Yes, Lady Funina!

However, a difficult problem soon presented itself to the authoritative judges. Several judges gathered together and engaged in a heated debate over the wet and handsome man's photo that was magnetically attached to the whiteboard.

"This is an insult to culture, an absolute insult to culture!" An old-school photography connoisseur denounced the photo, saying it would lower the tone of the photography competition and was simply flaunting male beauty!

Just as the old-school photography connoisseur was presenting his views, the younger generation of female judges beside him offered a different perspective:

"Where is the disrespect for culture? I love watching it! The shirt soaked by the rain symbolizes the hard work and sweat of the younger generation in Fontainebleau, while the abs faintly visible through the shirt represent the strength and resilience of contemporary Fontainebleau youth. And did you notice the filming environment?"

"It's in an office, what does that represent? It represents the resilience and hard work of contemporary Fontainebleau youth! We can't look at this work with prejudiced eyes! Besides, there's nothing wrong with the photo, it doesn't even show much skin..."

"By the way, does our newspaper have this gentleman's contact information? I don't mean anything by it, I just want to delve deeper into the spiritual core of contemporary Fontainebleau youth." This new generation judge's calculations were practically aimed at everyone's faces.

A judge with a relatively neutral stance immediately stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "Please calm down, everyone. Let's have a discussion, but let's not ruin the harmony."

"Since we have a dispute about the content of the photograph, let's examine this work from the perspective of its photographic technique..."

"Whether it's the lighting or the composition, you can tell this photographer has talent. While he might not be the best among the participating photographers, he's certainly at a top level, and making the shortlist is definitely not a problem," a judge specializing in technical skills commented.

Even the old-school connoisseurs couldn't deny this point. From a purely technical standpoint, this set of works is indeed of excellent quality, and its inclusion in the shortlist is definitely not a problem.

"Since there's no problem with it being shortlisted, let's take this opportunity to discuss whether we should give this work more exposure," a neutral judge continued.

"I object." The old-school judge cast his dissenting vote.

"I agree." The new generation of judges cast their votes in favor.

The remaining judges also gave their opinions, and overall, the votes against and in favor were evenly matched.

However, this evenly matched situation did not last long, as one of the judges noticed something amiss.

"Wait a minute, don't you guys think the people in this photo look familiar?"

The new generation of female judges immediately nodded: "He does look familiar, just like my ideal type."

This female judge is quite good-looking. Although she may not be as beautiful as Ningguang or Flynn, she is still considered a beauty and stands out among the judges, who are mostly middle-aged.

Several young judges had their eyes on him and wanted to get his contact information after the competition, but their hearts sank when they heard what he said.

"No, this person looks like an official from the Mo Mang Palace."

"Holy crap, she's a civil servant! That's a bonus!" The new generation of female judges exclaimed with delight.

"Ahem, ma'am, please be mindful of your behavior. This is a proper photography competition, not a matchmaking corner..." Even the neutral judges couldn't stand it anymore and stepped in to advise the new generation of female judges to calm down and not be blinded by male beauty.

"If it were an official, wouldn't it be inappropriate to post such a photo inside the meeting room?"

This statement directly hits the nail on the head regarding the problem.

An official taking these kinds of photos and even participating in a photography competition—this is unheard of!

"What's wrong with that? Our Water Goddess, Funina, is also an administrative minister, isn't she? That doesn't stop her from being a big star." The new generation of judges were quite open-minded, as if there were a precedent in their own country.

To be honest, it does make a lot of sense at first glance, and the photography competition doesn't prohibit officials of the Mo Mang Palace from participating, does it?

"But what if this wasn't taken by the person themselves? Or what if this wasn't a submission they made?"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. Finally, the neutral judge with the highest status in the room stepped forward and went to find the editor-in-chief of Steambird Newspaper.

Before long, the neutral judge returned. Seeing everyone looking at him, he touched his balding head and said, "Don't worry about these issues. Although it wasn't submitted by the person himself, Editor-in-Chief Ou Fu said there's no problem."

Although Editor-in-Chief Ou Fu's expression was somewhat subtle when she asked the photographer about the series of photographs, since the other party said there was no problem, then there must be no problem.

Even if something goes wrong, the blame will definitely not fall on you.

After hearing the neutral judge's words, the audience continued their discussion. Many judges who were originally neutral gradually sided with the supporters, because it would be quite interesting to think that a wet photo of a high-ranking government official would be included in the finals and displayed in the venue.

As we all know, it's human nature to enjoy, find, and have fun. Besides, they don't have to take the blame, so why not enjoy this rare entertainment?

Clarinde: You are all murderers! (T - T)

After discussion among the judges, it was decided to give this group of works more exposure. If all goes well, the relevant materials should be visible in the center of the venue tomorrow.

