Chapter 340: Suzhou Embroidery Finals
Translator: _Min_ |
Li Ying paced anxiously in her home, her mind swirling with thoughts.
Finally, her phone rang.
Her eyes lit up as she swiftly grabbed it. Hearing from Liu San that the task was completed, a wave of relief washed over her. Coupled with the hacked votes that she purchased through a professional hacker pushing her to first place, a smile spread across her face.
In her mind, she visualized the scene where she would be announced as the new member of the Gu Group, with everyone looking on enviously.
The technical staff at Gu Group, upon seeing the voting system manipulated, expressed their confusion to Gu Dai, “Chairwoman Gu, why did you allow this?”
Gu Dai, her gaze lowered and a smile curling at her lips, replied softly, “Turning hope into disappointment can be quite interesting.”
At the competition venue, the host announced the online voting results, “First place, Li Ying; second place, Wei Jia; third place, Mao Ni!”
Li Ying lifted her head in triumph.
However, murmurs spread among the crowd.
“A difference of 50 million votes between first and second place? That’s insane.”
“The works of Li Ying and Wei Jia are quite similar, and Wei Jia’s could even be considered a bit better. How can there be such a huge gap?”
“I suspect vote manipulation. Last night, Li Ying’s votes suddenly increased by 50 million.”
Hearing these whispers, Li Ying’s face stiffened slightly, but she calmed down, thinking of the top hacker she had employed. “The system was supposed to be secure, how could I manipulate votes? Stop spreading rumors, or I’ll sue you for defamation!”
The audience remained skeptical but were silenced by her threat.
The host, following Gu Dai’s instructions, announced, “Now, let’s proceed to our judges’ votes!”
A staff member rushed in, “There’s a problem – one of the contestants’ works has been sabotaged!”
The host quickly adapted, “No worries, we’ll judge based on the works published online.”
Soon, all works were displayed on the big screen. The judges’ votes mainly favored Wei Jia and Li Ying, with Wei Jia securing four votes and Li Ying only one.
Li Ying’s face turned slightly gloomy. She glared at the judges who didn’t vote for her, but she wasn’t overly concerned. After all, the judges vote each counted for one million, while her online votes were 50 million higher than Wei Jia’s!
She urged the host, “Announce the final result, quickly!”
The host began, “The final results of the first Suzhou Embroidery Competition!”
“Third place, Wang Wu!”
This announcement left everyone, including Wang Wu, in shock, “I’m third? I thought I’d be fourth!”
Applause erupted.
“Second place, Mao Ni!”
Li Ying was indifferent to the third and second places; she was only waiting for her name to be announced as the winner.
Gu Dai watched Li Ying’s expectant face, secretly anticipating her reaction to the final result.
The contestants sensed something amiss.
“Third place Wang Wu, second place Mao Ni. What about Wei Jia and Li Ying? Are they tied for first?”
“It’s possible, their vote counts were close.”
Mao Ni, worriedly holding Wei Jia’s hand, whispered, “Jiajia…”
Wei Jia responded softly, “It’s okay. I’ve given my best. Let’s just wait for the final result.”
Mao Ni nodded in agreement.
Wei Jia’s expression was calm, but inwardly, she was also confused and anxious about the outcome.
The host, under everyone’s gaze, announced loudly, “The champion of our Suzhou Embroidery Competition is… Wei Jia! Congratulations!”
Instant applause and fireworks erupted, filling the venue with joy and celebration.
Wei Jia, in disbelief, looked towards Gu Dai.
Gu Dai met Wei Jia’s gaze, nodding and clapping for her.
The host continued, “Now, let’s invite our champion to the stage to receive her award from our special guest, and congratulations on her future entry into Gu Group….”