When the elevator door opens, you will see the venue of the beauty pageant.

Shinichi walked into the venue quickly and saw that in the venue, the staff of the TV station were nervously busy for the upcoming official broadcast.

"Hurry up and get the lighting commissioned, time is running out!"

The venue supervisor glared at the staff in charge of lighting and yelled into the microphone.

Seeing this, Shinichi left the venue again and walked down a door deep in the corridor that led to the backstage.

In front of the door, a staff member in overalls placed the card hanging on his chest on the machine in front of the door, and with a "click", the door lock opened.

When the staff heard the sound, the turnstile door handle entered the room.

"Only staff with passes are allowed to enter the room......"

Seeing this, Shinichi returned to the venue and turned his gaze to the stage.

On the stage, Shoichi Amano, the puppeteer introduced by Sonoko before, is manipulating a marionette in a group of puppets, and it seems that a rehearsal is underway.

In the middle of the stage, a mechanical puppet is tumbling down the stairs, and next to it is a clown puppet who writes a letter while crying. Around the clown puppet, there is also a group of puppets with a botanque ball around it.

When Shinichi moved his gaze to Shoichi Amano, he was manipulating a female marionette with beautiful eyes.

The female puppet first came to the moving robot puppet as it rolled down the stairs and clapped its hands, then went to the clown puppet who was crying and writing letters, and flicked its back as if to comfort it. Finally, roll the ball with the puppet who stepped on the ball.

After watching the full rehearsal, Shinichi couldn't help but applaud Shoichi Amano.

"Thank you."

Hearing someone applauding him, Shoichi Amano noticed Shinichi, who had been watching from the side, couldn't help but smile at him and thanked him.

"It's as if the puppets really come to life."

Shinichi praised from the bottom of his heart.

"I'm really glad to hear you say that."

Shoichi Amano responded to Shinichi with a smile, and then said:

"My name is Shoichi Amano, are you a staff member at this hotel?"

"Ah...... Sort of. ”

Shinichi replied, and then couldn't help asking:

"Anyway, Mr. Amano, the puppet you just operated can play with all kinds of puppets from all over the world, so it's really interesting to have such a performance!"

"Because I like puppets the most."

Shoichi Amano scratched his head a little embarrassedly in the face of Shinichi's praise and said:

"So I think it would be amazing if the puppets in the world could play happily together."

"I see."

Xinyi nodded, looked at the various puppets on the stage curiously, and couldn't help but say:

"There are so many types of puppets."

"yes. The puppets that go downstairs are Japanese-style mechanical puppets; The clown puppet crying and writing a letter is a French puppet; In addition, there are many types of German puppets and English puppets. ”

Shoichi Amano introduced it with some pride, and Shinichi couldn't help but praise it:

"It's amazing."

As he spoke, Shinichi looked at Shoichi Amano, who was smiling happily, and suddenly focused his gaze on the marionette he was holding in his hand, and then said seriously:

"However, it is the puppet that Mr. Amano holds in his hand that is the most powerful. He can manipulate even his fingertips freely through nine thin threads, as if he is really a flesh-and-blood human. ”

"yes. But with practice, anyone can manipulate it. ”

Shoichi Amano said, calmly handing Shinichi the control board connected to the thin wire that controls the puppet.

"Huh?"

Shinichi let out a puzzled sound.

"Come on, let's try it."

Shoichi Amano said.

"Is it okay?"

Shinichi said with some hesitation.

"It's fine."

Shoichi Amano smiled and nodded, so Shinichi had no choice but to manipulate the console and try to manipulate the puppet-

"Haha, not at all. I don't even know which wire controls what. ”

Shinichi looked at the puppet that seemed to be swinging and swaying at will under his own control, and couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"I was like this at first, no matter how I manipulated it, the puppet was like a newborn fawn, shaking constantly."

Shoichi Amano couldn't help but smile bitterly at Shinichi's statement.

"I see."

After listening to Amano's words, Shinichi refocused and moved the control board seriously.

"After practicing for a while, I feel that there is a moment when I can see the movements it makes become lighter, and the mood of that moment is like seeing my child learn to walk for the first time. Good, not bad, not bad. Just now, it was only for a moment, but it looked like a real person was moving. ”

Amano clapped his hands and applauded Shinichi's operation.

