China had naturally set up its own official commentary room for the National Fate broadcast.
Veteran host Xiao Sa was tapped to lead the program under pressure.
After a round of polite introductions, the camera followed his gesture toward the judges' panel.
"Hello everyone!
Joining me today are three familiar guests and our expert panel, here to guide you through this historic National Fate livestream!"
The camera panned to the four celebrity guests:
Shen Teng, Zhang Ruonan, the sharp-tongued Ke Yimin, and novelist Xiao Si.
After some light banter, the lens shifted to the expert panel.
Unlike the celebrity guests, few viewers recognized the experts.
Rows of professors sat in formal attire, exuding authority.
Smart. Serious. Scholarly.
But something was… off.
In the front row, dead center—
Three little girls.
Identical faces. Nearly identical outfits.
Completely out of place among the stern academics.
Like someone had brought their granddaughters to work.
—"Wait… why are there three little girls on the expert panel? Are they triplets?"
—"Whose kids are these? Did they wander in?"
—"Is this a stage mishap?"
—"Hold up—look at their nameplates. They're listed as professors!"
—"??? Don't tell me they're actual experts?"
—"Bro what?! They're kids! When I was their age, I couldn't even do long division!"
…
Xiao Sa continued, undeterred.
"Now, as we can see, the two contestants inside the Forbidden Zone appear… surprisingly composed.
Despite being young girls, they're facing a terrifying environment—one that could alter their very fate.
And yet, there's no fear on their faces.
I believe that kind of mindset is something we can all learn from."
As host, his orders were clear: keep morale high.
Even if he personally had doubts about the two cosplayer-looking contestants, he quickly found a silver lining.
—"Xiao Sa's got a point!"
—"Haha, Herta-mama looks so chill, like she's in control of everything."
—"Castorice's the real queen—she's walking through that desert like it's her backyard."
—"You've been to Castorice's backyard?"
—"You've been stepped on by Herta?"
—"Guys, focus! Maybe they're just immature and don't grasp the danger?"
—"Shut up! (Castorice fans and Herta fans in perfect unison)"
—"I give up…"
…
After Xiao Sa's uplifting remarks, Shen Teng and Zhang Ruonan nodded in agreement.
But Ke Yimin scoffed.
"Host, aren't you being a bit too optimistic?
Look at the other countries—special forces, armored warriors…
And we've got two untrained cosplayers.
Even if they have good attitudes, what can they actually do?
They can't even handle basic threats.
And are we sure it's 'mental strength'?
I think they're just clueless."
Her words hit hard.
The cheerful mood in the livestream froze.
Only Xiao Si nodded in quiet agreement.
Xiao Sa's expression darkened. He opened his mouth to respond—
But was interrupted by a sharp, furious voice from the expert panel.