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

Li Li casually made a sarcastic remark in a teachers' WeChat group, which immediately caused an uproar in the group.

It only takes one day.

The saying "They sold you out and then helped you count the money" spread like wildfire.

At first, it was just a problem with the contract, but it quickly turned into Gu Ming using money to control those poor girls and forcing them to film some shameful videos.

As for what the indecent video is, everyone has given detailed and specific accounts, sometimes saying it's a private photo, sometimes saying it's a dance video where the person is only wearing underwear.

The rumors are becoming more and more detailed, sounding almost like the truth.

Some people confidently claimed to have personally witnessed Gu Ming taking several women to an abandoned factory in the middle of the night, claiming it was to film footage, but no one knew what dirty things they were doing.

Some people even criticized him for being heartless, specifically targeting women who were poor, uneducated, and in urgent need of money, using money and contracts to turn them into tools for making money.

Rumors were flying everywhere outside, but Gu Ming was completely unaware of it, currently in the training hall teaching Chen Mo recovery exercises.

His mother, Meng Xiaoyan, was also very pleased, feeling that her son had made something of himself.

That afternoon, Meng Xiaoyan was wearing a newly bought floral shirt and strolling around the family compound in a particularly good mood.

Ever since news spread that Gu Ming had made millions, her status in the courtyard has become incredibly high.

Previously, family members would just nod when they met, but now they all take the initiative to come up to her and chat with her enthusiastically.

She quite enjoyed being surrounded and fawned over.

"Hey, Xiaoyan, taking a walk?"

Several acquaintances were chatting under the big locust tree when they saw Meng Xiaoyan and immediately waved enthusiastically.

Meng Xiaoyan walked over with a smile.

She thought she was about to hear them praising how awesome their son was again.

But something feels off about the atmosphere today.

The women had strange expressions on their faces, a mixture of sympathy, curiosity, and schadenfreude.

"Xiaoyan, you've finally arrived! We were just talking about your Gu Ming," a plump woman said first, her tone insincere.

"We've all heard that your son is a big boss now, very successful. But the more successful a person is, the more important it is to stay on the right path!"

Meng Xiaoyan's smile froze: "Aunt Liu, what do you mean by that?"

"Oh dear, you didn't know?" another tall, thin woman chimed in, her voice low but still audible to everyone around.

"It's all over the place! They're saying your Gu Ming only signs contracts with poor girls who have no family or connections, and behind the scenes... he's not doing anything good!"

"Yeah, yeah," someone nearby immediately chimed in, "I heard the contracts they signed were all unfair terms, like indentured servitude! All the money they earned went into their own pockets!"

"Making money is one thing, but how could you do something like...forcing people into prostitution! That will bring retribution!"

Meng Xiaoyan's face gradually darkened.

She forced a smile, trying to speak up for her son: "Who told you all this nonsense? My Gu Ming isn't that kind of person! He runs a legitimate company and makes videos!"

"Filming a video?" the fat woman sneered. "Yes, filming a video, but what kind of video? Who knows?"

"I heard it from my husband's school teacher, and she said it in great detail. She said they specifically make those young girls take nude photos! They take those dirty pictures and post them online to make money!"

Naked!

These two words stunned Meng Xiaoyan.

Her mind went blank for a moment.

"No...it's impossible! You're talking nonsense!" Her voice trembled.

"Are we talking nonsense?" The tall, thin woman curled her lip, looking like she was saying, "I'm doing this for your own good," and continued to stab her in the back.

"They also said your son is cunning! He only targets those who are orphans or have a seriously ill family member! Kids like that will do anything for money, and even if they get bullied, they have nowhere to seek justice!"

"He even controls those women, preventing them from contacting their families! Think about it, how is this any different from brothels in the old society?"

They specifically target those who have no parents...

If there is a seriously ill person in the family...

They won't let me contact my family...

These words became increasingly venomous and truthful, each one piercing Meng Xiaoyan's heart.

Her face turned pale instantly.

Because she remembered.

She thought of the women at her son's company; weren't they the kind of "spiritual young women" who had no parents and were raised by their grandmothers?

She then remembered that her son had told her just a couple of days ago that they had signed a new contract; the woman seemed to have been hired from the construction site, and her father was seriously ill, needing money for life-saving treatment...

These frightening words matched everything she knew!

Could it be... could it all be true?

My son got rich so quickly, is it really through these shady methods?

The moment that thought crossed her mind, her heart sank, and she could hardly breathe.

"Xiaoyan? Xiaoyan? What's wrong? Don't scare us!"

The women around her were still pretending to care about her.

But Meng Xiaoyan wouldn't listen to a single word.

She couldn't stay there for even a second longer.

She shoved the people surrounding her away abruptly, said nothing, and stumbled home as if fleeing for her life.

boom!

The door was slammed shut.

Meng Xiaoyan leaned against the door, her body limply sliding to the ground.

She sat on the ground, her hands and feet were ice cold, and her whole body was trembling.

My mind is a complete mess.

The words of those people, those harsh words, echoed in her ears.

The excitement I felt a couple of days ago has completely vanished; all I feel now is fear and embarrassment.