"That's because you don't know how impressive the brands that came to select designers at the end really are," Shen Qi said with a faint smile. "From what I know, during the finals, there will be at least three top-tier brands, five or more second-tier brands, and CEOs and chief designers from some mass-market brands that don't go for luxury but have massive distribution. Tell me, with such a high-stakes selection, of course it's going to be strict and severe."
"Wow! Really? Previous selections never had this kind of prestige!" Liu Yi's eyes widened as she spoke. "In past years, at most a chief designer from a second-tier brand would show up, and that was already a big deal. What's going on this year? Why are they all here? Even the CEOs?"
Shen Qi let out a bitter laugh. Weren't they all CEOs? He Yining, Wen Yibo, Feng Manlun. Which of them wasn't a leader steering their family's direction? "It seems like everyone has ulterior motives," Liu Yi suddenly laughed, giving Shen Qi a meaningful glance. "Xiao Qi's charm is truly extraordinary."
Shen Qi smiled wryly, unable to argue. The organizing committee must have said something to those disgruntled eliminated contestants. An hour later, all the eliminated players had left the hotel. After regrouping, only 105 people remained for the semifinals. The upcoming semifinals would still be a brutal battle. Another 85 people would be eliminated, leaving just 20 for the finals. Those 20 would then compete for the final five spots in the grand finale, where the top three would be crowned as the darlings of several major brands.
Since quite a few brands were here to pick designers, anyone making it to the finals—or even the top 20—had a chance to sign directly with major companies as their exclusive designers. So, breaking through the semifinals became the biggest challenge for these 105 people. With an elimination rate exceeding three-quarters, the remaining contestants had little time to savor their advancement from the preliminaries before plunging into worries about the semifinals. The first two rounds had already been so tough. The next three rounds would likely be just as bloody.
No one's success is ever accidental; it's the inevitable result of multiple environmental factors and conditions stacking together. The strength of Team Three and Team Six proved there were hidden experts among them. As mentioned before, many grassroots designers, unwilling to settle for a mundane life, had signed up for this competition. Those designers often had rich experience. In battles like this, such people held a significant advantage. For a newcomer like Shen Qi, it was a huge disadvantage. Both Shen Qi and Liu Yi understood this clearly.
Liu Yi sighed and said, "I used to think advancing in the boxing world was tough—getting a gold belt was harder than climbing the Shu Road. But today I realize that advancing as a designer is even harder. In boxing, it's basically the same few people, year after year, fight after fight. But in this design competition, you see new faces every time and say goodbye to many familiar ones every year."
Hearing Liu Yi's melancholy tone, Shen Qi couldn't help but feel sad too. "Yeah, after this parting, it might really be goodbye forever with the team leaders and the others." Everyone came from all over, with their own jobs and lives. Life is like a train—some get on, some get off. Only a few people stay with you until the end. Thinking about this, Shen Qi and Liu Yi simultaneously grasped each other's hands. Though we met late, may we walk together to the very end.
After the preliminaries, the committee gave everyone a day off. On that day, all contestants adjusted their moods and emotions, preparing for the bigger challenges ahead. Liu Yi couldn't sit still and went to the gym to box again. Ever since she started going to the gym daily, other contestants, unwilling to be outdone, challenged her to compare muscles and strength. Boxing was one of the best ways to showcase explosive power. A few disgruntled men claimed they wanted to compete with Liu Yi in punching power. Liu Yi agreed generously. On the strength tester, she casually threw a punch that instantly crushed every man present. The challengers slunk away in defeat, but it attracted many female contestants who knew Liu Yi was a woman yet couldn't help being fans. The whole gym became their domain.
Unlike Liu Yi, Shen Qi stayed in her room all day. She spent the time summarizing and reflecting, thoroughly identifying her weaknesses and organizing them. Then, targeting those flaws, she focused on reading and reviewing to reinforce her knowledge. By evening, Shen Qi reviewed her notes again, confirmed she hadn't missed anything, and stretched. Checking the time, she realized a whole day had passed. Her stomach started growling. Liu Yi still hadn't returned, probably hooked on boxing. Deciding to eat first and bring something back for Liu Yi, Shen Qi didn't bother changing clothes. She headed to the restaurant in a loose T-shirt and denim shorts.
