141: Chapter 141, Lesson 1: Everyone Removes Their Makeup!

The early morning was quiet and beautiful.

Waves gently lapped against the beach, and seagulls circled in the sky.

In the Class F girls' dormitory, the air was filled with the scent of skincare products and aromatherapy.

Having endured a full day of recording and the blow of the class assignments last night, the girls were currently sleeping soundly, trying to reclaim a bit of their dignity as idols in their dreams.

However.

When the clock hand pointed exactly to five in the morning.

The beautiful dream shattered.

Beep... Beep... Beep...

A sharp, ear-piercing whistle with extreme penetration—as if it could blow one's soul right out of the top of their head—exploded frantically in the dormitory hallway.

"Ah!"

"Is it an earthquake?"

"Is there a fire?"

The dormitory instantly turned into a chaotic mess.

Li Tiehua rolled down from the top bunk, and the girl who usually spoke in a high-pitched 'cutesy' voice was so scared she let out a scream in her original rasp.

Before they could even react.

Su Zhe's cold and heartless voice came through the broadcast speakers in the hallway: "Class F, everyone!"

Emergency assembly!

Location: Playground below the dormitory building!

Time limit: Five minutes!

Latecomers will have their breakfast canceled! And will be responsible for cleaning all the toilets for the class!

Timing starts now!"

This voice was like a life-threatening curse.

Five minutes?

For this group of delicate girls who usually took two hours to get ready to go out, five minutes wasn't even enough time to find a pair of colored contact lenses.

But the threats of "no breakfast" and "cleaning toilets" were far too great.

The dormitory was immediately thrown into a frenzy.

"Where are my socks?"

"Has anyone seen my lipstick?"

"Don't push me! Let me brush my teeth first!"

...

Four minutes and fifty-eight seconds.

On the playground.

Su Zhe stood there like a statue, hands behind his back and wearing sunglasses.

He wore combat boots and camouflage fatigues, with that silver tactical whistle hanging around his neck.

Standing beside him was a high-spirited Zodiac Zodiac, also dressed in sportswear.

As the "Acting Class Monitor," she was the only one who had come down within three minutes, and she had even helped carry shoes for two of her roommates.

"Time's up."

Su Zhe pressed the stopwatch.

By now, the thirty girls of Class F had finally formed a ragged line.

But the scene...

It was practically a massive "car crash site."

Some girls were only wearing one sock; some had their clothes buttoned incorrectly; some had hair like a bird's nest; and others were holding eyebrow pencils, trying to sneak in a few strokes amidst the chaos.

Even worse, some had faces with residual makeup that hadn't been properly removed, their eyeliner smudged into panda eyes, looking more terrifying than ghosts.

Su Zhe took off his sunglasses.

His gaze was like a knife, slowly sweeping across the group.

"Look at yourselves now."

What do you look like?

Do you look like idols? Do you look like artists?

No.

You look like a bunch of refugees who just escaped from a camp!"

The girls lowered their heads in shame.

"You there."

Su Zhe suddenly pointed to a girl in the second row. "Put away that cushion foundation in your hand."

What?

Do you think the enemy's bullets won't hit you just because your skin is fair?"

The girl's hand shook in fear, and the cushion foundation fell to the ground, shattering.

"Waaah... My limited edition..."

Su Zhe ignored her heartbreak.

He paced back and forth in front of the line with his hands behind his back.

"I know you care a lot about your image."

You think idols make a living based on their faces.

So even if there's an earthquake, you'd have to put on a full face of makeup before running.

But!"

Su Zhe suddenly stopped and raised his voice.

"With me, that won't fly!"

What I want to create aren't 'plastic flowers' that can only survive in filters and photoshopped images.

But 'Steel Roses'—those who can withstand wind and rain, and can handle high-definition cameras zoomed right into their faces!"

He glanced at his watch.

Five-ten.

Twenty minutes until the cafeteria opens.

If they dawdled any longer, that freshly cooked pot of preserved egg and lean meat porridge—which was said to be very generously portioned—would be snatched up by the staff.

"Now, I am issuing the first command."

Su Zhe pointed to the water tap nearby.

"Everyone."

Within five minutes.

Clean all the makeup off your faces for me!

I want to see your most authentic skin condition; I want to see your pores!"

Huh?

