Chapter 42

That was a drawing, without a doubt.

Compared to the previous draft that was sent, this one was a drawing that was almost entirely complete, aside from the final product drawing. It seemed that Lin Zhou had learned from his previous experience and was completely convinced about Yan Jin’s moral standing.

Just like the wedding ring deal, Lin Zhou had sent over a drawing that was incomplete to prove his words.

Just like the previous time –

He used a stolen drawing.

Xiao Yu was so pissed that he started laughing.

He laughed at Lin Zhou’s shamelessness and at his own naivety.

Again, and again, those drawings that he painstakingly drew was all stolen by Lin Zhou. Again, and again, he was deceived so thoroughly yet he had no idea why.

Why did he only realize that now? Why couldn’t he guess it sooner?

Why must he find out so much about the past at such a time, when he couldn’t even give Lin Zhou a solid punch?

Yes, the drawing that Lin Zhou had sent over belonged to Xiao Yu as well.

That was another draft that he had worked his heart out on, a work that he had so much confidence in.

At the bottom of the drawing was a stick figure of a little fish.

DIDI.

[Lil’ Ye-Zhou]: So, what’s your opinion for this round, Chairman Yan?

[Lil’ Ye-Zhou]: I’m still drawing the final draft. This drawing contains details for the final product, which won’t be used in the preliminary round and will only be submitted together at the final round.

Xiao Yu let out a sigh of defeat.

True enough, that was what Xiao Yu wanted to know. This was the entirety of Lin Zhou’s ‘conspiracy’.

This senior of the designing scene clearly knew that some techniques were necessary to pass the voting selection. That was why when a drawing that was fated to fail at the preliminary round appeared before his eyes, Lin Zhou hardly hesitated to plagiarized it.

Xiao Yu did not have memories of such things happening.

He could not remember if Lin Zhou had asked for that drawing. But one thing was certain. It was not a difficult task for Lin Zhou to get any drawings from him.

Xiao Yu was not sure if Lin Zhou had contacted Yan Jin at this conjuncture. He wasn’t even aware that Lin Zhou had known Yan Jin in his previous life. At least this time around, he had interfered right on time.

He did not know whether Lin Zhou had used his drawing to enter the individual competition.

He did not know.

Why didn’t he know? That was because in his previous life, all of his attention was focused on that moment when he had miserably failed the voting selection and the event that happened afterwards –

That one and only individual work that stood out from among the mass of corporate works.

That one and only work that belonged to the mystery designer.

And not to Lin Zhou.

It was as if Xiao Yu could see Lin Zhou’s smug face and filthy ambition from behind the screen. At this moment, Xiao Yu could feel the cruel thrill that ran in his blood even more so than ever.

It was a shudder from grasping the future in advance.

Excitement and fear.

Xiao Yu even thought – can he really do this? Wouldn’t he be punished by God? But when he saw those disgusting words that Lin Zhou said, the hamster felt that his worries were superfluous.

If he could punish this person, to make him pay the price for what he had done, the wrath of Heaven was nothing.

Lin Zhou was determined to win? He thought that the plan was perfect in every way?

Fight me.

[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: It seems that you’re confident that you will get an exhibition booth.

[Lil’ Ye-Zhou]: Naturally.

Xiao Yu wondered how Yan Jin would reply if it was him. But his desire to win had already been set ablaze. Regardless of whether he acted out of Yan Jin’s character, Xiao Yu must set this challenge.

[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: To be honest, there’s a designer in YL who volunteered to participate in the individual competition.

[Lil’ Ye-Zhou]: And Chairman Yan actually agreed?

That reply made Xiao Yu’s heart skip a beat. He quickly changed the focus and tactfully laid out his resolute determination.

[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: I wasn’t agreeable to it at first, but I’ve changed my mind now.

[Lil’ Ye-Zhou]: To think that I could make Chairman Yan change his mind. Seems like that courageous designer should thank me properly.

[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: You’re both competitors.

[Lil’ Ye-Zhou]: That’s what I wished for. I can show Chairman Yan my true capabilities too.

