"Thank you to both teams for bringing us this feast of ideas! The debaters on both sides performed wonderfully."
The host spoke rather quickly, his voice full of excitement as he stirred up the crowd:
"But after careful deliberation and scoring by our panel of judges, I now announce-"
He deliberately paused, sweeping his gaze across the leaders and audience below before finally focusing on Chen Shi'an and his three teammates from Quiet Serenity, Autumn Knowledge.
"The overall champions of this interschool Knowledge Competition and Debate Competition are..."
"From Yunqi No. 1 High School-Quiet Serenity, Autumn Knowledge!!!"
It was a result no one had expected before the competition began, but one that had become expected as it progressed.
Yet when Chen Shi'an and his teammates truly emerged victorious and claimed the overall championship, a wave of applause still swept through the auditorium.
With a crushing victory in the Knowledge Competition followed by a spectacular last-minute win in the Debate Competition, this four-person team from a municipal key school had won over the entire audience with their indisputable performance.
Even their opponents, Yuan Xuan and her three teammates, applauded in wholehearted acknowledgment, though with some melancholy and regret.
Well, great. Just like we'd said in the debate, participation really was what mattered...
Boo-hoo...
Since the Sharp Thinking Team was formed, when had we ever lost this badly?!
The spotlight once again shone firmly on Chen Shi'an, Lin Meng Qiu, Wen Zhixia, and Yao Jingyan.
Lin Meng Qiu's expression remained cool, but she could not stop the corners of her mouth from lifting slightly;
Wen Zhixia beamed brilliantly, rising excitedly onto her toes now and then to whisper something into Chen Shi'an's ear behind her hand, her eyes sparkling;
Xiao Yan's cheeks were flushed with excitement too, and she clung to Zhizhi's