Chapter 552: Go Ahead and Laugh While You Can
These seven perfumers weren’t exactly famous in the country, but neither were they completely unknown.
Two of them each had their own perfume studios—sales not too high, not too low, but well-regarded within niche fragrance circles.
Two others worked under the Reid Group. They had countless works to their names—unfamiliar abroad, perhaps, but still with many fans at home.
The rest came from smaller companies, each with some outstanding creations of their own.
When Selina spoke, the young woman at the front instinctively lifted her head.
She was the youngest among them—only nineteen. Selina knew her. The girl was gifted, the kind of natural-born talent that fate seemed to feed by hand. But even with her ability, she still lacked confidence when facing Country Y’s perfumers.
They were certain they would lose, and worried that Logan and Selina would end up throwing away too much money. That was why they had come, hesitant and unsure.
Yet Selina told them to raise their heads.
Her voice was calm, but carried a rare note of gravity. "Why do you all believe you’re going to lose?"
The group froze.
"I don’t believe we’ll lose," Selina continued. "So why do you believe that Country M perfumers must be inferior to Country Y? The competition hasn’t even started, and you’ve already decided the outcome?"
Someone muttered, "But everyone says..."
"So what if everyone says so? Do you not have confidence in your own work? If you’re here to compete, then stop entering with the mindset of defeat."
Selina’s tone was unwavering. "I won’t lose. That twenty billion will only ever come from Paula, not from me. And I don’t believe we’re destined to miss the top three—or even the top ten. Yes, we only have eight contestants. But who’s to say we won’t take eight out of ten spots?"
Her certainty stunned them all.
They could understand Selina’s confidence in herself—that she believed she could win the championship, and that was why she made the wager. Risky, yes, but understandable.
But now—she was showing the same trust in them.
"We..." one of them stammered.
Selina had purchased their perfumes before the competition. She genuinely didn’t believe they were inferior to Country Y’s.
She was Piper, the legend of perfumery. Her judgment was not wrong.
She didn’t want these perfumers to lack confidence. "Don’t worry. I’m a businesswoman. I never make a losing deal. If I have this much confidence, then so should you."
The young woman’s eyes reddened. "Thank you for believing in us..."
Selina wasn’t great at handling sentimental moments. She gave them a few more words of encouragement, then got in her car and drove away.
...
A few days later, Ronald sat for several media interviews.
In them, he declared that the champion would definitely be a contestant from Country Y. He would be cheering for Country Y. He wouldn’t participate directly in judging—only in reviewing the champion’s work afterward and presenting the award—but he said he was looking forward to being surprised by the winning fragrance.
Many Country Y contestants echoed his words, boldly claiming that they were determined to take the championship or at least a spot in the top three. They went further, saying this perfume competition was essentially an internal contest for Country Y, and that Country Y would sweep every award.
Even if the competition was being held in City A of Country M.
Even if the sponsor was the Country M enterprise, Reid Group.
The outcome, they insisted, would not change.
When Selina saw these interviews, she could only: "..."
She began to wonder—maybe the Country Y education system was all about teaching confidence. How else could they all be this sure of themselves?
Ronald even publicly stated that his teacher, the industry leader Piper, also had high hopes for the contestants of Country Y.
The day of the final rankings arrived quickly.
The last round of judging would be broadcast live. When the time came, the entire perfume convention venue was filled with festivity, echoing with the laughter and chatter of the Country Y perfumers.
The ten best perfumers had already been chosen. Next, the ten judges would score them live, ranking them from first to tenth.
As Selina entered the hall, she overheard a few voices.
"I wonder how many of the top ten will be from Country Y this time."
"Haha, do you even need to ask? Obviously all ten will be Country Y contestants. You don’t even have that much confidence?"
"Piper himself supports us. How could we possibly lose? Think about it—what kind of nobodies are those Country M perfumers?"
"Haha... isn’t that Miss Clark?"
At once, all eyes turned toward Selina.
The fifty finalists had already arrived. Naturally, the Country Y contestants had banded together, pushing the eight Country M contestants to the edges.
Everyone was convinced the top ten would be all Country Y. To them, the Country M contestants were beneath notice—lucky even to be allowed on the same stage.
As Selina walked inside, a group stepped in to block her path.
Several Country Y contestants sauntered forward with malicious smiles. "Miss Clark, the final judging is about to begin. Have you prepared that twenty billion yet?"
Selina arched a brow, pausing mid-step. "Perhaps you should go ask Paula if she’s prepared her twenty billion."
"Hahaha!" The Country Y contestants burst into laughter, as though she had just cracked the funniest joke. "Miss Clark, what did you say? Paula? You can’t possibly think you’ll win, can you?"
Selina’s lips curved in a faint smile. "Who knows?"
"Miss Clark really is confident!" They had expected to see her beg, but when she refused to bend, their expressions soured.
Still, Selina’s tone remained calm and steady. "Mm. And you’re all very confident too. Not bad."
The group: "..."
The lead Country Y perfumer’s face turned dark. "Fine. If you insist on refusing kindness, then I’ll be waiting. Twenty billion is no small number! Let’s go!"
This perfumer was one of Ronald’s students. Naturally, he was sure of victory—sure enough to sneer at Selina without restraint.
As they brushed past her, Selina suddenly turned. "By the way, Ronald is Piper’s student, isn’t he?"
The lead perfumer snorted. "Just realizing that? What’s wrong, getting scared? If you kneel and beg me, maybe I’ll even—"
"Did Piper come today?" Selina cut in again.
The perfumer’s lips twisted into a mocking smile. "Master Piper is far too busy to waste time on a trivial competition like this. Only my teacher would stoop so low as to serve as a judge for useless things like you."
"Then you’re mistaken."
Selina tilted her head, her gaze meaningful. "Piper is here today."
With that, she strode straight into the hall, ignoring their stunned faces.
The Country Y contestants froze, exchanging baffled glances.
"What did Selina mean? Could Master Piper really be here?"
"Impossible. Mr. Ronald said Master Piper wouldn’t be coming..."
"Enough with the guessing!" the lead perfumer snapped impatiently. "My teacher is Master Piper’s one and only disciple. If he says Piper isn’t in City A, then he isn’t. And Selina? She’s nothing. How could you believe a word she says?"