Chapter 75 Following the Clue to Find the Root

Chen Tianyu spent two grueling days and nights at the municipal bureau, and the moment he grasped the full picture of the situation, he immediately returned to Dali. By this point, all operations were ready for comprehensive deployment.

On the other side, "Big King" had shown an increasingly urgent desire to meet. Further procrastination might introduce unforeseen variables. Shen Mingyue and the others were already raring to go, rolling up their sleeves and waiting impatiently for his command; after all, dragging things out any longer risked rendering all their previous efforts completely futile.

Therefore, the first step was to finalize the assignment for Shen Mingyue and Liu Zichen, which was to arrange a face-to-face meeting with Big King as soon as possible. Since Wan Yongkun was young, he would act as Liu Zichen's cousin, providing close personal protection for the two women, while Kuang Suo maintained strict perimeter surveillance to ensure absolute safety. Based on Chen Tianyu’s worldly experience, having two young women attend a private meeting accompanied by a relative would not arouse suspicion; instead, it would appear entirely natural.

Of course, this might raise certain concerns on Big King’s end. To prepare for this, Chen Tianyu had specifically researched "Universe Media" while in Kunming, discovering to his surprise that the company was not only massive in scale and highly renowned, but also operated strictly within the bounds of legitimacy as a leading local enterprise. Most importantly, the company's offices happened to be located right inside the Soaring Dragon in the Sky Film and Television Base.

With this in mind, he instructed Li Yiting in their group chat to find a way to infiltrate Universe Media and gather more intelligence. Li Yiting’s reply had been simple: "Understood."

There was no need for him to over-arrange things for that fellow, Chen Tianyu thought with a faint smile, simply sending him some background information separately.

As for Chen Tianyu himself, he had a bold plan: to fight side by side with Yun Ji!

Since Yun Ji clearly had no need for a partner, he had no choice but to swallow his pride and approach her proactively.

I wonder if Yun Ji will be utterly shocked when the time comes? He chuckled to himself.

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The location Big King chose to meet Shen Mingyue was an upscale business club in the city.

To be honest, Shen Mingyue had never set foot in such a place, and she felt a slight nervous flutter in her chest. Liu Zichen shared the same lack of experience; the mere mention of a "business club" had caused her to frown.

Perhaps in the minds of most people, the word "club" was invariably associated with vice.

However, when they actually stepped inside the business club, they discovered it was nothing of the sort. The venue featured private meeting rooms, larger reception halls, and cocktail lounges for networking events. Only then did the two realize how sheltered their worldview had been.

Big King received them in a private meeting room. He looked very formal, dressed in a suit and tie. Around thirty-five or thirty-six years old, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, he presented a cultured and refined overall appearance. He spoke with great courtesy, quite unlike his casual tone during online chats.

Upon seeing Wan Yongkun accompanying them, far from showing any surprise, he politely shook his hand.

Big King introduced himself, stating that his legal name was Wang Zunqiang. Having worked at Universe Media for over a decade, he was considered one of the company's veteran employees. Having recently parted ways with a celebrity client through a twist of fate, he had stumbled upon the 1733 livestream channel. Drawing on his years of hard-won industry experience, his intuition told him that these two rising internet personalities possessed immense potential and were well worth his personal guidance.

Naturally, the two women held a healthy skepticism toward this spiel. Yet, knowing virtually nothing about the entertainment industry, they had no way to verify the claims. Seeing that the man spoke with poise and proper manners, however, their instinctive guard lowered somewhat.

Liu Zichen took the initiative to speak. "Mr. Wang, we are both newcomers to this industry, so we hope to rely heavily on your guidance in the future."

"Of course. We are now a community of shared interests, so please rest assured—just do your best," Big King replied bluntly, yet sincerely.

Shen Mingyue suddenly asked, "Can we take a look at the script you mentioned?"

"Of course you can," Big King said with a gentle, amused laugh. "Just not right now. Mingyue, you might not realize this, but an exceptional script is a company's core secret. If someone hands you a script without a second thought, you need to be careful; it's very likely a trap."

Shen Mingyue's jaw dropped. She wasn't stunned by the mention of a core secret, but rather by how utterly sincere the man sounded. Tone, expression, gaze, body language—everything radiated an undefinable authenticity. Although Shen Mingyue wasn't a veteran judge of character, as a member of the Beiting Detective Agency, she had seen plenty of villains in her time.

She shot an inquiring glance at Liu Zichen, who could only pretend not to notice.

Big King clearly misunderstood, assuming Shen Mingyue remained unconvinced. "Although I cannot let you read the complete script, I came here with absolute sincerity today, so I specifically copied a few pages of highlights for you to sample the writer's prowess." He paused. "Of course, personally speaking, I selected this segment because I believe the role is tailor-made for the two of you."

With a mix of doubt and curiosity, Shen Mingyue accepted the pages. Over recent years, domestic films might have appeared booming, but the reality was lackluster, devoid of truly classic works—let alone successful sequels. As a half-insider, she held virtually no expectations.

Liu Zichen leaned in to read alongside her, and silence temporarily fell over the meeting room.

Big King showed no surprise, simply sipping his coffee with elegance.

After a short while, when Shen Mingyue and Liu Zichen finally raised their heads, their eyes were indeed filled with genuine astonishment. The brilliance of the script far exceeded both of their expectations.

"How is it?" Big King asked, wearing a confident smile and pretending not to know the answer.

Before Liu Zichen could speak, Shen Mingyue blurted out in amazement, "This storyline is practically custom-made for Sister Zichen. Are you certain it will be filmed this way in the end?"

