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

The afternoon sun shone through the blinds, casting dappled patterns of light in the office.

This is the time when people should be sleepy.

But at this moment, the atmosphere in the office was very oppressive.

The notification sounds of mobile phone messages kept ringing, striking a nerve in everyone's mind.

Wang Min, Liu Liu, and Zhang Hong all looked very pale.

They gripped their phones, their knuckles turning white, repeatedly refreshing the screen, their eyes filled with panic.

In the corner, Chen Mo remained silent.

She stood quietly, but her clenched fists and icy gaze betrayed her anger.

In the entire office, only Gu Ming's demeanor was out of place.

He sat imposingly in the boss's chair, his legs casually propped up on the table, his face expressionless.

Browsing through the newly published articles.

Behind the Hegang Internet Celebrity Myth: A Capital Scam of Burning Money and Showmanship?

Data fabrication, equipment leasing? Exposing the contradictory business logic of Star Media!

The mystery surrounding the million-dollar aerial photography equipment: Is it a new tycoon in Hegang, or a new type of Ponzi scheme?

The titles are all eye-catching and exaggerated.

From local forums to some influential tech self-media, and then to the tech channels of several mainstream portal websites.

A network of public opinion was formed within hours, covering the entire internet.

Finally, Wang Min couldn't take it anymore.

Holding her phone, she walked to Gu Ming's side, her voice trembling.

"Ming... Brother Ming..."

The moment she spoke, the murmurs in the office ceased instantly, and everyone's attention turned to her.

"Look... even the provincial science and technology innovation frontier has published an article..."

Wang Min's voice was choked with sobs.

"They said our project was wishful thinking, questioned whether we were inflating our data, and even implied that our Shotover F1 gimbal was rented, saying we didn't have the financial resources..."

It’s over.

This was the thought in the minds of all employees.

Provincial-level media outlets have all gotten involved; this is no ordinary smear campaign.

The company is going to fail.

In this heavy atmosphere, Gu Ming put down his phone.

He looked up, glanced around, and saw the fearful faces of his employees.

Then he smiled.

An approving expression appeared on his face.

"What's the panic?"

"Is the sky falling down?"

He picked up a printed copy of a report, flicked the paper dismissively with his finger, making a "snap" sound.

"Well written, with clear logic, partially true and partially false arguments, and highly persuasive. This article is clearly written by a professional team."

"For a media outlet of this caliber to get involved and use such resources to smear a small company like ours that has been open for less than two months..."

He said, word by word:

"This shows that we've offended some powerful figures, and what we've done has threatened their interests."

Then he picked up his water glass, took a sip, and stated his conclusion in a praising tone.

"This is a good thing."

"To prove we're worth the price."

Shen Guodong, just as expected.

You used public opinion to create panic and lower my valuation, paving the way for your Skyhawk Capital to enter the market.

This tactic is old, but very effective.

For ordinary people, they might already be begging you to invest.

Unfortunately, you ran into me.

Gu Ming's words and calm demeanor eased the atmosphere in the office somewhat.

The employees were still scared, but seeing their boss so calm and even a little smug calmed them down considerably.

Yeah, if the boss isn't afraid, why should we be?

It seems like Ming has never lost.

"Alright, everyone, stop standing here and go do what you're supposed to do."

Gu Ming waved his hand impatiently.

"You think you can bring us down with something like this? You're underestimating me, Gu Ming."

He sat back down in the boss's chair, picked up his phone, found a number, and dialed it.

Before the call connected, he added something to the person looking at him.

"Remember, the best counterattack is not an explanation."

The phone is on.

"Feed? Gu Ming?"

Shen An'an's clear and surprised voice came from the other end of the phone.

The composure and sharpness on Gu Ming's face vanished instantly.

His tone became helpless, aggrieved, and bewildered.

His voice lowered.

"An'an...are you busy?"

"I'm not busy, I just finished working out. What's wrong? You sound off, like you're not feeling well."

"Sigh..." Gu Ming let out a long sigh, "It's nothing serious..."

He paused.

"Suddenly, a lot of people online started criticizing me, saying I was a fraud, that our company's data was fake, and that our equipment was rented..."

"I don't really care." His voice carried a feigned nonchalance.

"I'm just worried about affecting your project's reputation. After all, you're the investor in the '100 Million Pixels of Earth' project. If they call me a fraud, doesn't that mean you misjudged people and got scammed...?"

"I'm afraid this will disappoint your father..."

Gu Ming's voice grew softer and softer as he spoke.

Every word he said touched on what Shen An'an cared about most.

There was a three-second silence on the other end of the phone.

Then, a roar erupted.

"What? Who dares to say that! Where are they insulting you? I'll have their accounts banned right now!"

……

Meanwhile, in a luxuriously decorated study.

Su Qingying was holding a cup of coffee, looking at the US stock data on her computer screen.

The study door was violently kicked open with a loud bang.

Shen An'an rushed in, holding her phone and her eyes red.

"Aunt Su! Look!"

She shoved her phone directly into Su Qingying's face; the screen displayed those viciously worded articles.

"They all bully Gu Ming! They say he's a liar!"

Su Qingying frowned, adjusted her glasses, and quickly skimmed through the article.

She understood at a glance.

This was a premeditated commercial attack.

Moreover, the methods were sophisticated and were the work of capital.

She was about to start her analysis when Shen An'an interrupted her with her next words.

Shen An'an stamped her feet in distress, her voice trembling with tears.

"Where's my dad? Isn't my dad very capable?"

Why doesn't he care about these people?

She remembered what Gu Ming had said on the phone and suddenly understood.

"If Gu Ming is a fraud, then all the money I invested in him, plus the money Dad later got Tianying Capital to invest, would have been wasted, wouldn't it?"

"Isn't this a slap in the face to the Shen family?"

Shen An'an's naive yet insightful words awakened Su Qingying.

Su Qingying's hand holding the coffee cup froze in mid-air.

Looking at Shen An'an, who was on the verge of tears, she thought of the smear articles and Gu Ming's phone call.

A bold inference formed in her mind.

She understood Gu Ming's intention.

This man was not passively taking a beating.

He was using someone else's strength against them.

They used Shen An'an to turn the tables on Shen Guodong.

They forced Shen Guodong, who was hiding in the shadows, to step forward onto the stage.

Shen Guodong doesn't care whether Gu Ming lives or dies.

But he couldn't ignore his daughter's investment acumen, nor could he disregard the Shen family's reputation.

If Shen Guodong stands idly by and does nothing, it would be tantamount to admitting to the outside world that:

"That's right, the person my daughter invested in was a fraud. My Shen family's money was swindled."

This is an intolerable insult for a capitalist like Shen Guodong who cherishes his reputation.

Therefore, he had to take action.

He must personally quell the storm he himself has stirred up.

This situation...

With a single phone call and a few words of grievance, Gu Ming turned a potentially fatal crisis into a brilliant move.

Su Qingying had only one thought and a silent curse in her mind.

"This little fox."