On one side, netizens were putting on a "microscopic view of CCTV", while on the other, CCTV was still reeling from the sudden surge in viewership ratings.
Eventually, it was Ji Ruochu's fans' inquiries that resolved the confusion.
Apparently, it was all because of an actress from the entertainment industry!
After collectively breathing a sigh of relief, they began to investigate the situation.
This year's TV station interns... didn't have that name.
Recent talk show special guests... also didn't have that name.
The behind-the-scenes staff for the program... didn't have that name either.
As the CCTV program team was about to complete a full investigation without finding the name "Ji Ruochu", they initially thought it was a false alarm, or a publicity stunt by the actress's team behind her, until—
"Ji Ruochu?"
The person in charge of the "Brain Battle" program was puzzled. "Yes, are you looking for her?"
"..."
Everyone looked at the program sign on the door.
Yep, they didn't read it wrong, it was indeed the venue for this year's major program.
"We're not looking for her, her fans are," said the person who usually doesn't follow celebrities helplessly. "Why are you guys being so secretive about it? If you've invited her as a guest, you should have released the information earlier. What's with all the secrecy..."
"What guest??" The "Brain Battle" producer felt wronged. "She's our contestant!"
"..."
Half an hour later, CCTV's program team's official account posted an update promoting "Brain Battle".
They even went so far as to mention the Ji Ruochu fan who had stubbornly gone looking for their idol earlier.
This time, it wasn't just Ruo Ruo's fans, but even the silent onlookers who had been casually watching were stunned.
What does this mean?
Does it mean Ji Ruochu is participating in this program?
Wait, what kind of program is this? It sounds really mind-bending.
Soon after, an article titled "Just how awesome is CCTV's major production "Brain Battle" this year?" topped the hot searches.
[First of all, this program is exactly what you're guessing it to be—a competition for geniuses.]
[Secondly, all the contestants are Chinese nationals, brilliant students from prestigious universities around the world. Through twelve rounds of competition, the program will eventually select a team to take on genius teams from other countries.
All the competition rules were researched by a team of professional mentors and then adjusted by a team of brain researchers, so each round of competition is beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.
Not only that, but the program's guests and judges are also luminaries from various fields. Simply put, this is a program that aims to "select the brightest minds from among the geniuses."]
[Lastly... the first episode has already been recorded and will be airing in three days!!!]
Furthermore, information about some of the guests and judges soon started circulating online. Most of the guests were renowned A-listers from the entertainment industry, while the judges were even more impressive.
Although this was all still speculation, it didn't stop netizens from fervently worshipping them.
Of course, these were just appetizers. More than the competition format and watchability of the program, most people were guessing whether Ji Ruochu was there as a contestant or as a special guest.
It's not that people doubted Ji Ruochu's abilities; as a genius who has made it big in the entertainment industry, she was undoubtedly a top choice for a guest.
But if she was a contestant... rumor had it that this time they had gathered geniuses from prestigious universities around the world, most of whom were at the master's or doctoral level.
If Ji Ruochu was competing, she might be at a disadvantage.
[From this perspective, she's probably a guest, right? After all, our Ruo Ruo is only eighteen years old.]
[Not necessarily. I heard there are contestants as young as twelve or thirteen.]
[Honestly, you guys keep hyping up Ji Ruochu's intelligence and genius, but I only feel like this girl is a good actress who's good-looking. Other than that... I really don't see anything special.]
[Ha, if she's really that brilliant, why bother with the entertainment industry? It's all just marketing hype.]
[...What? International Math Olympiad gold medalist, just marketing hype? If she was in our family, she'd have her own page in the family tree, you know?]
[That was so long ago. Over the years, all we've seen is her acting. If she's really that brilliant, how come she hasn't invented anything?]
[...Invent? Are you serious? Even the top researchers can't guarantee they'll make an invention in just a few years, you know?]
[Sometimes, one feels a bit helpless on the internet.]
[You never know what level of knowledge the people you're debating with online have.]
