A word awakened the dreamer. Yes, if you liked it, why not even touch it?
The look in the eyes when one likes something cannot be hidden. When Ma Xiaoling looked at the Victory Pendant, there was no 'light' in her eyes, not the slightest desire to try wearing it.
Ma Xiaoling truly disliked this pendant.
Leaving it behind was merely a consolation prize; she simply admired the courage of Jiang Mengxin and the others.
In an instant, Jiang Mengxin's mood plummeted to the bottom.
Beside her, Xiao Zhan said unhappily, "President Jiang, don't listen to his nonsense. If Miss Ma didn't like our pendant, how could she possibly keep it?"
Jiang Mengxin was not stupid; she had actually accepted Lu Ming's words.
But still…
Regardless, the Victory Pendant was the only one kept so far. No matter the reason, they were at least in the leading position for now.
If the subsequent pendants were all terrible, then the Victory Pendant still had a chance to win.
Looking at Ma Xiaoling's discerning demeanor, it was possible that Jiang Mengxin could indeed get lucky.
Xiao Zhan was displeased and glared at Lu Ming, saying viciously, "Don't just talk about others. What about you? Didn't you get a small piece of emerald and promise to craft a pendant at today's banquet? Why are you empty-handed, where's the pendant?"
Lu Ming took a sip of tea. "The pendant's crafting process is a bit complex and is still being engraved. But it's almost done. It should be sent over in a few more minutes."
"Is that so?" Xiao Zhan sneered. "You'd better not be lying and trying to muddle through. I'm telling you, I'll be watching you! If you can't produce a decent pendant, you'll have to compensate me 5 million!"
Xiao Zhan wasn't short of 5 million, but he believed Lu Ming definitely couldn't produce it. What he wanted was for Lu Ming to get lost!
Jiang Mengxin also remained silent.
Her thoughts were the same as Xiao Zhan's. As long as they held firm to the 5 million, they could drive Lu Ming away, perhaps even force him to his death.
Let Lu Ming be smug for a while longer; he wouldn't be smug for much longer.
At this moment.
A familiar figure walked onto the stage, and all eyes were drawn to him. It was none other than the owner of Dynasty Jewelry – Murong Bo.
As a member of the Murong family, Murong Bo held a very high position in Modu.
Even if his pendant couldn't satisfy Miss Ma, he wouldn't be driven away. This was a testament to his status.
"Miss Ma, the previous pendants were truly vulgar, utterly unworthy of your peerless beauty." As he spoke, he opened the box. "Only my exquisite pendant can be worthy of you."
Oh?
Ma Xiaoling looked over curiously.
Inside the box lay a very special pendant: a six-winged angel with three pairs of wings, its body half white and half black.
Looking closer, Ma Xiaoling was surprised to find that this was not an angel, but a fusion of an angel and a devil.
The white side was the angel, pure and flawless; the black side was the devil, fierce and terrifying.
The angel and devil were fused perfectly, not appearing contrived at all.
Then, the material.
The white was fine mutton-fat jade, and the black was Hetian jade, both extremely precious gemstones. To combine them into one without any visible seams demonstrated the exquisite craftsmanship of the engraver.
"So beautiful."
For the first time that evening, Ma Xiaoling used the adjective 'beautiful.'
Even more unexpectedly, Ma Xiaoling actively picked up the pendant and put it on her neck. This action stunned everyone present.
It turned out that Ma Xiaoling wasn't truly cold and unapproachable; it was simply that her taste was very high, and others couldn't meet her requirements.
When you could satisfy her, she would respond.
Instantly, there was thunderous applause.
"Murong Bo truly lives up to his reputation as the king of Modu's jewelry industry. Only he could create a pendant that satisfies Miss Ma."
"Alas, I say, why make it so complicated from the start? Why not just have Murong Bo do it? Save time and effort."
"The champion tonight must be Murong Bo."
Listening to the crowd's flattery, Murong Bo felt greatly pleased. He stood with his arms spread, like a superstar at an awards ceremony.
This scene made Jiang Mengxin very displeased.
Judging by the current situation, Murong Bo had a very high probability of winning.
Once Murong Bo won and established a connection with the Ma family, his influence would further increase, and Victory Jewelry would be utterly powerless.
If the Murong family joined forces with the Ma family, Victory Jewelry could close down early.
Jiang Mengxin's hands were covered in sweat, too nervous to speak.
Yet.
Lu Ming said calmly, "This piece is indeed an excellent work of the highest caliber, but… it's not suitable for Miss Ma."
Oh?
Jiang Mengxin looked at Lu Ming.
Lu Ming explained, "Personality determines appearance. From Miss Ma's demeanor alone, one can tell she is a pure, innocent girl with a cool exterior but a warm heart. This 'Angel and Devil' is too flamboyant. While beautiful, wearing it around Miss Ma's neck would inevitably give a sense of a child wearing adult clothes, creating a sense of incongruity."
When he put it that way, it made a lot of sense.
Jiang Mengxin looked carefully, and the more she looked, the more she felt Lu Ming was right.
She smiled. "Lu Ming, I didn't realize you knew so much about jewelry."
Lu Ming replied, "I don't understand jewelry; I only understand how to analyze people."
He turned to Jiang Mengxin and uttered a meaningful sentence: "This 'Angel and Devil' is actually more suitable for you to wear."
Jiang Mengxin's personality was half angel, half devil, sometimes gentle, sometimes cruel; she was the one most suited for this pendant.
Jiang Mengxin sneered, remaining silent.
Three minutes later.
Ma Xiaoling reluctantly took off the Angel and Devil pendant, placed it back in the box, and smiled with satisfaction, saying, "Mr. Murong, thank you for designing this pendant for me. I like it very much."
The phrase 'like it very much' made the faces of other jewelers turn green.
"It's hopeless now; the champion is definitely Murong Bo."
"Such a perfect work, winning first place is well deserved. I think it's fine."
Jiang Mengxin heard their words and felt anxious.
Although Ma Xiaoling's temperament didn't match the pendant, Ma Xiaoling herself might not realize it! Even if she did, it wouldn't stop her from liking the pendant.
Ultimately, whether the temperament matched or not truly didn't matter much.
"We lost," Jiang Mengxin sighed, utterly disappointed.
She had to face the outcome of defeat, watching helplessly as Murong Bo's influence grew, while she would have to flee back to Jinling in disgrace.
The ending was set.
Just as everyone had decided Murong Bo was the final champion, Lu Ming received a text message notification.
The content was brief and forceful: "Mr. Lu, your reserved pendant has been completed. I've brought it to the hotel entrance, but the security guard won't let me in. Please come and pick it up."
Lu Ming smiled slightly, put away his phone, and walked towards the hotel entrance.
To welcome the world's number one carving master – Chen Yin Gong!!!