Shi Ying's eyes flickered slightly, and she gently tugged at the corner of her lips. It would be a lie to say that she didn't care about those strange looks.
After all, she had always been the pride of the Shi family since childhood, and had never been treated like this before.
She slowly lowered her eyelashes, and just as she was about to walk towards the parking spot, her phone suddenly rang in her pocket.
Shi Ying took out her phone, glanced at the caller ID, hesitated for a few seconds, and then answered, "Hello, Third Uncle."
"You went back?" Shi Song's emotionless voice came from the other end of the phone.
Shi Ying pursed her red lips, her face expressionless, and said calmly, "Not yet, I was just about to leave."
“Alright, let’s go back to the training ground first. The Grand Elder and the others have something to discuss,” Shi Song said.
Shi Ying hummed in agreement, trying to ignore the strange looks from passersby. "I'm going over now."
After hanging up the phone, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, put away her phone, and turned to go back inside.
She quickly returned to the training field.
At this moment, only a few elders and Shi Song remained in the vast venue.
Upon seeing this, Shi Ying greeted them one by one.
"Today's assessment actually covers the most basic things. Losing doesn't mean anything. There's another family task assessment that's the most important. That's the key to whether you can become a qualified successor," the elder said, looking at the girl in front of him.
Shi Ying nodded, her expression unchanged. "Mm."
Shi Song put his hands behind his back, his fingers idly twirling the prayer beads, and narrowed his eyes slightly. "It's good that you've figured it out. Besides, there's a final vote after the mission is completed, so your chances are still pretty good."
He also knew that Shi Ying was in a bad mood after losing two matches in a row, and if she couldn't adjust her mood in time, it might affect her performance in the later assessments.
Moreover, they have placed all their hopes on Shi Ying. If they continue to put pressure on her, it may backfire. So, they should focus on encouragement and comfort, which can also be seen as a way of reassuring themselves.
To be frank, whether it's Shi Miao or Shi Si, they have martial prowess but lack the intelligence and decisiveness to handle matters, making them unqualified as successors.
Even if Shi Miao wins today's assessment, the gap between her and Shi Ying is still huge, and it's something she can't bridge in a short time.
After all, Shi Ying has been involved in handling family affairs all these years, and her contributions are obvious to all.
However, all of this is based on the premise that the brother and sister did not receive family training as they suspected.
Shi Ying clenched her hands hanging by her sides, her face seemingly regaining its fighting spirit. "I won't lose the second test."
A hint of relief flashed in the elder's eyes, and he reiterated, "Don't worry, we elders will definitely support you."
Shi Ying nodded, "I know, thank you for your kindness, elders."
...
The following day was the day of the second assessment.
After breakfast, the driver took the brother and sister to the front of the Shi family's base building.
Shi Miao looked up at the towering building in front of her and raised an eyebrow slightly.
The top features a ostentatious logo that exudes nouveau riche style and belongs to the Shi family; it's so eye-catching from a distance that it's almost blinding.
Stepping into the building, the interior is equally luxuriously decorated.
In the lobby, the person in charge's eyes lit up when he saw the brother and sister enter. He immediately rushed over to greet them, his joy and excitement barely concealed in his eyes and brows. "Young Miss, Young Master, hello."
Shi Miao raised her delicate eyebrows slightly, somewhat surprised that the other person knew them, and politely replied, "Hello."
Shi Si slowly took off his sunglasses, glanced at him lazily, and replied with a hello.
The person in charge chuckled, strode towards the elevator, pressed the elevator button, and then gestured for them to go up, saying, "Miss, Young Master, I'll take you up."
Shi Miao nodded slightly and walked towards the elevator. "Okay, thank you."
Shi Si casually tucked his sunglasses into his collar, glanced around out of the corner of his eye, and turned to Shi Miao in a low voice, "Why do I feel like we're celebrities out and about?"
He said this because he noticed that other staff members in the lobby were also secretly staring at them, their intense gazes impossible to ignore.
Although Shi Si lowered his voice, the person in charge next to him still heard him, smiled, and explained, "It's because everyone knows what happened during yesterday's assessment."
The Shi family has always respected strength; they submit to whoever is more powerful.
The move that Shi Miao and Shi Si showed yesterday was enough to shock everyone.
Especially Shi Miao's gun skills, it can be said that no one in the Shi family can do it.
As for Shi Si, although his marksmanship is somewhat questionable and difficult to assess, his martial arts skills should be enough to easily defeat everyone in the Shi family. Even Shi Miao might not be his match.
However, all things considered, Shi Miao is still better.
Shi Si put his hands in his pockets, a hint of laziness in his eyes, and said, "Like this."
The two quickly reached the top floor of the building.
In the large conference room, more than a dozen people were already seated around the round conference table. They were representatives from various branches and a few members of the elders' council.
Of course, Shi Jing, who arrived before them, was already seated in the main seat.
The brother and sister walked to their seats and sat down under the watchful eyes of everyone.
As for Shi Ying, she arrived just one minute before the meeting started.
Her expression remained calm and composed, seemingly unaffected by her loss to Shi Miao in yesterday's assessment.
Shi Ying walked to her seat, pulled out a chair, sat down, and said calmly, "Sorry I'm late."
The Grand Elder glanced at her seemingly casually, his eyes flickering slightly. He seemed quite satisfied with her performance; it appeared that what he had said yesterday had had an effect.
If she continues to appear listless, then they should really consider whether or not to continue supporting her as the heir.
"Now that everyone is here, let's begin the meeting." Shi Jing looked up at the Grand Elder, his expression unreadable. "Please explain the final assessment to them, Grand Elder."
"Yes, Patriarch." The First Elder nodded, then stood up. His sharp gaze lingered on Shi Miao and Shi Si for a moment. He cleared his throat and continued, "Yesterday's first assessment was just a basic ability test. It was an external thing. Winning or losing wasn't that important."
"You must understand that the most important thing for a qualified successor is to have the ability to handle affairs and a good mind. Therefore, today's family task assessment is of utmost importance and is the key to success for all candidates."
Shi Miao clicked his tongue lightly, leaned back slightly, and casually rested his head on the chair, his gaze toward the Grand Elder carrying a hint of amusement.
The elder's implication was that regardless of the outcome of yesterday's competition, it would not affect the final selection of the successor.
Even if you rank first in the first assessment, you will still be ruthlessly eliminated if you fail the second assessment.
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