He was furious, so he plunged into the components and quickly searched through them. He didn't have the arrogance to say that it was unnecessary. What if what the person said was true? Wouldn't it be like the Eighth Prince not taking advantage of this opportunity?
After searching for about a third of the time it takes to burn an incense stick, he identified some parts and began assembling them in an empty space...
Zheng Quchi stood on the stage, not making a move, but quietly examining the pile of wooden components with his clear and beautiful eyes.
More and more people below the arena were drawn to the unusual scene and gathered around. They couldn't understand why this young lady would take half an incense stick's time to come out. Was she too arrogant, or was she really as capable as she claimed?
Some speculate that the young lady probably knew that this sect couldn't possibly defeat Ao Qi, but didn't want to lose too badly, so she staged this whole charade.
"Hurry up and get to work, everyone else has already been found."
"It's almost half an incense stick's time, and Ao Qi hasn't even finished assembling it yet. This shows how difficult this door is. This young lady only has half an incense stick's time left to find components and assemble it. Does she really think she has connections everywhere?"
The supervisor also stared at the young lady with some skepticism. She stood there quietly, like a well-behaved and beautiful white jade doll, completely unaffected by the hustle and bustle in the hall. She was calm, her eyes even calmer, and she was extremely composed.
He suddenly began to believe what she had just said.
She was absolutely certain of victory in this match. In her mind, the competition with Ao Qi was an unfair crushing defeat, so she had to give way to him to avoid being seen as "bullying" by others.
"Half an incense stick has been burned." The supervisor couldn't help but report the time to the young mistress.
This matter shouldn't have been his concern, but he was worried that his young mistress might lose because of such a short delay, which would be a pity.
Zheng Quchi glanced at the incense burner, which was half-burnt, and smiled at the supervisor: "Thank you for the reminder, supervisor."
The supervisor was momentarily stunned by her radiant smile, then smiled back and nodded in acknowledgment, saying, "Madam, you needn't be so polite."
Zheng Quchi walked into the pile of wooden parts and, without wasting any time picking them out, found thirteen components. She then picked them up and carried them to an open space to the side.
Without any pauses or delays, the frame was erected, the pieces were inserted, and the wooden parts were hammered together to fit. With smooth and continuous movements, a basin stand was assembled almost effortlessly.
At this moment, everyone stared wide-eyed, dumbfounded and astonished.
...It turns out that when someone does something they are good at, it's as ordinary and simple as eating and drinking.
But is it that simple?
It's definitely not simple.
Anyone who saw Ao Qi doing the same thing knew that he had been working himself to the bone for half an incense stick's time and had only made a little progress. But when he saw the other party catch up, not only did his face change drastically, but he also froze due to inexplicable fear, and his whole body was drenched in sweat.
Human consciousness can transform into all sorts of images, and in Ao Qi's eyes now, Zheng Quchi is like a tall, insurmountable mountain. No matter how much he jumps on her feet, in her eyes he is perhaps not even as good as an ant.
The pieces she was holding were probably the ones with the fewest parts and the easiest to assemble, but no one dared to accuse the young lady of being opportunistic. Among all these wooden parts, she let Ao Qi go first; he could have chosen the basin stand first, but he didn't prioritize this one.
Is it that Ao Qi doesn't want to?
No, he simply didn't know there was such a simple thing involved. He selected the large, easily identifiable parts that he could find with his current skill and eye. The smaller, more niche parts of the basin stand were mixed in with these fragmented large parts, like pebbles on a beach.
After Zheng Quchi finished, she looked at Ranxiang and then down another section. She then looked at Ao Qi, who had almost finished assembling his parts. At least he had put together all the parts he had found.
But that's not enough. He needs to use up all the remaining time before he can assemble it.
Is there even a need to compare?
The supervisor glanced at Ao Qi, who looked like he had lost his soul, sighed softly, and then smiled as he looked at Zheng Quchi, saying, "The third gate, Madam Zheng wins."
Ao Qi was like a balloon that had been punctured. His head exploded with a bang. He kicked away the unfinished assembly in front of him, his chest heaving, and pointed at Zheng Quchi with bloodshot eyes: "You're lucky. You picked such an easy one. I'm just unlucky. I picked such a difficult one. If we were to assemble the same wooden furniture, I definitely wouldn't lose to you!"
Hearing him say this, some of his "fan leaders" actually believed it and agreed with Ao Qi's words without any analysis or judgment.
"Exactly, how difficult is it for you to assemble such a basin stand?"
"If Ao Qi hadn't been so unlucky to have chosen such a difficult one, and had chosen the basin stand first, he probably would have finished in less than half an incense stick's time!"
The supervisors were surprised to hear Ao Qi's voice and those who supported him.
Are these people out of their minds?
How can someone so brazenly distort the truth like this?
Those who understand, understand. Everyone present with a brain shared the same thought as the supervisor: they didn't want to stand too far away from the fools, so they all quietly moved away, not wanting their foolishness to infect them.
Zheng Quchi found his words somewhat amusing. She said, “The pile of wooden parts here consists of a lacquered wooden railing and recliner, a flat-topped table, a palanquin, a seven-star table cover, the set of screens (boxes) in your hand, and the basin stand I just finished. Indeed, among these six pieces of wooden furniture, the ones I chose are the simplest and easiest to assemble.”
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