Chapter 429 Who Copied Who
Riley listened to the chatter with a quiet smile.
"Hold on, there's still one person left to consider!"
But the executives of Koch Group weren't as optimistic.
"Number 20, Patricia, I've seen her résumé. Less than six months in the industry! Her preliminary designs were decent but far from professional. She's likely just making up the numbers."
One of the judges looked over Patricia's preliminary works again and saw a glimpse of brilliance.
"You're saying the person who designed this has been in the industry for less than six months?"
The executive of Koch Group nodded.
"Yep, she joined the game pretty late. No matter the field, starting early is key to taking the lead. She joined too late, and even if she barely makes the cut, she'd be too old by the time she's fully trained."
However, the judge shook his head and smiled without saying a word.
In some professions, starting early was indeed beneficial.
But for designers, doctors, and teachers—the older they were, the more sought-after they became.
Especially for jewelry designers.
Which one of them didn't achieve their status later in life?
Expertise and experience came with time and practice.
Another judge looked surprised.
"To achieve such excellence in just six months? I've suddenly become interested in seeing what she'll present in the finals."
Another judge nodded in agreement.
"Maybe we can round out the top three, after all. I thought we'd only have two worthy entries at most. I hope she won't disappoint us."
Riley remained silent, taking in their opinions about Patricia.
Amidst the murmurs, Patricia walked slowly onto the stage, carrying her work.
"Hello, I'm Patricia, contestant number 20!"
Watching her, Riley's eyes softened with undisguised admiration.
The judge sitting to Riley's right asked with a smile, "I hear you've been in the industry for less than six months?"
Patricia nodded in confirmation.
"Yeah, I sort of stumbled into the profession by accident. I guess you could say I'm one of the older newbies among the pros," Patricia admitted.
The judge on the panel eyed Patricia curiously. "We took a look at your entry for the preliminaries. Did you work on that all by yourself?"
Patricia let out a hearty laugh, joking around. "Of course, it was all me! If it was a team effort, how could I possibly compete? That would be cheating, wouldn't it?"
Her joke had the judges cracking up.
One of them beamed at Patricia. "I have high hopes for you. Don't let me down."
A blush crept up her cheeks as she fiddled nervously with her dress. "I wasn't nervous at first, but you saying that has got the butterflies going."
"Ha, it's natural to feel the jitters. Just takes a little getting used to, that's all!" the judge reassured her.
"Thank you!" Patricia handed over her piece to the host.
Before long, her piece was up on the display screen for all to see.
The moment her work flashed on the screen, there was a collective gasp from the audience.
Whispers and murmurs began to fill the room.
"This piece is similar to contestant number five's, isn't it?"
"'Similar'? It is the same as number five's work!"
"How come their designs are exactly alike?"
"Can't you tell? It's gotta be plagiarism!"
"But who copied whom?"
"Contestant number five is Elise's daughter, a naturally gifted designer. Number twenty is the copycat. She's only been in the game for a few months; no way she could come up with something this impressive."
"She has some nerve, plagiarizing and then showing up to compete so brazenly."
Their not-so-discreet chatter was overheard by the Kochs, not a syllable missed.
Shane turned pale, his grip tightening on his cane to quell the rage in his chest.
Ariel, who'd stuck close to Shane's side throughout, glanced over at her grandfather as soon as Patricia's design appeared on the big screen. Seeing his body shaking with anger, fearing for his health, she quickly took his arm and whispered, "Grandpa, there could be some misunderstanding. Please, don't get angry. It's not worth your health."
Shane emotionlessly asked, "Who do you think is the plagiarist?"
Ariel avoided his gaze and stayed silent, looking down.
Realizing where Ariel's thoughts were heading, Shane said, "Go ahead, speak your mind. We're all family here. What can't be said among us? I won't blame you."
Ariel murmured, "I feel that Patricia, with her skills, would not need to plagiarize."
The implication hung in the air.
Grace plagiarized.
Shane, burning with anger, let out a scornful laugh and fell silent.
Ariel, thinking she had misspoken and upset Shane, immediately cast her gaze down, no longer daring to speak.
Jeremy, sitting beside Ariel, exhibited a carousel of emotions—disappointment, disbelief, and suspicion.
He was so upset his chest heaved violently, yet disbelief still gripped him as the scene unfolded.
The executives of Koch Industries did not attempt to hide their disdain for Patricia, convinced she had copied Grace's work.
The professional judges, however, were much cooler-headed. After reviewing Grace and Patricia's preliminary submissions, they turned to Patricia and asked, "Are you aware of the striking similarities between your work and that of contestant number five?"
'Striking similarities' was putting it mildly.
In fact, they were identical.
Patricia shook her head. "I've been backstage all this time. I haven't seen her work."
Catching the eye of the host, the judges signaled discreetly.
The host quickly displayed Grace's and Patricia's work side by side on the screen.
They were exactly alike.
Even the details were handled in the same manner.
Seeing the two pieces displayed, Patricia's face went pale, and with a trembling voice, she protested, "How could they be identical?" She paused, realizing something, her eyes widened in shock, and she asserted, "Grace plagiarized my work. She copied..."
Sitting next to Riley, a high-ranking Koch executive scoffed without mercy, humiliating her in front of everyone, "She plagiarized your work? Miss Koch is the granddaughter of the esteemed Jeremy and the daughter of the talented Elise, who was renowned in the jewelry design world for her natural gift. Miss Koch, being Elise's daughter, has naturally inherited that talent. Accusing her of plagiarism? Please... don't flatter yourself."
Patricia, flustered, stammered several "I's" but could not articulate a complete sentence.
A top executive from the Koch Group continued his attempt to shame Patricia. "Speechless, are you? You—"
Riley cut him off. "Enough! We haven't gotten to the bottom of this yet. Don't jump to conclusions!"
The Koch Group executive went silent, sulking.
Riley, with a poker face, instructed the host, "Bring contestant number five up here."
The host nodded and stepped away.
It wasn't long before Grace made her way onto the stage. Seeing her work displayed on the screen, she showed no sign of panic. Instead, she pointed an accusing finger at Patricia and exclaimed angrily, "You plagiarized my design!"
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