"This is clearly the work of a veteran designer, perhaps even someone who's already famous. We can only look up to him!"
"This is outrageous!!! Are they not giving us newcomers any chance to survive? With work like this, why not go to Paris or Milan and compete with international designers?"
"Isn't this too much? This is only the preliminary round! We've all witnessed your incredible talent, but don't be so ruthless from the start!"
"..."
The discussions were incessant.
Wan Mingyi looked at Ye Li, her eyes filled with amazement.
Ye Li and Wan Mingyi's entry for the competition was the result of countless discussions and brainstorming sessions, from the initial inspiration to the final design.
Not only Ye Li, but even Wan Mingyi had several works she was interested in, and in the end, she struggled to choose one as her entry.
Wan Mingyi knew that Ye Li had chosen the design called "Galaxy" on the big screen, but when the official website started accepting submissions, Ye Li had already started school and occasionally had to go home.
Therefore, Wan Mingyi never saw the final submitted version.
The version she saw on the big screen was even more stunning than the one she had seen in the studio.
Bang!
Before Wan Mingyi could even utter her heartfelt "Ye Li, you're amazing!", a loud bang was heard, and a green stamp was applied to the artwork.
The big screen flashes, and the next artwork leaps up.
The host reappeared in the stands several hours later, marking the official end of the preliminary rounds.
"I believe everyone is already aware of the brilliance of the entries and the outstanding talent of the designers participating in this year's competition... Let's congratulate the 328 contestants who have officially entered the semi-finals."
As soon as the host opened his mouth, a murmur of discussion arose from the audience.
Of the 981 submissions, two-thirds were eliminated in just one day.
And this was just a preliminary round.
Among the contestants who made it to the semi-finals, there are many designers who have already shown their talent.
This is too cruel for new designers!
"Next, congratulations to the following 116 studios, among which are the dark horse designers!"
The fact that most of the contestants were eliminated was already quite surprising for the designers.
The fact that over two hundred studios were eliminated, and that some studios with multiple designers still suffered complete failures, is even more alarming.
"Jeweller is a very reputable studio in the industry, and they eliminated everyone? I can't believe my eyes!"
"I was in a bad mood because I was eliminated, but when I saw that so many big names weren't on the list either, I felt much better! I'll go back and hone my skills for another two years, and then come back the year after next!"
"I've never heard of this Ye Li Studio before, it's quite impressive!"
"..."
You don't even need to strain your ears; you can hear the name Ye Li Studio frequently from all directions.
Chen Jiayuan stared blankly at the big screen, his face filled with disbelief.
How is that possible?
How... is that possible?!
The studio rankings on the big screen are based on the number of designers who made it to the semi-finals.
The top-ranked studio is Star Studio by Luo Changchuan, with works by five of its designers making the shortlist.
After the fault line 4, there is a series of studios with a total of 3.
The number 2 follows immediately.
Shiny Studio had eight designers participating in the competition, but only two made it to the finals.
This is nothing unusual.
Many studios have more than five designers participating, and it's common for one of them not to make the cut, let alone when two of them made the cut.
But Ye Li's studio had two participants and two who made it to the finals—what the hell does that mean?!
Others may not know, but Chen Jiayuan knew everything from beginning to end.
Ye Li's studio has been established for less than three months, and the entire studio consists of only her and Wan Mingyi.
When Chen Jiayuan was complaining that Wan Mingyi was not qualified to participate in the competition, he even checked the information of Ye Li's studio.
The registration date was one week after Shiny Studio held a jewelry exhibition in Bishuiwan.
Whether it was to prove a point by not making steamed buns, or simply to act as a savior to save Wan Mingyi, in any case, it was a hastily put-together studio that was anything but legitimate.
Yet, in Chen Jiayuan's eyes, this studio, which was anything but formal, had its entire staff selected.
Looking back, Ye Li's expression was calm, as if everything was within her expectations.
Wan Mingyi, standing to the side, had bright, happy eyes. Her beige dress made her look radiant and beautiful, with an outstanding temperament.
When Chen Jiayuan saw Luo Changchuan, who had switched seats with someone and was now sitting next to Wan Mingyi, anger flared in his eyes.
"Congratulations!"
Congratulations rang in her ears, but Wan Mingyi thanked them without turning her head, saying, "Thank you!"
Wan Mingyi belatedly realized that the voice sounded familiar. When she turned around, she saw Luo Changchuan sitting down next to her at some point.
Glancing at Star Studio, which was ranked first on the big screen, Wan Mingyi smiled and said, "Congratulations, President Luo!"
Luo Changchuan is the chief designer and operations director of Star Studio.
Whether the boss was carefree or had too much faith in Luo Changchuan's abilities, in any case, Luo Changchuan was the one who handled matters related to jewelry exhibitions in China in recent years.
When people in the industry mention Star Studio, they only know Luo Changchuan, but not who the boss is.
"The competition resumes in a week, have you thought about it?"
The host invited the judges to the stage and began to announce the format and topics for the semi-finals.
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