Reborn in the Hong Kong entertainment industry in the 1980s

On the judges' panel, several judges noticed that the video camera was focused on the contestants and couldn't capture this side, so they whispered among themselves and wrote on paper with their pens as they spoke.

"Contestant number 3 has too much excess fat."

"They have to be eliminated. Otherwise, if we send them to the finals, the viewers in front of the TV will criticize us for not holding a beauty pageant, but picking pigs."

It's clear that not only entertainment magazine editors have sharp tongues, but also the citizens of Baogang.

"Number 13's scar on his back is too obvious, so he's eliminated."

"I think number 62 looks like she's given birth before..."

"And there's number 54, who walks with one leg shorter than the other..."

Any contestant whose shortcomings are pointed out by the judges will be marked with an elimination number.

In the first round of the semi-finals, only 48 contestants were selected. Now there are 99 contestants, and 51 need to be eliminated.

Staff will collect a list of eliminated numbers. If there are fewer than 51 people, the judges will be asked to eliminate more. If there are more than 51 people, the judges will also be asked to select a few from the eliminated list.

In addition to offering harsh critiques of the contestants, the judges also express their admiration for the beautiful ones.

"I heard there's a favorite to win this year, who is it?"

"Number 77, the one in the blue swimsuit, with long, straight hair."

"She's really beautiful, much better looking than the previous champion."

"His temperament and education are both superior to the previous champion."

"I've noticed that this year's contestants are much prettier than in previous years. There are significantly more beautiful women this year, and their education and overall quality are also several levels higher."

The judges discussed the topic, saying, "With the good reputation established by previous Miss Hong Kong contestants, it's natural that more high-quality contestants will be attracted to apply. According to the TV station's data, the number of contestants returning from overseas has increased by one or two times compared to previous years."

"It seems that Prosperity Television has done a very successful job with the Miss Hong Kong pageant."

"Needless to say? The Miss Hong Kong pageant finals are always the highest-rated pageant of the year. Not to mention the finals, even the recent programs discussing Miss Hong Kong have seen a significant increase in viewership."

"Several entertainment magazines sold out, and the newspaper was reprinted twice. Seeing this makes me regret not opening one."

"I think it's not a problem for players number 7 and 12 to make it to the finals."

"Numbers 43 and 89 are also good, with excellent temperament."

"I'm optimistic about number 22."

"Number 22 is indeed good. What's his name?"

The staff checked the information: "Zhao Yanhong, whose English name is Lily, is 23 years old this year."

"Young and beautiful, with stunning looks, she's very suitable for a career in film and television," commented a judge from the film and television industry.

The judge who had interviewed Hu Xiaoxiao before spotted her and jokingly asked the judge next to him, "Are you all nearsighted and don't wear glasses? Didn't any of you notice contestant number 68?"

"Who says there isn't one? I saw her as soon as she came out. She's so eye-catching, she's like a peony among flowers."

"I'm so dazzled by the famous flowers in front of me, I haven't seen it yet, where is number 68?"

"The one in the pink swimsuit, the tall one with a great figure."

"You look quite young. How old are you? What's your name?"

The staff checked and found, "Hu Xiaoxiao is 18 years old this year."

"This year's contestants are truly a hidden gem; I think the finals will be very competitive. I expect the ratings for Hong Kong TVB to reach a new high this year. Congratulations in advance, A-Zhan!"

James Chan, the program director of Baogang TV, whose English name is A-Chan, is in charge of today's first semi-final match.

Ajahn humbly said, "Thanks to everyone's support, especially Wan Sheng."

Wan Sheng shifted his gaze from the beauties and smiled, "Miss Hong Kong can represent the image of Baogang and showcase its charm. I'm just doing my part to help Baogang. Besides, being able to appreciate so many beautiful women is a great blessing in my life."

In the pool appearance segment, a total of thirty-nine contestants were eliminated.

The contestants who passed the initial screening proceeded to the next stage – Western dining etiquette.

This segment was held in the hotel's back garden, where flowers were in full bloom and in the distance, a vast blue sea stretched out.

The sea breeze blows, driving away the heat.

The air is filled with the fragrance of fresh flowers, and the courtyard is filled with a delightful aroma.

Three rectangular banquet tables were set up in the garden, each with twenty-four seats, accommodating twenty beauties and four judges.

Hu Xiaoxiao sat down naturally, and it was impossible to tell that she had never eaten Western food before and had no idea what Western dining etiquette was.

Her greatest strength is that she learns things very quickly.

They can observe, think, and learn.

After gracefully taking her seat with the other beauties, Hu Xiaoxiao felt completely unfamiliar with the tableware in front of her. Observing the beauties opposite her start to pick up their napkins, she seemed to be a beat behind before picking one up herself.

Some of the ladies unfolded their napkins, weighed one corner down with a plate, and let them dangle off the table.

However, while most of the contestants spread their napkins on their laps, Hu Xiaoxiao elegantly chose to do the same.

The meal consisted of steak and a glass of red wine.

Cutting a steak is a skill, and it also involves etiquette.

As Hu Xiaoxiao slowly picked up her knife and fork, some of the beauties had already begun cutting their steaks. She chose two of the beauties who used the knife and fork most elegantly to learn from.

Holding a fork in her left hand and a knife in her right, Hu Xiaoxiao learned to make the movements quite skillfully after only two cuts, looking extremely elegant.

Then I observed how they drank wine, how they held the wine glass, and how they tasted it.

Hu Xiaoxiao leisurely swirled the red wine in her hand, a smile playing on her lips.

It's very simple.

Western banquets are for displaying etiquette, not for eating. Therefore, everyone only cut a small piece of steak to taste and drank a little red wine.

The judges began asking questions to the contestants. "Contestant number 11, the information says that you were born overseas and came back to Hong Kong specifically to participate in the Miss Hong Kong pageant. I wonder if you are used to being back in Hong Kong?"

Contestant number 11 put down her wine glass, smiled and said, "I'm quite used to it. After all, my father is from Baogang. Although I am of mixed race, I feel more at home in Baogang. This is my hometown."

The judge nodded and looked at another judge who was asking a question.

"Contestant No. 55, why did you come to participate in the Miss Hong Kong pageant?"

Contestant number 55 was visibly nervous. "I...I feel that being Miss Hong Kong can represent Hong Kong. I feel that being Miss Hong Kong is great and amazing..."

The judges' questions were incredibly varied; some were just small talk, others were riddles, some even included math problems, and still others were about the weather.

The question Hu Xiaoxiao was asked was—

"Contestant No. 68, what are your thoughts on today's meal?"

What's your opinion?

It tastes pretty good.

But it's so simple, I definitely can't answer that.

But what opinions could Hu Xiaoxiao possibly have about eating Western food for the first time? The more she says, the more mistakes she makes; if she says nothing, she'll be even more wrong.

Hu Xiaoxiao smiled elegantly and said, "Today's steak is especially fresh. From slaughter to serving, it should have been no more than 24 hours."

Hu Xiaoxiao had never eaten Western food, but she ate a lot of meat and could tell how long someone had been dead just by tasting it.

Therefore, she chose a tricky angle to answer the question.

"You're really amazing, you can even taste the difference." One of the judges, Wan Sheng, the owner of the resort hotel, was astonished by Hu Xiaoxiao's answer.

"Today's steak is made from Angus beef that I specially sent someone to Scotland to select. It was slaughtered last night and air-freighted over this morning. You can actually tell the difference? You're amazing!"