Chapter 152
“Absolutely! It is best when a hundred schools of thought can flourish.”
After a brief discussion, the presiding teacher raised a hand to quiet the room. He then made several witty remarks, heightening the students’ expectations and creating an increasingly tense and exciting atmosphere. While most people seemed happy and full of anticipation, only Aiden’s team appeared noticeably upset.
For many years, it had always been them who were eagerly anticipated by everyone, but unexpectedly, someone else took their place today. The team was eager to see who, exactly, was capable enough to have actually snatched their Grand Prize.
However, they seemed unaware that they had received the Third Prize, with both the Second Prize and First Prize ranked higher. Instead, they ignored this fact and directed all their frustration and anger toward the winner of the Grand Prize.
“Alright, alright, let’s stop joking around. Now, let’s invite our Grand Prize winner, Joseph’s team, to come up on stage to receive their award. Let’s give them a big round of applause!”
“Wow! It was Joseph and his team who won the Grand Prize! That’s amazing!”
“Well! Our department has finally gained recognition!”
“Joseph, you are outstanding!”
“Joseph. Joseph…”
Bursts of cheering erupted, and soon the cheers turned into a unified chant. Josie’s lips curved into a smile as she watched Joseph lead the still bewildered and uncomprehending Adeline onto the stage; unable to contain herself, she laughed out loud.
“So happy?” Sean reached out and tickled her palm.
Josie withdrew her hand. “Hey, Sean, stop messing around. Adeline is my roommate–of course, I’m happy that she won the award.”
“Yeah,” Sean fixed his gaze on her small hand, which was clenched into a fist. He felt a bit regretful—he should not have tickled it just now; instead, he ought to have held it in his palm.
Josie didn’t seem to notice his touch at all—in fact, she was so oblivious that she had no inkling he might have ulterior motives toward her. He simply could not bring himself to disturb the current happiness; Sean decided he would wait for her to gradually figure things out, after all, he was in no rush.
Josie remained unaware of his thoughts. She lifted her head and fixed her gaze on the stage, waiting for the award ceremony to conclude. However, Grand Prize winners were treated differently from the others; after the photo session, they were also expected to give a speech.
Joseph took the microphone and said, “Let me say a few words. I want to thank my mentor and all my teammates—winning this award today was no easy feat. Thank you, everyone. Most of all, I'm deeply grateful to my girlfriend, Adeline. Thank you!” He turned to look at her beside him and handed her the microphone.
Another wave of playful excitement rippled through the audience. Josie’s smile widened—she cherished this wonderful moment and wished they could stay together forever.
“All right, all right, thank you all,” Adeline cleared her throat and smiled. “In fact, the person we owe the greatest thanks to for winning this award today is Josie.”
Upon hearing this, the audience erupted once more. Students in the front row even called out, “How come there’s also something about Josie? Tell us more!”
Just a few months ago, Josie was virtually unknown. However, a series of events—including allegations of plagiarism, withdrawal from a team, a switch to a less popular major, and more—had recently stirred up significant attention across campus. By now, nearly everyone at the medical school recognized her name. In addition, her team had just received an award.
“Let me explain further,” Adeline glanced at Josie in the audience and smiled. “When the competition was first announced, our team brainstormed several creative ideas. However, without a specialist in cytology, we were hesitant to finalize our project.
“I ultimately chose this project because Josie helped me draft the proposal and provided essential technical support in the area of cytology. She has been a key contributor to our project’s success in winning this award, and this honor rightfully belongs to her as well.
“Thank you, Josie. And thank you to my amazing roommate and dear friend!” As soon as she finished speaking, the entire audience erupted with excitement. Without a doubt, it was Aiden and his team who had the biggest reaction.