Chapter 72 - ENJOY MY PRESENT FOR NOW (1/2)

The next day, the five chosen papers were required to present again, but this time, it was in front of the five judges. Luo Jingyi kept her poker face plastered throughout, grilling each team with questions related to their proposal.

It didn't start with this though. It only happened after she made mental adjustments, based on Prof. Ma's expression. He was being a good cop. So, Dr. Li and Luo Jingyi were the bad ones, rattling each team member.

Luo Jingyi was beside Professor Ma. His actions of leaning on his chair and secretly peeping at what she wrote, didn't slip past her eyes. She even allowed him to look at the scores.

When the five teams completed their presentation, the program chair along with Dr. Bai tallied the result. Dr. Bai was weirded out by the scoring. Every time one judge gave the highest evaluation, another one wrote the lowest which resulted in three teams getting the same scores.

The panel deliberated to choose between the three. Luo Jingyi never changed her stance because she was aware that Prof. Ma was acting opposite of hers

Listening to the arguments between the judges, it didn't take long for Dr. Bai to figure out what was going on. She cast an amused glance at Luo Jingyi.

Dr. Bai buffered in between the discussion, pretending to be unaware of how Luo Jingyi was manipulating the conversation in order to achieve the results she wanted.

When they came to a decision, everyone sighed in relief. Dr. Bai went out to announce the result.

...

As Luo Jingyi gathered her things on the desk, Prof. Ma moved closer to her.

”Dr. Luo seemed unhappy with the results?” He asked, with a smile of triumph dancing on his lips.

”We are different.” Luo Jingyi shoved her phone inside her bag and turned away.

Luo Jingyi paused in the middle, swung around to face him. She warned him, ”You should consider your choices if you want to keep your position.”

His brows shot up to his hairline. ”Are you threatening me?”

”Threatening you is a way for cowards. So no.” Luo Jingyi smiled. ”I am informing you. I'd rather be forthcoming than stab people behind the back. After all, you were once my mother's friend. Isn't that right uncle?”

His smile faded.  He was rattled when he was reminded of his friendship with the original's mother. He was another person she needed to deal with but she was saving him for the last.

”Stop pulling my leg. You won't have time to play around at this time when your father's eyeing a higher position. He's quite ambitious, isn't he?”