Upon hearing this, He Zhichen immediately took out his tablet and opened a document:
"Please go ahead."
"Firstly, the number of participants."
Wan Qi said,
"Sixteen years ago, in the Keller Cup that Gan Hua participated in, there were a total of 104 competitors, 32 of whom advanced to the second stage, and 8 made it to the finals."
"And now, sixteen years have passed. Since the change in the international competition system, cello competitions have developed rapidly, gaining a larger and larger audience. By this year... haha!"
At this point, the old gentleman let out a chuckle full of dark humor,
"The number of participants has exceeded five hundred."
"Five hundred!"
He Zhichen exclaimed,
"That's a fivefold increase."
Even Gan Yanyu gasped, her face showing a serious expression.
What does it mean to have over five hundred of the world's top cellists?
To put it a bit dramatically,
excluding those who have connections.
What they are facing,
