Winning 121 votes from 133 workshop owners was an unprecedented victory for Haines, who had weathered many storms.
What a glorious achievement!
This means that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Gilded Family will win this competition and maintain their unshakeable dominance in Alchemy City.
The clerk sitting at the round table couldn't help but lower his voice and congratulate him, "Sir, I wish us a pleasant cooperation over the next five years."
Haines calmly observed the arena and simply said, "The final result isn't out yet, Jim. Let's wait and see how the other two masters fared."
Even though he appeared completely calm, the slight upturn of his lips betrayed his smugness.
The third mecha to appear came from "The Hand of the God of Magic".
Thanks to Old Mark, Yun Wei and the others had already seen the first version of "Big Mary I," a self-repairing combat puppet that utilized the characteristics of chaotic biological tissues.
According to the intelligence in Sid's hands, the enemy's laboratory had already successfully developed the second-generation model, and the "Big Mary III" was also in the midst of intensive preparations.
It should be noted that chaotic creatures were terrifying beings that destroyed the entire Red Moon City.
If we were to encounter an outbreak of these extradimensional creatures here...
Yun Wei looked around the tightly sealed meeting place at the bottom of the tower and couldn't help but feel a little nervous, or rather, a kind of excited tremor before a battle.
As the faint light in the center of the magic circle faded, the humanoid object that had appeared finally revealed its true form.
To his surprise, he did not see "Big Mary".
There stood a sculpture, depicting a person wrapped in a cloak, his hands supporting the thick hood on his head.
Most of the sculpture's facial features are obscured by the shadow of the hood, and people can only see that he is opening his mouth wide, calling out to something in the empty space.
To be honest, this sculpture is full of beauty that is far ahead of its time. Although it was carved from hard, pale yellow stone, it makes people feel the softness of fabric and the chill of the cold wind.
This is clearly a work of art.
However, it was far removed from the theme of the competition.
Haines stared at the sculptures in the arena with uncertain expressions, caught in a dilemma.
If he were to directly question the sculpture at this moment and demand its disqualification from the competition, the workshop owners would definitely cast all their votes in the next round.
Unless the "Eye of Truth" also slacks off, it will definitely be passed unanimously.
No, he even began to suspect that this was a strategy the other party had planned long ago.
The two factions, which appear to be sworn enemies on the surface, have actually been colluding together for a long time!
The supreme position was clearly within his grasp, and he had always been the one calling a deer a horse and enjoying the pleasure of being in control. But now, he was the one in a dilemma, forced to watch the "Emperor's New Clothes."
How ironic.
Haines's face was extremely grim. He looked at "Huxley" and forced himself to remain calm, saying, "Dr. Huxley, won't you introduce your masterpiece to us?"
"Hehehehe," Huxley, who had been silent until now, finally laughed upon hearing this.
That wicked laugh was hoarse and unpleasant, like scraping the bottom of a pot with a spoon.
Yun Wei and the others had already heard about it and were relatively calm, but they still couldn't help getting goosebumps. The reactions of the others were even more intense, and quite a few of them couldn't help but shudder.
Huxley explained, "For a robot to resemble a human, functionality is important, but appearance is equally important."
This apostle was so unfamiliar with the common language that he spoke in a dry, broken voice, which explains why he had always had his assistant do it for him.
Haines, growing impatient, said hastily, "We've all seen it; its appearance is indeed incredibly realistic. Doctor, stop hiding it. Your masterpiece must have some functions we don't know about."
His Excellency the Governor was at a complete dilemma at this moment.
He both hoped that the rigid sculptures would have some function, and feared that the sculptures would actually have some function.
“I’m sorry.” Huxley shrugged dramatically, displaying an unusual softness. “I’ve spent most of my energy searching for the ‘Skimme Stone,’ so I’m a little ashamed of how far I’ve come.”
The implication is that this is just an ordinary sculpture with no additional function.
The apostle brazenly began to slack off, but then, with a malicious smirk, he curled his scarlet lips at Haines.
The workshop owners in the audience all gasped in shock.
It wasn't for the blatant arrogance of leaving a loophole, but for the "Skimme" he mentioned.
Yun Wei was completely bewildered, so he looked at Xi De and saw that the alchemist, who had been calmly watching the show, was now staring at the sculpture with great interest, clearly quite interested.
Sensing his questioning gaze, Sid casually explained, "'Skimme' is a legendary stone, said to have been formed from stars, hence its other name—'Stone of Destiny'. Legend has it that during the First Dynasty, monarchs would use it for their coronation."
Yun Wei couldn't help but feel curious, "But why didn't I see any relevant records in the lab?"
Sid glanced at him and said quietly, "Before today, I had never seen the actual object. Where would a record of something that exists only in mythical legends come from?"
That does sound like a valid point.
But seeing the keen interest in the other person's eyes, Yun Wei seriously suspected that Sid was planning to secretly break off a piece of stone and take it back to the laboratory.
At that moment, Haines spoke up.
The governor, without batting an eye, praised, "Dr. Huxley is far too modest. Such a design is nothing short of a miracle; I'm sure discerning people can see the extraordinary nature of this work."
Despite Haines's seemingly profound words, he was actually spouting nonsense with his eyes closed.
Even though Yun Wei didn't understand business, he couldn't see any potential commercial value in this sculpture.
Voting for Huxley doesn't grant you even a fraction of the sculpture's ownership; Haines is just fooling idiots.
As long as this piece can secure sponsorship from more than twelve workshops, the other party can still maintain its number one position.
The voting process then began amidst Haines's impatient urging.
Although there were indeed a few workshop owners who wanted to take a gamble and placed their bets with the thought of "what if," they were a minority after all.
The sparse clatter of the dice was even more desolate than during the "Silk Reeling No. 1" vote, leaving Haines with a bruised and swollen face.
When the countdown ended, this priceless treasure had only garnered a mere seven votes.
Clearly, the champion of this competition belongs to the "Eye of Truth" faction.
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