Chapter 991 - 993: No Choice, the Head is Too Effective_1
All participants went to submit their account books, and Bai Ruozhu also saw her parents and others, smiling and waving at them.
Lin Ping’er beamed with pride and spoke with utmost confidence, "Just watch, my Ruozhu is sure to take first place!"
Bai Yihong chuckled, "Show a little humility, will you? At your age, you’re still so competitive."
Lin Ping’er gave him a playful glare, "Ruozhu really is brilliant. She reconciles accounts quickly and accurately, and it’s not like I haven’t seen it myself."
Onlookers who heard this became very curious, but many felt that Lin Ping’er was just a woman who wouldn’t know how to read account books—how could she know if her daughter’s calculations were accurate? Perhaps Bai Ruozhu was just skimming through them without needing to calculate carefully.
By this time, the account books had all been collected by Old Master Qu, who then distributed them to several judges for inspection. To ensure fairness and transparency, the judges reviewed them publicly, each writing down their chosen top ten account numbers. Finally, the final top ten were determined based on the rankings from each judge.
For the onlookers, this part was quite dull, and many simply left to wander around, planning to return later to see the results. The contestants, of course, couldn’t leave at will. The Bai Family decided not to leave either and just waited for the results there.
Bai Fu and the old lady were reluctant to wait, so Bai Yihong simply had someone take them to a nearby tea house for some tea, so they wouldn’t get too tired.
At this moment, Li Dan had no mood left for sarcasm or provocation towards Bai Ruozhu, which revealed his inner nervousness.
Just then, a servant came to collect the abacuses. When he came to Bai Ruozhu, she smiled at the servant and said, "Young man, I’ll still need the abacus later, may I borrow it for a little longer?"
The servant collecting abacuses was not the one who had handed them out; he wasn’t aware of any potential issue and readily agreed.
Xue Rang felt a sense of urgency and wanted to interject but was already too late.
As half an hour passed, the judges had determined the final results. Old Master Qu collected the slips from everyone and compared them, then nodded his head, seeing the results were indeed similar to what he had anticipated.
"The results of this accounting competition have been determined. The first place goes to number six, Bai Ruozhu!" Old Master Qu announced loudly.
"Impossible!" shouted Li Dan, his face contorted with ferocity. The anger this time was not feigned—it was genuine rage!
"She didn’t even use an abacus, how could her calculations be fast and accurate? I don’t believe it!" Li Dan continued, "I’ve been using the abacus since I was three, and I reckon nobody in the Capital City’s Commerce Association is faster than me. How could she beat me?"
The other contestants also found it unbelievable. Hearing what Li Dan said, they too began to doubt the legitimacy of Bai Ruozhu’s first-place victory.
Old Master Qu scoffed and said, "The competition was held in public, with no chance of cheating. If you all don’t believe it, we can display the account books of Bai Ruozhu and Li Dan for everyone to compare and see for themselves."
Lin Ping’er also shouted from the side, "So you think you’re great because you knew how to use an abacus at three? My daughter was counting on her fingers inside my belly even before she was born. Don’t think you’re the only genius around!"
Bai Ruozhu burst into laughter—her mother was too amusing. Counting on her fingers inside the belly before birth, how could her mother know that? Even if there was any finger movement, it would’ve been just a reflex, not really accounting for anything.
"Nonsense, she didn’t even touch the abacus—do you mean to say she did the calculations in her head?" Li Dan challenged, still not convinced.
Bai Ruozhu’s smile hadn’t faded as she raised an eyebrow and said, "You’ve finally guessed something right this time. Indeed, I did the calculations in my head. Who decreed that accounting must involve an abacus? It all comes down to personal habits, doesn’t it?"
Lin Ping’er said with a smile, "There’s no helping it, my daughter just has an exceptional mind. Could that possibly be wrong?"
Li Dan, his face turning green with anger, wanted to rush over to look at Bai Ruozhu’s account book, convinced he would find some error.
However, Master Qu said, "Let’s wait until the top ten are announced. There will be plenty of time to look later."
He then read out the second place winner, which was indeed Li Dan, and the third place went to a local senior accountant. The names of the other contestants were also announced.
As soon as they were finished, Li Dan immediately rushed over to check Bai Ruozhu’s account book, and other competitors crowded around, wanting a look as well. But Li Dan, aggressive as he was, shoved everyone aside. Resigned, they went to inspect Li Dan’s account book instead. Upon seeing his work, they all expressed their admiration, with someone even saying, "Li Dan’s accounts are so well kept. I can’t believe anyone could do better."
Li Dan, as though he heard none of the praises, feverishly flipped through Bai Ruozhu’s account book, finally grasping it so fiercely that he crumpled the pages within.
"Li Dan, what are you doing? Don’t damage the competition’s account book!" Xue Rang shouted sternly when he saw this.
But Li Dan seemed deaf to the words of others, as if he were about to rip the account book to shreds like waste paper. Jianqi leapt forward and quickly pressed on Li Dan’s acupoint.
"What are you doing?" Li Dan, immobilized, immediately shouted.
Xue Rang stepped forward and carefully extracted Bai Ruozhu’s account book from Li Dan’s frozen hands, saying indignantly, "I should be asking you that. Are you trying to get disqualified?"
That’s when everyone finally got the chance to see Bai Ruozhu’s account book. Upon inspection, the same person who admired Li Dan’s work exclaimed, "Indeed, I am but a frog in a well. Who knew accounts could be recorded so clearly and cleanly? Even if Bai Ruozhu’s accounts were just as good as Li Dan’s, she already beats him in speed. And in fact, her accounting is indeed better than his."
Li Dan went pale as his mind screamed in denial – impossible, impossible, how could there be no mistakes?
Master Qu nodded from the stage, "Bai Ruozhu has not only identified the errors in the accounts and clarified them, but she also made many suggestions – how certain records could be clearer, and how changing some methods could prevent potential pitfalls. I’m truly impressed."
These were all things Bai Ruozhu often did while reviewing accounts and making annotations for her subordinates.
Bai Yihong and Lin Ping’er cheered for Bai Ruozhu, filled with joy, cheering her on.
Li Dan, still unable to move, was finally helped to the side by his subordinates. One of his guards worked for a long time before finally releasing his acupoint.
"Impossible! She must have known the contents of the account book in advance, she must have! Otherwise, how could she have been so thorough?" Li Dan cried out, unable to accept it.
Master Qu’s face darkened immediately, "The account books were disclosed in advance, and the numbers were drawn by lots; everyone here can bear witness. Do you still intend to slander the Commerce Association of Wuyuan City?"
Bai Ruozhu shrank her shoulders and said in a nonchalant tone, "That’s why I said transparency is necessary, to prevent misattributions and avoid tarnishing the reputation of the Commerce Association of Wuyuan City. Li Dan, you’re a grown man. You should be able to handle both victory and defeat gracefully. You were the one who insisted I enter the competition, and you were the one who suggested the bet. Now that the outcome is clear, I hope you remember to keep your promise."
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In consideration of posting five updates today, could everyone give some monthly votes? Muah~