Gao Wu: I'll enjoy the benefits, but you'll bear the side effects.

When Gao Jie saw the room full of surprises, he froze on the spot. His mind went blank as if it had suddenly crashed. He really hadn't expected this scene at all.

He just stood there, staring wide-eyed, his gaze shifting between the colorful balloons, the fluttering ribbons, and the cake that smelled so temptingly sweet, and he didn't come to his senses for a long time.

He stood there stunned for a long time, as if time had stopped, before he slowly awoke from a long and absurd dream and finally came to his senses.

A slow, wide smile spread across his face, revealing a mixture of shyness and immense surprise. He scratched his head and said:

"Thank you everyone. I really didn't expect you all to be preparing a birthday celebration for me. It's quite a surprise."

His voice was still a little sleepy, as if he had just woken up, and filled with barely suppressed emotion.

Davida stood not far from the scene, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons as she looked at Gao Jie with a beaming smile.

Seeing that Gao Jie had come to his senses, she immediately stepped forward gracefully and handed him the carefully wrapped item, which had a cute bow tied to the wrapping paper.

"This is a gift we've discussed and decided to give you. We hope you like it."

She tilted her head, her gaze gentle and sincere.

"Although this gift isn't very valuable, we hope it carries everyone's good wishes and becomes an unforgettable part of your life."

Seeing this, everyone applauded enthusiastically, and the cheerful applause echoed in the small venue, making the atmosphere even more joyful.

Gao Jie was so overwhelmed by the scene that he didn't know what to say for a moment. His lips moved a few times, but he could only utter a few incoherent syllables. His heart was filled with gratitude and joy, and he couldn't utter a complete and appropriate word of thanks.

As the hustle and bustle of the night gradually intensified, Gao Jie was immersed in the sudden warmth and joy, completely forgetting the urgent matter he had been about to discuss. The complicated things that needed to be considered afterward vanished from his mind like wisps of smoke blown away by a strong wind.

After several rounds of drinks, laughter and merriment filled the air. As for how he got back afterwards, Gao Jie had no idea. His memory was fragmented, leaving only some vague yet beautiful pieces.

When he finally woke up again and lazily struggled to get out of bed, it was already early the next morning.

He was woken up in a rather unusual way; he was abruptly pulled from his sleep by Huang Xu's loud and boisterous voice.

"Hey bro, get up already!"

As soon as Huang Xu rushed into the room, he went straight to Gao Jie's bedside and shook Gao Jie's shoulders vigorously.

"If you keep dawdling like this, I'm really getting speechless. They've already sent me to call you twice. If you don't go soon, I'm in big trouble—I'm definitely going to get yelled at!"

Huang Xu was so anxious that his face turned red and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. While speaking, he kept glancing at the door, as if afraid that the person urging him would suddenly burst in.

"Please, please don't sleep! If you keep sleeping, it'll cause a lot of trouble. We have so many things to do today!"

As Huang Xu muttered to himself, he hurriedly picked up a wooden comb and ran it through his messy hair. Then, he grabbed a spray bottle and sprayed all sorts of random stuff onto his head, instantly making his hair wet and sticky.

He didn't bother to tidy himself up; all he could think about was quickly resolving this thorny issue of "waking people up" so he could get the job done.

Gao Jie was so dizzy from being shaken by Huang Xu that he sat up in bed in a daze. His head felt like it was stuffed with a wet wad of cotton, and he was in a daze. His thoughts seemed to be stuck in a thick swamp, and he couldn't figure it out for a long time.

He reached out and rubbed his eyes vigorously, his fingertips turning red from rubbing around his eye sockets. Only then could he finally make out the striking numbers on the alarm clock. His eyes widened instantly, filled with shock and confusion, and he muttered unconsciously:

"Wait a minute, what's going on? What are we doing today? Do we have any plans for today?"

The voice was hoarse from just waking up, and it carried a strong sense of doubt.

Upon hearing this, Huang Xu immediately rolled his eyes so wide and round that you could almost see the blood vessels in his eyes.

The helplessness in my heart was like boiling water, churning and bubbling in my chest, almost overflowing all at once.

He opened his mouth, almost blurting out all the complaints he'd been holding back about Gao Jie's forgetful memory while asleep, but seeing the clock on the wall ticking away relentlessly, and fearing he'd wasted precious time, he swallowed the words back. His hands grew increasingly urgent as he pushed Gao Jie and shouted:

"How could you forget about this? We have something extremely important to do today, it concerns everyone's future and destiny, it's not a joke! Stop standing there, let's get going, we have a big meeting with the Mage Vocational College today, if we're late, we'll be in big trouble!"

