An Acting Performance That Blurs Reality

"Ah, Sasuke-kun has arrived? We just happened to be in the neighborhood today and decided to drop by for a look. Isn't this young lady your sister? We didn't give advance notice, so I do hope you won't take offense, Sasuke-kun."

Hasegawa had already grown much closer to Zhou Hongyi, and before even getting to the point, he broke into a playful joke.

Zhou Hongyi first bowed respectfully to Shimazu and Hasegawa, then turned his gaze to the final man, asking with a hint of inquiry, "And this gentleman is?"

Seeing that Zhou Hongyi had noticed Mr. Su, Shimazu made the introduction. "This is Mr. Su, a good friend of both of ours. He is also one of the judges for this Miss Rose pageant, just like you, Sasuke-kun."

"Ah, so it is Mr. Su. I have heard so much about you. Since you are also a judge, I wonder what Mr. Su thinks of Miss Elizabeth's recent performance?"

Zhou Hongyi intentionally stared right at him and sat down directly beside him, not treating himself as an outsider in the least.

Mr. Su gave an awkward cough and lowered his voice. "Mr. Zhou, please don't shower me with such undeserved praise. From what I've heard from Colonel Shimazu and Mr. Hasegawa these past few days, your accomplishments are vast—you are talented in both the literary and martial arts. And this Miss Elizabeth... she is your woman, isn't she?"

Zhou Hongyi neither confirmed nor denied it. Let these fellows think whatever they pleased; it didn't matter. As long as they understood that Elizabeth belonged to him, that was enough.

"Hahaha, Mr. Su flatters me. Since Mr. Su is also one of the judges, I shall be so bold as to offer you a bribe right in front of my teacher and our president. Come, I propose a toast to Mr. Su."

Noticing the bottle of sake on the table, Zhou Hongyi picked up an overturned cup and poured himself a drink. Holding the rim with one hand and supporting the base with the other, he tilted his head back and drained the cup in one fluid, graceful motion, a look of mild anticipation in his eyes.

Seeing this, Mr. Su also picked up his own cup, shielded it with his sleeve, and drank it down in one gulp.

"Mr. Zhou really knows how to joke. Take that song just now, for instance. Among all the young ladies present today, who could possibly surpass Princess Elizabeth? This bribe of yours is likely a complete waste of effort."

His implication was clear: with Elizabeth's talent, standing out was an absolute breeze, making Zhou Hongyi's attempt to bribe him entirely unnecessary.

"Heh, Mr. Su only sees the surface and not the depths. My little sister is entering this contest not merely to win the crown, but more importantly, to make a name for herself—to outshine every single beauty in this bustling metropolis. After all... her goal is to become a movie star."

Mr. Su let out an "oh" of genuine surprise. "Miss Elizabeth wants to be a star? But I heard she was the princess of some small nation? I heard she came to this beauty contest purely for the prize money. Some even say she is sacrificing herself for her country, planning to take the prize money back to help her royal father restore his kingdom."

Hearing this, Zhou Hongyi paused for a moment before turning to Shimazu and Hasegawa, bursting into hearty laughter.

"Teacher, President, please forgive my rudeness, but I truly never expected Mr. Su to be so innocent as to believe such an absurd lie! Come, come, meeting Mr. Su today feels like meeting an old friend. Not because we are both judges, but purely for Mr. Su's innocence and purity, I must propose another toast!"

While Zhou Hongyi's words sounded like a joke, they carried a double meaning. He emphasized words like "innocent" and "purity" quite heavily, subtly pointing out the fact that the man had turned traitor to the Red Party. Naturally, the latter was completely unaware of Zhou Hongyi's true identity and intentions, simply assuming he was joking, and readily raised his cup for a second round.

Shimazu held a tiny folding fan, gently fluttering it twice as he said, "Sasuke-kun, if you keep teasing Mr. Su like this, he's going to blush. Still, the royal princess backstory you've crafted for Miss Elizabeth has certainly added immensely to her charm. Look at how the audience below is going wild for her—how are the contestants scheduled to perform afterward supposed to follow that?"

Zhou Hongyi cast his gaze down from the upper floor. Sure enough, although Elizabeth's performance had concluded, the crowd was still utterly captivated by her ethereal, heaven-sent melody. People were chattering excitedly, creating a sizzling atmosphere that left the performers scheduled after her completely ignored, resulting in an exceptionally awkward scene.

Lifting his hand, Zhou Hongyi remarked, "You cannot blame me for that. If anyone is to blame, it is simply that their skills are inferior."

Hasegawa nodded in agreement. "Blame it on the fact that they lack such a fine older brother and such a distinguished background."

"Hahaha..."

Inside the VIP room, waves of merry laughter echoed from time to time, creating an unusually warm and lively atmosphere that left Chen Gong, standing guard outside the door, utterly baffled.

Although he knew perfectly well that Zhou Hongyi was merely acting, he still found himself falling into a trance every now and then, wondering if he was being played for a fool and if this Young Master Zhou was actually in cahoots with the little devils, having fabricated everything he said earlier.

Yet, almost immediately, the thought of Zhou Hongyi casually handing over a bar of gold, coupled with the mission he was currently undertaking, set his mind at ease. Exactly, exactly—his new sworn brother wasn't playing tricks on him; rather, his acting skills were simply too brilliant, so blindingly convincing that it left people dazed, unable to distinguish which side of him was real and which was false.

A few more bursts of hearty laughter echoed from within. Shortly after, Zhou Hongyi tactfully took his leave, bringing Chen Gong back to their own private box.

Chen Gong endured a great deal of hardship along the way, desperately wanting to ask Zhou Hongyi what they had been discussing inside, but with so many eyes and ears about, he had to maintain his role as a bodyguard. The burly man could only pinch his own thigh hard, reminding himself to lock away his damned curiosity.

At last, the preliminaries of the first day came to an end. Princess Elizabeth, making her stunning debut, astonished the entire audience, securing second place in the preliminary rounds thanks to her ice-cold, holy temperament and unrivaled popularity.

First place went to Vivian from the Paramount Ballroom. She was a mixed-race beauty with striking features, a mesmerizing voice, and above all, she excelled at ballet. Having already made a name for herself in Russia some time ago, she possessed a strong network of social connections and a solid fan base. Furthermore, despite Elizabeth's immense popularity, she had worn a mask from start to finish, concealing her face—which constituted her biggest deduction in the scoring.

Even so, second place was more than enough to secure her a steady spot in the semi-finals. The semi-finals would be held on a grander scale across multiple stages. One of the events was a swimsuit exhibition combined with a runway show, held right inside the Great World amusement center, where contestants would wear swimsuits imported from the West to showcase their stunning figures without reservation.

Naturally, Zhou Hongyi had every reason to believe that this particular idea had been pushed by Gu Tianbo to satisfy his own selfish desires. Yet, astonishingly, those wretched men had unanimously approved the suggestion, with the swimsuit competition accounting for a full third of the overall score.

As for the third event, it remained a talent show. Alongside singing and dancing, this round offered opportunities for other talent displays. For instance, Gu Tianbo had previously leaked to Zhou Hongyi that some contestants excelled at tea ceremonies, others at playing the zither, and still others at calligraphy. In short, it was a case of every immortal crossing the sea and showing off their magical powers.

When it came to talent, Zhou Hongyi intended to let little Bei improvise freely. In any case, he was confident in carrying her through to the grand finals, so a mediocre talent performance wouldn't affect her chances much.