The girl stepped into the presentation area and stood facing the judges’ table. The spotlight shone directly down on her, making the layer of makeup on her face even more noticeable. The woman in the pastel purple suit gave a polite smile, her voice gentle yet professional:

  – “Hello. Could you please introduce yourself?”

  The girl slightly lifted her chest, maintaining a confident smile:

  – “Respected judges, my name is Nguy?n Th? H?ng, I’m 20 years old. I’m currently an office employee, living and working in Ho Chi Minh City.”

  The woman in the purple suit nodded and continued:

  – “In your profile, you mentioned that you have worked as a representative model for several clothing shops. Are you still pursuing that direction, or have you shifted toward another development path?”

  The girl’s smile widened, her voice filled with confidence:

  – “Yes, I still do it, but less than before. I’m currently investing time in dance training and vocal practice, hoping to develop a more versatile image in the future.”

  The man in the ash-gray suit leaned slightly back in his chair, speaking in a low and steady tone:

  – “A brand representative model for cosmetics is very different from fashion modeling. We need a face that leaves a strong impression the moment customers see it. In addition, the model must know how to adjust facial expressions and eye expressions.”

  He paused briefly before continuing:

  – “For example, if you represent a cosmetic line for teenagers, your facial expression, aura, and eyes must be lively, playful, and youthful. But if it’s a product line for mature customers, your overall expression and gaze must convey sharpness, charm, and allure.”

  The younger man sitting beside him added, his tone analytical and clear:

  – “It’s the same with fashion models. When wearing an outfit, you must express body language, know how to pose, and understand camera angles to highlight your strengths.”

  He emphasized:

  – “For example, if it’s a soft, gentle-style dress, your pose and aura should appear pure and innocent. But with a rock-style outfit, your movements must be bold, decisive, and explosive.”

  The woman in the red dress glanced through the profile photos displayed on her laptop, speaking frankly:

  – “I’ve studied your photos very carefully. Your body shows almost no expression or body language. In one of the photos, you wore a suit tells designed for a female business executive, but I couldn’t sense the power or elegance it requires.”

  The atmosphere inside the room grew heavy. Nicolas looked at the girl for a brief second before speaking shortly and decisively:

  – “We appreciate your participation in this casting. Please accept a small gift from our brand.”

  The girl froze for a moment. A trace of dissatisfaction flashed across her eyes as her lips tightened. Without saying another word, she turned around and walked out quickly, her heels striking the floor with sharp, echoing sounds.

  The young man shook his head slightly:

  – “Emotional control is the most important factor in every field. Without it, it’s very difficult to go far.”

  Standing outside the presentation area, Kane had already understood the result. He adjusted the microphone, his voice echoing evenly through the space:

  – “Please welcome the next contestant.”

  After dozens of contestants had finished their rounds, the judging panel and Nicolas still hadn’t found a face that truly satisfied them. Standing outside, Grimm shook his head slightly, his voice filled with helplessness:

  – “I knew it. Picking someone based on their standards is harder than reaching the heavens.”

  Kane smirked and immediately replied:

  – “You’re wrong. They could probably travel across the universe and tour different planets more easily than finding a suitable model. Go ahead and call the next contestant.”

  Grimm lowered his head to check the list:

  – “Next, please welcome Ms. My, who is also a product distributor for the brand.”

  Immediately, My appeared. She was still wearing heavy makeup, with bright red lips, a sparkling evening gown, and elaborately styled hair. Her walk was graceful but overly dramatic, clearly influenced by professional catwalk training. She entered with overwhelming confidence.

  Grimm froze:

  – “Why is she so over-the-top…?”

  Kane covered his mouth as he laughed:

  – “I guarantee she’ll fail spectacularly.”

  Inside the luxury cars parked along the street, everyone burst into laughter at My’s appearance. Trúc Di?n silently let out a sigh of relief, feeling deeply grateful toward Phong Túc:

  – “If he hadn’t interfered with her memory, I’d probably have to return to Bích Th?y Kim Tinh and wouldn’t be able to stay on Earth another day.”

