After being cooped up in her room for three straight days, Shen Qi felt like she was about to sprout a three-inch-long antenna of boredom. However, these three days weren't without gains. She had filled an entire sketchbook with button designs and handcrafted a pile of buttons—all sorts of styles, dazzling to the eye. Liu Yi had also drawn numerous belt blueprints, including men's and women's styles, fashion versions, casual versions, and more.
Tomorrow was the day to submit the designs, and both Shen Qi and Liu Yi were a bit nervous. Liu Yi said to Shen Qi, "Want to go out for a drink to calm our nerves?" Shen Qi thought for a moment and replied, "Sure. Let's relax properly today and wait for tomorrow's verdict!" Liu Yi reached out and patted Shen Qi on the shoulder, encouraging her, "Xiao Qi, I'm sure you'll be fine!" Shen Qi smiled back, "Mm, we'll both pass!"
Before leaving, Shen Qi packed up the designs, locked them in a safe, and then followed Liu Yi out of the room. The moment they left, a figure darted over, about to open the door, when a hand firmly pressed down on the lock. "Miss Cui, this is not a place you can enter," Xiao Xia said with a smile on his face. Cui Yuelan jerked her head up, stepped back twice, and looked incredulous, "How are you here?" Xiao Xia's face still wore a formulaic smile, but his reply was anything but pleasant, "Because only by being here can I stop you from entering this room."
Cui Yuelan seemed aware of Xiao Xia's skills; she could only glare at him fiercely, "Do you know what happens when you offend me?" Xiao Xia replied cheerfully, "I do! Offending Miss Cui at most gets me scolded. But if I let you in today, I'd be packing my bags!" "You!" Cui Yuelan trembled with rage at Xiao Xia. Xiao Xia, unflappable, said, "Miss Cui, please leave. If someone finds you at Miss Shen's door, it won't be easy to explain." "Fine, fine, fine! If you want to be He Yining's lapdog, go ahead!" Cui Yuelan, provoked beyond measure by Xiao Xia, instantly shed the restraint she'd cultivated over the past few days and lashed out recklessly, "When Mom and Dad come back, I'll make you pay for this! Just wait and see!" Xiao Xia, with his knack for driving people mad without killing them, replied with a smile, "Mm, I'll be sure to relay every word to the CEO. He said if I quit as his chief assistant, he'd give me ten million dollars for retirement. Miss Cui, when do you plan to let me retire? I need to prepare in advance." "You..." Cui Yuelan was on the verge of spitting blood! Xiao Xia stood motionless in front of the door, just watching her. "Fine, fine, fine..." Cui Yuelan could only leave with a harsh threat, "We'll see about that!" "Miss Cui, take care, no need to see me off." Xiao Xia maintained a submissive expression on the surface, though what he truly thought was known only to him.
Shen Qi had no idea what had happened outside her room. When she and Liu Yi returned, full and satisfied, the hallway was quiet and safe. Liu Yi's sixth sense was sharp; as soon as they reached the door, she sniffed and her eyes darkened, "Someone was here by our door just now." Shen Qi swiped her card to open the door, "Really? You're probably just too tense." "Neither of us wears perfume, and the hotel staff doesn't either, but there's a faint scent of perfume at the door," Liu Yi frowned slightly, "Maybe I'm being too sensitive, or maybe someone just passed by." Shen Qi smiled, "Come on, you're overthinking it." As they entered the room, Xiao Xia's figure flickered and vanished from a corner. He walked away, reporting to He Yining, "Mission accomplished." He Yining received the report, a slight curve forming at the corner of his mouth, and replied with a single word, "Mm."
The day of the finals had finally arrived. Everyone sealed their answers and handed them to the organizing committee, who then passed them to David for evaluation. David was the chief judge, joined by other designers from various brands, though the final say rested mainly with him. Unlike previous rounds, this evaluation was conducted publicly. All contestants gathered in the meeting room as the committee members brought forward each submission for David and the other judges to score. Thus, everyone could see their own results and those of others.
