Not long after finishing breakfast, Qiu Xi and the other girl followed their teacher to the competition venue.
“You two go sit by the shed over there. Teacher Zhang and I will go handle some paperwork. Don’t wander off!” Teacher Huang instructed the two students behind him as soon as he entered.
“Teacher Huang, you go ahead. The two of us will stay in the shed and won’t go anywhere.”
“Alright, then we’ll be going.”
With that, the four of them split into two pairs and departed.
When Qiu Xi and the other child found the shed according to their memory, the venue slowly began to liven up.
The empty sheds around the venue gradually filled with people, making the place much more bustling.
However, unlike the noisy environment of yesterday, today, although there were sounds, they were not chaotic or jarring.
Qiu Xi wondered if it was because the students were about to compete, and everyone was being more considerate and thoughtful.
What surprised Qiu Xi a bit was that the two girls they had met here yesterday were now directly opposite them.
Yu Xinxin glanced over and murmured, “What a coincidence…”
Indeed. Yesterday, things were so terrible, the only people they remembered were the two girls opposite them.
Today, upon arriving, they were again the same two people in the crowd…
However, it was clear that the people opposite them did not share the same thoughts.
“Zhenzhen, they look really…”
The girl didn’t finish her sentence, but judging by her expression, it wasn’t a compliment.
The delicate girl she called Zhenzhen showed no change in her expression, nor did she say anything.
“Xiao Xi, are they mocking us?” Yu Xinxin asked, looking a little puzzled and unhappy.
Qiu Xi withdrew her gaze and calmly said, “Forget it, let’s ignore them and focus on ourselves.”
This wasn’t the time to be watching a show; they would be on stage soon.
Yu Xinxin looked at Qiu Xi and nodded silently, “That’s true, I can barely take care of myself…”
With that, she found a spot and sat down.
After withdrawing her gaze, Qiu Xi closed her eyes to rest.
If she didn’t know anything, it was better to conserve her energy!
Thus, the two waited quietly until their teachers arrived.
“Xiao Qiu, Xiao Yu, how are you two prepared?”
As soon as the two teachers entered, they saw both of them sitting quietly. Teacher Huang asked.
Yu Xinxin, who had been looking down, raised her head upon hearing the sound, “Teacher Huang, you’re back.”
“Yes, the procedures are all done. You two should head to the front shortly to prepare for your turn.”
“Yes, we understand.”
As she spoke, Yu Xinxin began to tidy up her belongings.
It wasn’t much, just putting back the things she had just taken out.
Students were not allowed to bring anything onto the stage when it was their turn. Paper and pens, if needed, would be provided on stage.
It’s better to be safe than sorry, so these things naturally needed to be put away properly.
Qiu Xi also opened her eyes at this time. After greeting the two teachers, she waited with Yu Xinxin.
After waiting for about half an hour, there was finally some movement.
“Xiao Qiu, Xiao Yu, get ready, we’re leaving.”
“Okay, Teacher.”
As soon as the voices fell, the four of them walked out.
At the same time, the people around them began to stir.
Suddenly, what had been a relatively quiet area became a bit chaotic.
But these were no longer things they needed to pay attention to.
Because they had already reached the front stage!
Unlike what Qiu Xi and the others had seen yesterday, there were many more spectators in the audience.
This was something neither Qiu Xi nor Yu Xinxin had expected.
After all, in so many previous rounds, they hadn’t invited an audience like this!
And there were quite a few of them!
It was estimated to be at least a hundred people.
“Xiao Xi, are you nervous…”
Whether Qiu Xi was nervous was unknown, but everyone knew Yu Xinxin was very nervous.
Her voice was trembling as she spoke.
Qiu Xi could feel that the young girl was already starting to get scared.
“It’s okay, just don’t look at them.”
Mysteriously, Qiu Xi’s calm voice seemed to dispel some of Yu Xinxin’s helplessness, and she became a little calmer.
With her teammate being so supportive, she couldn’t back down either!
Yes, coming from the same place, Yu Xinxin felt that they were now teammates.
Although this competition was competitive, and although she had a slight desire to win, she could see the situation clearly and maintained her composure.
And so, the group finally arrived at their destination.
“Xiao Qiu, Xiao Yu, you two get ready to go up. Teacher Zhang and I will be waiting for you down here,” Teacher Huang said to the two students with exceptional gentleness.
Qiu Xi and Yu Xinxin nodded, stepped onto the steps, and walked towards the staircase entrance.
From a distance, quite a few people had already gathered there, in groups of twos and threes. It was easy to tell who was with whom.
“Xiao Xi, how about we stay here?”
Further ahead, the crowd was dense, giving a sense of urgency.
Qiu Xi looked around and agreed, “Okay, then we’ll wait here.”
The specific details of the competition, and who their opponents would be, were all still unknown. For now, it was best to follow the crowd and rest well.
“Mm.”
With that, the two leaned against the railings by the steps and began to look around casually.
One had to admit, there were so many people!
Not to mention those below, Qiu Xi roughly counted dozens of contestants on their side.
She wondered how the first round of the group arena competition would begin.
Who had ever seen a speech competition with a PK element? Qiu Xi certainly hadn’t.
But that didn’t stop her from imagining it in her mind.
Groups? Writing scripts? Speeches? Arena matches?
Dividing and recombining these elements made it quite understandable.
In the end, it would likely be a case of one side overpowering the other, depending on whose skills were better.
However, there was a big challenge here: who would lead in these groups?
Or would everyone have their own say?
For a moment, even Qiu Xi couldn’t figure it out.
The group of people waited like this, waiting…
Finally, a voice boomed from the loudspeaker.