In the final round, the three examiners chose a very hot financial phenomenon at the time and asked Qi Huan and Sima Chu to collect and analyze data on it, find the causes, and propose solutions. The time limit was two weeks. It was precisely at this time that Qi Huan discovered her breakup with Ling Zixuan, partly due to her parents' influence. Although Ling Zixuan came from a well-off family, in Qi Huan's parents' eyes, he was never a good match for her.
Qi Huan was utterly despondent. Facing her father, who had a heart condition, she dared not argue or resist, choosing instead to remain silent in her defiance of her parents. She even went to Ling Zixuan, hoping to start over. Unfortunately, Ling Zixuan pointed out the problem: it wasn't actually her parents' interference. Qi Huan lost her last glimmer of hope, and naturally, she had no intention of preparing for the final round of selection.
Qi Huan was caught in a dilemma. On the one hand, she wanted to break free from her parents' control, but on the other hand, she couldn't extricate herself from her immense grief. Time passed unnoticed as she oscillated between these conflicting emotions.
Qi Huan did not conduct sufficient market research, so he naturally lacked research data and therefore could not analyze the data or find solutions.
"Sister Huan, how's your final research report coming along?" Sima Chu took a sip of his milk tea, patted Qi Huan sitting in front of him, and asked.
Qi Huan glanced back at Sima Chu, shook her head, and replied, "I still don't have any ideas."
"Sister Huan, you're not keeping this a secret from me for the sake of making a big splash at the last minute, are you?" Sima Chu said with a mischievous grin.
Qi Huan quickly shook her head. The final report presentation was the day after tomorrow, and Qi Huan knew the final outcome was already predetermined.
"I was just kidding," Sima Chu chuckled. "This milk tea is so sweet, I really don't know why so many people like it. Huan-jie, I'm going to my dorm to get a water bottle, could you watch my computer for me? I'll be right back." With that, Sima Chu left her seat.
Qi Huan watched Sima Chu's graceful departing figure, seemingly confident of victory. Qi Huan tapped her brow, a wave of sadness washing over her. The order of the draw had already been determined by rankings, and Qi Huan would go before Sima Chu. Now, Qi Huan's biggest worry was making a fool of herself on stage, but if she gave up at the last minute, she would lose even more face.
At that moment, a terrifying thought flashed through Qi Huan's mind. Qi Huan shook her head, but couldn't shake the thought. Qi Huan glanced at the classroom; it was empty because it was lunch break. Qi Huan left her seat and went to Sima Chu's computer. Sima Chu's computer wasn't password protected, and Qi Huan easily found the research report Sima Chu had written. The report was opened, and Qi Huan quickly read through it from beginning to end, then sent a copy to her email.
Qi Huan smiled. Sima Chu was indeed different from two years ago; no wonder she had been outmatched in the earlier competitions. "I'll make it up to you later," Qi Huan silently repeated these words to herself.
The day of the final competition was fast approaching. It was an open examination room, open to all faculty and students except for the three foreign examiners. This was done partly to ensure fairness in the selection process and partly to improve the professional skills of the students in the department.
That day, Sima Chu seemed unusually excited. His scores in the first three sections were significantly higher than Qi Huan's; barring any major unforeseen circumstances, the opportunity to change his fate was within his grasp. During this time, Sima Chu often thought of this phrase. Sometimes, he was even so excited that he couldn't sleep. Sima Chu sat in the waiting area, slowly took out his laptop, and pressed the start button.
At this moment, the examiner called out Qi Huan's name. Qi Huan connected her computer to the main screen, and once everything was ready, she bowed to everyone present. Qi Huan's research report began…
Time ticked by, and Qi Huan presented the data from her research while analyzing the underlying reasons. Occasional bursts of applause rippled through the audience. The three examiners, seated below the platform, smiled and nodded repeatedly. Everyone seemed to display amazement and admiration, except for one person.
Sima Chu stared at the data displayed on the screen. That data was all too familiar to her. It was data she had painstakingly obtained after days of working under the scorching sun, going door-to-door, visiting companies large and small, smiling and groveling. But why was it suddenly on Qi Huan's computer? Even if Sima Chu were incredibly dense, she knew the reason.
It turns out, the person you trust most is often the one who hurts you the most. However, there's one thing Sima Chu has to admire about Qi Huan: although Qi Huan stole the data, Sima Chu's data analysis skills are far inferior to Qi Huan's. Therefore, even if Sima Chu were to analyze the same data again, the result would still be a loss. And, there's even a possibility…
Sima Chu recalled the incident of stealing money. Over the years, she had learned a valuable lesson: everyone could forgive even the biggest mistakes Qi Huan made, but every small mistake Sima Chu made would be magnified. Because Qi Huan was the first to present her data, if she used the same data, everyone would assume she was the one who stole it. Such behavior would be absolutely unacceptable at a university like theirs. Sima Chu would be labeled as having committed academic misconduct. Even if Sima Chu offered countless explanations, who would believe her when faced with Qi Huan? Thinking of this, Sima Chu clenched her fists tightly.
"No, I can't give up at the last step." Sima Chu kept repeating this sentence in his mind.
"My scores in the first three sections were so high, if I modify the data a bit, maybe I can..." Thinking this, Sima Chu immediately opened his research report. Just as Sima Chu opened his report, Qi Huan's report was also completely finished. The entire room erupted in waves of enthusiastic applause.
Sima Chu stood up from his seat, staring at Qi Huan with a deathly expression. Everyone's eyes turned to Sima Chu, including Qi Huan's. Qi Huan and Sima Chu exchanged a glance, then quickly avoided Sima Chu's resentful gaze. Sima Chu's computer screen was blank. The research report, except for the title, had been completely deleted.
The dream shattered. Sima Chu didn't get angry, but tears streamed down his face like a burst dam. Because Sima Chu was standing in the front row, no one could see his expression.
The examiner finally called out Sima Chu's name. Sima Chu gave Qi Huan a silly grin, packed up his computer, and turned to leave the classroom.
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