Chapter 60: Being Questioned

It seemed that this reporter wasn’t going to let the matter drop so easily.

At that moment, a leader from the competition’s organizing committee stepped forward. Facing both the audience present and those watching on television, he solemnly declared, “As the leader of the organizing committee, I want to make it clear that there was no cheating in the organization of this competition, nor was there any cheating during the event itself. None of the judges or chief judges had prior knowledge of the questions—so how could there be cheating?”

Although this leader wasn’t very familiar with Pei Xiao, he had great respect for his character. Hearing someone publicly slander him made him feel uncomfortable, especially since what he was saying was the truth.

“This leader’s words may be true,” the reporter responded, “but you can’t refute what I’m saying either. While the champion is indeed talented, the other contestants were also strong competitors. A true champion should be someone who convinces the entire nation, right?”

The entire venue fell silent. How had this competition suddenly escalated to such a level? However, since this was a live broadcast, no one could predict how the audience watching at home would perceive the situation.

Yu Zihan thought to herself that while the reporter’s words were unreasonable, she was skilled in her approach. Whether Yu Zihan personally believed it or not didn’t matter—the key was making the television audience believe in the results of the competition.

This situation was already affecting Pei Xiao, Yu Zihan, and Pei Shuyan.

Yu Zihan realized that if winning the championship brought negative consequences for her father and sister, it wouldn’t be good. More importantly, she didn’t want her own abilities to be questioned.

“Comrade reporter, may I ask, what would it take for the entire nation to be convinced of the competition’s results?” Yu Zihan’s sudden response caught the reporter off guard. This wasn’t the reaction she had expected. Her plan had been to put Pei Xiao under pressure, forcing him to sacrifice his relatives and voluntarily annul their results.

She had also assumed that the organizing committee wouldn’t risk offending the national audience over two unknown students, meaning they would agree with Pei Xiao’s decision. That would have been the perfect outcome.

Yet, faced with Yu Zihan’s question, the reporter was momentarily at a loss for words. She couldn’t very well say outright, “If you just give up your championship title, the problem will be solved.” But she also couldn’t say something so blatant in front of everyone.

“You’re not trying to say that as long as I give up my championship, this issue will be resolved, are you?” Yu Zihan stared directly into the reporter’s eyes. The reporter, though experienced and having weathered many storms, found herself somewhat uneasy under the gaze of this young girl.

Still, she reacted quickly and responded, “That’s just your assumption. I never had such an idea.”

“You’d better not,” Yu Zihan said coldly. “You’re not just a reporter—you’re also part of the audience. It’s fine to question things, but if you turn this into some grand scheme to interfere with the competition’s results, then you have ulterior motives. I assume, given your position, that you wouldn’t have any hidden agendas, would you?”

Yu Zihan’s words triggered doubt among the officials and judges present. They had been caught off guard by the unexpected incident, especially since it was a live broadcast. It was their first time dealing with such a situation, and in their eagerness to maintain a perfect image before the national audience, they had instinctively looked for faults in themselves—falling right into the reporter’s trap.

On top of that, with the recent sporting events having concluded, all the leaders involved had been extra cautious in their actions.

A journalist must be sharp, and this one was no exception. She understood the mentality of these officials well and was trying to use it to her advantage.

However, it was clear that Yu Zihan had seen through her intentions.

The reporter immediately retorted, “What ulterior motives could I possibly have? I only want to make the competition more convincing. Making baseless assumptions about others is unacceptable.” As she spoke, she subtly tried to discredit Yu Zihan.

“A journalist is just your profession, not a shield for attacking others at will,” Pei Xiao said sternly. He could not tolerate this person targeting his daughter.

The reporter’s face darkened at Pei Xiao’s words, but she was fully aware of the kind of man standing before her. She could use questioning as a subtle form of attack, but she had neither the ability nor the strength to confront this powerful figure directly. After all, she was just here to stir up trouble—she had no real evidence.

Sensing the tension in the air, Yu Zihan spoke up, “Actually, this is an easy matter to resolve. Since this reporter is questioning the fairness of the competition on behalf of the national audience, then she is also questioning whether I truly deserve the championship. If that’s the case, I can simply prove my worth here and now, in front of all the judges, the reporters, and the staff. You may test me however you see fit.”

Standing at the center of the stage, Yu Zihan exuded a presence of unwavering confidence, as if she stood above all others.

She refused to let her father be questioned, nor did she want the competition’s reputation to be tarnished because of her. This time, she would stand her ground. She wasn’t afraid—she knew she could handle it.

The reporter hadn’t expected this young girl to have such courage. With the solution Yu Zihan proposed, she had no way to refuse. Rejecting it now would only expose her true motives.

“Of course, Yu Zihan’s suggestion is excellent. I believe this is exactly what the audience watching wants to see,” she said, giving herself an excuse to back down.

The organizing committee leader greatly appreciated Yu Zihan’s willingness to step forward and offer a solution. Facing the camera, he announced, “Originally, the competition would have ended here, but due to this unexpected situation, the live broadcast will continue. Since Yu Zihan has suggested, we will conduct an additional assessment. We all have confidence in Yu Zihan’s abilities, so let’s consider this an extra exhibition match.

“As the head of the organizing committee, I also have a proposal. There are four award recipients here—if any of you wish to demonstrate your abilities before the audience, you may challenge Yu Zihan to a PK match.”

Pei Shuyan shook her head. Yan Jinyan also shook his head. They had experienced Yu Zihan’s strength firsthand and had no interest in being crushed again.

However, Xu Anna’s confidence pushed her to step forward. “I am willing to challenge Yu Zihan to a PK match.”

The moment she spoke, Yu Zihan became certain that this reporter incident was somehow connected to Xu Anna. But so what? She had the strength—no underhanded schemes could make her back down.

If someone was unconvinced, then they could face her head-on!

“I accept Xu Anna’s challenge—any format,” Yu Zihan declared, emphasizing the last four words. Her confidence was electrifying, igniting the excitement of the spectators. Xu Anna’s attitude was arrogance, but Yu Zihan radiated sheer self-assurance.

While they discussed the match, the judges and organizing committee quickly finalized the PK format and questions. This time, Pei Xiao deliberately stepped back, refraining from any involvement. He chose to simply be an ordinary audience member—a loving father eagerly anticipating his daughter’s performance.