Everyone was also looking forward to his performance, hoping he could maintain this state.
However, mentally calculating multi-digit math problems was clearly not Song Yicheng's forte. He only got six out of ten questions right.
So far, ten contestants had finished answering. He was ranked sixth, which increased the risk of not entering the next round.
Yun Duo'er watched his performance, her heart filled with anxiety.
Next was Tian Tian's turn. She also had not yet used her special guest invitation.
Her performance was slightly better than Song Yicheng's, with seven correct answers.
Up to this point, no contestant had answered all the questions correctly. Everyone's hope for a perfect score was now placed on Tong Tong.
Although Tong Tong was contestant number 10, he was the last to compete.
Among the first fifteen contestants, the best performer was contestant number 16, who answered 9 questions correctly.
The worst only got five questions right.
Finally, only Tong Tong was left to answer. Liu Yifeng made a "come on" gesture to his son as he walked onto the stage.
Yaoyao was also cheering, "Go, Brother Tong Tong!"
Tong Tong gave them a sweet smile and then stood before the answer desk. Due to the height difference, he always had to sit on a high stool when answering questions.
Otherwise, if he stood at the desk, the audience wouldn't be able to see his head.
Soon, ten questions appeared on the big screen.
The audience was dazzled. Multiplying numbers in the hundreds by numbers in the hundreds, and then dividing by numbers in the thousands – only a genius could calculate this.
For ordinary people like them, multiplying two-digit numbers required a calculator or a written method, otherwise, it would take ten minutes to calculate mentally.
Let alone multiplying three-digit numbers and dividing by numbers with thousands of digits.
But after looking at the questions, Tong Tong immediately picked up his pen and wrote down an answer in almost seven or eight seconds.
He finished all ten questions in less than two minutes.
In such a short time, the audience below could barely even read the questions, let alone accurately write down the answers.
In this short time, even other contestants had only managed to calculate one or two questions.
No one knew if Tong Tong had calculated correctly, but his speed in writing down the answers had truly astonished everyone present.
Just as many thought Tong Tong was just guessing, they saw Tong Tong recite the numbers for each question according to the answers. The results that appeared on the big screen were precisely the same as what he said, some even accurate to the decimal point.
Tong Tong answered all ten questions correctly, using less than a fifth of the time. This performance truly stunned everyone.
The venue erupted in thunderous applause, with some people even unable to contain themselves and standing up to cheer.
Tong Tong, however, did not become arrogant due to the praise. Instead, he humbly bowed to everyone and returned to his seat.
At this moment, all eyes were on Tong Tong. Xia Qianqian, watching Tong Tong return to her side, gave him two thumbs up: "Tong Tong, you are truly amazing, you are my idol!"
Tong Tong smiled slightly, "Aunt Xia, you are too kind. The performances of the other brothers and sisters were also very good!"
Yun Duo'er, watching her son shine again, felt her sense of crisis grow stronger. With Tong Tong here, Song Yicheng's chances of winning the championship became even slimmer.
"Aunt Yun, why does your expression look so serious? Aren't you happy that I got the questions right?" Tong Tong looked up at Yun Duo'er with innocent eyes.
Seeing the camera focused on her, Yun Duo'er quickly denied it: "No, no, you are very good, keep it up!"
She spoke insincerely. After all, she was a public figure and couldn't reveal her selfish thoughts, as it could easily lead to negativity.
Tong Tong humbly accepted her praise: "Thank you, Aunt Yun. I will continue to work hard and promise not to disappoint you."
Looking at Tong Tong's innocent and cheerful expression, Yun Duo'er had the feeling that Tong Tong was doing it on purpose, as if he were provoking her.
As the first round of the competition lasted for two hours, it was time for a mid-break. A video of one of the contestants and a special guest was played on the big screen.
Some people chose to watch the video, while others couldn't hold it in and went to the restroom.
Yaoyao immediately rushed to Tong Tong's side and hugged him excitedly: "Brother Tong Tong, you are amazing!"
Xu Muqing, who followed behind, couldn't help but praise, "Tong Tong, you are the best!"
Yaoyao was only a few months younger than Tong Tong, but Yaoyao still couldn't calculate simple addition or subtraction of numbers over ten.
Yet Tong Tong could mentally calculate multiplication and division of three-digit numbers.
She even felt that the word "genius" was not enough to describe Tong Tong's talent and abilities.
"Thank you for your praise, Aunt Xu, and thank you, Sister Yaoyao. The questions today were actually not difficult at all. Math is my strength, and I feel like my victory is a bit unfair." Tong Tong spoke earnestly, but without any hint of showing off.
However, Song Yicheng, sitting beside him, felt that he was boasting about his abilities and said sarcastically, "Tsk, what's there to be proud of? You're just good at math.
I lost to you because math isn't my specialty, but in the next round, English listening comprehension, I will definitely beat you."
From a young age, he had studied English and could communicate with foreigners by the age of six. He could even study abroad now without any pressure or worries about language barriers.
The next round would also be a significant advantage for Tian Tian, as she had studied abroad and had an IELTS score of over eight.
If you didn't look at her face and only heard her speak English, people would think she was a native American.
Tong Tong was not a competitive person. Hearing Song Yicheng say that, he encouraged him, "Brother Song, I wish you good luck!"
"What do you mean by that? Do you look down on me? Wishing me luck, do you think I'll get it wrong?"
"Brother Song, you misunderstood me. I don't look down on you!" Tong Tong waved his hands repeatedly.
But in Song Yicheng's eyes, this was a provocation: "Hmph, in the next round, I will definitely beat you!"
"Brother Tong Tong, this big brother is so fierce! You must beat him and make him lose face!" Yaoyao understood internet slang.
Tong Tong smiled, "I can't guarantee that either!"
He did not answer with a definitive tone. At any time, one should maintain a humble heart, because Grandpa You Li Zi had told him not to be arrogant, as pride leads to setbacks.
Although the words didn't seem profound, they were worth everyone learning.
Moreover, he had never treated other contestants as rivals; in his eyes, he was his own opponent.
Only by defeating oneself could one be considered to have conquered everything.
Yun Duo'er had not gone to the restroom. Watching the interaction between the three, she felt increasingly uncomfortable with Xu Muqing.
This woman and her daughter were too close to Liu Yifeng and his son. Did this woman not have a husband?
With this thought, she put on a friendly expression and changed the subject: "Ms. Xu, why are only you and your daughter here to watch the show? Where is your husband?"
If this woman came here with her daughter, behind her husband's back, it would be enough to show that the woman was promiscuous.
If she dared to bother Liu Yifeng and his son again, she wouldn't mind finding someone to spread the news of her behavior.
Xu Muqing was chatting and laughing with Liu Yifeng. Hearing Yun Duo'er speak to her, she paused for a moment and then explained, "I'm divorced!"
The single phrase "I'm divorced" was enough to explain everything.