His editorial shot appeared on the screen.
The black and white conversion gave the photo an exceptional texture. His long hair was slicked back as he emerged from the water, with droplets still trailing down his neck and shoulders. His eyes were fixed forward as if he were about to leap from the water at any second. The pose, with his head slightly tilted back and his core tightened, made the contour of his jawline exceptionally prominent.
He looked like a powerful merman from legend, possessing a captivating face and a strong physique.
Chen Bing stared at the photo in awe for a long time before turning back to Zhan Zhiqing. “You know, except for that one time, your photos have amazed me every single time. I love the slight tilt of your head; it gives you an air of noble arrogance. I give you a 9!”
“Wow! It seems Teacher Chen is truly in love with this photo. I like the confidence revealed in your eyes. Although you seem plain and without personality in the program, in my eyes, it is quite the opposite. You are definitely the most unique contestant among all of them! I give you a 9!”
Zhan Zhiqing smiled and thanked the two judges. He liked this photo as well. Unlike his initial stiffness, he felt that after so many rounds of training, he had found the knack for expressing himself in front of the camera. He even found himself enjoying the process of being filmed; it gave him an opportunity to vent all his madness and paranoia through his eyes.
Then it was Li Qun’s turn.
Unlike the previous two judges, he looked Zhan Zhiqing up and down first before turning to look at the photo. Zhan Zhiqing was a bit uncertain. He wondered if Li Qun, like Meng Ping, would think his muscles were not bulky enough.
Li Qun’s evaluation was as brief as ever, but his words dropped a bombshell with a casual tone. “I give a 10.”
Zhan Zhiqing was stunned for a moment before immediately thanking him. When he gave his thanks, he habitually had a smile on his face with the corners of his mouth slightly hooked, and he looked directly at the person. Li Qun seemed to dodge his gaze slightly.
Fortunately, Bai Chuan finally spoke up. “Congratulations, Zhan Zhiqing. After the audience saw your performance in the second episode, their perception of you has greatly improved. Your rating has increased significantly. Keep up the good work.”
Zhan Zhiqing stepped aside, and Le Xin was up next. She had a glamorous face and excellent fashion expression, earning a high score of 8, 10, and 9. She was only one point behind Zhan Zhiqing.
Le Xin was complacent. She believed Zhan Zhiqing’s face was a bit too thin and that he only beat her by a point because certain angles highlighted his bone structure. Since the first episode, Zhan Zhiqing had been at odds with her, and she intended to find a way to defeat him sooner or later.
However, Bai Chuan’s next words dealt her a heavy blow.
“I am sorry, Le Xin, but some viewers feel that the kind older sister persona you are playing in the program is not your true character. Therefore, your rating has decreased this week, though it is not low. Here is some advice: the audience wants to see a more sincere version of you.”
Le Xin did not expect the judge to be so direct, explicitly mentioning the audience’s critique and telling her to be more sincere, which was essentially calling her fake. However, she was mentally strong. After a few seconds of awkwardness, she regained her smile. “Thank you for the reminder.”
Once all the scores were in, the elimination round arrived. On the way back to the villa, Shen Lin was a bit downcast. This time, one male and one female were eliminated. The girl had been quite close to Shen Lin. Zhou Xing was offering comfort, while Zhan Zhiqing sat alone in the back row.
Perhaps having taken Bai Chuan’s reminder to heart, Le Xin also felt that crying and acting reluctant after every elimination was a bit hypocritical, so she remained silent this time. There were only ten people left on the bus. In just three weeks, six people had been eliminated, four men and two women, which meant that the female contestants’ overall strength was a bit higher so far.
The silent pressure weighed on everyone’s hearts, and the journey back was filled with silence.
Upon entering the house, Zhan Zhiqing saw his own editorial shot displayed on the large screen on the opposite wall. Being the first place winner meant he had once again earned the right to stay in the Top Model Suite.
To prevent an accident like the last one, the production team had installed cameras in various locations, including the rooms. This time, staff members accompanied Le Xin as she packed her things to move out. Zhan Zhiqing moved his things into the room, replaced all his supplies with new ones, and then went into the walk-in closet to check the new clothes.
The clothes provided for the contestants in the closet all came from the same brand. Zhan Zhiqing noticed that the items were completely different from the last time. He had followed this brand and knew these clothes came from different years and seasons, and every single piece hit his aesthetic perfectly.
His internal doubts grew deeper.
Looking closely at the clothes, he discovered a number on each garment. There were eleven items hanging on the rack, each with a number distributed irregularly. While he was puzzled, a bell suddenly rang, signaling an announcement.
The remaining ten models immediately gathered in the first floor hall and found Wei Ming waiting below. In a corner of the living room, several staff members were busy setting up a small booth.
“The production team confiscated everyone’s electronic devices. I bet you all must be quite uncomfortable, right?”
The contestants all agreed. Wei Ming looked as if he knew everything, extending his hands to point toward the booth. “Ta-da! Behold our Confession Cabin!”
“To demonstrate the team’s humanitarianism, we have specially installed this cabin. I announce that all contestants are granted the right to contact someone by phone tonight! You have one hour in total, and the first place winner of the editorial shoot will arrange the schedule. Also, there are cameras in the cabin. Starting tomorrow, the team hopes each contestant will use the cabin to vent their experiences and feelings to the audience. This is a great way to improve your audience rating!”
Wei Ming left immediately after the announcement. It was exactly 8:00 PM. Until 9:00 PM, the fixed line telephone in the cabin would be active.
All the models looked at Zhan Zhiqing with nervous expressions. Zhan Zhiqing thought for a moment and immediately made the arrangement. “I will go first. Everyone gets six minutes. We will supervise each other, and the order will follow today’s scoring rank.”
After saying this quickly, Zhan Zhiqing entered the cabin. He did not actually have anyone to call because his parents had passed away and he had no close friends. He only made the arrangement for the sake of fairness.
However, the moment he sat down, he suddenly remembered the sequence of weird numbers in the walk in closet.
In an instant, all the information connected. His heart raced with a rare sense of unease as he pressed the keys one by one. He could not describe his current mood, though perhaps it was a bit of desperate hope. He did not believe in gods, yet at this moment, he could not help but pray. He wondered if it could be him.
The call connected. He heard a deep, elegant voice from the other end.
“Hello. Is this Zhan Zhiqing?”