If this student had just been fooling around, they wouldn’t have bothered doing well in the preliminary exams. Why would they waste their chances now that they had come this far?
The gossiping students unanimously dismissed the possibility that it was just a good-for-nothing examinee.
Even if one found the questions too difficult, they would have racked their brains up to the last minute instead of turning their paper in early.
“It’s true. A close friend of mine was sitting right next to that girl. They say she answered the questions with alarming speed. She finished the entire exam and left no item blank.”
“Was she just guessing the answers, perhaps?”
“No way! Don’t you know that she got full marks during the preliminaries? The first in over a decade! Why would she mess up the final exams? She’s probably going for gold this time. I had to say, she’s quite a genius.”
“What?!” they exclaimed in unison.
“So she’s the one who got the perfect score?”
Although countless students participated in the Math Olympiad Competition, it was rare for anyone to score full marks.
Since someone had managed to pull it off after several years, it was naturally a big deal in the field of Mathematics.
Yao Ran, who had been eavesdropping all this time, clenched her hands into fists. She gnashed her teeth together, her eyes flashing with hatred.
Before Yao Tangcame along, everyone talked aboutYao Ran. Now, that bumpkin had snatched the spotlight and the glory from her.
Yao Ran berated herself for being too complacent.
She had relied on the stolen test papers and didn’t even bother to review for the competition seriously.
In the back of her mind, she had a nagging certainty that she wouldn’t even make more than ten points in the exam. She wouldn’t even be surprised if she didn’t get a single question right at all.
Yao Ran’s expression turned ugly at the thought.
If Qin Manfound out about this, she would be severely reprimanded.
Her only hope now was to excel in something else in order to divert her mother’s attention. That meant that Yao Ranmust get a place in the orchestra.
She took out her phone and made a call. “Any updates, Captain? Where do those guys stand now? Are they willing to quit Yao Tang’s ensemble?”
…
Yao Tang returned toCity Avery early the next morning.
She had just turned on her phone when a barrage of missed call notifications flooded in.
But before she could look into the matter, something else caught her eye. A group of 20 or so people was standing at the arrival area, waving excitedly at her.
“What are you guys doing here?” Yao Tangasked as she walked closer.
“We missed you!” Lin Xinran over and pulled her into a big hug.
Just then, Yao Tang’s phone rang. She answered the call and heardFang Hui’s frantic voice on the line.
“Captain Yao! I finally got through to you. A bunch of people from our band contacted me and said they won’t be coming to the assessment. It’s tomorrow! What are we going to do?”
“Oh? Which ones?”
Yao Tang’s tone was lazy, and she didn’t look bothered by this in the slightest.
Her calm disposition somehow affected Fang Hui, and he calmed down as well. “A violin concertmaster, two violinists, and a cellist.”
Out of the four, it was the concertmaster who had shocked Fang Huithe most. He never thought someone so vital to the orchestra would quit on such short notice.
That didn’t mean he was any less bothered by the other three, though. These people all played important roles in their group.
If only they had notified him earlier, Fang Huimight have been able to find substitutes and salvage the situation.
But the assessment was in 24 hours. Even if they found substitute players today, there was no guarantee that they could keep up with the rest of the orchestra.
The last few hours had been torture for Fang Hui, mostly because he couldn’t reachYao Tang.
They had practiced for so long, hoping to ace tomorrow’s event. Would it all be in vain in the end?
No, he refused to accept.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t find anyone suitable to fill in the vacant positions, no matter how hard he looked.
It was difficult enough recruiting people qualified to form an orchestra with, and finding a replacement proved to be even more so.
Fang Hui was at the end of his wits.
