Talent Show

Without even turning around, Allen knew it was Moken's voice. What an inescapable nuisance! What kind of family could have raised such an unpleasant child?

"What's wrong with being a clown? Playing a clown won third prize at school. You haven't won anything at all—I'm better than you," Flag shot back.

"Fine, then let's compete. You three can be one team; Dudley, Piers, and I will be another. Let's see whether your performance is better or ours is. Do you dare?"

Obviously, Moken and the others had come prepared. All three wore white T-shirts with gold designs, black pants, and red headbands, with a pair of boxing Gloves on each of their hands.

Whether it had been premeditated or simply taking advantage of the situation, Allen had no time to think about it, because Flag had already been fired up and agreed to the competition.

The group shoved their way to the right side of the stage to line up. Harry looked extremely nervous. "Allen, Flag, what are we performing? I don't think I have any talent to show. If mowing lawns counted as a talent, that would be great!"

The more arrogant Flag had been just now, the more guilty and anxious he was now. "It's all my fault. I was too impulsive. How about we go up and sing a song later?"

"It's okay, Harry. You actually have excellent leadership qualities. Flag, don't worry. Once we're onstage, you two just follow my lead. We'll perform a magic trick." Allen had thought of a brilliant idea. If Harry and Flag cooperated well, this act would surely earn thunderous applause.

Soon, it was Dudley, Moken, and Piers's turn. The three strode onto the stage. Regardless of how their act would turn out, their imposing manner alone caught the judges' attention. They quickly took their stances and exchanged blows with great force, putting on a surprisingly convincing boxing performance.

Allen smiled and shook his head beneath the stage. Dudley and the others' performance looked fairly festive, but at most, it would earn comments like, "The children are so energetic and cute."

Dudley and the other two bowed and left the stage. It was clear that they were very satisfied with their performance.

Finally, it was Allen, Harry, and Flag's turn. With the routine already planned out, Allen confidently led the uneasy Harry and Flag onto the stage and bowed.

"I'm Allen Harris. These two are my assistants, Harry Potter and Flag Cook. We're all from Class Five, Grade Five. Today, we'll be performing a magic trick for everyone. First, please let my two assistants prepare the props."

Allen instructed Harry and Flag to place the piano diagonally toward the left side of center stage, then carry a long table from the Great Hall to the middle of the stage. Such tables were usually placed onstage during group meetings for leaders and hosts to sit behind. It was not very wide and less than two meters long, with narrow drawers. The space beneath it was completely open, so it came with a long dark-red velvet cloth that could conceal the legs and feet of those seated behind it.

"While my assistants are busy preparing, please allow me to perform a little piece to liven things up." Allen walked to the piano, bowed once more, then sat on the piano bench. His hands hovered over the keys as he began to play Hedwig's Theme—the signature piece from the Harry Potter film series. The melody was ethereal and dreamlike, like an owl gliding through the night sky.

As the final note faded, Allen slowly rose to his feet. It begins.

The Great Hall fell silent. Soon, a few claps rang out, followed by the teachers and students both inside and outside the doorway breaking into furious applause. Harry and Flag clapped until their palms turned red.

"Thank you, everyone. My assistants have finished preparing." Allen walked to the center of the stage and gave Harry and Flag a few more instructions.

"Our magic trick is called—The Vanishing Man." The moment he finished speaking, everyone was filled with anticipation. The students at the doorway strained forward, trying to claim the best viewing spots. The teachers had first been won over by Allen's dazzling piano skills, and now they stared at him without blinking, their eyes full of expectation.

Allen climbed onto the table and lay flat on it. Harry and Flag held the red cloth and walked around Allen several times, showing that he was indeed still lying on the table. Then they spread the red cloth before the stage, completely hiding Allen from view. Next, Harry and Flag shouted, "One, two, three!" and immediately let go. The cloth fell to the floor, and the table on the stage was completely empty.

"Wow, that's incredible!"

"Did anyone see where Allen went?"

"I was staring at the back of the stage the whole time. No one came running out!"

The students looked around in every direction, searching everywhere, but there was no sign of Allen at all.

Harry and Flag clapped their hands, drawing the audience's attention back to themselves. They picked up the red cloth again and circled the long table three times to the left and three times to the right before covering it once more. Before they could call out, the audience impatiently shouted, "One, two, three!" The cloth fell with their voices. As the red cloth hit the floor, Allen sat up from the long table and smiled as he waved at them. Cheers and applause instantly echoed throughout the entire Great Hall.

"That was absolutely wonderful!"

"This is the best performance in the history of the school talent show!"

"Both the piano performance and the magic trick were breathtaking!"

"Unbelievable! I really want to know how Allen disappeared just now!"

In truth, it had been no challenge at all for Allen. He only needed to lie quietly on the table, touch the school uniform transformed from the Miaomiao Wizard Robe, and activate its invisibility function.

Without a doubt, such a marvelous performance earned unanimous praise from all five judges. Allen, Harry, and Flag smoothly advanced to the talent show finals.

Emergency mission conditions met. Congratulations, Host. You have received one copy of Basic Body Refining Technique. Keep up the good work.

Allen immediately felt refreshed. The Basic Body Refining Technique was finally his.