Chapter 188 Paradox
Evelyn looked at the person and said, "Who wrote it doesn't matter; only the analysis and quality matters."
"So, if we ignore the labels and just look at the two works, would your answers still be the same?" she asked.
This question stumped most people.
Without those labels, their answers might've been different. They were thinking about whether it was really Matthew's work or a test of their own projects.
They spent so much time on this that they lost sight of the competition's core.
Her words convinced most people.
However, some were still skeptical. "No offense, Ms. Taylor, but you're young. Are you really this insightful naturally, or have you seen similar questions before?"
This question was pretty malicious, implying she won because of her connection with Matthew.
She glanced at him and said, "You're just presumptuous and narrow-minded."
"Knowledge isn't tied to age. Some young people have deep knowledge and strong memory, while some older folks are stuck in narrow views. A person's capacity isn't about age, and I believe you're not the latter," Evelyn said with a confident smile. She mocked his shallow knowledge but left him some dignity.
The man was angry but had nothing to say. If he continued, he'd be questioning Matthew and the whole competition.
"The competition has shown us the talent in our industry. I believe everyone here will produce great work in perfumery! The competition is over, and we'll contact the winners for their prizes," the examiner announced.
Evelyn sighed in relief, thinking, 'Never doing this again. Better to focus on research and avoid socializing!'
"Ms. Taylor!" someone called out before she could leave. "Mr. Thompson wants to see you; please follow me."
She was unsure, but felt safe given the security measures after the recent kidnapping incident.
She followed the person to an office, where Matthew was sitting.
He gestured for her to sit down as she approached.
"Ms. Taylor, I see you in a new light," he said, leaning forward slightly, not exactly appreciative but acknowledging.
"Thank you," she replied politely.
"But I have reservations about your remarks," he continued. "Do you really think the labels don't influence you, or is it just that you can't tell the difference?"
Before she could answer, he added, "Your answer was more precise than the others, and you are undoubtedly the first place."
That's why he had called Evelyn over.
"Honestly, I don't agree with the test question you came up with. It's a paradox," she said calmly, not getting angry.
"Why?" he asked indifferently raising an eyebrow.
Matthew didn't take Evelyn's words seriously, thinking she was making excuses. He wasn't satisfied with the assessment results. He wanted to find outstanding individuals to train, but the results were disappointing. Even though she was first, he doubted her potential in the field.
"Did you want us to ignore external influences and focus solely on the work, disregarding the creator's background?" Evelyn asked.
Matthew paused, admitting that was his intention.
As a perfumer, the focus should be on the work's value. Too many people care only about the name, thinking a master's label means high value and praise, making it hard for newcomers to gain recognition. He wanted to break this distorted view.
"You labelled your name on the bottles, yet you ask us not to focus on the creator. You're emphasizing external reputation's influence on the work. You want to distract us with the creator but also tell us not to be distracted. It's contradictory," she remarked.
Matthew shook his head. "If you only focus on the work, you wouldn't have noticed that. Didn't you achieve that?"
She smiled. "Not really. The creator shouldn't affect the work, but it doesn't mean I won't think about who they are."
"The work and the creator are inseparable. As perfumers, we create different perfumes, each with unique characteristics. Their uniqueness comes from the personal touch of different perfumers, and this can't be erased."
Matthew's initial indifference changed. He sat up straight, nodding as his eyes flickered.
"You make a lot of sense. Can you guess who the creator of this work is?" Matthew asked, looking at Evelyn with great interest.
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