Quite a few people were eating at that hour, so Shen Qi waited a bit before getting her food. Remembering a flash of inspiration from the afternoon, she planned to take the food back to her room to eat while brainstorming. Turning around, she bumped into someone. "Ah, sorry," she apologized instinctively. "It's fine," Jiang Xiaojiang replied, a hint of cunning flickering in her eyes. So it was her. Shen Qi said nothing more, nodded at Jiang Xiaojiang, and left with her food.
Once Shen Qi was gone, Cui Yuelan stepped out from a corner, glancing sidelong at Jiang Xiaojiang. "Did you plant it?" "Miss Cui, rest assured. Which task you've assigned have I ever failed to do well?" Jiang Xiaojiang flattered. "Hmph," Cui Yuelan coldly swept her gaze over Jiang Xiaojiang. "Once it's done, you'll get your reward." "Yes, yes, yes," Jiang Xiaojiang said obsequiously. "But will this really work?" "That's not your concern." Cui Yuelan stared at Shen Qi's retreating figure, her eyes growing darker and more sinister. Whatever Cui Yuelan wanted to achieve, she never failed.
Shen Qi returned to her room with the food and noticed that bumping into Jiang Xiaojiang had accidentally stained her T-shirt. Oh, great. Sending clothes for cleaning was expensive. This shirt cost only 100 yuan on sale—cheap but comfortable, so she'd kept it. But if she sent it to the hotel laundry now, the cleaning fee alone could buy a new one. Deciding to let it go, Shen Qi sighed, took off the shirt, and tossed it into the trash bin.
Just as she sat down, Liu Yi came back. Seeing Liu Yi drenched in sweat, Shen Qi immediately said, "Go take a shower first. I've brought dinner back." "Okay," Liu Yi nodded. After taking two steps, she suddenly turned around. "You didn't stay in the room all day, did you?" "Yeah," Shen Qi replied with a smile. "I spent today summarizing and reflecting, hoping to avoid mistakes in the semifinals." Liu Yi silently gave her a thumbs-up. "Xiao Qi, if you don't succeed, there's no justice in the world! You're really too diligent!" Shen Qi's eyes curved into crescents. She didn't deny it. She'd been diligent since childhood because she couldn't afford to be lazy. To improve her circumstances, diligence was her only option. Over time, it became a habit. Now, slacking off didn't come easily.
After dinner, as they were about to take a stroll to digest their food, news came from the restaurant: someone's necklace had been stolen. Since the restaurant was reserved for contestants, the committee urgently summoned all 105 people there. When Shen Qi and Liu Yi arrived, they saw Jiang Xiaojiang crying pitifully, tears and snot streaming. "This necklace means so much to me! It was my eighteenth birthday gift, the only keepsake my grandparents left me in this world. It's not valuable, but it's everything to me! That wretched thief, why did they steal my necklace? If I can't find it, I don't want to live!"
Shen Qi and Liu Yi exchanged confused glances. What was going on? Someone nearby explained, "That girl Jiang Xiaojiang came crying to the committee head just now, saying her necklace was stolen." Stolen necklace? Shen Qi shot a strange look at Jiang Xiaojiang. She recalled bumping into her at the restaurant and that look in her eyes... A chill ran through Shen Qi's heart. Was she planning to frame her? Sure enough, the committee head asked, "Who did you encounter in the restaurant? Who did you have a conflict with?" Jiang Xiaojiang immediately pointed at Shen Qi. "I just accidentally bumped into her. I didn't come into contact with anyone else."
All eyes snapped to Shen Qi. Her face burned with heat. She hadn't done anything, yet she was being accused with a baseless charge. A necklace? What kind of necklace would make her abandon her principles for such a shameless act? If she were greedy for wealth, she could just shamelessly cling to He Yining. Was there anyone richer than him in this world? Before Shen Qi could even defend herself, Jiang Xiaojiang tearfully looked at her and said, "Miss Shen, do you hate me that much? Just because I accidentally bumped into you, you have to retaliate like this? Please, give me back my necklace. Whatever money you want, I'll give it all to you if I have it! This necklace is too important to me! Please, return it!"