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

Looking at his black-screen phone, Gu Ming realized for the first time that the seemingly invincible investment banking elite in Beijing wasn't so unbelievable after all.

He could picture the strange expression on Su Qingying's face when she said, "No wonder you don't need a girlfriend," a mixture of admiration, helplessness, and a desire to mock herself.

Thinking about it this way, his mood inexplicably improved a little.

But Gu Ming didn't know.

Just as he was pondering the S-class project "Steel Flower" and enjoying the thrill of outsmarting high-end prey,

A storm of gossip specifically targeting him in his small town is quietly brewing in the "close-knit community" he knows best and despises the most.

……

Teachers' Office, HG City No.1 Experimental Middle School.

The afternoon sun lazily shone on the windowsill.

The young female teachers, who were not teaching, were gathered together, enjoying a rare afternoon tea.

Several cups of the popular milk tea that had just been delivered were on the table.

The air was filled with the sweet aroma of milk tea, and a hint of gossip.

"Hey, have you guys seen today's top story on our city's official WeChat account?"

A female teacher surnamed Zhang was sucking on pearls while showing everyone her phone screen.

The screen displayed a large, bold title.

Hegang's pride! A young man born in the 80s started from scratch, established a media company, and made a million-dollar profit from a single deal!

The accompanying picture shows Xingchen Media's modernly decorated office, along with a side profile photo of Gu Ming at work.

"Wow, Gu Ming is amazing! It's only been a short time, and he's already on our city's official news!"

"That's right! I heard from a classmate who works at a bank that Longquan Winery transferred over a million yuan to them just a couple of days ago! That's real money!"

"Young, talented, and handsome—my god, isn't this just like the male protagonist in a novel?"

The teachers chattered amongst themselves, their words filled with envy for these "successful people."

Just then, another teacher seemed to have discovered something new and exclaimed.

"Look! Look! Star Media's official account just posted a video of them signing a new talent!"

Everyone immediately gathered around.

In the video, a thin girl in overalls performs various terrifying extreme stunts with a blank expression amidst a steel ruin.

They leap and bound across walls, their agility almost inhuman.

The video script is very short.

Star Media's S-level project "Steel Flower" has been launched, and artist @ChenMo has been signed. Your potential is worth a fortune.

"My God! Who is this girl? She's amazing!"

"Chen Mo? Never heard of her... But look, there are so many comments under this video, they're all saying she used to be a construction worker!"

"Wow, really?! From carrying bricks on a construction site, he got spotted by a media company boss and signed as an artist? This...this guy's life is just too good!"

"Gu Ming has such a sharp eye! How does he always manage to unearth such extraordinary people from these remote corners of Hegang?"

The office was filled with exclamations of amazement and envy.

But amidst this lively discussion, one person remained silent.

It's Li Li.

She sat in her seat, head down, pretending to correct homework.

But her hand holding the pen was trembling, her face was getting paler and paler, and her mind was in turmoil.

Every compliment from her colleagues made her feel extremely uncomfortable.

Gu Ming.

The man she once publicly called "a good-for-nothing" is now the talk of the town as a young business prodigy.

Xiao Tong.

That poor, stingy relative she looked down on since childhood has now become the "Goddess of Hegang" with millions of fans, and even her students like her.

Now, there's this "construction site brick-moving girl" thing.

How could a girl from an even worse background and wilder than Xiao Tong be noticed by that man and rise to the top in one step?

On what grounds?

Why is it that all these people she looks down on have made it big?

Why is it that she, a tenured teacher with a secure job and always "decent and noble," has become a laughing stock, someone who "missed out on a fortune"?

The fires of jealousy and humiliation burned in her chest, threatening to consume her reason.

At this moment, a colleague who usually had a decent relationship with Li Li came over with a cup of milk tea and nudged her with her elbow.

"Hey, Lily, what are you daydreaming about?"

"Hey Gu Ming, didn't you go on a blind date with him? Tell us about him, is he really that amazing?"

These words ignited the hatred in Li Li's heart.

She put down her pen, looked up, and forced a cold, mocking smile onto her face.

"sharp?"

Instead of replying to her colleague directly, she picked up her phone and opened the WeChat group that contained dozens of local teachers.

Fingers flew across the screen as they typed.

Then, I pressed send.

She threw a malicious message into a WeChat group full of teachers who were supposed to be "educating and nurturing people."

"Impressive? Heh."

"Why would a respectable company boss ignore so many art school graduates and specifically seek out uneducated, dirt-poor wild girls from construction sites?"

"It's because they're easy to control and ignorant. They're grateful for a little money and will do whatever they're told."

"Who knows what kind of contract was signed? What if they sold the person out and are still counting the money for them?"

The moment those words were spoken, the group chat exploded.

The teachers who were just spying from below suddenly came out.

Li Li's words hit the nail on the head regarding the most sensitive and darkest thoughts in the hearts of these people living in the traditional world.

"What?! Is what Lily said true? Is there really such a thing?"

"Hearing her say that, it does seem a bit strange... Giving up a perfectly good college degree to sign a contract for manual labor?"

"Tsk tsk, such a young girl, she doesn't understand the harshness of society. What if she signs one of those unfair and exploitative contracts? Her life will be ruined."

"It's more than just unfair terms. Didn't you understand what Teacher Lily meant? What does 'do whatever she tells you to do' mean? There's a lot more to this than meets the eye!"

"My God... Could it be the kind of 'unspoken rules' I'm thinking of? That's disgusting!"

In no time, the group was filled with speculation and malicious conjecture about "unspoken rules" and "unequal treaties," which spread like wildfire.

Gu Ming's aura as a "business prodigy" quickly vanished under these sordid imaginings, transforming him into a villainous figure who "exploits young girls from the lower classes."

A storm of gossip targeting Gu Ming.

An invisible strangulation woven from jealousy and rumors.

It slowly took shape in the "familiar society" that he knew best and least expected.