I Am A Prodigy

“This method seems more reliable.” Huang Lei nodded.They discussed it for some time but failed to come up with a better idea. With that, they looked over at Ye Lingchen and said, “We’ve decided to climb over each other’s shoulders to get up.”

“Are you sure?” Ye Lingchen asked.

The group nodded.

“Congratulations, you got the wrong answer!”

“Huh? Why?” Zhao Liangying was confused. “Why can’t we get up?”

“That’s right. We’ll admit defeat for this question. Show us the answer,” He Jia stated.

Ye Lingchen smiled faintly. “We’ll naturally have to pour the water out of your head and swim up.”

“Damn it, you’re just insulting us now? Why would we have so much water in our heads?” Huang Lei grimaced.

“If it’s not filled with water, why would you jump in?” Ye Lingchen blinked and questioned him.

That…

The whole group was stunned. ‘That’s right. Why did we jump in?”

[Pfft. Hahaha. That answer has no flaw.]

[Indeed, only those with a flooded brain would jump in there. God Ye is so naughty!]

[This brain teaser is amazing. Moreover, it’s a must-have for pranking others.]

[Such a weird question. How did God Ye come up with it?]

…

“Damn, so that’s the solution!” Huang Lei looked as though he had an epiphany, then smacked his head in frustration. “I should’ve thought of that long ago. Brain teasers are really tricky.”

“Quickly give us the second question. We must win the next one,” He Jia encouraged the group.

“Question two. Listen up.” Ye Lingchen shot a glance at the director sitting at the side, then continued, “I heard the director was accompanying his wife shopping. There were many handsome guys along the way. Why is his wife sad?”

“OMG, God Ye, you’re too evil.” Wei Daxun immediately gave Ye Lingchen two thumbs up, filled with respect.

“Hahaha, I like this question.” He Jia and the rest broke into laughter.

The director had taken away what little money they had, resulting in them having to tighten their belts and come up with solutions for their meals. This was the chance for them to protest.

As for the program crew, they were holding in their laughter while the director smiled bitterly as he shook his head.

“That’s enough. Quickly answer your question,” Ye Lingchen implored.

Zhao Liangying frowned lightly. “That shouldn’t be the case. She should be happy seeing all those handsome guys. Why is she sad?”

“This question clearly has a trap. We can’t use standard logic to answer it. Let’s exchange some perspective and consider them,” He Jia reminded the group.

“I think that the director is jealous and forbids her from looking at those handsome guys. That’s why she felt sad!” Hu Yue’er guessed.

“This rationale seems solid, but it shouldn’t be the model answer.” Huang Lei shook his head. The answer should not be that simple.

“Could it be that there were similarly many beauties on the street? The director was gawking at hotties, thus making the wife feel bad,” Wei Daxun stated.

“This answer makes sense. It’s plausible!” Huang Lei nodded. “God Ye, we’re going with that!”

“Congratulations, your answer is incorrect!”

“That was wrong too? What’s the answer then?” Zhao Liangying asked Ye Lingchen.

“The director’s wife saw so many handsome guys, then took a look at the director’s face. Can she not feel sad?” Ye Lingchen shrugged.

“Pfft. Hahaha…”

The group immediately broke into fits of laughter. Hu Yue’er and Zhao Liangying were holding onto their stomachs that were cramping up from laughing.

This time, even the program crew members could not hold it in any longer and joined in laughter. The director was standing there awkwardly, having mixed feelings.

“This answer is brutal! We submit!” Huang Lei answered respectfully after laughing for some time.

“Ah, I knew that God Ye is amazing,” Wei Daxun exclaimed.

“Daxun, don’t you start belittling yourself. This is just the second question. We still have many chances,” He Jia said sportingly.

“Let’s go on to the third question then. I feel that I’ve gotten the hang of your line of thought!” Zhao Liangying was confident. “I’ll definitely get the next question right!”

The others nodded along. Growth accompanies each mistake. They understood that brain teasers needed them to change their mindset and turn a few corners to get the answer.

The beauty of a brain teaser was that the question may seem difficult, but when the answer was announced, it would give them a sudden epiphany. The answer was often unexpected yet logical, leaving them helpless.

People were habitual and would approach their problems using a fixed mindset. Even if they remind themselves they needed a paradigm shift, it was still difficult to get out of that pattern due to the limitations of their thought process.

“I’ll be moving to the third question now. Listen up!”

“Question. Four people were fighting with Mahjong in a house. The police came, but he took five away. Why?”

The group frowned immediately. That question’s approach seemed to have changed once more. Although it seemed easier to understand, it was because of that ease of understanding that made them feel all the more confused.

Four people were fighting with Mahjong, and the question had stated four people as well. How did five people leave?

“The fifth person is a spectator? Or was it the lookout person?”

“I think it might be the judge.”

The group thought about it long and hard, yet it still felt wrong.

“I got it,” Wei Daxun exclaimed, “The last one is the landlord!”

The group nodded. That answer seemed to be the most logical one they have for now.

“Is it the landlord?”

“Congratulations everyone. You’ve, once again, got it wrong. You’re awarded the honorable title of clueless blokes,” Ye Lingchen laughed.

“Ah! This sucks!” Zhao Liangying felt that her brain was about to explode. “Then what’s the answer to that question?”

“The police took Mahjong away. The person they were beating up was named Mahjong.”

“Ahhh! How is that possible?! Damn it. Why didn’t I think of it?”

“This question is crazy. God Ye, how did you come up with such crazy questions?”

“Get on with the next question. I refuse to accept this!”

Although the questions were easy, they still could not answer them. That feeling drove them crazy, once more renewing their confidence to continue the challenge.

“This time I really figured out your tricks. This round is in the bag!”

Ye Lingchen smiled. “Fourth Question. Under what circumstances would you see two tigers on the same mountain?”[1]

Hu Yue’er blinked. “Good friends?”

“Wrong!”

“Husband and wife?”

“Wrong!”

“Brothers?”

“Wrong!”

“Then you tell us why!” Hu Yue’er stomped her foot out of frustration.

“Male and female.”

“Ah! We were so close!” The group was stomping their legs, almost going crazy.

They felt horrible. After cracking their heads, they still got the wrong answer; it was truly torturous.

“Continue! We’re getting closer to the answer. This time we must clear our past humiliation!”

“Fifth question. What’s the difference between Confucious and Mencius?”

“Sixth question…”

Following that was when the group truly lost it. At that moment, they suddenly felt as though their intelligence had been steamrolled to the extent that they started doubting themselves…

[1] Some background information. There is a Chinese saying of—一山不容二虎(One mountain can’t fit two tigers) which means that a region/place/location can’t accommodate two powerful figures. An English saying that conveys the same meaning would be—If two men rides a horse, one must ride behind.