Chapter 520: The reward for the runner up

“The winner of the Platinum Age Fashion Show is Yukito with a whopping 96% votes!”

Yukito stood rooted on the spot.

I won…I won…

“YAYYYYYYY!!!!” There was a loud encore for Yukito. They blasted some light party crackers.

Huang Minzhe was dumbfounded. He kept on watching the scene unfold in a daze.

How is this possible…? How can Yukito win even after all this?

Nana cheered from the audience. “Jinhai! Yukito won!”

Yu Ichika wiped her tears. “Ah, I am so proud of him.”

Jinhai chuckled. “Of course he won. After all, he is so talented.”

Jing was indeed happy about his win, but he was thinking about something else. His gaze looked dark and sinister. “Bro. I want to know who did that to Yukito. Who dared stabbed him and hurt him!?”

Jinhai smiled. “Don’t worry, Jing. That truth will also come out in the light any moment.”

The emcee said, “Congratulations, Yukito, for winning the Platinum Age Fashion Show! Esteemed judges. I now ask you to please come on the stage and award Yukito with his prize.”

Huang Minzhe clenched his fist. The defeat completely crushed him. He was furious at the outcome, but he couldn’t go against the entire audience who voted for Yukito.

And the truth at the last moment about the pin in his sandal just turned the tables against him.

96%…

That was a cruel number that said that more than half of his fans too voted for Yukito. What else could be more of a face slap than this?

The judges came on the stage with the trophy and the cheque. “Congratulations, Yukito. You are a fantastic model, and the fact that you kept walking on the ramp despite the wound is exemplary. I don’t think any model could have done what you did. You won our hearts with your answer.”

Yukito tremblingly took the trophy. Suddenly it felt heavy in his hands. “Th-thank you…”

Tears rimmed in his eyes.

“You deserve it.”

“Yukito! We love you!”

“Congratulations, Yukito!”

The judge then said, “Huang Minzhe. You are also a talented model, and as the runner up, you will also get your prize.”

Huang Minzhe smiled though he was a raging volcano inside.

Yukito…I will come back. I won’t let this slide. I will crush you in the future. Just wait for me!

He walked near the judges and smiled.

The judge smiled. “Ladies and Gentlemen. Let me all show you Huang Minzhe’s prize.”

He didn’t understand.

Show my prize?

Suddenly, the lights dimmed in the hall, and it became dark. On the screen, a video started playing, showing Huang Minzhe’s face and two men who were the judges of the show.

He froze.

W-what is this?

Everybody heard his voice as he took out a cheque and handed it to them. “Just disqualify Yukito at whatever stage you want. But don’t let him reach the finale. This is the first installment. When I win the show, I will give the rest of it.”

The judges nodded. “Will do.”

Then another clip played where he asked the judges what the final stage’s question would be so that he could prepare his answer.

“What is the question of the last round?”

The judge smiled. “What is your dream?”

“Heh. Such an easy question. I just have to cook an emotional answer to fool the audience, and the votes would be mine!”

And the last and the final clip showed him with a staff member. “Sir, I have put the pin in Yukito’s sandal. There is no way he would be able to walk on the stage.”

He sneered. “Good job,” and he gave him a wad of cash. “After his failed ramp walk, the judges will have to disqualify him!”

The video ended, and lights came back.

There was complete silence in the hall.

Huang Minzhe was trembling so hard that he could hardly speak. He was sweating buckets.

“T-this is lies! All lies! I did no such things!”

The two judges in the video smiled. “We are the witnesses Huang Minzhe. You tried to bribe us and play deceitful in the show.”

“We could have had you disqualified in the beginning, but we wanted to show your true face to the world and to all the fans who love you.”

“We were never bribed to do any partiality. We played along with you to know how far you can go to win and pull Yukito back.”

“But you crossed your limits when you planted that pin on Yukito’s sandal. You should be ashamed of yourself!”

Huang Minzhe stammered. “N-No…this is not true…”

What the fuck! The judges…they played me!

“I didn’t do anything! This is all to frame me. I know. It is all Yukito! He is behind this! He wants to end my career. He planted a pin in his own sandal and is now putting the blame on me! Trust me! I am innocent!”

The judge said, “These videos are not a lie. We are witnesses to your bribing, and we still have the cheque you gave us. Not only that…”

Yang Tian came and threw a man on the floor. He was the same staff member who planted the pin.

He collapsed near the judges’ feet. “I-I am so sorry! Huang Minzhe gave me loads of money for this, and I couldn’t help but get attracted to it, so I put the pin in Yukito’s sandal. P-please, forgive me…It’s Huang Minzhe. He told me to do this!”

“Don’t lie! You are also trying to frame me-“

But suddenly, a fist came out of nowhere and punched him in the face.

Huang Minzhe stumbled on the floor. His jaw almost broke with that punch, and blood trickled out of his mouth.

He raised his head to see a man oozing out a dark aura and looking at him as if he would eat him alive.

Jing quietly growled. “How dare you…”

Huang Minzhe shook in fear. His body trembled, feeling the dangerous aura coming out of him.

Liu Jing…

Jing raised his hand to punch him again. “How dare you hurt my Yukito!?”