To everyone's surprise, none of the three guests for this episode turned out to be Ji Ruochu, nor any of the celebrities from the entertainment industry that people had been guessing.
They were instead renowned sports coach Gong Jianling, acclaimed lyricist Ke Chong, and rising movie star Ji Sishi.
As for the science mentor, it was even more shocking—the former Vice President of the National Institute of Scientific Research, Jin Hongwei.
At first, some netizens were curious, wondering if this title sounded quite impressive, as if it belonged to someone of great stature who needed to remain low-key. But...
Would someone of such importance really appear on this show?
So some science enthusiasts started explaining this big shot's background in the comments.
[No way, you guys don't know Jin? Last year, that major aviation research breakthrough our country announced was headed by him 15 years ago!]
[Not just that, the academic papers published by Jin have become essential "artifacts" for master's and doctoral students to read!]
[Can't finish reading them all, I really can't finish Jin's academic papers—they feel longer than my lifespan!]
[No... who can finish reading all of those? Jin is one of the few publicly known living top experts in various fields in our country in recent years. If this were ancient times, longevity monuments would be mass-produced to honor him!]
[Back in the day, so many students from foreign universities came to Peking University for exchanges just to learn from Jin!]
[I seriously suspect this show is specially organized to recruit disciples for the retired Jin!]
[This... might be too exaggerated? I remember a few years ago there was an interview about Jin, saying that he developed mild amnesia from overusing his brain when younger, which is probably why he retired so early.]
[Quick, look, someone here is being sensible.]
...
Of course, such discussions were still limited in scope. Most netizens, especially Ji Ruochu's fans, were only aware that this was a very impressive big shot, and then... continued searching for Ji Ruochu's presence with a magnifying glass.
If not a guest, could she be a contestant with no close-up shots?
Hmm, this possibility seemed higher, as there were previous reports about the show recruiting students from prestigious universities as science assistants.
"This is a public stage, a stage for everyone. We hope our contestants can showcase their talents on this stage. Of course, witnessing the contestants' performances is an excellent learning opportunity for the other contestants as well.
At the same time, we also hope our guests and mentors can discover and inspire the contestants' mental abilities, thereby creating a glorious chapter for the Chinese regional <Brain Battle>!"
Upon these words, thunderous applause erupted from the audience, as the science mentors and guests entered the observation area.
"Alright, let's move on to our first segment—Glory Moment!"
With the host's announcement, a voiceover began playing, and subtitles appeared.
[Glory Moment:
Ninety-nine contestants will enter the Glory Passage one by one. The other contestants should evaluate their own strength against the contestant based on his credentials.
If you think you can defeat him, press the "No Sweat" button on your phones. Otherwise, press the "Bow Down" button.
The contestant in the Glory Passage will receive the voting results and choose to join either the Formidable Area or the Lurking Area.]
After the first rule was announced, the contestants' seats were instantly filled with discussions as the acquainted geniuses began analyzing this rule.
"Causing trouble, this is completely causing trouble!"
"I admit I'm not the strongest, but you want me to bow down..."
"Whoever comes, it'll be no sweat for me!"
...
"I understand the rules, but what's the purpose of splitting them up? There's no explanation of how they'll compete afterward."
"This is interesting, no one knows if it'll be the two areas fighting each other in the end or internal battles."
"If it's internal battles, it'll be interesting for the strong ones to cluster together. But if it's against each other... that might be bullying the weaker ones."
"But the strong ones don't have to choose the Formidable Area, right?"
...
The next second, the camera turned to the independent space for the science mentors and guests.
"So the contestants don't know the rules for what comes next?" Gong Jianling asked curiously, then looked towards Jin beside him.
"Yes, this is called the uncertainty principle," Jin Hongwei said with a smile. "The closer you get to observing an object, the greater the impact on it, and the more uncertain your observation becomes."
The three guests: ...
The barrage comments at this time:
[Hahaha, the three guest teachers are just like me in class!]
[The clueless trio: Don't understand, but don't dare ask again, what to do? Waiting online.]
Fortunately, Jin wasn't one to beat around the bush, and gave a simple example:
"For instance, if you ask someone a question, and they know what consequences their answer will have, it'll affect their response. But the contestants now are in a state of complete unawareness of the consequences, so their choices will be the most objective."
The enlightened trio: "Ohhh(⊙o⊙)~~~"
The enlightened barrage group: "Ohhh(⊙o⊙)~~~"
"Alright, please open the Glory Passage now!"
With the host's command, the stage began transforming. The tall stage background slowly split apart, revealing a red-carpeted staircase inside.
The stairs were about ten meters high, with a small selection platform at the end. On either side were choices for different camps.
When a contestant stood on the selection platform, the voting numbers from the other contestants would be displayed on a small screen. After choosing which camp to join, the contestant could take their seat.
"Let's invite the first contestant, Gong Yang."
[Gong Yang, 22 years old, master's student at Oxford University. Received a full scholarship to the University of Tokyo for his bachelor's degree. Member of the British Mensa society. Fluent in eight languages.]
Some discussions arose from the contestants' seats, and the director deliberately showed the guests' reactions.
"Wow, eight languages? That's quite strong!"
"The first one is this formidable?"
[At 22, others are already master's students, while my 22-year-old self... could get a phone smashed in the face while watching livestreams.]
"Please begin voting, contestants."
Five seconds later, Gong Yang's votes were displayed—82, meaning that out of the remaining 98 contestants besides himself, 82 chose to "bow down" to him.
In the observation room.
"Wow, such a high vote count right off the bat."
"He'll definitely choose the Formidable Area then."
"Not necessarily, I think the young man seems quite modest, he might go for the Lurking Area instead."
The three guests began guessing, while Jin remained calm and composed, not participating but giving off a sense that he enjoyed such lively atmospheres.
...
Three seconds later, Gong Yang calmly chose the Strongman Area.
"When it comes to memory, I rarely encounter any real competition." —Gong Yang
