The reporters’ initial questions were simple, mostly small talk like “Have you eaten?” to warm up the atmosphere.
Only after Lin Ran and the others gradually adapted to the interview pace did the reporters begin their real challenges.
“Team Leader Lin, we know that the previous Yan Da representative team was also a strong contender and a favorite to win the championship, but ultimately all four major competitions ended with them falling short of the semifinals.”
“Their total points combined placed them even outside the top six.”
“And Qingjing Yan Yun University, a university ranked first in overall strength among all universities in Long Guo, has gone without a championship for three years.”
“Does this mean that Yan Da’s reputation as number one is no longer deserved?”
This young reporter fired a particularly sharp question right off the bat.
Lin Ran smiled slightly.
“May I ask how old you are this year?”
The young reporter was taken aback.
Although he didn’t understand why Lin Ran was asking, he honestly replied:
“26…”
Lin Ran nodded.
“Do you know how many years Qingjing Yan Yun University has participated in the Freshman Challenge?”
The young reporter blinked.
“I think… three thousand years?”
Lin Ran nodded again, his voice beginning to rise as he spoke:
“Then, guess, before you were even born, how many championships had Yan Yun University won?”
“Yes, you must know this too, haven’t they just surpassed one thousand championships!”
“If Yan Da, who has won a full third of the total championships since the inception of the Freshman Challenge, is no longer worthy of being called number one…”
“Then, who is the number one in your heart?”
“Hmm?”
“Just stop pretending and say it directly, which university do you intend to put on the spot?”
“Today, I’d really like to see if the number one you speak of dares to admit it themselves!”
With his final sentence, Lin Ran slammed his hand on the table, pointing at the young reporter’s face with a fierce gaze.
The young reporter was instantly dumbfounded.
He had never imagined that Lin Ran, as a mere freshman, would have such sharp wit and composure, completely cornering him into silence.
Normally, these university students lacked experience in interviews and would often be confused by their questions.
This would then provide them with material to create sensational headlines through selective reporting.
But now…
Looking at the university representatives who were also glaring at him, the young reporter knew he had gone too far.
His words had not only thoroughly offended Lin Ran and his group, but had also caused resentment among other universities who didn’t want to be put on the spot.
After all, with Lin Ran’s words laid bare, if he were to name even one university, it would be an overt act of instigation.
Besides inviting trouble upon himself, there were no benefits to be gained.
Thus, the young reporter could only leave the scene, this land of dreams, in disgrace.
This kind of large-scale news event was precisely the best opportunity for newcomers to achieve instant fame.
Therefore, being too eager for success, he resorted to this tactic, posing a very pointed question to Lin Ran.
The result, however, was a self-inflicted wound…
Having attracted the ire of all the universities, his departure in shame was already a relatively good outcome.
Observing the crestfallen young reporter’s cautionary tale, the other reporters also took a second look at Lin Ran.
This captain from Yan Da this year was truly not to be trifled with… they should just ask straightforward questions.
Otherwise, if they were rebuffed by Lin Ran, they would even lose their exclusive news reporting rights, which would be a net loss.
“Then, Team Leader Lin, what are Yan Da’s goals for this year?”
After a brief adjustment in their approach, the reporters no longer dared to try and trap Lin Ran, and instead, they straightforwardly asked these normal questions.
Lü Qiufeng, observing from below, couldn't help but laugh.
“This kid is amazing! He’s capable both in words and deeds. I didn’t realize he had this skill…”
“With this, Yan Da will basically have no handle for anyone to grab during this press conference.”
“Instead, the other universities that are sweating under the reporters’ questions will have more entertainment.”
“If we report this to the Boss, that’s another great achievement!”
Lin Miao shot him a glance.
“What, this is Xiao Ran’s credit, and you want to steal it?”
“Just wait and see if I don’t properly report you to the Boss!”
“If the Boss then throws you into that training room called Purgatory to suffer, you can’t blame me.”
Lü Qiufeng coughed violently at Lin Miao’s jab.
“Cough cough… Who said I wanted to steal the credit? This is sharing! Sharing, okay?”
“The bulk of it is theirs, we’ll just get a taste of the soup.”
“We’ve traveled a long way, so even if we don’t have merit, we at least have hard work…”
Hearing Lü Qiufeng’s words, Lin Miao rolled her eyes and stopped engaging with him.
Lin Ran, on stage, after hearing the reporter’s question, smiled slightly.
“I’ll announce it in advance.”
“Yan Da has already claimed all four championships this year!”
“Even if we miss one, this year will be considered a severely failed year for us.”
“Note, this is an announcement, not a reservation!”
“If you ask me, since other schools have no chance anyway…”
“Why not just stop competing and give us the awards directly? It’s a foregone conclusion!”
“As for the remaining rankings, they are completely unimportant, as no one will remember second place, so drawing lots will suffice.”
“In summary, from now on, any competition I personally participate in, we will not lose a single match!”
After hearing Lin Ran’s words, the surrounding reporters were dumbfounded.
Where did this guy come from, this interview prodigy?
The way he handled the challenging questions earlier was like an old hand, but his response to normal questions was like a hot-headed youngster.
They had interviewed many arrogant contestants over the years, but they had never seen anyone this arrogant!
He had actually suggested just handing over the awards!
He truly wasn’t afraid of being proven wrong at all…
If they didn’t report his audacity with ten million views, it would be a disservice to Lin Ran’s arrogance!
Countless reporters fiercely edited their news reports for the day, equipping them with the most attention-grabbing headlines.
“Then Team Leader Lin, is there anything you want to say to last year’s defending champions, and this year’s host, Xiang Chu University?”
Another reporter asked.
Lin Ran held up three fingers.
“The defending champions are indeed very strong, and I respect them greatly.”
“Moreover, the accommodation and food environment they provided us with was perfect, and I personally thank them very much.”
“Um… How about this, to express my gratitude, I’ll offer the contestants from Xiang Chu University a special discount…”
“In individual events, if a Xiang Chu University contestant encounters me, as long as they can last for three minutes without falling, I will voluntarily concede, and they will be declared the winner!”