"Hahaha…"

Linda couldn't help but laugh exaggeratedly, "Nan, we’re in for a good show now. Some people were so arrogant before, and now they’ll be equally embarrassed."

Nancy gently squeezed Linda’s hand, "Linda, the final results haven’t been announced yet, let’s not celebrate too early."

"Why not?"

Linda pouted, defiantly raising her chin, "Just based on the audience's reaction, if we can't even beat Rivata, then there must be some foul play."

In the entertainment industry, underhanded dealings were common, and many competitions were rigged.

Nancy wasn’t afraid of any foul play in this competition. With Charlie there, would the organizers dare to rig the results against her?

If there really was any manipulation, she’d be the one behind it.

However, Nancy hadn’t used her relationship with Charlie to her advantage, which was the main reason she didn’t want others to know about their connection.

"Linda, let's go and wait for the results. You can gloat after they’re announced."

"Alright."

Linda, always obedient to Nancy's words, followed her lead. Her teacher, Patrick, had also told her to learn from Nancy.

The two girls ignored Rivata’s malicious gaze and took their seats.

"Nan, Linda."

Andrew and Patrick both gave them a thumbs-up, "Amazing! Even better than we expected!"

"Thank you."

The girls smiled and thanked their teachers, then sat down with everyone else, patiently waiting for the final results.

At the judges' table, the four judges were busy scoring. Soon, the results were compiled.

The host, holding the final result sheet, walked onto the stage, facing all the young pianists eagerly waiting below.

He smiled pleasantly, "Everyone must be eager to know the final results, right?"

Everyone nodded, their gaze intensifying towards the host.

With a sigh and a look of sorrow in his eyes, the host said, "But announcing the results means half of you will have to leave the training camp. Honestly, I don’t want to announce them."

His words struck hard at the hearts of the young pianists. They both anticipated and feared the results, dreading they might be among the last fifty to leave.

Seeing their conflicted expressions, the host smiled again, "Don't worry, you're already the best among young pianists. Even if you leave this stage, the sky's the limit for you. Now, let's announce the final results."

To spare the feelings of those leaving, the organizers decided not to publicly announce the names of those eliminated. Instead, starting from the fiftieth place, they announced the rankings upward.

As the names were called out one by one, those whose names were mentioned were ecstatic, almost moved to tears.

Although being in the top fifty was just a median score, staying in the competition was a win for them.

But for those whose names hadn’t been called yet, anxiety mounted. They hoped for a high ranking, yet feared elimination if their name wasn’t called, making the atmosphere increasingly tense.

"Thirty-seventh place, Rivata."

Rivata's face fell when her name was called so early. Thirty-seventh wasn't a bad rank, but it wasn't great either, especially since she had bet against Nancy.

And so far, Nancy's name hadn't been called among those before her...