Chapter 121

The venue went into lockdown. Signals were blocked and would only be restored after the judges had finished voting. This measure was implemented to prevent leaks and eliminate any possibility of buying votes or coordinated manipulation. When the four finalist entries, each randomly numbered, appeared on the massive screen, Hugo from Melody & Loops Creations could no longer maintain his composure. Beneath each featured piece was an additional crochet—a supplementary piece submitted for the international championship. As per the rules, any company competing at the international level was required to submit two works. When Janice's crochet, with its bold mix of contrasting colors and asymmetric shapes, was unveiled, the entire venue was struck into stunned silence. It wasn't just Melody & Loops Creations—every company present was visibly shocked. In the world of crochet, double-sided stitching was already regarded as a rare and highly intricate technique. But the use of differing c