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

Su Qingying sat in the passenger seat.

She paid no attention to the car's bumps or the environment outside the window; she was simply observing everything.

By looking at the signs on the street, she can deduce the local business landscape;

By observing the pedestrians on the street, one can also analyze their living conditions.

This is a habit she developed from investing.

Every project is inseparable from its environment.

If she wanted to understand Gu Ming, she had to first understand where he grew up.

The car eventually turned into an old residential area.

The six-story building with red brick walls is covered with mottled marks, and colorful clothes are hanging on the balcony.

Gu Ming found an empty space, parked the car, and turned off the engine.

The surrounding sounds immediately rushed in.

The sounds of children playing, neighbors exchanging greetings, and mahjong tiles being shuffled.

"Old classmate, we've arrived. My home is in the building just ahead."

Gu Ming unbuckled his seatbelt and pointed to a spot not far away.

He got out of the car and took out the groceries he had bought on the way that afternoon from the trunk.

Su Qingying also got out of the car, her high heels clashing with the surrounding environment as she stepped onto the cement ground.

As soon as she appeared, everyone playing mahjong and chess in the center of the courtyard stopped and turned their eyes to her.

"Hey, isn't that Mingzi from the Gu family?"

An old man wearing a white vest, fanning himself with a palm leaf fan, pushed up his reading glasses and squinted as he looked around.

"Yes, you're back."

"Who's that woman next to you? She's so pretty! She's dressed like she's on TV."

"She doesn't look like a local. Is she your boyfriend?"

"Wow, that's beautiful! You have great taste, kid."

The murmurs were neither too loud nor too soft, just enough to reach Gu Ming and Su Qingying's ears.

Gu Ming's expression was somewhat unnatural.

He knew this was a hurdle he had to overcome to start a business in his small town.

There are no secrets here.

Your every move is being watched by countless eyes.

"Xiao Ming! You're back!"

A loud-voiced middle-aged woman greeted them with a smile.

"This is...your girlfriend? Wow, this girl is really impressive!"

"Hello, Aunt Wang."

Gu Ming forced a smile and greeted him, "This is my... friend, from the capital."

He specifically emphasized the word "friends".

"friend?"

Aunt Wang clearly didn't believe her, her smile becoming even more suggestive. "From the capital? That's a big city! Where do you work, young lady?"

Gu Ming was about to speak up to help him out of the predicament when Su Qingying smiled slightly and took the initiative to speak.

"Hello, Auntie, my name is Su Qingying. I work at an investment company."

"An investment company? Oh, you know, the kind that... manages money?"

Aunt Wang nodded as if she understood, then turned to Gu Ming.

"Mingzi, you're something else! You found such a great partner without making a sound! Your mom is going to be overjoyed!"

"Just a couple of days ago she was complaining to me, saying that you quit such a good job and insisted on coming back to do live streaming, which is not proper and makes her feel ashamed in front of the neighbors."

Upon hearing this, Gu Ming's face flushed.

This is what he fears most.

To save face for one's parents.

"Aunt Wang, I'm still carrying groceries. I need to hurry upstairs to cook, or my mom will scold me. You can continue playing; we'll go upstairs first!"

Gu Ming made an excuse, picked up the groceries, and winked at Su Qingying, signaling her to follow.

Su Qingying stood still.

She simply nodded to Gu Ming, signaling him to go first.

Gu Ming hesitated for a moment, but seeing the growing number of elderly people around him, their eyes filled with curiosity, he decided to leave first.

He just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

As Gu Ming strode into the apartment building, Su Qingying turned around and found herself surrounded by a group of elderly men and women.

She became the center of attention.

"Girl, are you really Akiko's friend?"

"From the capital, that's impressive. You must earn a lot of money a month, right?"

"Mingzi, we've watched him grow up. He's a good kid, but a bit stubborn. He gave up a perfectly good, secure job and insisted on coming back to mess around with those young guys."

"Exactly! I heard they're doing that kind of live streaming, showing their faces online, it's so improper! How are they going to find a partner then?"

An old man lowered his voice and said mysteriously to Su Qingying:

"Girl, let me tell you, you have to see this carefully, don't be fooled by him. He doesn't have a proper job now, and he's spending all his savings. This won't last."

"He probably used some sweet talk to win you over."

These words are filled with the simple values ​​and anxieties of ordinary people.

In their eyes, stability trumps everything.

Civil servants, teachers, and state-owned enterprise employees—that's the right path.

For someone like Gu Ming to quit his job and start a business, or even become an internet celebrity whom they completely cannot understand, is to neglect his proper work and waste his time.

Su Qingying listened quietly.

She wasn't impatient; instead, she understood Gu Ming's helplessness earlier.

It wasn't because of her, but because of the people in front of her.

This is his root.

Now, the rumors circulating in this circle have put him in an awkward position.

It's hard to say how much success someone can achieve if they can't even manage their family and community opinion.

In Su Qingying's view, this is a risk to social relationships that must be eliminated.

Moreover, she keenly realized that this was an opportunity.

It can help Gu Ming, demonstrate one's own value, and deeply bind the two together.

She didn't need Gu Ming to ask for help.

A good partner can always identify and solve problems before the other party even asks for them to.

Thinking of this, Su Qingying's lips curled up slightly.

She felt like she was playing a management game, and the elderly men and women in front of her were the key NPCs she needed to win over.

Listening to the noisy discussions around her, she quickly summarized a few issues in her mind: it would be a pity to quit her job, doing live streaming is not serious, the friends she made were unreliable, and spending her savings wouldn't last long.

well.

The problem is already very clear.

Now, all she has to do is dispel these doubts one by one in a way they can understand.

She glanced at the apartment building where Gu Ming lived.

One can imagine that Gu Ming is probably in the kitchen right now, frantically washing and chopping vegetables, thinking that leaving her here is making her suffer.

He probably never imagined that this ordinary college classmate was good at handling situations that seemed tricky but were actually full of opportunities.

The surrounding chatter continued, with some even speculating whether Su Qingying was a rich girl who had been tricked by Gu Ming's sweet talk.

Su Qingying took a deep breath.

Then, she raised her head and glanced at everyone present.

Her expensive business suit and innate aura silenced the surrounding whispers.

He straightened the collar of his bespoke suit, strode over, and walked towards the mahjong and chess tables in the center of the courtyard.

Is she preparing for a "Queen" speech?