After the discussion concluded, the tense atmosphere immediately eased. One of the judges remarked, "The secrecy surrounding this video competition is just too good! Not only are the authors anonymous, but the works themselves are also anonymous. I'm really curious what the title of that work will be."

"After the Rain? The Wet Official? Haha, whatever the title, we should be able to see it at the event tomorrow. I really want to meet the author of this work," the new generation female judge said with a smile.

Everyone present looked at the female judge, thinking to themselves: Are you trying to get to know the author? You clearly just want to get to know the characters in the work, tsk, I'm too embarrassed to call you out!

——————

The cultural exchange activities jointly organized by Fontainebleau and Liyue have been underway for nearly a week, and all activities are progressing smoothly. Among them, the most eye-catching is the photography competition organized by Steambird Newspaper.

On the one hand, there are many participants, and everyone wants to see if their work has been shortlisted. On the other hand, photos are more intuitive, and compared to literary poems and songs, it is obviously easier to judge whether a photo is good or not.

Moreover, among so many photos, there must be some things that everyone likes to see, such as beautiful women, or beautiful women dressed in revealing clothes.

Art, it's all art!

After taking leave from Frynn's office, Clarinde headed straight for the Steambird newspaper office. She had to hurry to the Steambird newspaper office to make things clear; that photo absolutely could not be exposed.

However, when she arrived at the Steambird newspaper office, she was told by the staff that Editor-in-Chief Ou Fu had already gone to the venue, along with several members of the judging panel.

Furthermore, the staff also mentioned that the selection results for the shortlisted works have been released, and that the judges and the editor-in-chief of Oufu worked overtime overnight to review them. The promotional materials were produced by machine before dawn this morning.

The entire Steambird Newspaper took this photography competition very seriously and worked extremely efficiently, mobilizing almost all of its recent resources to ensure its success.

"I think you're trying to kill me!" Upon hearing this, Clarinde felt her vision go black, her delicate body swayed precariously, and her ample chest heaved, making one dizzy.

After receiving a reply, Clarind did not linger at the Steambird newspaper office. She went straight to the event venue, hoping to capture Richard's photo before the materials were set up.

However, just as Clarinde was running towards the venue, Richard followed Frynn out of the Moman Palace, with Lynette trailing behind Richard by half a step to his left.

Their destination was also the event venue, suggested by Ms. Funina, naturally because she was participating in the photography competition and wanted Richard to see her work and perhaps cast a vote.

The venue for the cultural exchange event wasn't far from the Mo Mang Palace; it would take about ten minutes to walk there. Richard and his group walked and stopped frequently, and Fu Ningna was also delayed by the greetings from passing residents.

By the time we arrived at the entrance to the venue, it was already bustling with activity.

"Wow, the venue feels much more lively than the past few days." Funina had accompanied Ningguang to the venue before, but it was nowhere near as lively as it is today.

Not only was the venue packed with people, but tourists were also pouring in from outside. Before long, the entire venue was overflowing with people, and even the special patrol team had to come out to help maintain order. Otherwise, the guards' manpower alone would not have been enough.

"It must be related to the publicity for the photography competition, right? I already saw some of the shortlisted works on the way here. Steambird Newspaper attaches great importance to this event and has invested a lot of publicity budget," Richard said.

"Let's go to the center of the venue and meet up with Ningguang. I arranged to meet her there," Funina said after thinking for a moment.

Looking at the bustling scene before her, and seeing none of her own work along the way, she couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive.

Am I going to be rejected? Everyone makes mistakes, what if the judges just don't like kittens? No, no, how could anyone not like kittens? Kittens are so cute!

Hmm, I should have known better than to make such a definitive statement earlier...

As she approached the center of the venue, Funina still hadn't seen the kitten she had photographed. Her heart was pounding with anxiety, but she couldn't show it and had to maintain a confident demeanor. It was incredibly difficult for her.

Lost in thought, Funina didn't notice that Richard, who was walking ahead, had stopped and bumped straight into his broad back.

"Why did you stop?" Funina asked, rubbing her forehead.

However, before Richard could reply, Lynette tugged at Frynn's sleeve and pointed to the center of the venue, where the photography competition registration area had been converted into an exhibition area for shortlisted works.

At the very center of the exhibition, in the so-called "C position," a familiar face came into Funina's view.

Isn't that Richard? Oh...it's so...sexy.

Fu Ningna was stunned. Completely unprepared, she was immediately blinded by the man's beauty. Was this something she could see for free?

Our Water Goddess instinctively reached for her wallet, wanting to ask the staff if they sold any merchandise. She wanted to buy ten!

"Richard, you're participating in this competition too?" Funina couldn't help but ask.

Richard's face was expressionless, and he replied in a wooden voice, "No, Lady Funina."

"That……"

"That's your masterpiece."

"Huh? I clearly..." Funina stared intently and discovered that the title of the work under Richard's photo was "The Cat Who Stole Fish," and below the title was the author's signature, which was her own name.

