Gan Lan looked down as she ate the Jade Shrimp. She thought, "If Gulu hurries over now, I could dip this shrimp meat in the sauce. It would definitely taste even better." Just as the thought crossed her mind, a shadow suddenly blocked the light.
"Are you Number Nine, Gan Lan?"
Hearing the pleasant voice, Gan Lan looked up. It was a girl with a great figure and beautiful, long, straight black hair. However, she seemed a bit aloof and unapproachable.
"I am. And you are?" Gan Lan put down her shrimp and nodded.
The people curious about Gan Lan had been keeping an eye on her side of the room. Seeing another contestant approach her, they assumed a fight was about to break out. They quietly shifted closer to Gan Lan’s position, pricking up their ears and secretly stealing glances.
Meanwhile, those who disliked Gan Lan made no effort to hide their eagerness to watch the drama unfold. They walked right over and gathered around to spectate.
"Isn’t that Number Seven? She’s also a dark horse. If it weren’t for this Gan Lan, she’d definitely be ranked second right now. But because Gan Lan stepped in, she was bumped down to third."
"Are they going to fight? This is going to be a good show! Excellent, the drama is finally starting. This banquet was getting way too boring!"
Ignoring the surrounding chatter, the girl with the long black hair leaned in slightly and extended her right hand. "Number Seven, You Linghan. Your competitor."
Gan Lan stood up, the corners of her lips turning up slightly, and shook You Linghan’s hand. "Hello, competitor. I will go all out."
The two locked eyes for a moment before letting go simultaneously. You Linghan gave Gan Lan a profound look, then turned and walked away. There was no malice in that glance, nor was there any joy. There was only an intense fighting spirit, carrying the absolute confidence that she could defeat her.
"That was a declaration of war. Number Seven is pretty smart. By being the first to declare war, any subsequent declarations from other contestants won’t count."
"Right. Plus, even if Number Seven loses, she won’t lose her rank. This declaration of war was perfectly timed. You have to admit, she’s quite calculating."
The onlookers, however, were highly dissatisfied with this spectacle. It ended too quickly, and no catfight broke out. It was completely boring.
The crowd was speechless. That was it? They had even brought over some food, ready to snack while watching the drama unfold. And this was the result? Seeing the stage set up only for it to collapse before the show even started, everyone booed and scattered.
Gan Lan was still confused. What was that all about? Did she just come to shake hands and leave? She had thought the girl was here to pick a fight. She had overthought it.
"By shaking her hand, you accepted her challenge. I underestimated her before. This Number Seven is a wolf in sheep’s clothing," Liang Cong explained, seeing Gan Lan’s baffled expression.
Number Seven had disguised herself really well. After Ge Feng, she was one of Gan Lan’s strongest opponents.
This competition was truly teeming with hidden talent. With so many experts, how could anyone who stood out from a hundred thousand people be simple? There were probably others who, like Number Seven, were hiding their true abilities.
"Huh? Isn’t shaking hands just basic politeness? And what’s this about declaring war? Aren’t we all competitors anyway?" Gan Lan asked in confusion.
"She specifically came to declare war on you. If her ranking surpasses yours in the finals, she will inherit your three consecutive first-place wins. In other words, she will take your spot."
Gan Lan was shocked. Was that even allowed? She had no idea!
"What? Did you not know that shaking hands between contestants means declaring war? I assumed you knew. I thought you shook her hand because you were absolutely confident you could win." Liang Cong rubbed his forehead. He supposed it was his fault for not explaining things to Gan Lan in detail. He had assumed she knew the rules, but he had clearly missed something.
"It’s fine, sir. I am confident! I came here for the championship!" After saying this, she popped the rest of her unfinished Jade Shrimp into her mouth.
The meat of the Jade Shrimp actually carried a faint aroma of tea. It was simply amazing! It was probably incredibly precious. At this thought, Gan Lan walked toward the platter of Jade Shrimp to grab two or three more. She hadn’t eaten nearly enough to satisfy her cravings!
Ignoring the few contemptuous glares directed at her, Gan Lan carried a plate of Jade Shrimp back to her seat, only to see that the eye-searing figure she had been waiting for had finally returned.
"Gulu! You’re finally here. I’ve been waiting for you for ages!" Gan Lan set the plate down, picked up one of the shrimp, and placed it in front of Gulu. "I got this especially for you. Don’t let its ugly appearance fool you—its meat is crystal clear!"
Hearing Gan Lan say this, Gulu was intrigued. Its eyes darted around. "Peel it for me, and then I’ll give you the stuff."
"Fine, fine, I’ll peel it for you!" Gan Lan gritted her teeth. If she had known it would be like this, she would have kept them all to herself.
***
"Old Chu, you can’t even bear to buy a decent gown for Mingzong’s star student? I know you’re stingy, but taking it to this extreme is truly rare." Huang Xingyan had specifically come over to mock Chu Yuanyi, taking the opportunity to show his face in front of Master Mo Ran, who had been sent by Sunny Day Restaurant.
Deep down, he was still feeling indignant. So what if Ge Feng had slipped up once? What gave Master Mo Ran the right to look down on his disciple? Now, the Master was actually sitting next to Old Chu, chatting and laughing merrily. They would regret this sooner or later!
"Oh, Master Huang, you’re here! Come, come, have a seat!" Chu Yuanyi waved at Huang Xingyan with overflowing enthusiasm, grinning so widely his wrinkled face resembled a blooming chrysanthemum.
Even a fool could tell what a good mood he was in. And why wouldn’t he be?
Gan Lan hadn’t even started the finals yet, let alone won the championship, but Qingtian had openly dispatched Master Mo Ran and two others to discuss investment matters with him. Didn’t this mean that even if Gan Lan didn’t win, they would still back her all the way?
Therefore, he wasn’t bothered by Huang Xingyan in the slightest. He even went out of his way to explain, "I did tell Liang Cong to buy a gown for Gan Lan. However, she said she prefers wearing her school uniform. She said our Mingzong uniform is the best-looking. She wasn’t willing to change, and I couldn’t exactly force her, could I?" Chu Yuanyi shook his head and laughed. It sounded like an explanation, but it was really more of a boast.
An elegant woman sitting nearby chimed in, "Gan Lan is just so genuine. Old Yan and I only helped her in passing, yet she personally cooked up a delicious meal to thank us. She’s truly a kind and polite child."
Xiang Xincai placed special emphasis on the word "polite," shooting a pointed look at Ge Feng, who was standing behind Huang Xingyan. "Right, Old Yan?" Xiang Xincai turned to look at Yan Yongchang, who was sitting perfectly upright.
Yan Yongchang helplessly agreed. "Yes, Gan Lan is indeed a grateful, kind, and polite child."
"Oh? You two know Gan Lan?" Turning to Chu Yuanyi, he asked, "Then, how about calling this junior over so I can have a look?" Master Mo Ran, who was sitting in the seat of honor, suddenly spoke up, clearly taking a strong interest in Gan Lan.
Originally, he could have just left after setting the exam topic. However, he had received a sudden call from an old friend, so he came over to make an appearance and finalize the partnership with Mingzong. The primary responsibilities, though, still lay with the Yan-Xiang couple.
Moreover, Number Nine’s stinky Yao Yu had genuinely amazed him. He wouldn’t have been able to make it himself, and he was quite eager to have a discussion with the little girl about it.