(See the author's note at the end of Chapter 284)
On the day the results of the semi-finals were released on the World Federation of Literary and Art Circles' official website, the whole world was watching the real-time updates, and countless people were waiting anxiously in front of their computers.
The Gong family building was no exception. Gong Xiangru was the representative of the Gong family, and her competition results directly affected the bidding for the cultural heritage project. The large screen in the lobby of the company was displaying the interface of the World Cultural Association's official website. The results would be officially released at noon. The lobby was filled with people on each floor. As the time drew closer, everyone held their breath.
At the same time, in the high-level conference room, the projector in front of the stage was also displaying the official website's image.
Seeing the somewhat tense atmosphere, one of the directors joked, "We have all witnessed the Second Miss's abilities; she will definitely come out on top this time!"
"Yeah yeah……"
The atmosphere eased for a few moments. Lu Weixi and Gong Xiaojing, who were sitting to the side, exchanged a glance and breathed a sigh of relief. She turned around and shook Gong Xiangru's hand, "Don't be nervous. You've always been good at carving. Mom believes in you."
Gong Xiangru smiled gently, "Mm!"
"They're out!" someone suddenly exclaimed, and everyone instinctively looked up.
List of finalists for the walnut carving semi-finals:
10th place: Tang**
Ninth place: Li*
Eighth place: **
...
Third place: Cheng**
Only two spots remained. Everyone held their breath, staring intently at the screen.
Then, the scene changes.
Second place: Gong Xiangru
Whoosh—
Cheers erupted in the Gong family building, and the board members in the conference room wore satisfied smiles; the cultural heritage project was now truly within their grasp.
A chorus of praises erupted, but Gong Xiangru was somewhat stunned; she wasn't number one.
Then the image on the screen changed.
First place: Gong Ning
Gong Xiangru, who was staring intently at the screen, was startled, and a sudden chill ran through her dark eyes.
Gong Ning?
Someone followed her gaze, paused, and instinctively blurted out, "Third Miss?"
"What, Third Miss?"
Someone exclaimed in shock, "The Third Miss is number one! She's actually number one?"
Still immersed in joy, everyone subconsciously looked up at the screen...
The meeting room fell silent.
Meanwhile, in the Gong family building, many employees stared blankly at the large screen, and the lobby suddenly fell silent.
The results from each department came out almost at the same time. Gong Ning sat in front of the computer, happily flipping through the pages, unable to hide the smile on her face.
Her eyes gleamed with a frightening light; she could almost see the silver coins swishing and disappearing into her pockets.
Little did they know, the outside world was in an uproar.
With so many departments in the World Federation of Literary and Art Circles, the top spot in this year's semi-finals was invariably occupied by the same person.
The official website quickly released the entries of the shortlisted participants.
Soon everyone experienced firsthand what a true visual feast was all about.
Meanwhile, Queen Lancelot, who was closely watching the results of the competition, suddenly stood up from her chair, her raised fingers trembling, "Zizhan, it's Zizhan, Zizhan is back."
Anli, who was standing nearby, quickly stepped forward and patted her back, saying, "Your Majesty, please don't get agitated. You mustn't let your emotions get too agitated!"
Queen Lancelot gasped, "It's so similar! This must be Zizhan's work. This is his style. I can't be wrong. He must have returned. Anli, contact the creator of this jade carving. She must know something!"
An Li quickly reassured him, "I'll go right away, Your Majesty. Please don't get too excited; this is a good thing."
Anli helped her sit down in a chair, then turned her gaze to the author's section. Suddenly, she froze, and instinctively exclaimed, "Your Majesty!"
"What's wrong?"
"The artist behind this jade carving is Miss Gong!"
"That Miss Gong, Xiangru?"
"No, it's the Third Miss, your granddaughter Gong Ning, the Third Miss of the Gong family."
Queen Lancelot abruptly raised her head. "Gong Ning? Gong Ning, Gong Linyun? A-Yun?"
Anli looked at her and nodded with difficulty.
Queen Lancelot was taken aback, and then quickly switched the view. Gong Ning's photo appeared in her field of vision. The little girl had a smile on her face and her eyes were full of cleverness and intelligence. Gradually, she overlapped with the quirky little dumpling in her memory.
Queen Lancelot felt a lump in her throat and murmured incredulously, "Ah Yun, didn't she give up carving a long time ago?"
Over here, Gong Ning picked up her laptop and ran to Yan Jingzhou's study. She placed the computer in front of him, stood proudly in front of him, her fair and delicate chin held high with a smug look, and her bright, sparkling eyes seemed to speak, blinking as if seeking praise.
Yan Jingzhou already knew the outcome. After his initial shock, he waited for the little girl. Sure enough, not long after, the little girl's cheerful footsteps rang out.
A hint of a smile flashed in his eyes. He reached out and pulled the expectant girl into his arms, gently pinching her delicate little nose. His voice was low and doting, "I never expected you to be so amazing!"
Hearing this, the young girl became even more smug, her little tail practically wagging in the air. She looked at him with a smile, "A-Zhou, I've earned back all the money you squandered. Don't worry anymore, just settle down and marry me."
The man frowned. "Squandered the family fortune? When did that happen?"
The girl's eyes widened instantly, realizing she had said the wrong thing. She quickly covered her mouth and looked at him innocently, "Can't I say it? You spent a hundred million without my permission. Do you know how much it hurt me?"
Yan Jingzhou: "..."
The girl avoided his somewhat strange gaze and waved her hand indifferently, "Oh well, I've already earned it all back. As long as you behave well from now on, I'll definitely raise you to be plump and healthy."
Yan Jingzhou couldn't help but laugh out loud, tapping her nose and teasingly asking, "What level of behavior is considered good enough for me?"
The little girl pondered for a moment, then said, "You must pursue beauty to the extreme, you know?"
The man seemed to chuckle. "I know, because you are beauty itself!"
Gong Ning: "..."
This man has a strong will to survive; she never expected that comment.
The little girl was satisfied and generously leaned in to give him a sweet kiss.
Yan Jingzhou's eyes softened slightly, and he gently rubbed her fluffy little head with his long, slender hand.
My phone vibrated slightly. Bai sent me a message: Sir, we've found out and sent the information to the media.
A hint of coldness appeared in the man's eyes, but when he looked down, he saw the little girl nestled in his arms like a sensitive little animal, sniffing here and there.
He chuckled, pinching the back of her neck. "What are you smelling?"
The little girl whimpered, "Ah Zhou, you smell so good, even better than me!"
Yan Jingzhou: "..."
Just as everyone in the Gong family building was waking up from a dream, the public relations department was stunned by a newly posted news article and couldn't recover for a long time.
The public relations manager, sweating profusely, rushed into the executive conference room and said to Gong Xiaojing, "President, something has happened."
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