Chapter 108: Giving gifts and Once a team always a team

Bai Yi Yang woke up at 5.15 am as usual. Take a bath then make breakfast, fried rice and also warm cup of chocolate drink.

[2 points earned. Total points: 185]

'Don't ask questions just accept it..' TongTong who is also a bit grumpy in the morning said before Bai Yi Yang can ask anything about the second point.

Today, her style changed a bit, she is not wearing ribbons but hair scarf. The pattern she choose today is a dark blue scarf with white and light blue floral pattern. It can look tacky but it suits her so well.

"Jie, your hair scarf is pretty." Bai Yi Fang praise. She also have one of this, just smaller and the colour is more colourful.

They all head down the mountain like usual at 6.00 am. The children and the dogs stays at Old Zhou house while the three of them go to school.

It was the same as last week, after assembly then Mr.Ling came to take attendance, then they hand out their homework. After that is their free times, Bai Yi Yang gave her presents to the girls in class.

"What is this? Lorraine?! You went to the city this weekend?!" Roxy Lee who recognise the brand on the small box ask excitedly.

Yes, Bai Yi Yang got her classmates some pretty accessories like earrings, necklace and bracelets. Each one of them get one, Bai Yi Yang gets most of them earrings because there are a lot of pretty designs, their prices ranges from 55-75 yuan. She didn't get the expensive one, this is suitable for high school girls like them.

Even though the price was like that, to buy for all 16 girls in class she still spends a bit passed 1,000 yuan. Isn't this all to make good connection?

Just take the bully girl case for example, if there is no classmates to back her up, she won't be able to teach her a lesson like last time.

She still give Zhang Ming Ming the best of course, she gift her a bag. Which Zhang Ming Ming hug like a baby along the way, she likes the gift so much.

"Yeah, had some personal business there. Then passed by the shopping mall." She answered.

"No wonder you are wearing new hair accessories again. I saw some girls wear similar big ribbons, I don't dare to. I can't pull it off." Ling Yi Meng who received a bracelet said. She is one of their class beauty trio which are Roxy Lee, Wang Qing and Ling Yi Meng.

"You pretty bunch..if you can't pull it off, then I don't dare to even touch it." Mo Yi Ru said, inviting laugh from the other.

"Thanks for the bangle Yi Yang." She then grinned at Bai Yi Yang.

"No problem, as long as you like it." Bai Yi Yang smile back.

"How can anyone not like it. The design is pretty.." Another group of female classmates said as they admire each other design.

"Isn't this a bit expensive?" Chen Xi Ruo who Bai Yi Yang observed during music class said, she received a pretty earrings with music notes design. She likes this a lot, but also worried that it is too expensive.

"Not expensive, I can't remember the exact price but they are all between 55-75 yuan. Don't worry about it." Bai Yi Yang said.

The other girls don't know what to say. They usually just bought a few yuan worth of souvenirs when they all go somewhere, sometimes buying the one in bulk but cheap one, as long as they give something. But Bai Yi Yang spends that much to buy them things, so generous and she also have the ability ah.

"Are your family secretly rich?" Mo Yi Ru whisper at her.

"No." Bai Yi Yang laugh at this.

After that the girls ask her about where did she go in City Nan. Some of the girls only been there once, or only passed to go to the airport. Bai Yi Yang told them briefly about her trips.

"You went to stay at Holiday Inn?!" Mo Yi Ru ask.

"So you are rich.." She nod in understanding. Their definition of rich is different, when they mean rich, it means that the person is able to buy extra unnecessary things such as staying at Holiday Inn. They can just stay at a cheaper hotel and will be able to sleep comfortably, why need to go to those expensive hotel just for 1-2 night? Since Bai Yi Yang family can stay at a place like that for 2 days, she is someone who have money.

"That place is just convenient. It's close to many attraction place." Bai Yi Yang explained.

"So jealous, I want to go there too." A girl chimed in.

Some also have gone to the same place that Bai Yi Yang go, so they connected right away.

"Did Yi Chen ride the boat too?" Wang Qing ask as she take a glance at Bai Yi Chen.

