Hidden Marriage

David clenched his teeth and hid his panic. "I’ll handle this, Ms. Ning, don’t worry!"

He then signaled to a few people in the crowd. The few designers who had been relying on David's resources understood what he meant and they started to complain…

«Objection! So one can win an award by plagiarising another's design and burning it? Isn’t it too easy?».

«That’s right! Anyone here could burn some clothes! Shouldn’t everyone get a prize then?».

«That was just some outlandish design!».

…

After the string of complaints was released, the other designers could not keep it down anymore. They might still be alright if they were to lose to David, but it was harsh on their pride to lose to a newbie and they started to suspect the competition’s fairness.

«What are the judges doing? Were they bribed?».

«I’m disappointed, I didn’t think Qu Guanyang would stoop this low as well!».

«We want a rematch!».

…

The host was at a loss. He tried to calm the audience down but failed awkwardly. Following David's planting of the complaints, chaos ensued. A few judges panicked and looked at Qu Guanyang.

«Teacher Qu, what do you think we should do? Should we reassess the designs?».

«We were really surprised just now, but now that I look at it, awarding a full 10 points doesn’t really seem appropriate!».

«That’s right, David has a big influence in the industry and it might affect this award’s reputation if we handle this badly!».

…

Qu Guanyang sneered at them, "Are you guys okay? Who are the judges, us or them? If all of them were experts, then why are we needed here? And why are you guys even sitting up here? Just a few words are enough to change your decision. What kind of judge are you?"

The few judges were embarrassed and stopped talking.

Later, Qu Guanyang picked up the microphone, "Well, well, it seems like someone’s questioning my judgment!"

«That’s because you’re being really unfair this time! This is obviously plagiarism! Some random burning isn’t enough to cover it up!" someone from the crowd expressed, full of rage.

Qu Guanyang looked at the crowd coldly and declared expressionlessly, "Firstly, all of you have been talking about plagiarism, but what’s the definition of plagiarism? Chinese trends, traditional elements, anyone can come up with these. This is a publicly available theme, not an exclusive design. It’s based on one’s capabilities to make it look exceptional.

"Secondly, can all of you burn it too? Did any of you think about it? Who thought about it? What did you do? Why didn’t you do it before if you have thought about it?».

Qu Guanyang’s question rendered the designers speechless.

They realized they were being unreasonable. While it was true that anyone could do it, it was difficult to come up with the idea and execute it, which was why it caught everyone by surprise.

«Even if you say so, based on overall abilities, that anonymous X is nowhere near David!" someone yelled out, still not convinced.

Qu Guanyang used an even harsher tone and stared coldly into the crowd. "As designers, all of you don’t understand what you are doing. What is the purpose of this award?».