Chapter 95

Today’s meeting changed locations and was held in Deyounian’s largest top-floor conference room. There were more attendees than usual, and President Dai and Jason were both there to observe.

Although it was just an internal competition, determining the rescue candidate was the most important matter at present. Moreover, with the special relationship between Lu Yuezhi and Xiao Luyan, the selection process had to be extremely cautious to convince everyone.

President Dai feared Xiao Luyan might make a hasty decision due to excessive pressure. He also worried there might be a dispute with the Trans team today over Lu Yuezhi. He didn’t want either outcome to befall Xiao Luyan.

Regarding the recommendation of Lu Yuezhi, he had specially asked Xiao Luyan about it. Compared to Jason’s mocking accusations, President Dai was much gentler and more tactful. But he had similarly advised her to think it over carefully. In truth, he wasn’t optimistic about this contest.

However, Xiao Luyan insisted repeatedly and refused to yield an inch. She was determined to let Lu Yuezhi give it a try first. He no longer pressed the issue. Few people over these years had made Xiao Luyan so resolute; the last time was when she insisted on protecting Cheng Yanran.

Before the meeting started, he was temporarily informed that the photographer recommended by Trans wasn’t coming. That left only Lu Yuezhi. President Dai’s heart sank as he began to plan how to wrap things up.

He would definitely give Xiao Luyan face, so no matter how Lu Yuezhi performed, he would ensure she got a complete presentation opportunity. He could provide the process, but there could be no fooling around with the results.

It concerned Madam Li and Deyounian. No matter how much Xiao Luyan wanted to boost Lu Yuezhi, she couldn’t falsify things in this matter.

Based on his experience, Trans and Su Yiqui probably wouldn’t approve in the end either. Professional decisions should be left to the experts in the field. What he needed to do was balance the relationships among these parties.

Jason saw President Dai lost in thought and leaned in to whisper by his ear, “With only one person left, what kind of competition is this even?”

President Dai turned his head and saw the dissatisfaction on Jason’s face.

“It was River who actively refused. This can’t be blamed on Lu Yuezhi.”

Jason hadn’t given up yet. “Her skills are just so-so. She can snag a nominal position at the Cultural Heritage Bureau, but she can’t fool anyone in front of Trans.”

President Dai remained silent.

He grew worried. “I’m really sweating for Luyan here. If word gets out, she won’t save face, and Deyounian’s reputation won’t fare well either.”

“Don’t speculate too much about things that haven’t happened yet.” President Dai gave him a meaningful look. “Today, don’t voice your opinions casually.”

Jason was indeed there to observe, but he hadn’t expected President Dai to preemptively strip him of the right to participate in the evaluation.

“I just wanted to help…”

President Dai made the call. “We’re not experts in this area. Let the professionals handle the professional discussions.”

Jason felt quite depressed, but with President Dai having spoken, his Plan A fell through. Still, he wasn’t ready to give up. He didn’t believe for a second that Lu Yuezhi could land this project. Xiao Luyan must have been possessed to drag her into this. It would be pretty amusing to see the couple embarrass themselves together.

He steadied his mind and waited to watch the show.

Trans and Su Yiqui reacted calmly. They only scrutinized Lu Yuezhi carefully when she first walked in. After her self-introduction, Trans simply smiled and nodded before settling into a waiting expression.

Su Yiqui adopted a wait-and-see attitude. Her first impression of Lu Yuezhi was good, but she didn’t smile like Trans.

Xiao Luyan took in everyone’s reactions and quietly glanced at Lu Yuezhi again.

Lu Yuezhi wore dark formal attire today, but after her self-introduction, she took off her jacket. The white shirt underneath had subtle patterns at the collar and cuffs. Compared to the dull, rigid business style, it added a touch of lively artistic flair.

She chuckled to herself, recalling Lu Yuezhi’s usual style of dress. This woman didn’t care much for overly formal looks and mostly went casual. She also avoided flashy, bright colors—blues suited her well, and she wore them often.

It seemed casual but never sloppy. Whether in style or fabric, Lu Yuezhi’s clothes rarely felt cheap. No matter what she wore, she paid meticulous attention to the details, avoiding any sloppiness or dishevelment.

Her outfits also had great taste—not flashy, but always clever in the small accessories. Xiao Luyan often found herself pleasantly surprised. Compared to the stereotypical image of unkempt artists, Lu Yuezhi was quite refined.

Her cuffs were neatly rolled up, revealing delicate, clean wrists. Her fair forearms looked smooth and soft at rest. But Xiao Luyan knew full well the power in those hands.

The vigorous lines that emerged when lifting a camera, the steady reliability when carrying her back to the bedroom…

Her thoughts drifted for a moment, and Xiao Luyan quickly reined them in. The atmosphere in the conference room was very serious. Everyone knew the purpose of the meeting, and nearly all eyes were on Lu Yuezhi.

Xiao Luyan hadn’t been too nervous at first, but now she couldn’t help getting caught up in it. She realized she wasn’t as calm as she’d thought. Although giving Lu Yuezhi a chance to present was enough and the outcome wasn’t that crucial, she still hoped Lu Yuezhi would win.

The opponent’s absence turned it into Lu Yuezhi’s solo act, giving her more room to shine. But if she still couldn’t win approval this way, wouldn’t it just prove she was even less capable?

She grew conflicted. This was something she hadn’t considered before, but now she cared deeply—about every detail, every step Lu Yuezhi took.

