No one wanted to experience Third Miss Song’s bad temper.

Third Miss Song’s amiability was selective, and Han Jin didn’t want to find out what her bad temper was like. This was the opportunity Song Minglan had given her, so Han Jin immediately distanced herself from Li Yong:

“Senior Minglan, I’ll just tell you what I know. In March, Senior Li organized a welcome party for new students. Almost all the new students from New York State and older international students attended. At that party, Xia Xiaolan met Project Senior’s ex-boyfriend Xu Jing, or maybe they knew each other before and just reunited at the party. Anyway, Xia Xiaolan wanted to invest in some project of Xu Jing’s…”

Simply put, she had flaunted her wealth.

Plus, Xia Xiaolan’s appearance was deceptive.

Li Yong and Project Li probably wanted to get some money out of Xia Xiaolan.

Han Jin felt it wasn’t her business – when Li Yong tried to get information from her, she just told him what she knew.

Han Jin even felt wronged: “I didn’t know you knew her, Senior. If I had known, I wouldn’t have said anything. Now I’ve upset everyone.”

Hmph!

Who wanted to know Xia Xiaolan?

Han Jin had such poor judgment, no wonder she couldn’t even properly flatter people.

No matter how hard Han Jin tried to distance herself, Song Minglan understood that Li Yong and Project had targeted Xia Xiaolan for her money, treating her as an easy mark and future ATM. Han Jin certainly wasn’t as innocent as she claimed, but this had nothing to do with Song Minglan. She and Xia Xiaolan weren’t friends – why would she be angry about others trying to take advantage of Xia Xiaolan?

Song Minglan just found it amusing: “Those two are dreaming.”

Song Minglan didn’t want to admit Xia Xiaolan was capable.

But before going abroad, she had visited her cousin Tang Xuan in Pengcheng.

From Tang Xuan, Song Minglan learned that Xia Xiaolan was developing real estate in Pengcheng. Tang Hongeng had surely helped a lot, but Xia Xiaolan wasn’t completely without ability. Huo Chenzhou had encouraged her to study in America, and knowing she had applied to New York University, had also advised her to avoid conflicts with Xia Xiaolan.

Huo Chenzhou’s words showed consideration for their sibling relationship, and Song Minglan appreciated his good intentions.

So that Xia woman didn’t lack in tactics or schemes. In Song Minglan’s view, it was utterly laughable that people like Li Yong and Project Li would think that just because they’d been abroad two years earlier, they could fool a new international student and treat Xia Xiaolan like an ATM.

She might dislike Xia Xiaolan, but had to acknowledge her capabilities – where did these two get their confidence?

Indeed, Li Yong knew her background wasn’t simple. While trying to curry favor with her, he still wanted to take advantage of others. Was it strange that he would scheme against Xia Xiaolan?

It was just that after two years in New York, he had gained a reputation for being righteous in the international student circle, with several bootlickers constantly calling him “Senior Li,” making Li Yong lose sight of his limitations.

“Simply absurd!”

Song Minglan’s cheeks flushed slightly – she had been deceived by such people. Did Li Yong and his companion think she was so easily taken advantage of?

While Song Minglan was struggling with her pride, Han Jin remained terrified into silence.

The Song family’s dignity couldn’t be trampled upon. Han Jin couldn’t understand Song Minglan’s feelings and assumed she was angry about Li Yong and Project Li’s schemes against Xia Xiaolan. Han Jin couldn’t figure out what kind of dumb luck Xia Xiaolan had to become so close to Song Minglan!

Song Minglan saw her shrinking back and thoroughly despised such a spineless sycophant.

But sometimes, sycophants could be useful.

“Little Han, I dislike hypocrites who think they’re the smartest and everyone else is stupid. Don’t you think such people deserve to be taught a lesson?”

Who?

Talking about Li Yong and Project Li?

Must be!

Han Jin nodded vigorously, “You’re right, Senior Minglan. With so many frauds around, we must find a chance to expose their true faces. We can’t let them keep deceiving others.”

They must be close indeed.

Song Minglan had said as much – how could anyone say she wasn’t standing up for Xia Xiaolan?

Han Jin’s neck felt cold – fortunately, she hadn’t done anything, or Song Minglan would surely have come after her too.

Song Minglan indeed showed interest and encouraged her to continue: “Oh, how do you think we should expose these frauds?”

Having gained approval, Han Jin spoke with increasing sincerity, “Why should Senior worry about such things? You’re busy with your studies. I’ll handle these simple matters for you.”

This was truly someone eager to curry favor.

The little sycophant was useful after all. Song Minglan nodded with satisfaction, unaware that in Han Jin’s eyes, her friendship with Xia Xiaolan had become as solid as cast iron.

Combined with their intimate display at the party, almost the entire international student circle thought the same now.

Previously, people’s impression of Xia Xiaolan was that of a naive, wealthy junior student who had been scammed by Xu Jing and Ma Hai.

Now that impression had changed to a naive rich girl with considerable backing… Song Minglan had repaid that favor in quite an interesting way.

…

New York, Manhattan.

Harold Wilson couldn’t sleep.

Butler Allen removed the coffee from his desk and replaced it with sleep-inducing milk.

Harold looked up and asked, “The shortlist for the C·W Architecture Design Competition – I remember it was delivered?”

The design competition jointly organized by Cornell University and Wilson Hotels, abbreviated as “C·W Architecture Design Competition,” was in its first year, with participants limited to Cornell University’s architecture students. Though Harold’s motives weren’t pure, he had invested money, and with a businessman’s profit-seeking nature, he was already considering making the C·W Architecture Design Competition a long-term collaboration.

If the collaboration continued next year, the competition’s scope could be expanded to include all architecture students in New York State.

The third year, expand along the entire East Coast.

Fourth year, nationwide… Wait, his thoughts had been wandering too much lately. Harold snapped out of his enthusiastic description upon seeing Butler Allen’s complex expression.

Shit, this was just a suddenly conceived architecture design competition.

Not Wilson Hotels, not the Wilson family’s other assets – what use was all his careful planning?

Butler Allen found the shortlist for Harold.

“Sir, you should rest early.”

People get quite strange when sleep-deprived.

What was there to worry about?

If the people below were clever enough, they would surely ensure Miss Xia made the shortlist… If she couldn’t even make the shortlist, she wouldn’t be able to meet Mr. Harold, and what would be the point of holding this competition?

People who weren’t clever enough deserved to be fired. As a shrewd old butler, Allen had no intention of letting Mr. Harold lose face.

Harold pretended to look through the shortlist.

Architecture major, shortlisted works.

Ah, there it was.

The spelling was correct, typical of Chinese name romanization.

Was the pronunciation strange?

After saying it a few times, one would get used to it quickly.

He could only see the list, not knowing how the works were, but he’d see them on the 20th – time would pass quickly!