Chapter 375: 374: The Results Are Out
Joshua had already decided to change his last name, even though Damian probably wouldn’t follow their antics. However, he doesn’t trust his daughter who hadn’t been raised under his roof for most of her life.
Especially in today’s competition, Ivy was participating under the name “Molly Walker.”
What did this mean?
It meant that she didn’t plan to carry the last name “Thompson” at all.
In her heart, the grace of her upbringing will always outweigh her biological ties.
His demand suddenly caused silence in the room.
“Heh…”
Joshua’s cold snort broke the stalemate.
“Turns out it’s all about your shitty last name.” Joshua stood there, his gaze cold and aloof. He looked at Daniel in disdain, his voice full of contempt. “Ivy can choose whatever last name she wants. You can either give this company or take it away!”
“Joshua.” Nicholas interrupted, attempting to reason with his younger brother in a low voice, “Our older brother is in charge of the company now.”
“So what? My brother and I are of the same heart. Do you really think we’ll follow your twisted philosophy?” Joshua’s words left Nicholas’s face turning blue with anger.
Damian just smiled, not saying anything, but his silence indicated his agreement.
Daniel didn’t expect his son to be so stubborn.
But this only reinforced his desire for Molly to change her last name.
It didn’t matter that she didn’t want the Thompson name before, but now she’s part of the “W” organization and is even representing it in the competition. This indicates that her identity in the organization is undoubtedly a core member.
He used to despise a daughter like her, but now he fears her.
The more afraid he becomes, the more he needs to win her over.
Only by changing Molly’s name can he feel at ease to hand over the Thompson family’s business.
“Damian, I’m sure you understand my thoughts, and you…” he walked over to Michael Gallagher and warned in a low voice, “You should try to persuade her whenever you have the time. She shouldn’t always act impulsively. It’s easy for a woman to be bullied when she’s alone…”
“Mr. Thompson,” Michael interrupted with a fake smile, “my thoughts are the same as Joshua’s. No matter if she changes her last name or not, I will still respect her. It won’t affect my feelings towards her. So, please do not mention this advice again.”
“Because, I won’t persuade her, and with me around, I won’t let her get bullied.”
Daniel’s face turned purple with anger.
The atmosphere was tense for a moment.
The young men in the room had formed a standoff against him.
Daniel felt like his dignity was being trampled on by these young men.
“Joshua, Damian, there’s trouble!”
Suddenly, Natalie Lambert frantically knocked on the door from outside.
Michael’s eyes deepened as he quickly moved to the door to open it.
Natalie rushed in, gasping for breath, “The judges must be blind! Ivy could’ve represented Orientopia in the competition, but after the interlude, they gave her the lowest score.”
Among the four groups, the first place was chosen to be the last.
Ivy’s talent was obvious, and her design was brilliant. Even if she hadn’t won first place, she definitely shouldn’t have been the worst of the four.
“Has the result come out already?” Daniel furrowed his eyebrows, a hint of regret on his face.
Even an outsider like him could see his daughter’s talent. She may not have been first place, but at least top three would have been possible.
“The reason for the low score is even more ridiculous. They said… Ivy’s design was too flashy and her professional level was poor.”
This was like evaluating some actors. If they looked good, their professional level was easily overlooked, and their acting skills criticized.
This time, Ivy’s performance was pretty good in every aspect, but because her drawing skill was excellent, they criticized her professional abilities instead.
“Nicholas, you take Dad back to the hotel.” Damian made up his mind immediately.
Nicholas wanted to stay, but considering that Ivy didn’t want to see him either, he gave up.
Daniel didn’t want to return like this, but he knew that even if he stayed, he wouldn’t be able to solve the problem. He emphatically mentioned the issue of Ivy changing her last name and household registration again: “After all, you guys are my own children. When your grandmother was still alive, she hoped to find your sister and bring her back to acknowledge her ancestors. This is not just my wish but also your grandmother’s wish.”
After saying this, Daniel sighed, put on his mask and sunglasses, and left with Nicholas.
Ivy was backstage at the competition when she heard the result. She showed no reaction, while Harry Lambert was furious.
“What’s the point of the organizers? Giving such a low score is obviously deliberate.”
Getting fourth place was bad enough, but the score wasn’t even passing. Who would believe there wasn’t some sort of trickery involved?
“I’ve found out the news. It was the decision of the highest leader of the organizing committee.” Harry looked at the information No. 4 had found on his cell phone, his face turning livid with anger. He desperately wanted to confront the organizers right away.
“Did you see the reaction of the audience when the host announced the news just now? This isn’t the Olympics; we can’t appeal. But this kind of plot is too ugly. It’s an insult to give such a low score.”
Harry rolled up his sleeves, sneered, and said, “The organizer’s leaders are in the office behind us. I’ll go find them…”
“Stop!” Ivy called him back, “The competition is over. There’s no point in causing trouble for others. It won’t change the fact.”
She had offended too many people. They wouldn’t resort to underhanded methods on the court, but they would certainly try in other areas. She hadn’t guessed that even the organizers had been bribed.
“It’s a blessing in disguise not to win a place in this competition.”
She wanted to participate in a fair and square competition, not one in which she could be easily manipulated.
Take part in such a contest, even if she won the championship, it would still be an insult to her.
Backstage at the jewelry competition, the organizers watched the audience’s reactions on the video, looking worried.
“Mr. Crane, isn’t this too risky? We’ve announced the result, but the audience doesn’t believe it.”
It was more than just disbelief; the word “rigged” was all but written on their faces.
“There’s nothing we can do. We can’t possibly bring such an organization to the forefront and let them represent Orientopia on the international stage. The development of that organization is wild. Do you expect us to let such an organization represent our entire country?”
Sitting next to Mr. Crane was a cool-looking woman with short hair, a suit, and long legs. This was Stephen Crane’s assistant and bodyguard.
Stephen Crane, the initiator of the jewelry competition, was in his eighties with white hair and distinct wrinkles on his face. He wore a string of large Tibetan prayer beads on his wrist.
He looked like a sprightly man in his sixties, appearing not a day older due to his youthful spirit, despite the ravages of time on his face.
As the frenzy of arguments among the organizers continued, the experienced Stephen Crane remained silent, playing with his Buddhist beads.
People who knew about jewelry were aware that Mr. Crane owned a string of national museum-grade Tibetan prayer beads which he would wear wherever he went, valued at an exorbitant price.
However, what people couldn’t comprehend was that Stephen Crane, even after so many years, had neither a wife nor children. Now in his eighties with no offspring, people began to gossip about his heir.
“Mr. Crane, is there really no chance of reversing this situation?”
A middle-aged female organizer thought about how the talented Ivy couldn’t even get a top-three place and felt a sense of discomfort in her heart, leading her to question.