On the first day of school, the school beauty in black stockings took me to a hotel.

Su Wanqing rummaged through clothes in front of the closet without turning her head: "The preliminary round is the preliminary round, and the semi-finals are the semi-finals! Each stage needs a fresh look! Think about those talent shows, don't the contestants change their outfits every single episode? That's called visual novelty! Do you understand?"

With a toothbrush in his mouth, Liu Yu mumbled, "Fine, you can change. Anyway, you bought all the clothes, so you can wear whatever you want."

Su Wanqing pulled a black T-shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans from the closet, held them up in front of the mirror, and nodded in satisfaction. Then she took out a thin gray blazer, draped it over the top, and stepped back to check the overall look.

"Hmm, not bad, not bad. The black T-shirt makes him look slimmer, the dark blue jeans make his legs look longer, and the gray suit adds a touch of formality. This outfit is cool and handsome, with a hint of formality. When the judges see it, they think, 'Wow, this young man has good taste!' and his impression score goes up!"

After washing his face, Liu Yu looked at the clothes and his lips twitched: "Are you sure you're not hot wearing a suit? The weather in Shanghai is like a sauna."

Su Wanqing glared at him: "What's so hot about it! The art center has air conditioning! It's like an icebox! You'll catch a cold if you don't wear a coat! Do you think I'm stupid? I've planned everything out!"

Liu Yu gave a thumbs up: "Great, Teacher Su's plan is flawless."

Su Wanqing proudly raised her chin: "Of course! Don't you know who I am? I'm your manager! A manager's job is to arrange everything for you; all you have to do is go on stage and sing!"

After finishing breakfast, the two packed their things and hailed a car to head straight to the Shanghai International Art Center.

When we got backstage, there were already quite a few contestants.

Some people are stretching, some are practicing their voices, some are drinking water to moisten their throats, and some are chatting with their agents (or girlfriends/boyfriends).

As soon as Su Wanqing entered the room, she began to "scout out the enemy's situation".

She pulled Liu Yu to a corner to sit down, then craned her neck to look around, her eyes like searchlights, as if she wanted to see right through everyone.

"Honey, look, that girl in the red dress over there is Faye Wong. She looks pretty today, but I don't think she looks as good as me."

Liu Yu followed her gaze and saw a tall girl standing by the window drinking water. Her profile was well-defined, and she had a cool and aloof demeanor.

"They're here to compete, not to have a beauty pageant. Why are you always trying to outdo them in looks?"

Su Wanqing glared at him: "What do you know! Image is also part of ability! If the judges like you, they'll be in a better mood when scoring you, and a better mood means a looser hand, resulting in a higher score. That's called... called... the halo effect! Don't you understand psychology?"

Liu Yu sighed helplessly, "Fine, you get it. So, what do you think Wang Feier's ranking will be?"

Su Wanqing thought for a moment: "Top five is definitely no problem. But whether she can get first place depends on her performance. If she chooses a conservative song today, she might only get second or third. If she chooses something groundbreaking, she might even get first place."

She flipped through her notebook and continued, "I found out yesterday that she'll be singing a song from 'ALin' in the semi-finals, though I don't know the exact title. Anyway, it'll definitely be a big song, the kind that shows off your skills. With songs like that, if you sing it well, you'll amaze the whole audience; if you sing it badly, it'll be a train wreck. It's all about your mentality."

Liu Yu nodded: "Mindset is indeed important."

As the two were talking, a commotion broke out at the door.

Chan Ho-nam came in.

Today he was dressed even more extravagantly, in a silver sequined jacket that shimmered under the lights, looking like a disco ball come to life. His hair was styled with hair gel, each strand standing upright, and he wore his signature "I'm the best" expression, walking in sideways like a crab.

Behind him were the same two assistants, one carrying his guitar and the other holding his water glass.

Watching this scene, Su Wanqing whispered to Liu Yu, "Honey, look, he's dressed like he's going to the finale of 'Singer.' Do you think he'll mess up like he did in the preliminary rounds when he goes on stage?"

Liu Yu's lips twitched: "I don't know, but judging from his posture, the chances of him crashing or burning are pretty high."

Su Wanqing sneered, "I bet he'll crash. I bet a hundred bucks."

Liu Yu raised an eyebrow: "You're that confident?"

Su Wanqing nodded: "I'm confident! Look at his expression, like everyone owes him five million. People like that are the easiest to break down mentally. If he gets nervous on stage, his voice will tighten and he won't be able to hit the high notes. It'll be another car crash, and I can't bear to watch it."

As the two were talking, Chan Ho-nam suddenly glanced in their direction.

That look in his eyes, how should I put it, was like a lion surveying its territory, carrying an arrogance that said, "You are all trash."

Instead of dodging, Su Wanqing smiled at him and waved.

Chan Ho-nam paused for a moment, then turned his head away expressionlessly, plopped down on the middle sofa, crossed his legs, and started scrolling through his phone.

Su Wanqing whispered to Liu Yu, "Look at his expression, like he's swallowed a fly. He gets uncomfortable as soon as I smile, which means he's guilty. Guilty people are most likely to make a mess of things."

Liu Yu shook his head helplessly: "Can you stop analyzing other people all the time? You're not a psychologist."

Su Wanqing declared confidently, "I'm not a psychologist, I'm your manager! A manager's job is to analyze the competition! Only by thoroughly analyzing them can I help you win!"

The two were arguing when Lin Xiaoyu walked over.

She was wearing a light blue dress, her hair was down, and she had light makeup on, making her look gentle and sweet.

"Liu Yu, Wanqing, you're here!" she greeted with a smile.

Su Wanqing immediately waved enthusiastically, "Xiaoyu! Come and sit down! How are your preparations going?"

Lin Xiaoyu sat down next to her and sighed, "It's alright, just a little nervous. I didn't sleep well last night, tossing and turning over what song to sing today."

Su Wanqing patted her shoulder: "Don't be nervous! Just imagine that everyone sitting in the audience is a winter melon! What's there for winter melons to be nervous about?"

Lin Xiaoyu was taken aback: "Winter melon?"

Su Wanqing nodded: "Yes! Winter melon! It's big and round, a vibrant green, and looks so festive. What's there to be nervous about singing to a winter melon?"

Lin Xiaoyu was amused by her: "Your analogy is brilliant. I'll go back and tell my boyfriend to think of the judges as winter melons."

Su Wanqing smiled smugly: "Of course! This is my own secret recipe! I don't tell just anyone!"

Lin Xiaoyu looked at Liu Yu: "Your girlfriend is really interesting."

Liu Yu nodded: "It's quite interesting, but he talks too much."

Su Wanqing glared at him: "What do you mean by 'too talkative'? I call it strong social skills! Don't you understand?"

The three chatted for a while, and then Lin Xiaoyu's boyfriend came over.

He was a bespectacled, refined young man in a white shirt who looked quite honest.

Su Wanqing glanced at him and whispered to Liu Yu, "This guy seems reliable, unlike that idiot Du Peng."