Soon after, the old professor and two competition staff members came onto the stage to present the five members of the Medford Math Olympiad team with a gold medal and a blue baseball jersey representing the Math Olympiad Champion team.
It's worth mentioning that Ms. Sharon, as the advisor of the Math Olympiad team, also received a baseball jersey as a souvenir.
Then, a photographer stepped forward to capture this memorable moment for the Medford Math Olympiad team.
Cady also took the opportunity during the photo session to hang the medal she received around Ms. Sharon's neck.
This gesture contained both the girl's gratitude for Ms. Sharon's care during this period and her remorse for having previously spoken "ill" of her.
In short, at this memorable moment, Cady showed a strong desire to reconcile with Ms. Sharon.
Ms. Sharon obviously saw through her intentions; in fact, she had long since forgotten about the girl's previous "rumors" about her.
And by the time the award ceremony ended, the two, having met each other halfway, were already as close as mother and daughter.
As the competition dispersed, when Mike was about to board the bus with the other Medford team members to return, Captain Carter of Marymount Academy approached him.
"Mike, I have a few questions I'd like to ask you, can we talk?" Carter, who had waited for a while outside the math building, inquired.
"What, still not convinced after losing?" Kevin of Medford, who was feeling quite arrogant, retorted sarcastically.
He didn't know why, but he got annoyed every time he saw the curly-haired guy.
"It's alright, Kevin..." Mike appeased his captain, then followed Carter of Marymount Academy to the side.
"What do you want to know?" Mike asked.
The captain of Marymount Academy seemed like a good-natured person, so Mike had a good impression of him.
"I... I want to know, was your answer to the last question a guess?" Carter had many doubts, but what he cared about most was Mike's unusual performance in the "sudden death round."
Of course, he also knew that such a question was unreasonable, and his face couldn't help but show some embarrassment.
"It wasn't a guess; I calculated the result for that problem. If you want to hear it, I can tell you the process," Mike replied.
Mike didn't think anything of such a question.
"No need, thank you." Carter showed a look of realization after hearing the answer, and then said, "Your previous performance was all an act..."
For smart people, it's not difficult to deduce the process once the result is known.
Mike smiled, saying nothing, yet seeming to say everything.
Strictly speaking, "strategy" is also a part of the competition.
"I hope we'll have another chance to compete." Carter, who had guessed the truth, had a look of relief on his face, but his tone still held some unwillingness.
Losing this competition so inexplicably was also a regret for him.
...
After bidding farewell to Carter, when Mike returned to the bus, Kevin came over: "Mike, what did that curly-haired guy say to you? Do you need me to go teach him a lesson?"
Even after winning the championship from him, Kevin was still very displeased with Carter.
It's conceivable that if these two people with vastly different personalities were to spend a long time together, they would probably become a very interesting pair of bickering lovers.
"Carter seems like a nice guy. Get to know him better; maybe you two can become friends," Mike diverted the topic based on his guess.
"No way!" Kevin reacted as if his tail had been stepped on.
However, he no longer brought up the idea of going to trouble the other party.
"Alright, kids, it's not even five o'clock yet, so maybe we can still make it to the school dance tonight," Ms. Sharon clapped her hands, attracting everyone's attention before speaking.
As the Math Olympiad team's advisor, Ms. Sharon was very concerned about her team members.
Aside from Mike and Cady, the other three members of the Math Olympiad team were pretty much considered outcasts at school.
Don't let Kevin's usual hip-hop attire fool you; his popularity at school wasn't actually that great.
Ms. Sharon also wanted to take advantage of this good opportunity today to help the team members integrate better into the larger school community.
"Really? That's great! Our outfits will definitely be popular with everyone," Kevin, wearing his brand new baseball jersey, said excitedly.
Having helped the school win the Math Olympiad, he now just wanted to quickly share this good news with others.
This mindset was probably similar to returning home in glory.
The other Math Olympiad team members also showed signs of eagerness.
After all, the feeling of being able to show off in front of acquaintances was quite exciting just thinking about it.
"Um, can you just drop me off at home?" On the side, Sheldon, like an outsider, spoke softly.
Suffering from panic disorder, he felt very uncomfortable just thinking about the chaotic scene at the school dance.
"Don't be shy, Sheldon. You're also a member of our Math Olympiad team..." Kevin said, about to put his arm around Sheldon's shoulder, but the latter dodged him.
Finally, after a vote where the minority yielded to the majority, the Math Olympiad team's bus headed towards the school dance.
"Mike, can I see your medal?" On the way, Sheldon asked curiously.
Although the first half of the Math Olympiad competition had seemed boring to him.
But the scene of Mike and the others receiving cheers from everyone after winning the championship also made Sheldon somewhat yearn for it.
"Here you go—" Mike handed him the bronze medal, and then said, "If you want one, we'll have another chance next year."
Taken alone, this medal wasn't worth much, but the meaning it represented was very significant.
After briefly mentioning next year's Math Olympiad, Mike no longer paid attention to Sheldon but continued to be affectionate with Cady.
...
At this moment, in the redecorated Medford High auditorium, accompanied by colorful lights and exciting music, countless male and female students were dancing ballroom dances in the dance floor.
"Regina, aren't you going to show off a bit?" By the stage at the front of the auditorium, Big Wave Karen skillfully declined a boy's dance invitation, then looked at Regina and asked.
It was known that today's dance would select a "Queen" and a "King." As a strong contender for "Queen," Regina needed to show off and campaign for herself.
"Compared to campaigning, I'd rather take a few more beautiful photos," Regina seemed very confident about becoming "Queen."
She squinted her eyes and glanced at the students on the dance floor, then adjusted her pose to show her most beautiful side, allowing her mother, June, to take photos from a short distance away.
Clearly, compared to wasting time on the dance floor, Regina preferred to take a few more beautiful private photos to give to Mike for his appreciation later.
Soon, after the students on the dance floor had almost gone wild, the dance entered its most important phase: voting for the most popular male and female students of the year.
Effeminate Damian and Janis, two people who disliked dancing and were not social, were now sitting at a table in the corner, collecting students' votes.
"Hey, Dennis, who did you vote for?" Damian asked curiously when he saw an acquaintance come to vote.
"Of course, Mike and Regina! I have high hopes for them—" Dennis, as a seasoned admirer of beauty, said excitedly.
In terms of looks alone, Mike might be the most handsome male student since Medford High was founded.
And Regina was no slouch; she was considered the pinnacle of beauty among the female students at school.
For superficial students, appearance alone was enough to make a choice.
"No, I think the girl should be Cady. Only because she stole Regina's boyfriend..." A boy retorted to Dennis.
During the period of preparing for the Math Olympiad at the end of the semester, Mike and Cady had many more opportunities to be together.
In the eyes of the school students, this was evidence that Mike had abandoned Regina and chosen Cady.
Moreover, Regina's consistently high-profile personality in the past also made gossip about her very popular.
Students with nothing to do loved this kind of scandalous gossip the most.
"Then I'll vote for Cady too, just because she stole Regina's boyfriend..."
"Yes, vote for Cady's bravery..."