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Lin Mingchang spread the city map on the table, his finger pointing to a specific location. "Built during the Guangxu era, it was rented out by a German businessman two years ago and renovated, renamed 'Wonder Theater.' However, not many people know this; most still refer to it as Guotai Grand Theatre."
Xiaoshuang added, "According to my investigation, this troupe only arrived in Spring City a month ago, and tonight's performance will be their last in the city."
Lin Mingchang surveyed the group and began to arrange the day's actions. "I won't report to higher-ups for now; I'll only contact reliable colleagues at the Police Station to deploy personnel around the theater to avoid alarming anyone. Shen Tong and I will work together, while Zigui and Xiaoshuang will form another team, both disguising ourselves as audience members entering the theater."
He looked at Shen Tong. "We need to determine the whereabouts of all the missing children and ensure their safety. I will need your assistance with this."
Then he turned to Fang Zigui. "We don't know the current situation of the children, so Zigui needs to prepare emergency medication just in case."
"Lastly," Lin Mingchang said as he grabbed his coat, "if there is any danger, you must retreat immediately; do not act recklessly."
In the evening, the Guotai Grand Theatre was brightly lit, with a huge red banner hanging at the entrance that read in golden letters—"The Wonderful Puppet Troupe Presents."
Lin Mingchang, dressed in a deep blue suit, stepped down from a rickshaw with Shen Tong beside him in a light purple qipao. Shen Tong wore a small black veil that partially obscured her face, including her right eye.
A few steps away stood Fang Zigui in an elegant long gown, while Ruan Xiaoshuang beside him wore a fashionable khaki Western suit, linking her arm with Fang Zigui's and holding a small handbag in her other hand.
The four pretended not to know each other as they entered the theater through different entrances.
Inside, the theater was exquisitely decorated; most of the red velvet seats were empty, with only about thirty to forty percent occupied by an audience. The front rows were filled with foreign faces or wealthy local elites who whispered among themselves.
Shen Tong scanned the surroundings. "There are quite a few foreigners here; it seems this troupe is quite famous within their circle."
Lin Mingchang guided her to their seats in the left rear section while Fang Zigui and Ruan Xiaoshuang chose equivalent seats on the right side. This angle allowed them to observe the stage fully without drawing too much attention.
At eight o'clock sharp, all lights in the theater went out, leaving only a spotlight on stage. A tall foreigner walked onto the stage; he appeared to be in his forties, with blonde hair and blue eyes, exuding an air of elegance and arrogance with every gesture.
He addressed the audience in broken Chinese: "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the performance of the Wonderful Puppet Troupe. I am Hans Schulman, the founder of this troupe."
Hans Schulman exaggeratedly bowed before continuing, "Tonight, I will present to you the most exquisite puppet performance in the world. Each puppet is crafted by my own hands. Please enjoy these puppets as if they were alive!"
As his words faded away, curtains on both sides of the stage slowly opened to reveal eight puppets of equal height arranged on stage. The puppets wore exquisite costumes and masks; as music began to play, they started their performance.
Their movements were exceptionally agile, devoid of the stiffness typical of puppets; even complex actions like turning and jumping flowed seamlessly. The audience erupted in waves of astonishment, applause ringing out continuously.
"This is unbelievable! It's even more graceful than real people!"
"How can this be a puppet show? If I didn't know better, I'd think real children were performing!"
Not long after the performance began, Shen Tong's pupils suddenly constricted. She leaned closer to Lin Mingchang and whispered, "It's the children! The puppets on stage are controlled by real people! I can sense their life force; although faint, they are indeed alive!"
On the other side, Fang Zigui also sensed something unusual. He quietly said to Ruan Xiaoshuang, "Look at those puppets' joints and the way they move; it's far beyond what wooden dolls can achieve in terms of fluidity."
Ruan Xiaoshuang had already begun to discreetly film, carefully observing through her lens. "Their eyes really look like those of living beings... Oh my goodness! Zigui, I just saw one of the puppets blink!"
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