Liu Rumeng stood in front of the microphone. The light fell on her, illuminating her calm and beautiful face.
Her proposal lacked the grandiose structure of Zhu Lingling's. Her voice was steady and clear, yet it carried a simple power that penetrated the community. She said:
“If the people of Hong Kong Island entrust me with this crown, my way of giving back will be more direct and concrete – by gathering strength and starting from the roots of Hong Kong Island.
Hong Kong is beautiful and prosperous, but beneath all this splendor lie many "roots" that have yet to break through the soil.
Since arriving here, I've walked the narrow alleys of Kowloon Walled City, visited the crowded tenement buildings of Sham Shui Po, and seen the shanty towns of the New Territories' marginal fishing villages. I've seen many children whose paths, before they even reach school, bend into the streets—either forced to shoulder burdens that don't belong to them, or, lost in the shadows of organized crime, prematurely ensnared by them.
Appeals alone won't stop parents from letting their children drop out of school to support their families. Sympathy alone won't stop teenagers from imitating the "Young and Dangerous" lifestyle. We need a practical platform to support these children and protect their brighter possibilities.
Therefore, my core commitment is to fully promote the establishment of a transparent, efficient, and focused "Hong Kong Future Growth Charity Fund." It will not be named after me, but will have a single purpose: to serve the next generation of Hong Kong Islanders.
The fund will rely on the credibility of the Miss Hong Kong pageant, but its core lies in open public trust. We will establish a comprehensive board of directors to oversee the whereabouts of every donation from the public, companies, and individuals, and the destination will be clearly traceable.
We don't pursue sweeping slogans; all resources will be precisely allocated to where they are most needed: providing small grants to children whose families are on the verge of dropping out of school due to poverty; purchasing books and basic learning supplies for children in remote areas; collaborating with community centers to establish youth interest tutoring centers; and hiring social workers to provide early intervention for marginalized youth in distress...
Some may wonder: what difference can a few children make? But I would say that for every child who can sit safely in class and every teenager who stays away from the wrong path, Hong Kong Island takes a small step towards a better future.
Only when their future is strong will the foundation of Hong Kong Island be more solid. This responsibility must start with one brick at a time."
Liu Rumeng said this, took a deep breath, and ended with a deep sigh:
"The laurel wreath will eventually return to the stage. And this seed of hope may take root somewhere, providing more shade for this land we love."
After saying this, she bowed deeply.
The guests at the scene were shocked by this eloquent and down-to-earth speech, and everyone fell silent.
This speech does not have fancy words or dazzling blueprints, but it touches upon the hidden pain of countless low-income families in Hong Kong Island.
"good!"
Someone in the corner couldn't help but cheer.
Immediately, “Wow—” warm applause came like a tide!
Different from the enthusiastic praise during Zhu Lingling's speech, this applause contained more recognition, emotion, and even a heavy respect.
In an ordinary family, the housewife wiped her eyes and said, "You hit the nail on the head... the son of Aqiang downstairs from my house..."
The businessman-looking father said to his child, "This is how real work is done! It's more practical than those cocktail parties!"
A hushed discussion ensued among the judges. Professor Li nodded vigorously: "Specific! Actionable! Concerning the fundamentals of people's livelihood!"
Some financial judges mused, "The idea is simple but profound. However, the execution details are certainly not as complete and mature as Ms. Zhu's proposal..."
After careful consideration, the jury finally gave a score - although it was extremely high, it was still three points lower than Zhu Lingling's "standing ovation".
The gap is fixed at six points!
Fang Yihua's face instantly darkened after the scores were announced.
The calm mask cracked, and a trace of incredible anger and upset flitted across his eyes.
Nine points! Her planned surprise attack with a perfect score failed to turn out as she had hoped!
Only pulled back three points!
Liu Rumeng's impromptu performance was so powerful that it completely exceeded her imagination! Her careful planning was unable to completely eliminate this huge gap!
Li Haohe and Run Run Shaw exchanged a solemn look. Six points? This would still be... too unsafe for the rest of the segment!
A fierce look flashed in Fang Yihua's eyes. No, I must not let this plan fail!
She stood up suddenly, not even waiting for the discussion about the scores to die down, and made an extremely firm, commanding gesture to the staff next to her.
The staff member immediately walked quickly to the backstage area to communicate with the host.
The host was obviously stunned for a moment, with a look of surprise flashing across his face. He looked in the direction of Fang Yihua at the front desk in disbelief, as if silently confirming.
Fang Yihua responded with a cold, unforgiving nod.
The host took a deep breath, suppressed his shock, and walked back to the center of the stage. The smile on his face had a hint of unnaturalness.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Dear audience members!" His voice rang out, interrupting the heated discussion about the score.
"As we all know, Miss Hong Kong requires not only beauty and intelligence, but also a woman of the times who is both beautiful and refined. In the past, Miss Hong Kong contestants often faced a well-intentioned criticism: they seemed too 'vase-like' and out of touch with reality."
His preparations successfully attracted everyone's attention.
"In order to more fully showcase the comprehensive qualities of this year's contestants and respond to public expectations! After urgent deliberation by the judging committee, we have decided to add a brand new segment that has never been seen before—"
He paused deliberately to create suspense.
"Life Skills Challenge!"
There was an uproar at the scene!
The audience in front of the TV were also stunned.
What's going on?
"We have prepared five common household appliances or furniture in daily life, all of which have minor faults or need to be reassembled and debugged!"
The host raised his voice to drown out the surprised noises in the audience.
"Each contestant will be asked to choose a task on the spot, where they will have to repair or assemble something within a limited timeframe! This will test whether our Miss Hong Kong contestants have the dexterity and composure to handle life's challenges!"
Li Haohe and Run Run Shaw both gasped. Fang Yihua had finally made this final move!
The camera swept across Liu Rumeng and Zhu Lingling.
Liu Rumeng frowned slightly, then instantly regained her composure. Zhu Lingling's face paled slightly, and even her delicate makeup couldn't hide a hint of panic.
After an unbelievable silence, a huge discussion swept through the entire studio like a storm!
This newly added segment is like another bombshell dropped by Mona Fong.
When everyone thought the dust had settled, the real fight suddenly began in a way no one could have expected!
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