After Bankruptcy, the Billionaire Asked Me to Marry Him!
Chapter 398: The Closest to Glory

Chapter 398: Chapter 398: The Closest to Glory

In less than two hours, the votes of over a thousand contestants were cast.

When the host invited the special guests in the front row to vote, the venue instantly fell silent.

Someone noticed.

There were also latecomers who only heard whispers around them, talking about editors, big shots, stylists, and the like.

It wasn’t until the host mentioned special guests that someone in the front row stood up to signal, and the designers in the back rows realized who they were.

"Isn’t that the editor of VG? Oh my god, she actually came!"

"That’s Pierre, Tina’s personal stylist."

"The ’Devil Wears Prada’ hasn’t appeared for a long time, right? Just the day before yesterday in VG’s interview, my goddess said she was vacationing in Hawaii, yet she managed to rush back!"

"..."

The finalists in the front row were excited.

The designers in the back row were even more excited.

The decision to return to their countries after the finals was evident as they exchanged glances, with visible excitement in their eyebrows.

Art is a very subjective and mystical thing.

A piece of jewelry might be dismissed by a master who claims not to like it, yet it could drive others mad with love.

Last year, at the Radiant competition, there was a contestant who was eliminated in the preliminary rounds whose work caught the eye of the VG editor.

Not only did they lavishly purchase the jewelry, but they also dedicated a jewelry appreciation section in a magazine afterward.

The eliminated contestant’s work was displayed prominently among them.

And then quickly gained fame.

Leaving the studio to start their own brand, leveraging the opportunity to establish their reputation.

In just a few months, the designer who was eliminated in the preliminaries became the Best Creative Designer of the Year, frequently appearing at major international jewelry shows, gaining renown.

Although such fortune may not be repeated, the works entered in the competition are the designers’ best recent inspirations.

If by chance, a big shot were to fancy and purchase one, it would be a substantial gain.

What’s more, Dane Studio already had a piece bought by Pierre just now.

Success stories abound; perhaps the next one will be theirs!

The host began introducing the identities of the special guests.

The special guests gradually stood up, some waved to greet the designers, while others walked towards the exhibition hall in twos and threes.

Applause echoed endlessly from the audience.

On the big screen, the grid of nine frames transformed into one, the camera tracking the special guests as they advanced.

The venue was completely silent.

Over a thousand people fixated on the screen, seemingly trying to discern the preferences of each special guest, in preparation for showcasing their works precisely at the subsequent cocktail party.

The 151 finalists felt even more nervous.

They stared unblinkingly at the exhibition cabinets on the screen, eager to locate their own work at first glance, observing who stopped to appreciate it, estimating their chances of entering the unattainable finals.

More than half an hour had passed since the special guests returned to the venue.

The already silent venue became even quieter.

"The voting results are out..."

As the host spoke, the eyes of over a thousand people focused in unison.

Immediately afterward, the screen flashed, listing the votes of the 151 contestants.

The votes were arranged from highest to lowest.

Dai Qingzhou glanced and saw Lydia’s name.

Seeing the No.9 in front of her name, she immediately felt a surge of happiness.

The smile had just appeared when she noticed Ye Li’s name among those before Lydia’s, shocking Dai Qingzhou.

How... How is this possible?

No.1: Belly, 62 votes, France

No.2: Alex, 59 votes, USA

...

No.6: Ye Li, 56 votes, Hua Country

...

No.9: Lydia, 48 votes, Hua Country

...

No.151: Qian Daojiangzi, 0 votes, Japan

Mindful of the fact that this isn’t the final result yet, since each judge has 20 votes, which are the ultimate deciding factor, the current ranking isn’t definitive.

But still, the heart couldn’t help beating faster.

Dai Qingzhou couldn’t fathom how Ye Li, a newcomer designer, could rank higher than Lydia, a senior designer in a renowned studio.

Fortunately, Lydia broke into the top ten, with a much greater chance of fighting for the trophy than the other hundreds of contestants.

Her heartbeat gradually calmed as Dai Qingzhou sat straighter, still unable to suppress her excitement.

In the front row, Ye Li looked at the rankings on the big screen with glittering eyes.

She looked at the names on the screen.

Then at her phone’s chat window notes—notes taken during the competition.

The designers whose work left a deep impression on her during the preliminaries have mostly ranked at the top now.

Including those she faced in matches during the semifinals.

Wonderful!

That feeling of mutual learning and progressing together is truly exhilarating!

"Next, it’s the most nerve-wracking and thrilling moment!"

The host’s voice pulled everyone’s thoughts back, "Now, all 151 pieces are in the judges’ tablets. The votes of the 10 judges are crucial!"

Each judge has 20 votes, which can almost decide a contestant’s ranking.

In other words, if all 10 judges give their votes to the more than ten contestants with zero votes at the bottom, that designer could jump to become this event’s champion.

The already tense atmosphere suddenly became even more intense.

"First judge, Master Demong..."

The host spoke, and Master Demong started to vote.

At the same time, the big screen experienced a dramatic change.

Originally ranked second, Alex became first.

Ye Li, who was in sixth, moved to third.

Lydia also leaped from ninth to seventh.

A contestant outside the top ten quickly surged into the top ten.

"Second judge, Leo..."

"Third judge..."

...

"Last judge, Miranda!"

The atmosphere on stage was tense and thrilling as the judges voted, dazzling everyone with the screen’s fluctuating rankings, akin to an unpredictable stock market.

The designers below the stage felt dizzy.

Especially the 151 contestants among the ranks, anxiously holding their breath.

Beep.

Beep!

Baam!!

The countdown ended, and the screen jumped.

There was a brief moment of stillness in everyone’s heartbeat.

[No.10: Alex, 82 votes, USA]

When the screen displayed the ranking and votes of the tenth designer, the whole venue was in an uproar.

To think Alex was ranked second just moments ago.

In a blink, he’s at the bottom of the finals list?

Even with mental preparation, the designers were shocked to their core.

The judges began their critiques on stage.

The designers below started appreciating the excellent works displayed on the screen in 360°.

Quickly, the next ranking appeared on the screen.

Ninth.

Eighth.

...

Fifth.

Lydia’s name hadn’t appeared yet, making Dai Qingzhou’s eyes shine brighter.

Her heart started pounding wildly.

This was the closest Dane had been to glory.

Five years ago, with Xie Chenlu’s "Mona Lisa’s Tears," Dane won the second place at the Milan Jewelry Show, instantly elevating Dane to become the most renowned jewelry studio domestically.

After the competition, Dane seized the moment to organize a grand exhibition, intending to cement Dane’s dominance in the domestic jewelry scene.

Unexpectedly, Xie Chenlu ruined it with a fire.

Since then, Dane’s status remained the same.

But only Dai Qingzhou knew that Dane’s glory had faded compared to before.

She urgently needed another prestigious award to secure Dane’s position.

Today, undoubtedly the best chance.

Dai Qingzhou watched the screen intently with bright eyes.

Bang.

No.3.

Not Lydia.

No.2.

Also not Lydia.

Slowly standing up, her heart almost ready to leap from her mouth.

Dai Qingzhou stared unblinking at the screen, waiting to embrace the joy of victory and the impending thunderous applause.

Bang!

The screen flashed, displaying the name of the first-ranked designer.