Shen Qi and Liu Yi sat among the crowd, nervously watching David's scoring. Cui Yuelan cast a cold glance at Shen Qi, her eyes growing darker. This competition had severely restricted her; she couldn't send messages out or receive any from outside. This had never happened before. Who had cut off her communication channels? Was it He Yining? Was he that protective of Shen Qi? Even willing to have Xiao Xia lurking in the shadows to guard her? Shen Qi... Shen Qi... What was so good about you that He Yining cared for you so much? If you didn't exist in this world, how smooth would my path be?
Feeling a gaze like needles and thorns on her back, Shen Qi couldn't help but turn around, meeting Cui Yuelan's fierce stare. Her eyes also darkened, and only when Shen Qi looked back did Cui Yuelan slowly withdraw her gaze, shifting it elsewhere. Shen Qi breathed a quiet sigh of relief. That glare from Cui Yuelan had been full of murderous intent! Noticing Shen Qi's unease, Liu Yi looked at her questioningly. Shen Qi shook her head gently, signaling she was fine.
Just then, David began reviewing Shen Qi's work. Her heart immediately leaped into her throat as she stared tensely at David and the other judges on stage. David looked at the array of beautifully shaped buttons and chuckled, "This is the first time in my tenure as a judge that I've seen a contestant take such an unconventional path. I've seen outliers before, but none strayed so far from the main theme. This contestant truly surprises me—choosing the most inconspicuous buttons of all!" He picked up one button, examined it closely, and laughed again, "Let's give this button a close-up. It needs a close-up to see what's on it."
The camera zoomed in, displaying the button's full appearance and detailed angles on the big screen. Shen Qi was extremely nervous. Liu Yi squeezed her fingers in encouragement. The judges passed the buttons around, discussing them. David continued, "Everyone designs clothes, shoes, bags, hats, belts, even jewelry and watches. Few seem to focus on a tiny button. Now, let's see what makes this button special. Please welcome the designer to the stage to explain."
The entire room erupted in applause. Shen Qi was stunned. She had to go on stage to explain? Wasn't it just supposed to be the judges' comments? Why did she need to present? Liu Yi nudged her, urging in a low voice, "Go! This is your chance! Make it impressive!" Shen Qi stood up mechanically, mumbled a few words, and walked over to David. "Hello, Teacher David," she said, finally snapping back to reality as she reached him, politely greeting him, "I'm the designer of these buttons, Shen Qi." David smiled warmly, "How is Mr. Charles doing?" "He's doing well, thank you," Shen Qi replied with a smile. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, David stepped aside, offering his spot to Shen Qi. She thanked him again, took the microphone, adjusted it, and after scanning the room and bowing to the judges and contestants, she began, "These buttons you see are designed to match different clothes, occasions, genders, and even age groups. As we all know, buttons in branding mostly serve as accessories, and most brands don't pay much attention to them."
She paused, then continued, "But I've noticed that buttons play an indispensable role in daily life. Whether for function or decoration, they can be the finishing touch. If a high-end garment is let down by shoddy buttons, it's a loss. Yet, few designers specialize in buttons; most are handled by lesser-known designers. Apart from top-tier custom pieces, it's rare to see brands with dedicated button designers. I used to work in personal styling, so I've dealt with many high-end custom pieces. Their buttons are exquisitely crafted, but the cost is too high for mass production. Whether for first-tier, second-tier, or mid-to-low-end brands, global distribution requires large volumes. In such cases, even a small accessory can determine the success or failure of a product line."
"So, if most brands can't achieve the handcrafted precision of high-end custom pieces, is there no way out? Not really. Hand-polished buttons are indeed exquisite, but computer-monitored dimensions are actually more precise. What we lack isn't precision, but creativity. In an era where countless brands compete for dominance, I believe details decide success. Though a button may seem insignificant, when magnified under a lens, it can tip the scales. Please look..." She turned to the close-up of the button on the screen and continued, "This is the same garment with two different buttons. From a distance, there's no obvious difference. But when we zoom in..." She asked the staff to enlarge the image further and explained, "You'll see that the garment with ordinary buttons looks elegant but lacks refinement. The one with these buttons—doesn't it make you feel that the person wearing it has a very refined quality of life and attitude?"