"Really, I see it come to life. However, it doesn't seem like I'm doing it, it's like the puppet is walking on its own. ”

Shinichi said as he looked at the puppet in surprise.

"That's right. Marionettes, unlike other puppets, don't follow orders so easily, because there is a long line between the human and the puppet. Although this will make people feel a little anxious, it is precisely because of this anxious mood that the puppet will make unexpected movements. Sometimes it's clear that it's doing it yourself, but the puppet seems to be moving on its own.

"If you keep pursuing this fun, you will definitely become an excellent puppeteer."

Amano said with some emotion.

"That's right!"

Shinichi couldn't help but say thoughtfully:

"Wooden idols are self-conscious, and that's the fun of marionettes!"

"yes, so you can't do anything to the puppet!"

Amano nodded earnestly and said.

"Understood, thanks for the advice."

Shinichi couldn't help but thank Amano and handed the control board back to Amano.

"The show just now will definitely bring joy to the audience tonight."

Before leaving, Shinichi added.

"No...... After thinking about it for a long time, I decided that I was going to put on another show tonight. ”

To this, Amano still replied solemnly.

"Huh?"

Listening to Amano's words, Shinichi couldn't help but be surprised.

"The director may be angry, but I've decided."

Amano said very seriously.

In this regard, Shinichi thought about it and asked out loud:

"What's the story?"

"Well, the story of a beautiful girl in a small mountain village."

Amano replied.

"Sounds interesting."

With that, Shinichi showed interest, and Amano continued:

"That girl, although she has always been praised by the people around her for being beautiful and beautiful, but she is completely unsatisfied, and she looks in the mirror every day and indulges in things that make her more beautiful. Then, the girl turned into the first beauty in the village. But the girl was not satisfied, and wanted to be more beautiful, so one day, she went on a trip.

"The girl learned how to be beautiful everywhere, and everywhere she went, everyone praised her as the most beautiful person. Finally, one day, even the prince of that country proposed to her. However, the girl rejected the prince and continued to travel in order to become more beautiful.

"However, suddenly one day, neither the mirror nor the water could reflect her face, and the surprised girl searched everywhere in the country for something that could reflect her face, but she could not find ......"

"Oh, what happened after that?"

Hearing this, Shinichi couldn't help frowning, feeling that his words seemed to mean something.

"The girl had no choice but to ask everyone she met if she was beautiful. Passers-by replied beautifully, but the girl did not believe it. She asked people again and again, and the answers of passers-by were really beautiful, but gradually the girl could no longer hear the sound......

Amano said, feeling a little lost.

In this regard, Shinichi couldn't help but think:

"I always feel ...... It's a far-reaching story. ”

Hearing this, Amano also nodded seriously:

"yes. Once a woman begins to become obsessed with beauty, she can't stop. Anyone who can compete on such a large stage knows the horror of it. However, as long as we realize true happiness, we can get rid of this attachment. ”

"Is it true happiness......

Shinichi couldn't help muttering when he heard this.

"Yes."

Amano nodded.

And at this moment, the voice of the art director shouted from the side of the stage:

"Mr. Amano, it's been a hard work. Then it's time for the girls' official rehearsal! ”

"Then I'll be here to practice."

Amano responded, and began to pick up the puppets around him.

"I'm here to help, too."

Shinichi said, helping to put the puppets into the big wooden box.

"Thank you."

Amano smiled and thanked him.

"It's okay, huh......"

Shinichi looked at the mechanical puppet in his hand and couldn't help but make a sound in surprise.

"What's wrong?"

Amano wondered.

"No, nothing."

Shinichi hurriedly shook his head and put the mechanical puppet into the wooden box.

"Excuse me, can you help me move the box to the other side? My lounge is small, and the dolls are to be placed in the lift room under the stage. ”

Amano pleaded with some embarrassment.

"Lift room, I see."

Quickly answering Amano's request, Shinichi and Amano picked up the large wooden box containing the puppet and carried it to the bottom of the stage.

And at this time, twenty beautiful girls in pure white wedding dresses were already preparing on the stage.

"Xiaolan, look, it's so beautiful!"

The garden, dressed in a wedding dress, innocently turned around after coming here. But Xiaolan was different from Yuanzi, her already nervous legs trembled.

