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

Dinner time, at the dinner table.

With a heavy heart, Meng Xiaoyan placed some ribs on her son's plate, but couldn't help but eat some herself.

"Son, tell me the truth, what exactly does your company do?"

"A few days ago at school, Li Li's mother came to me again, subtly asking if I was involved in a pyramid scheme, the kind that involves recruiting people to invest money."

Gu Yuanshan, who had been eating silently, also put down his chopsticks and sighed.

"Yes, Xiaoming. I ran into your Uncle Wang today. His son passed the civil service exam last year and just posted a photo of his unit's commendation on his WeChat Moments. He has a stable job, which is something to be proud of."

His father looked at him, his eyes full of incomprehension.

"We really don't understand what you're talking about, with all these airplanes and cameras. When the neighbors ask us, we don't know what to say."

Gu Ming listened silently to his parents' words, feeling somewhat helpless.

The project he's working on has a budget of tens of millions, enough to shake up the entire industry.

But in the eyes of his parents and neighbors, he was just an unemployed young man with no proper job, mysterious and possibly even going astray.

This huge information gap made him feel out of place in his family.

"Dad, Mom, don't worry."

He took a bite of rice and said calmly, "I'm running a legitimate business, not a pyramid scheme. You'll see in a while."

He couldn't explain it.

Because the place where he needs to prove himself is not here.

The next day, at the Star Media office.

Gu Ming seemed unaffected by last night's dinner, returning to his office to continue advancing his plans.

The three Wang sisters have also gotten into the swing of things.

Gu Ming is training them on the second round of pre-training content.

"Got it?" He pointed to the flowchart on the whiteboard. "The purpose of this pre-launch campaign is to whet their appetite and raise their expectations to the maximum. The previous step was 'Setting Sail,' and this one tells them what we're going to use to watch it."

He looked at Wang Min.

"You should post the second piece of pre-launch content."

He sent a processed image to Wang Min.

The photo is a close-up, showing only a corner of the Phase One camera. The million-dollar digital back has a cold, metallic feel, precise interfaces, and looks very professional.

"I've already thought of the copy," Gu Ming said. "It will read: Our eyes will see a whole new world."

Meanwhile, Liu Liu and Zhang Hong's fieldwork has also made new progress.

Holding the production letter stamped with the official seal, they came to the property office of the International Trade Building for the third time.

This time, they seemed much calmer.

"Hello, Manager Wang," Liu Liu handed over a printed document, her demeanor already showing signs of a film producer. "This is the rooftop usage agreement, equipment list, and electricity requirements drafted by our company's legal department. We would like to reserve the rooftop usage rights for three nights from next Wednesday to Friday, with filming from 9 pm to 2 am. We hope the property management can provide power support and security cooperation."

Their behavior made the previously indifferent property manager take them seriously.

Everything is proceeding according to Gu Ming's plan.

But the online sentiment didn't go as he expected.

The two promotional posts were deliberately obscure and incomprehensible to the average person. Instead of attracting casual viewers, they infuriated Wang Min's longtime followers.

"What's going on? It's so mysterious, I don't understand it at all."

"Have these women gotten so famous that they've become arrogant and started trying to play sophisticated games? The result is a hodgepodge."

"Exactly, all that genuine feeling is gone. What are they posting now? Who are they trying to impress?"

"I don't understand, I've unfollowed."

Similar comments were increasing, and the account lost some followers.

In the office, Wang Min's expression grew increasingly grim as she stared at the comments.

But that's not the worst part.

The most devastating blow came from outside the circle, from the opponent that Gu Ming had set up for Shen An'an.

A high-end club in Beijing's elite circle.

A socialite named Lin Feifei was having afternoon tea with her best friend when she came across a post that Shen An'an had shared on her alternate account.

She looked at the wing and the unidentified camera parts with a mocking expression.

She casually opened her private messages with Shen An'an and sent her a message.

"An'an, what are you busy with? I saw something you shared. I heard you're going to get into short videos and do art?"

This was followed by an emoji of someone covering their mouth and chuckling.

"That's good, they have ambition. It's just that the team you found seems to have an aesthetic stuck in the QQ Space era of ten years ago. Would you like me to introduce you to some reliable photographers next time?"

Upon seeing this private message, Shen An'an instantly became an internet sensation.

A few seconds later, Gu Ming's phone started ringing incessantly.

The caller ID showed it was Shen An'an, the big spender.

Gu Ming gestured for Wang Min and the others to be quiet, then answered the phone.

"Gu Ming!"

Shen An'an's voice, trembling with anger, came from the other end of the phone.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"I paid you millions to hire me, not to make me a laughingstock online! Those garbage trailers you released—now even that bitch Lin Feifei is calling me out by name to laugh at me!"

She said my aesthetic sense is stuck on QQ Space! Do you know how insulting that is to me?!

Her voice was shrill and out of control, filled with anger and panic.

"I don't care what your plans are! I need you to give me something that will actually burn right now! Now!!"

"If you can't do this, our contract is over! You'll be waiting for a lawyer's letter!"

In the office, the three sisters listened to the roar on the phone, their faces turned pale with fright, and they dared not utter a sound.

They instinctively looked at Gu Ming, their eyes filled with worry.

But Gu Ming showed no sign of panic.

He remained silent for a moment, listening quietly to the outburst of anger on the other end of the phone, until all that could be heard from the other person was their rapid breathing.

Then, he spoke slowly in an unquestionable tone.

"Miss Shen, don't worry."

His calm and powerful voice silenced all the restlessness on the other end of the phone.

"To create the biggest commotion, you need to be as quiet as possible beforehand."

"These taunts and misunderstandings are nothing to worry about now; they're just a few insignificant noises before the real show begins."

Shen An'an on the other end of the phone was taken aback by his words.

Gu Ming didn't give her time to react and continued:

"What you should worry about is whether, a week from now, when everyone is going crazy for our work, your rivals will even lose the courage to be jealous."

After saying that, Gu Ming hung up the phone without giving her a chance to question him.

Beep...beep...beep...

On the other end of the phone, Shen An'an stood frozen, holding the busy signal.

The anger in my heart inexplicably subsided.

She was both angry and suspicious, and very unwilling, but she was also subtly persuaded by Gu Ming's confidence, and even had a sliver of expectation that she herself dared not admit.

in the office.

Gu Ming put down his phone, turned around, and met the three sisters' worried faces.

He smiled, as if the phone call just now was nothing more than a minor incident.

"Get ready."

He began to speak.

"The third teaser has been released."

"This time, we want to show everyone the shape of money."