The world hadn’t gone mad at all. People with real ability will always be respected.

The sullen-faced third-place team left the stage. “Sky Forest Garden” was a work full of ideas, but as Mr. Dick from Foster’s firm had clearly stated, it was merely a conceptual piece – no one would invest money to make it a reality.

Ning Xue and Xia Xiaolan’s team were invited onto the stage together. The drowsy reporters suddenly perked up. Two Asian faces. One quite pretty, one extremely beautiful. Wow, the architecture program wasn’t just producing bookworms – having more such vibrant, youthful future female architects wouldn’t be a bad thing at all.

Professor Lipton grabbed the microphone, not letting the firm’s judge steal the spotlight: “It’s incredible that in this first C·W Design Competition, those who made it to the final stage are all sophomore students. Professor McCarthy, do you have anything to say? They’ve just started learning your ‘Structural Elements’ course, yet they’re already capable of independent design – it’s amazing!”

Professor McCarthy wasn’t used to giving commentary. Previously, Lipton and others hadn’t dared give him the microphone, unsure if the Dark Lord might publicly tear apart other winners’ works. That would be exactly like McCarthy! He had no sense of occasion – he’d criticize whenever he felt like it, exhausting everyone.

However, now that one of McCarthy’s own chosen champions was on stage, Professor Lipton felt it was safer.

McCarthy took the microphone and immediately said something unexpected: “The main designer of ‘Electronic Plaza’ is an exchange student who just joined Cornell’s architecture program this year. The creator of ‘The Cliff Library’ is also a new international student who just enrolled in Cornell’s architecture program this year. Coincidentally, they’re both from China and from the same university. Rather than saying Cornell nurtured them, it’s more accurate to say their original Chinese university gave them an excellent foundation.”

Huh???

Though Professor Lipton wasn’t Black, his expression now matched the Black question mark meme. Had he let his guard down too early? He desperately wanted to snatch the microphone back from McCarthy!

Ning Xue and Xia Xiaolan exchanged glances. Only they understood the meaning behind Professor McCarthy’s words. McCarthy didn’t want to take credit because he hadn’t taught them long enough – he believed Xia Xiaolan and Ning Xue’s foundation came from Huaqing University’s Architecture Department!

This was McCarthy acknowledging Huaqing’s architecture program. Huaqing University’s current world ranking was awkward – the world knew too little about China, and Chinese universities hadn’t yet entered the mainstream.

These two competitors, Xia Xiaolan and Ning Xue, both felt proud at this moment. Though they had different mentors, Huaqing’s Architecture Department had indeed taught them much!

As Professor Lipton’s eyes nearly popped out, McCarthy pulled back: “With good foundations, you won’t regret coming to Cornell for advanced studies. Cornell will teach you more, and transform you completely. Both ‘Electronic Plaza’ and ‘The Cliff Library’ are excellent works, but there can only be one champion. I can only vote for the one I believe has the highest overall score—”

McCarthy was too unreliable, almost announcing the winner directly.

The host had to interrupt: “Mr. Dick seems to have something to say. Let’s hear his evaluation of both works.”

Dick took the microphone: “Actually, I personally really like ‘The Cliff Library.’ May I ask the designer where your inspiration came from?”

“The Cliff Library,” built into a mountain cliff face, was very distinctive. A modern library shrouded in clouds and mist in the mountains’ depths. Dick felt there must be a story behind it… Indeed there was. Ning Xue had once gone with Ning Yanfan to study ancient architecture, originally to see temples built on cliffs, like the famous Hanging Temple, but they’d also encountered schools deep in the mountains.

That’s where the inspiration came from. Rather than waste massive amounts of human and financial resources carving temples into mountains, why not build something truly useful?

That’s how this work came to be. But when Dick asked, Ning Xue wasn’t sure whether to explain publicly.

What should she say? Let these reporters write about how Chinese people live in dire circumstances. Such sympathy-seeking would go against her design’s original intent, so she gave a few perfunctory responses.

On the projection screen, Xia Xiaolan saw Ning Xue’s work for the first time. A library built on a cliff. Perhaps it reflected Ning Xue’s inner world?

Ning Xue was a pure architectural designer. Xia Xiaolan knew she herself wasn’t so pure. Ning Xue could never become like her, and she couldn’t be like Ning Xue.

Dick changed topics: “While ‘The Cliff Library’ gives me a spiritual, cleansing feeling, from a market perspective, I favor ‘Electronic Plaza’ more. It has no superfluous, useless design elements – every detail serves functionality. With some refinement, it could even be built directly. I appreciate this kind of planning in ‘Electronic Plaza’ – it’s hard to believe it came from sophomore students… Hey folks, after the competition ends, regardless of whether you win or not, would you be willing to talk? On behalf of Foster’s firm, I’d like to buy your ‘Electronic Plaza’!”

Wow~

Could there be any higher praise? He liked “The Cliff Library” but wanted to buy the design rights to “Electronic Plaza”!

A Foster partner wouldn’t make such jokes publicly.

If they weren’t on the awards stage with so many eyes watching, Daisy would have asked Richard to pinch her. This all felt like a dream. The firm wanted to buy their design rights. God, with such an outcome, they wouldn’t regret not winning first place! Even second place wouldn’t matter!

The host exclaimed: “Wow, Mr. Dick has given both works high praise. We can see what a difficult choice our judges faced. Who’s the champion and who’ll have to settle for second? The result is in the envelope I’m holding. Now, let’s invite this competition’s sponsor, Mr. Harold Wilson, to reveal the mystery.”

So Harold would present the award personally. Xia Xiaolan had thought Harold was just making an appearance – he’d been trying to minimize his presence throughout.

Now, Harold dressed all in black, walked to the awards platform with a powerful presence.

Xia Xiaolan suddenly realized that she and Zhou Cheng were both wearing white T-shirts while Harold was in all black – clearly at odds.

Harold took the envelope from the host, standing particularly close to Xia Xiaolan.

Below the stage, Zhou Cheng had his hands clasped on his knees. He was now one hundred percent certain this man had designs on his wife. In the short time on stage, his gaze had wandered to Xiaolan several times!

A reporter couldn’t resist taking a photo. From his side angle, Harold and Xia Xiaolan’s heads appeared to be touching, showing inexplicable intimacy – though of course, this was just perspective. The reporter knew this, but something compelled him to capture the pleasing image.

Daniel thought Harold must have issues, making such a big circle just to present the award to Xia personally.

Harold gripped the envelope. Being young and handsome was useless – he was on stage presenting the award to Xia Xiaolan while that young punk could only watch from below. It would take Zhou Cheng many years to reach his position, Harold thought confidently. He quickly tore open the envelope. According to the procedure, he should announce second place first, but after glancing at Xia Xiaolan, he directly announced the champion:

“The winner of the first C·W Architectural Design Competition is—’ Electronic Plaza’!”