Hearing stories about things they'd never experienced themselves, the students just laughed and moved on. No one took the words to heart, nor did they stop to consider why the person in the story had decided to start studying hard again.
...
On Wednesday, the school announced it would be holding a New Year's Gala in December. Each class was required to prepare a talent act.
This sort of thing was always a headache for the homeroom teachers. Julian Carlton leaned a hand on the lectern, speaking casually. "Does anyone have a talent they'd like to share? Singing, dancing, anything works. If you don't care about the participation points, maybe the prize money will interest you."
He held up three fingers. "First place gets three hundred yuan this time. That's enough for some of you to hit an internet cafe or grab some bubble tea after school."
