The black pointer spun slowly, its speed gradually increasing. Like the black reaper knocking on a door, or a short message heralding the arrival of misfortune.
As it rotated, Bai Youwei re-examined the scores. She, Pan Xiaoxin, and Yan Qingwen were in the lead, each with 3 points.
Pan Xiaoxin had surprised her. For an elementary school student to accumulate 3 points and maintain an advantage was no easy feat.
Shen Mo and Zhu Shu had 2 points. Li Li, having answered a question incorrectly, had been deducted 1 point, leaving him also with 2 points.
Cheng Wei Cai, Tan Xiao, and Lü Ang each had 1 point.
Her heart eased slightly. This meant everyone had points to lose. Even if someone answered the second question incorrectly, they wouldn't be in immediate mortal danger.
The pointer began to slow.
Everyone's nerves were taut!
Who would be the lucky one, gaining the advantage of choosing the category?
The pointer slid past Li Li. His breath hitched as he stared at the sharp tip! When the pointer slowly moved past him, his whole body relaxed, though with a lingering unease, he looked towards the next person—
The pointer slowed further, as slow as a snail.
Finally, it barely moved past Pan Xiaoxin, stopping before Cheng Wei Cai!
"Player 2, please select a category."
All eyes fell on Cheng Wei Cai.
With almost no hesitation, he reflexively made his choice:
"Poetry."
He was a language teacher; this type of question was his forte.
Beside him, Tan Xiao immediately clutched his head upon seeing the category, letting out a long, frustrated groan.
The others' faces also darkened.
Cheng Wei Cai seemed to realize something, his face suddenly paling!
"No… no… wait! Let me choose again!" Cheng Wei Cai said anxiously. "Game Master! I don't want poetry! I'll choose something else! I want to change the category!"
"The category has been locked and cannot be changed."
The Game Master's tone was calm and unwavering, leaving no room for argument.
"Question 2: The Spring Festival is one of the ancient traditional folk festivals. Which of the following poems does not describe the Spring Festival? Please answer on your tablets."
The LCD screen in front of Bai Youwei displayed the question and the four options below:
A. Lu You's "Sai Shen Qu"
B. Wang Jia's "She Ri"
C. Lu You's "You Shan Xi Cun"
D. Gao Ding's "Cun Ju"
Among these four poems, one was unrelated to the Spring Festival. Which one was it?
Bai Youwei frowned, her mood souring. Due to her health, she hadn't received a formal higher education, but she had never stopped taking online courses. Her home was filled with books, almost all of which she had read, covering history, nature, science, the internet, Go, and various competitive games.
Of course, it wasn't because she loved learning; it was purely to pass the time and alleviate boredom.
Therefore, she believed her knowledge base was no worse than the average person's.
However, classical poetry was her weak point. Because she wasn't interested, she hadn't invested much effort in it. She had a rudimentary understanding of common and well-known poems and songs, but these four options…
She didn't know any of them.
If she had to choose, option B, "She Ri," at least had the character "She" (referring to the Spring Festival), so the answer was likely among A, C, and D.
She pondered for a moment, clueless, and could only rely on luck.
Bai Youwei chose A.
"Sai Shen Qu" sounded like a dragon boat race? Or perhaps praise for a certain piece of music? She couldn't figure it out.
The one-minute answering time quickly passed.
The Game Master announced the answer: "The answer is D. Correct answers receive 1 point, incorrect answers lose 1 point. Players with no points will be eliminated."
"No! Don't!…"
"Ahhh, help me, help me…"
"This isn't fair! Unfair!"
Wails erupted.
This time, five metal chairs slowly rotated, ignoring the cries and struggles, their tall backs obscuring everyone's view.
"Elimination," began once more…