Chapter 5: Who Are You Open the search engine and type in his name….

Chapter 5: Identity Search

Tang Tang opened the search engine and entered Zhuang Shao's name.

The results page quickly displayed the information she needed. Tang Tang clicked on the latest column by a Wall Street financial journalist, where a polished professional photo of Zhuang Shao was prominently featured at the top, accompanied by a bold dual-language profile in both Chinese and English.

"Zhuang Shao, Founder and CEO of Chenxing Capital."

Tang Tang scanned his profile.

Orphaned at a young age, he immigrated with his aunt and later inherited her eponymous fund upon graduation, subsequently establishing Chenxing Capital. In just the second year, his investment in a rising internet company yielded massive returns, establishing his reputation in the investment world.

Tang Tang wasn’t surprised.

She knew that in the next decade, Zhuang Shao’s achievements would far surpass this—what she saw now was merely the beginning.

In terms of personal connections, she had barely interacted with Zhuang Shao in her previous life. At most, they had occasionally spotted each other across crowded banquet halls or conferences, with no meaningful contact.

But when it came to the name Zhuang Shao, she couldn’t possibly forget.

Whether in the novel’s plot or in Tang Tang’s memories from her past life, Zhuang Shao was undeniably a power player.

As one of the youngest founders of a private equity firm in the country, he created multiple investment legends during his golden decade, spanning entertainment and media to artificial intelligence. Every major investment and strategic decision under his leadership could be described as legendary.

Zhuang Shao had even played a role in a crucial funding round for Chutang Entertainment’s IPO.

If her father hadn’t blindly followed Qin Zixian’s disastrous advice and forced Chenxing Capital to divest, Chutang’s brand might have already been listed on Nasdaq.

Yet, when she thought of Zhuang Shao’s future, Tang Tang heaved a deep sigh.

Just as the author had endowed Tang Tang with a privileged background while shackling her with the fatal flaw of being love-obsessed, Zhuang Shao’s storyline followed a similar pattern.

A dazzling beginning as a wunderkind, only to meet an abrupt end.

In the novel, after Tang Tang’s death, Chutang Entertainment’s scandal topped the trending charts for three full days, each day unveiling a new twist that kept it at the top of the headlines.

At first, netizens assumed it was a simple case of corporate bankruptcy and a tycoon’s suicide. But within a day, news broke that Chutang Entertainment’s sole heir had died in a fall overseas.

Before conspiracy theories could even take root, the public was stunned by yet another twist: Chutang Entertainment’s new CEO was none other than the "wife-killer," with the company’s former leading actress, Xu Miaoli, as his accomplice.

But before the details of the social climber’s long-con could be fully exposed, the business world was rocked by another shocking development—

Zhuang Shao was dead.

Killed in a plane crash, with no remains recovered.

He died on Tang Tang’s seventh-day mourning rites, the same day Qin Zixian was officially arrested.

The novel devoted extensive passages to describing the tragic disaster—the swirling vortex engulfing the plane’s wings as it spiraled downward, the dizzying chaos, the earsplitting wind roar as the cabin depressurized.

Until a burst of fiery light appeared, reducing everything to nothing.

Thinking of Zhuang Shao’s abrupt ending, Tang Tang couldn’t help but feel his true cause of death wasn’t the plane crash. Rather, the author had given him too much favoritism and simply didn’t know how to write him out, resorting to a convenient plot device to eliminate this highly popular boss in one fell swoop.

The same went for Zhuang Shao, the same for Zhu Yanyan.

And the same for her own fate.

All of it was merely to pave the way for the chosen male lead, Lin Xiangyuan, clearing the thorns so he could sail to success.

Tang Tang was grinding her teeth so hard they nearly cracked. The more she thought about it, the more she wondered—why should things be this way?

No, she couldn’t just sit around waiting for disaster to strike.

Tang Tang couldn’t quite figure out Zhuang Shao’s temperament—whether this golden boy was someone easy to deal with. All she could do during these days of exam prep was feel him out first. Once she handled the immediate matters, she could plan more carefully.

"Let’s just establish a connection first..."

Talking to herself, Tang Tang coolly dialed her attorney’s number.

The international call connected quickly.

The lawyer in charge of managing Tang Tang’s personal assets was surnamed Zhao—a close friend of her mother, Wang Chulan, from law school. Attorney Zhao looked out for her and always had her best interests at heart.

In her previous life, Attorney Zhao had once warned Tang Tang that it was best not to let her husband meddle too much in family affairs, as it was inappropriate both professionally and personally.

But back then, Tang Tang had been like she’d been spellbound, stubbornly refusing to listen. She even gave the cold shoulder to Attorney Zhao, angering Wang Chulan so much that she declared, "I don’t have a daughter like you!"

Remembering her past foolishness, Tang Tang nearly started the call with an apology.

"Auntie Zhao, it’s me! You’re still awake?"

From the other end of the line, Attorney Zhao’s voice was booming: "Tang Bao!* Are you coming home for Christmas? I just gave your mom a lovely set of decorations..."

*Footnote: An affectionate nickname meaning "Treasure Tang"

Faced with the elder’s barrage of questions, Tang Tang coughed lightly, cutting her off.

"Auntie Zhao, I actually have something serious to ask. If I wanted to find a private investment firm to manage my funds, how would I go about it?"

"Private equity? Why the sudden interest?" Attorney Zhao was instantly alert.

Tang Tang made up an excuse on the spot: "Some classmates mentioned it, and since I have some money sitting around in my account, I thought I’d try investing a portion."

