Chapter 723:

She playfully waved her hand near Dolores’ face. “Take a deep breath. If you calm down, I won’t feel a thing.”

“I’m calm, I swear,” Dolores said, exhaling deeply, though her face remained tight with worry.

Just then, the TV screen in the room lit up, showing the main stage. The host walked out to a round of cheers.

A soft knock came at the door. A staff member peeked in. “Ms. Bright, it’s time.”

Linsey gently squeezed Dolores’ hand before standing. The staff member paused, clearly taken aback by Linsey’s striking beauty but maintained professionalism. “This way, please.”

Linsey nodded and followed him down a quiet side hallway. The corridor was empty. She didn’t see anyone else until they reached a booth. From inside, she could hear the buzz of the crowd outside.

“Ms. Bright, please put on the gloves and voice changer. All contestants are required to wear them,” the staff member said softly.

She nodded, slipping on the gloves. They covered her hands but still allowed her to draw easily. She clipped the voice changer to her collar.

Once everything was set, the host’s voice rang out across the venue. “Family, friendship, love… Each of us carries unforgettable emotions. Today’s theme is all about those feelings. Every designer sees emotion differently. Now, the staff will hand out plain white T-shirts in random sizes. Your task is to create an emotion-themed design on the T-shirt within two hours.”

The crowd reacted instantly, buzzing with surprise.

“Wait, T-shirts? That’s it?”

“Don’t be so quick to judge. They can modify the shirt too. I think this theme really pushes creativity and basic design skills.”

“Still, emotions? That’s so old-fashioned. We’re in the age of trends.”

M𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝓊𝓅𝒹𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓈 𝒾𝓃 𝑔𝒶𝓁𝓃𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁𝓈.𝒸𝑜𝓂

“You’ve got it wrong. Emotions are timeless. They shape our lives. They’ll always matter, no matter the era.”

“Well, looks like this year’s competition won’t bring anything new.”

“Did the Davidson Group really hire Aurora Bright? She’s been making waves overseas for the past two years. I’m here just to see what she’ll come up with.”

“Forget those second-rate designers. I’m only here for Arthur Flores! I bet he can turn even a plain white T-shirt into something jaw-dropping.”

In her booth, Linsey received the white T-shirt handed to her. The fabric was basic, nothing fancy, and it was quite large—clearly meant for an adult male. Her workstation had plenty of tools neatly stored in drawers and cabinets, all ready to use.

“The competition begins now.”

As soon as the host finished speaking, the designers sprang into action. Within a minute, everyone was busy working except one.

At a quiet workstation, a pair of gloved hands still held onto the plain white T-shirt, gently pinching the fabric as if deep in thought.

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