Hearing Huang Xu's urging, Gao Jie rubbed his eyes again, trying to clear his head. He felt as if some of his energy had been drained from his body, leaving him with an lingering fatigue.

Although his head was still foggy, a voice in his heart kept reminding him that he seemed to have forgotten to do something important. However, his thoughts were as messy as a tangled ball of yarn, and without calming down and thinking about it carefully, he really couldn't remember what it was for the time being.

Seeing that time was running out and there was no time to think too much, Gao Jie simply stopped hesitating, gritted his teeth, and decisively followed Huang Xu out of the room.

When he came out, Devilla was standing by the car, her expression already somewhat displeased. Her eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and her beautiful eyes revealed a hint of anxiety and dissatisfaction; her tone also carried a touch of anger:

"What the hell are you guys doing? You're finally out! I've been waiting forever. If you hadn't come out soon, wouldn't it have been a real problem?" She said, opening the car door and looking at the two of them with increasing urgency. "Hurry up and get in the car. I don't want to be late. You know me, I'm always so punctual. Please understand, okay?"

Knowing he was in the wrong, Gao Jie awkwardly scratched his face and quickly got into the car. Even after sitting down, he still felt like his head was shrouded in fog. Some crucial things hovered on the edge of his mind, but he just couldn't recall them. He couldn't help but shake his head slightly, as if trying to shake off those annoying, chaotic thoughts.

Seeing Gao Jie's dejected appearance, David frowned slightly, a hint of worry in his eyes, and said softly:

"Don't space out like that during the match. I have a feeling you're not quite right today. Try to stay focused and be careful. This match is crucial; everyone's hoping for a good result."

Gao Jie nodded absentmindedly, and the car sped along, soon arriving at the competition venue in a flurry of activity.

It must be said that the venue was prepared with great care.

The crowd filed in, and as soon as they entered the venue, they looked around curiously.

The venue was spacious and bright, with large lights on the ceiling casting a soft glow that illuminated every inch of the floor.

The brand-new and complete facilities are arranged in an orderly manner, and the surrounding audience seats are arranged in a stepped manner, extending upwards in layers, which can accommodate a considerable number of audience members.

The playing area in the center of the field was clearly defined, and the surface was flat and smooth, like a giant mirror.

Everyone secretly admired the place, feeling that it was indeed very nice.

In contrast, Guo Lan'er's behavior was much more noticeable. She stood not far away, looking as flustered as a frightened bird, her eyes darting around, and she would steal a few guilty glances at David from time to time.

Seeing that Davira was coming towards her, she looked guilty and quickly turned her head away, pretending to be focused on the decorations beside her. However, her stiff movements and slightly trembling fingers betrayed her nervousness.

David, on the other hand, was poised and confident, a faint smile on his lips, and walked straight over, stopping in front of Guo Lan'er.

"I heard you've made plenty of preparations for today."

Her voice was light and inquisitive, her eyes fixed intently on Guo Lan'er.

"I wonder what kind of attitude you guys will show now? To be honest, I have high expectations."

She paused, her gaze lingering on Guo Lan'er's face for a moment, as if trying to see through her, before continuing.

"However, I heard that you've spent a lot of time preparing for this, so I'm sure you won't let me down, right? In short, I expect you to give me the best you can offer, so please don't disappoint me too much."

Davidra's seemingly gentle but actually barbed words hit Guo Lan'er's sore spot with pinpoint accuracy, making her face turn even more unpleasant, alternating between pale and flushed, as if a palette of colors had been spilled on her face.

Her lips trembled slightly, and she stammered a few times, unsure how to respond.

"I advise you not to laugh too much. There's a saying: the harder you laugh, the harder you fall. Haven't you heard of that?"

Guo Lan'er finally managed to utter these words, her tone filled with resentment and anger, trying to regain some ground.

Davidra acted as if she hadn't heard, merely pursing her lips slightly, her eyes revealing an air of complete indifference.

"What's the use of hearing it or not? There aren't many things you can decide right now, so of course I don't care."

She glanced around casually, then suddenly changed the subject, as if she had just remembered something.

"By the way, where's Kang Hao?"

David tilted his head slightly, feigning confusion.

"Isn't this guy usually one of the first to arrive? Why isn't he here yet?"

Guo Lan'er snorted coldly, a mocking sneer slowly spreading across her lips. The smile froze on her face, exuding a strange and sarcastic aura.

She didn't reply immediately, but remained silent, her eyes filled with a complex and unreadable emotion, as if she were hiding something she was proud of, but a closer look revealed her guilty conscience. The two emotions intertwined, making her gaze even more obscure and difficult to understand.

"How am I supposed to know why Kang Hao hasn't come yet?"

