In the grand tradition of variety television, we are often treated to children who can sing, dance, or recite poetry. However, every so often, a child appears who possesses a cognitive and physical coordination so advanced that it challenges our very understanding of human potential. On a memorable episode of Little Big Shots, host Steve Harvey introduced the world to Jianyu, a young boy from Xiamen, China, whose relationship with the Rubik’s Cube is nothing short of supernatural.
Steve Harvey opened the segment with a relatable anecdote about the frustration of the Rubik’s Cube—that ubiquitous 3D puzzle that most adults eventually abandon in favor of watching television. “You realize you’re never going to get it,†Harvey joked. But for Jianyu, the puzzle isn’t a source of frustration; it is an extension of his own hands. With a personal best of solving a cube in under 12 seconds, Jianyu didn’t just come to Hollywood to play; he came to perform.
The interview began with a touch of classic Harvey humor. When Jianyu mentioned he was from the city of Xiamen, Harvey’s ears heard “Salmon.†The resulting banter about fish-named cities provided a lighthearted start to what would quickly become one of the most technically demanding segments in the history of the show.
The true spectacle began when Jianyu revealed that he could solve more than one cube at a time. In fact, he could handle three. But he didn’t just sit at a table and solve them sequentially. Instead, Jianyu stood up and began to juggle the three cubes. As the blocks transitioned through the air, his fingers moved with a blur of mechanical precision, twisting the faces of the cubes in the split second they spent in his palms.
The audience watched in stunned silence as the chaotic jumble of colors on all three cubes slowly aligned into solid faces of red, white, blue, and yellow—all while the cubes were constantly in flight. By the time he caught the final cube and held all three solved puzzles aloft, the studio erupted. Harvey, usually never at a loss for words, could only stare at the camera in disbelief. “Did you see what he did?†he asked the crowd. “He was tossing them and solving them at the same time!â€
No episode of Little Big Shots is complete without Steve Harvey attempting to match the skills of his guests, usually with disastrously funny results. Jianyu challenged Harvey to a head-to-head race. “You’re about to find out how stupid I really am, boy,†Harvey quipped as he took his position at the table, armed with a single, scrambled Rubik’s Cube.
As the timer started, the contrast was stark. Harvey fumbled with the plastic squares, celebrating small victories like “getting the whites lined up,†while his head visibly throbbed from the mental exertion. Meanwhile, Jianyu moved through his cube with the calm of a seasoned pro. But the young master wasn’t done showing off.
To heighten the drama, Jianyu introduced a variation that left the audience gasping: solving the Rubik’s Cube with his feet. While Harvey struggled with his hands, Jianyu sat back and used his toes to grip, twist, and align the segments of the cube with a dexterity that most people don’t possess in their fingers. It was a display of cross-hemisphere brain power and physical flexibility that felt more like a magic trick than a mechanical puzzle.
What Jianyu demonstrated on stage is a field known as “Speedcubing,†but he has elevated it to a performance art. Speedcubers rely on “look-ahead†algorithms—the ability to see the next three or four moves while currently executing a sequence. Doing this while juggling or using one’s feet requires an extraordinary level of spatial awareness and muscle memory.
Beyond the technical skill, Jianyu showed the poise of a world-class entertainer. Despite the language barrier, his confidence and the smile he shared with Harvey proved that the language of talent is universal. He wasn’t just a “calculator with skinâ€; he was a boy who found a deep, rhythmic joy in solving complex problems under pressure.
As the segment drew to a close, Steve Harvey made a bold proclamation. Usually prone to hyperbole for comedic effect, Harvey seemed genuinely sincere when he turned to the audience and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, this is the greatest performer I’ve ever seen.â€Â It was a profound statement from a man who has hosted nearly every type of talent imaginable.
What Harvey recognized in Jianyu was the perfect intersection of focus, practice, and a dash of “the impossible.†Seeing a child juggle three objects is impressive; seeing a child solve those objects while they are in the air is a feat that defies the standard laws of multitasking.
Jianyu’s journey from Xiamen to the Little Big Shots stage in Hollywood is a testament to how globalized talent has become. He represents a generation of children who are pushing the boundaries of what is possible, taking traditional toys and turning them into displays of extreme human capability.
As he walked off the stage to a final standing ovation, Jianyu left behind a host who was slightly humbled and an audience that would never look at a Rubik’s Cube the same way again. He proved that with enough practice, even the most “unsolvable†problems can be mastered—sometimes even without using your hands.
Click the video below to watch Jianyu’s unbelievable Rubik’s Cube mastery