  Lita laughed delightedly:

  – “You could just go back to Bình Chánh headquarters. No need to travel that far.”

  Master V?nh laughed while tapping his forehead:

  – “Lucky for you, junior brother. Phong Túc really saved your life.”

  On Erion’s side, the little demons were laughing uncontrollably:

  – “I’ve seen many people use cosmetics extracted from Velvet Crave, but no one’s been affected as badly as her.”

  Another little demon wiped tears from laughter:

  – “Her greed is excessive, so the side effects hit her harder.”

  Inside the Bentley, Erion frowned:

  – “Anyone working in fashion should make a sharp turn and stay far away. Getting involved with her would lead straight to bankruptcy.”

  Trang giggled:

  – “She’s always been like that, thinking that beauty alone would make wealthy tycoons and elite heirs surround her, begging for her love.”

  Din smirked:

  – “That’s the ultimate delusion. People like us would rather stay single for a few hundred more years than marry someone like her.”

  Inside the casting room, Nicolas no longer felt bored. Instead, he sensed a vague chill creeping over him. Despite that, his face remained cold and emotionless.

  My walked in, posing as if she were competing in a beauty pageant, spinning several times in front of the camera. The judges were all stunned.

  After her overly confident catwalk, My gave a slight bow:

  – “Hello, judges. I am currently a distributor for the brand, and I believe everyone is already familiar with my background.”

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  The man in the ash-gray suit smiled, though his smile was slightly forced:

  – “We have reviewed your profile. You are also the daughter of Mr. Quy, a well-known entrepreneur who owns a famous chain of restaurants and hotels.”

  My smiled brightly, clearly proud:

  – “Yes, that’s correct. I studied modeling before. At my store, I’m both the owner and the promotional model for the products.”

  The woman in the pastel purple suit maintained her professional demeanor:

  – “Your personal branding at your store is entirely different from our selection criteria. The face we choose will represent all global branches.”

  My remained completely unfazed:

  – “Then I sincerely hope you’ll give me a chance to advance to the next round. I will do my absolute best.”

  The woman in the red dress gave a polite smile:

  – “We need further discussion. The results will be announced later.”

  After hearing the judges’ remarks, My maintained her confident expression and leisurely walked outside to wait for the results. Seeing her daughter’s radiant face, Mr. Quy quickly stepped forward and asked:

  – “How did it go? Did you make it to the next round?”

  My gently brushed her hair back, her voice firm:

  – “I think I did. Besides, I’m also a distributor for the brand.”

  Hearing that, Mrs. Lan looked visibly pleased:

  – “That’s wonderful. If you’re chosen, our family’s status in the business world will be elevated. It will bring us great pride.”

  At that moment, Mr. Quy noticed D?ng’s family and warmly greeted them:

  – “Have the kids gone in for the competition yet?”

  C?u D?ng smiled politely:

  – “We’re still waiting. How were Ms. My’s results?”

  Mrs. Lan smiled brightly:

  – “The judges said they still need to discuss it further. I believe My will make it to the next round.”

  M? Linh nodded lightly:

  – “That’s good, then.”

  The smile still lingered on M? Linh’s lips, but inwardly she thought:

  – “It’s only the preliminary round. There’s no guarantee she’ll be the final winner. Don’t celebrate too early.”

  Just then, Grimm’s voice rang out clearly:

  – “Please welcome contestant Anh ?ào.”

  C?u D?ng immediately spoke in encouragement:

  – “It’s your turn now. Be confident, my daughter.”

  M? Linh quickly adjusted Anh ?ào’s hair:

  – “You already look beautiful. Remember to keep smiling. No one chooses a model with a gloomy face.”

  Anh Tú added warmly:

  – “You can do it. I believe in you.”

  Anh ?ào took a deep breath, straightened her posture, lifted her chest slightly, and tilted her chin upward. She walked into the casting room with a calm and confident mindset.