Looking at the stage illuminated by the dazzling lights, Xiaolan felt that her brain had become a blank.

"So, let me tell you a little bit about the competition."

In the center of the stage, the art director mimics the presenter's appearance and begins to speak with a microphone.

"First of all, the wedding dress jury of the twenty young ladies. After the wedding dress screening, it was time for everyone to introduce themselves and show their talents. In this case, please enter the contestant with entry number 1 first......"

As soon as the art director's words ended, a tall, slender girl, accompanied by a man who was also tall and wearing a black tuxedo, walked gracefully to the middle of the stage.

"Everyone, please pay attention to the grace of walking while wearing a formal dress and the actions you make when you walk on stage with your male partner."

The art supervisor reminded everyone of the important points of the judging.

"Next!"

As the art director's words fell, the girl with the number 2 appeared on the stage.

"Look, that girl on No. 2 is really imposing. The partner is like an entourage serving the hostess. ”

The garden was in awe of the girl's majestic appearance.

"Really, I can't do that."

Xiaolan said with some apprehension.

"Really, no. Even Miss Hua Lian's sister said that you are very beautiful. ”

Yuan Zi said impatiently.

"Then, next!"

After the art supervisor finished speaking, Shou Hualian, who was the number 3 of the competition, appeared, and then there was an exclamation of "wow-" in the venue.

The staff who were busy for the broadcast all stopped their work, and couldn't help but sigh heartily when they looked at Hua Lian's beautiful figure.

"Hmm...... Although she is not reconciled, she is really beautiful......"

Seeing the radiant Hua Lian, the garden also had to agree with her beauty.

"It's not just pretty. The No. 2 male companion looked like an entourage, but Hua Lian's male companion looked like a sense of pride. ”

Xiaolan looked at her in a daze and couldn't help but say.

"Proud?"

Yuan Zi looked at Hua Lian's male companion and was a little puzzled.

"Well, like a knight leading the way for the Queen, don't you think?"

Xiaolan couldn't help but say.

"It's a bit like that."

After listening to Xiaolan's words, Yuanzi once again observed the man in the tuxedo who led the way for Hua Lian, and couldn't help but say.

I saw him holding Hua Lian's hand with long white gloves, holding his head high like a proud knight.

"It's like the feeling that you can even give up your life for Lord Hualian!"

园子 says:

"Leadership, maybe that's what I mean."

Xiaolan was also impressed by Hua Lian's charm:

"Indeed, the eyes of the men in the venue seemed to be for Hua Lian's willingness to sacrifice their lives."

The TV station staff and waiters in the venue all looked at Hua Lian blankly, as Yuan Zi said, and were completely attracted by Hua Lian's charm.

"However, if they knew the nature of the woman, they would be scared to death, and men are really stupid...... It's sad......"

The garden looked at the man in the audience with sad eyes.

At this moment, Xiaolan felt a gaze from the darkness near the entrance looking at her.

Then Xiaolan jumped off the stage without hesitation and ran towards the entrance.

"Hey, hey, where are you going!"

The art supervisor shouted to Xiaolan, who suddenly jumped off the stage.

"Xiaolan!"

The garden also shouted anxiously.

"I'm sorry for the garden, help me take care of Miss Hua Lian!"

Xiaolan said this and hurriedly ran out of the venue.

Shinichi hurriedly pressed the door button in front of the elevator, and when the elevator finally rang and opened the door with a clang, he quickly dodged in and pressed the button on the twentieth floor.

However, at the moment when the elevator door was closed, a pair of white-gloved hands slammed the door......

……

On the eighteenth floor of the hotel, in the "women's dressing room", Gao Yuan, who had become smaller, hid in a dim cabinet, and looked out through the crack in the cabinet door from time to time.

Because he didn't wait for Shiho to return here, this couldn't help but make Gao Yuan a little impatient, after all, this hotel is going to hold the "Miss Zephyr" contest, and there are cameras placed in many places, what if she is photographed!

Thinking of this, Gao Yuan couldn't help but take out his mobile phone to contact the other party-

However, at this time, Gao Yuan noticed that when he stayed at Dr. Asasa's house to make brooches today, he didn't pay attention to the power of his mobile phone at all, and now, the mobile phone is out of battery!

What to do about it......

Shiho Miyano, what are you doing now!

Thank you for the tip

(End of chapter)