Compared to the high-ranking officials and celebrities who were well-known in Lizhou, Lin Rui's appearance was much more low-key.

However, the stunning effect of the landscape painting that blended artistic conception with reality drew a lot of attention to Lin Rui, so many people cast curious glances at him the moment he appeared.

Too young!

I can hardly believe that this young man has such amazing skills in calligraphy and painting!

"My child, we meet again."

When the staff invited him to the judges' table, an elderly man immediately smiled and waved.

"Hello, Grandpa Lü."

Lin Rui responded politely.

This old man was no ordinary person; his name was Lü Jixiao, and he was one of the managers of the No. 1 Pavilion in the world, specifically responsible for reviewing the works of qin (a stringed instrument), chess, calligraphy, and painting.

Lin Rui hadn't expected that this competition would bring Lü Jixiao to the scene.

In his view, neither the Xia family nor any other forces in Lizhou should have such influence.

The only possibility is that the authorities attach great importance to this competition, which is why they sent Lü Jixiao to participate.

Lin Rui thought to himself, but his steps didn't stop. He walked to the judges' table and sat down in a few steps.

Coincidentally, he was sitting to the left of Lü Jixiao.

"Child, let me introduce you. This is Jiang Qingyang."

Lü Jixiao introduced an elderly man on the right.

The other party was clearly aloof; he nodded to Lin Rui in a seemingly polite manner, but his gaze quickly shifted elsewhere.

Lin Rui frowned secretly. He was quite certain that this was his first meeting with Jiang Qingyang, and they had no past grudges or recent conflicts. He really couldn't understand the other party's attitude.

Lü Jixiao seemed oblivious to Jiang Qingyang's attitude, or perhaps he saw it but pretended not to, and instead introduced the other two people to Lin Rui.

“That is Master Hongyuan from the Floating Island.”

Lin Rui couldn't help but look over, and was slightly taken aback.

Monk?

He was dressed in a blue monk's robe and appeared to be around fifty years old. He seemed to be suffering from some kind of illness, which made his face look somewhat pale.

Master Hongyuan seemed to have heard the commotion. Unlike Jiang Qingyang, he turned around, nodded to Lin Rui in a friendly manner, and then made a Buddhist sign to Lü Jixiao, chanting Amitabha.

Then, Master Hongyuan continued to fiddle with the prayer beads hanging from his wrist, chanting softly.

"The one next to me is Yoon Ji-hoon from the Kingdom of Hibiscus."

She looks to be in her forties, but thanks to her good skincare routine, she doesn't look old at all.

Yin Zhixun didn't seem to be very proficient in the Chinese language, so he didn't react much even when he heard Lu Jixiao and Lin Rui talking.

Including Lin Rui, there were a total of five judges in this competition, and a yellow warning line was drawn around the audience.

Regardless of your status, if you are not a contestant, you must stand outside the yellow warning line.

Of course, those who were allowed to enter were not commoners; they cared about rules more than anyone else.

But it was clear that among the guests present were not only local dignitaries and celebrities from Lizhou. Lin Rui glanced around and saw many men, women, and children dressed in floating island and hibiscus clothing. There were even many foreigners with blond hair, blue eyes, or dark skin.

After a routine opening speech by the host, the judges and contestants were introduced.

When Lin Rui was introduced, there was a slight commotion in the room.

Not everyone has the ability or the willingness to put in the effort to investigate Lin Rui's resume, so many people looked surprised when the host recounted Lin Rui's achievements on stage.

Among them were Jiang Qingyang, who initially paid little attention to Lin Rui, and Yin Zhixun.

At the same time, Lin Rui sensed some slightly provocative glances, almost all from contestants from the countries of Floating Island and Hibiscus.

Lin Rui's resume was nothing to them. Having been in Lizhou for so long, they were very clear about the ranking rules for artists in Shenzhou.

So, what gives a newcomer who isn't even a celebrity the right to sit on the judging panel with a group of big shots?

Lu Jixiao goes without saying; he was a renowned official in China, and his achievements in the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting were truly admirable.

Jiang Qingyang is also a well-known bigwig in Lizhou, and is the biggest face of the Jiang family in Lizhou!

If it weren't for his lack of tact in dealing with people, which drew criticism from his family, he would have been the head of the Jiang family twenty years ago.

As for Master Hongyuan, he and Yin Zhixun are both big shots on the floating island and Mujin.

Although Lin Rui has achieved considerable success, there are not many things about him that are worthy of their attention!

piano?

Pop music?

What business is it of theirs!

They're not even from the same circle!

"I am fortunate to have the opportunity to appreciate Teacher Fusheng's landscape painting that blends artistic conception with beauty. I am somewhat lacking in music and chess. I wonder if Teacher Fusheng could offer some guidance?"

A handsome young man walked out.

The young man spoke in a somewhat broken Chinese language, his words neither humble nor arrogant, but his gaze held an unsettling provocation.

This young man was none other than Cangquan Zoe, whom they had met at the airport before.

"presumptuous!"

Some people couldn't help but shout and curse, but the number was not large.

Most of the contestants present chose to play it safe, or more accurately, they all adopted a wait-and-see attitude.

Although he didn't say it aloud, he had some doubts about whether Lin Rui was qualified to sit on the judges' panel.

Especially after learning that the judges' seats were secured through the efforts of the Xia family, it's hard not to question the Xia family's motives and even worry about whether there's a conspiracy behind it.

The contestants from Lizhou were only surprised and uncertain, but the contestants from Fudao and Mujin were getting restless.

According to the original rules, there were only four judges. As the host country, it was reasonable for China to occupy two seats. However, now that there is an additional judge from China, their situation has become extremely difficult.

Did they really believe in so-called fair competition?

That's bullshit!

After years of navigating the complexities of society, I've long since stopped believing in the so-called truth, goodness, and beauty found in fairy tales.

If the judges who are forcibly added are experienced and highly capable, they will accept it.

But now, he's a young man even younger than them, and his achievements aren't particularly high. At least to them, apart from his status as a piano master and that landscape painting that blends artistic conception, everything else is really quite ordinary.

If we put in some effort now, we might just be able to bring down this judge who cut in line!

Clearly, Cangquan Zuoyi's actions, even if not instigated by someone, were definitely the result of careful consideration.

Moreover, he was polite and courteous on the surface, and even asked for advice with the manners of a student. Even though many people present could see his true intentions, they did not feel comfortable interrupting.

Everyone stared intently at Lin Rui, eager to see how this young judge would respond.

"Regarding music and chess?"

Lin Rui looked at Cangquan Zoe with a slightly calm expression: "I can offer you guidance, but you must first let me know your strength. If you are too stupid, there is no need to give you pointers."

These words were hardly polite; in short, Cangquan Zuoyi was already blushing, not from embarrassment, but from anger!

"Then I'll perform a piece for the teacher."

Cangquan Zoe's gaze toward Lin Rui carried a hint of coldness.

"No need for that."

Lin Rui shook his head and said to the host, "Please bring me a pen, a zither, and a chess set."

At the same time, Lin Rui's eyes flickered slightly.

[Host has successfully purchased the skill book "Chess: Ultimate"...]

[Host has successfully purchased the skill book "Guqin: Ultimate"...]

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