calmly; these questions posed no real challenge for him, and the system’s power hadn’t even come into play.

“Could I have unwittingly become a hidden academic star?”

He realized for the first time his own growth, though now he was focused on appealing to a broad audience, so they hadn’t yet asked the kinds of questions that would show a significant gap.

From one perspective, Zhang Chu’s strategy of switching from science to liberal arts had succeeded. If he joined the Chinese department at Yanda University, he wouldn’t lag behind.

Upon hearing Zhang Chu’s answer, Zhou Biyao was immediately disappointed, her face clearly showing her frustration.

“After a thunderstorm, the air feels especially fresh. Which blue gas in the air increases in concentration?”

Zhou Biyao began to panic. Her success in earlier science questions had been half due to common sense and half to memory.

But now, this question left her at a loss. What was the blue gas? Oxygen? Ammonia? Nitrogen?

Time slipped by quickly—twenty seconds was just a blink.

This wasn’t a multiple-choice question, so there were no options to eliminate wrong answers, making it harder.

“I’m sorry, Zhou Biyao, your journey ends here. I hope you enjoy the rest of our show.”

The female host, Xiao Tao, glanced curiously at Zhang Chu, standing in the center of the stage, his feet planted firmly in two giant footprints. “Zhang Chu, do you know the answer?”

“It should be ozone.”

“Correct!”

The audience erupted in applause, congratulating him on clearing the first hurdle.

Yet this was only the first step in a long journey; nine more opponents awaited!