Chapter 336 The League
In the blink of an eye, it was time for the National Literary and Art League. Loyalty Academy had a total of three slots, and Class 8 managed to secure two of them.
The principal specifically instructed their homeroom teacher, Myra, to keep a close eye on these two teams and do her best to bring glory to the school. Myra wasn’t worried about Liana’s team at all. Liana worked harder than anyone else.
Even the school’s music department teachers praised her as a promising talent, noting how diligently she practiced daily.
On the other hand, Catherine’s team was rarely seen rehearsing, which always left Myra sighing. There were three people on that team. Ronin was quite unruly, and Myra couldn’t seem to get any chance to communicate with him.
As for Bryan, his enthusiasm for participation was relatively low from the start. Myra had no choice but to approach Catherine, who appeared the most difficult to get close to, but still had some room for negotiation.
“Catherine, for the National Literary and Art League, I hope you all will take it more seriously. I’m not saying you have to win, although winning would be awesome. But could you practice more in your free time?”
Myra spoke cautiously, not knowing why she always felt nervous around Catherine. Although she was Catherine’s teacher.
However, Catherine’s natural presence made her feel a certain sense of awe, causing her to speak more carefully. Catherine couldn’t help but be amused by Myra’s humble demeanor.
“Miss Joyce, does our performance affect your job evaluation?”
Catherine was initially speaking casually, but unexpectedly, she hit the mark. Myra awkwardly nodded. “In some way, yes.”
Then, she lowered her voice and said, ” Let me tell you a secret. The principal has hinted at me. If you guys manage to perform well this time, I might not only get a bonus but also have a shot at a promotion!”
Seeing Myra’s delighted expression, Catherine found her particularly adorable. Myra was a decent, fair-minded woman who always stood up for Catherine.
Catherine raised an eyebrow, giving Myra a meaningful look, and whispered. “Miss Joyce, relax. Your promotion and salary raise are just around the corner!”
After saying that, she walked confidently toward the classroom. Myra was still standing there, feeling a bit stunned. She thought, “Is Catherine a bit too confident?”
But why did she feel like Catherine’s words made a lot of sense as if the championship trophy was already theirs?
So odd!
After returning to the classroom, Ronin excitedly looked at Catherine and shared the latest news.
“Catherine, I just got a message from the organizing committee. The competition rules have changed.”
Bryan, seated nearby, also caught wind of this news and promptly furrowed his brow.
“Why would they change the rules at the last minute when the first round begins tomorrow? What on earth were the organizers thinking?”
Usually, the organizers would notify the participants of any rule changes at least half a month to a month in advance, giving them time to prepare. This sudden change in rules was highly unusual.
“Ronin, are you sure you got the message right?” Bryan asked skeptically. Ronin glared at him, “Nah! Do you think I could get my sources wrong?”
On the contrary, Catherine remained instead composed.
“Ronin, what are the new rules?” she asked. What mattered most now wasn’t assigning blame to the organizers but knowing the latest rules and figuring out how to adapt.
“Catherine, the message from the organizers says they’ve changed the evaluation criteria to a comprehensive assessment. It’s not just about one thing anymore. They’ll be looking at vocal skills, dance abilities, and stage creativity. All of that counts toward the scores now!” Ronin explained.
Upon hearing this, Bryan was shocked. “That’s a big change!”
Although Bryan wasn’t majoring in performing arts or music, he understood how significant these changes could be for the outcome. Changes like these wouldn’t be announced so close to the competition without a reason.
“Ronin, do you still think there’s no issue here?” Catherine asked. Ronin sighed in frustration. ” Catherine, it’s my fault. I didn’t think someone from the organizers would mess with this and deliberately delay telling us. Everyone else got the message before us.”
To win a competition, one could resort to various means.
Finding out the mastermind behind this manipulation wouldn’t be easy. During the previous school celebration gala, Catherine’s team performed exceptionally well, impressing many professionals who thought they were incredibly talented.
Someone might want to hinder them, preventing them from winning the championship. Investigating would take time, and the competition might already be over by the time they uncovered the culprits. What would be the point then?
Ronin, seeing Catherine’s silence, made a suggestion. “Catherine, how about we start practicing choreography now? If we dedicate the whole day to practice today, maybe we’ll make it in time!”
Their bodies were agile, and with diligent practice, they might not achieve the best results, but they could still make some progress.
Catherine gave Ronin a sidelong glance, her eyes carrying a hint of dissatisfaction. “Do you want to work me to death?”
Making her practice dance all night?
Ronin’s idea was quite demanding! Being scolded by Catherine, Ronin realized she had a point. It wasn’t worth exhausting Catherine like this just for a competition.
Observing Catherine’s calm demeanor, Bryan believed she probably had another plan. After all, Catherine had never disappointed them before.
“Catherine, if you happen to have any plans, please just tell us. Don’t keep us hanging,” Bryan urged.
He felt they could either choose not to participate or participate without worrying too much about the outcome. However, they would be very disappointed if they fell victim to such schemes and didn’t achieve a good ranking. Catherine remained composed, showing no signs of nervousness.
“Let’s just wait and see. Tomorrow’s performance will go ahead as scheduled,” she replied before resting her head on the desk.
Although Bryan didn’t completely understand, he didn’t dare to press for more details. The three of them concentrated on the new rules, unaware that a pair of intense eyes was observing them from the sidelines.
Liana had received notification from the organizing committee a month ago, and she also knew one crucial detail: Catherine and her team had not received any notice about the rule change!
When Ronin had mentioned it earlier, Liana overheard and couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction.
In her eyes, it was all Catherine’s fault for seeking the spotlight and rubbing people the wrong way. Otherwise, why would someone want to scheme against her?
She was eager to see how badly Catherine would lose once the competition began.