Guo Lan'er finally spoke, her tone full of impatience.

"If you want him to come faster, why don't you just send him a message or make a phone call? Why ask me here?"

She turned her head slightly to avoid Davidra's gaze, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.

Davidra smiled wryly, a smile that seemed to know everything.

"Don't you really understand what I mean? You two are always hanging out together, do I really need to explain it to you?"

She took a step forward, tilted her head slightly, and gave him a piercing look.

"After all, you two live together, right?"

These words, once spoken, were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples.

Upon hearing this, Guo Lan'er's eyes instantly sharpened, her gaze like a poisoned arrow, almost capable of "killing." She glared fiercely at David, her lips trembling slightly, yet she couldn't utter a single word.

Davidra, however, was like a victorious general, triumphantly leading everyone into the venue, completely ignoring Guo Lan'er's angry and embarrassed appearance.

Gao Jie and the others followed behind, feeling much more at ease. After all, following such a powerful and charismatic teacher gave them a sense of security and peace of mind, which was incredibly pleasant.

Once everyone entered the venue, Davidra immediately wiped the smile off his face, his expression turning serious, and he kept reminding them:

"Listen up, all of you. This is no joke; things are about to get very serious. You all need to do your jobs perfectly. We only have this one chance; it's all down to us. Get yourselves on the right track!"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority.

Upon hearing this, the group nodded hurriedly, their expressions solemn.

Only Gao Jie stood there calmly, without the slightest sign of panic on his face.

"I don't think we need to panic."

Gao Jie cleared his throat and spoke slowly.

"I just suddenly remembered something."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, a hint of certainty flashing in his eyes.

"The other party hasn't shown up yet. Don't you think there's a problem?"

Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned and looked at each other in bewilderment.

That's right. Gao Jie suddenly remembered that he had locked Kang Hao and President Wu in the imaginary space. If they could still appear on the field normally at this time, there would definitely be a huge problem!

That's why Gao Jie dared to speak so confidently; otherwise, how could he have brought up these things so rashly?

Seeing Gao Jie's confident demeanor, the others exchanged glances, unsure of where to begin.

Although everyone knows that Gao Jie is usually reliable, at this critical moment when things are really at their most urgent, can he really solve this complicated problem with just a lot of confidence?

Everyone was filled with doubt, and no one dared to express their opinion easily.

"Gao Jie, you're not kidding, are you?"

One of the teammates couldn't help but break the silence, his voice filled with anxiety and worry.

"If they arrive later, according to the competition rules, we can't stop the match halfway through. If the situation gets out of control, do you understand the implications?"

As he spoke, he nervously rubbed his hands together, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

It's important to understand that with one member already facing the risk of withdrawing from the competition, everyone's situation was already precarious. If any unexpected changes occurred during the competition, the consequences would be unimaginable.

In this situation, to say you're not nervous is pure self-deception.

Gao Jie simply smiled slightly, a relaxed and content smile, as if the conversation wasn't about a major competition, but just a trivial everyday matter.

"As far as I know, Huang Muran isn't feeling well and can't play. So Huang Xu and I will play together. Don't worry, we'll be fine."

As he spoke, he patted his chest forcefully, his eyes bright and resolute, without the slightest hesitation.

Upon hearing this, Davida froze on the spot. Thinking she had misheard, she instinctively widened her eyes, staring at Gao Jie with utter suspicion, her gaze seeming to say:

Are you kidding me?

But Gao Jie stood there, upright and exuding an aura of unquestionable confidence, clearly not joking.

However, Devilla was still very conflicted. This matter sounded very impressive, but was it really reliable?

Full of questions, before she could even open her mouth to ask any more, a crisp announcement suddenly came over the loudspeaker that the competition was about to begin. Everyone hurriedly turned their attention to the entrance of the arena, and what they saw there almost made their jaws drop – not a single person from the Mage Vocational College had shown up.

Huang Xu reacted the fastest. He made full use of his usual advantages of being well-informed and having a wide network of connections. He quickly slipped into the crowd and pulled aside a few familiar friends to whisper and inquire.

A moment later, he rushed back, excitedly shouting:

"It seems like they've run into some problems. Judging from this, they probably aren't planning on coming. Otherwise, they would have shown up already. Maybe they weren't sure themselves, which is why they backed out at the last minute?"

As he spoke, he scratched his head, his eyes sparkling with curiosity and pride.

Upon hearing this, David frowned, still finding it unlikely.

She knew Kang Hao too well. He was always competitive and valued this competition more than anything else. How could he possibly make such a basic mistake and falter at such a crucial moment?

But the facts are clear: no one is in sight. What secrets are hidden behind this?

David was filled with confusion, and the more he thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed.