The night fell heavily on Hong Kong Island.
Thousands of households lit up their lights, complementing the never-extinguished neon lights on both sides of the Victoria Harbour.
But amidst these ordinary lights, everyone's attention tonight is directed towards the same goal.
Whether it was the living room of a mansion, the narrow corridor of a tenement building, or even the flickering TV screen in the corner convenience store, they were all filled with waiting figures.
Because the TVB 5th Miss Hong Kong Pageant will be held tonight.
The streets and alleys were filled with an almost festive atmosphere.
The scene is particularly striking in the crowded tenement buildings of Sham Shui Po and Yau Ma Tei.
A winding and narrow street, home to hundreds of families.
However, only one or two families with slightly better conditions could grit their teeth and tighten their belts to afford a 14-inch or even 12-inch black and white TV.
so……
These black and white televisions provide the nighttime entertainment for almost all the lower-class people in Hong Kong Island on this street.
Especially when it coincides with a grand event like the Miss Hong Kong finals, neighbors come early to reserve seats before it gets dark.
The small room of less than 30 square meters on the third floor of the Huang family's tenement building is now the center of the entire Yau Ma Tei Street.
An old but shiny Philips TV was placed on the most eye-catching cabinet.
The room was already packed, with the few chairs occupied by elderly people and women holding children. Even more people were standing shoulder to shoulder, crowding at the door and looking inside through the only window.
"Mrs. Zhang! Which button is it for changing channels? Quickly switch to channel two! It's starting! It's starting!"
The people squeezed in the back row looked at the time and shouted anxiously.
The housewife, known as Mrs. Zhang, had an imperceptible sense of pride on her face.
Since the year before last, she bought a second-hand TV at her own insistence, and the Miss Hong Kong finals every year has become her most glorious moment.
Normally, the housewives who didn't get along with her would be polite to her for months in advance, fearing that when the competition started, their families would not be allowed to watch.
Mrs. Zhang proudly turned the bulky knob with her thumb until the familiar TVB logo, accompanied by the passionate advertising music, appeared on the flashing snowflake screen.
“Here it comes!”
There was a low cheer from the crowd.
A young man standing on tiptoe at the door yelled, "Hey, stop blocking the light! I won't be able to see Liu Rumeng's face!"
Someone nearby immediately echoed, "That's right! This year's crown goes to none other than Miss Liu. You'd be missing out if you didn't see it!"
The small screen was filled with dark faces and bright eyes, and everyone was concentrating on waiting for the Miss Hong Kong finals to begin.
All the space was filled with small stools and low stools brought by the neighbors. The air was filled with the unpleasant smell of cheap cigarettes, toilet water and sweat, but no one minded at all.
At such times, the host family is extremely generous and may even pay out of their own pocket to buy some melon seeds and dried fruits, giving a handful to each of the neighbors and boiling a bucket of herbal tea nearby. Everything shows the superiority of their family.
Before the game officially started, everyone started talking while watching the pre-match advertisements on TV.
They discussed the rumored beauty and legend of Liu Rumeng, the infatuation of Mr. Huo, and the mysterious Japanese-Chinese businessman Mr. Kobayashi who took over the property.
There are so many topics, but they all miraculously revolve around one central theme: who will wear the crown that symbolizes the highest honor for women in Hong Kong Island tonight?
This kind of gossip is the same everywhere.
The same scene is happening in Lei Yue Mun, Sai Wan, Tsuen Wan... and countless other areas where old tenement buildings are concentrated.
Including those wealthy areas, those legendary tycoons, they also returned home early from the company today, accompanied their wives and children, and watched this grand event in front of the TV.
The attention of the entire Hong Kong, transcending the gap in wealth levels, was firmly captured by this same beauty pageant.
The desire, envy and excitement of ordinary citizens for a brief escape from the daily necessities of life have laid a foundation for universal participation in this talent show wrapped in capital.
The dim light from the TV illuminated these eager yet impoverished faces.
From the huge floor-to-ceiling windows of Villa No. 3 in Repulse Bay, you can overlook half of the harbor, which is brightly lit.
But at this moment, the curtains in the room were half-drawn and the light was deliberately dimmed.
The expensive Sony color TV was playing TVB's pre-match warm-up and advertisements.
Lin Huowang was wearing comfortable silk home clothes and leaning casually on the large and soft leather sofa.
He was playing with an exquisite crystal glass in his hand, but his eyes were focused on the flashing images on the screen. He looked very relaxed and comfortable.
Gao Qiaohao sat respectfully on the single sofa on the side, with a rare look of relaxation on his face.
"Boss, TVB's ratings are really going to go off the charts today. The secretariat just called and reported the numbers. They've already broken the record for last year's Miss Hong Kong finals before the show even started. Nearly 70% of the TVs in Hong Kong are currently watching TVB."
He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice. "Look at the situation...Ms. Fang and her gang wanted to overshadow Ms. Liu, so they deliberately arranged that 'Public Welfare Vision Exposition'. They obviously had someone prepare the manuscript and stuff it into Zhu Lingling, hoping to prop her up and put Ms. Liu down.
The tactics are truly filthy, but... now that Ms. Liu knows the inside story, she's sure to have a way to deal with it. With her qualifications and current popularity, her chances of success are still greater. Zhu Lingling's 'standard answer' may not necessarily turn the tables."
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