Zhu Yanyi and her teammates did not care who their opponents were. Their only hope was that no one from their own team would be drawn as a representative. Fortunately, their group was lucky. They were not chosen. Instead, the representative from Country D, named Ke Zhajin, was given a bye.
Country D was very happy. They knew they had a free point.
After the groups were set, Old Liu began the schedule based on the numbers. "The drawing is complete. We will proceed group by group. First group: Number One and Number Fifty-Five," Old Liu announced.
Number One and Number Fifty-Five stood up. Number Fifty-Five asked Number One first, then Number One asked Number Fifty-Five. There were only five questions to decide the winner, so the questions were very difficult.
Watching from the side, Zhu Yanyi whispered to Gu Jingtian, "Why do I feel this exchange wants us to kill each other?"
Gu Jingtian nodded slightly. "I think so too. They want us to crush each other. If our results are bad, people back home won’t believe in us. This could cause unrest."
Dong Bocao added, "What’s strange is that the committee should prepare the questions themselves for fairness. But now, we ask each other. It feels wrong."
The Chinese representatives realized something was off. They looked at each other unconsciously.
Zhu Yanyi thought for a moment, then said softly, "I’ll go out for a bit."
Gu Jingtian and the others thought she needed to use the restroom. They nodded. Gu Jingtian said, "Be careful. Do you want us to go with you?"
"No, I’ll be quick. I’m not going far. You’re all in front of me anyway," Zhu Yanyi said with a smile. She quietly left the room.
Outside, she found a restroom to freshen up. Then, she connected with the nearby plants. Through them, she gathered the information she needed. Soon, she learned the truth. A cold look appeared on her face. She looked at the sky and made a decision. Since they had started this, she wouldn’t blame them. If everyone wanted excitement, she would make it even more crazy.
With a plan in mind, Zhu Yanyi returned to her seat without hesitation.
It was now Number Five’s turn, against Number Seventeen. They asked each other questions, and the atmosphere grew tense. The friendly vibe Zhu Yanyi and her team had created the day before was fading.
Suddenly, Zhu Yanyi stood up. "Work team, this is an exchange competition. Friendship comes first. This arguing misunderstands the purpose. I have a suggestion. Is it acceptable?"
"What suggestion?" Old Liu was startled by Zhu Yanyi standing up. She didn’t know what the girl planned to do.
Zhu Yanyi smiled gently. Her smile calmed the angry people around her. "Asking each other questions is unfair. For example, if I ask, it will be about Traditional Chinese Medicine. Others know less about it. That doesn’t mean the person I ask is unskilled."