Chapter 173 - Brains Buzzing with CLANG!

Zhang Xiaosheng nodded. “Exactly. Tan Mo’s performance was exceptional in the first round, but everyone’s got a limit. There’s absolutely no way she can do just as well in the second round.”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

No one could do that.

“After my debacle on stage, we’re depending on you now for the second round, Xiaoou!” Lin Zhenhui clenched his teeth. “Not only did I get humiliated, I also dragged the school into a fiasco. This I will admit. It was my responsibility. I won’t argue with that. But for this second round, please make sure you retaliate properly and put her in her place!”

Hearing Lin Zhenhui say this to Ziao Xiaoou, Zhang Xiaosheng additionally told Xiaoou, “Zhenhui’s words were a bit over the top, but I agree with what he’s saying. After losing face in the first round, we’ve got to make sure to step up our game and strike back. If not, how can we say that we’re proud of the hard work we’ve endured and the countless days of blood, sweat, and tears we’ve put in for this competition?”

Zhao Xiaoou nodded solemnly. “I understand.”

She looked over at Tan Mo. She didn’t seem to be faring so well either.

There was no way Xiaoou could let herself favor a person who had embarrassed their team so much.

Especially when right before the competition started, everyone had already pretty much acknowledged that Tsinghua University would be the one to win the championship.

Yet, the first round had ended in a shambles for them.

Zhao Xiaoou took a deep breath and went on stage with a dignified expression and took her place where Lin Zhenhui had last stood.

She turned to look at Tan Mo.

Tan Mo watched Xiaoou from her peripheral vision, looked back at her, and gave her a sweet, innocent smile.

Zhao Xiaoou felt shivers run up her spine.

Tan Mo’s cute antics might work with the boys, but they certainly wouldn’t work with her.

“Your performance in that last round was impressive,” Zhao Xiaoou said.

Tan Mo smiled. “Thank you, senior.”

Zhao Xiaoou had nothing to say to that.

HMPH!

How annoying.

Tan Mo could already tell that Zhao Xiaoou hated her attitude and behavior.

And since Zhao Xiaoou hated it, she would just continue to behave like this and more.

In the best case scenario, Zhao Xiaoou would get frustrated to the point where she would keep competing for the buzzer until her hands started shaking.

“Are you confident about this second round?” Zhao Xiaoou asked Tan Mo as she continued to smile at her.

Usually, those who did well in the first round would be slightly arrogant.

Even those who were often calm and steady would become slightly overconfident.

Not to mention that Tan Mo was younger than them all and had managed to humiliate Lin Zhenhui so badly. Surely, she must be overconfident and about to blow her own trumpet.

It would be the perfect time for her to use this state that Tan Mo was in to get into her head. She would be able to gauge her level of knowledge like this.

At least a little bit, of the second round in the competition, that is.

“Not too bad.” Tan Mo laughed a little. “I didn’t study much about it.”

She knew all the content anyway, which was why she hadn’t needed to study.

Professor Guo had said this himself.

If Professor Guo said that she didn’t need to study, then she would only follow his advice.

Professor Guo was usually reliable.

Zhao Xiaoou couldn’t think of anything else to say

Why aren’t you proud of yourself?

Tan Mo’s actions didn’t seem to show that she felt overly proud.

Now, Zhao Xiaoou couldn’t tell whether Tan Mo was telling the truth or not.

Did she really not know much about the field or was she just faking it?

She really couldn’t decipher what Tan Mo truly meant at this point. All she could do was just try and regain some of their school’s reputation for Lin Zhenhui.

She chuckled lightly. “In the last round, senior Lin underestimated his enemy. He wasn’t able to make use of his full potential.”

As soon as these words came out of her mouth, she saw Tan Mo open her eyes in shock.

Zhao Xiaoou felt a premonition seeing her like this.

Something must be wrong!

Immediately, Tan Mo replied to her, “But senior Lin told me that he would be trying his best.”

She tilted her head and seemed to be wracking her brains. “He tried his best, yet got a -one…”

Right as she finished her sentence, her hand flew up to her mouth. It was as if she realized that she’d just said something she shouldn’t have said.

Zhao Xiaoou couldn’t believe what she had just said. Her lungs were about to burst from anger.

Where did Beijing University find this freak?

Tan Mo removed her hand from her mouth and hurriedly said. “He definitely didn’t try his best. For sure.”

She even emphasized this statement with a nod.

The more she talked, the more it seemed like everything she said was just a sham.

Zhao Xiaoou breathed heavily in frustration.

How was she supposed to reply to that?

Anyone could now obviously tell that she was just doing this to annoy them.

She might as well praise Tan Mo for being nice and letting Lin Zhenhui find a less embarrassing way to leave the stage.

If she said that Lin Zhenhui had really given it his all, yet still lost horribly to the other teams, that would be even worse.

But if she said that he didn’t try his best, then it would seem as if they didn’t care about their reputation at all, and that they were just trying to find excuses to make up for their loss.

Either one of those option was bad.

Zhao Xiaoou couldn’t hear what was being said from on the stage, but those in the stands could hear all the comments that were being said throughout the audience.

“Why are those two seniors acting like this? They’ve already lost the first round, and they’re still trying to force Tan Mo into a corner. Isn’t that a bit…”

“Even though they’re unhappy with the current results, we’re the ones hosting the competition. This is a bit much, isn’t it? We’ll be made a joke if this ever gets out!”

Other members of the audience had opinions too.

Some had come from Beijing University.

Even though they were smaller in numbers when compared to those in the audience from Tsinghua University, there was tense friction between the two universities as they sat near each other.

“What’s up with those competitors from Tsinghua University? Can they really get away with bullying the other competitors?”

“Despite getting bullied, Tan Mo’s still beating them. Unbelievable.”

Even some students from Tsinghua University had started to pity Tan Mo despite supporting their school.

Zhao Xiaoou scoffed and stopped speaking to Tan Mo.

But Tan Mo wasn’t going to let her off that easily.

“Senior Zhao, will you give it your best in this round?” she asked.

Zhao Xiaoou stayed quiet.

How was she supposed to reply to this?

No?

But this was a competition. You’re not giving it your all?

Yes?

But what if I lose?

Zhao Xiaoou hadn’t realized that she was already nervous before the competition had even begun for her.

She was already thinking about losing.

She didn’t answer and just pretended that she couldn’t hear Tan Mo.

Tan Mo only smiled. She didn’t mind.

Right then, the host spoke, “The second round will cover the annotations of ancient documents.

“The countdown for the first question will begin shortly.”

As the the number one appeared on the screen, it flashed.

CLANG!

The crowd looked on in anticipation.

The host said, “Beijing University, please give us your answer.”

Tan Mo looked at the question shown on the screen and answered, “Option B.”

“Correct,” said the host. “One point for Beijing University. The second question will follow shortly.”

All everyone could hear from then on were the consecutive sounds of CLANG! CLANG! CLANG from the buzzer.

Their brains were now buzzing with the CLANG! sound from the buzzer.

Students watching the competition live had never told others to watch the livestream instead, but it seemed like this year was an exception.

Never had they ever heard so many sounds of fast-paced, rhythmic CLANG!

As soon as the ten seconds were up, the CLANG! would immediately be heard. And right after that, an answer.