Liu Lu took a deep breath to calm her slightly nervous mood and walked towards Judge Lin's office.

Outside the office, a slightly thin man wearing glasses stopped her.

"Are you Ms. Liu Lu?" He pushed up his glasses, his tone official and rigid. "Judge Lin is in a meeting; you will need to wait here." Secretary Zhang glanced furtively at the closed office door, inwardly groaning.

Judge Lin wasn't really having a meeting; he was clearly just drinking tea and reading newspapers, deliberately leaving Liu Lu hanging.

He could only pray that Liu Lu wouldn't be too difficult to deal with, otherwise he would be caught in the middle and have a hard time.

Time passed second by second, and Liu Lu's patience gradually wore thin.

The faint clinking of teacups coming from the office only added to her irritation.

Finally, after waiting for nearly an hour, the office door opened.

Judge Lin strolled out leisurely, his eyes sweeping over Liu Lu with disdain. "You're Liu Lu? What brings you here?"

"Judge Lin, I'd like to talk to you about this selection process." Liu Lu tried her best to control her anger and keep her tone calm.

"Talk? What's there to talk about?" Judge Lin sneered. "I've already seen your application; you're not qualified to participate in the selection at all."

"Judge Lin, I believe your judging criteria are unfair," Liu Lu argued. "My work fully meets the judging requirements, and moreover..."

"Enough!" Judge Lin interrupted her impatiently. "I said you're no good, and that's final! You're just a lowly factory worker, and you think you can argue with me?" He smiled contemptuously. "Young man, you need to know your place."

Liu Lu took a deep breath, looked directly at Judge Lin, and said, word by word, "Judge Lin, I know you have some prejudice against our factory, but that shouldn't affect my efforts in the selection process. I hope you can treat every contestant fairly and impartially."

Judge Lin's face darkened, and a shadow of gloom flashed in his eyes.

Are you questioning my professionalism?

"I'm just fighting for my rightful rights," Liu Lu said without backing down.

The atmosphere in the office suddenly became tense, and Secretary Zhang stood aside, not daring to breathe.

He glanced at Liu Lu furtively, secretly admiring her courage.

Judge Lin is known in the industry as someone who is not to be trifled with, but no one expected that this seemingly weak woman would dare to confront him head-on.

Judge Lin stared at Liu Lu for a long time, then suddenly sneered, "Fine, very well. Since you're so confident, I'll give you a chance. Tomorrow morning at ten o'clock, at the preliminary round, I'll personally see what you're really capable of." His tone was icy, carrying a hint of warning.

Liu Lu met his gaze without flinching. "Thank you, Judge Lin. I will definitely not let you down."

Judge Lin smirked coldly. "I hope so." He turned and went back to his office, slamming the door shut behind him.

Secretary Zhang wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and whispered to Liu Lu, "Ms. Liu, you...you should go back and prepare properly."

Liu Lu nodded and turned to leave.

She stopped at the end of the corridor, glanced back at the closed office door, and a resolute glint flashed in her eyes.

"Judge Lin, we'll see," she said in a low voice.

When Liu Lu returned home, her daughter Liu Bei immediately greeted her, her little face full of worry: "Mom, how did it go? Was that judge uncle very fierce?" Liu Lu smiled and patted her daughter's head: "It's okay, Mom took care of it." Although she said that, she knew in her heart that tomorrow's preliminary round would be the real test.

The next morning, Liu Lu arrived at the preliminary competition venue on time.

Judge Lin sat in the center of the judges' panel, his expression serious, his sharp eyes scanning each contestant.

When Liu Lu went on stage, a barely perceptible sneer appeared on his lips.

Liu Lu took a deep breath and began to introduce her project.

To Lin's surprise, Liu Lu did not act timidly as he had expected; instead, she was poised, confident, and spoke eloquently.

She not only elaborated on the project's achievements in detail, but also boldly put forward her insights on the future development trends of the industry. Her professionalism and foresight impressed the other judges present.

Judge Lin was secretly surprised; he hadn't expected this seemingly ordinary factory worker to have such insight and courage.

He had initially thought Liu Lu was just a presumptuous clown, but now it seemed he had underestimated her.

“My daughter, Liu Bei, has always encouraged me and told me not to give up on my dreams.” As she said this, Liu Lu’s eyes were filled with determination and warmth. “For her sake, I will do my best.”

Judge Lin looked at the gleam in Liu Lu's eyes and was inexplicably touched.

He thought of his daughter, who was still learning to speak, and a soft spot in his heart seemed to be gently touched.

His expression softened slightly, and there was less hostility in his eyes.

After Liu Lu finished her speech, the audience erupted in enthusiastic applause.

The other judges expressed their appreciation, and even the usually harsh judge Lin nodded slightly.

He picked up his pen and wrote down a good score on the evaluation sheet.

Just then, the office door was pushed open...

Just then, the office door was pushed open, and a sprightly old man walked in.

With his white hair and youthful face, and piercing eyes, he was none other than the highly respected Mr. Zhou in the industry.