[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: Then, we shall wait and see.

We shall wait and see, Lin Zhou.

After closing the conversation dialog with Lin Zhou to prevent himself from being further disgusted , Xiao Yu went to check on Nannan.

[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: How was it? How was it? Have you found any inspiration?

[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: The draft? Have you drawn any drafts lately?

After waiting for a long time with no response, Xiao Yu was prepared to do something. Then, he heard the notification tone just as he returned to the main screen.

When Nan Wei, who was dealing with a customer who gave negative feedback for a product, saw Xiao Yu’s message popping out, he could feel his mind exploding. Without a choice, he handed the customer over to a certain someone who was gaming.

[Nannan]: Why is it you again?

[You’ve deleted one message.]

[Nannan]: Guru, didn’t you say it was not urgent?

[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: Change of plans. Let’s talk about your current situation first.

[Nannan]: Me? I’m doing fine?

[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: I’m asking how your draft is going.

[Nannan]: Not much inspiration...

Although Xiao Yu had sent his design thoughts in a word document to Nan Wei, to change those words into drawings was no easy feat to begin with, much less making a different creator revise it.

They both went on a trip, yet the scenery was different from everyone’s points of view. Xiao Yu could find inspiration that others could not. For example, when Nan Wei went for a spin in that foreign land, his focus was not on the dreamy, faraway ancient castle nor the blonde beauties with blue eyes. Instead, it was –

Have I bought all the things on the buy-on-behalf list?

Finding inspiration from a trip? Nonexistent.

[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: I have some drawings for you to look at. If there are no problems, then use them as a foundation to work on.

Nannan received the files.

[Nannan]: Guru, I actually wanted to say this ever since the last incident. Is there no link between this drawing and the final product?

Using the wedding ring incident, Xiao Yu’s drawing was a ring, but the final drawing that Nan Wei was told to draw ended up as a garland. It was quite far-fetched to call it amendments. Wasn’t that simply asking him to draw a new drawing?

[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: You have to understand the meaning behind it. Designing is a kind of art; to make your imaginary thoughts into actual products. The critical point is what you want to express. With these drawings, you won’t have to aimlessly look for inspiration. Won’t the word document make more sense with them?

[Nannan]: Could it be that these drawings were drawn by yours truly?

Xiao Yu went silent. From a certain perspective, Nannan got it right.

[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: Stop making wild guesses. If I can draw, why would I still need you?

Nan Wei looked at the compressed zip file containing SI’s wedding ring order that he had gotten from his cousin. He wondered if he should send over his copy of the drawing to expose the truth.

Forget it. If he angered that Guru, FISH, he could probably get away unscathed. But if he accidentally pissed off his cousin’s lover, the person who would become his future brother/sister-in-law, then...

He chooses to live longer.

Although that was what he had thought, Nan Wei decided to struggle a bit.

[Nannan]: That’s true... but...

[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: Alright, go start on the drawing. Once you’re done, we still have the exhibition work for the Autumn Release Conference to settle.

The struggle failed, and the opponent just threw a bomb over.

[Nannan]: Wait?? I thought we were not doing the exhibition work?

[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: Oh, I said that? I’ve changed my mind now. My fighting spirit is soaring high now. Thanks for your hard work.

[Nannan]: sobslikewaterfall.jpg

The Nan Wei behind the screen dropped tears of hardship.

I shall settle this debt from Yan Jin one day.

[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: What’s wrong, why are you crying?

[Nannan]: Nah, I’m crying tears of joy.

Closing the conversation screen with Nannan, Xiao Yu felt the burning rage within him calm down a little.

If he was able to; if he wasn’t just a hamster; he wished from the bottom of his heart that he could finish that incomplete drawing from his previous life and clear his shameful deeds. Too bad he couldn’t.

Thankfully, under such unfavorable conditions, Xiao Yu was still able to stop Lin Zhou’s conspiracy.

Xiao Yu was not greedy, not one bit.

He didn’t seek revenge for the smallest grievances, and he didn’t have an overbearing attitude.

But he was not someone that other people could push around, nor would he resign himself to adversity.

