The Saint Dezburg Bridge Design?
Josie vaguely remembered the design. It had a grand and imposing overall outline, with a avant-garde concept. The same designer had once cornered her in an underground parking lot. As she thought about his hidden motives, a slight frown involuntarily appeared on Josie’s face.
“That piece of work is decent, but it wasn’t one I recommended!”
My colleague seemed surprised. “Oh, I see. I thought you had found another promising candidate…”
Josie gave a wry smile, not saying much else.
The organizers presented the latest works of the semi-finalists. The judges sat together, carefully deliberating. Josie examined each piece with great seriousness, fully engrossed. Her demeanor exuded a unique charm.
Once the judges had reviewed them, the competition entries were presented to the media and audience for display. Ultimately, the list of finalists was decided by a vote from the judges.
Josie stood at the far left of the judges’ panel. Just as she was about to step forward to cast her vote, an unexpected female voice rang out. “Wait a moment. Before we vote, I have something to say….
It was Lily.
At that moment, she swiftly moved to stand in the center of the judges’ panel. The scene was immediately captured by the surrounding media reporters, who hurriedly approached with their cameras raised.
“Ms. Lily, if there’s something you need to say, wouldn’t it be better to discuss it privately? This is a public place, and your actions are somewhat inappropriate,” the organizer stepped forward and advised.
However, Lily remained unmoved. “I stand here today for a reason. Everyone, please don’t rush. Once I’ve said what I need to say, I will naturally step down.”
Lily’s gaze swept over each of the judges, finally resting on Josie. “As one of the judges for this competition, I am well aware that our contest has always adhered to the principles of fairness and justice. However… some people have disregarded the competition’s rules and regulations, even going so far as to accept bribes from contestants in private. They have used their minor authority to push unqualified contestants into the semi-finals. This has a very detrimental impact on our competition.”
Lily’s voice was neither loud nor soft, yet it clearly reached the ears of everyone present.
The crowd was immediately shocked.
“Who could be so unscrupulous, breaking all industry norms?”
“Does this kind of person even deserve to stand here as a judge? Where is the fairness in this competition?”
“They must be desperate for money, taking any they can get. Ms. Lily, please tell us. Who exactly is this person?”
Everyone speculated, trying to guess who Lily was referring to.
The moment Lily began to speak, Josie’s heart skipped a beat. After listening to everything she had to say, a smirk of mockery was the only expression on her face. She stood there, seemingly detached from the situation, looking at Lily as if she were a clown.
However, Lily sensed that Josie was showing signs of guilt.
The scene before her had achieved the desired effect. Without any hesitation, she stretched out her hand, pointed at Josie, and sternly said, “Today, in front of everyone, I am making a public accusation. One of our judges, Alice, has been accepting bribes privately, and I can provide complete evidence. Her disgraceful behavior is an utter embarrassment to our design department. I propose that Alice be expelled from the panel of judges and be banned from participating in any industry activities…”
As soon as Lily spoke, everyone’s gaze naturally turned toward Josie as expected.
There were those who looked on in surprise, those who scorned, and those who watched as if at a play… All sorts of gazes were directed at Josie, making her feel somewhat uncomfortable.
