As it was nearing noon, many people in the villa came downstairs for lunch.
Qin He glanced around. Everyone's thoughts were the same as the girl before; they would buy the cheapest instant noodles and make them last for a few days.
In most people's opinion, the competition was the most important thing.
It seemed no one had planned to earn gold coins yet.
Qin He narrowed her eyes. Perhaps if she and Di Shishi went now, they could still snag a good exchange task.
The gazes from the people around Qin He were somewhat peculiar. The two of them didn't linger downstairs for long and simply took their self-heating hot pots upstairs.
On the balcony on the third floor, Qin He pondered and shared her thoughts with Di Shishi.
"That's right. There shouldn't be many people taking on tasks at this time. Everyone is preparing to endure these few days. If someone goes to accept a task first, perhaps the production team will even offer some preferential treatment to attract others to do tasks."
Qin He nodded, "Yes, then we'll go check it out this afternoon."
Di Shishi agreed. It was already 12:30 PM after lunch when the broadcast sounded in the villa again.
"All contestants, please gather at the pink beach before 1 PM."
A wave of complaints arose in the villa. Qin He and Di Shishi tidied up briefly and went downstairs.
Quite a few contestants were still grumbling on the first floor.
"They woke us up so early in the morning, and now at lunchtime when it's time for a nap, they're calling us out. This competition is so demanding!"
"It's all because Qin He generated so much traffic. With so many people watching now, they're definitely going to stir things up for us to create some hype."
The two people speaking looked up and saw Qin He and Di Shishi descending the stairs, and immediately fell silent.
Qin He was indifferent. This was a competition, after all. She didn't come here to make friends. However, Di Shishi's sharp gaze swept over the two of them, and she narrowed her eyes slightly.
The two women instantly felt as if a steel knife was pressed against their necks, chilling them. They gasped in fear and fell silent.
Outside the villa, only about half of the people had arrived on the beach.
Qin He checked the time; it was 12:50 PM.
There were still ten minutes until 1 PM.
When the time came, the staff and a leader from the organizing committee arrived on the beach precisely on time.
Qin He noticed the staff member repeatedly checking his watch while waiting, and a sense of unease crept into her heart.
Zhang Caiyu arrived just in the nick of time, standing in line as she reached them.
The staff member called out, "Time's up."
The other few people who were approaching from a distance froze and immediately hurried over.
The staff member looked at those individuals, and only after they had approached did he say, "We regret to inform you that you have been eliminated."
"What?"
"Why are we eliminated?!" the girl at the head exclaimed in shock.
"This competition has rules, and I hope everyone respects them. This morning, the first time you were late, I said nothing. But you've repeated it. With this attitude, regardless of how well you blend fragrances, you won't be able to establish yourself in society."
The faces of those few girls turned grim, and they gritted their teeth, "You're deliberately trying to reduce the numbers, aren't you?"
Behind those few girls were two boys. There weren't many male perfumers. Upon hearing this, the two immediately scowled.
"Why are you eliminating us?"
The organizing committee member glanced at the two.
"Without a sense of punctuality, you are not fit to be a perfumer."
"What does punctuality have to do with being a perfumer?" they shouted.
"Many times, the process of perfume creation requires strict attention to time. If you go out like this, even if you find a good company or create your own brand of perfume, the quality will not be stable. You do not respect this profession."
The manager continued, "If you are interested, you can rectify your issues and participate again next year. However, if you continue to make a scene, the organizing committee will permanently disqualify you."
The few people fell silent. They were all in the same industry and knew the authority and importance of this competition. To gain a foothold in the industry, it was destined that they would need to make a name for themselves in this competition.
After a while, though unwilling, the few people obediently left.
Qin He looked at Zhang Caiyu beside her, who was patting her chest as if startled.
Qin He thought to herself that she had arrived just in time this time.
After the management staff had asked the latecomers to leave, they turned their attention to the remaining contestants.
"The fragrances you have all blended have been judged. Now, we will announce the results."
Qin He and Di Shishi stood in the crowd, waiting. Qin He could feel numerous eyes on her back without even looking, and the mocking and taunting voices constantly entered her ears.
"Qin He will definitely be eliminated this time, right?"
"Nonsense, if she's not eliminated, then who will be?" a woman's sharp voice jeered.
Zhang Caiyu heard the mocking sounds, glanced at Qin He, and felt a sense of triumph.
See, this was the consequence of not letting her help. Did Qin He really think she could get past the first round with her own abilities?
Zhang Caiyu thought to herself, a smile spreading across her lips.
Next, the staff began reading the list, and everyone whose name was called was eliminated.
One by one, names were read out. Everyone waited for the moment Qin He's name would appear, but it never came.
Everyone was somewhat bewildered.
"What's going on? Is there something fishy about this competition? Why wasn't Qin He eliminated?"
"How could there be anything fishy? Wouldn't that ruin their reputation?"
"It looks like Qin He really passed. But how can she blend fragrances?"
Amidst the murmurs, all the eliminated contestants were announced, and half of the participants had to leave dejectedly.
Some were indignant, some wept aloud, and some were full of ambition, planning to return next year. Everyone's expression was different.
Qin He stood still, her expression still calm. The management staff member from the organizing committee glanced at Qin He's demeanor and nodded in satisfaction.
The staff member continued, "Next, we will proceed with room selection. For the sake of fairness, we will use the rankings from this top fifty qualifying round as a reference. The first place will choose their room first, followed by second place, third place, and so on, down to fifty-second place. Do you understand?"
Someone nodded in acknowledgment. The staff member began reading the list, and Zhang Caiyu's face instantly lit up.
Among the contestants, although there were many outstanding individuals, she had already obtained the theme "First Love" through some means!
She had studied it for a month and created a bitter chrysanthemum-scented perfume. It had a faint aftertaste of bitter chrysanthemum, with a hint of citrus sweetness, perfectly matching the name "First Love."