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

The banquet hall on the top floor of the Hegang International Hotel.

To celebrate the success of the virtual idol "Zero", Star Media held a celebration banquet.

Almost every well-known person in Hegang was present.

As the protagonist of the night, Gu Ming was surrounded by many smiling people who said nice things to him.

"Mr. Gu, you're so young and accomplished! We haven't seen someone like you in Hegang for many years!"

"Mr. Gu, my daughter really loves that 'zero' character; she watches it at home every day!"

"Mr. Gu, when are you free? Let's have dinner together?"

Dealing with these things is more tiring than writing code.

Gu Ming wore a gentle smile and clinked glasses with everyone who came to offer a toast, but in his heart he was complaining.

He felt like he was being watched and judged by a group of people.

I subconsciously scanned the crowd, searching for familiar faces.

Not far away, the three Wang sisters were excitedly chattering by the buffet table, their faces beaming with pride.

On the other side, Shen Lian, dressed in a custom-made little dress and holding a glass of juice, moved nimbly through the crowd. She would grab someone and excitedly tell them how amazing "Zero" was, unaware that the people looking at her were more in awe of her father.

As expected of you, An'an, a social butterfly.

In the shadows of the corner, Su Qingying, dressed in a well-tailored black dress, stood alone, holding a glass of red wine, quietly observing herself. When Gu Ming's gaze fell upon her, she raised her glass in a respectful toast, a smile playing on her lips, her eyes filled with a hint of worry.

I know you're worried I'll get eaten by these people. Don't worry, it's not certain who'll eat whom.

Not far behind Su Qingying, another figure stood in the shadows.

Chen Mo.

She changed out of her training clothes and into a smart black women's suit that Gu Ming had Wang Min pick out for her. She didn't wear makeup or take any alcohol; she simply leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, motionless. Her sharp eyes were constantly watching everyone who approached Gu Ming.

Yes, my soldier, you've done a good job on guard duty.

Just as Gu Ming was about to find an excuse to sneak off to the balcony for some fresh air, a commotion suddenly broke out at the entrance of the banquet hall.

The music stopped.

The crowd automatically parted to make way for a passage.

Gu Ming squinted and looked in the direction of the sound.

A man in his forties walked in, surrounded by a group of bodyguards in black. He was slightly overweight and walked with a swagger.

He wore a bespoke, shiny suit, and the jade thumb ring on his thumb gleamed green under the lights. His entire outfit screamed that he was rich and not to be trifled with.

Wang Tianqi.

He actually came?

Uninvited.

They're here to cause trouble.

Gu Ming's heart tightened, but his smile became even brighter.

He saw Wang Tianqi's gaze quickly sweep across the entire room, then stop in a certain direction, and walk straight over there.

The person sitting in that direction is Shen Guodong, who is attending tonight as a representative of the investors.

Shen Guodong remained calm, dressed in a dark Chinese-style Tang suit, holding a cup of black tea, as if he was not surprised at all by Wang Tianqi's arrival.

The fun has begun.

Gu Ming picked up a glass of champagne, ready to watch the show.

"Chairman Shen, it's been a long time! It's been so long!"

Before Wang Tianqi even arrived, his loud voice carried over.

He walked up to Shen Guodong and warmly extended his hands.

"Mr. Wang, what brings you here?" Shen Guodong slowly stood up, shook hands with Wang Tianqi, and smiled warmly. "Your business has expanded to the Northeast region, hasn't it? You didn't even give me a heads-up so I could show you some hospitality."

The words were polite, but contained a hidden meaning.

This is my territory, what are you doing here?

Wang Tianqi laughed heartily, then sat down in the empty seat opposite Shen Guodong without a care in the world, and poured himself a glass of Moutai.

"I heard that you, Chairman Shen, launched a big project here and made hundreds of millions in one night! I figured I had to come over and learn from your experience!"

Stop pretending, I know what you're up to.

The verbal exchange between the two bigwigs was full of probing and provocation in every sentence.

The surrounding crowd instinctively moved away, clearing a space.

Just when Gu Ming thought he could watch the whole thing in peace, Wang Tianqi suddenly looked straight at him.

"That must be President Gu, right?"

Wang Tianqi pointed at Gu Ming and beckoned to him with his finger.

