Right this instant, Pianpian put down the pen in her hand and turned to face Li Shengxia.
Tan Qing was also looking at her. He seemed rather interested in hearing what she would say next since not many people dared to challenge Jian Dan on just grounds like she did.
There was a hint of gentleness as pleasant as the warm breeze in Ling Yarang's gaze directed at the newcomer.
With absolute determination, Li Shengxia said to Jian Dan's face, "Forgive me for my bluntness. I think those two creations are impressive when judged separately, but as an experienced designer that's been in this industry for four years, you've in fact used the same inspiration in two different pieces. Is that a mere coincidence? Or are you creatively depleted? Only you know the answer."
"How dare you say that about me?" Jian Dan sprung to her feet all of a sudden and slammed her hands on the table. "Do you know who I am?" she yelled in exasperation.
The newcomer replied in a way that was neither haughty nor humble, "Of course I'm aware of your status in the industry; you're the internationally famous top-grade designer that has multiple creations selling well in both the home and foreign market. It's exactly for this reason that I must remind you it's important to avoid compromising creativity and relying on your name alone."
The color drained off the woman's face. She had never been rendered speechless by a newcomer before!
The latter was trying to remind Jian Dan that her fame did not mean she could go around goading.
The fashion industry was ever-changing, no one knew the day they might be eliminated. Acquiring more experience did not necessarily mean security; newcomers definitely stood the chance to prove themselves to be better than their seniors!
Not to mention, Jian Dan had also risen to fame unexpectedly because of one particular creation. Li Shengxia might be blessed with that opportunity too!
'Her? Impossible!' Jian Dan smiled in a cold manner. She had put in the work diligently over the years to reach where she was now. How could the woman who managed to join the industry simply by pleasing men of high position compare to herself?
"You sound really confident. We shall wait and see in the upcoming fashion show! If your creation is more preferred by the crowd than mine is, then I'll leave the fashion industry right away! Similarly, if you're not as great as you claim to be, then leave the company on your own accord so you don't make a fool of yourself in the office!" Jian Dan said coldly.
"Elder Sister Dan…" Pianpian was astonished as she never expected to hear this from the woman. She did not fathom why Jian Dan would fly into such a rage because of a newcomer.
Ling Yarang also tried to persuade the woman. "Jian Dan, why bother with the young girl? Besides, we're all colleagues."
Tan Qing only looked at the two women in silence, declining to comment.
"Colleague? I'm not going to call this kind of person my colleague. One of us will leave in a month's time. It's either me or her!" Jian Dan said angrily.
Li Shengxia was quite familiar with the woman's designs and indeed had to agree that she possessed outstanding talent. Either way, the results of the competition would not be pleasant.
It would be a loss to the fashion industry if Jian Dan quit, but she did not want to leave this company either. To be more precise, she could not leave even if she had the choice.
Since she was forced into working with Emperor Heritage, she would undoubtedly choose to stay in the department she was most interested in when given the chance.
She would probably be treated the same way by colleagues from different departments anyway, thus it seemed a no-brainer to stay over here.
Li Shengxia spoke as she thought of this, "Senior, it's not worth it getting upset because of a rookie like me. It'll ruin your glorious reputation."
She was speaking from her heart as her intention was to let the matter drop to avoid further dispute. However, those words sounded exceptionally caustic to Jian Dan's ears.
"Haha, so now you're backing out? Didn't you claim that I was outdated earlier? Don't be boastful if you don't have the capability. Pack up your things and leave immediately instead!"
"Senior, I'm afraid that your leaving would be a great loss to the fashion industry."
"You… You… You'll finally cry when defeat is staring you in the face!" The woman lost it. "Do you think I'll lose to a rookie like you? If I do, I'll never return to this place even if I die! Similarly, you should never step foot in here if you lose!"
"Jian Dan, is that necessary?" Willis reproached in a flat voice, "How could you bet on something like this? You're a designer. Don't you at least have the basic respect toward this profession?"
"It's exactly because I respect this career so much that I can't tolerate something dirty tainting it!"
Emotions washed over Li Shengxia's face in quick succession. The other woman humiliated her completely without showing any respect! She had no choice but to accept the challenge now!
"Senior, if you insist, then we shall meet again in one month's time!"
This took Jian Dan by surprise. All of a sudden, the rage in her dissipated, and a sarcastic smirk flashed across her face.
She was evidently shocked because she could no longer take back her words from earlier. However, it was actually pointless to compete with a rookie as it would only degrade her worth!
Perhaps she was being impulsive but she really could not bear seeing Li Shengxia staying in the department!
She sniggered before slamming the door on the way to the pantry for a coffee.
Li Shengxia walked over to her desk.
This incident made Pianpian think that the newcomer would be a goner soon, thus she completely ignored her – perhaps the newcomer's presence added some excitement to the normally mundane working environment. Tan Qing kept throwing cool glances at her.
Ling Yarang seemed to be an easy-going man. He flashed a smile at the newcomer as if to welcome her.
'I must have lost my mind?' Li Shengxia thought to herself.
She finally had the opportunity to work in the design department but she just risked everything by challenging a top-grade designer like Jian Dan. Perhaps she would really have to pack up her belongings and leave in a month.
Willis shifted his gaze between the two women before heading back to his office.
Was there a point to this competition? One of them was a top-grade designer incredibly famous in the fashion industry, whereas the other was a fledgling rookie who did not even go through professional training.
People would think Jian Dan was bullying a newbie even if she won this competition. Besides, in the unlikely case that she actually lost… That would be total humiliation! The fashion industry would also suffer the great loss of a top-grade designer!
No matter what the results would be, the competition itself had already created an indelibly bad impression on Jian Dan's career journey.