"Alright."
Gan Yan Yu pursed her lips.
Lin Tian, standing beside her, noticed her reaction and laughed.
"What's wrong? You haven't even won yet, and you're already thinking about what grand, sweeping theme piece you'll perform during your acceptance speech?"
"Not really."
Hearing that, Gan Yan Yu lowered her eyes slightly.
"I'm not that grand."
"So you're basically assuming you've already won the championship?!"
"This year's Ke'er Cup is divided into three stages."
He Zhichen continued explaining the rules to them.
"The first stage, the second stage, and the finals. The number of contestants in each stage is determined every year based on the actual number of entrants."
"Normally, the first stage is the qualifying round and has the most contestants, accounting for ninety percent of the total. By the second stage, fewer than fifty contestants usually remain. The second-stage contestants are divided into Groups A and B, competing within their own groups, and the top-ranked players from each group advance to the finals."
Lin Tian nodded.
This format was quite similar to the Parrot Qin Cup—simple and brutal.
There were no overly complicated grouping or point rules. Those with high scores advanced, while those with low scores were eliminated. It might not have been the fairest system, but the champion it produced would definitely be one with true strength.
Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu had already competed in a group format during the Parrot Qin Cup semifinals, so it was nothing unfamiliar.
"So we have to fight our way out of the qualifying round first?" Lin Tian asked.
"No."
He Zhichen answered decisively.
"You'll start from the second stage."
"We advance directly to the second stage?"
"Yes."
He Zhichen said, "The first-stage qualifying round is basically for weaker small countries or wildcard contestants."
"Aren't we one of those?"