He walked straight to Judge Lin and asked in a low voice, "Old Lin, what's going on? I just heard someone arguing outside."

Judge Lin looked somewhat awkward and said vaguely, "It's nothing, just a contestant with a few... opinions."

Old Zhou glanced at Liu Lu, his eyes filled with a hint of inquiry.

He gestured for Liu Lu to continue.

Liu Lu then briefly recounted her conversation with Judge Lin and her project.

After listening to Liu Lu's account, Old Zhou clapped his hands and laughed, "Good! What a remarkable woman! Old Lin, I think your criteria for judgment are indeed a bit problematic. What young Liu said is reasonable and well-founded, what else can you criticize?"

Judge Lin was embarrassed after being reprimanded by Elder Zhou in public, but due to Elder Zhou's prestige, he could not say anything more.

He coughed lightly and said, "Since Elder Zhou has said so, I have no objections. Xiao Liu, your project is good, prepare well for tomorrow's preliminary round."

Liu Lu glanced gratefully at Elder Zhou and nodded slightly: "Thank you, Elder Zhou, and thank you, Judge Lin."

During the preliminary round, Liu Lu remained calm and composed, handling the situation with ease.

Her solid professional knowledge and unique insights won unanimous praise from the judges and the audience.

Especially during the Q&A session, she demonstrated exceptional quick wit and adaptability, leaving everyone present in awe.

"That's fantastic!" Liu Bei waved her little hand excitedly from below the stage, her face beaming with a proud smile.

Ultimately, Liu Lu stood out with her outstanding performance and successfully advanced to the finals.

The applause was thunderous and lasted for a long time.

Standing on the stage, Liu Lu felt a surge of joy and gratitude as she experienced this glorious moment.

She knew that all of this was inseparable from her own efforts, as well as her daughter's support and encouragement.

However, just as Liu Lu was immersed in joy, she noticed several cold, sinister gazes fixed on her from the corner...

One of them smirked and muttered, "Hmph, what's there to be so smug about? The real show is yet to come..."

At the celebration banquet after the preliminary rounds, Liu Lu was surrounded by people, and congratulations were heard all around her.

The sweet taste of champagne spread in her mouth, but it couldn't dispel the vague unease in her heart.

Amidst the clinking of glasses, she noticed several contestants whispering in a corner, their eyes occasionally glancing at her with a hint of barely perceptible hostility.

The next day, Liu Lu sensed a subtle change in the atmosphere.

The contestants, who were originally warm and friendly, began to deliberately distance themselves from her, their eyes filled with suspicion and scrutiny.

What shocked her even more was that rumors about her began to circulate at the event.

Some people say she advanced through unfair means, some say her project was plagiarized, and some even spread rumors that she had a chaotic private life.

These rumors spread like a virus, reaching the entire venue almost overnight.

Liu Lu felt a chill. She couldn't understand who she had offended to invite such a vicious attack.

She tried to explain and clarify, but the rumors spread far faster than she had imagined.

The judges who had previously praised her began to look at her with suspicion.

"This is impossible!" Liu Lu clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her flesh. "I must find the mastermind behind this and clear my name!"

She began a covert investigation, trying to find the source of the rumors.

She carefully recalled every detail, every glance, every action, trying to find any clues.

However, the spreader of the rumor seemed to be well hidden, and she was unable to find any solid evidence.

Just when Liu Lu was at her wit's end, she received an anonymous phone call.

"Want to know who's behind this? See you tomorrow at noon, same place." The voice on the other end of the phone was deep and hoarse, with a hint of mockery.

Liu Lu's heart sank; she realized this might be a trap.

But she had no way out; she had to go, she had to find out the truth of it all.

The next day at noon, Liu Lu arrived at the agreed location on time—a secluded coffee shop.

She looked around but didn't see anyone suspicious.

Just as she was about to leave, a figure emerged from the corner.

"You've arrived." The man was wearing a baseball cap, the brim pulled low so that his face was obscured.

He handed Liu Lu a USB drive, saying, "Everything you want to know is on here."

Liu Lu took the USB drive, hesitated for a moment, and finally plugged it into the computer.

A video started playing on the computer screen.

In the video, several contestants are sitting together, their faces bearing sinister smiles, plotting how to spread rumors about Liu Lu...

“How could it be them…” Liu Lu stared at the scene on the screen in disbelief, her lips trembling slightly.

"Now that you know the truth, what do you plan to do?" The man took off his hat, revealing a familiar face.

"You..." Liu Lu's eyes widened, unable to believe what she was seeing.

The newcomer sneered, "Don't blame me, blame yourself for being too outstanding and blocking our way."

He turned to leave, but Liu Lu grabbed him: "Do you think you can ruin me like this? I won't let you succeed!"

The newcomer abruptly shook off Liu Lu's hand, a ruthless glint in his eyes: "We'll see!"

The coffee shop door slammed shut, leaving Liu Lu sitting there alone, clutching the USB drive tightly in her hand...

A series of hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor.