ATLAS TRANSLATES

Ye Jingxian didn’t react immediately.

Dean Huang wasn’t surprised. He gently reminded the girl in front of him, “Isn’t it about time?”

Yes, it was time! Under that cold gaze, Ye Jingxian reluctantly took the white paper bag from Jiang Fuli’s hand. She didn’t forget her manners and bowed to Dean Huang, “Goodbye, Dean.”

She took the paper bag backstage.

Only then did Dean Huang turn to look at Jiang Fuli, “Young Master Jiang, shall we go to the front?”

Jiang Fuli’s gaze lingered on the back curtain for a while before lazily following Dean Huang to the grand hall.

By this time, the student council had closed the main doors of the grand hall, not letting any more audience members in. The Finance Department had over-promoted the event, and with Bai Lian’s natural popularity at Jiang University, the hall was already packed.

After Dean Huang entered, the doors were completely closed, though there were still many people outside filming with their phones.

The main lights were already off, leaving only the stage atmosphere lights. In the first row, only two seats in the middle remained empty.

Dean Feng had arrived early and was already seated. When he looked up and saw Dean Huang coming in from the entrance with a tall man following behind, he quickly stood up to greet them.

“Dean Huang,” he greeted softly, then his gaze fell on Jiang Fuli behind him, “Young Master Jiang.”

Jiang Xijue was a financial prodigy from Jiang University’s Finance Department, now the Executive CEO of Zhongxing.

But everyone knew who was behind Jiang Xijue.

Dean Feng’s position as the chairman of the Industry and Commerce Federation was also thanks to this student of his.

“Dean Feng.” Jiang Fuli nodded lazily at him. He sat down in the empty seat next to Dean Feng, elegantly leaning against the chair back, his refined features slightly withdrawn, lonely and indifferent.

He didn’t speak to anyone.

Dean Huang sat on Jiang Fuli’s other side.

Dean Feng only sat down after the two were seated. You could tell he wasn’t fully sitting on his chair, appearing rather tense.

The front two rows of seats quieted down around him, and even the conversational voices became much softer.

The student council members in the row behind saw all this. Given Dean Feng’s current position in the Finance Department, for him to stand up in greeting and have both deans sitting beside him – who exactly was this person?

The front row lights were dim, only showing the silhouette of the person in the middle, particularly cold under the lights.

—

Backstage.

The makeup artist wasn’t particularly professional. Bai Lian’s skin was white enough, so she only added some shadows and lipstick.

“With this face, I dare not add anything more,” the makeup artist admired Bai Lian’s face.

Ye Jingxian took out the clothes from the bag.

It wasn’t as elaborate as Ye Jingxian had imagined – just a plain white silk dress. Without much thought, she handed the clothes to Bai Lian, “Junior, let’s change first.”

The two hosts were already waiting behind the curtain, preparing to go on stage to announce.

In the changing room, Bai Lian lowered her gaze to unfold the white dress. Besides the white outer robe, there was also a pair of practice pants. She put them on one by one, finally taking the white sash and loosely tying it around her waist.

Outside.

Ye Jingxian was waiting for Bai Lian to change, still feeling uneasy. Bai Shiming called her on her phone.

“Both deans are here today, along with an important guest,” Bai Shiming’s voice was serious over the phone. “It’s strange that they all came. The Finance Department guarantees the finale – we won’t have any problems, right?”

Important guest?

Ye Jingxian naturally thought of the person she had just met. “President, don’t worry, our junior won’t have any problems.”

She reassured Bai Shiming.

After hanging up, she continued waiting for Bai Lian to come out.

“Where’s the prop spear?” Ye Jingxian remembered this, and Kong Wei hurriedly brought the spear over.

Bai Lian came out of the changing room.

She wore a simple white long dress with a white silk sash tied at her waist, her expression lazy and casual.

Ye Jingxian handed the spear to Bai Lian, “Junior, try this spear.”

This was the prop Ye Jingxian had prepared for Bai Lian, arriving last week. She had wanted Bai Lian to try it during rehearsal, but due to the sound system issue, there had been no rehearsal.

Some student council members nearby heard Ye Jingxian’s words and exchanged glances.

Bai Lian hadn’t tried the spear yet?

Would that work?

Just as these people were thinking this, Bai Lian reached out and took the red-tasseled spear, placing it on the ground. The entire spear was even taller than her by a section.

The red tassel at the spear tip slowly fell with her movement, the silver tip gleaming coldly.

Everyone around saw that from the second she took the spear, her aura changed. Like a white tiger lazily sunbathing on a rock, suddenly sensing an intruder, majestically surveying its territory.

Ye Jingxian looked at her, and her constantly restless heart instantly calmed down.

“When do I go on?” Bai Lian glanced at the phone on the table – it was already five o’clock.

“Ah,” Ye Jingxian came back to her senses, “The hosts just went up, it’ll be your turn when they come down. Oh right, the music – is the music director ready!”

“Don’t worry, Department Head.” The male student sitting at the computer controlling the music looked up, giving Ye Jingxian an “OK” gesture.

The Finance Department’s student council members curiously came over to look.

Bai Lian’s music file was simply labeled with the character “Simple”. “What song is this? Never heard it before.”

“Don’t know,” the music controller had heard it, “But it’s not a song, it’s an instrumental piece. Bai Lian sent it over – she probably found it herself.”

—

Outside, on stage.

Two hosts wearing suits and evening gowns were smilingly reading the opening words, welcoming new students.

In the first row on both sides, reporters had already set up their cameras.

Nearly a thousand seats in the hall were filled, with people even on the steps and in the aisles. Many had their phones out streaming.

The male student in front of Tang Ming was one of those livestreaming.

The student held a selfie stick – he was a social media content creator at Jiang University who usually streamed his meals and study sessions. Now streaming, he had seven hundred viewers online, and after promotion, the stream’s traffic was growing.

[Can’t get in, can only rely on the streamer’s broadcast] [A bunch of top students performing for us, worth it] [Is White Shaoqi really here, streamer?] […]

The male student both streamed and talked, “I’ve posted the program list. Yes, White Shaoqi will be last. No worries, I specifically changed my ticket home to tomorrow morning to wait with everyone.”

Backstage wasn’t very big. Kong Wei and Yu Simin didn’t stay there, returning to the front to watch the show. They had no seats, so they squeezed together with Tang Ming, Ning Xiaoyang Lin, and others who arrived late.

Yu Simin saw many people livestreaming the event and said to Kong Wei, “Nothing will go wrong, right?”

Kong Wei patted her hand, indicating she should relax.

As they were talking, on the left side of the stage, the two hosts had bowed and exited.

The stage lights went out.

The evening had just begun, the crowd couldn’t help but stir, greeting each other, eating, voices continuing endlessly.

“Swoosh—”

On the dark stage, a beam of light shot down, directly illuminating the person standing in the middle of the stage.

Everyone saw the girl standing in the middle, wearing a white robe with a matching sash, her black hair completely tied back with a red ribbon, a strand of red ribbon falling along her hair onto her neck, contrasting beautifully with the white collar.

Above the stage, a huge screen displayed her figure.

Her long black eyelashes were lowered, her right hand holding the spear, its base planted on the ground.

She hadn’t worn much makeup, but her face, even with just stage lighting, could enchant for a lifetime.

After a moment of silence, the crowd burst into cheers.

In the first row, the previously lazy Jiang Fuli finally sat up straight, his slanted phoenix eyes looking toward the stage.

Dean Feng was talking with the professor on his right, but seeing Young Master Jiang suddenly become serious, he stopped speaking and also looked up at the stage. The leaders in the first row all stopped talking.

In the second row, Mrs. Song, sitting next to Song Min, also recognized Bai Lian and was surprised, “Bai Lian is also participating in the evening show?”

“Yes,” Song Min watched the stage without much interest, “Seems to be a spear performance.”

Mrs. Song nodded, no longer paying attention, lowering her head to discuss precautions with White Shaoqi.

“Dong—”

A drum beat sounded, the stage’s fan machines blowing the girl’s dress hem and hair, the red tassel on the nearby spear tip also floating frame by frame. She raised the spear tip – the opening move.

The drum sound was majestic, like war drums stirring hearts before thousands of troops set out.

This time the stage sound system was borrowed from Jiang Music School, with excellent effect. The first half’s heart-shaking drum beats made everyone in the venue stop what they were doing and involuntarily look toward the stage.

The young woman pulled back the spear, turning her body, lowering the spear tip, then twirled the spear while turning her body twice, the spear tip in her hand trembling slightly with her movements.

The drum beat suddenly fell, the flute sound gradually rose, the top stage lights disappeared for a second with the drum beat, then suddenly fell on her again, while the young woman had just leaped into the air, the spear in her hand thrusting forward through the air!

On the screen above the stage, everyone could see that in the second the spear thrust forward, the flexible spear tip was constantly shaking!

The cold spear tip reflected cold light, both real and illusory, making people breathless.

Dense and killing-intent-filled pipa sounds rang out, the young woman turned, the long spear coiling like a swimming dragon in her right hand, her left hand suddenly pressing down on the spear tip, stepping forward to thrust down the spear!

The audience in the grand hall all held their breath.

The girl still held the spear in her right hand, raising the spear horizontally above her head, the spear tip spinning left as her left hand took the spear body, hiding the spear under her arm while continuing to catch it behind her back, the spotlight flashing again.

Under the lights, following the drum beat, she leaped into the air, white clothes flying, the spear like lightning. Under the lens her leap seemed like slow motion, pausing in the air for a moment, then immediately thrusting forward with the spear!

The music pulled at the audience’s hearts, the waving long spear attracting their eyes.

Like a pre-battle song before charging onto the battlefield.

The guzheng sound became gentler. In the middle of the stage, the young woman faced sideways to the audience as she withdrew the spear. Just when the audience finally began to relax—

The last drum beat fell, the girl’s spear thrust backward, while her whole body turned!

The sound of breaking wind arose, full of killing intent.

An inch longer means an inch stronger – this was Yan Lu’s back-horse spear that went viral online two months ago. Countless people online recreated it, but only the audience present today could feel the killing intent of this spear—

King of all weapons, well deserved!

At this moment, the stage below was completely silent.

On the big screen, frozen on this scene, with black curtains behind and a single white spotlight above, the girl’s almond eyes were deep and dark, a strand of black hair with red ribbon falling by her crimson lips, gently swaying.

The drums disappeared, and only then did she unhurriedly withdraw the long spear, bowing slightly to the camera, calm and composed with a smile, her eyes lazy, both proper and wicked, carrying a wild force, enlarged on the big screen.

Behind, those holding phones livestreaming, their livestream bullet comments all paused for a moment, then frantically scrolled.

White clothes and cold spear, youthful spirit, unrestrained and proud.

Like an old friend’s return!