Zhou Fangsheng and Feng Lai were seated in the middle of the sofa.

Lin Xiaoqing and Zhao Linlin squeezed onto the small sofa on the side, looking curiously at Zhou Fangsheng and the others, seemingly wanting to know why they had come.

Sun Liang simply stood on the side.

Zhao Yi didn’t pay attention to Sun Liang. He took disposable cups for water and handed one to each person, then sat down on a stool next to the tea table, and said, "We can talk now!"

Zhou Fangsheng took the water and said thanks, then began to talk about the misunderstandings between them.

"I am in charge of the show, but I can’t manage everything. What the contestants say outside, as long as it doesn’t affect the show, is their freedom."

"Of course, Jia Hongning is our signed contestant, so the program is also responsible for what he says."

"I apologize to you for this!"

Zhou Fangsheng didn’t bow, but his words seemed quite sincere. He continued, "Not just verbally, but since it has affected your life, we should also show our sincerity."

"On the way here, Sister Feng and I discussed that the program could offer 50,000 yuan as compensation."

Zhao Yi said, "Money is not the problem. Most importantly, I hope there won’t be anything else affecting our lives."

Zhou Fangsheng looked at Feng Lai in surprise.

Feng Lai also looked up.

From the old residential building and the not-so-large living space, it was obvious that the student’s family was not well-off. 50,000 yuan was definitely a huge amount, and his rejection was quite unexpected.

Lin Xiaoqing suddenly stood up.

Her eyebrows were slightly furrowed, but her voice was clear, "Yes, why not take it!"

Lin Xiaoqing walked to Zhao Yi’s side, looked at Zhou Fangsheng and the others, and continued, "This is what Zhao Yi deserves. These days have been extremely terrible. People keep coming to bother us, it’s so annoying. And look at what they’re saying online. Some even claim Zhao Yi is trying to take advantage of "Brain Power Burst" to gain fame. What kind of nonsense is that?"

Lin Xiaoqing glanced at Zhao Yi.

Zhao Yi opened his mouth in surprise but didn’t say anything. He let Lin Xiaoqing continue.

It seemed like Lin Xiaoqing was encouraged and even looked more confident. She went on, "But we can’t directly transfer the compensation. The source of the money is unclear. We have to write something to clarify that the money is compensation for Zhao Yi. That’s the only way we can be sure."

"What do you think?"

Zhou Fangsheng didn’t say anything but was visibly astonished.

Feng Lai covered her mouth with a laugh, "You must be Zhao Yi’s classmate? You’re really outstanding. You’re right, we should write something to be clear and prevent any issues in the future."

"Yes, yes, that’s not a problem," Zhou Fangsheng quickly nodded.

Lin Xiaoqing smiled at Zhao Yi and moved a stool beside him, showing that they were on the same side.

Zhao Yi was surprised.

He didn’t know Lin Xiaoqing had this side to her.

Once they started talking.

The atmosphere in the living room improved greatly.

Zhou Fangsheng mentioned Zhao Yi cracking the iOS system and his performance in the Youth Cup. His words were clearly meant to flatter Zhao Yi.

Zhao Yi casually responded to a few questions.

Soon the conversation turned to a new topic. Feng Lai invited Zhao Yi to participate in "Brain Power Burst."

In fact, in terms of the abilities Zhao Yi had shown, he could only be considered an ordinary contestant. Normally, he would have to go through a selection process when invited by the program. He was not the kind of "special guest" who could go directly onto the show. Those special guests had shown their talent in some unique competitions.

For example, the World Memory Championships.

Some participants who had won awards in the World Memory Championships might have been invited to "Brain Power Burst."

Another example was the Rubik’s Cube Competitions.

Jia Hongning was invited to join the program after winning a Rubik’s Cube competition. He was a specially invited contestant with a higher contract level than ordinary contestants who had simply signed up for the show.

Zhao Yi had cracked the iOS system, but hacker skills were not suitable for the show and it was difficult to make it appealing to the audience.

The Youth Cup shouldn’t even be mentioned.

If answering quickly could attract viewers, the program crew wouldn’t have to think of so many gimmicks.

The reason why Feng Lai invited Zhao Yi was still due to the past few days of public opinion. The public opinion was very unfavorable for "Brain Power Burst." Even after issuing public announcements and using public relations, they could only guide public opinion at best. Many people had lost trust in the show.

Inviting Zhao Yi at this time was the best choice.

Firstly, it would let everyone know that the show and Zhao Yi were not enemies. The previous public opinion was just an issue between Zhao Yi and Jia Hongning.

Secondly, Zhao Yi was already a hot topic.

Many people wanted to see the hacker genius who cracked the iOS system and posted the Rubik’s Cube restoration. His appearance on the stage would be beneficial for the show’s ratings.

After Feng Lai finished speaking, everyone looked at Zhao Yi.

Lin Xiaoqing and Zhao Linlin were just watching, while Sun Liang constantly opened his mouth on the side, his lips mouthing "Go, go." Ordinary people didn’t have many chances to appear on television, and he really wanted to go.

Zhao Yi shook his head and said, "I’m sorry, I can’t think of a reason to participate in the show."

"Why?"

