CHAPTER 36: “I AGREE”

All eyes at that moment were fixed on Henry. Even the MC couldn’t help but gape, stunned by the unexpected result.

Henry slowly raised the paper in his hand and spoke in a deep voice, "So I get to choose first, right?"

The MC blinked blankly, then quickly nodded and announced the results. Leonard ranked second to last in the end, while Luther came dead last.

Luther ruffled his hair and shouted toward Joshua down below, "Joshua! You’d better turn everyone else down and wait until it’s my turn to pick you!"

Almost instantly, everyone nearby turned to look at him, and even the cameras zoomed in for a close-up.

Joshua’s face darkened. "You’re dead last, so stop making so much noise!"

The entire hall burst into laughter. Fortunately, the selection round was about to begin, cutting off whatever else Luther had to say.

As the winner, Henry already had his ideal team list in mind. The people he chose didn’t show any hesitation or rejection.

"The Henry Group already has six members," the MC interjected, raising the suspense. "Henry, do you want to stop at six, or will you add one more member?"

After all, given Henry’s rank, plenty of people wanted to join his team.

Holding the microphone, Henry calmly said, "The seventh member—Joshua."

As soon as he said that, both Luther and Leonard immediately turned to look at him, then shifted their gazes toward Joshua.

Joshua’s face was shown in close-up, just like the previous chosen members. He widened his eyes slightly, clearly surprised—he hadn’t expected Henry to pick him.

Henry, however, only looked at him steadily, expression unreadable. Behind him, his already chosen teammates started calling out, urging Joshua to join them.

The MC raised his voice excitedly, "Oh! Looks like our Joshua is in high demand! So, Joshua—please tell us your decision. Will you agree to become Henry’s teammate?"

Joshua lifted his head to meet Henry’s gaze. Instinctively, he held his breath and was just about to answer when Nine’s mocking voice suddenly rang out in his mind:

[Ha ha ha, look at him—he’s about to crush that microphone.]

Joshua couldn’t help but freeze for a moment. His gaze dropped—sure enough, he saw Henry’s hand gripping the microphone tightly, veins standing out and twisting under his skin.

His hand twitched, then slipped behind his back, disappearing from Joshua’s view.

When Joshua looked up again, Henry stared at him with that calm, unreadable expression. His eyes were steady, his lips pressed into a thin line, making his face look even colder and sterner.

"I agree."

Before Leonard could even celebrate Joshua’s hesitation, Joshua’s voice suddenly rang out.

On the big screen, Joshua and Henry stood facing each other—Joshua tilted his head slightly, the corners of his lips curved into a faint smile, his crescent-shaped eyes shimmering under the lights.

On the other hand, Henry looked down at him slightly, his face expressionless but gaze focused, almost intent.

He gave a short nod before turning to leave, and Joshua quickly followed behind him.

Damn it, it’s just joining a team! Leonard cursed inwardly. Did Joshua really have to say it in such a soft, cheerful tone? Is he that happy to be invited by Henry?!

Nine’s reaction was practically identical to Leonard’s—as if they were sharing one brain at that moment.

"I was talking in my normal tone, Nine. That’s just your imagination."

Nine snorted coldly. [So you’re not scared of him anymore?]

"I was never scared of Henry. Just... a little nervous," Joshua said, his voice trailing uncertainly.

Nine gave a mocking laugh and said nothing more.

And just like that, the first group was officially formed. The remaining teams were quickly assembled afterward—nine total groups ready for the next battle!

"And now, the most exciting part of today’s event!" the MC’s cheerful voice boomed across the stage. "Here we have nine iconic songs from legendary idols—both girl and boy groups! Each one is a hit from the golden era! Your mission is to perform a cover—reimagine the choreography, the concept, and arrangement itself—to deliver the most thrilling moments to the audience!"

Nine different song titles swirled across the big screen—some made the contestants’ eyes light up, while others drew visible hesitation.

"Now, please select your group leader. The leader will be in charge of drawing your song!"

As the MC’s voice echoed through the studio, nearly every gaze in Henry’s group turned toward him.

Henry hesitantly stepped forward and said, "I’ll be the leader."

His tone carried a quiet authority that left no room for objection. The others didn’t argue—they just nodded in agreement.

As the top-ranked player in the previous round, Henry naturally had the privilege of drawing first.

He stepped forward, and the MC quickly guided him, "Press the spin button on the wheel of fortune—the arrow will stop on the song you want!"

If only that were true. Unfortunately, that would never happen.

The wheel spun so fast it left afterimages, then suddenly stopped dead. Confetti burst across the screen, followed by a large pop-up that appeared for everyone to see.

"’Sexy Lady’ by GirlP! Congratulations to Henry and his team!"

Even as the MC announced it, his voice trembled slightly, betraying his composure.

"Pfft—ha ha ha!" Leonard burst out laughing without holding back.

Down below, Henry’s group was stunned entirely—all frozen with their mouths open in disbelief.

Some covered their faces or rubbed their temples, others were already goofing around. Only Joshua kept his eyes on Henry.

Henry walked back to his seat slowly, his expression unchanged—as if the song choice didn’t bother him.

Joshua glanced at the others, then turned to Henry with a slight grin. "It’s not bad, really. Pretty unique—it’ll definitely catch the audience’s attention."

Hearing that, Lucen immediately nodded and struck a mock "sexy" pose. "You guys see that, right? I think I was born to be a sexy lady!"

Lucian flicked his hair dramatically and inspected his nails. "I think we should paint them black."

Everyone burst into laughter, seriously debating what nail color would fit best.

They were all Joshua’s former teammates from his old group, Zerone, and Will’s juniors. No one had expected Henry to pick them, separating them from Will.

Suddenly, Joshua shivered slightly. He turned his head and, sure enough, found Henry staring straight at him. Joshua quickly straightened up and asked quietly, "Leader, what is it?"

Henry looked away first, his voice calm but firm. "Does anyone among us know choreography?"

They needed to modify a few moves, ideally adjusting the dance to suit their team better.

At that, Joshua immediately raised his hand. "I can do it."

Lucian chuckled and bumped Joshua’s shoulder lightly. "Joshua, you sound like a straight-A student answering his homeroom teacher."

Henry’s eyes flicked to Lucian’s shoulder for a moment before he said in a low voice, "I’ll handle the arrangement. Today, everyone will watch GirlP’s original performance. Joshua—come with me."

Joshua blinked in surprise, then quickly replied, "Yes!" and hurried after Henry—though he still had no idea what Henry was taking him along for.