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

Wang Min immediately regretted it after the message was successfully sent.

She stared at her phone screen.

What am I doing?

Is this a test for Brother Gu? Or is he asking for something?

she does not know.

When the words "49% stake" appeared, the satisfaction she had just felt from the victory vanished.

To make something of yourself.

Lin Anni's words echoed repeatedly in her ears.

She longed for it.

She longs to prove herself independently, no longer being "Wang Min next to Brother Gu," no longer being the "spirited young lady" who came from Hegang and needed to be mentored.

but……

She was afraid.

She feared that she would fail once she left the environment Gu Ming had created.

She was even more afraid of seeing the disappointment in Gu Ming's eyes.

Time passed by, second by second.

There was no activity in the chat box.

No reply.

Wang Min felt uneasy.

She could imagine the disappointed look on Gu Ming's face when he saw the message.

He would think that I, Wang Min, am short-sighted and greedy for money.

In the end, he was still an ungrateful wretch.

Just as she was beginning to doubt herself, her phone screen lit up.

A short line of text appeared on the screen.

"See you at the open-air cafe by the sea tomorrow at 3 PM."

……

The next afternoon, at the beach in Jakarta.

Wang Min arrived half an hour early.

She hadn't slept all night, and although she had put on makeup, she couldn't hide the haggardness and bloodshot eyes.

She changed into more than a dozen outfits before finally settling on a white T-shirt and jeans, hoping to appear more open and honest.

She was restless.

The coffee got cold and I got a refill, but it got cold again.

Finally, Gu Ming appeared at the entrance of the coffee shop right on time.

He was wearing a beach shirt and shorts, sunglasses, and his expression was unreadable.

He sat down opposite Wang Min, took off his sunglasses, and ordered an iced Americano.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked, his tone indifferent.

Wang Min paused, then lowered her head, not daring to look him in the eye.

"...I'm sorry, Brother Gu." Her voice was hoarse. "I shouldn't have..."

"Shouldn't what?" Gu Ming interrupted her. "Shouldn't you be ambitious? Or shouldn't you be poached by someone offering a higher price?"

"Wang Min, how much do you think Nanyang Media's 49% stake is worth?" Gu Ming suddenly asked.

Wang Min was stunned, and subconsciously replied, "Nanyang Media is the largest MCN in Indonesia, with a market value of at least one billion. A 49% stake is nearly five hundred million..."

"Five hundred million? You think you can buy out my Starry Sky Southeast Asia's heroes?"

Gu Ming laughed, a laugh tinged with contempt.

"She underestimates you. And she underestimates me too."

Wang Min was completely dumbfounded.

This was not what she expected.

She thought Gu Ming would question her about why she betrayed him.

How come... he's the one standing up for me?

"Brother Gu, I..."

"I didn't invite you here today to hear your apology."

Gu Ming picked up his coffee, took a sip, and looked out at the distant sea.

"If you want to stay, accept Lin Anni's invitation, and I support you."

Wang Min was stunned.

She suddenly looked up at Gu Ming, wondering if she had misheard.

"Starry Sky Holdings will always be your support." Gu Ming didn't look at her, still gazing into the distance. "Whether you need legal or financial support in the future, you can always ask."

"I can even give you Iqbal and the rest of the team, along with the entire operations team, as your start-up group."

"I have only one request."

He finally turned his head, his gaze calmly landing on Wang Min's face, which was filled with shock and confusion.

"Wang Min, remember this."

"Do the right thing."

After saying that, he stood up, took out a few Indonesian Rupiahs from his pocket, and placed them under his coffee cup.

"Think it over carefully. Once you've figured it out, send me a message."

He put on his sunglasses, turned and left decisively.

Wang Min was left alone, sitting there blankly, the sea breeze ruffling her hair.

All that remained in her mind was that one phrase that kept echoing.

"Do the right thing."

What is an easy thing?

Accepting Lin Anni's invitation to become "President Wang," a multi-millionaire with his own company, would undoubtedly be an easy thing to do.

What is the right thing to do?

Wang Min thought of Hegang.

She recalled her days as a waitress at a barbecue stand, when she was constantly surrounded by fumes and felt lost about the future.

When Gu Ming first approached her and said he wanted to make her a star, she thought she had encountered a scammer.

In that rented room, Gu Ming patiently taught her how to smile in front of the camera and tell jokes. She was so nervous that she couldn't even speak properly.

After selling tens of thousands of yuan worth of goods in her first live-streaming sales event, she, Liu Liu, and Zhang Hong hugged each other and cried.