Feng Lai was confused.

Even contestants who won championships in competitions would be excited to participate in "Brain Power Burst" because it would make them more famous.

Fame is what most people pursue.

Zhao Yi had just gained some fame online, and appearing on "Brain Power Burst" would surely make many people remember him, making him a celebrity in the future.

It’s a win-win situation.

Zhao Yi spread his hands and explained, "I’m just a student in my final year of high school, preparing for the College Entrance Examination. I don’t have time to always participate in recordings of the show. Besides studying, I also have many personal things to do, and I simply have no spare time. Furthermore, I can’t see any benefit for me to go on ’Brain Power Burst’ as a contestant."

"To be famous?" Feng Lai stated bluntly.

Zhao Yi shook his head, "Only stars care about fame. Even if I were to become famous on the show, it would only be temporary, and I would be forgotten soon."

This time, even Zhou Fangsheng was surprised.

Many people with a bit of fame think they are big stars, but in reality, it’s challenging to maintain fame for a long time with just fleeting fame—only a few people could see through this.

It’s quite extraordinary that Zhao Yi, a high school student, could understand this truth.

Feng Lai still wouldn’t give up, "Our signed contestants receive a decent income for each appearance on the show."

"How much?"

Zhao Yi was more interested in this than being famous.

"For example, Jia Hongning," Feng Lai hesitated but still said, "now gets over 30,000 yuan for each appearance, and that’s just the appearance fee."

Zhao Yi continued to shake his head.

Although Feng Lai only mentioned the appearance fee, it was hard for the contestants to have any significant income; they did have some fame, but attracting advertisers was almost impossible.

Feng Lai simply changed her strategy to gain sympathy by continuously mentioning the problems the show encountered, the doubts on the internet, the impact on the show, hoping to evoke Zhao Yi’s compassion, but Zhao Yi just kept shaking his head.

Compassion?

He wasn’t a three-year-old child; they caused these problems and had to face the consequences.

Feng Lai wanted to say something else, but Zhou Fangsheng pulled her back.

Zhou Fangsheng shook his head at her.

Feng Lai didn’t say anything else either.

Fame didn’t work, money didn’t work, and they had conflicts before - he wasn’t someone easily persuaded. She couldn’t think of any other method and surely couldn’t use her charm, right?

She glanced around.

Both of the girls beside her were top beauties; after all, isn’t there a saying that men always like 18-year-old girls?

So...

Even if she were willing, it wouldn’t matter.

Zhao Yi suddenly looked up at her, making Feng Lai panic as if she thought he’d seen through her thoughts. Her face turned unnatural, and she heard Zhao Yi ask, "Does your show have outdoor shoots? For example, if someone wants to challenge a Guinness World Record, you go and shoot it."

"We haven’t done that before."

Zhou Fangsheng shook his head, "If we broadcast a record challenge video on our show, we have to purchase the copyright. Moreover, with the limitations of brainpower challenges, like Jia Hongning’s Rubik’s cube-speed solving, the world record is just over six seconds. But there’s an element of luck - a contestant who can solve it in six seconds might need 10 seconds the next time."

"In the Rubik’s cube-speed solving category, Jia Hongning is indeed a good contestant."

Zhao Yi nodded while listening.

The main issue is still the imperfections of the rules; Rubik’s cube competitions require 22 random scrambles, not fixed ones. Some may take only 10 moves to restore, while others may need 20 moves, making the former inherently faster.

So speed-solving is not just about hand speed, but also luck.

"That’s the case!"

Zhao Yi raised his head and said, "I plan to challenge a Rubik’s Cube record. If you need it, I can sell you the video broadcast rights."

"Challenge the record?"

Zhou Fangsheng couldn’t believe his ears.

Everyone else looked at Zhao Yi, unsure why he suddenly said that.

Zhao Yi explained, "Actually, I’ve always wanted to challenge the record, but applying as an individual is just too troublesome. If you can help me find the right judges and go through the complicated procedures, I’ll agree to let you broadcast the challenge video."

"Of course, that’s only if you need it and it helps you."

In the end, Zhao Yi shook his head firmly, "Forget about being on the show; I’m still in my final year of high school. I don’t want to miss a single day of such a beautiful time in school."

"What exactly do you want to challenge?" Feng Lai asked.

"Blind-solving."

"Blind-solving? Which order?"

"Three-order, four-order can do it too, but for five-order...I’m not sure."

Zhao Yi hesitated to finish speaking and asked Sun Liang to bring the Rubik’s Cubes from his bedroom. He demonstrated cube-solving for everyone.

He started with restoration.

His fingers moved swiftly, quickly restoring the Rubik’s Cube.

Then he repeated the scrambling and only glanced at the cube before raising his head. His fingers moved continually, and the Rubik’s Cube was quickly restored again, except this time he didn’t look at the cube.

Sun Liang, Lin Xiaoqing, and others were okay.

Zhou Fangsheng and Feng Lai were utterly stunned; they suddenly realized their show was just trivial compared to his skills. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

The real experts are among the people!

And, they all have weird personalities!

A Rubik’s Cube expert capable of challenging Guinness World Records, just because "the application process is too troublesome," has never tried to apply?