```
"What a joke!"
```
Gao Yang slammed the table:
"For the record, there are only 41 people at this reunion! Where did you get 42 from? Did you pull a ghost out of thin air?!"
Xia Yuan suddenly coughed violently beside him and grabbed Gao Yang:
"Ahem... It's the New Year; don't talk nonsense."
...
42.
Lin Xian instantly felt sober.
Again, that mysterious and odd number.
He squinted at Gao Yang:
"How many people actually came today?"
"Definitely 41! Even if the Jade Emperor himself attended, it would still be 41!" Gao Yang abruptly stood up, took out a crumpled list from his pocket, and showed it to Lin Xian:
"Look!"
Lin Xian took the crinkled list, which had the classmates' names printed in three columns, and indeed, the final number was 41.
There was a check mark behind each classmate's name; everyone was accounted for.
"I refuse to believe this nonsense!"
Gao Yang burped, turned around, and started counting from table to table:
"1, 2, 3... 39, 40, 41!"