Forced into a corner by Wang Tianqi, Gu Ming told her to hide temporarily, and she was afraid but chose to believe him.

At the celebration banquet, she became lost in her success, and Gu Ming woke her up with stern words.

After yesterday's live stream failed, Gu Ming took her to the night market in Jakarta and told her what life is.

Scenes from the past appeared one by one.

It's Gu Ming.

From beginning to end, it was Gu Ming.

He is the one who gave her everything she has now.

It gave her a chance to be reborn, gave her a stage to challenge the world, tolerated her mistakes, and gave her the confidence to stand up on her own time and time again.

Lin Anni simply set a price for her achievements.

In Lin Anni's eyes, she was a commodity.

In Gu Ming's eyes, she was a comrade-in-arms to whom he could entrust his future.

Thinking of this, Wang Min's eyes reddened.

She got it.

I understand completely now.

She picked up her phone, her fingertips trembling as she dialed Lin Anni's number.

"Mr. Lin, thank you for your kindness." Her voice was trembling with tears, but every word was firm. "However, I'm not worth that price. Because my value cannot be measured in money."

After hanging up the phone, she didn't check Lin Anni's dozens of missed calls.

She opened her chat window with Gu Ming, took a deep breath, and typed a line of text.

"Brother Gu, I've thought it through. I want to stay and do the right thing. I've rejected her."

"In addition, I have an idea. I want to write all my experiences in Jakarta, whether successful or not, into a standardized training manual to help the company train one hundred or one thousand local operators like me throughout Southeast Asia."

Message, sent.

This time, the response was quick.

It was just a few words.

"Very good. Company-wide meeting at 7 PM."

……

7 PM, Starry Sky Jakarta branch.

The building was brightly lit, and all the employees, whether they were sent from China or were from Indonesia, were crammed into the operations room on the first floor, creating a lively atmosphere.

Gu Ming stood in front of the whiteboard.

"Today, I have only one announcement to make."

His gaze swept across the entire room, finally settling on Wang Min, who was standing at the back of the crowd.

"In order to systematically and on a large scale replicate Star Creator's successful model throughout Southeast Asia and even the world, I have decided to officially establish the 'Star Creator Academy'!"

A round of enthusiastic applause erupted.

Everyone looked at Gu Ming, anticipating his next words.

"This academy will be one of the most important strategic cores for Starry Sky Holdings over the next decade. It will be responsible for continuously cultivating top talent for our entire content ecosystem!"

Gu Ming paused, then emphasized his words.

"Now, I hereby announce the first Dean of the Star Creators Academy!"

Everyone held their breath.

Iqbal, Siti, and the others looked at Gu Ming nervously, all feeling that this position was rightfully his.

"She was once an ordinary girl from Northeast China."

"She is the first phenomenal internet celebrity incubated by Starry Sky Holdings."

"Just three days ago, she led you all to make history in Southeast Asia's live-streaming e-commerce!"

"Through her own transformation, she has shown what it means to turn lead into gold and what it means to do the right thing!"

"She is—"

Gu Ming pointed to the figure in the crowd whose face was already streaked with tears.

"Wang Min!"

The entire audience erupted in cheers and applause.

Iqbal and the group of local internet celebrities rushed over, lifted Wang Min up, and tossed her into the air.

The flashbulbs kept going off, capturing the moment.

Wang Min was both laughing and crying in mid-air.

Dean.

She became the dean of the Star Creators Academy.

From this day forward, she is no longer anyone's shadow, no longer anyone's "general".

She is simply herself.

A person who can help others succeed.

This is Gu Ming's affirmation of her.

That evening, after the victory celebration banquet ended.

Gu Ming returned to his hotel suite alone.

Su Qingying called in via video. She already knew what had happened in Jakarta and had a smile on her face.

"You did a great job delegating authority this time. You made Wang Min more loyal without spending any money, and even made her the dean."

"This isn't a tactic." Gu Ming walked to the balcony, lit a cigarette, and said, "This is an investment. An investment in people's hearts and minds, with a high return."

"However," Su Qingying's tone suddenly turned serious, "you might need to be careful."

"I looked into the background of Nanyang Media, and it's not simple."

"That female boss, Lin Anni's father, Lin Xiaotian, was the timber tycoon of Indonesia twenty years ago. One of his most important business partners was someone who was still very influential in Beijing back then..."

"Shen Guodong".

Su Qingying's voice was very serious.

Gu Ming flicked his cigarette ash, and the night wind ruffled his hair.

There was no surprise on his face.

He looked at the myriad lights of Jakarta, and a slow smile crept onto his lips.

"I know."

"So, this is just the beginning."