"......That's all I have to say for now. I hope we can have a good exchange."
After finishing her last sentence, Ding Yujing gave a slight bow and stepped down.
The moment Ding Yujing sat down, the discussion in the venue became even more fervent than before.
"Teacher Ding, you are very brave too!"
Seeing Ding Yujing sit down, Cheng Su immediately nodded with a smile, a hint of envy in his words. He was also somewhat proud and did not dare to say such things so openly. At the same time, he admired such a person. Perhaps this was the difference between them.
"Teacher Cheng, you flatter me. It's just a few of my own thoughts." Ding Yujing shook his head gently.
He did it because he knew. But he had to admit that he felt he had succeeded.
"Xiao Xi, did you write down everything I just said?"
After his reflections, Ding Yujing looked at Qiu Xi.
Qiu Xi nodded, "Yes, I've written it all down."
As she spoke, she handed him her notebook. Ding Yujing took it and looked through it. "Hmm, well done."
"The few points you've marked here are indeed worth discussing."
Ding Yujing was very satisfied. This child, Qiu Xi, had some ability in this regard. Whether she had truly improved would be seen in the upcoming discussion session. A war of words was the best way to test one's abilities. No matter how much one learned, it was not as good as debating with others.
"Take this. There aren't many people left. Just hold on a bit longer." Ding Yujing handed the notebook back to Qiu Xi. According to the schedule and the number of speakers already present, this process would take a little over an hour at most. Then there would be a break. However, during this break, most people wouldn't leave, and lunch would be taken care of with bread. After the break, the second phase would begin immediately. This phase would continue until the end of the actual exchange. Unless the situation dragged on until tomorrow, it would definitely conclude today. Then, after the summary on the morning of the next day, this exchange session would be officially over.
......
After Ding Yujing, several other people went up. After speaking for over an hour, everyone finally welcomed the intermission.
"Alright, everyone please take a break. We will resume in an hour."
Considering the time for lunch, the organizers had specially extended the break. In the past, it was only half an hour.
"You youngsters, keep up. Let's go out for some fresh air."
Thinking that there were still many people behind the partitions, and to avoid being constantly stared at, Ding Yujing decided to take them out for lunch and discuss their thoughts on what they had heard that morning.
"Okay."
With that, five teachers led the way, with Qiu Xi and the other children following behind. A group of ten people walked out of the exchange venue.
......
After a simple lunch—
"Teacher Ding, how do you think we should approach this?"
The four of them were discussing with Ding Yujing.
"Although it's a bit tricky, we should just say what we need to say." After all, the topic has already been laid out, so why dwell on it?
"That's true. It's best if we can persuade them, but it's okay if we can't," Wang Zhihong nodded in agreement. Among the four, he was probably the most relaxed. But he wasn't worried; his student, although usually unreliable, was very capable when it mattered. As for the afternoon discussion, since they came together, they were naturally a team. Having experienced this many times, they wouldn't be nervous. To be honest, he was only worried about these children for tomorrow.
"You two are so relaxed..." Yang Shanshan glanced at the two and sighed. Today was not fortunate, as the research topic was not her forte, and it would be difficult for her to contribute much. After Yang Shanshan spoke, Zhao Qin and Cheng Su behind her said nothing more. They had expected this before coming, so it wasn't a big problem.
"All five of you, although this afternoon is not your main stage, if you have the ability and are interested, you can express yourselves boldly. Don't be afraid." This was always their intention for bringing students. They were never afraid of students making mistakes in their presentations because only then would children truly grow. They were afraid of children not daring to speak, and coming here just to gain knowledge from others.
"If you truly have nothing to say, then just listen attentively, take notes, and if you have any insights, you can share them in tomorrow's summary." In any case, you must shine in one of these two aspects.
"Teacher Ding is right. All of you have gone through a lot to have this opportunity to come here. If you don't say anything, wouldn't it be a waste of your hard-earned trip?" The other teachers nodded in agreement with Ding Yujing. If they didn't have such an opportunity, they wouldn't bring their students out. If they were just bringing them as assistants, they might as well bring an actual assistant. This was, in a way, a test for these children.
"Did you all understand?" Ma Qinshu asked again, seeing that they remained silent.
"Yes, we understood. Thank you, teachers."
"Yes, just be careful this afternoon."
"We will discuss the rest with you when we get back today. Don't be too nervous, or it will be difficult in the end."
"Okay."
