Chapter 103: Song Baining

Yangpu University Town, Wujiaochang Community Vocational Education Center.

Fu Xiaoci drove her flashy red convertible in silence, eventually pulling up beside Liu Hai and the others. Liao Yuan glanced at Fu Xiaoci, then stepped out of the car. After exchanging greetings with Liu Hai’s team, he took the documents from Liu Hai’s hand and asked, "How did the inquiries go?"

"Tang Guo, Luo Weiwei, Song Baining—the three campus belles of Wujiaochang." Liu Hai gestured to the files. "Their information is all in there. I had someone compile it overnight, and I’ve scheduled appointments with each of them for this morning."

"That was easy?" Liao Yuan remarked, surprised.

Liu Hai chuckled, "I used Director Fu’s name."

Liao Yuan realized what had happened. He cleared his throat, lowered his head, and began to read through the files one by one.

The first was Tang Guo, a well-known internet celebrity at East Sea Tongji University. Not only was she an honors student, but she was also a print model. When advertisers hired her for fashion shoots, a single photo was worth hundreds of yuan. Recently, she had gone viral due to a street interview video, racking up tens of millions of views and seeing her Weibo follower count surge by five million overnight. Because of her sweet smile, netizens affectionately dubbed her "Little Sweetie."

The second was Luo Weiwei, the volleyball goddess of the East Sea Sports University. Standing at 1.78 meters tall, she was an athletic icon—a mythical figure pursued by mortals, with trails of drooling admirers wherever she went.

The third was Song Baining, a freshman representative at Fudan University. From the moment she stepped onto campus, she was showered with adoration. At the freshman mixer, her rendition of "When the Music Ends" went viral. Because of her captivating voice, video clips of the performance spread across major university forums, and she had recently been crowned the undisputed top goddess of the Yangpu University Town.

These three girls were the targets of Liao Yuan’s trip, and the reason why talent agencies were constantly flocking to Yangpu University Town instead of visiting the Shanghai Theatre Academy. Because of the endless stream of talent scouts, many boys and girls with dreams of stardom had been appearing in the area, hoping to be discovered.

"These three are the established targets, but they aren't the primary ones," Liao Yuan mused. "If we can't secure them, don't be discouraged; we'll just move on to the next."

The group didn't fully understand, but they nodded anyway, and the party set off for their first destination.

Inside a Western restaurant at Tongji University, the place was packed. Hearing that their goddess Tang Guo was there, the surrounding area was filled with strapping male students. A month ago, Tang Guo might not have been this popular, but after a chance encounter with a short-video media outlet that specialized in street interviews, she had become an overnight sensation.

"How much of a monthly salary do you think a man needs to support you?"

"Support me? I think... as long as he can take me out to eat, that's enough."

Such humble words instantly captured the hearts of thousands of shut-ins. Coupled with her sweet smile, she was immediately dubbed "Little Sweetie." Afterward, her Weibo account was exposed, and her follower count exploded to five million—a textbook case of overnight fame. Although Tang Guo was an amateur, she already had a foundation of popularity. With a little professional packaging, she could officially debut. This was why talent scouts had been swarming Tongji University in recent days. However, since she wasn't trained in the performing arts, while small agencies were relentless, few major companies had stepped in personally.

Today, when Tang Guo heard that an assistant to Fu Yuntao—the director of shows like *Produce 101*—had contacted her, she felt flattered. Once her roommates found out, they gathered around her like stars around the moon and accompanied her to the meeting place.

Somehow the news leaked, and within half an hour, hundreds of students had arrived. They were there purely to catch a glimpse of the goddess. Her roommates acted like mother hens, their eyes signaling "trespassers will be killed." Even they hadn't expected Tang Guo to catch the eye of the "Godfather of Variety," Fu Yuntao. Even if one didn't follow the entertainment industry, any show Fu Yuntao produced was a massive hit in terms of ratings and views. For a behind-the-scenes figure to have such name recognition among the general public was no small feat, which spoke volumes about Fu Yuntao’s status in the country.

However, when Liao Yuan and his group appeared, everyone, including Tang Guo, felt a sense of "being scammed."

After some brief pleasantries, the store manager led them to a private room. As they walked, everyone looked thoughtful.

"Where is Director Fu?" someone asked, peering around the room with a puzzled expression.

"Director Fu couldn't make it. I am the director’s assistant. Here is my business card," Liu Hai said, smiling as he handed the card over.

The roommate looked suspicious, but upon reading "Fu Yuntao Personal Studio, Director’s Assistant, Liu Hai," her expression brightened.

"Here is my other card," Liu Hai said with a smile, handing over a second one.

The roommate took it, and her face darkened instantly. "Little Yellow Croaker Cultural Agency? Manager Liu? You guys..."

"Yes, yes, that’s me," Liu Hai said with a friendly grin.

At this point, Tang Guo asked, "What’s wrong, Xiaolin?"

Her roommate Xiaolin turned back, looking indignant. "This isn't Director Fu. This is just a shell company."

"Classmate, you shouldn't speak so recklessly. See this fairy here?" Liu Hai grew serious, pointing solemnly at Fu Xiaoci, who was looking cool in her sunglasses. "This is Director Fu’s own younger sister. If Tang Guo signs with our company, her future in the industry is absolutely boundless!"

Fu Xiaoci offered a forced, insincere smile and remained completely unmoved.

After glancing at Fu Xiaoci, Xiaolin handed both cards to Tang Guo and began whispering with the other three roommates.

Tang Guo looked at the cards and said with a smile, "Before you came, many companies reached out to me, but I’m just a college student right now. I feel that, for the time being, I should prioritize my studies..."

After some conversation, Tang Guo continued to use her studies as a reason to decline signing with the agency. Her roommates, who had shifted from enthusiasm to coldness, applied silent pressure without saying a word.

Helpless, Liu Hai looked at Liao Yuan, who nodded and said, "We respect Miss Tang’s choice."

After leaving Tongji University, the group headed straight to East Sea Sports University. Luo Weiwei was a straightforward person. A senior, she was the school’s "football sweetheart" and was busy organizing the graduation gala. After Liao Yuan and his team arrived, she bluntly stated she had no interest in the entertainment industry, and the group left empty-handed once again.

"If Director Fu had come personally, I think the result would have been different," Liu Hai sighed, rubbing his sore legs. "In this day and age, a person’s reputation is like a tree’s shadow. It’s hard for the average person to catch a wolf with empty hands!"

"There’s still Song Baining," Fu Xiaoci said, taking off her sunglasses and chewing on the temple arm as if watching a play. "She’s an honors student at Fudan. Are you sure it’s still worth going?"

Liao Yuan opened his phone, watched the video of Song Baining going viral, and said, "Since we’ve made an appointment, we have to go."