Isn't this right?

I clearly photographed a kitten, how did it turn into Richard? Did it magically appear out of nowhere? Did the cat come to life?

But I have to admit... this photo is really good. Funina thought, blushing. She secretly glanced at Richard, planning to ask the staff later if they could keep the large poster for her after the event.

She can buy it with money!

Lynette's eyes were also darting around, clearly also eyeing the Steambird newspaper's promotional materials.

However, unlike Funina, Lynette knew that these things wouldn't stay at the venue for long, and Richard would definitely use all his resources to remove these promotional materials.

Indeed, that was the case; Richard's first thought upon seeing the photograph was...

—Clolind, you've lost your job!

Volume 1: Chapter 126 Don't fire me, I... I'll do whatever you say.

"Crolynde, is there anything else you want to say?" Richard looked at Crolynde, who was practically burying her head in her chest, with an unfriendly expression.

I initially thought you took leave because you were out of your mind, but it turns out you really were!

They actually used his photo to enter in a competition, and even used the name Funina!

"The Cat That Stole Fish"? Whose cat has been stealing fish for five hundred years and hasn't eaten fish yet?

Cheating? Cheating my ass, he's a vegetarian!

If he weren't a vegetarian, why would Claurind have sent his photo to the center of the venue?

"I...I didn't mean to..." Clarinde stammered, her head lowered, her hands neatly placed on her knees, she only dared to sit on half of her plump, fleshy buttocks, her two thighs tightly pressed together without leaving a gap, her knees pressed together, and her calves slightly spread apart.

His body leaned slightly forward, as if he were bowing or apologizing; in short, his posture was very humble.

"It's not intentional, yet it's already like this. If it were intentional, would you still want to help Funina win the top prize in the photography competition?" Richard was truly amazed today. He never imagined that he would become a big star in Fontainebleau.

The number of tickets in the ticket box in front of his photo is more than the combined number of tickets in the two adjacent ticket boxes for other works!

At this rate, they're guaranteed a spot in the top three, if not first.

Richard was somewhat relieved that he discovered it on the first morning; if he had discovered it a day or two later, it would have been too late.

After Richard's communication, and considering that this was nominally Funina's entry, Richard did not remove all the photos, but only the wet photo, leaving the rest of the more normal-looking photos at the venue.

The reason given for removing the photos was the Official Secrecy Act, which, as is well known, protects not secrets but officials.

Don't ask, it's a secret. If you ask again, I'll treat you to a meal.

Another reason for removing only that photo is that Richard knows very well that the more something is banned, the more likely it is to become popular.

Especially in Fontainebleau, where everyone is rebellious, Richard believed that if he really took down all the photos at once, the underground market in Fontainebleau would be full of photocopies of his photos the next day.

As the saying goes, it's better to guide than to block. First, remove the one with the worst impact. The remaining photos are at best ordinary ones. As time goes by, the impact of the photos will gradually subside and eventually disappear from people's sight completely.

"Um, I'm sorry." Clarinde was too embarrassed to speak or look at Richard after he choked her.

This strongest duel agent of Fontaine was now like a little girl who had made a mistake, obediently listening to Lord Richard's scolding.

No, what do you mean by "like a little girl who has made a mistake"?

She's the little girl who made a mistake!

"And since you knew the photo was wrong back then, why didn't you go directly to the Steambird Newspaper? Why did you have to wait until the next day?"

“It was already very late, and I thought they should have already gone home, so I thought I might as well go the next day…” Clarinde replied softly.

"Even if they've already finished get off work, does that mean we can't let them come back to work? To put it another way, even if you can't find them, can't you come to me?" Richard said, exasperated.

Where did all that cleverness you showed when you tricked me go?

Oh, so you used it all to scam me? Never mind then.

"I didn't expect that," Claude said honestly. On the one hand, she really didn't expect the Steambird Newspaper to act so quickly, and on the other hand, she was also hoping that as long as she got the photos back before Richard found out, there would be no problem.

The photos weren't retrieved, but the team actually made it into the competition and has a chance to win a top-three finish.

Clarinde was filled with regret at this moment, regretting that she hadn't taken a closer look at the application form when she submitted it, which led to things turning out this way.

Now look what's happened! Not only are the photos gone, but I'm also going to get yelled at, and I might even lose my job.

This has truly become a tip for quitting your job.

Thinking of this, Clarinde cautiously asked, "What...what do we do next?"

Richard glanced at Claudia and said irritably, "What else can we do? Just do nothing and let it pass!"

Let's avoid the limelight for now. After the photography competition and cultural exchange activities are over, Ningguang and the others will return to Liyue, and then we can have a proper chat with Clarinde behind closed doors.

Claude clearly understood that Richard's suggestion to let things go didn't mean he was letting her off the hook, but rather that he would settle accounts with her after the storm had completely died down.

Commonly known as liquidation.