Chapter 311
Chapter 311:
A heavy silence swept across the studio.
Everyone there looked stunned by the calm confidence Kristine carried so naturally. Convinced that she had cheated, they had expected her to be nervous and shaken — not standing tall with such steady composure.
After a brief pause, a man in a buttoned shirt slowly rose from his seat. He appeared to be in his forties, with thin glasses and an almost gentle expression that made him seem harmless. “Ms. Green,” he said carefully, “I have been watching the way you answer these questions. Your understanding of historical artifacts seems unusually extensive. Am I correct p>
Kristine gave a simple nod. “You are p>
“In that case,” he continued, lifting his chin slightly, “let me test you with something more specific. Have you heard of that legendary ceremonial piece collectors have searched for over the past few decades p>
Kristine nodded again, unbothered.
“Then answer this — how many authentic originals are known to exist in the world today p>
𝗡𝗈𝘃еlѕ і𝘯 𝘁𝗿е𝗇𝘥 𝗈n ѕ.соm
Without hesitation, Kristine replied evenly, “Only one. It was brought to Raskor centuries ago, traded between several powerful figures, and eventually claimed by a major collector. It is currently kept at the Raskor National Museum p>
The man froze. He clearly had not expected her to respond so quickly. A flash of embarrassment crossed his face, and with nothing left to say, he lowered his gaze and sat down, defeated.
The quiet did not last long. Another person rose from the audience — a woman in her thirties, her eyes locked onto Kristine with sharp certainty.
“This is too simple,” she said. “Ms. Green, how about you answer something that actually feels like a challenge? Are you willing to take mine p>
Kristine met her stare without blinking. “Go ahead. Ask p>
“I heard you work at the Arbfact Institute,” the woman said with pointed confidence. “So let me ask you something specific. When you see tiny scratches on an artifact, how can you tell if they came from normal use over time, or if someone accidentally caused them during restoration p>
A few people nearby laughed softly, amused by how complicated it sounded.
Kristine answered calmly. “It is not as difficult as it seems. Marks left from everyday use usually appear in repeated, predictable patterns, because they come from the same motions happening again and again. Cleaning or handling, for example, often creates lines that follow the direction of the movement — vertical streaks, curved swirls p>
She continued, her voice steady. “The depth and shape of those scratches also look natural. They often begin faint, grow deeper where more pressure was applied, then fade out again toward the end p>
Faces across the room shifted as understanding spread — quickly followed by shock.
Kristine had answered two difficult questions back to back without pausing once. Since the questions had been chosen at random, there was no possible way she could have prepared for them in advance.
So had everyone been wrong? Was Kristine truly this skilled?