Quan Jiu's voice echoed softly in the interview hall. She not only accurately identified ten different needlework techniques but also pointed out the distinctions between each.
The entire interview hall fell into an unusual silence. Only her voice, elegant and confident, carried an undeniable power.
Che Fengqiong's face turned ashen. She stared intently at Shi Yan, her angry gaze saying it all.
Shi Yan was also flustered, her face a mask of disbelief.
How could this be possible? This was supposed to be an airhead. How could she possibly discern the differences?
"What's going on here?" Che Fengqiong demanded sternly.
Shi Yan stammered, unable to provide a reasonable explanation. Finally, she said, "Logically, she shouldn't have been able to answer this question correctly, especially not in such a short time. It took me half a month to find all the differences back then. She's only been here a few minutes, how could she possibly get it right?"
Even with the facts before her, Shi Yan was still unwilling to believe.
"Exceptional visual acuity. Only Wang Huiping back then could achieve something like this. Her? I don't believe it. It's absolutely impossible for her," Shi Yan stated with certainty.
Che Fengqiong was furious but heard a cough from behind her. She turned and met Lou Mingfang's grim expression.
Che Fengqiong was helpless and couldn't offer any good explanation, so she turned back under the reprimanding gaze.
Elder Xu saw this and asked Lou Mingfang, "Mingfang, didn't you say this person was no good? What's the situation now?"
Lou Mingfang glared hatefully at Che Fengqiong and found an excuse, "Che Fengqiong said that woman was an airhead. Looking at her, she doesn't seem like someone truly capable. There must be something fishy going on here."
Elder Chen also turned his head and said in a low voice, "What fishy business could there be? Is it just good luck? If it was good luck the first time, it can't be good luck again this time?"
Good luck? This wasn't a game of chance. This was embroidery, not something one could guess correctly through sheer luck.
"Is it that difficult to admit someone is skilled?" Elder Wang, sitting at the back, chuckled, stroking his beard and looking disdainfully at Lou Mingfang and the others.
Lou Mingfang immediately retorted, "Wang Shuan, your habit of judging people by their appearance has never changed, from youth to old age. Truly, a leopard cannot change its spots."
Wang Shuan was taken aback, his expression displeased. "Only a vulgar mind speaks vulgar words. Talking to you lowers my standards." He turned away, no longer paying attention to Lou Mingfang and the others.
Lou Mingfang was equally annoyed, her face stretching into a long frown.
For a moment, on the elders' seating, not two people had pleasant expressions. The only one happy was Bai Jing.
Bai Jing truly hadn't expected Quan Jiu to actually understand embroidery. And from the current situation, it was far beyond a superficial understanding.
This was likely a treasure.
She thought to herself, her breathing slowing, afraid that a loud sound would interrupt this perfect response.
Seeing that Quan Jiu had correctly identified nine different needlework techniques, Che Fengqiong could no longer hold back and glared furiously at Shi Yan.
Shi Yan's hands trembled in panic, her mind racing. Soon, her gaze fell on Bai Jing's face. After a moment's thought, she suddenly beamed.
Seeing her expression, Che Fengqiong frowned. "You still have the nerve to smile? You've caused such a stir this time, alarming six elders. In the end, either Bai Jing will be embarrassed or I will be. You..."
"She must have cheated," Shi Yan interrupted. "This woman is good friends with Bai Jing. Bai Jing must have told her about these two fan paintings before. After all, all new employees spend time studying the differences in these two pieces of embroidery. It's become an unwritten rule for new hires. It's normal for her to know, Bai Jing must have told her in advance."
Che Fengqiong found some sense in this, her expression softening slightly, but she still kept a stern face. "What kind of test questions did you set? She's answering them correctly one after another. If this continues, we'll be the clowns."
Shi Yan awkwardly pulled at the corner of her mouth, thinking they couldn't afford any more mistakes. She then handed the test questions she had devised to Che Fengqiong.
"I've thought of many difficult questions. Madam Che, perhaps you could choose a suitable one?"
Che Fengqiong stared at the notebook for a moment, her gaze falling on one question. A smug smile curved her lips. "This question is good. Let's see how she can get lucky this time."
Shi Yan breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, there was a question that met her requirements.
"...Above are the ten different needlework techniques I found," Quan Jiu said, smiling at everyone present.
Bai Jing couldn't help but clap excitedly, answering for Shi Yan, "Very good. You've identified them all, without a single omission."
Elder Wang also clapped his hands and praised, "The younger generation is truly formidable. To discern the differences in these two fan paintings in such a short time, your ability is comparable to Wang Huiping back then."
"Elder Wang also knows that this ability is comparable to the elder Wang. I'm truly curious, how does someone who has never even touched a needle or thread possess such skill?"
Shi Yan looked at Bai Jing skeptically and continued, "Supervisor Bai, if I recall correctly, it took you a whole day to find the differences in the needlework of these two fan paintings. And your one day was the best record among all members of the Embroidery Bureau. I'd like to ask, how could someone with zero foundation in embroidery discern all the differences in just a few minutes, and so accurately? Aren't you surprised?"
Bai Jing's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"I don't need to explicitly state what I mean, do you not know in your heart? The elders present should also understand my meaning: if you didn't tell her the answers in advance, how could she have stated the correct answers in such a short time?"
"Shi Yan, don't push it," Bai Jing's expression turned sharp. "You painstakingly devised the interview questions. How would I know what you would ask?"
"It's not difficult to guess. After all, these two fan paintings are questions that all new employees are given, it's become a tradition in the Embroidery Bureau. It's not impossible for you to have predicted the questions. But for her, with no foundation, to decipher the former director's craftsmanship in minutes, are you questioning the former director's ability, or do you think she's more skilled than the former director?"
"As the saying goes, villains die from talking too much," Quan Jiu smiled slightly, interrupting Shi Yan. "Since you're not convinced, continue to test me."
Shi Yan snorted coldly. "We must test further. Do you think the Embroidery Bureau is that easy to get into? Even if someone is helping you, in front of so many elders, I will offend people if necessary to prevent you from breaking the rules."
Lou Mingfang secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said to the other three elders beside her, "I said there must be something fishy. So it was a leak of the questions."
"No wonder," Elder Xu was also satisfied with this explanation, finding it more reasonable.
Lou Mingfang then adopted a stern demeanor. "Bai Jing, you gave her special tutoring in advance. Just admit it, don't hide it. If you admit it, we can change the questions. But you refuse to admit it. If you had such a lack of responsibility, and were to become director, wouldn't you lead the entire Embroidery Bureau downhill?"
Bai Jing clenched her fists in indignation. She knew that all of this was merely to deliver that one sentence. At this point, no matter how she argued, it would be futile in front of these people.
Che Fengqiong, hearing this, couldn't contain her joy. She nodded at Shi Yan, very pleased.
Shi Yan became increasingly smug, as if she could already see her promotion to supervisor.
The six elders, along with the three aligned with Lou Mingfang, all nodded in agreement. As for Elder Wang and another elder, they shook their heads helplessly, as if they could already see the impending defeat.
Quan Jiu's lips curved. "As the saying goes, villains die from talking too much."