The End

"How did you investigate?" Ye Shuang chuckled upon hearing the question, "Well... let's just say I used some minor tricks. It's confidential."

Chen Qin snorted at Ye Shuang's mysterious tone but didn’t press further. "Besides Yang Wei, who else do you know about?"

"Hmm, let me calculate." Ye Shuang wiggled his fingers, stroking an imaginary goatee with his other hand, putting on the airs of a fortune-telling charlatan.

"Fortune-telling?" Chen Qin rolled her eyes. "Are you messing with me?"

Ye Shuang simply smiled. "If you suspect something’s wrong with the company, look into those who love bragging about their flashy PowerPoints. The ones who actually get things done usually stay quiet."

"You know how many managers our group has." Though Chen Qin said this, Ye Shuang’s words gave her a new angle to consider.

"I told you—bring me to the next meeting. Maybe I’ll sniff out a few more."

Chen Qin knew Ye Shuang was teasing her, but since he offered, bringing him along didn’t seem like a bad idea.

Later, Ye Shuang sat in the audience watching the performances. However, the anime club’s act coincidentally overlapped with another group—both playing "Senbonzakura," though the anime club’s guzheng rendition was surprisingly well-received.

"Kinda feel bad about this," Ye Shuang muttered, imagining the girl on screen playing the guzheng glaring at him resentfully.

The head of Yinshan Academy’s anime club was a petite beauty. After finishing "Senbonzakura," she magically changed costumes and launched into "Idol" (Oshi no Ko), while her club members waved glow sticks and danced in support, hyping up the crowd even more.

"Talk about enthusiasm. True otaku spirit," Ye Shuang mused, wondering if the anime club counted as a music group since all their acts were song-based.

Time flew, and halfway through the performances, Ye Shuang was about to head to the restroom when the host announced:

"Thank you to the Macho Club for their ‘Chest-Shattering Boulder’ performance! Next up, we have An Shiyu from Class 3-B, performing a piano piece!"

Ye Shuang froze mid-rise, turning to the screen in surprise as a familiar girl stepped onto the stage.

Dressed in a white off-shoulder gown, An Shiyu looked serene—nothing like her usual self.

Soon, the notes flowed.

She played "Summer" from Kikujiro flawlessly, the lively melody evoking the bright, carefree essence of summer.

"She plays piano too?" Ye Shuang was stunned. Not only did she have a solo, but she hadn’t even practiced during the light music club’s sessions.

"Ye Shuang..."

Hearing Bai Yuyou call his name, he turned. "Hmm? What’s up?"

"I want to play too..." Bai Yuyou said softly.

"I’ll teach you when we get back," Ye Shuang smiled.

An Shiyu finished her piece and left the stage just as swiftly as she arrived, like a refreshing sip of lemon soda on a scorching day.

"Thank you, An Shiyu, for that beautiful performance! Next, our special guest—Phoenix Mountain Legends!"

The crowd erupted. Rumors of their appearance had been circulating, and many attendees came specifically for them.

"Wumeng Mountain stretches beyond the hills, moonlight spills over Xiangshui Bay..." Their hit Madame Fragrance instantly had the audience bobbing their heads.

As special guests, they only performed two songs, closing with Ocean Floor before exiting.

Though the crowd was disappointed, the host smoothly introduced the next act:

"Thanks to Phoenix Mountain Legends! Now, please welcome our next guest—international artist, Mei Yiliya!"

The curtains parted, and Gokuraku Jodo (Extreme Paradise) electrified the venue, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

"Being a student here must be amazing," Ye Shuang remarked, watching the sea of glow sticks around him.

"Right? We never had anything like this back in school," Chen Qin laughed. Their "cultural performances" were just students putting on skits—nothing this grand.

As they reminisced, more celebrities took the stage.

This could’ve passed for a New Year’s Eve gala.

But even the brightest fireworks fade. Around 11 PM, the spectacular academy show finally concluded.

Security and disciplinary staff reminded visitors to clean up and check for belongings as students and guests reluctantly filed out.

Ye Shuang led Bai Yuyou and Tang Keke backstage, where winners would be announced separately to avoid crowding.

Prizes were awarded for both category-first and overall top-five placements (excluding guest performers).

Backstage, a crowd had already gathered around a screen displaying the results:

[Rankings (unordered):

An Shiyu (Summer),

Magic Club (Human Transmutation),

New Opera Club (Heavenly Match or Mismatch),

Anime Club (Senbonzakura/Idol),

2nd-Year Teachers’ Skit (Ximen Qing vs. Pan Jinlian)]

Ye Shuang: "..."

An Shiyu topping the list wasn’t surprising.

Seeing the Light Music Club absent from the top five, he scanned the category rankings—only for Zhixia to suddenly hug Linlin like an excited bunny.

"Linlin! We did it!"

Ye Shuang spotted the music category results:

1. Light Music Club, 2. Rock Club, 3. IKUN Music Group...

"First in our category..." Linlin’s eyes welled up with tears.

"W-why are you crying?"

"Happy tears..."

"Ha ha ha!"

Ye Shuang exhaled, watching the girls celebrate. "Not top five, but still a happy ending."

What were the prizes, though?

Amid the chatter, Huang Zhao from IKUN Music Group approached.

"Linlin."

"Huang Zhao, what do you want?" Linlin wiped her tears, visibly unwelcoming.

"You won. IKUN admits defeat." Huang Zhao extended a hand.

"Gotta admit—you nailed that last line."