She gripped the pen in her hand tightly, determined not to let anyone see her nervousness.

Subconsciously, she glanced at Lu Yuezhi again. That woman was pulling things from her bag. Sensing Xiao Luyan’s gaze, she suddenly looked up.

They were quite a distance apart, but their eyes met in an instant, as if they no longer needed to search for each other.

Lu Yuezhi winked at her, and the curve of her mouth grew much more pronounced.

Her slightly anxious heart eased under that brilliant smile. Xiao Luyan’s confidence surged back, convinced Lu Yuezhi would perform brilliantly.

Without rushing to grab her camera, Lu Yuezhi first pulled out some materials from her bag.

Following the process, she needed to have preliminary discussions with the photography team and fully elaborate her creative vision. Only after gaining approval would they move to sample shoots.

Her first discussion partner was Su Yiqui.

She handed materials to Trans and Su Yiqui, then asked the staff to distribute copies to President Dai and Xiao Luyan.

Xiao Luyan flipped it open calmly, but her eyes locked on immediately. She worried the materials might not be detailed enough, yet anticipated a stunning proposal from Lu Yuezhi.

After a quick scan, Xiao Luyan froze, looking at Lu Yuezhi with surprise and incredulity.

At that moment, someone else was giving her the exact same look.

Seeing Su Yiqui react the same way actually put Xiao Luyan more at ease. Lu Yuezhi’s new proposal was eye-catching indeed.

“Tell us more about your idea specifically.” Su Yiqui’s lips curved slightly as she took the initiative.

Lu Yuezhi showed no tension at Su Yiqui’s proactivity, as if she had anticipated it.

“These artifacts are already famous enough. Even people who haven’t seen them firsthand have heard of them, so the focus shouldn’t be on highlighting their exterior.”

Su Yiqui focused intently, saying nothing.

“Overemphasizing details to convey preciousness might work for other artifacts, but for ones already renowned, the effect falls flat.”

Trans’s smile grew a bit more evident, though he stayed silent.

Lu Yuezhi stressed her point. “I suggest shooting an independent story for each artifact—splitting them into separate series.”

The words sparked quite a discussion.

The rest of the photography team showed both shock and hesitation. The prior concept had linked different series, with each artifact in its own role and position. Following Lu Yuezhi’s idea would make every artifact the absolute star.

Not only would the workload skyrocket, but it could also blur the focus. If everything was the protagonist, wasn’t it all equally not?

Su Yiqui considered it seriously. “Amplifying each one’s independence is a creative angle, for sure. But executing it would be far more challenging.”

Lu Yuezhi nodded. “It would be very challenging. But to get better results, we can’t shy away from difficulty.”

Her tone was calm yet firm—no disdain for Su Yiqui’s concerns, but an unquestionable conviction.

This style was so Lu Yuezhi. Xiao Luyan couldn’t help but want to smile. It was a familiar, reassuring feeling.

The other photography team members murmured among themselves. Su Yiqui glanced at Trans, seeking her master’s opinion.

Trans finally spoke leisurely. “It’s bold, no doubt. But when you amplify the individuals, how do you ensure every single one gets an engaging story feel?”

When grouped, lesser artifacts could muddle through. But isolated, they’d face sharp scrutiny. Some famous ones might even get dragged down, which clearly wasn’t what Madam Li wanted.

That would harm Deyounian’s reputation worse than failing to deliver stunning shots, so Su Yiqui’s earlier plan had been more conservative. Lu Yuezhi had overturned the prior concept with this direct, incisive approach—an innovation, but a double-edged sword.

Lu Yuezhi spoke frankly. “I believe Deyounian’s experts can read the stories behind the artifacts.”

She didn’t look at Xiao Luyan, but everyone knew who she meant.

“If an artifact is truly too thin to stand alone as a protagonist, then…” She paused, opting for honesty. “Then what needs adjusting is the artifact list.”

The conference room erupted, especially among Deyounian’s staff. They likely never imagined a photographer picking at the client’s offerings—dissing the artifacts for not being exquisite enough?

Xiao Luyan curved her lips, fully endorsing Lu Yuezhi’s view.

A high-spec touring exhibition demanded perfection in every detail. But at its core, the artifacts had to hold up; otherwise, sales wouldn’t impress.

If someone tried slipping in subpar items and Deyounian failed to screen them, it would tarnish the reputation just as badly.

From what she knew of Madam Li, she wouldn’t want too many mediocre pieces in the touring exhibition either. This was a perfect chance to help her cull them.

Jason snapped irritably, “Big talk. If there’s a problem, who takes the blame?”

President Dai gazed thoughtfully in silence, weighing Lu Yuezhi’s words.

Su Yiqui probed a few more details, confirming Lu Yuezhi wasn’t just theorizing, then suggested, “Then let’s go shoot some samples.”

They had expected lengthy discussions, but it jumped straight to trial shoots in no time. Xiao Luyan was surprised but pleased—this meant Lu Yuezhi had swayed Su Yiqui, sparing further debate.

She instructed Cheng Yanran, “Go arrange it right away.”

Su Yiqui asked Lu Yuezhi, “What equipment do you need?”

Lu Yuezhi pointed to her bag. “I’ve brought it all.”

Su Yiqui didn’t know exactly what was in there, but Lu Yuezhi’s confidence piqued her interest. “I hadn’t heard you had experience shooting artifacts before. Looks like the materials were incomplete.”

Lu Yuezhi admitted frankly, “True, not much experience. But my mentor was exceptional.”