manynovel Chapter 250 The Tricky Spring Ball
Chapter 250 The Tricky Spring Ball
Time flies, and Lin Yan's high school life quietly slipped by day after day in classes, basketball, and piano practice. Occasionally on Sundays, he would hang out with Tom and Mike on the streets of New York, eating and drinking, experiencing the leisure of ordinary teenagers. They even looked for part-time jobs together, working as waiters in bars, experiencing what it felt like to earn pocket money with their own hands. During this time, because of his Chinese appearance, he naturally encountered some prejudice and harassment, but he skillfully resolved them all. Time passed peacefully amidst minor ripples, and before he knew it, it was May.
That day, he received an exquisite invitation—a wedding invitation from Tang Liuqian and Yang Xi'en. The perfect couple would be getting married in New York at the end of May. Lin Yan was one of the witnesses to their relationship, and naturally, he was sincerely happy for their happy ending.
On Monday, May 2nd, during morning assembly, Mr. Morris, the homeroom teacher, announced some exciting news for most students with a smile: "Everyone, next Saturday is our school's annual spring dance! I hope you'll all prepare in advance; it's a fantastic opportunity to showcase yourselves, make friends, and create wonderful memories..."
A low cheer and excited whispers rippled through the audience below the stage, but Lin Yan frowned almost imperceptibly.
Spring dance. In Lin Yan's personal opinion, this thing was practically a meticulously packaged "obedience test" for teenagers. It wasn't mandatory to attend, but in the social ecosystem of American high schools, not attending meant, to some extent, actively marginalizing oneself and being seen as an unsociable "outsider."
Being able to participate means endless trouble: he needs to prepare formal attire and style his appearance in advance, and what troubles him the most is that he must invite a girl to be his "dance partner" several weeks in advance.
According to unwritten rules, as a male, he is expected to cover the costs of the prom entrance fee, transportation that evening (usually renting a decent car or driving his family's nice car), and the boutonniere for his female partner. His primary responsibility throughout the evening is to accompany his partner and dance with her. Although after dancing a few dances with his partner, the male is usually encouraged to invite a friend's partner to dance—and as a matter of social politeness, the female is also welcome to accept invitations from other males—the core of the evening remains spending time with his regular dance partner.
The problem is that Lin Yan can't dance, doesn't like dancing, let alone dance closely with a girl. If he had a choice, he would rather invite Mike as his dance partner—at least that way there wouldn't be any awkwardness.
However, the reality was that he had almost no interactions with any girls in his class outside of academics. This spring dance suddenly put Lin Yan in a difficult and awkward position.
In order to deal with the "major crisis" of the spring ball, Lin Yan pondered and prepared three solutions.
Option 1: Seek help directly
Lin Yan took a deep breath and dialed Tang Liuqian's apartment in New York. This soon-to-be-married couple were currently the people he knew best in New York, and the people he could most easily ask for help from.
"Brother Liuqian," Lin Yan tried to keep his tone casual, "I need a dance partner for our school's spring dance next Saturday."
There was an eerie silence on the other end of the phone for a full three seconds. Then, Tang Liuqian burst into a thunderous laugh, laughing so hard he could barely breathe: "Pfft—hahaha! Ah...Ah Yan?! You...you've finally met your match?! Worried about a high school dance? And needing to find a dance partner? Hahaha!" In the background, Yang Xi'en's silvery laughter could also be heard clearly, she was obviously overjoyed as well.
Tang Liuqian, as if seizing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, relentlessly teased, "So, our all-powerful Young Master Lin is here to invite my fiancée, your Sister Xi'en, to be your dance partner? To show you, his little brother, the world? Hahahaha!"
Yang Xi'en answered the phone, her tone gentle, but with a stronger hint of teasing: "Ayan, I appreciate your invitation, really. It's an honor to be invited. But..." She couldn't help but chuckle again, "Are you sure you want to bring an 'auntie' who's about to get married to your high school prom? I'm afraid I'll be the most 'dazzling' person there, stealing the spotlight from all the girls, that wouldn't be good."
Lin Yan listened to the mocking banter from the couple on the other end of the phone, his face expressionless, but his ears involuntarily began to burn. He maintained his composure and tried to reason with them: "Sister Xi'en is the most suitable candidate. She's familiar with us, safe, and communicates efficiently, so there won't be any unnecessary follow-up trouble. Just consider it a favor, a way to get through the process."
