The mc initiated the start of the competition and started interacting with the little kids.
" Are you ready? " The mc asked with an excited smile.
Everyone nodded their heads albeit unenthusiastically, one could see that they are not as energetic like any other kids.
Seeing as all of them are well behaved. The mc opened his questionaire and said. " First Round, the questions that will be asked to you guys are just easy, I assure you."
" Here, first question. Q.1
What number is represented by the following: 8 tens 5 ones. "
Mc then repeated twice in order for all of them to hear his words clearly.
" A. 58// B. 850 //C.85//D.580 "
" Ok, start writing in count to 10, 9, 8. Cover your answers don't look at each other's boards. ",
All six children lowered their heads down to write their answers. Almost simultaneously, they all overturned their board and looked simultaneously at the mc.
" Wow, so fast, these kids are really promising and capable. Right?" The mc commented and turned to look at the audience.
Most of the audience were the family members of the participants, and some of them are the family members of the participants' friends. Since the venue they were using were located in Blossom City. Most of the students in the school together with their parents, also attended to support the Cherry Blossom Primary School's participant.
The answer was obviously, C.
Everyone clapped for the children who all got it right.
" Second question, how many munites are there in an hour? " No choices, immediately write down the answer. Answer in 10, 9... "
Still, all six representatives all got it right. Shao Boya wrote down the number and lifted up his board.
There are several questions that are tricky for the little kids especially when a question came out regarding the greater and less than symbols, because all students couldn't exactly distinguish which direction facing the greater than symbol should be.
Some failed to recall the symbol of greater than and failed. Shao Boya on the other succeeded on remembering it.
Song Jingjing, the little girl sitting on the very first seat pouted when she got a mistake.
" I forgot!! Aaaaah " Song Jingjing stumped her feet on the ground in frustration but she still held her temper and just pouted with an agrrieved expression.
When the next round was initiated. The six candidates immediately returned to their focus and perked their ears to listen carefully.
" Alright, listen carefully my children. For this round two , we will be having a math riddle, ok? Have you practiced math riddles before? " The mc asked the little students.
Wang Ling, with a handkerchief behind her back nodded politely. Yao Chao- on the other hand, sitting beside Shao Boya subconsciously touched the rim of his spectacles and coughed with his mouth covered with a mask. The two young masters,Jiang Shirong and Fan Qin , sitting between Yao Chao- and Wang Ling just aloofly rest their cheek on their fist.
" Ok "
The mc was awkward for a moment seeing their reactions. He coughed and mouthed the question out loud. " if you multiply me by any other number, the answer will always remain the same. Who am I
"
" You have ten seconds to answer the question!!!"
All the students immediately uncapped their marker and started writing down on the whiteboard while thinking hard about the answer of the question.
" Alright, I'll repeat the question If you multiply me by any other number, the answer will always remain the same. Who am I? "
Fan Qin, the little young master beside Yao Chao suddenly frowned and recalled the numbers in multiplication. " My teacher has never taught us this before. " He muttered and but his lower lip.
Fan Qin gradually felt his hands turning cold from nervousness. He tried to recall what the possible number it could be, but there seems to be something blocking him from realizing it.
Restlessness clouded over Fan Qin's mind.
His eyes turned to look at his classmates standing at the back of the audience's seats, peeking at him in curiousity while on tip toes.
Fan Qin gritted his teeth and sulked. He felt shy and and at the same time ashamed and scared.
Would he become a laughing stock if he missed a single question?
Riddles have always been his weakness.
His mom had always told him that he have to win the competition as the venue of the event was being held in their school. It would be a humiliation if he loses.
Fan Qin couldn't afford to make a single mistake. He was surrounded with genuises from varying schools.
"Times up!!! "
Fan Qin flinched and turned to look at the answer he wrote.
It's over, he made a mistake.
" The answer is Zero. "
Fan Qin gritted his teeth and lowered his head.
" Ok! Let's check, who got it right! "
" Hmm, Ok! One point for our Student Shao Boya from Greenleaf Care. "
Shao Boya covered his mark and erased his answer. When his name was mentioned. Yi Meilin, sitting in front clapped his hands and stared at the young curly haired boy. His usually haggard face brightened up, when a proudfull emotion surged from within his heart.
He doesn't know why, but he suddenly have this feeling of wanting to boast about his ex's son.
