Lisa randomly grabbed a piece of paper and discovered it was her graduation design work. She hadn’t thought about this piece in many years, but how could she forget something she had drawn herself?

Ning Xue also grabbed several papers – all design drawings. She could recognize Xia Xiaolan’s work, and some others must have been Lisa’s. She couldn’t help but smile.

After arriving in New York, she had wanted to ask Xia Xiaolan what exactly she was planning, but Xia Xiaolan mysteriously told her not to worry, saying all would be revealed during the court hearing. Ning Xue had contacted Cornell Architecture School students and Chinese international students in New York State. To her surprise, many Chinatown residents had also shown up.

The crowd gathering at the courthouse entrance grew larger and larger, making vehicle passage impossible. Besides Lisa’s supporters and those who came to support Xia Xiaolan, many passersby were drawn to the scene. The current police force was already struggling to maintain order, and reinforcements would likely be needed… However, since gathering at the courthouse entrance wasn’t illegal, the police could only prevent conflicts from escalating rather than dispersing the crowd.

Under these circumstances, why did Xia Xiaolan print so many copies of her and Lisa’s works to scatter everywhere? Ning Xue had a vague guess.

For Ning Xue, who had always viewed money as worthless and cared only about improving her professional skills regardless of earnings, this was her first time experiencing the wonder of “money power.” Money was truly useful when earned and spent legally! Otherwise, how could Xia Xiaolan have hired a helicopter? She wouldn’t even have been able to afford copying so many design drawings!

Lisa had influence, Lisa was newsworthy, and Lisa had natural American citizenship… these inherent advantages needed to be shattered with one heavy blow! Would people listen to tearful explanations? No. While people sympathize with the weak, they look down on them. Playing the victim might gain sympathy, but it could also invite others to step on the weak even more.

Respecting strength had been the rule for thousands of years. To make others take your words seriously, you first had to become strong yourself. Just like what Xia Xiaolan was doing now.

The helicopter buzzed overhead as she scattered these drawings, making her public announcement. Regardless of where people stood on the issue, they had to listen to what she had to say! There was no choice – she was being so high-profile that it was impossible not to listen, look, or resist picking up the papers falling from the sky.

Lisa didn’t know what Xia Xiaolan was planning, but she felt a sense of crisis. An opponent you can see through isn’t scary – you can counter their moves. But when an opponent doesn’t play by normal rules and you can’t gauge their depth, more than 99% of people would panic!

At this moment, the voice rang out again – Xia Xiaolan couldn’t contain her joy. This kind of stunt would be impossible in China; even with money, you couldn’t get a helicopter in the air. If she dared try this there, someone would shoot the helicopter down in an instant… But in New York, as long as she got the proper permits, she could be as extravagant as she wanted. What’s wrong with that? If rich people could use helicopters to scatter rose petals for marriage proposals, why couldn’t she scatter some design drawings?

“You might be wondering what I’m doing. While Ms. Lisa has been busy appearing on TV shows and giving newspaper interviews about the unfair treatment she’s received, I felt I needed to do something. But what could I do? Should I go on TV shows to argue with her, revealing dirt on each other and competing in acting skills? No, that’s what reality show performers do. I believe there’s another way!”

The voice came from somewhere unknown. The helicopter had flown away, and without the propeller noise interference, these words became clearer. Oh, it seemed Xia Xiaolan wasn’t in the helicopter. Some people felt oddly disappointed, including Lisa’s supporters – they had guessed Xia Xiaolan might jump from the helicopter, but she mercilessly shattered their expectations!

If Old Duan were present, he would certainly mock these people for their lack of experience – how could Director Xia’s tactics be so easily predicted?

The reporters felt a subtle sensation – this personality that wasn’t afraid to make waves, this rhythm of conversation that compelled others to listen and aroused curiosity… if she lost the lawsuit, this Chinese girl could still capitalize on her remaining popularity to become a talk show host. Some TV station would surely want her!

After an appropriate pause, Xia Xiaolan continued:

“Who’s lying, who stole whose work – naturally, that’s for the judge to decide. That’s what I’ve always thought, but Ms. Lisa doesn’t think so. She believes TV viewers and newspaper readers are better judges of right and wrong. I deeply respect Ms. Lisa’s perspective, and I respect everyone here present. Whether you came to support me or to show solidarity with Ms. Lisa, I respect you equally. Apart from different standpoints, your starting points are the same – you want justice to prevail through law. You are passionate people, people of high moral character. Otherwise, you would have responded to everything with indifference – why should you care who wins or loses, right?”

Xia Xiaolan’s words surprised Lisa’s supporters. In recent news reports, “Xia Xiaolan” had been portrayed as an unscrupulous person who relied on her pretty face and mysterious background to climb up.

They thought Xia Xiaolan would play the victim, be arrogant, or simply throw money at the best lawyers to wear Lisa down. They never expected Xia Xiaolan to make such a high-profile appearance and, after attracting everyone’s attention, attempt to reason with them!

She didn’t incite her supporters to attack. But her strategy was clearly working – after warmly praising Lisa’s supporters, everyone seemed more willing to hear what she had to say!

While Lisa just felt uneasy, her lawyer wanted to drag Xia Xiaolan out and silence her with a submachine gun – she couldn’t be allowed to continue speaking. Damn it, why wasn’t it time for court yet? Still, ten minutes to go. Damn!

“She’s interfering with judicial justice,” the lawyer said darkly, sending his assistant to find court officers.

Xia Xiaolan continued enchanting people with her sincerity:

“You are passionate, kind people. Since Ms. Lisa is willing to trust that you are more just than the court, why shouldn’t I trust you too? Architecture is a discipline with certain professional barriers – you can’t just draw a few lines and have it built. That’s why it takes years of study to become an architect; it’s about being responsible for public property and personal safety! However I believe there are no barriers to appreciating architectural works. After all, architecture’s essence is to serve humanity and meet our various needs. So even as users of architecture, non-architects can still evaluate whether an architectural work is good or beautiful – it’s a very intuitive feeling! Aesthetic appreciation can be cultivated and varies among individuals, but some things we can judge at first glance: wow, that’s not bad!”

A beautiful pause – that damned rhythm control made Lisa’s lawyer nearly go crazy.

“Because I trust all of you, I must do something. I went to great lengths to compile all of Ms. Lisa’s works, along with my own. I’m now presenting all the works together, with the order scrambled and names removed. Practice pieces, mature works, everything is included – these works represent my and Lisa’s architectural journeys. How far we’ve each come is clear at a glance, as are our respective skill levels. Everyone can carefully appreciate them and make their judgments and scores in their hearts. When the court’s verdict comes out, you can see if it matches your judgment. I think this is quite a brilliant idea – what do you think?”

This… isn’t this just fooling around?

How confident must someone be to mix their works with their competitor’s and let laypeople choose?

What if they prefer inferior work?

Ning Xue couldn’t hold back anymore and laughed out loud.

— This was so typically Xia Xiaolan!