It sounded like two voices, but in reality, it was two large groups of people.
Seeing so many people gathering around, the two female police officers responsible for protecting Jiang Si frowned and immediately stepped forward to block the crowd.
However, Huo Tingzhou reacted even faster. Pulling Jiang Si behind him, he swept a commanding gaze over the group.
Yet at that moment, Jiang Si tugged at his sleeve.
"It's alright, they mean no harm."
The first group appeared to be in their early twenties.
Judging by their youthful exuberance and spirited demeanor, Jiang Si guessed they were likely university students.
The other group was slightly older.
They wore matching uniforms, each adorned with a black badge featuring red characters on their chests—likely the emblem of an association or civil organization.
Just as Jiang Si was puzzling over why the emblem looked vaguely familiar, the leader, who seemed to be in charge, extended his hand toward her.
"Hello, comrade. I’m Zhou Changqing, chairman of the Jing City Artists Association."
Hearing that he was the chairman of the Jing City Artists Association, Jiang Si’s first thought was that he might be seeking her help for some artwork.
Since she had plans to establish herself in Jing City, she wasn’t about to let any opportunity slip by.
Still, while she had her suspicions, she couldn’t voice them so bluntly.
"Hello, I’m Jiang Si."
Shaking his hand, she then asked tactfully,
"Might I ask what brings you to me, Chairman Zhou?"
"There is indeed a matter. Could we speak privately?"
Jiang Si nodded in agreement and, knowing Huo Tingzhou would be uneasy, invited him along.
Once they entered a nearby lounge, Zhou Changqing smiled.
Unable to contain his excitement, he said, "Comrade Jiang, I observed your sketches earlier. You must have studied sketching for over ten years, right?"
Jiang Si gave a quiet affirmation. She had started learning to paint at five, making it sixteen years now.
Beyond sketching, she had also dabbled in ink wash, watercolor, and oil painting—though sketching remained her strongest suit.
"No wonder. I could tell at a glance that your foundation is exceptional. May I ask who your mentors were?"
Jiang Si didn’t hold back, listing several names in one breath.
Hearing this, Chairman Zhou was momentarily stunned.
No wonder her work was so outstanding.
Those mentors were towering figures in the art world.
To have studied under all of them—this Comrade Jiang was clearly no ordinary talent.
With that, Chairman Zhou cut straight to the point.
"Comrade Jiang, here’s the situation. Our Artists Association has received orders from higher authorities to complete themed murals near over thirty landmark sites in Jing City before New Year’s Day."
They had received the assignment a month ago, and while most themes had been finalized and work was progressing smoothly, one mural remained unassigned—The Image of Workers, Peasants, and Soldiers Under the Red Sun, slated for the square.
Chairman Zhou explained the reasons.
First, their previous projects had mostly been small or medium-sized murals.
This one, standing six meters tall and spanning 3.7 meters in width, was their first attempt at such a massive propaganda piece.
Second, the mural would depict not only leaders but also steel mill workers, armed militia, and farmers laboring in the fields—totaling nearly a hundred figures across various age groups.
To ensure quality, they had even set up a dedicated space for two artists—one handling the overall composition, the other focusing on facial features—to draft a sample.
But the test results fell far short of expectations.
Subsequent replacements of artists yielded similarly disappointing outcomes.
Then, by chance, he had spotted Jiang Si today.
Capturing a person’s facial features quickly wasn’t unusual.
What was remarkable was that her subjects had been in constant motion.
Yet she had memorized each face with precision and reproduced them flawlessly.
That skill alone placed her above ninety-five percent of artists.
With that in mind, Chairman Zhou said earnestly,
"That’s the situation. We urgently need an artist specializing in facial contours. May I ask where you’re currently employed?"
"If you’re unattached, I’d like to formally invite you to join our Artists Association."
Jiang Si had assumed it would be a matter of sketching a few portraits—a task she could finish in hours.
But a mural of this scale would take at least ten to fifteen days.
With her facial template library still incomplete, she simply couldn’t spare the time.
She replied honestly,
"Chairman Zhou, I’m currently not employed, but I’m afraid I can’t assist with this."
At this, Chairman Zhou grew visibly anxious.
Their association offered excellent benefits—a fixed monthly salary, plus substantial bonuses for major holiday assignments.
But a young woman who had studied art for over a decade and trained under such renowned masters clearly didn’t need the money.
So he shifted tactics.
"Comrade Jiang, aside from competitive benefits, our work hours are highly flexible."
"As long as you meet deadlines and quality standards, you can leave early."
"Outstanding performers also receive recommendation letters—useful for roles in propaganda departments or teaching positions."
"If you have other requests, we’ll do our best to accommodate them."
His offer was undeniably generous, and Jiang Si recognized the opportunity.
But she could only stay in Jing City for another two weeks at most—far too little time.
Seeing her hesitation, Huo Tingzhou interjected firmly,
"Chairman Zhou, my wife has prior commitments today. Let us discuss this and give you an answer later. Would that suffice?"
It would—but he could only wait three days.
Any longer, and they’d have to seek another artist.
Though truthfully, they’d already screened art departments across Jing City’s top universities.
If a suitable candidate existed, he wouldn’t be scrambling like this.
With a sigh, Chairman Zhou handed Jiang Si his contact details.
After he left, Jiang Si turned to Huo Tingzhou, puzzled.
"That mural would take over a week just for the draft, plus another week for line work and revisions."
"But your mother mentioned your debriefing here won’t last beyond two weeks."
She knew him well enough to understand he wouldn't say something like that without reason.
Yet, she couldn't quite figure it out.
