David Foster simply doesn’t care how others see him. He was born bold and laid-back; if it weren’t for Emily Sullivan forcing him, why would he bother putting on a show for others? Still, it was his first time on stage. Although he wasn’t performing a song, he still had to stand under everyone’s gaze, so it was natural to feel a bit uneasy. Even though his face remained calm and steady, betraying nothing, he kept muttering under his breath. If you listened closely, you’d realize he was singing Zhang Hongliang’s “Beautiful Butterfly.”

Flickering in and out of sight

Lingering among the flowers

You’re so in love

Playing around, unable to sleep

Emily Sullivan shot him a reproachful look, picked up her handkerchief and fanned her face, hoping to cool off a bit, and complained, “I’m already annoyed and nervous, why do you keep humming?”

Henry Carter, who was fair-skinned with thin lips and straight brows, coldly chimed in from the side, “I told you long ago, if you’re scared, don’t come. This is a team quiz. I don’t expect you to know many answers, but at least don’t embarrass us too much.”

David Foster didn’t get angry. He just looked at Henry Carter with a hint of mockery, then heard the host in the classroom start inviting the contestants in, so he strolled in unhurriedly, softly humming:

“You’re like a butterfly flying in the sky

Flying here and there, but never landing by my side”

Chapter 13: A Demon Brain Is Better Than a Human Brain

“What are the three major pastoral regions in our country?”

“Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, and Qinghai-Tibet.”

“Correct, ten points to Class Three.”

Henry Carter grumbled to Emily Sullivan, “I knew that one too, just pressed a bit too slow.”

Emily Sullivan nodded irritably, turned to look at David Foster, and was furious to find the guy nearly falling asleep. Anger flared, and she pinched his waist hard with one hand.

“Ouch.” Emily Sullivan let out a soft cry of pain. David Foster quickly grabbed her hand to check, asking anxiously, “What’s wrong?”

“It hurts! Why is your skin so thick?” Emily Sullivan complained.

David Foster grinned, “My face is even thicker.”

“Enough, just focus on answering the questions.”

“Okay.” Only then did David Foster snap back to attention, still holding Emily Sullivan’s small hand. Seeing their actions on stage, the students below started chattering and gossiping.

Only then did the two remember they were on stage for a quiz competition. Looking down, they saw countless students staring at them with their mouths agape in shock. A moment later, a loud “Ooooh!” echoed through the lecture hall.

Students are truly skilled at making a fuss, managing to embarrass Emily Sullivan so much that she lowered her head. But David Foster was unfazed, living up to his reputation for having the thickest skin, smiling cheerfully as he faced the laughter of the whole school.

The teacher hosting the event couldn’t stand it anymore, muttering to himself that today’s students were really bold, daring to flirt during such an important event, while scolding the students to quiet down.

Sitting to the side, Henry Carter snapped at David Foster with a fierce look, “This concerns the class’s honor. Can’t you… take it seriously?” He’d meant to say “you all,” but suddenly remembered Emily Sullivan and swallowed the “all” back.

David Foster glanced at him, thinking this guy is really no fun, and this quiz is no fun either, just a bunch of dumb questions: “China’s three major pastoral regions—anyone could guess those. Out of 9.6 million square kilometers, except for those three places, trying to ride horses anywhere else would just get people killed.”

He sat on stage daydreaming, while the students below thought he didn’t know anything and was just spacing out. Looking at the scoreboard: 10, 40, 70, 30—Class One’s students all let out a mournful wail, casting pitiful glances at the three on stage, thinking their class was doomed to lose this time.

At this point, the host continued with the questions.

“Who are the Seven Scholars of Jian’an?”

Buzz! Henry Carter finally got the chance to answer and quickly replied, “The Seven Scholars of Jian’an refers to the late Han writers Kong Rong, Chen Lin, Wang Can, Xu Gan, Ruan Yu, Ying Yang, and Liu Zhen.”

“Ten points.”

Henry Carter wiped the sweat from his forehead and shot David Foster a contemptuous glance. David Foster just shrugged.

……

“What are the Three Caos?”

“……”

“Who are the Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song?”

“……”

The representatives from each class on stage competed fiercely. Henry Carter truly deserved to be selected for the competition, answering several questions in a row and helping their score catch up a bit.

The first part of the competition ended. The host teacher smiled and said, “It seems everyone’s knowledge base is pretty broad. However, the questions in this part were relatively easy. Next comes the most important segment of the quiz, with questions personally prepared by the principal. Please pay attention—the scope is similar to the first part, but the difficulty is much higher.”

Emily Sullivan glared at David Foster and whispered, “Answer seriously for me!”

“Why don’t you answer?” David Foster teased.

“I just like watching you answer.” Emily Sullivan smiled at him, her smile as radiant as a flower.

David Foster was momentarily dazed by her serene gaze. After a while, he spread his hands helplessly and said, “The buzzer isn’t with me. How am I supposed to answer?”

In a small county high school, there was no such thing as an electronic buzzer. Each class just had a small bell placed on the table for the competition.