"Of course, he is a part of my family too." Bai Yi Yang answer.

"So romantic.." A girl accidentally blurt it out.

"Sister-in-law..sister-in-law..please buy me more Lorraine please." Mo Yi Ru pretend to call her that and it invites laugh from the girls.

Who doesn't find Bai Yi Chen attractive? But they are classmates, they need to have control on themselves and pretend not to be interested, it will be awkward if they were rejected by their classmates right? Sometimes they wish they were in different class so they can admire him openly without feeling awkward.

While Bai Yi Yang gifts receive huge praises, Bai Yi Chen gifts to the boys got a different reaction.

"What do you mean giving us a pen as gifts? Even though it's unique, they are still pen." Liu Shan said looking at the pen. The design is good, but everyone got pen, unlike the girls.

"Be thankful, if my sister didn't remind me you won't get anything." Bai Yi Chen said.

"Bai Yi Chen..you really.." Liu Shan pretend to get angry.

"You talk about people gift who is better than yours. Didn't you remember about giving us a piece of red thread, saying that it is blessed from a temple. Then we found out from your brother that you cut it yourself the night before." Some boy classmate said, the boys immediately bombard Liu Shan after that making Liu Shan don't dare complain again.

When the first period start, the class finally calm down. There were nothing interesting, as usual Bai Yi Yang pretend to focus but she was talking with TongTong. When it was the afternoon during lunch, Bai Yi Yang excuse herself after eating quickly, she need to head to the Chemistry lab.

Bai Yi Yang arrives with Li Jian Yu already working on their experiments. He said that Sir Austin leave for a while to do something and the rest haven't arrived.

Bai Yi Yang then asked a bit about the process. They have draft a methodology for their research but she still need to ask about some details in the lab.

The students is not expert researchers, they only followed Sir Austin instructions, so Li Jian Yu is really following the method they prepared in advance.

"I think I should tell you this earlier..we may lose a team member..just be prepared." Li Jian Yu said with a sigh.

"Who? Why?" Bai Yi Yang asked. Their team is just formed, they are losing member already?

"Wang Yi Lin. Her academic performance has been declining, the teacher told her to quit this team and focus more on studying. She said she will consider it, but most probably she will quit." Li Jian Yu said.

Wang Yi Lin is a good teammates, she is quite intelligent too, out of the three of them doing the lab work, Wang Yi Lin has the most understanding about the research.

"Sir Austin knows?" Bai Yi Yang ask.

"En..it's a bit messy.. Sir Austin is confident that we can succeed but our homeroom teacher wanted an evidence. It has been almost a week but she sees nothing. You know who our homeroom teacher is, Madam Lilian. She have been arguing with Sir Austin in English. It was quite a headache this morning." Li Jian Yu adds.

"I have done up to Introduction, if I knew it I would have stayed up to finish much more." Bai Yi Yang sigh.

Not long after that Sir Austin returned looking a bit haggard, but he still put on a smile. Ruby An also came with her usual friendliness. Then lastly is Wang Yi Ling who only look down most of the time, she directly went to her table after greeting Sir Austin.

The atmosphere is very weird. Bai Yi Yang sigh. They cannot continue being like this. She suddenly stood up and hand over the gift boxes that she have prepared for the team.

"What is this?" Sir Austin open the box. Its a pen. The rest of the team also open it, well it is pretty but it is just a pen, maybe it looks a bit expensive but who has the mood to admire pen now?

Bai Yi Yang take a deep breath before talking.

"This is a gift. It is a USB flash drive pen. If you lift it up you can see the initials on it. I especially trouble the staff to make it exactly like this because this is how our name will be written in the research paper, when people make a reference from our research paper our name will be written like this." Bai Yi Yang said.

All of them immediately become interested and look at the gift mire carefully, indeed there is their initials on it. A smile immediately flashed on their face. Well, except for Wang Yi Lin.

Unlike the other who is smiling, her head become lower and she become much more quiet as she clenched on that pen. This didn't escape Bai Yi Yang sight, Bai Yi Yang can only sigh softly.

"Sir Austin, please open the USB and click on our research paper." Bai Yi Yang said.

