A top star in the Chinese entertainment industry, but also a Taoist priest.

Meanwhile, at the Shanghai Theatre Academy's Lianhua Road campus cafeteria.

Chen Shouyi had a question he couldn't figure out:

Finding the boat girl was indeed an unexpected bonus, but she shouldn't be the one I encountered at Hong Kong Plaza yesterday.

This girl is currently studying at the Shanghai Theatre Academy Affiliated Opera School, a boarding school located quite a distance from Xiangjiang Square.

Therefore, the target is most likely not her, but someone else.

As Chen Shouyi was pondering this, he was interrupted by a notification sound from his phone.

He took out his phone, and on the screen was a message from Chen Yao.

"How's everything going over there? When are you coming back?"

Chen Shouyi glanced at it and then laughed.

She asked questions in the same way she always did, preferring to ask a roundabout question like "Is everything going smoothly?" before subtly hinting at her real question: "When are you coming back?"

She probably felt that adding the preceding sentence would make the following question seem less deliberate.

Chen Shouyi didn't expose her, and replied, "I still have some things to take care of. I'll go back when I'm done."

Just as he finished posting and was about to continue pondering the question, he caught a glimpse of Xiao Ma trotting back.

Fang Xu, with his sharp eyes, spoke before Xiao Ma had even settled in his seat: "How's the investigation going?"

Xiao Ma took a breath and replied, "Master, Boss Fang, we've almost finished investigating the situation." He then showed the two of them his phone screen.

"This girl's real name is Song Yameng. Her parents divorced when she was very young. After that, she lived with her mother and even changed her surname. Now she is called Wang Churan."

Fang Xu responded with an "Oh," and said, "That's decisive enough."

"She's sixteen this year and in her first year of high school. She's currently studying at the Shanghai Theatre Academy's affiliated drama school, which shares a campus with the academy. She studies drama performance, and her grades are among the best in her grade."

Xiao Ma scrolled through the messages on his phone and added, "It's a vocational school affiliated with the Shanghai Theatre Academy. It's under closed management, and students aren't allowed to leave the school from Monday to Friday."

Chen Shouyi's doubts were resolved by Xiao Ma's last words.

Sure enough, someone else did trigger the system yesterday.

However, now is not the time to dwell on that third person. We've already locked onto the one in front of us, so let's stabilize this one first.

Fang Xu raised an eyebrow: "Sixteen? That's smaller than I thought."

"Yes, she was born in January 1999. After her divorce, she went to Zibo, Shandong with her mother, and that's where she grew up," Xiao Ma continued.

"The mother and daughter have a good relationship. They are both very interested in acting. One of them has been groomed for variety shows and modeling since childhood, while the other applied directly to an arts college after taking the high school entrance exam."

Fang Xu looked at Chen Shouyi thoughtfully:

"She came all the way from Shandong to study here at such a young age, so her family must be willing to invest a lot. But then again, it's not easy for such a young girl to go to Shanghai alone to study at a vocational school."

Chen Shouyi nodded slightly: "This Benefactor Wang's mother is determined to be with her."

His gaze swept towards the cafeteria, and he paused. "Coming to Shanghai alone to learn opera—this kind of mentality is something most families can't cultivate."

As Xiao Ma spoke, he swiped a couple of times on his phone and pulled up a few photos:

"I looked it up and found that she started appearing on variety shows in Shandong when she was seven years old. She was a child model and participated in 'Variety Stars.' Her childhood dream was to become a star."

As Xiao Ma spoke, he handed his phone to the two of them. The photo showed a girl who looked to be about ten years old. She was wearing a brightly colored performance costume and was smiling sweetly at the camera. The spirited energy in her eyes was already beginning to take shape.

The figure was exactly the same as the one who was chatting and laughing with classmates in the cafeteria, only younger and with more noticeable baby fat on her face.

Fang Xu took the phone, glanced at it, and then turned the screen towards Chen Shouyi with a smile: "Wow, she's quite cute."

The little girl in the photo has bright, round eyes and is making hand gestures at the camera. Although she is still quite young, her confidence is already evident.

Chen Shouyi glanced at it as well and nodded—indeed, with her natural talent and stage training from a young age, it's no wonder the system praised her for her exceptional natural temperament.

It's clear that the ease and comfort one develops from growing up in front of the camera is something that can't be cultivated later in life.

Fang Xu handed the phone back to Xiao Ma and continued:

"Judging from this, she and her mother are determined to pursue acting. Family background won't be an obstacle, and it's likely that entering the industry will be a natural progression in the future."

"That should be the case." Chen Shou paused for a moment. "It's good to have a passion for acting, and it's even more reassuring if your family doesn't stop you."

Fang Xu's eyes lit up, and he leaned forward:

"That makes things much easier. We don't have to worry about not being able to reason with them anymore. Daoist Master, what do you think we should do next? Should we strike up a conversation and get to know them, or—"

Chen Shouyi didn't hesitate and said directly, "Sign him. The incubation center is just starting out and needs people with potential. If I'm the only one, that's an artist, not an incubator."

Upon hearing this, Fang Xu slapped his thigh, his face beaming with smiles:

"The Taoist priest is right. This girl is clearly born for this job. With looks like that, she wouldn't be a bad fit for any movie."

He thought for a moment and added, "Besides, I think she's suitable for a lot of different types of roles. She can do both period dramas and modern dramas. Her face is bright and beautiful, but not too sharp. She should be quite popular with the audience."

Chen Shouyi nodded; Fang Xu did have a good eye for actors.

Wang Churan's face is indeed appealing; it's memorable, and her bone structure is excellent, allowing her to pull off the elaborate hairstyles of period dramas—a rare quality for actresses.

After Fang Xu finished speaking, he turned to look at Xiao Ma, his smile fading and his expression becoming more decisive:

"Xiao Ma, hurry up and find the person in charge at the opera school. Tell them that Huace has taken a liking to this Ms. Song—uh, Ms. Wang."

Ask them to help introduce us, arrange a time to meet, and be polite; just say I came in person.

Then he turned back to Chen Shouyi, smiling as he added, "Daoist Master, is this arrangement acceptable? Do you think it's appropriate?"

Chen Shouyi glanced at Fang Xu; this man did indeed act somewhat obsequiously towards him.

But he always had a good grasp of the appropriate balance, knowing when to be playful and when to be serious. He was decisive when handling serious matters and also delegated tasks effectively to his subordinates.

"Good," Chen Shouyi added, unusually, "You've worked hard."

"It's no trouble at all!" Fang Xu's smile immediately brightened, and he said to Xiao Ma, "Let's find out the situation first, so as not to alert them."

Xiao Ma nodded: "I'll go right away."

He walked over, found a number, and dialed it. Chen Shouyi picked up his teacup and drank, while Fang Xu leaned back in his chair and stretched.

A few minutes later, Xiao Ma hung up the phone and came back: "The school is quite cooperative and said they will help arrange it. However, she has classes this afternoon, so the formal contact may have to wait until tomorrow."

"Then tomorrow," Fang Xu decided, turning to Chen Shouyi, "Daoist Master, what do you think of this?"

Chen Shouyi nodded: "Okay."

Fang Xu waved to Xiao Ma: "Go connect the wires, we'll have a good talk tomorrow."