A Billion Dollar Exchange

Chapter 23

Liling wasn"t dumb, she had noticed some trace of coldness from Richen but she had just pretended not to notice. The last thing she wanted right now was to quarrel with a friend. She had more pressing issues to deal with. The day ended peacefully, they ate noodles for dinner and retired for the night.

Wednesday arrived faster than expected, they arrived at the hall before the time. This type of exam was one on one. So the students were seated in the hall, and we"re called one by one. Richen entered before her friends, she played the clarinet. They were also very few who played it. When she came out, she was full of smiles.

She expressed her joy on how the exam was not so hard for her. Liling and Xin Yong congratulated her heartily while waiting for their turns. After few other people, it was Liling"s turn, when she came out, her face bore no expression. No-one could tell if she was happy or sad.

Richen looked at her surprisingly. "Liling was always smiling when she came out of any exams, what happened today?, Huh, don"t tell me she didn"t do well" She scoffed in her heart, so happy at least she had pa.s.sed her this time.

"How was it Liling?, why are you so moody? " Xin Yong asked Liling worriedly.

"It was okay, just that the notes were very complicated" Liling replied as she scratched her head a little.

In reality, Liling was even congratulated but she had learnt not to express her successes anymore, she didn"t want Richen to have anything to hate her for and besides Richen was happy, she knew if she told them how the head of department congratulated her himself, Richen"s mood would dampen, it was rare seeing Richen smile so happily, she didn"t want to wreck her joy.

Richen was the first to console her this time, smiling wider than her lips could contain she put her arms around Liling"s shoulders.

"Liling, you don"t need to be so sad, besides your theoretical aspects were excellent weren"t they?, so why the stress, cheer up, you are already a first cla.s.s graduate" She chuckled lightly, Liling just smiled as they waited for Xin Yong"s turn.

Richen"s heart was singing the national anthem, "Hehe, always right Liling, so after talking trash that night you didn"t even do that well, haha, so freaking proud; like they say, pride goes before a fall, haha, you haven"t even fallen yet, let"s wait for the results if you won"t even resit next year!" She mocked in her heart as she physically held Lililng like a caring sister.

Xin Yong came out with mixed expressions, when she was asked she said she didn"t even know what she was playing, her violin sounded like it hadn"t even eaten for days!, she told them not. to speak of the exam again. Richen smiled wryly, today was her happy day!.

They had been told earlier that there was an announcement and that no-one should leave. So after the students finished with their a.s.sessments, they sat down quietly waiting for the announcer. After about thirty minutes, the Vice Chancellor walked into the hall and the students stood and greeted him accordingly.


"You can have your seats" He instructed as he stood on the podium and accessed the students.

"You are through with your final exams right? " He asked and received a chorus affirmative reply.

"Very good, soon you would be Ex-students of Gahll Polytechnic, is that not amazing? "

"It is amazing!!" The students screamed happily as they clapped their hands in joy, when the noise lessened, the Vice Chancellor continued.

"Now to the main point of this meeting, there is a Music Audition for new artists coming up very soon and the final year students of Gahll had been invited" The students began murmuring amongst themselves, the lecturers tried to quieten them down. When the hall became quiet again, the Chancellor continued.

"There would be internal auditions first because not only our school had been invited, all the graduating music students in the whole of China and America if I"m not mistaken are also partic.i.p.ating, so you see the struggle is real!!"

The noise in the hall escalated, everyone was talking, the lecturers were trying their best to deal with the situation while the VC stood on the podium, his hands at akimbo, his eyes staring at the Ill mannered students.

"Seems you are not even interested? " The murmurings ceased at that instant, an opportunity they"ve all been waiting for! Who was not interested?. The Vice Chancellor continued with his speech.

"This internal auditions would be handled by the staff from the New Music Industry and not the internal staff of Gahll, to ensure strict compliance with rules and transparency of results.

I don"t need to tell you that you should be well behaved on that day, this att.i.tude I"m seeing here today is quite appalling" he paused for a while, his eyes scanning through the students, then he continued.

"Well that"s that, the audition will hold on the first Friday of next month which is around two weeks from today, your tutors would enlighten you more and coach you on areas where you need to be coached.

I"ve said the most important things, any questions you have should be directed to your lecturers, I"ll be taking my leave" He concluded, picked up his gla.s.s case from the pulpit stand, put in his oversize gla.s.ses and quietly left the hall alongside side another staff obviously his a.s.sistant.