The woman in black remained silent.
The woman in green moved closer to the screen.
WOMAN IN GREEN: "If her category was changed, then some of the judging criteria may also have been different."
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: "That is correct."
WOMAN IN GREEN: "Then the scores we have just reviewed may not be comparable."
The elderly gentleman nodded.
OLDER GENTLEMAN: "Which means we cannot announce the results until we understand the full extent of these changes."
The audience began murmuring again.
The young woman in blue looked toward her mother.
Her mother was no longer smiling.
She seemed worried.
The contestant took a deep breath.
BLUE-GOWN CONTESTANT: "Sir, I don't understand. Did I do something wrong when I registered?"
OLDER GENTLEMAN: "No. Your application was complete, and your original submission was accepted."
BLUE-GOWN CONTESTANT: "Then why was it changed?"
The elderly gentleman looked at her with a serious expression.
OLDER GENTLEMAN: "I cannot give you an answer until the investigation is complete."
He paused.
OLDER GENTLEMAN: "But I can promise you that we will not allow an administrative decision to erase the work you have done."
The young woman nodded slowly.
The elderly gentleman turned toward the technical director.
OLDER GENTLEMAN: "I want the original application, the revised classification, and every authorization connected to the change."
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: "I will prepare the complete file."
OLDER GENTLEMAN: "And I want the person who approved the revised registration to attend the committee meeting."
The technical director looked down at the document.
Then he raised his head.
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: "Sir, there may be a problem with that."
OLDER GENTLEMAN: "What problem?"
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: "The approval was not recorded under an individual staff member's name."
The elderly gentleman frowned.
OLDER GENTLEMAN: "What do you mean?"
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: "The approval was submitted using the senior administration account."
The woman in green looked astonished.
WOMAN IN GREEN: "The senior administration account?"
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: "Yes."
The elderly gentleman slowly turned toward the organizer.
OLDER GENTLEMAN: "Who has access to that account?"
The organizer hesitated.
ORGANIZER: "Only a very small number of senior officials, sir."
OLDER GENTLEMAN: "How many?"
ORGANIZER: "Three."
The gentleman looked at him.
OLDER GENTLEMAN: "Give me their names."
The organizer lowered his voice.
ORGANIZER: "I can provide that information privately, sir."
OLDER GENTLEMAN: "No. Bring the access record first."
He turned toward the audience.
OLDER GENTLEMAN: "Ladies and gentlemen, we will take another short break. The committee will continue reviewing the registration and judging records before making any decision."
The audience began talking loudly.
Some guests were now convinced that the competition had been manipulated.
Others were simply shocked that such a prestigious event could experience so many irregularities.
The woman in black stood near the judges' table, looking toward the entrance.
Her phone vibrated.
She glanced at the screen.
A new message had arrived.
She read it quickly.
Then her expression changed.
She looked toward the elderly gentleman.
For several seconds, she remained motionless.
Finally, she turned away and walked toward the side corridor.
The woman in green noticed her leaving.
WOMAN IN GREEN: "Where are you going?"
WOMAN IN BLACK: "I need to make a phone call."
WOMAN IN GREEN: "We are supposed to remain here until the review is complete."
WOMAN IN BLACK: "I will be back."
She continued walking.
The elderly gentleman watched her disappear behind the doors.
Then he turned toward the technical director.
OLDER GENTLEMAN: "Please make sure the original records are secured."
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: "Yes, sir."
The elderly gentleman then looked toward the middle-aged woman who had brought the documents.
OLDER GENTLEMAN: "I believe we need to discuss the remaining message you mentioned."
MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN: "Yes, sir."
OLDER GENTLEMAN: "Does it concern the same contestant?"
The middle-aged woman nodded.
MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN: "Yes. And I believe it may explain why the registration was changed."
The gentleman looked toward the blue gown displayed on the screen.
The young woman was standing beside her mother now, trying to understand why her participation had suddenly become the center of such a serious investigation.
OLDER GENTLEMAN: "Then I think we should hear everything."
The middle-aged woman opened her folder again.
She removed a final envelope.
It was sealed.
She placed it carefully on the table.
MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN: "I kept this separate because I was instructed not to distribute it."
The elderly gentleman looked at the envelope.
OLDER GENTLEMAN: "Who gave you that instruction?"
MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN: "The person who sent the original message."
OLDER GENTLEMAN: "And did you open it?"
MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN: "Yes, sir. I needed to understand what I was being asked to do."
The gentleman slowly opened the envelope.
Inside was a printed message and a copy of an official document.
He read the message first.
Then he examined the document.
His face became completely still.
The woman in green approached.
WOMAN IN GREEN: "Sir, what is it?"
The elderly gentleman looked up.
OLDER GENTLEMAN: "I think we have finally found the reason behind all these changes."
He turned toward the middle-aged woman.
OLDER GENTLEMAN: "Are you certain this is the original?"
MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN: "Yes. I kept the original email and the attached document."
The gentleman looked toward the judges' table.
The woman in black had not yet returned.
He then looked toward the organizer.