There's no mistaking who runs this plastic surgery clinic in Beijing, there's a lifelike mannequin in the foyer, her oversized photo on the wall, oh, there she is. She is Shi Sanba, 56 years old, divorced and walking billboard for almost every cosmetic procedure.

This year, she says, about 3000 people had some kind of cosmetic procedure performed, by one of the dozens of surgeons who works for her. And while Chinese economy has dramatically slowed, she does not expect any major impact on her business.

“The desire for beauty is getting stronger and stronger,” she says, “the old want to be young; the ugly want to be pretty.”

23 years Fen Xue wants her chin bones, jaw, chin, lips and nose reshaped. “I work in an international finance,” she says, “I have to meet many different people, and I think a good appearance will help me make a better connection.”

Each year, the Chinese spend more 2 billion US dollars on some kind of cosmetic procedure. Many undergoing the knife are students, often paid by their parents, who believe a better look will lead to a better job.

Sanba says business peaks up during June and July when school finishes. It's all about trying to stand out in a crowd. Not easy, when you are in a crowd of more than a billion people.

注：聽力文本來源于普特