CHAPTER 82: CHAPTER 83: THE ZHUANG FAMILY’S ELDEST MISS

Mr. Lu was finally satisfied and said, "Wait for my news." He then left as usual.

Upon arriving at the company, he summoned Xie Jian: "Get Leng Fei to come over and investigate the street photography competition issue."

Xie Jian, dressed in a sharp suit, slightly bowed and reminded his boss, "Leng Fei is currently working on a government project. The last time we reassigned people, the old master was quite unhappy. It’s only been a few days; if we reassign him again, it might not be suitable." Just for something trivial like the street photography competition, repeatedly interrupting their progress would anger even a mildly intelligent leader.

However, Lu Shifeng said, "Do you make the decisions here or do I?"

Xie Jian dared not persist and left Lu Shifeng’s office, feeling troubled.

While taking the elevator down, he encountered a beautiful woman wearing an elegant pearl white suit and carrying a luxurious ostrich leather handbag, with a subtle fragrance wafting through her carefully styled long hair. Her every smile and movement were captivating. She greeted Xie Jian, "Ah Jian."

Xie Jian paused, very politely, "Miss Zhuang."

Zhuang Heng smiled at him and said, "I’ve told you many times, call me by my name like Shifeng does. Why do you keep ignoring it?"

Still courteous, Xie Jian replied, "You’re the eldest daughter of the Zhuang Family, different from someone like me."

"What’s all this about being the eldest daughter," Zhuang Heng smiled as usual, her voice gentle, "Since I’m working as a photographer at Blade Group, I’m no different from you, just an employee under Shifeng."

An employee under Shifeng?

Ordinary employees wouldn’t dare address the boss by name like this.

Xie Jian grew even more respectful, silently standing in the elevator, concentrating on reaching their destination without speaking.

Zhuang Heng, however, seemed eager to talk, "What’s Shifeng been busy with lately? Why is he always nowhere to be seen?"

Xie Jian had to answer, "You know, the boss is always very dedicated to his work; he always finds something to keep busy with."

Zhuang Heng gently placed her beautifully manicured fingers on her handbag and smiled again at Xie Jian, "Ah Jian, you always have such flawless responses. Are you guarding against me? Can’t I know what Shifeng is up to?"

Xie Jian quickly said, "How could I dare? It’s just that I don’t fully understand what the boss is busy with either, and it wouldn’t be good if I misled you by saying something incorrect. If you want to know, why not ask the boss directly? His response will definitely be more detailed than mine."

The light in Zhuang Heng’s eyes dimmed slightly, and she half-jokingly said, "You’ve been his chief secretary for so many years with such a stable position; do you mean to say you don’t know what he’s up to? Ah Jian, do you think I’m easy to fool like a three-year-old child?"

"I wouldn’t dare."

Zhuang Heng looked at him for a while, then gracefully laughed, "Alright, I won’t make it difficult for you. If you weren’t this tight-lipped, Shifeng wouldn’t have chosen you as his secretary."

The elevator gave a soft "ding," signaling its arrival.

Zhuang Heng stepped out gracefully in her delicate high heels, bringing with her a fragrant breeze.

Only then did Xie Jian breathe a sigh of relief. For some reason, every time he saw Miss Zhuang, he felt a bit uneasy inside. Despite everyone in the company saying she was graceful and gentle, embodying classic family demeanor, he always felt she wasn’t as easy to get along with as she seemed. It’s said the elder of the Lu Family is very fond of Miss Zhuang and often invites her for tea, yet he hasn’t even summoned the boss’s newly married wife. Yet what about the boss? In spite of the old master’s anger, he’s now calling upon Leng Fei for trivial matters, effectively drawing resentment toward his wife. Xie Jian shook his head, genuinely feeling that the boss’s emotional intelligence was questionable.

Meanwhile, Su Xingyu happily awaited Blade Group’s response at home.

She believed that since Lu Shifeng promised there would be news, there would indeed be news.

Sure enough, that afternoon, Blade Group’s official page for the street photography competition released news, formally announcing that Su Xingqi’s photograph was questionable and required further investigation. Moreover, to remain fair, the finals’ quota was extended to the top eleven, ensuring that if Su Xingqi’s photograph turned out to be faked, no innocents would lose their qualification because of this incident.

The news caused a sensation among the public.

Although the official statement only indicated "questionable," taking such actions showed suspicions surrounding Su Xingqi’s possible fraud were fairly significant. Suddenly, many believed Su Xingqi’s photograph was indeed altered, sparking much discussion.

Those photographers who had previously supported Su Xingyu were delighted and continued to post comments on Weibo, stating their position and defending Su Xingyu. Soon, netizens felt that if Su Xingqi’s photograph was indeed fake, then Su Xingyu, who was innocently slandered, was pitiful. Despite doing nothing, she inexplicably dropped out of the top ten and missed out on the finals qualification.

"Actually, Su Xingyu’s ’Rain In’ taken in a French restaurant is quite excellent."

"Yeah, it seems like there wasn’t much post-processing, but judging by the photography alone, she has a strong foundation, easily in the top three."

"Not going to the finals is too unfair."

"Even my idol, Qi Zichu, stood up for her."

"Why don’t we vote for her? Voting isn’t over yet; there’s still a chance to push her up."

"Sure, let’s push her up."

"Help Su Xingyu regain her finals qualification."

Such slogans echoed across major photography communities, and many who followed this street photography competition—be it professional photographers or amateurs—voted fervently, determined to help Su Xingyu regain her rightful position.

Within a few days, she had returned to the top ten, ending the voting as the sixth place candidate to qualify for advancement.

"Only sixth place..." Su Xingyu was somewhat unsatisfied with the result. Like many photographers, she believed her photograph ’Rain In’ deserved a spot in the top three. However, given the situation with Su Xingqi arising midway, entering the finals is good enough; any grievances will be settled there. This time, she won’t allow Su Xingqi to reach her again!

Su Xingqi’s photograph was not disqualified from the finals.

Because Blade Group’s investigation requires time—Leng Fei has been working on a confidential government project and taking leave isn’t easy. Full arrangements for the project side are necessary; it isn’t possible to delay serious matters just for a small contest.

While Lu Shifeng protects his people fiercely, his mind remains clear on important matters.

"I probably won’t be available until the finals are over," Leng Fei replied to Lu Shifeng, "I’ll have time then."

Lu Shifeng wasn’t in a hurry; resolving this issue before the top two are decided would suffice. Once fraud is proven, withdrawing Su Xingqi’s and Lin Luna’s participation is simple. Su Xingyu wasn’t worried either; somewhere along the way, she gained confidence in Lu Shifeng—as long as he promised something, he would deliver.

She held the new camera he gifted her, focusing on preparing for the finals.

The finals remained street photography. On this day, Ouyang Yi appeared elegantly dressed to find her, "Xingyu, little beauty, need help with the finals?"