No, He's not just Lu Meifeng's son, Shao Boya is also his son. No matter how his father and grandfather claim that Shao Boya is an illegitimate son. He's still his seed.
" And One point also for our Little Song Jingjing and Yao Chao. "
Three students made a mistake.
Fan Qin breathe in relief when he saw that he wasn't the only one who made a mistake. Song Jingjing's eyes on the other hand, sparkled when she got a point.
" Hehe " Song Jingjing giggled happily and happily doodled on the white board while the mc and the assistant mc was tallying the points.
Jiang Shirong, the young master beside Fan Qin snorted. " You're so happy with just a point? "
Wan Ling beside Song Jingjing immediately frowned and glared at Jiang Shirong. " You're just insecure because you answered 1 instead of 0. "
Jiang Shirong immediately blushed in embarrassment and immediately pouted to held back the tears from a his eyes.
Wang Ling smirked playfully and teased. " Stupid young master. "
" You!! " Jiang Shirong breathe deeply and glared at Wang Ling.
Song Jingjing suddenly spoke. " Childish ~ Crybaby ~ "
Fan Qin lowering his head immediately flinched.
No one knows, but he was actually a true cry baby. What Song Jingjing just said, poked his weakness.
And who would have expected that the two young masters are both cry babies.
Fan Qin and Jiang Shirong simultaneously lowered their heads and secretly wiped their watery eyes, oblivious of the eyes observing them at the side.
---
Shao Boya spun his marker and thought to himself.
Is that how kids at his age are supposed to act?
Childish, naive, prideful, and a cry baby?
Shao Boya rested his cheek on his fist as he analyzed his own self.
But I am not childish at all, I am not like Song Jingjing who is lively and bright.
Not prideful like Fan Qin and Jiang Shirong.
Shao Boya sighed and shook his head.
There's no use comparing myself to them.
Shao Boya knows he's different.
" You are really smart, I admired you. "
Shao Boya's attention was drawn beside him, when Yao Chao, the kid who wore spectacles suddenly spoke. Shao Boya thought that he was an introverted and silent kid, yet he surprisingly spoke.
" You never made a mistake the whole time. Did you review and study hard?"
Shao Boya hummed and nodded. " Yeah "
Yao Chao picked up the fresh bottle of mineral water from the table and gulped down. He removed his mask completely and put it down. " My mother hired a tutor for me for a whole month just for this competition. "
Yao Chao locked his eyes on the cute kid's face and spoke with a determined tone. " I'm going to win this game. "
Shao Boya froze and stared carefully at the nerdy guy.
Win the game?
Shao Boya frowned slightly.
If Yao Chao wins... Then he wouldn't be able to receive money from Teacher Qi.
Shao Boya immediately waved his hands and crossed his arms while talking with a disdainful tone. " Impossible . " Shao Boya denied and stared back at the nerdy boy.
Shao Boya slightly leaned over, and spoke with a cold tone. " Because I'm going to win this competition. " For money.
The conversation between Yao Chao and Shao Boya was heard by the three students beside them. Hearing their determination to win. Their faces also turned serious as they turned silent.
Song Jingjing hurrumped and crossed her arms. " Even if I don't get the championship. I'll at least try not to become the one who gets the least number of points . "
What Song Jingjing said triggered another bomb lingering within the hearts of the little children.
WHO WANTS TO GET THE LEAST NUMBER OF POINTS?
of course , NO ONE.
" Next question!!! " The mc started questioning again.
" Add me to myself and multiply by 4. Divide me by 8 and you will find me again. What am I?. "
When this question came up. The little students watching the competition, chatted with themselves and started counting with their little hands.
" What number is that? "
" I don't know, I don't even know how to read properly yet, much more calculate? "
" M-me too! I can't read yet. "
" Eh?!!! You can't read? But you're already about to graduate from kindergarten!! "
" I-i ... What's wrong with that? I am still young! I am just 5 years old!!! "
" Heh~ I bet~ you are still peeing on your bed sheets during the night~ "
" That's not true at all! "
When the parents watching the competition heard the children's conversation. They suddenly realized that these kids were indeed still young.
One parent whispered to their best friends and chatted. "Isn't the riddle too much for the little kids to comprehend? They are still kids, I bet my elementary student kid wouldn't even be able to answer this question. "
" That's right, even my child's neighbor can't read properly yet. "
" Could they even answer that? Even i don't know what kind of extraterrestrial question is that. "
" We mortals wouldn't be able to understand alien's language. "
The entire Hall room bustled with conversations. Yi Meilin heard their conversations too and looked at his son with worry.
