Living in a county town, starting as a stock market maker...

Two days after Wang Min arrived in Jakarta, problems arose.

"Brother Gu...the Flash Short team contacted Iqbal and his group of five at the same time today."

Late at night, in a small building at Starry Sky's Jakarta branch, Wang Min reported via encrypted video call.

Behind her was a simple living room, which was being used as a temporary office.

Iqbal, Siti, and three other amateurs who had just gained some fame were sitting nervously around a small table.

"They gave each person a signing fee of 100 million Indonesian Rupiahs, promising a guaranteed income of 500 million Rupiahs in the first year." Wang Min spoke quickly, her clenched fists betraying her nervousness. "They couldn't earn this much money before."

"Two people in the team have already wavered."

"I talked to them, explaining Xingchen's future and long-term development, but it didn't have much effect. Brother Gu, should we match their offer?"

On the other end of the video, Gu Ming was standing on the balcony of his hotel suite, looking at the night view of Jakarta.

The sea breeze ruffled the hem of his shirt, and his face remained expressionless.

He thought to himself, Wang Min didn't understand.

This isn't about buying people with money, because if you try to poach someone with money, the other party can just offer even more money to lure them away.

The people at Flash Short don't understand that their model isn't about retaining people with high salaries, but about making people who come in not want to leave.

"Following the price is a stupid tactic."

Gu Ming spoke.

"That would only make our opponents think we are easy to defeat, and it would also make the team members think that loyalty is negotiable."

"Wang Min, remember, don't try to bribe those who don't want to stay in the first place."

Wang Min was stunned on the other end of the video call.

"So what do we do? Just watch them get poached?"

"Keep an eye on them," Gu Ming said. "Not only do we need to keep an eye on them, but we also need to throw them a farewell party."

"Gather everyone together right now."

"Tell them that Starry Sky Holdings respects the personal choices of every creator."

"For those who want to go to Flash Short, I will personally write a letter of recommendation and send them my best wishes."

"However, those who walk out of this door today will never be hired by Starry Sky."

The two wavering young men's faces lit up with joy, and they immediately stood up, afraid that Gu Ming would change his mind.

Iqbal, Siti, and another street dancer hesitated briefly before remaining seated.

They couldn't understand Gu Ming's actions, but they felt that they couldn't betray those who had helped them in their time of need.

Gu Ming looked at the people on the screen.

"Wang Min, you stay and calm the rest of them."

"Chen Mo."

"Yes, boss." Another figure wearing headphones lit up in the corner of Gu Ming's screen.

"Activate the Hound Protocol. Using Algorithm 2.0, within the next 72 hours, direct all available traffic from Star Indonesia to Iqbal, Siti, and that street dancer."

"In addition, we contacted our business team in China and had them connect with major FMCG brands, e-commerce platforms, and telecom operators in Indonesia. We told them that Starlight was willing to provide them with a joint endorsement deal with three of Jakarta's rising stars at a very low price."

"I want those who stay to earn more money in three days than those who leave promised in a year."

"I want to make those who left and Flash Short a joke in Indonesia."

***

Over the next three days, the popularity of Iqbal and his two companions rose rapidly on Indonesian social media.

Iqbal's "Magical Swinging Chicken", Siti's "Stray Cat Healing Center", and the street dance boy's "Jakarta Rooftop Dance"—these three accounts have seen their follower counts grow rapidly with the traffic support of Algorithm 2.0.

Three million, five million, eight million.

Meanwhile, a GG advertisement, jointly sponsored by Indonesian telecom operator Telkomsel, e-commerce platform Tokopedia, and national food brand Indomie, appeared in many online and offline GG locations in Jakarta.

The main characters of GG are these three ordinary people from the Starry Sky who quickly became popular.

According to inside sources, the total cost of this joint endorsement by the three parties exceeded 30 billion Indonesian Rupiahs.

Even after deducting Xingchen's share, the money that the three people received was still a huge sum for them.

When the endorsement contract was placed in front of Iqbal, this man, who was sweating profusely in front of the frying pan, trembled and his eyes reddened.

The two people who had just signed with Flash Short and received a signing fee of 100 million rupiah were stunned when they heard the news.