A look of gratified satisfaction crossed Big King's face. "To be honest, the series of coincidences makes even me hesitant to believe it. Take a look at the signature of the screenwriter in the top right corner."

Shen Mingyue searched for it. Having paid no attention to it earlier, she quickly spotted a few small characters in the top left corner of one page: Gao XX, February 14, 200X.

Big King smiled and said, "See? If this script had been written recently, it would be entirely unremarkable—someone might have unconsciously drawn inspiration from recent news reports. But this is a script from over a decade ago. At that time, neither of you was even born yet, right?"

Shen Mingyue thought to herself: *Surely this screenwriter didn't use such a trick ages ago? That would be downright supernatural.*

Yet upon reflection, that seemed impossible. This situation was entirely forced upon Liu Zichen by desperate circumstances; who would be foolish enough to play with their own life?

She could only nod with a bewildered expression. "It really is a coincidence..."

"Sigh." Big King suddenly let out a sigh. His gaze drifted out the window, lost in a flurry of thoughts. "Perhaps this isn't a mere coincidence, but predestined fate. This sealed-away masterpiece has finally found its true owners."

He suddenly opened up. "You may not know this, but Teacher Gao was actually a very dear friend of mine. When he wrote this script, far too many people mocked his whimsical ideas, and no production crew or investor was willing to touch it. They deemed it valueless because it was too absurd—so absurd that it defied conventional social morals!"

"And so... so after more than ten years, he has already passed away. Even if you turn this into a masterpiece, he himself will likely never get to see it..." Holding the script, Big King's mood suddenly plummeted into sorrow.

A heavy melancholy permeated the room. Even Wan Yongkun unconsciously furrowed his brow. Sitting somewhat apart, he had heard every word clearly, prompting him to fake a couple of light coughs.

Seeing this, Liu Zichen promptly voiced her own doubts. "Since the script wasn't optioned back then and no one was willing to take it, why would it find a patron now? ...The extreme absurdity you mentioned hasn't changed, has it?"

"You're right. Not a single word of this script has been altered to this day, and its underlying philosophy remains completely unchanged." A flash of brilliance lit up Big King's face. "Yet don't forget—we are now living in an absurd era!"

Liu Zichen looked startled. This man undeniably possessed a certain caliber, though she refrained from showing it.

She continued her inquiry. "Have you considered our acting ability?"

Big King waved his hand dismissively. "Zichen, you are quite mistaken! For a completely unfamiliar character, someone lacking acting talent might spend a lifetime mastering it without success. However, what if the character *is* the actor herself? ...Then no acting skill is required at all."

He fluently reeled off several examples: *The Deer and the Cauldron*, Qiao Feng, Guo Jing, the Monkey King, Xiao Li Feidao, and *Dwelling Narrowness*.

Liu Zichen pressed her lips together, seeming genuinely tempted.

The conversation lasted for over three hours. Big King extended an invitation to lunch, which the two women declined. Unfazed, Big King merely expressed his hope that they would sign with the company soon so production on this stellar script could commence without delay.

The two women gave non-committal, vague assents.

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After stepping out of the business club, Wan Yongkun cracked a joke. "Sister Zichen, I suddenly understand Big King."

Shen Mingyue looked momentarily surprised. "What are you talking about? ...Stop meddling blindly."

"No, really," Wan Yongkun said with a straight face. "I think Big King's judgment is spot-on. Your acting skills really are peerless; not letting you star in such a divine drama would be an absolute waste of talent."

Comically, he reenacted their furrowed brows, resting hands, astonished looks, and wide-open mouths, sending the two girls into giggles.

Shen Mingyue rolled her eyes at him repeatedly and retorted indignantly, "Hey, those were natural reactions, all right? We weren't faking them at all. What do you know, dummy?"

"Mingyue is right," Liu Zichen agreed thoughtfully. "From what we've seen so far, this man has displayed zero flaws."

"Huh?!" This time it was Wan Yongkun's turn to be astonished. Knowing Liu Zichen, he knew she never made random conclusions without basis. "You're saying this kind of brainwashing conversation still doesn't count as a flaw?"

Liu Zichen gave a light laugh. "Brainwashing? At most, it's just the standard demeanor of an artistic romantic."

Her expression suddenly calmed, and she said quietly, "I've met a great many people of his kind. They will sacrifice everything for their dreams, and this Big King... I genuinely felt that conviction in him."

"So I believe it's very difficult to fake that kind of sincerity," Liu Zichen stated with absolute certainty.

"But if you say that, does Fourth Brother's worry become entirely redundant?" Wan Yongkun protested, unwilling to let it go. "If this person has nothing to do with the case at all, are we really going through all this exhausting effort just to star in a movie? To make sixty million? ...Oh no, one hundred twenty million!" At that, he couldn't help laughing himself.

Shen Mingyue teased, "Hah, are you tempted as well? Want to hitch a ride on our coattails and land a role? Confess!"

"What are you even talking about?" Wan Yongkun looked utterly helpless. "I have no such refined aspirations."

Liu Zichen shook her head. "No, I believe Tianyu's judgment is entirely correct." Her eyes flashed with an unusual brilliance, as if she had pierced through some profound mystery in the dead of night.

Wan Yongkun and Shen Mingyue both looked at her simultaneously, failing to grasp the meaning behind her words.

Liu Zichen covered her mouth with a soft smile and said playfully, "Are the two of you a duo of lovable blockheads?"

Seeing that neither of them reacted, she let out a gentle sigh. "What I meant was—Big King himself has no problem, but that script definitely has a problem!"