Can Shao Boya answer such hard riddle?
Although adults like him know the answer, it's different for these kids who are still young and inexperienced.
Old Yi sitting beside Yi Meilin crossed his arms and silently stared at the cute boy who was writing on his white board with an obvious boredom painted on his eyes.
Shao Boya may not look exactly the same as his grandson, Yi Meilin. The arrogance and princely aura that this big bears is very similar to when Yi Meilin was still a child.
Old Yi pondered..
So Shao Boya was really Yi Meilin's son?
The young boy seems to have sensed the old man's scrutiny. Shao Boya stared back at the old man. Spinning his marker, Shao Boya indifferently turned his board upside down and looked at his opponents who were also covering their boards one after another.
" Did you write a number? " Yao Chao curiously asked.
Shao Boya lazily turned his eyes to him then answered.. " the answer wasn't a specific number to begin with. "
" ... " Yeah,
Yao Chao gritted his teeth in regret.
It seems that Shao Boya knows the answer too.
Wang Ling turned to look at Shao Boya and said. " So I am right. "
Song Jingjing looked at Wang Ling and blinked her eyes. " What's your answer? "
" Secret ~ "
Song Jingjing stumped her feet childishly and pouted. " You're such a tease, Wang Ling. It's not really obvious on your face. "
[ A/n: 'Di halata no~? ]
Wang Ling giggled and showed her tongue to Song Jingjing.
" Ok!!! Lift up your boards in three!! Two!! One!! "
All of them immediately lifted up their boards. The little children tip toeing behind gasp in surprise to see the answer.
" Oh my god, I couldn't understand the English letters. "
" Why does it have to be written in English? "
" I can't read. "
The parents sitting on their seats nearby burst out of laughter hearing their conversation and kindly turned their heads in their direction to inform them their answers.
" All of them answered that IT'S ANY NUMBER. "One middle aged woman said to the little kids.
" Huh? But why? "
---
All of them got it right.
Fan Qin immediately wiped his sweat in relief. " That was a close call! I almost wrote my calculations. "
Fan Qin just randomly used a number, like 5+5 = 10 , 10 x 4 = 40 , 40 ÷ 8 = ( 5 ).
HE ALMOST ANSWERED FIVE.
But then he realized that any number would result the same.
Looking at his crooked penmanship. [ AnY NuMbers ]
Then looking at Shao Boya's clean penmanship. Fan Qin felt like he has the ugliest writing in the whole world.
Song Jingjing suddenly giggled and showed Wan Ling her written answer. " Look look! I misspelled the word Any! But they still give me a point. "
Song Jingjing: [ eni nambers. ]
Fan Qin: [ AnY NuMbers]
Wan Ling: [ Annie Number. ]
Jiang Shirong: [ enny number. ]
Yao Chao: [ Any Number ]
Yao Chao enlarged the hole of his nostrils and looked at them with disgust. " How can you misspell such easy words? "
The mc smiled at them and said. " You guys are still kids, not anyone knows how to write English letters yet. So let's give these promising kids a round of applause. "
Clap clap clap clap.
In the end, since their intended answers are correct, they still give these silly kids a point despite the typos.
Yao Chao grumbled and turned to look at the only silent cute boy. " Isn't it unfair? "
Shao Boya hummed.
" Why are you so silent? "
" ... " Shao Boya
" Is your tongue short? "
Shao Boya subconsciously stick out his tongue to check if its indeed short.
Only to be captured with a camera.
" ... Delete that. "
" No, I won't . "
" Delete that!!! "
" I will keep it. "
There's no way Yao Chao will delete the cute wackie picture of a snobber boy.
Shao Boya frowned and massaged his aching temple. " Ok, I'll let you keep that ugly picture. But you have to pay that. "
Hearing that
Yao Chao immediately picked up his wallet and took out 12 Dollars from his wallet and slapped it on top of Shao Boya's table. " Deal!!! "
When the large amount of bills appeared on top of his table.
Shao Boya immediately narrowed his eyes.
Such a single picture... For 12 Dollars.
Compared to throwing garbages everyday... This is a more efficient and easier way to earn money.
Should I sell my face then?
How much would it cost?
Shao Boya touched his face.
Was my face really that worth it?
Yao Chao was oblivious of the idea that he had made Shao Boya think.