"Alright, since you all understand, we won't say anymore. Let's rest here for a while, and then we should prepare to go back." An hour, excluding the beginning and end, was actually quite short.
......
When the group returned, there wasn't much time left before the second phase of the exchange began.
"Good afternoon, everyone."
"After a break, our exchange session will continue."
"We will now begin the second phase of the exchange: discussion."
"Regarding the many statements and presentations this morning, we have compiled some key summary points for you during the intermission."
As he spoke, the large screen in front of the host lit up. The vast screen neatly listed about a dozen key knowledge points.
"What is displayed on the screen are the crucial points. Now, you can begin your discussions based on what you heard this morning."
With that, those who had spoken in the morning sat neatly at the tables arranged by the organizers at the front. This was the usual practice; for the exchange to have atmosphere, it always started with the questioners. Topics were rotated one by one, and people were processed one by one.
"Let's start with Mr. You Nai."
As soon as the host finished speaking, there was no sound from the audience at first. After all, no one wanted to be the first to step forward. However, if one had the ability, being the first to dare might not be bad.
Qiu Xi rubbed the paper in her hands, looking at the string of content she had written, feeling a little excited. She wanted to ask more than just this; she wanted to further explore a theoretical question with the elder. Her master had said that some things had to be solved by oneself, and now that the opportunity was right in front of her, wouldn't hesitating and not taking it be a missed opportunity? Qiu Xi had not intended to be the first to dare, but who would have thought that no one else would?
As everyone hesitated, Qiu Xi walked forward.
"Xiao Xi!" Ding Yujing, seeing Qiu Xi move, instinctively wanted to tell her to slow down and wait. Although You Nai was academically accomplished, his temper was not very good. Up until now, at every exchange, this elder would appear. However, the first person to "spar" with him each time would not be in a good mood afterwards. Because the elder's requirements were too high, and he could perfectly fend off any challenges, but others could not necessarily counter his attacks. This was his high standard; he rarely left any room for others. Over time, fewer and fewer people were willing to be the first to step forward. Had this child Qiu Xi not seen the information he had given her? Ding Yujing, usually calm, was a little nervous at this moment.
"What is Qiu Xi doing?"
"I don't know..."
"Is she going to be the first to dare?"
"But the teachers told us before coming that Mr. You Nai..."
"Why are you all so worried? She herself isn't worried..."
"Zhen Zhu, you..." The four looked at Qiu Xi, somewhat bewildered and a little gleeful. The teachers on the other side were no exception.
"What is Teacher Ding's student doing?"
"Should we go and stop her, to avoid..." Everyone knew what would happen next, and they were struggling with whether to stop her.
"I see that Teacher Ding seems quite anxious over there, look at his expression..."
"Perhaps we should go and stop her..."
"I think it's already too late..."
"Ah?!"
The next second, they watched as Qiu Xi walked up to You Nai, with worried expressions and even a hint of blame.
"Teacher Ding's student is a bit impulsive..." Wang Zhihong's words were already very tactful.
"Forget it, let's just watch for now." Hopefully, the student wouldn't end up crying.
So, the moment Qiu Xi stepped forward, almost everyone in the venue stared at the girl. Even most of those behind the partitions were watching, because this... was too unbelievable. If she succeeded, it would definitely be news. But if she met the same fate as everyone expected, then it would really be... Looking at this scene, which seemed like a script, everyone began to anticipate how the girl would fare.
......
"Mr. You Nai, hello." Qiu Xi greeted him politely as she approached. At this moment, she was still as composed as ever, as if she hadn't noticed the gazes sweeping towards her. You Nai looked at the calm Oriental girl before him, with much surprise in his heart. Everyone who came here knew his temper, and yet this girl dared to be the first to greet him. It was somewhat youthful.
"Hello. Do you know why you are standing here?" He wanted to give the young person a chance and did not want this single setback to hinder her future studies. Children who could participate in international exchange conferences generally had good talent, but he did not believe that this girl's current level was sufficient to converse with him.
"Mr. You Nai, I know my problem. Therefore, I wanted to come and ask you." Qiu Xi nodded with a polite smile.
"Alright, since you insist, let's begin." You Nai was a little annoyed; what an arrogant child who couldn't read the situation. This was not good!
......
"What's going on with Qiu Xi? The elder clearly offered her a way out, why is she still going up!" Ma Qinshu's group was still worried about Qiu Xi.
"Forget it, we can only watch." It was a done deal, and they could only continue watching.
"Mmm..."