Chapter 81 I Can Cripple You Right Now
"Alright, let's settle this with a tiebreaker!"
Emily spoke with calm confidence, as if it were no big deal. "We'll use a medicinal herb. Not only do you have to identify it, but you also need to explain its general effects."
This added a layer of difficulty compared to the previous challenges.
Bianca felt like Emily was doing this on purpose.
So, when she found out it was Emily's idea, she immediately protested, "You're targeting me! I don't accept this!"
Emily didn't even glance at Bianca but turned to Ophelia. "What about you? Any objections?"
Ophelia shook her head. "I'm good with it."
Bianca's face twisted with frustration. "Of course, she would say that to avoid offending you. I'm the only one standing up to you."
"Alright then, Ophelia gets first place, and you get second," Emily declared decisively.
Joe agreed, and the other judges had no objections.
Bianca felt humiliated. "You say you're not targeting me, but why am I second?"
Emily smirked and explained to the puzzled onlookers, "Since it's a tiebreaker, it needs to be more challenging. Otherwise, if it were still a tie, it would waste everyone's time. Besides, if you only know the names of the herbs but not their properties, there's no point in continuing the competition. Practicing medicine isn't just about rote memorization."
Emily's reasoning was sound and logical.
Everyone present, all knowledgeable in medicine, nodded in agreement.
"That's settled then. If you have any objections, it means you lack confidence. In that case, there's no need to compete," Joe added.
Despite her reluctance, Bianca had no choice but to agree to the tiebreaker.
At first, Bianca managed to keep up, but as the difficulty increased, requiring not only knowledge of the herb's properties but also its dosage in prescriptions, she started to falter.
In the end, Bianca lost to Ophelia and took second place.
According to the rules, first place earned fifty points, and second place earned forty-five points.
Bianca glared at Emily, but she had to swallow her frustration.
Outside, Daniel, who had watched the entire process, smiled even more.
James had also been watching. He stormed into the break room, clearly angry, but held back his temper once inside.
Hesitating...
"What do you want to say?" Daniel looked up at James calmly.
Even though Daniel was sitting, his authoritative presence made James lower his head.
"Daniel, Emily's blatant targeting of Bianca is unfair and damages her reputation."
"So?"
"I was thinking we should replace her as a judge."
Daniel's cold gaze pierced James. "I thought you were just inexperienced and clumsy, but now I see you're not just young, you're foolish! Emily's explanation was convincing to everyone. If you can't see that, maybe Jett is better suited to manage Ascend Global Group."
Daniel didn't bother hiding his thoughts.
James's face turned pale.
"Daniel, I heard Emily's explanation. But after her recent conflict with Bianca, people will question the fairness of the competition. Someone needs to oversee this, and I'm willing to take on the responsibility. If there's any more conflict, I can intervene immediately."
Daniel rubbed his forehead, silent for a moment, then said, "Fine, I'll give you one more chance to show me your fairness."
James was thrilled.
He quickly thanked Daniel and called Leroy, taking over his position as overseer.
After he left, York couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Smith, James clearly has personal motives. Why did you agree to his request?"
Daniel smirked. "Let's see if he values this opportunity."
York understood the coldness in Daniel's words and felt sorry for James.
If James acted fairly, he might still have a chance to inherit Ascend Global Group. But if he continued to target Emily, this might be his last chance.
James didn't realize the gravity of the situation.
Bianca, having lost the first round, glared at Emily with eyes full of venom.
But when she saw James approaching, she quickly changed her expression to one of grievance, her eyes welling up with tears, making her look pitiful.
James felt sorry for Bianca and gave her a comforting look.
Bianca understood and immediately smiled.
She even shot a provocative glance at Emily, as if to say, "Let's see how you can trouble me now."
Emily followed Bianca's gaze and saw James. She sighed and rubbed her forehead.
'Why won't he just leave me alone?'
"Emily, what's wrong? Want me to check on you?" Joe, who treated Emily like a treasure, asked with concern.
He seemed to forget that Emily was a skilled doctor herself.
"Nothing, just some clowns trying to bother me."
Emily said indifferently.
After all, in the face of absolute strength, everything else was meaningless.
The second round was about making medicine.
Bianca took first place.
Ophelia came in second.
Wren was third.
Bianca thought Emily didn't dare trouble her because James was there.
Since James could be there, it showed that Daniel, despite appearing to support Emily, ultimately gave power to James.
After the second round, there was a break.
Bianca deliberately blocked Emily's path, taunting, "Emily, do you think becoming a judge through some means can trouble me? Impossible. With James here, you can't trouble me. If you go too far, you'll lose your position as a judge. And if I spread the word, you might even lose your reputation as a doctor."
Bianca was confident.
She was good at manipulating public opinion.
Emily frowned but didn't even look at Bianca.
"Move."
Her eyes were following Ophelia.
Bianca's eyes flashed. Seeing James approaching, she said loudly, "Emily, I want to make peace with you. Do you look down on me because you're a judge? Why are you targeting me?"
Emily was clearly impatient. "Move."
She even reached out to push Bianca.
But before she could touch her, Bianca pretended to fall back, saying, "Emily, even if you're targeting me, you shouldn't hurt me. I really want to compete fairly."
She acted like she was about to fall.
James's face changed, and he rushed over.
But Emily was faster. She grabbed Bianca by the collar and pulled her back, coldly threatening, "If you want to compete smoothly, behave yourself. Otherwise, I can make sure you can't use your hands. Try me if you don't believe it."
Her tone was so menacing that Bianca was genuinely scared and didn't dare move.
Emily let go of Bianca's collar and quickly walked past her, catching up with Ophelia.