Reborn in the Hong Kong entertainment industry in the 1980s

"Hello everyone, I am contestant number 23, Hu Xiaoxiao. I hope you will support me, thank you." A very short self-introduction.

The screen is filled with long, wavy hair—beautiful, gorgeous long hair—yet the camera angles are very natural.

The cameraman was very professional; his angles, the use of negative space, and the language conveyed through the lens were all top-notch.

Hu Xiaoxiao was very satisfied; the effect was exactly what she wanted.

But even if I'm satisfied, what about what others think?

Hu Xiaoxiao rested her chin on her hand and thought for a moment before going to bed early.

The next day, I got up early, finished practicing my singing, and went to the teahouse ahead of time to meet the elderly folks for morning tea.

"Uncle, Grandma, did you read the contestants' self-introductions last night?" Hu Xiaoxiao asked the elderly people for their opinions as soon as she entered the teahouse and before even taking a seat.

"Look, they're all so beautiful." Grandma Zhou asked the waiter to bring hot water and a basin to scald the bowls.

Hu Xiaoxiao immediately sat down and asked, "Grandma, where am I? Can you see me?"

Uncle Xu was amused by Hu Xiaoxiao's eager little face and said, "I saw it. The show hadn't even started yet, but she was already sitting in front of the TV waiting. As soon as she saw you appear, she called the whole family over to watch."

Hu Xiaoxiao said happily, "Thank you for liking me, Grandma. I'll treat you to morning tea today."

She then asked Grandma Zhou, "Grandma, what do you think of my sample?"

"Beautiful, gorgeous! I think Xiao is the prettiest among all the beauties," Grandma Zhou said with a smile, full of praise.

Besides being pretty, is that all? Hu Xiaoxiao was a little disappointed.

Uncle Huang watched the show last night and asked Hu Xiaoxiao, "Why was your self-introduction so short? Why didn't you say more?"

Hu Xiaoxiao looked like a wilted eggplant, saying, "I may not be good at speaking."

“It’s okay, you’ll get it with more practice. You can even sing well, so you can definitely improve your speaking skills,” Uncle Li comforted her.

Hu Xiaoxiao was not comforted.

She took the kettle of boiling water from the waiter, picked up everyone's bowls and chopsticks, and prepared to scald the bowls.

After the waiter brought the water bottle, he didn't leave. Instead, he stood next to Hu Xiaoxiao, looking at her thick, black hair with envy, and asked, "Miss Hu, what brand of shampoo do you use?"

Hu Xiaoxiao's dejected expression instantly brightened again. "You think my hair looks good?"

The waiter nodded and said, "Yes, it's very beautiful. I watched the show last night, and what impressed me most was your hair. I'm so envious. May I ask what shampoo you use, Miss Hu?"

“Panrou,” Hu Xiaoxiao said, “I use Panrou shampoo.”

After the waiter left, the elderly woman and man asked, "Are you really using Panrobe? Is this brand really that good?"

Hu Xiaoxiao just smiled and remained silent.

Grandma Zhou said, "Xiao's hair is really beautiful, even better than in the shampoo commercials. When I saw your self-introduction, I thought you were a shampoo spokesperson. Xiao, you'll definitely sell a lot of shampoo if you shoot one in the future."

Hu Xiaoxiao nodded repeatedly: That's what she thought too.

Hu Xiaoxiao's confidence rose again.

She picked up her chopsticks and quickly began eating the braised tripe and steamed chicken feet with black bean sauce.

When Grandma Zhou saw this, she said, "Eat slowly, don't choke. There are still two hours before you start work, you have plenty of time."

Uncle Huang also said, "Yes, they're all freshly steamed. Be careful not to burn yourself if you eat too fast."

"I'm in a hurry, I have something important to do later."

Hu Xiaoxiao quickly finished a bowl of fish porridge and a serving of salted dumplings, then picked up the bill for everyone at the table.

Grandma Zhou said, "Put the bill down; Grandma will treat you to a meal today."

Hu Xiaoxiao had already gotten up and left. "Next time, Grandma will treat me to chicken next time."

"Alright, once you win the championship, I'll treat you to some old-fashioned restaurant for poached chicken," Grandma Zhou said with a smile.

After paying the bill, Hu Xiaoxiao went to a nearby supermarket.

The supermarket has a wide variety of goods, and Hu Xiaoxiao wants to buy everything every time she comes to shop there.

Every time she visits a large supermarket, she feels her wallet is too thin and the road to making money is long and arduous.

Hu Xiaoxiao pulled a shopping cart out from the door and headed towards her destination.

In the hair care section, Hu Xiaoxiao picked up a bottle of Panrou shampoo and conditioner. She then looked at other brands of shampoo and conditioner, but none of them had as much shelf space as this brand.

Most of the shelf was filled with this brand of shampoos and conditioners, with a wide variety of functions. There were anti-dandruff, repairing, oil-controlling, and all sorts of other products.

Hu Xiaoxiao pushed the cart to the skincare products section.

She immediately spotted the Magnolia brand, which had the most advertisements and the widest display, and picked up one of each of their products: face cream, lotion, face mask, and hand cream.

Then she stood in front of the shelves and began to examine other brands.

She discovered that the most common type of skincare products on display were those with whitening functions.

On a whim, Hu Xiaoxiao grabbed all sorts of whitening face masks and creams, filling most of the car.

Finally, I went to the protected area and bought a few sun hats and a sun umbrella.

When she checked out, she had spent all the money she had earned from teaching dance, filling several large bags.

After bringing it home, with an hour left before leaving for the TV station, Hu Xiaoxiao unpacked it, washed her face, and started applying a whitening face mask.

Lying on the sofa with a face mask on, she memorized the functions of various products, especially their advertising slogans.

After applying the face mask, Hu Xiaoxiao felt that her makeup went on much better, and her face looked even whiter and brighter in the mirror.

She would look even better on camera.

Hu Xiaoxiao was very satisfied with the result.

Wearing a wide-brimmed sun hat and carrying her bag, Hu Xiaoxiao went to work at the TV station.

The song chosen for this Saturday's performance is the disco-style "Monica." Compared to the soothing "Rain in March," this disco song is more challenging in terms of both singing and dancing.

To make it easier for the contestants to learn, the program department specially set aside a spacious stage for them to rehearse.

In terms of singing, Hu Xiaoxiao hasn't been practicing vocals for very long and isn't particularly outstanding among the contestants. However, dancing, especially disco, is practically her comfort zone.

During the rehearsal, Hu Xiaoxiao danced so effortlessly, naturally, and beautifully that even the dance teacher praised her highly.

Charlie watched backstage for a long time, nodding secretly. While the contestants were resting, he called Hu Xiaoxiao to his office upstairs.

"Xiaoxiao, you must be tired. Here, have some tea." Charlie personally poured Hu Xiaoxiao a cup of tea, showing his approachable manner. "I watched your rehearsal just now. You danced exceptionally well. If you can get the center position and get more screen time during the performance, your chances of winning in the finals will be much higher."

Hu Xiaoxiao accepted Charlie's tea and thanked him.

Hu Xiaoxiao had lived in the port city for quite some time, often watched television, and was good at learning. She could already understand the unspoken meaning behind Charlie's overtures and words.