"Correct answer," the official continued. "And for the next question: 'I swear before you, my heart is full like the moon on the fifteenth day.' Which poem is this from, and who is the author?"
Zhu Yanyi didn’t even hesitate. "It’s from Tsangyang Gyatso’s Seven-Character Quatrain."
"Correct. Now for the fourth question…" The official was surprised by the three students' knowledge. He began to wonder who among them would emerge as the top performer.
Round after round… After seven rounds, the three were tied. Each had answered seven questions, and not a single one was wrong. It was terrifying. The official reading the questions felt an indescribable sensation. These were just middle school students! The questions covered not only seventh-grade material but also eighth and ninth grade, and occasionally even high school topics. Yet, none of them could stump these kids. It was frightening. Were children nowadays really this formidable?
"After seven rounds, the three students are tied, with no difference in scores. Therefore, the next four rapid-fire questions are crucial. Are all three students ready?" The official’s mood had lifted significantly. She had originally thought today’s competition was just a formality, but now she had discovered three rare, promising talents. If nurtured well, they might achieve great things in the future. The more she thought about it, the more excited she became, her blood boiling with enthusiasm. Fortunately, Cheng Chen and Zhu Yanyi didn’t know her thoughts, or they would have said, "You’re overthinking it."
"We’re ready." All three nodded. They had mentally prepared themselves, so the official’s words didn’t make them nervous. They simply accepted the challenge.
"First question: What are the world’s top ten literary masterpieces, and who are their respective authors?" The official’s expression was slightly odd. This question was tricky; if not handled carefully, even the answer could be wrong.
"The world’s top ten masterpieces are currently divided into the Top Ten Literary Masterpieces for Youth and the Top Ten Literary Masterpieces. Let me start with the Top Ten for Youth," Zhu Yanyi answered immediately after hearing the question. "They include Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace, Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Sherlock Holmes Collection, Jean-Henri Fabre’s Souvenirs Entomologiques (The Insect World), Edmondo De Amicis’ Heart, Romain Rolland’s Great Men, Helen Keller’s The Story of My Life (often associated with Three Days to See), and Nikolai Ostrovsky’s How the Steel Was Tempered. These ten are considered the essential literary works for contemporary youth."
Zhu Yanyi paused briefly. "Besides these ten youth masterpieces, there is another list of Top Ten Literary Masterpieces. They are Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace, Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Les Misérables, Maxim Gorky’s Childhood, Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield, Stendhal’s The Red and the Black, Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, Romain Rolland’s Jean-Christophe, and finally, Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind." Zhu Yanyi smiled. "I believe this answer is complete." She naturally knew the trap in the question. If she hadn’t answered this way, she might have made a mistake. Fortunately, she had known this knowledge from her previous life. As an author, she had read most of these works, so she recited them fluently and effortlessly.