After a long pause on the other end, the response came in an unusually serious tone—completely different from the warm auntie from moments ago.

"Alright, I’ll help you find and vet some options. If you have any specific interests, you can email me."

"Sounds good. I’ll organize the materials as soon as possible."

After wrapping up business, they exchanged a few pleasantries before hanging up. Tang Tang kicked herself for how she'd handled it.

If she’d known Attorney Zhao was such an important NPC, she should’ve just asked for a private email directly instead of beating around the bush just to arrange a meeting.

"Miss Tang, are you ready to step out?"

Outside the window, the driver had been waiting for quite some time.

Remembering the uphill battle coming, Tang Tang decided to table the matter of Zhuang Shao for now. There’d be time to reach out after the exams.

How many days did it take to go from a dunce to a valedictorian?

Was three days even possible?

Tang Tang wasn’t that delusional.

All she wanted was to squeak by with a passing grade by the time finals came around next week—just enough to avoid failing.

The coursework was even harder than she remembered. The Indian professor’s English carried an accent so thick it was nearly indecipherable. Even when she strained to focus, her mind was still buzzing with questions.

——Has this term been mentioned before?

——When was this case study even covered?

——Group assignment? Had she ever done one of those things?

——What did he say? Is that word pronounced like that?

By the end of class, Tang Tang sat in the last row of the lecture hall, her forehead dripping with a waterfall of sweat—more than even the African American guy in the front row.

She truly hadn’t spent a single day taking university seriously.

Tang Tang lifted her eyes just in time to see the Indian professor striding away with his teaching materials. Rumor had it he ran a consulting firm off-campus and managed his mini business empire during free hours to help support his family.

In a flash, Tang Tang’s mind sparked with some wild ideas—what if she placed an order? Becoming the professor’s paying client might earn her an extra 10 percentage points on her grade?

But she quickly berated herself inwardly.

——No, you need to think long-term!

——It’s not just about passing exams—you’ve got to actually understand how the business world works so you don’t fall into traps blindly later on…

Tang Tang let out a long sigh.

Just then, a few familiar-looking but nameless fellow Chinese international students gathered around her.

“Tang Tang, are you feeling better?”

“Wow, I thought you never showed up for morning classes.”

“Why sit so far back? Let’s sit together next time.”

“Were you feeling unwell yesterday? Miaoli was really worried about you. She left soon after you did.”

Tang Tang was about to fire off a one-line reply and make a quick escape when she heard a familiar female voice from behind the crowd.

It was Xu Miaoli.

Today, she wore a light pink coat that, at first glance, seemed to be from the same brand as Tang Tang’s herringbone tweed jacket.

Not just her outfit—Xu Miaoli was polished from head to toe.

Her face, as usual, wore a full face of makeup: doll-like false lashes, feathered, naturally full brows, under-eye blush, and a Kardashian-style pout… Even the curve of her wispy bangs was perfectly styled, looking so picture-perfect she could’ve been a beauty influencer photoshopped straight from a social media post.

“Tang Tang~”

Xu Miaoli knew just how to act cute. She immediately latched onto Tang Tang’s arm, swaying it back and forth while cooing in a sugary sing-song voice that set her teeth on edge.

Tang Tang recoiled in alarm, stepping back several times with tiny steps, her face pale as she yanked her arm free. “…What?”

One was fiery as a furnace, the other icy as a cellar.

Xu Miaoli pursed her lips, clearly displeased by Tang Tang’s coldness.

In a lazy, saccharine tone, she continued, “You came to class and didn’t even tell me? You usually ghost this professor’s lectures anyway. At this hour, you’d normally be catching up on your beauty sleep~”

No wonder Xu Miaoli was such a two-faced snake.

In her past life, Tang Tang had missed the red flags—but not this time. She frowned instantly, catching the hidden jab beneath Xu Miaoli’s words: she wanted everyone to know Tang Tang had completely ghosted all her classes.

Thinking back, Tang Tang once again recalled the scene from her past life when she was reported...

No wonder during the academic tribunal's investigation, nine out of ten people claimed they'd never seen her in class, and the remaining one even had the audacity to say, "Ms. Tang never even showed up to class."

Seeing that she remained silent, and catching the flicker of surprise and envy in the eyes of the onlookers, Xu Miaoli felt like she was internally celebrating:

—Envious that she doesn’t have to grind through schoolwork, huh?

—Jealous of the Tang family’s deep pockets and donations, right?

—Just wait till she gets expelled by the academic tribunal but keeps living it up—then you’ll really be jealous!

Xu Miaoli couldn’t care less about glancing at these middle-class bookworms around her. Her efforts weren’t that cheap.

You gotta invest your energy in worthwhile things; otherwise, it’s just pointless busywork.

Noticing Tang Tang’s shifting expression, Xu Miaoli quickly changed gears.

"Tang Tang, let’s drop this already. Want to grab brunch? There’s this super popular spot on Insta—it’s blowing up. Let’s go together~"

Coming back to the moment, Tang Tang met Xu Miaoli’s eager gaze and shook her head decisively.

"I need to prepare for finals. No time."

With that, she hugged a thick stack of textbooks and strode toward the library, looking like someone who wouldn’t stop until she’d mastered everything.

Behind her, the crowd murmured with surprise:

—Did Tang Tang suddenly turn over a new leaf?

—Was it pressure from her family?

—Maybe. She was really focused in class today—I saw her taking notes nonstop. Probably getting ready to take over the family business.

Amid the chatter, Xu Miaoli stood eerily quiet.

She stayed frozen in place for a long while.

Still unable to figure out what went wrong.