Chapter 191

[To fully unleash the contestants' potential, the project will simultaneously launch a pressure segment. For each submission from both sides, if correct, the submitting side's time will flow slower, while the opponent's time will double in speed. If incorrect, the time flow speed of both sides will increase.]

Thus, for Ji Ruochu to win, her submission rate compared to her opponent's must consistently maintain a 2:1 ratio, under completely correct conditions.

The pressure on Bei Lingyu and Quan Tianheng would be relatively lower, even if they made mistakes, it didn't matter, since the time flow speed of both sides would increase, giving them the advantage no matter how you calculate it.

Moreover, in the Dou Dizhu mode, they only needed to ensure that Ji Ruochu's score did not exceed twice theirs.

"Contestants, please get ready. The Blackout Position Challenge officially begins!"

The next second, the contestants' answer terminals lit up, displaying a 7x7 chessboard with scrambled colored balls.

At the same time, on the large screen at the center of the stage, a split bar graph representing the accumulated time appeared.

The left side showed Bei Lingyu and Quan Tianheng's combined time: 720 seconds.

The right side belonged to Ji Ruochu: 570 seconds.

From this view, Ji Ruochu was at a disadvantage, both in terms of time reserves, as well as the number of opponents and the mechanism itself.

"Ji is in danger."

"Indeed, if either Bei Lingyu or Quan Tianheng was replaced, she might have a chance, but those two are just too monstrous."

"Only Ji would dare to take on both of their challenges simultaneously."

Evidently, under these circumstances, rationally speaking, most did not have high hopes for Ji Ruochu.

What they failed to realize, however, was that in their certainty that the "two-versus-one format was disadvantageous for Ji Ruochu," they unconsciously overlooked their own firm belief that "she was unbeatable in one-on-one."

Thus, with this view, the first score submission for the Blackout Position Challenge stage began.

"Ji Ruochu has submitted once, earning 1 point. Her current time flow speed has decreased."

"Bei Lingyu and Quan Tianheng's time flow speed has increased." A collective gasp echoed through the venue, as Ji Ruochu's speed now far exceeded her pace during the warm-up round.

"This must be her true level." Older Jin nodded, jotting down a string of numbers on his record sheet.

"Yeah, I knew something felt off. I remember her last attempt before the 1v1, she just glanced at it and started solving."

As the guests discussed, the show replayed footage from the warm-up round...

[Warm-up Round]

Initially, Ji Ruochu did not rush to start, but calmly observed the answer terminal. If not for her fingers idly tracing motions above the table, others might have thought she had entered a trance.

A minute later, she finally straightened her posture and lightly tapped to begin answering.

Seconds later, the correct submission count changed from "0" to "1", taking no more than thirty seconds in total. "Seems she's found the method?" Ji Sishi, one of the guest commentators, sighed in relief.

Yet the next second, Gong Jianling's puzzled voice rang out, "Huh? Why did she stop again? Shouldn't she continue reinforcing it now?"

"Don't tell me she'll need to ponder again? I see Bei Lingyu is already itching to go to the challenge room."

Fortunately, it did not take long this time. As they spoke, Ji Ruochu resumed working.

This time, she completed the restoration even faster, within twenty seconds, and the warm-up room's correct submission count changed from "1" to "2".

Ji Sishi was finally relieved, "Looks like she's got it--"

Before she could finish, Ji Ruochu had already risen from the warm-up room, leisurely grabbing a sugar cube from the table before strolling towards the challenge room.

At that moment, everyone felt this girl was audaciously overconfident.

"Is that it? No more practice?"

Although the challenge room had been open for contestants to enter after five minutes of warm-up, even the usually bold Bei Lingyu was diligently preparing in the warm-up room. Yet Ji Ruochu had directly entered the challenge room.

Considering the time, Bei Lingyu had grasped the patterns slightly earlier than Ji Ruochu.

The previously silent Older Jin spoke up, "No need."

The three guest commentators turned their inquisitive gazes towards him.

"She's mastered both the restoration formula and the rules."

His vague statement left the three puzzled, yet before they could ask, Older Jin calmly uttered four words, "Golden ball determines victory." The next second, the screen split into two sides - Ji Ruochu's restoration sequence in the warm-up room for her first and second attempts.

After five seconds of ball movements, the first column of restored balls appeared on both sides.

The left side showed blue balls, while the right side showed - golden balls.

Subsequently, footage from the 1v1 challenge room displayed Ji Ruochu's board restoration trajectory. Without exception, in each restoration process, the first row restored was always the golden ball row.

Comments in the live chat:

[...How can I put this? My knees just went weak.]

[Thanks for the reminder, I've regained my composure.]

[No, she's a monster! In such a short time, she not only figured out the formula change but also adjusted the order?]

[Well done, I finally understand what Quan Tianheng meant when he said "Ji Ruochu's meticulousness is renowned at Peking University."]

[No wonder she left the challenge room after just two attempts, she wasn't biding her time, she was just being lazy?]

[Tsk, so Ji intentionally slowed her pace in the challenge room?]

[Haha, in the warm-up room she restored in twenty-odd seconds, but in the challenge room she just maintained thirty seconds, and later didn't even bother keeping it at thirty?]

[Our girl is so sly, I love it hehehe...]

[Really cunning, purposefully slowing down to mislead opponents, can't you be more upfront?]

[How interesting, our girl was just conserving her energy, yet you call it cunning?]

[Exactly, it's as if only our girl was hiding her true ability.]

[Are you all mad? What's there to criticize? This is a competition, everyone fights for themselves. I'm speechless at you haters.]

[Did Ji Ruochu dig up your ancestral graves? Why are you so fixated on slandering her?]

[Can we just enjoy the show without polluting the comments with that entertainment industry nonsense?]

Unlike before, these haters were promptly shut down as soon as they emerged. After all, Ji Ruochu was no longer just an entertainer, but a genuine talent.

Most viewers tuned in to witness the clash of wits between these prodigies, not mindless slander.

Of course, aside from these disruptive comments, the most interesting reactions came from viewers who had initially favored Bei Lingyu.

[Well, well, turns out our Bei was the only sincere one, huh?]

[Bei Lingyu: You Peking University geniuses, you're all sly at heart!]