Genius Manager: I Can Make All Girls Talented!-Chapter 159 - - The Test

The chime echoed again.

Subtle. Mechanical. But different this time.

Darius and Emma sat frozen on the bench in the garden. The peaceful moment they'd carved for themselves evaporated as the sound repeated twice more, then cut off. Three tones. Sharp. Deliberate.

Not a reminder. Not a routine alert.

A signal.

They exchanged a glance.

And then, from across the villa, the speakers activated. Harry's voice came over the intercom, but it was different. Less playful. More... rehearsed.

"Good evening, residents. The next phase of your journey begins now. Welcome to Round Two."

The garden air seemed to still. Even the breeze hesitated.

Emma sat up straighter. Darius's hand found hers.

"All contestants will report to the main courtyard in thirty minutes. Bring nothing but yourselves."

The announcement clicked off.

Darius stood. "Let's go."

Villa Courtyard – Sunset

The group assembled slowly. Yuna arrived first, hair tied up, already bracing for impact. Avery followed with a notebook clutched in her hand—a habit from before the show. Alicia walked with calm poise but kept glancing at the house as if expecting someone to stop her.

Emma and Darius came last.

They all stood in a half circle. The golden hour had cast the villa in warm light, but the tension between them could be sliced with a knife.

A screen flickered on.

Harry appeared on it, seated at what looked like a sterile white studio desk.

"First off, congratulations. You've survived the first stage. And, may I say, you've... shaken things up."

No one smiled.

Harry continued. "But the game is evolving. The world is watching closer than ever. So it's time we reward them. With you."

A second screen activated behind the first.

It displayed a map.

The villa.

Each bedroom, hallway, shared space now marked with glowing icons. Timed routes. Heat maps. A full tracking system.

"Round Two is about exposure. Every move, every whisper, every glance will be evaluated by a live audience panel."

Alicia frowned. "Panel?"

"We've selected ten superfans," Harry said, cheerfully. "They will now act as our inner jury. You won't know who they are or when they're watching. But they have power. They can trigger interviews. Send challenges. Even request eliminations."

Gasps. Anger.

Yuna crossed her arms. "So we're dancing puppets again?"

"You're influencers," Harry replied. "So start influencing."

The screens went dark.

For a moment, no one moved.

Then Avery turned to Darius. "We need a plan."

Nightfall – Strategy Meeting

They regrouped in the bedroom, door locked, cameras off for now.

Avery spread her notebook on the bed. "Ten superfans. Which means they know everything about us. They think they can predict us."

"Then we need to surprise them," Darius said.

Yuna leaned back on her palms. "Emma just got back. They won't expect her to take the lead. Maybe she should."

Emma blinked. "Me?"

"You're our comeback queen," Alicia said gently. "Use it. Show them you're stronger than ever."

Darius nodded. "And we keep feeding them what they want... just not how they expect. We act divided, but stay tight behind the scenes."

"Controlled chaos," Avery smirked. "I like it."

Emma took a deep breath.

"Then let's give them a storm they'll never forget."

Later That Night – Confessional Room

Unbeknownst to the group, the first superfan directive had already been triggered.

The screen in the confessional room blinked to life.

**"TARGET: Alicia. BEGIN ISOLATION TEST."

A message appeared:

"Alicia, please report to the confessional room for a one-on-one session."

Alicia frowned as she entered the small, softly lit booth. She sat in the leather chair and waited.

The screen across from her flickered on.

Text appeared:

"How do you really feel about Emma's return?"

Alicia hesitated. She glanced toward the hidden camera in the corner.

"I'm happy," she said. "She's family."

Another question flashed.

"And Yuna? Do you trust her?"

Alicia's jaw tightened. She leaned forward.

"I don't know who you are, but I know what this is. You want cracks. You're not getting them."

The screen stayed blank.

Then:

**"Your loyalty is being measured."

Alicia stood up.

"Then measure this. I'm not breaking."

She left.

***

The next morning began deceptively normal.

The soft hum of ocean waves. The scent of fresh fruit on the breakfast table. A clear sky above the villa, stretching endlessly overhead. It should have been peaceful.

But the quiet wasn't comforting. It was unnerving.

Alicia sat at the breakfast bar, slowly stirring her coffee. She hadn't told the others what happened in the confessional room. Not yet. She was still processing it. Still wondering what they were trying to get out of her.

Darius entered the kitchen. He paused, studying her.

"Did something happen last night?"

Alicia looked up at him, surprised. Then she nodded slowly. "They called me into the confessional. Said they were measuring my loyalty."

Yuna, who had just stepped in from the patio, froze.

"What?"

"They asked about you. About Emma. Tried to dig for cracks. I didn't give them any."

Darius set his mug down. "This isn't just surveillance. They're testing us."

"Trying to pit us against each other," Alicia added.

Yuna pulled her hair back into a tight bun. "Then it's only a matter of time before they come for the rest of us."

Late Morning – Patio Lounge

The others were informed quickly. Avery took notes as Emma recounted the exact words Alicia had heard.

"They're trying to split us at the seams," Avery said. "Divide and eliminate."

Darius nodded. "So we play along, but we control the game. We prepare each of you for your turn. We rehearse answers. We stay aligned."

Yuna leaned back in her chair. "What if they switch tactics? Go emotional instead of strategic?"

Emma's brow furrowed. "Then we get ahead of them. We share everything with each other. No secrets. Not this round."

Avery flipped to a clean page in her notebook. "Then let's start now. Everything you think they might use, we bring into the open."

Silence fell.

Then Alicia spoke first. "They might try to spin my loyalty to Darius as favoritism."

Yuna added, "They'll paint me as the dominant one. Controlling. Jealous."

Emma hesitated. "They might question why I came back. Make it look like I begged."

Avery looked up. "Good. Now we own those narratives before they can."

Darius looked around the circle. "They want to test our unity? Let's make it unbreakable."