Trapped with a Doctor
Chapter 148 Congratulations on Your Promotion

Suddenly, Angela whisked herself off the seat and stood above the seated audience. Her face turned red with embarrassment as she shoved Arvin's shoulder away. "Go away! I don't want to sit with you! You're nothing but a bad guy!"

Despite her outburst, Arvin still felt a deep attraction for this woman, enough to disregard her entire uncouth reproach.

About ten minutes later, it was Angela's turn onstage, so she got up and left Arvin to his own devices. She power-walked to backstage in a fit watching Arvin, who removed himself and sat back at the front. From his re-positioning, Nita got to see who Arvin had been sitting next to, and she was not pleased. She had danced for his reciprocation, but now she wasn't sure if he had even deigned to watch her performance.

People gradually lost their interest in the show since there were too many song and dance numbers. The host noticed their fatigue and hopped up onstage with renewed vigor in his tone as he announced the next act. It was just in time, too. "Next is Angela, from the Research and Development Department. Her show is entitled Little Chips Light Great Fires!"

Being that Angela was the gossip subject of the whole hospital right now, as well as Chuck's daughter, the room awoke in a stir of anticipation. Angela sighed upon hearing the name of her show. She was not a talented girl and had spent a lot of time coming up with the name of the show! Angela donned her white coat, dusted off her cap and mask, and traipsed onstage with all her equipment.

Two desks had been laid out onstage. The audience were rapt, if not a little confused.

What was Angela doing? they wondered.

The options were do a song or dance, and it was usually an excuse to wear one's most expensive dress; instead, Angela just wore her work clothes.

It could be her low-key personality, her independent spirit, or... her dedication to work.

That's what people like Nita would think, but in reality, Angela didn't actually think much about what to wear; the performance, instead, would speak for itself.

All the chemical solutions she prepared were very special. It was a laborious craft, but she would focus simply on how to extract each of them.

The ambient music began to play from somewhere deep behind the stage. Angela poured out one of the test-tubes onto both desks, and then poured out another beaker in a similar fashion, all the while holding the audience transfixed.

Then, she added one drop of the liquid which she herself had invented. Once she did this, something amazing started to happen.

Something, oozing around in the puddle she'd created from the two solutions, began to congeal. Something like a film of exquisite lotion, or a picture, was reflected on the white curtain at the top of the stage. The color became darker and darker and finally turned dark blue.

This had thoroughly captured the imagination of the audience. Angela took another beaker, and spread its contents on the table. Stars and moon appeared on the curtain. The audience were attentive, craning to see the spectacle.

Being looked at as a whole, the curtain was an illumination of night with stars and the moon.

No computer special effects were crafting this image. No lasers or stage-show trickery. It was only the result of some specially selected chemical solutions. People who were able to understand the chemical principles couldn't help applauding.

But it was not over! Angela went to the front of the stage and spread something on each side of it.

Suddenly, out of the puddle on one side, a lick of flames burst out! But it was controlled, tamed, as if on strict radius.

Most of the audience bolted in fright at the first sign of danger, including Arvin; they thought she had miscalculated and that Angela had made a mistake.

But it wasn't. Subsequently, something began to come to shape within the pale red flames. A line, and another, and another, until a clear sentence was read across the fire. It caught Arvin's attention. "Congratulations on your promotion, Director Gu!"

Before Arvin had a chance to applaud, Angela was taking out another beaker which she mixed in a transparent glass jar.

She added what looked like simple syrup, and the liquid in the jar began to boil and hiss with bubbles.

It shot out of the jar in a pole. When it was about two meters high, Angela stepped on the ladder and poured another chemical into its vase-like opening.

Another sentence materialized before their eyes. "Wish you a happy life".

The structure was limited to presenting only five words.

A storm of applause broke out! Angela got down from the ladder and asked others to move away the glass jar.

The big fire totally frightened the audience, but Angela didn't notice it. She continued the performance.

In the end, the fire spread over the whole stage and it seemed that the stage was burning! Angela stood behind the wall of fire so that no one could see her now.

The performance was extremely breathtaking!

On the top of the stage, it was still the picture of a beautiful starry sky.

But most of the audience couldn't calm down because they didn't understand what was happening.

The directors in the front row were excited and appreciative; they knew it was not real or harmful fire. It was a phantom fire serviced by some ingenious chemical concoction. Arvin gave a deep look at Angela. What a surprise she was!

Dancing and singing? They could go to hell. The real performance was the ingenuity of the human brain.

At the end of the performance, two words appeared, and it said "Thank You". The fire finally died out with a sizzle of smoke.

Everyone appeared relieved. The staff cleared everything off stage to prepare for the next act.

Angela took out one bottle and spread it on the desk. Suddenly, fireworks appeared to scale the night sky in luminescent colors.

With real stereophonic style sound effects! It seemed the fireworks really came to life on this small curtain.

When the picture disappeared, Angela finally finished her performance by taking a long-standing bow.

She wiped everything away from the curtain and the night sky dissolved.

The performance was officially over.

When the light was turned on, there were only two desks and a suitcase prepared by Angela.

"Thank you all!" Angela walked down the steps of the stage to a standing ovation which had been ringing since the fireworks had started.

When all the shows were finished, the voting began.

Unsurprisingly, Angela won first place.

She hadn't expected such a result, though, because her performance didn't express any significant meaning; to her, it was all simple chemical calculations, and routine. But to the audience, it represented so much more. The visual impacts brought about by her show were great and conducive with the theme of innovation. It expressed the element and spirit of the Research and Development Department. Arvin went to the stage and presented the award to Angela.

She stood in the center of the stage and watched Arvin walking to her.

Under the arrangement of the host, Arvin took the trophy and stood in front of Angela.

People knew the affair between Angela and Arvin, so they became excited when Arvin gave the award to Angela and hugged her.

"Angela, you are the best!" He kissed on her hair secretly.

Angela smiled, "It was just a trick! I feel embarrassed to take the first prize."

It was just a chemical effect, after all.

Arvin released her and told her in low voice, "I'm crazy about your performance. You are so special to me!"

At that moment, his eyes were full of happiness and love. Angela stared at him directly...