Surviving the Apocalypse with my Multiplier System novel Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Design Contest

(Dedicating this Chapter to Diosa_De_Los_Deseo for all of the power stones and support<3) _{fгeewebnovёl.com}

Both Rayne and Ella were chatting happily, discussing the reactions of the judges to their designs.

"I managed to take a peek at a few other designs that passed the first stage. It seems like the judges have a preference for those people who can come up with unique, out-of-the-box designs," said Ella.

"I wonder if it has to do with the first-place prize. I think I read that it was a contract for a secret building," replied Rayne.

She felt that the first-place contract had a lot to do with why the judges were looking for specific elements in everyone's designs.

The judges were very efficient at looking through everyone's designs, and about twenty minutes later, the MC got back on stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen! The judges have concluded, and a list of those who will be competing for REN Corp.'s exclusive contracts will be posted! Everyone whose name is listed, please proceed to the next hall in 10 minutes. Good luck!"

After the MC finished speaking, people rushed over to the results table to see if their name was on the list.

Although Ella and Rayne knew they had passed, they still walked over to the table to check.

Rayne noticed some happy smiles along with angry scowls.

One of the guys who had been boasting in the crowd about how he was going to easily win was now yelling angrily about how incompetent the judges were at identifying talent.

The people around him distanced themselves, throwing him pitiful looks.

Rayne even saw Ella hold back a laugh.

"Don't you remember him? That's Anthony from university," she said to Rayne.

"Wait, the guy who never shut up?" Rayne turned to look at the man more closely. "How did someone like him end up at this event?"

Ella let out a giggle. "True, he was mediocre at best. I guess some company believes his endless boasting and hired him."

It was finally their turn to look at the list of names. As expected, both of them passed and would be competing.

"Let's make our way over to the contest hall," said Rayne.

They slowly made their way over to the large double doors of the adjacent hall.

Inside the hall, Rayne spotted the older man who had judged her design, talking to Secretary Mathews. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but she saw the older man nodding a few times.

There were 100 workstations set up in the contest hall, each equipped with a drawing desk, chair, paper, pencils, rulers, and any tool an architect would need to draw a blueprint.

The hall was large enough that the desks were a comfortable distance apart from one another.

As the contestants made their way inside, they were told that there was no assigned seating, and they were allowed to choose their own seats.

Ella grabbed Rayne's hand and pointed at a set of desks toward the front of the hall, next to the stage.

"I see two open seats over there, let's get them before they're taken!" she said excitedly.

They walked over quickly and claimed their seats. Rayne looked around the room, waiting for the rest of the contestants to get settled.

After about 10 minutes, the hall quieted down as everyone was seated and waiting.

Noah walked up on the small stage and addressed the contestants. "Congratulations on making it here! You will all have two hours to finish a rough design. Waitstaff will be walking around occasionally to bring refreshments for your convenience.

The theme for this contest is... Off the Grid, Secret Bunker! The design should focus on sustainable, off-the-grid support. It should be large enough to house large vehicles and about 20-30 people comfortably.

Begin!"

Most of the contestants laughed at the "secret bunker" topic.

"Haha, REN Corp. has a good sense of humor! This is a fun idea indeed!" one man laughed.

Rayne, on the other hand, was surprised. The requirements seemed a bit specific for something that was meant to be a joke.

The scene of Tek on the phone flashed in her mind. By what she had heard him say on the phone, it sounded like he was scouting for a suitable place...

Rayne spent a good 15-20 minutes thinking about how she wanted to approach this design. Although Secretary Mathews didn't say it, she felt that the bunker also needed to be hidden.

She decided to go with a concept where the bunker would be built into a large hill. This way, she could design discreet entrances and exits, as well as ways of collecting rainwater to be filtered and used.