Those thoughts about not getting involved again, or not using the mystery designer’s name to participate in these screwed up matters – he took it all back and burned it.

So long as Lin Zhou dared to issue a challenge, Xiao Yu would not back off.

Xiao Yu’s thoughts finally became clearer. In his previous life, he was naïve and happily regarded Lin Zhou as the closest brother he had ever known for many years. If the mystery designer had not come in between them, perhaps Xiao Yu would eventually be left with nothing.

The one that he assumed was an enemy, was in fact his benefactor; the one he assumed was his benefactor, was in fact a devil that had been hiding in the dark.

His hatred for Lin Zhou equaled how grateful he was to this mystery designer who he was not fated to meet.

He owed a thank you to that designer.

Although that mystery designer had also borrowed his drawings to win so many victories, compared to the disgusting things that Lin Zhou had done, it was way more acceptable.

He himself gave the drawings to Lin Zhou. And that mystery designer refined his works and made them into dazzling jewelries, fulfilling Xiao Yu’s lost dreams.

It was all thanks to the mystery designer’s blessing that Xiao Yu was able to relive these moments and take back the things that belonged to him.

This gratitude was probably impossible to relay to the mystery designer. What he could do, was give Yan Jin the advantage.

Initially, Xiao Yu did not plan on interfering with the exhibits for the Autumn Release Conference. However, he decided to treat this as repaying a debt to the Xiao Yu from his previous life.

Leave YL’s Autumn Release Conference to him.

(Nan Wei: Meow?)

DIDI – another new message.

Xiao Yu saw it – Speaking of the devil, here comes Yan Jin. Just in time, as he also wanted to discuss the exhibition details with Yan Jin and see what Yan Jin’s opinions were.

[Grey-white SS]: I have some information for you from the company. Take note of the things that I’ve highlighted.

Grey-white SS sent a compressed zip file.

Xiao Yu accepted the compressed folder in bewilderment. When he extracted the file, he realized what Yan Jin was referring to.

The first folder had the important things to note for all participants. The second folder held the participation details and processes. The third folder contained details of all previous competitions that were related to Ragnarok.

Hold on? This wasn’t the first original design competition? It couldn’t possibly be? Yan Jin himself had said that this was the first time the Autumn Release Conference had such an arrangement.

Before Xiao Yu opened that folder, he had no idea. In fact, this original design competition open to the public, had a precedent. However, due to lack of funds, they were unable to hold it on a larger scale two years ago. This year however, after coming to an agreement with S City’s sponsors, the competition was then included into the Autumn Release Conference.

Interestingly enough, Xiao Yu had participated in all of Ragnarok’s previous competitions, such as the third run of A Hundred Schools of Thought, as well as the fourth run of Universal Nature!

When he was still studying in university, he had participated in A Hundred Schools of Thought and almost participated in Universal Nature.

Now that Xiao Yu recalled his memories, even though he couldn’t clearly remember what had happened within the past year, he could definitely recall participating in the A Hundred Schools of Thought competition in his university days.

The truth was, humans would always remember the moments where they had faced great failures or impressive growths. Instead, they could easily forget about the things they did on a daily basis.

Back then, he was not even considered a freelance designer as he entered the competition purely out of interest. Without any experience, solely depending on his sturdy foundation and extremely unique drawing style... he suffered a crushing defeat.

After that incident, Xiao Yu looked at his prim and proper drawing, which was no different from his school assignments. He compared them to those bold and imaginative, yet slightly poorly drawn awarded designs. For the first time, Xiao Yu understood the meaning of rotten from within, and pros outweighing the cons.

He had spent his university days at a loss. Nothing else gave Xiao Yu that kind of shock. He felt that he had owed the competition an answer sheet. So, he signed up for the second year of the Universal Nature competition.

It was also in that year his work that was designed for the Universal Nature competition was put on display by accident during class. Following that, he was noticed by the mighty figure that no-one dared to approach, SI’s gifted former chief designer.

From then on, Xiao Yu’s life had a big turnaround.

*Fishy in his university days* ->