"No, no, Ah Yan, I really can't help you with this." Tang Liuqian snatched back the phone, his tone filled with the glee of "finally it's my turn to laugh at you." "This is an important 'experience' in life! Figure it out yourself! With your face, you're not afraid of not finding a girl? I believe in your charm! Hahaha!" He laughed arrogantly, as if he wanted to laugh back all the time he had been humiliated by Lin Yan in front of him.
Hearing the grating laughter, Lin Yan narrowed his eyes and coldly spoke into the microphone, enunciating each word clearly: "Fine, Tang Liuqian, you're something else. I'll remember that. You'd better not give me any leverage over you in the future, or ever ask me for anything. If that happens... hmph, don't blame me for 'following procedure'."
The laughter on the other end of the phone stopped abruptly, as if taken aback by the precise "threat," followed by Tang Liuqian's even more arrogant mockery: "Oh, getting impatient! Fine, fine, I'll wait! I hope you find the most beautiful dance partner!"
After hanging up the phone, Lin Yan rubbed his temples, feeling a sense of defeat for the first time in a non-combat area. His attempt to seek help from acquaintances had failed, and he'd even received a barrage of merciless mockery.
Option Two: A Capital-Driven Attack
After hanging up Tang Liuqian's call, Lin Yan could still almost hear the couple's merciless laughter echoing in his ears. Lin Yan's face remained expressionless, but the awkwardness that belonged to a young man in his eyes quickly faded, replaced by the calmness and decisiveness of someone in a position of power.
Since personal connections won't work, let's use more direct and familiar methods.
He didn't even need to make a phone call to give any instructions. A clear divine command was transmitted into Alexander's mind. The command was concise and clear: In the name of the New York branch of the "Golden Harvest Group," donate a special fund to William C. Bryant High School to upgrade the upcoming spring prom.
The "Golden Harvest Group," a mysterious and financially powerful conglomerate, quickly had its New York branch representative contact the school's board of directors and event organizing committee. The meeting was low-key yet efficient. The branch representative, dressed in a well-tailored suit, spoke with precision and sincerity:
"Our group has always closely followed and been committed to supporting the development of community education, and we particularly appreciate your school's efforts in fostering the holistic development of students. We understand that your school will be holding a spring dance soon, which is an important platform for students to socialize and grow. Therefore, the Golden Harvest Group hopes to contribute by donating a special fund to enhance the overall experience of the dance, such as hiring a more professional band, decorating the venue more beautifully, and providing higher-standard catering services. We believe this will create even more wonderful memories for the students."
This sudden and generous donation was so large that it instantly elevated what would have been a conventional school dance to the level of a graduation banquet at an elite private school. The school representatives were initially astonished, then overwhelmed with joy—it was like a windfall!
However, every act of capital investment comes with a price. Just as the school was about to readily agree, the branch office representative casually added:
"Oh, right. To ensure that this donation is used precisely to meet the students' actual needs, we would like to have a student representative who is familiar with the campus culture and understands our goodwill participate in the final planning and confirmation of the prom as a 'Special Honorary Advisor,' and attend the prom as our representative on the night of the prom to collect feedback. Through our research, we recommend Lin Yan, a student in Year 11. We believe he is mature and stable enough to take on this role."
This request was perfectly reasonable, even showing the other party's thoughtfulness. What major impact could a student "advisor" have? Especially when it came with such a generous sponsorship, it was a small request. The school agreed to all the terms almost without hesitation.
Thus, in less than 24 hours, Lin Yan's "crisis" was averted. A formal invitation letter issued by the principal's office confirmed his status as the "Special Honorary Advisor" for the prom. This title, like a gleaming pass, granted him privileges beyond those of an ordinary student: he could freely participate in the prom without being bound by the rule of "fixed dance partners"; his primary responsibility was "supervision and feedback," not "dating and dancing."
Lin Yan casually placed the invitation on his desk, his expression indifferent. He had only used a negligible amount of working capital, and without even revealing his true relationship with the group, he had easily carved out a "lawless zone" for himself amidst the troublesome rules of high school dances.
Capital is indeed one of the most effective tools for breaking through in any world and under any rules.