"What did you say?" Che Fengqiong's eyes widened. "On what grounds do you decide whether to elect a director? Who do you think you are, an irrelevant outsider, to interfere with the Embroidery Bureau's affairs?"
Quan Jiu swayed the agreement in her hand again. "As a subordinate, speaking to your superior like this, your attitude is unacceptable."
"Don't push your luck," Che Fengqiong pointed at Quan Jiu angrily.
Quan Jiu smiled lightly. "My individual strength is insignificant, and I would never make a decision arbitrarily. I am merely proposing an election reasonably as the new elder. According to the Elder Council's operating procedures, a vote should be held at this time to decide whether to proceed with the election, not for you, a subordinate, to question my proposal, isn't that right?"
Lou Mingfang recovered and said angrily, "She is not qualified, but am I not?"
Quan Jiu nodded and smiled. "You and I are of the same rank, so of course you are qualified. Elder Lou disagrees with electing a director, and I agree with it. It seems the current result is a 1:1 tie."
"I disagree. Electing a director cannot be treated as child's play. You say elect and we elect? The Embroidery Bureau and the Elder Council are not yours," Elder Xu also chimed in.
As soon as he spoke, Wang Shuan also stepped forward. "I agree."
Elder Chen opposite stood beside Elder Xu. "I also disagree."
Following that, Liu Quan also stepped forward. "I also agree."
The last elder present took a step forward, saying triumphantly, "I disagree."
Lou Mingfang provocatively stated, "It looks like 3:4 now. The director's candidate will be decided later."
Wang Shuan and Liu Quan's expressions froze. However, before the two could speak, a laugh came from the doorway.
"We old fellows are late."
Quan Jiu looked over and couldn't help but smile, nodding slightly in greeting.
Wang Shuan's face lit up with joy. He strode forward and clasped the speaker's arm. "Old Guo, why are you only arriving now?"
Guo Pin glanced indifferently at Lou Mingfang. "The rules of the Elder Council, have you forgotten? Since it's a vote, and not all members have arrived, what kind of result can be counted?"
Lou Mingfang looked at the three people who had entered and thought to herself: These three are all in cahoots. If I can persuade them, I will definitely be able to get rid of that woman.
She began, "Elder Miao, Elder Guo, Elder Lu, you have arrived at the perfect time. The Elder Council has always had ten members, but today, someone has played a trick and forcibly tried to insert a newcomer.
How can such a major event as a new elder be decided based on an unreliable agreement? What will others think of our Elder Council if this gets out? And where will the Elder Council's authority stand?
Moreover, all members of the Elder Council have extremely high reputations and prestige in this field. She has nothing, not even a single work. On what grounds should she join the Elder Council?"
Miao Lan asked calmly, "Agreement? What agreement? Let me see it."
Che Fengqiong quickly handed over the agreement and added, "She designed it for us to sign this agreement. This woman is too detestable. She looks young, but her intentions are very impure."
Miao Lan glanced at it a few times, her brow furrowing slightly. "The matter of a new elder is of great importance. You all voted and decided without consulting us three. You truly did not put us three old ladies and gentlemen in your eyes."
Although the three were also members of the Elder Council, they were honorary members with extremely high prestige and status. Especially Miao Lan, who was a Heavenly Grandmaster Embroiderer. Therefore, no matter how arrogant Lou Mingfang was, she dared not be disrespectful in front of these three.
Her expression was sheepish, but she was inwardly smug. "We didn't consider it thoroughly before, thinking you three would not attend today. We didn't expect you all to be here.
Since that is the case, then this agreement should be void. According to the rules of the Elder Council, all major decisions must be voted on by all elders, and decided by majority. This agreement only has six signatures and seals, so it is indeed invalid."
Unexpectedly, Miao Lan shook her head. "We three are just honorary members and do not usually participate in Elder Council activities, so it's normal that we don't know the situation. Why would I blame you for such a small matter? Isn't that unreasonable?
However, since the vote is to decide, we do indeed have votes. Six people signed the agreement, agreeing to this young lady joining the Elder Council. The three of us, plus Old Xiang, make it 6:4. If that's the case, then the minority will obey the majority."
Lou Mingfang immediately panicked. "No, no, Elder Miao, we disagree. All four of us disagree."
Miao Lan looked surprised. "Didn't you all sign and seal it? It seems this female candidate has passed the interview. Why have you gone back on your word?"
"This..." Lou Mingfang glared at Quan Jiu before explaining, "We were unaware at first. The interview questions were too simple, and she passed easily. This cannot evaluate her true skill."
Guo Pin's eyes were already almost glued to Quan Jiu's semi-finished embroidery. Upon hearing this, he asked, "Is this what she embroidered?"
Che Fengqiong confirmed, "She learned this needlework, so she passed the interview easily. But she concealed it from us. If we had known, I would not have set such a question."
Guo Pin laughed. "You are quite amusing as an interviewer. Must your interview questions be tailored to the individual? Oh, if you say so, then if you are hiring for an HR position, but the candidate is an HR major, you can't ask HR-related questions. Do you want to ask her administrative questions? Or financial questions? If you interview like this, you're trying to make the company collapse."
Che Fengqiong choked, her mouth agape for a long time, before forcefully arguing, "That's not what I meant. I meant... the position of elder, after all, does not have the clear division of responsibilities like administrative, personnel, or finance. It should be judged comprehensively. Her areas of expertise naturally have no value for evaluation."
"Then do the things you know also have no value? What are you living for? Have you learned embroidery for these decades in vain? No value?"
Guo Pin rolled his eyes speechlessly. "What is this called? I've seen it all. So the Embroidery Bureau's recruitment has always been this bizarre. What one knows has no value, and they only focus on what others don't know. I think you should enroll in adult education and study for a few more years."
Che Fengqiong's face turned crimson with shame, but due to the other party's elder status, she could not argue further and could only swallow her anger.
Lu Yuan also leaned in, staring at the semi-finished product on the canvas, nodding continuously. "This craftsmanship, to be honest, even you, Che Fengqiong, cannot match. In terms of skill, combined with her current age, she is indeed qualified to join the Embroidery Bureau."
She smiled and took Quan Jiu's hand. "It seems Mingfang and the others have specially recruited a young talent for the Elder Council. Very good, very good. The Elder Council indeed needs some fresh blood."
Quan Jiu said obediently, "I am still young and have many things I don't understand. I will have to ask all of you seniors for guidance in the future. I hope you will overlook my shortcomings."
"Good, good," Lu Yuan patted Quan Jiu's hand. "Since the three of us old fellows have no objections, and Old Xiang is like a recluse who wouldn't bother with these things, then she is now the eleventh elder of our Elder Council."
Lou Mingfang, Che Fengqiong, and the others looked increasingly grim. However, they could not refute. With the pronouncements of the three elders Miao, Guo, and Lu, even they could not openly object.
Moreover, there was the agreement.
It was just that this bitterness was truly difficult to swallow. Lou Mingfang's face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot. "I don't feel well. I'm leaving."
"Wait, Elder Lou. There's no time like the present. As they say, double happiness. I, as the newly appointed elder, would like to make a suggestion. Why don't we decide on the director's candidate? This way, the Embroidery Bureau will be more stable."
Quan Jiu smiled at Lou Mingfang, but her words were directed at the three elders Miao, Guo, and Lu. "A vote has already been cast among those present. It's 3:4, currently disagreeing with the election. May I ask if the three seniors agree to elect the director today?"
Miao Lan looked at the other two and nodded on their behalf. "Alright, it is time to decide."