Chapter 76: Chapter 76: Second Brother Has Returned
Sitting in the chair, the makeup artist cupped Chloe Sinclair’s face, studying it. "Chloe," she couldn’t help but ask, "your skin is just too good. Do you have any skincare secrets?"
Chloe Sinclair answered honestly, "I usually just wash my face with water, and sometimes I’ll use a face mask."
The makeup artist sighed wistfully, stroking Chloe Sinclair’s face with eyes full of envy.
「Half an hour later」
Gazing at her masterpiece, the makeup artist exclaimed in admiration, "Chloe, you look absolutely stunning with makeup on."
The makeup artist’s gasp of admiration drew everyone’s attention.
Jolie Yates turned her head, ready to scoff at what all the fuss was about, but when she saw Chloe Sinclair’s face, she froze. Her mouth fell open, but no words came out.
Chloe Sinclair was beautiful even with a bare face, but with makeup, she was utterly breathtaking.
Even Jolie Yates had to admit that Chloe Sinclair was genuinely gorgeous.
But a bitter resentment welled up inside her.
’I’m a top student from Emberfall University,’ she thought. ’How can I be losing out to a high schooler?’
She whipped her head back around resentfully, her hands on her lap clenching into fists as a flash of humiliation crossed her eyes.
She had excellent grades, but her looks were merely average. Having spent years buried in lab experiments, she’d never even bought a single tube of lipstick. When she got her makeup done today, the foundation had caked on her skin, forcing the makeup artist to wipe it all off and apply a hydrating mask just to make her look barely presentable.
Many of the other contestants cast admiring glances, but Jolie Yates could only stare at her own reflection in the mirror, wishing she were the one receiving all the praise.
"KNOCK KNOCK—"
Suddenly, a knock sounded at the makeup room door, and a moment later, the director poked his head in.
"Are you all ready? We’re heading to the set soon. After this, I need each of you to stick around for a bit. We’re going to record your individual interview segments."
As he spoke, his gaze lingered pointedly on Chloe Sinclair.
Chloe Sinclair was taken aback. She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but she felt the director’s gaze was particularly...
’Intense?’
A moment later, the director pointed to Chloe Sinclair and said, "Especially you. You actually ran off during your last interview."
Chloe Sinclair rubbed her nose. She suddenly felt a wave of embarrassment as she recalled the reporter she had, in fact, dodged.
"I didn’t do it on purpose."
The director just huffed, putting on a proud air.
Soon, the staff led the contestants to their designated spots and explained the rules of the competition.
"The competition consists of five rounds, with two contestants eliminated in each. The fastest and most accurate to answer will advance to the next round. There will only be one champion, so please, give it your all."
As the staff member spoke, they began clipping microphones onto the contestants.
Meanwhile, the five mentors were already in position.
Hector York sat front and center, trembling.
He knew he was just the celebrity bait brought in to attract viewers, but being surrounded by such intellectual heavyweights made him feel completely out of his league.
"The contestants will now enter the stage—"
A robotic announcer’s voice echoed through the studio. Staff members led their assigned contestants to their spots on the set and then departed.
Then, the host took the stage.
She glanced down at the cue cards in her hand and began to introduce the mentors.
"Please give a warm welcome to this year’s Wolf Prize laureate, Professor Howard Thorne!"
As she spoke, a summary of Howard Thorne’s life and achievements appeared on the screen.
The host then went on to introduce the other three mentors.
The contestants grew more and more stunned with each introduction.
They never expected the show’s production team to have so much pull this year, managing to invite so many influential professors.
"And now, let us welcome our nation’s youngest physicist, Landon Sinclair!"
