Chapter 36

Walter gave a mysterious smile, "Guess."

Christina shook her head and shrugged helplessly, "I can't guess."

"I saw you were going to compete, and I wanted to come back to cheer you on, but the flight was delayed. I figured I'd be late to the venue, so I came straight to find you. How did you do? What place did you get?" Walter asked with a smile.

Christina smiled and replied, "First place, so I didn't let all my hard work go to waste."

"Not bad. We haven't seen each other in a while. How about some late-night snacks?" Walter invited.

Christina glanced at the person lying on the ground, "What about him?"

"Just a small fry, let the police handle it," Walter said nonchalantly, dialing the police.

Then he carefully examined Christina, "Have you been mistreated while I was away? You've lost so much weight."

"No," Christina shook her head.

Walter reached out and pinched her cheek, "You have lost weight."

Christina was stunned for a moment and took a few steps back, "Maybe you should go home and see your family first."

Walter shrugged and chuckled softly, "Alright, I'm just happy that the first person I saw after coming back was you."

Not far away, a pair of cold eyes watched everything.

William squinted his stern eyes.

Early the next morning, Christina went straight to the architecture institute to report.

Kelvin wasn't there.

A group of people, having heard about her, looked at her with scrutinizing eyes as she entered.

Christina greeted them, "I'm the new one."

"You got in through connections, right? Mr. Fisher said he wasn't taking any more students. We've been with Mr. Fisher for years, so why is there a new person?" The tone of the crowd was unfriendly.

"Exactly. Mr. Fisher likes to take students, but it shouldn't delay our progress."

Christina thought Kelvin's students would be as warm and generous as those two seniors, but she didn't expect them to be so exclusionary.

Christina cleared her throat, "Anyway, Mr. Fisher has accepted me."

"People who get in through connections are always so confident," someone mocked.

"I didn't get in through connections," Christina smiled calmly, "I just won the gold medal in the architectural design competition, which is why Mr. Fisher accepted me."

The crowd burst into laughter, "Ask anyone here, who hasn't won a few awards? If you want to prove yourself, don't bring up awards, it's ridiculous."

"Then what should I do?" Christina suppressed her anger.

Being new, she didn't want to alienate these people.

"There's a difficult client here who isn't satisfied with many of our works. Why don't you try? If your work gets his approval and secures the cooperation, you might be able to become Mr. Fisher's student," an older person said, taking a file from the drawer and tossing it on the table in front of her.

"Take a look. If you find it too difficult, you can back out. I'm not forcing you."

With the offer made, adding that last sentence was pointless.

Christina glanced at the file and nodded, "Alright, I'll give it a try."

The crowd watched her with amusement, whispering after she left.

"I think she's overconfident."

"No worries, if she fails, she won't have the face to stay here."

They laughed and joked.

After leaving, Christina called the contact number provided.

She explained her purpose.

The other party chuckled, "Oh, it's that architecture institute. We've dealt with them before, and I wasn't satisfied. No need to contact us again."

"I'm new here. I hope you can look at my work," Christina said sincerely.

"What's your name?" the other party asked casually.

"Christina."

Upon hearing her name, the other party immediately said, "Oh, the recent award winner. Alright, I'll inform our boss."

"Thank you," Christina breathed a sigh of relief, finding things smoother than expected.

The assistant was sharp, having heard his boss mention Christina's name, praising her looks and design style. Unexpectedly, Christina reached out the next day.

After reporting, the boss was delighted and requested a meeting.

Christina soon received a call, confirming the time and place.

They arranged to meet in a hotel suite.

When Christina arrived on time, the person was already there. The assistant introduced, "Ms. Windsor, this is our boss, Harold Saunders."

Christina approached and greeted confidently, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Saunders. I'm Christina."

Harold invited her to sit, "I watched that show. I liked your design."

Christina smiled as she sat, "Really? It must be fate."

"But some aspects don't align with our company's philosophy. We'll need to discuss it further," Harold said, rubbing his chin.

"If we reach a cooperation, you'll be the client, and we'll fully consider your opinions for modifications," Christina cleared her throat.

"Let's have a drink first," Harold signaled his assistant.

The assistant filled their glasses.

"Come on, the night is long, let's take our time."

"I'm not good at drinking," Christina declined with a smile.

Harold's face darkened, "Are you disrespecting me? Fine, I hate people who don't respect me. There's nothing more to discuss."

Christina hesitated, feeling trapped with no way out.

She picked up her glass, "Mr. Saunders, I didn't mean to be rude. I'm just afraid of embarrassing myself if I get drunk. If you don't mind, I'll join you for this one."

"That's more like it. Cheers," Harold clinked glasses and drank.

Seeing him drink, Christina followed suit.

The whiskey's strength made it hard for her to swallow.

"I've reviewed your cooperation requirements. I believe our institute can meet all your needs," Christina said, taking out her portfolio.

"These are my previous works. You can review them before deciding."

Unexpectedly, Harold moved closer, squeezing beside her, his greasy hand brushing hers.

"No rush! Business can be discussed anytime. Look at this beautiful night."

Christina bit her lip, discreetly withdrawing her hand, "Mr. Saunders, if you're not in the mood now, you can take it home to review."

"What's the hurry?" Harold's hand touched hers again.

"Sometimes shortcuts are easier."