Sir Austin do what he was told and open their research paper, it was clearly shown on the big screen now. Sir Austin scroll through it and Bai Yi Yang indeed finished it up to the Introduction part as she promised.

He read through it and feels like crying. Their research now sounds like some top level experiments that can saves humanity under Bai Yi Yang's writing. Her introduction is impactful, people can't help but gets curious and read more.

"You…you did really well." Sir Austin said.

The three students finally sees hopes. What Bai Yi Yang had written has the same feeling as they when they were reading the research papers example. She did it too perfectly actually.

"Now let's talk about our issue. We cannot continue being like this right?" Bai Yi Yang ask the members and Sir Austin. Which they all nodded.

"They want evidence then we give them evidence. Set a meeting. To see the results of the lab works after this short time, it is impossible unless we are gods, but I can give them up to 10 pages of literature review and also a complete methodology." Bai Yi Yang said her promise.

"That is too much, we can let them see this, you just do some of the research paper body, I can set a meeting with them this Friday the latest." Sir Austin said.

"No. Since it is Friday, then I can finish the literature review by then." Bai Yi Yang said confidently.

Wang Yi Lin and the rest understand what they are talking about, they have read a few research papers, the literature review is the longest, it requires evidences from numerous research papers. How can she finished it in short time?

"Junior Bai..it's my fault, you don't have to do this. Worse come to worse I will just leave the team. You all should prepare for a replacement." Wang Yi Lin finally said something, her eyes is red as she face her teammates.

"Then, let me ask you? Are you willing to let go of this opportunity? I have read similar research as this one we are doing, but they weren't successful. If we do this well, we will be the first one who succeed, we will surely get a Gold award, that is something that a mere increase of 2 to 3 ranks cannot replace. As long as you didn't do too bad during the National College Entrance Examination, you can just mention your name and show the research paper and people will fight so that you will join them." Bai Yi Yang said.

Wang Yi Lin eyes become much more red, she really can't bear to let go of this opportunity. But her homeroom teacher and parents told her to quit just because her performance in class declined a bit, her stress accumulate and it's getting worse now.

"I don't want to let go..but..they…they..my mom..Madam Lilian.." Wang Yi Lin finally lose it and she cried. Ruby An step towards Wang Yi Lin and gave her a hug.

"That's why we must calm down. I will do my job and you do yours. Calm down, don't get stressed. You do your lab work but pay all attention to class. Your problem is that you think too much, this few days, don't listen to anyone. On Friday when Sir Austin show them the evidence, you ask your mom to go see too, they will shut up on their own. You saw my ability already, do you still not believe in me?" Bai Yi Yang said.

"I…I believe…that's..that's why I am crying.." Wang Yi Lin said as she sobbed. The causes of her crying now is because she knows that if she let go of this golden opportunity, she will regret it for the rest of her life.

"Then what are you worried about? I won't listen to Sir Austin, I will finish it. Once a team always a team. Now let's invite Sir Austin to say some motivational words too.." Bai Yi Yang said, half joking, making the tense atmosphere lighter. The crying Wang Yi Lin also can't help but smile.

"I..I.." Sir Austin was taken aback, he was played around by Bai Yi Yang.

"I was wrong. I became intimidated by words. This is the first time I start over after many years, making me lost my confidence. But did you see our Introduction? Why are we doubting on such an excellent and good research? I will fight them this Friday, no matter if Student Bai Yi Yang can finished or not.." Sir Austin said.

"This sounds like a challenge." Bai Yi Yang said.

Everyone finally start smiling again after the words of encouragement.

"Thank you..even if I can't stay, I will not give this back." Wang Yi Lin approached Bai Yi Yang.

"It's yours, and always will be." Bai Yi Yang pat her on the shoulder. Bai Yi Yang is not good with coaxing word, what mire towards someone she is not very used too, but she still try to say a few mire words of encouragement.

After that, she can't stay long, she have a class so after saying her goodbye, she left the lab.

"I owe her one." Wang Yi Lin look at the engraving on her pen and smiled. She is determined, the least she can persuade is her parents and she will also focus more on class from now on.