Chapter 362 She’s a Pawn
The atmosphere became tense again.
No one spoke at the venue. On the silent stage, Melanie stood alone, glaring coldly at Robert sitting beside Joseph.
It seemed that if she didn’t perform today, she would bring shame to the Ustalians.
Joseph had intentionally arranged for her to participate in this “extra round”…
Regardless, the provocative words from earlier had indeed affected her. Even if they were deliberately provoking her, she was willing to admit she had fallen for it!
Melanie took a step forward, approached the microphone, and said, “The fellow perfurners who showcased their talent earlier were all prepared, but I have to improvise on the spot. Can I have some time to seek inspiration?”
“Of course,” Robert said with a sinister smile.
As long as she agreed, everything was good. Could she even come up with a high-quality creation without
preparation?
On the side, Robert’s assistant couldn’t help adding, “Miss Jones, the banquet ends in one hour. Please be
mindful of the time.”
Every sentence was a provocation. Melanie smirked. “Creating fragrances isn’t like cooking, and inspiration
isn’t something you can memorize. It doesn’t take that long.”
After finishing speaking, in the awkwardness of Robert’s assistant, she calmly walked to the nearby storage shelf, specifically picked up the perfumes of the Medonian perfumer praised by Robert just now, and smelled
each of the four bottles one by one.
Then she closed her eyes, pondering for a while.
At this moment, Robert’s assistant spoke again. “Miss Jones, are you not afraid of being influenced if you smell other perfumers’ scents? Or do you want to imitate them?”
Melanie suddenly opened her eyes, and a clear light flashed in them.
“Perfume blending is an art. By knowing one’s style and mastering the formula structure, one can vividly
express the message one wants to convey. Even if it’s the same fragrance base and the same ratio is used,
when different people blend it, the final scent will be different.
“It’s impossible for others to easily imitate. This is why perfumes are mysterious and interesting. It seems Mr.
Locke’s assistant isn’t an expert.”
Melanie’s retort annoyed Robert, and he turned around to angrily reprimand his assistant, “Amateurs shouldn’t
speak too much!”
She went back to the station prepared for her, and put on her work uniform.
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“Since you’re evaluating it now, I will focus on the top notes and middle notes. As for the base notes, the tester will naturally smell them after a day.
“Even for on-site demonstrations, I will treat each fragrance I create with the utmost seriousness. Unlike some perfumes, which are simply made and basically have no middle and base notes.”
This statement was directed at the Medonian perfumer who received praise from Robert. There was a moment of indignation among the Medonian contestants in the audience. Melanie was quite bold! Could she even create a nice perfume?
Joseph’s question was already difficult, but she might end up creating a mess. The crowd was just waiting to
mock her.
“Joseph, since it’s a question you’ve posed, can I ask you to specify the person for whom I’m going to create the fragrance?” Melanie said, looking at Joseph after preparing her workstation.
Unsurprisingly, Joseph called, “Leo!”
Then he thought for a moment and added, “Gabriel?”
Following that, Joseph squinted and said, “I heard that you and President Morgan have also collaborated several times. So, I’m inviting President Morgan to come on stage as well.”
Jeffrey, who was cued unexpectedly, felt his eyes flicker. It seemed that today, not only was Melanie part of Joseph’s plan, but even he was. However, he remained calm. Almost without hesitation, he walked onto the
stage.
Melanie understood everything. It seemed Joseph indeed knew everything…
The three of them came on stage, and Melanie tried her best to calm down. “Is there anything else?”
“Since the contestant just now created four scents, you need one more person,” Joseph said.
Melanie thought about it. She was only familiar with a few people here, and she probably couldn’t find a fourth
person.
Just then, Joseph turned his wheelchair and left his seat, loudly saying, “Count me in!”
Melanie took a deep breath.
She began to doubt whether today’s so-called demonstration was orchestrated by Robert. Was Joseph the real mastermind behind the scenes?
Everything seemed to be in his plan, and she was just a pawn in his hands. Even if she felt unwilling, she had to move around on the chessboard.
“Let’s begin.”
Joseph took the stage, and the wrinkles on his face spread as he smiled at her.
