drop!
Beep beep!
The stage and the audience were completely silent, with only the sound of the countdown echoing like water droplets in the vast art gallery.
The last three minutes, also known as the golden three minutes, are the final touches and refinements of a completed work.
However, the screen above their heads didn't show how far their creative process had progressed; they could only observe any abnormality from the subtle expressions on their faces.
However, everyone was disappointed.
Ye Li appeared relaxed.
Xie Chenlu's expression remained calm.
The two didn't seem to be competing; rather, they seemed to be sitting face-to-face in a coffee shop, enjoying the aroma of coffee and the soothing sound of soft music.
After an unknown amount of time, Ye Li looked up at Xie Chenlu, who seemed to sense her gaze and looked up as well.
Their eyes met, and they smiled at each other.
The two of them stood up at the same time.
Wow!
A round of applause erupted.
Amidst enthusiastic applause, the host stepped onto the stage. "With stars shining brightly, who can rival us? Now, we're about to witness the most thrilling moment of this year's 'Starry Night'!"
"Master Miranda..."
The host looked at the center of the professional judges' panel and asked, "Based on the creations of designers Ali and Shieh, do you have a prediction for who will be the champion?"
"certainly."
Miranda smiled broadly, "I think each of us here already has our own answer."
The host looked surprised.
A murmur arose from the audience.
After all, the actual design drawings haven't been shown yet.
Bang!
A loud bang echoed, and the screen in front of Master Miranda in the professional judging panel lit up.
Although it's unclear whether the vote is for Ye Li or Xie Chenlu, Master Miranda has already made her choice.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang bang bang!
The lights came on one after another, and all 10 professional judges submitted their votes first.
I bet it's Ali!
“I guess so… Not only Miranda, but even Master Parnier, whom Ali met when she participated in the Brilliant You competition in Beijing. Moreover, her work is consistently high-quality, and she is so young with unlimited potential.”
"Maybe it's Xie Chenlu! After all, he's a senior figure who's been famous for a long time!"
"Whether it's Ye Li or Xie Chenlu, YL Studio is the biggest winner of this Starlight Night."
"!!!"
"..."
Amidst the buzz of discussion, the host raised his hand, "Now, let's reveal the answer together!"
Bang!
The large screen directly in front of the stands suddenly lit up, displaying two artworks.
The white artwork, signed Ali, is a work by Ye Li.
The black one is Xie Chenlu's design.
Both of them designed a complete set of jewelry.
The designers in the audience were once again amazed, realizing that the time units of geniuses are indeed different from those of ordinary people.
Ye Li's necklace features a pendant made of irregularly shaped white jade, resembling clouds seen from the sky above or lambs seen from the ground below.
The chain, woven from linen, is subtly adorned with vibrant colors.
The headwear and earrings from the same series are perfectly matched, creating a harmonious whole.
The ring features a single piece of cat's-eye stone, its dark green color resembling the eye of a black cat, mysterious and alluring.
If we were to describe Ye Li's works with the keywords "sacred and passionate," then...
Then Xie Chenlu's works are about darkness and curses.
The necklace's pendant is made from a single piece of obsidian, with red patterns carved on it, resembling a burning flame.
The chain is made of small obsidian beads, paired with leaf-shaped black earrings and a brooch, as if going to hell to attend a carnival.
Strangely, there was a string of white Sanskrit characters on the inside of the black ring.
"Shih, can you explain what this line of text means?"
As the host asked questions, a staff member zoomed in on the inner wall of the ring on the screen.
From the stands, someone exclaimed, "It's the Rebirth Mantra! Namo Amitabha!"
Someone is asking what that is?
A learned person was explaining in a low voice.
But many more people watched intently, trying to understand.
One moment I felt like I was being led to hell by a ghost.
In the blink of an eye, the ghost transformed into a compassionate sage who saves all living beings.
One black and one white.
One is pure, the other is evil.
Everyone looked at Ye Li's painting and then at Xie Chenlu's. The two works seemed to echo each other, not only interpreting their own understanding of "rebirth" but also highlighting each other's works.
The transition from confusion to sudden enlightenment happened in an instant, and thunderous applause erupted.
"Absolutely stunning! Ali isn't just a dark horse, she's a genius!"
"Indeed, gold will always shine eventually. Being in a trough doesn't stop Shieh from soaring to new heights again!"
"A dark curse within holiness, a compassionate thought within evil—both works have their merits, it's really hard to choose! Luckily I don't have to vote, otherwise I would have had to abstain!"
"..."
The audience erupted in cheers, and the seats occupied by the 500 audience members and 100 competition judges were also abuzz with discussion.
When the host announced that voting could begin, the scores on both the red and blue sides increased unusually slowly.
From 19 to 18, then to 198 to 196, and finally to 217 to 215, the score was extremely close.
They even forgot about the discussion, watching as the more than a thousand designers below the stage stared intently at the big screen.
When the score settled at 298 to 300, there was a brief commotion in the venue.
Everyone turned to look at the professional judges' panel, only then belatedly realizing that the 10 professional judges had already cast their votes before the two works were even revealed.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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