Chapter 13 — When I Don't Need Them Anymore

He couldn't answer. I hung up. On the opening day of the conference, the hall was decorated extremely solemnly. The check-in area has a long queue. Designers, brand representatives, media reporters, specialized judges... Continuously going back and forth between exhibition booths. Chu Nghien arrived early in the morning and waited for me at the signing area. She pulled me inside, pointing out each exhibition room for me as she walked.

“Your position is in hall number three, To Uyen Ninh is right next to you, hall number four.”

“The jury box is in the middle, visible on both sides.”

“Today she wore all white, brought six assistants, and was very ostentatious.”

I changed clothes and adjusted the displayed work. A necklace. One bracelet. A brooch. Each item is designed, modeled, and honed by myself. No outsourcing. Don't ask others. The performance is scheduled for two o'clock in the afternoon. Five new designers took turns coming on stage, introducing their work ideas, then receiving direct evaluation from the judges. The first two people finished presenting. It's To Uyen Ninh's turn. The moment she stepped onto the stage, the entire auditorium fell into a very magical silence. Because everyone knows... The "plagiarism" scandal between her and me is still not completely over. But she was extremely calm. High heels. Exquisite makeup. Standing on stage is like a perfect white lotus flower.

“Hello everyone, I am To Uyen Ninh.”

She smiled and introduced the work "Rebirth".

“This work represents my transformation.”

“I have gone through a lot of controversies over the past year, but I chose to use my work to answer all doubts.”

She spoke very cleverly. A few scattered applause rang out from the stands. Go to the part where the judges ask questions. One judge asked:

“Miss To, about the design controversy between you and An Lac, can you talk more specifically about your creative process?”

To Uyen Ninh prepared very carefully. She starts with the inspiration, talks about the choice of materials, and then goes on to explain the structure of the shape. Each step is clear and coherent. People in the audience kept nodding after listening. If I wasn't the one who drew the original… Maybe I would believe her myself. After she finished speaking, applause rang out again. This time a little bigger than before. It's my turn. I walked onto the stage. Don't wear dresses. Just a black shirt, sleeves rolled up to the elbow, almost identical to the style I usually wear in the studio. The eyes in the stands all focused on me. There are also people who simply come to watch fun plays.

“Hello everyone, I am An Lac.”

I don't talk much about philosophy or design inspiration. Instead, he directly opened the leather briefcase he carried with him. Inside are all of my design drafts from the past two years. Not an electronic file. It's the original paper copy. Each sheet has the date of creation, editing notes, and my signature. I spread each sheet out and stuck it on the display board. Then just say one sentence.

“I don't have any inspirational stories to tell.”

“Because my work doesn't need to be painted with stories.”

“If anyone has doubts, just look at the original.”

The whole hall was silent for two seconds. A judge stood up and walked closer. He carefully looked at each manuscript. After flipping a few pages, he turned his head to look at To Uyen Ninh sitting on the other side. After that looked at me again.

“Miss An Lac, the composition time on these originals… matches the appraisal report you published previously?”

“The original can receive a second appraisal from any organization.”

Another judge picked up the necklace I displayed and rotated it under the light. He is a senior who has worked in the industry for more than thirty years. He put down the necklace. Silence for a few seconds. Then turned back to the stands and said:

“This is really good stuff.”

"Whether you do it yourself or hire someone to do it for you, you can tell by looking at the technical details."

He glanced towards To Uyen Ninh.

“Some things… can't be faked.”

The atmosphere in the stands changed completely. To Uyen Ninh's face turned even whiter. Her assistants began to bow their heads and talk to each other. After the presentation, there is time for interaction. Reporters immediately rushed up. Most of them were facing me.

“Miss An Lac, what do you think about the plagiarism controversy with To Uyen Ninh?”

“You brought the original here today, is it intentional to get back at To Uyen Ninh?”

“Have you and To Uyen Ninh ever had any private contact in real life?”

I only answered one question correctly.

“My work will speak for itself.”

“For other things, looking at the evidence is enough.”