They rushed back to the small building in the starry sky, knelt on the ground, cried and slapped themselves, begging Wang Min and Gu Ming for forgiveness.

Gu Ming did not appear before them.

He simply had Wang Min replay what he had said before.

"Today, anyone who walks out of this door, Starry Sky, will never be hired again."

The two young men lay sprawled on the ground, speechless.

This scene was recorded by an employee of StarCenter and spread throughout the MCN community in Jakarta.

Gu Ming's handling of the situation shocked the MCN community in Jakarta.

But Flash Short's troubles have only just begun.

This company wanted to grow rapidly by poaching talent, but the two people they poached turned out to be worthless, and their money-burning behavior led to financial problems.

Moreover, in order to show off, those two copied the production model they learned at Xingchen.

The resulting video was of poor quality and looked ridiculous compared to the three people from Xingchen. It was ridiculed by netizens as a knock-off.

A week later.

The founder of Flash Short, a man who had left a domestic MCN to develop his business overseas, came to the Starry Sky Building under pressure from the board of directors and requested to meet with Gu Ming.

Gu Ming only saw him for ten minutes.

Ten minutes later, Flash Short's official account released a public apology letter, admitting that the previous poaching was irrational and damaged the industry ecosystem, and requesting Star Holdings to provide guidance and cooperation in content creation and influencer incubation.

This letter is tantamount to an open admission of defeat.

Xingchen won its first overseas competition.

That evening, at Starry Sky Jakarta branch.

Gu Ming summoned all the signed contracts and those he was in talks with.

The living room of the small building was packed with hundreds of young people, all looking at Gu Ming with great excitement.

"I know, a lot has happened recently."

Gu Ming stood in front of the whiteboard, his gaze sweeping over everyone.

"Many people are asking, how does Xingchen manage to make a fried chicken vendor earn more money in such a short time than some company executives?"

"Today, I will tell you the answer."

He picked up a pen and wrote on the whiteboard: Creators Cooperative.

"From today onwards, Star is a cooperative in Indonesia."

"All creators signed with Starry Sky, you are my members."

"Starry Sky will provide support for every member. This includes traffic algorithm support, one-on-one content creation guidance, professional legal and tax assistance, and commercial medical insurance covering the whole family."

"Furthermore," Gu Ming emphasized, "we will establish the Starry Sky Alumni Association, an internal community. Here, you can share resources, connect with others, and jointly invest in new projects."

"What I'm giving you is a life-changing opportunity, a completely new identity."

"I hope your future is tied to the development of Xingchen. Because only when the company thrives can everyone have more opportunities."

After he finished speaking, there was a three-second silence, followed by enthusiastic applause and cheers.

All the local Indonesian creators looked at Gu Ming on stage with great admiration.

They were very convinced by this "cooperative" concept.

Wang Min stood at the back of the crowd, watching Gu Ming speak in front of the whiteboard, and was deeply moved.

She understood. Gu Ming's focus in competition was never money, but rather people's hearts.

Just then, her personal phone vibrated; it was an encrypted message from Su Qingying.

I investigated the investors behind Flash Short, and through several layers of offshore companies, it ultimately pointed to a sub-fund of an overseas investment department. They were very discreet, not directly investing, as if they were testing something.

Wang Min was taken aback.

Before she could think about it in detail, a new situation arose.

Over the past few days, while Gu Ming was dealing with the poaching incident, Wang Min planned an offline fan meeting for Iqbal and his two companions.

She used her experience as an online influencer in China to design the venue, security, process, and interactive elements.

Meanwhile, at a shopping mall three kilometers away, the meet-and-greet was underway.

Thousands of fans surrounded the venue, screaming and cheering loudly. Iqbal was on stage, leading the entire audience in singing the "Swing Chicken Song" with his distinctive voice, creating a very enthusiastic atmosphere.

Wang Min stood backstage, looking at the scene she had orchestrated, her heart pounding.

This is completely different from how she feels standing center stage herself. It's a sense of accomplishment as an organizer.

A sense of satisfaction from turning ordinary people into stars.

For the first time, she felt the power of being an "idol maker".

Looking at those three young people on the stage who were confused about the future just a few days ago, they are now the focus of everyone's attention.

She knew she had found a new goal that was more meaningful than being an internet celebrity.