Chapter 33

It was already the final competition, and today the true winner would be selected from the works. Multiple TV stations had bought the broadcasting rights, and a panel of industry bigwigs served as judges. Multiple cameras were focused on the center stage, making it a highly anticipated event.

The host, dressed in formal attire, stood under the spotlight.

"Dear guests, after several rounds of selection, ten contestants have made it to the final competition. Today, the ultimate winner will be chosen from these ten. Let's wait and see!"

After a round of cheers, the stage lights came on, and a platform slowly rose from below, displaying ten paintings covered with cloth, leaving the final suspense.

The judges whispered among themselves.

The contestants stood in front of their respective works.

Jennifer saw Christina standing next to her and slightly raised her chin, looking determined to win.

As the music started, the mechanism in the air pulled up the cloth, revealing the ten paintings to the audience.

Those who made it to the finals were naturally the best, and the ten paintings were so evenly matched that it was dazzling to look at them all at once.

But at that moment, a sudden exclamation erupted from the audience.

"Why are those two paintings exactly the same?"

The host glanced over and froze, but she quickly realized that this was not just a stage accident but a huge publicity opportunity that could make their show even more famous.

She pointed out two people: "The authors of the two identical paintings are Jennifer and Christina."

Jennifer turned around and saw the work in front of her, her face changing as she angrily questioned, "You plagiarized me."

Christina remained calm.

She had anticipated this scene. In her previous life, Jennifer had publicly accused her of plagiarism, causing her to lose her footing in the industry.

In this life, Christina would not let Jennifer take what rightfully belonged to her.

"Why do you say that?" Christina raised her eyes indifferently. "Plagiarizing your work without changing a single stroke and being caught in public-wouldn't that be foolish?"

"Who knows if you're trying to frame me?" Jennifer snorted coldly. "Besides, I have a bit of a reputation in the industry. Why would I need to plagiarize the work of someone unknown like you?"

In this kind of competition, the audience was generally knowledgeable about the architecture industry, either students or professionals, and they began to whisper among themselves.

"This is definitely plagiarism, but who copied whom?"

"I think Christina plagiarized Jennifer. Jennifer has shown her talent in various competitions before. If you're going to plagiarize, at least do it well. This is embarrassing."

"Isn't that the truth?"

Hearing the public opinion leaning towards her, Jennifer's face showed a confident expression.

"Christina, I know you must have been desperate to do this. If you withdraw from the competition now, I'll plead with Mr. Cavendish to suppress the public opinion, and we'll pretend nothing happened."

Christina found it laughable.

If she took a step back, Jennifer would only press harder until she had no space to survive in the industry.

"I didn't do it, so I'm not afraid. The judges are all industry experts. Why not let them take a good look and see who is really plagiarizing whom?"

"I'm giving you a way out," Jennifer said through gritted teeth.

She had thought that bringing up William would make Christina back down, but even so, she was confident.

The host seemed to have received a signal and began listing Jennifer's past honors.

Already at an advantage, Jennifer now gained even more public support.

The judges came forward to carefully examine the two works, which were almost identical in every stroke.

"It's hard to tell. Kelvin Fisher, what do you think?"

Everyone's eyes turned to one person.

Kelvin was a titan in the field of architectural design, and even two of the judges were his students.

This time, he had agreed to participate because the TV station had given him significant decision-making power.

The host subtly hinted, "Jennifer is already somewhat famous. She has no need to plagiarize."

Kelvin examined the works closely.

"This style seems familiar."

Jennifer's heart skipped a beat, but she thought that Christina shouldn't have any connection with someone like Kelvin, so she boldly said, "I often publish my works. Perhaps you saw one of them during your browsing. It's an honor that my work caught your eye, Mr. Fisher."

"If Mr. Fisher praises the work, it seems Jennifer has a good chance of making it to the top three," the host interjected.

"Do you have any other works?" Kelvin adjusted his glasses.

"What do you mean?" Jennifer froze.

"A person's design style is consistent," Kelvin said, making his point clear.

Jennifer's face turned even more unsightly. "The competition only requires one work. Why would I prepare more? That doesn't seem to fit the judging criteria."

"It doesn't, but isn't there a plagiarism issue now?"

Kelvin looked at the host. "Do I need to discuss this with the organizers before making a final decision?"

The host, not daring to offend him, shook her head with a smile. "The higher-ups said you have the final say in the competition."

"Mr. Fisher, I happen to have a nearly completed work backstage. If you'd like to see it, you can," Christina finally spoke.

Seeing her calm and composed demeanor, Kelvin appreciated her even more. After all, designing required a calm mind.

Kelvin agreed. "Alright, bring it over."

Christina instructed the staff.

A few minutes later, a new work was brought in.

Unfolding it, Kelvin's eyes lit up.

"This architectural design is even better than the one on stage. Why didn't you choose this one?"

"Because it's not finished yet," Christina pointed to a corner of the design. "You see here, due to the need to design fire escape routes and other factors, there are some flaws. I've been thinking about how to make it more perfect."

"You are truly meticulous," Kelvin's eyes showed a hint of admiration.

Seeing them chatting, Jennifer felt a pang of panic and quickly said, "Mr. Fisher, you can't just conclude that I'm the one plagiarizing, can you?"

"I haven't said that," Kelvin, who disliked being interrupted, replied with a stern face.

"You might want to search for my works," Jennifer took a deep breath.