"Xiao Gu, come here, come here for a second."

The tone was more like a summons than an invitation.

Oh shit.

Ultimately, there was no escaping it.

Gu Ming cursed inwardly, but immediately put on a smile, bowed slightly, and walked over quickly.

"Mr. Wang, Chairman Shen," he greeted respectfully.

"Hmm." Wang Tianqi looked him up and down, his eyes like he was assessing a piece of merchandise.

He suddenly reached out and patted Gu Ming's shoulder heavily, then turned to Shen Guodong and said in a half-joking, half-serious tone:

"Chairman Shen, this soldier of yours is quite good!"

"Courageous and resourceful, a real talent! He's kept it well hidden!"

coming.

He really did think I was one of Shen Guodong's men.

His words were a tactic to trick Shen Guodong and also to force me to make a statement.

If I acquiesce, it will confirm that Shen Guodong is the mastermind, and Wang Tianqi will then focus all his efforts on dealing with Shen Guodong.

If I deny it, Wang Tianqi will think that I can be manipulated at will.

Gu Ming's brain quickly analyzed the pros and cons.

He bowed slightly, a smile on his face, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears.

"President Wang, Chairman Shen, you are too kind to me."

"I'm just from a small town, I don't have much experience. I got lucky, like a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse, and managed to achieve some success. It's all thanks to Chairman Shen and Miss An'an for their generosity."

That was a very well-considered statement.

He gave Shen Guodong face by placing himself in the position of an appreciated junior, but he did not admit that he was Shen Guodong's subordinate, thus drawing a line between himself and Shen Guodong under the guise of business cooperation.

After listening, a barely perceptible hint of disappointment flashed in Wang Tianqi's eyes.

This person is more cunning than he imagined.

The attempt was unsuccessful.

Then we'll have to just state the conditions directly.

Wang Tianqi's smile grew even warmer, and instead of loosening his grip on Gu Ming's shoulder, he tightened his grip even more.

In front of Shen Guodong and everyone else present, he offered Gu Ming a very high price.

"Little Gu, Hegang is too small a place; it's a waste of your talent!"

"Take my advice, don't waste your time here, there's no future in it."

Come to Apocalypse Entertainment!

Wang Tianqi raised his voice, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"I'll give you an independent business unit and make you the president! And I'll also give you... one percent of Apocalypse Entertainment's original shares!"

"How is it?!"

These words caused an uproar in the audience!

Everyone was shocked, looking at Wang Tianqi and Gu Ming with incredulous eyes.

Tianqi Entertainment! That's a major company in China's MCN industry with a market value exceeding 10 billion!

One percent of the original shares? That's worth at least a hundred million!

crazy!

Has this guy surnamed Wang gone mad?!

All eyes were now focused on Gu Ming, each with a different expression.

They wanted to see how Gu Ming would react. Would he be so excited he'd ramble on and on? Or would he immediately kneel down and call him "Dad"?

Even Shen Guodong, whose face had been calm all along, turned somber. His hand, holding the teacup, froze in mid-air.

However, Gu Ming's reaction once again exceeded everyone's expectations.

He showed no excitement, no loss of composure, and not even the slightest hesitation.

He just smiled.

He picked up his glass of champagne and, first respectfully, raised it to Wang Tianqi from a distance.

"Thank you for your kind regard, Mr. Wang. I am unworthy of such high regard from you."

Then, he drank the wine in his glass in one gulp.

He put down his wine glass, looked at Wang Tianqi, and said slowly, word by word, in a tone that was half-joking and half-serious:

"However...Mr. Wang..."

"I have a little quirk..."

He paused deliberately to attract everyone's attention, and then looked directly into Wang Tianqi's eyes.

The corners of his mouth turned up in an upward curve.

"That's just how I am..."

"I just love being my own boss."

The scene was completely silent.

Wang Tianqi's smile froze.

The guests behind him were stunned.

Shen Guodong, who had been silent all along, was stunned for a moment after hearing this, then leaned back in his chair and burst into hearty laughter.

"Hahaha! Good! Well said!"

Wang Tianqi's stiff smile, Shen Guodong's clapping laughter, and Gu Ming's calm gaze.

The three people's eyes met in mid-air.