Chapter 232

Kylie went on stage second to last. The final appearance belonged to Shermaine.

No one could say for sure if it was because the buzz around her had reached its peak lately, but regardless, that was how the organizers had arranged it.

The moment Shermaine stepped onto the stage, the atmosphere shifted. The crowd buzzed with excitement, and even the live stream chat lit up with commentary.

[Wait, that’s Boa? Damn, she’s gorgeous, and only twenty? She’s a year younger than Kylie!]

[Can’t believe she’s actually a woman. No way. At first I thought she was just a front for some tech team. Her task turnaround is insane.]

[Kylie only got so hyped back then because she was a woman. Now it doesn’t seem all that groundbreaking.]

[Honestly, there are plenty of brilliant women at the International Tech Forum. Kylie just knows how to play the PR game better.]

[I’m seriously excited to see Boa in the solo round. This could be the year she breaks into the top three.]

Still, skepticism lingered. Some viewers weren’t convinced Boa, being from Wallington, could possibly secure a top-three finish. Contestants from Moranta had dominated the solo rankings for four years straight, and this year, they were aiming for a fifth. That kind of momentum wasn’t easy to break.

[Boa’s just a hype train. The higher she climbs, the harder she’s gonna fall.]

[Top three? That belongs to Moranta, always has.]

[With Dolcie, Dr. Anthony, and Dr. Smith in the running? No way she breaks through.]

While debate raged online, the host moved the program forward. It was time to draw lots for the team round.

Twenty contestants stood on stage, each drawing a card. Blue meant Team One, and red meant Team Two. After the draw, they were given five minutes to negotiate swaps.

Shermaine drew red. Some of the red team members weren’t thrilled with their group and immediately tried to trade with those who had drawn red from Aploth’s delegation.

Kylie, meanwhile, had drawn blue.

Some Aploth participants agreed to switch, but not all.

To a few, borders didn’t matter. What mattered was which team had the better shot at victor.

Those who were willing to trade were often viewed as having a bit more backbone.

The team competition was no small feat. It spanned eight distinct knowledge domains, meaning eight challenges in total.

Though each team had ten members, certain tasks required two or even three people to tackle them together.

And they only had one hour to finish everything.

This wasn’t just about intelligence. It was a battle of speed, coordination, and nerves.

What was more, there was no limit. One person could take on as many tasks as they wanted.

As the questions appeared, eight in total, each contestant stared at their screen, brows furrowed with focus.

They had three minutes to plan and divide the work efficiently.

Shermaine offered calmly, “You guys go ahead and pick first. I’ll take what’s left.”

Arthur naturally gravitated toward the aerospace-related question. Once everyone else had made their picks, the only two remaining were tasks involving advanced materials and laser technology.

Shermaine stepped forward and chose the one on advanced materials. It just happened to align with the chemistry major she was aiming to pursue. A perfect opportunity to see where she stood.

Reading through the task, she quickly determined it wasn’t too difficult. All she had to do was purify a complex mixture of organic materials, down to a completely pure sample. Without missing a beat, she walked over to the designated work zone and got to it.