By then, Xinwen Lianbo had moved on to its announcer-read news segment, but most people in the room were still reeling from the shock of Zhou Cheng winning a championship and appearing on television. Very few could actually take in the news anymore.
Zhao Zhongxiang's voice continued, "Today's bulletin: the latest results have arrived from the 1978 National Junior Table Tennis Championships. The team competition has concluded, with the Su City Team taking the title. Its three-player lineup included Zhuang Jingcheng and Huang Hao. Ten-year-old Zhuang Jingcheng also won the singles championship at this event, becoming its 'double champion.'"
"They're still reporting it! Jingcheng's on the news again!"
That startled cry instantly dragged everyone's attention back to the television screen.
Subtitles accompanied the announcer-read news, and anyone who could read spotted the name "Zhuang Jingcheng" at a glance.
Even those who could not read heard his name spoken clearly twice in the broadcast. In particular, everyone heard that final "double champion" distinctly.
Zhou Cheng had actually been reported on twice in the same day's Xinwen Lianbo.
It was simply unheard of.
Quite a few people in the room sucked in a breath.
Naturally, they had no idea this was a coincidence caused by the different timing of the domestic news and announcer-read segments.
All they knew was that the Zhuang family's youngest son was truly something else.
"Teacher Zhuang, your family absolutely has to put up banners now. Not just outside your own door, either. You need them at the entrance to the lane, and several of them!"
"What does it mean to make something of yourself? This is what it means! Double champion-that's what CCTV called him. Incredible. Absolutely incredible."
Huang Ling and Zhuang Chaoying had already been feeling dazed, and now they were utterly stunned.
They had never