  As soon as Kane saw her, he politely spoke:

  – “Hello, please come this way.”

  After Anh ?ào entered, Kane leaned closer to Grimm and whispered:

  – “I think she’s far better than My.”

  Grimm glanced after her:

  – “Her appearance is fine, but the real question is whether she fits the bosses’ criteria.”

  Inside the casting room, as soon as Anh ?ào stepped in, Nicolas only looked at her for a few seconds before lowering his gaze to his laptop. The judges took turns asking questions about her professional background.

  Finally, the woman in the pastel purple suit smiled:

  – “According to your profile, you are married, preparing for a master’s degree, and helping with your family’s business. Do you have enough time to dedicate to modeling work?”

  Anh ?ào answered decisively:

  – “I will arrange my schedule properly to ensure it does not affect my modeling work.”

  The woman in the purple suit nodded:

  – “Thank you.”

  The evaluation ended. Just from hearing that much, Anh ?ào already understood that she was almost certainly advancing to the next round. As she stepped outside, Kane handed her a small paper bag:

  – “This is a gift from the brand. Thank you for participating.”

  Seeing Anh ?ào’s cheerful expression, My smiled in a friendly manner:

  – “Just by looking at you, I can tell you’ll make it to the next round. Congratulations.”

  Anh ?ào replied politely:

  – “You too. Both of us have strong potential.”

  My continued to smile gently, but a cold thought rose in her mind:

  – “Passing the preliminary round means nothing. In the end, you’ll still lose to me. The winning position is mine. No one is allowed to touch it.”

  Anh Tú turned to Mary:

  – “Did you register for the competition?”

  Mary shook her head:

  – “No. I still have school to focus on and help my parents manage the family business.”

  Join nodded in agreement:

  – “Adding modeling work on top of that would be too overwhelming for Mary.”

  Grimm’s voice echoed through the microphone again:

  – “Please welcome contestant Thanh Thanh.”

  As soon as she heard her name, the girl with red-highlighted hair quickly adjusted her outfit, took a deep breath, and hurried into the casting room.

  The moment Nicolas saw her, he froze for a split second. This was the same person who had taken a photo with the woman he was searching for. The judges had already seen her profile photos, so they immediately recognized her as well.

  Despite the turmoil inside, Nicolas maintained the demeanor of a corporate boss, his voice calm:

  – “Hello. I have an off-topic question. The girl who took a photo with you… do you know where she is now?”

  Thanh Thanh froze. Her memories had been completely erased by Phong Túc. She stammered, her eyes filled with confusion:

  – “I… I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

  The atmosphere in the room suddenly turned heavy. Nicolas turned his laptop toward her:

  – “Here. This is a photo of you with this girl at a wedding, just yesterday.”

  Thanh Thanh stared at the screen, then shook her head repeatedly:

  – “I don’t know why this photo exists. I remember… I’ve never met her before.”

  Outside, Erion’s group was monitoring the entire situation through a listening device. Din spoke in surprise:

  – “I thought Phong Túc only erased the memory related to the photo.”

  Professor Charles could not hide his astonishment:

  – “He erased every image of Ms. Trang from this girl’s memory.”

  Erion curled his lips slightly, his eyes showing faint satisfaction:

  – “This must be my father-in-law’s order. If it’s erased, it has to be done thoroughly, leaving no trace behind.”

  Trang nodded slightly, understanding:

  – “Father is truly far-sighted. If it wasn’t done carefully, that girl might accidentally say something related to me. If that happened, I would be in danger.”

  Inside the Ferrari, Yin showed admiration:

  – “The Lord truly plays the game on a universal scale. Not a single miscalculation.”

  Chen smirked:

  – “Only like that can those people never harm the Princess.”

  Inside the casting room, Thanh Thanh still stood frozen, unable to recall anything. The image of Trang on the screen felt unfamiliar to her, like someone who had never existed.

  Nicolas asked again, his voice lower:

  – “Try to remember. Where did you meet this girl?”

  But Thanh Thanh could only shake her head:

  – “I don’t know. I’ve never met this girl, and I don’t understand why that photo exists.”

  The judges began to frown. The woman in the red dress spoke, her voice polite but cold:

  – “Thank you for participating in the competition. Please accept a small gift from the brand.”

  Thanh Thanh bowed, then quickly walked out. At this moment, she looked exactly like someone mentally unsettled.

  The man in the ash-gray suit spoke in a suspicious tone:

  – “I’m certain some force has intervened. Not only erasing information across the entire system, but also directly manipulating the opponent’s memory layer.”

  The younger man clearly showed concern:

  – “Interfering with the entire network system is something only a few forces can do. But manipulating memories… I’ve never heard of any being possessing such an ability.”

  Nicolas lightly tapped his fingers on the wooden table, his gaze darkening:

  – “This must be investigated further. If the one behind this has influence on that level, then this is not just a personal matter… it could directly threaten our business operations.”

  On the Dark Planet, the goblins had finished harvesting the Velvet Crave petals, each basket overflowing with deep crimson hues that looked as if they were soaked in blood. They prepared to transport the goods back to the extraction factory. One of them quickly covered a black cloth over the basket’s opening, whispering softly:

  – “Make sure you cover it carefully. On the way to the factory, we have to pass through Dream Village. Don’t let the villagers notice.”

  Another goblin was mixing various types of flower petals, spreading them evenly over the cloth-covered baskets to deceive the sense of smell:

  – “If I do it like this, the villagers won’t be able to detect the Velvet Crave scent. At first glance, they’ll just think we’re collecting perfume ingredients.”

  Behind them, another goblin was loading goods onto a horse carriage with skillful, practiced movements:

  – “Put everything inside. I’ll cover the outside with straw. No one will discover it.”

  While the goblins secretly transported their goods, every one of their actions had already been recorded and precisely tracked by the Royal Satan Satellite.

  Deep underground, inside the palace, secret agents were monitoring the entire process as if watching a live film. Queen Seraphina slowly nodded:

  – “Very good. Continue monitoring.”

  The agent bowed respectfully:

  – “Thank you for Your Majesty’s praise. I will trace the location of the spatial gate they use to smuggle goods to Earth, and also identify who is directly responsible for opening it.”

  Queen Seraphina waved her snow goose feather fan gracefully, her expression calm but her eyes icy cold:

  – “Opening a spatial gate requires an enormous energy source, especially for those who do not naturally possess such power.”

  Princess Consort Sophia took a sip of tea, her voice lowering:

  – “If that’s the case, then the one behind this must be using an indirect energy source, which means there must be a fixed activation period.”

  The Queen nodded slightly.

  – “Indirect energy sources… usually come from devices.”

  The agent immediately understood, his eyes lighting up:

  – “I will order scouts to inspect areas involving the trade, manufacturing, and operation of electronic devices. We will certainly have results as soon as possible.”

  ***

  On Earth, at the Bình Chánh headquarters, secret agents were also monitoring the casting competition through satellite surveillance. Demon King Satan scrolled through his laptop, his gaze focused on a chain of data:

  – “The truck that appeared at the store earlier… if we track its route, it only delivers goods to several locations within the city, then returns to Cát Tiên National Forest, located at the border of ??ng Nai, Lam ??ng, and Bình Ph??c.”

  He curled his lips slightly:

  – “They’re clever. Setting up a production facility there helps them avoid observation from other forces. If they only transport goods within the city, then the remaining cosmetics will move in two directions: distributors wholesaling to small retailers and distribution through e-commerce platforms.”

  A secret agent rapidly operated a holographic keyboard:

  – “My Lord, I am scanning energy frequency waves to precisely locate the spatial gate they use for interplanetary trade.”

  Satan responded, his eyes never leaving the laptop screen:

  – “Continue doing that. That is their lifeline.”

  His voice lowered, turning ice-cold:

  – “Without Velvet Crave, that entire empire… wouldn’t be able to function at all.”