The whole crowd was in an uproar.

This was practically more painful than killing them!

For female idols, their bare faces were their most private secret, their top-tier classified information!

How could they remove their makeup in public?

And in front of the cameras, no less?

"Teacher Su! You can't!"

"I don't have any eyebrows! I'll scare people to death without makeup!"

"Teacher Su, I have acne! This is my privacy!"

"How can we remove it without makeup remover? Tap water won't get it clean!"

Protests rose one after another.

Su Zhe had long anticipated this scene.

Unfazed, he pulled a large pack of simple wet wipes—the kind bought for ten yuan a pack at the Hengdian wholesale market—out of his camouflage bag.

"I've prepared them for you."

These wipes have high friction and strong cleaning power; they can even wipe off paint, let alone foundation.

As for having no eyebrows or having acne..."

Su Zhe gave a cold laugh.

"True confidence comes from strength, not from that thick layer of putty!"

On the battlefield, sweat will ruin your makeup, and mud will cover your face.

When that time comes, will you be worried about touching up your makeup, or worried about saving your life?

Also..."

Su Zhe glanced at his watch again, his gaze becoming dangerous.

"If your dawdling causes us to miss the first pot of hot porridge at the cafeteria,"

And leads to me missing those limited tea eggs,

Bear the consequences yourselves.

Zodiac Zodiac!"

"Present!"

Zodiac Zodiac stepped forward.

"You take the lead! Set an example!"

Without a second word, Zodiac Zodiac grabbed a rough wet wipe and gave her face a vigorous scrubbing.

She hadn't wearing much makeup to begin with, so after wiping, she actually looked even more refreshed.

"Reporting! Makeup removal complete!"

"Very good!"

Su Zhe nodded.

"The rest of you, what are you looking at? Get moving!"

Under Su Zhe's tyrannical pressure.

The girls, with tears in their eyes and trembling hands, picked up those ten-yuan wet wipes.

Rip... rip...

Rip... rip...

That was the sound of hearts breaking.

That was the sound of masks shattering.

Five minutes later.

Thirty strange and varied faces appeared on the playground.

Some had dull skin tones, some had sparse eyebrows, and some had dark circles as heavy as a panda's.

But there were also some girls who appeared pure and lovely after removing their makeup; that was the original look of youth.

After Li Tiehua wiped her face, she revealed rosy cheeks and a few freckles, lowering her head somewhat shyly.

Su Zhe walked over and inspected them carefully.

"Hmm, this looks much better. At least you look like human beings now, not like those stage performers from earlier."

He didn't mock their flaws; instead, he said very seriously: "Remember how you look right now."

This is the most authentic version of you.

From today on, what we need to do is not use foundation to cover it up.

But use sweat, muscle, and strength to polish it!

I want you to be able to stand on the stage in the future and shine brilliantly even with a bare face!"

These words were spoken with powerful resonance.

Several girls who were still crying were stunned.

They looked at Su Zhe.

Suddenly, they felt that this stingy and fierce mentor... was actually kind of handsome?

The next second.

Su Zhe's image instantly collapsed.

He glanced at his watch, his expression changing drastically.

"Holy crap! It's five-twenty-five!"

There's no time!

The cafeteria is open!"

He grabbed a massive stainless steel rice basin.

He roared at the still-dazed girls: "Everyone!"

Target: Cafeteria!

Mission: Seize the windows! Capture the meat buns!

If anyone runs too slow and doesn't get food, don't say I didn't warn you!

Charge!"

With that said.

Su Zhe took the lead, lunging forward like a hungry wolf.

He moved so fast that even the cameramen couldn't keep up.

Girls: "..."

The touching moment from just now was instantly thrown to the dogs.

"What are you still standing there for? Run!"

Zodiac Zodiac shouted and also charged out.

"For the buns! For not going hungry!"

And so.

In the early morning on Starlight Island.

A strange sight appeared.

A man carrying a large bag and holding a steel basin led thirty bare-faced, disheveled girls sprinting along the seaside road.

That momentum.

If you didn't know better, you'd think it was a zombie siege.

As Su Zhe ran, he was still calculating in his heart: "These girls look much better with their makeup off."

Most importantly, it saved time on makeup.

From now on, they can sleep an extra half hour every day and eat two more buns.

Now this is an efficient life."