Chapter 57

(Taking a moment to thank book friend "150429114441944" for the multiple rewards and support! Bow! Thank book friends "♂Feiyu" and "198215dai" for the rewards and support! Bow! Need everyone's votes!)

Tiantian was just thinking about this when a post suddenly appeared on the computer forum of Huqing University: "Challenge from Linhai University." The content of the post was as follows:

"For a long time, the computer science departments of Huqing University, Jingcheng University, Dongfang University, Fudan University, and Linhai University have been considered the best in the country. Since Linhai University's overall ranking is not as high as yours, you have always looked down on us, treating us with extreme contempt."

"We at Linhai University are not without experts; we just don't want to stoop to your level! Now that I see you becoming more and more arrogant, I have decided to stand up and prove the true strength of Linhai University's computer science department! Can't you break into Linhai University's computer forum? Let me tell you the truth, it's because I've taken action! You think you're so great, right? Well, today I'm going to tear off your self-proclaimed expert masks and show you who the best computer science department in the country really is! Here's the link to the challenge, come and find me if you dare!"

The post was quite long, but it boiled down to two points: first, the reason you can't break into Linhai University's forum is because I've taken action; second, I will represent Linhai University and challenge all of you!

It's important to note that the students in the computer science departments of the four top universities are not beginners; among them are some very skilled experts. This person actually dared to challenge them all, which showed incredible courage.

After reading the post, Tiantian was stunned for a while before muttering to herself, "Who is this guy? He's so cool. Do we have such an expert at Linhai University?"

As Tiantian spoke, she glanced at the poster's username and realized it was a period, the same person who had helped Rongrong earlier. So, this guy is actually from our Linhai University!

The person who posted this was Chen Mo. When he saw that students from the four universities were planning to attack Linhai University's computer forum, Chen Mo hesitated for only three seconds before taking action. He thought the person called "Xiaotiantian" might be his beautiful apprentice, and he couldn't just stand by after causing trouble for her.

Chen Mo returned to Linhai University's computer forum, found a vulnerability, and infiltrated it. After modifying the forum's code, he gained control of the forum.

He then discovered that the students from the four universities had already launched their attack. Chen Mo used his fastest typing speed to defend, managing to hold off the first wave of attacks.

The process was intense, and Chen Mo almost failed several times. He felt that he couldn't keep this up much longer. The sudden surge in traffic had already made the forum sluggish, and if these students launched a flood attack, Chen Mo was sure the entire Linhai University computer forum would crash in the next second.

To defuse the crisis, Chen Mo seized the brief lull after the first attack and immediately posted a challenge on Huqing University's forum. He wanted to use words to provoke these proud students and divert their attention. If they took the bait, he could deal with them more calmly.

Chen Mo knew he couldn't handle a one-against-many situation, but if he could get a one-on-one chance, he might have a shot at dealing with these students.

After he posted, the attacks on Linhai University's computer forum significantly decreased. Soon, the attackers stopped, and they all clicked on the link Chen Mo provided, ready to challenge him openly.

When they entered, they found it was a new section of Linhai University's computer forum called "Top Experts Discussion Zone." The name suggested that the next phase would be a verbal battle.

A verbal battle means using words, not hands. They could debate professional computer technology issues, and if you left the other side speechless, you won.

This type of competition was very common on some hacker forums, and Chen Mo, who often browsed forums, decided to use this method.

The students were also proud. They had acted impulsively by joining forces to attack Linhai University, but now they felt it was a bit excessive. Even if they could break into the forum, it would be a victory of numbers, not skill. This kind of competition was the best way to showcase their true abilities.

Seeing the large number of people entering the discussion zone, Chen Mo felt relieved. He typed, "I am the one who issued the challenge. You can start asking questions now. If I can't answer, I will admit defeat."

As soon as Chen Mo sent the message, someone replied, "Before we start the challenge, I think it's necessary to determine the punishment for the loser. Do you have any suggestions?"

Someone quickly responded, "Since we are challenging today, why don't we use this opportunity to rank the computer science departments of our universities? This will prevent us from always being at odds with each other."

This suggestion was quickly agreed upon by the majority, though some opposed it, arguing that this was a personal competition and shouldn't be tied to the university's ranking.

Someone eventually convinced the opponents with this argument: "Today, we have gathered the top experts from each university. If so many people fail, doesn't that reflect the strength of the university from the side?"

The opponents thought it made sense and agreed to the competition format. After a heated discussion, they decided to use a scoring system. Each university could propose five computer-related questions, and the universities would answer by抢答 (抢答 means "grabbing the answer" or "quickly answering"). Correct answers would earn ten points, while incorrect answers would neither add nor subtract points.

Of course, you couldn't answer your own questions; you could only answer others'. Each university would take turns proposing questions, and each question would have a five-minute answering time. If no one answered correctly within five minutes, no points would be awarded. Given the time limit, they couldn't waste too much time on any single question.

This method seemed fair, and Chen Mo felt no pressure. Even if he lost, it would only tarnish Linhai University's reputation. He had already done his best, and it was already quite an achievement. If not for his beautiful apprentice, he wouldn't have gotten involved in this mess.

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