Shen Yin didn't dare waste a single moment of the afternoon. She was completely immersed in her embroidery, as if everything around her ceased to exist.
After what seemed like an eternity, Shen Yin finally completed her piece. She looked up at the clock: 4:48 PM. That was close.
Many of the people around her had already stopped working.
The competition host called time, announcing the end of the contest.
"At 7 PM, we will announce the results of this competition and hold the awards ceremony in Times Square, just outside this venue. Contestants may now proceed to the adjacent dining hall for dinner."
Shen Yin stretched her neck and flexed her muscles before getting up to walk towards Xu Xiu.
Confidence, it seems, is when you don't worry at all. Shen Yin felt she had demonstrated her true capabilities. In just six hours, she had completed a double-sided embroidery with two extremely intricate designs. She could hardly believe she had actually succeeded.
"Let's go eat. I'm starving and want to have lots of delicious food," she said.
"Alright, we'll eat whatever you want," Xu Xiu replied.
At Times Square, all fifteen pieces were on display. A giant screen played footage from the day's competition.
There was a red carpet and a judges' panel.
When the family of three returned, Qi Yan and Qi Shengwen were already seated.
As Shen Yin approached, Qi Yan gave her a particularly challenging look, her eyes full of provocation.
Shen Yin chose not to engage, acting as if nothing had happened. Her expression remained unchanged as she calmly took her seat.
"Please welcome our judges to their seats."
The six judges from the afternoon's competition took their places one by one.
"Now, we will announce the results of the competition."
Four of the six judges looked uncomfortable. They had accepted bribes and were supposed to have taken care of things.
But one piece of work had astounded them.
The phoenix has always held an important place in Chinese culture, and this piece stood out among the others in both design and symbolism.
For a skilled embroiderer, such a piece would typically take at least three days to complete, yet it had been finished in just six hours.
When they touched the piece, they found the stitches even and dense. To their astonishment, they felt embroidery on the other side as well. When they turned it over, they were shocked.
On the reverse side was a blooming peony.
Double-sided embroidery! As judges, they had seen many such pieces in embroidery competitions over the years, with some even winning championships.
But the double-sided embroideries they had seen before were simpler, easier, with less complex lines.
They were all well-versed in ancient culture and had studied folk art, with some background in fine arts. If they weren't mistaken, both sides of this piece were reproductions of famous paintings.
"The Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix" and "Peony of Wealth and Honor."
Their expressions changed. This piece had surely set a record for the embroidery competition.
Completing such a work in just six hours—what else could it be but a miracle?
"The younger generation is truly admirable and formidable!" one judge exclaimed.
The judges who had accepted bribes looked troubled. Anyone who wasn't blind could see that among the 15 contestants' works, this one stood out remarkably.
"The phoenix and peony, double-sided embroidery. This piece deserves nothing less than the championship!"
One judge remarked, so moved that tears nearly fell from his eyes.
Indeed, this work was not just one, but several levels above the other 14 pieces.
The bribed judges exchanged glances. Originally, only one of them had accepted money.
But the person who offered the bribe had asked that judge to reach out to the others as well.
He had wanted to refuse, but the woman had offered far too much. He simply couldn't resist.
These judges all moved in the same circles and naturally knew each other well. They knew who among them could be tempted by money and who remained impartial and incorruptible.
In the end, he had contacted the others and told them about the offer. At first, they all refused, saying it wasn't right, that this was a national competition meant to be fair and just, to select talent for the embroidery world. How could they accept bribes?
Then he mentioned the price: 5 million. The other three judges began to waver. 5 million, not 500,000—it was indeed a lot.
This judge added some embellishments, saying things like, "This person's embroidery skills are quite good. They only came in second in the regional competition due to a poor performance." He also mentioned, "This person has connections. Their brother is about to become the top official in Rong City. They have power and money, so there's nothing to fear."
In the end, they all took the money, with the lead judge receiving the most: 8 million.
But now, they were hesitant. They weren't blind; they certainly recognized the value of this piece. It might even be directly acquired by the Hua City Museum.
The judges moved to one side, away from the two who knew nothing about the bribe.
"What should we do? If this piece doesn't win first place, we'll surely be criticized."
"This is indeed a problem. We can't completely abandon our professional integrity, can we?"
"Who would have thought such a dark horse would appear and disrupt all our plans?"
"She's not a dark horse. We've seen her work from the regional competition. It was indeed good, but this piece—this must be her true ability."
"Now the question is, how do we judge this? If we don't give her the win, we'll be criticized. Haven't you seen the big screen? They've been playing today's competition video non-stop. Her speed was unbelievable, it made me dizzy just watching."
"How could she not be fast? This piece is a major undertaking. If she wasn't quick, how could she have finished it?"
"How about this: two of us give this piece full marks, and the other two vote for Qi Shengwen's work. In the end, whoever wins will be up to fate. At least this way, we won't have taken the money for nothing," one judge proposed.
"That's a good idea, but which of us four is willing to play the blind fool? Are you willing? How about you?" one judge asked, looking at the others.
They fell silent. No one wanted to be criticized or admit to being blind to quality.
The two judges beside them, oblivious to the situation, were incredibly excited. They rushed over and said, "What are you four discussing? I have a feeling that this piece will go viral instantly. When that happens, it won't just be the embroidery community taking notice—even the general public will find it unbelievable. They might even be utterly shocked."
"Yes, yes, of course," the four agreed, their tone somewhat perfunctory.
"That's fantastic! When the President of the People's Alliance arrives later, she'll be amazed too. I'm sure she'll sing its praises."
"What? Are you saying the President is coming here later?"
"That's right."
"Why would she come? She's never attended before, has she?"
