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

Wang Min didn't quite understand.

"Boss, you mean... do it the other way around?"

Gu Ming turned around, picked up the whiteboard marker, and drew a very steep parabola on the whiteboard behind him.

At the highest point of the parabola, he wrote three words heavily: Wang Tianqi.

"It's a positive operation."

Gu Ming's voice was devoid of emotion in the empty computer room.

"We will mobilize all our resources and our undercover agents, contacting every channel we can reach, from marketing accounts to financial KOLs and industry media—we will leave no one out."

He paused for a moment, then drew a circle around the three characters "Wang Tianqi" with the tip of his pen.

"Remember, this time, no smearing, no questioning, and don't mention Star Media. You only have one task—to praise them."

"Praise his technological vision and courage. Portray him as a lone hero who challenged the old era, a figure who ushered in a new age."

"How much praise should we give?"

Wang Min asked.

"Keep praising him until he believes it himself."

……

Overnight, hundreds of marketing accounts with hundreds of thousands to millions of followers all posted similar tweets.

"Stars Fall, Apocalypse Arrives: How Wang Tianqi Reshapes Chinese AI with the Soul Engine."

In-depth analysis: Why is it said that Wang Tianqi's technology was at least an era ahead of Gu Ming's?

That man, single-handedly, made Wall Street take notice.

The article portrays Wang Tianqi as a tragic pioneer who is misunderstood, while Gu Ming and Xingchen Media are depicted as conservative and rigid old forces.

Between the lines, it's all nauseating flattery and expectations for the new era.

Tianqi Entertainment Headquarters, President's Office.

Looking at the public opinion report and the stock price chart on the screen that was rising like crazy, Wang Tianqi initially had some doubts, but he was quickly filled with vanity.

He was naturally suspicious and was initially worried that this was a trap set by Gu Ming.

But now, the letter of intent for cooperation, the bank's proactive increase in credit line, and the flattering phone calls from investors who usually look down on him are all telling him one thing—he has won.

A resounding victory.

He even personally selected a photo he was very satisfied with, added a caption, and posted it on social media.

"Technology will always belong only to the truly strong. Thanks to the times, and thanks to everyone for your recognition. As for those who have already announced their extended vacations, I hope you have a pleasant holiday, and hopefully you never come back."

The atmosphere in the office area was very oppressive.

Several small MCNs that had previously signed cooperation agreements with Star Media immediately issued statements announcing their termination of contracts with Star Media and then pledged their allegiance to Apocalypse Entertainment.

Even within the company, employees were whispering among themselves in the break room.

"Has the boss really gone too far this time?"

"Yeah, Li Xiang and the other two were our core technical team. The fact that they all switched jobs proves that Apocalypse's technology is truly amazing..."

"Are we... really going to go bankrupt?"

The office door was suddenly pushed open.

Shen Lian rushed in like a whirlwind, her face flushed red with anxiety.

"Gu Ming. Are you still going to sit still? Wang Tianqi is practically shitting on your neck. My dad has agreed, you can use all of the Shen family's public relations channels however you want. We're going to fight back now. I'm good at spending money."

She slammed her phone on the table; it displayed a massive, astonishing list of resources she had accessed.

Gu Ming looked up, saw her anxious expression, and smiled.

"Counterattack? Why would we counterattack?"

"you."

Shen Lian stomped her foot in anger.

"Are you out of your mind? If you don't fight back, your company will be ruined by all the criticism."

"Don't rush."

Gu Ming said.

"I do need your help with something, and only you can do it."

Upon hearing this, Shen Lian'an's eyes immediately lit up.

"Speak. What is it? Do you want me to have someone hack his company's server?"

Gu Ming shook his head and handed her a document.

"Use the Shen family's influence to unite several industry associations and award Wang Tianqi an award."

Shen Lian took the document and was stunned when she saw the award name on it.

"Annual Science and Technology Innovation Leader Award"

"Give him an award."

Shen Lian'an's voice suddenly rose in pitch.

"Are you sure you don't want my dad to send him a lawyer's letter?"

"Sure."

Gu Ming nodded.

"Not only should it be released, but it should be released in a grand and high-profile manner, with a high profile and a strong presence. We need to portray his toxic and greedy code as surpassing Silicon Valley and rewriting the underlying logic of the future."

Shen Lian was stunned. She looked at Gu Ming as if he were an alien.

Despite not understanding it, she still chose to believe Gu Ming.

She gritted her teeth and picked up the document.

"Okay. I'll do it. But let me tell you, if he really becomes a god, I'll be the first to not let you off the hook."

After saying that, she rushed out again.

An hour later, Shen Guodong called.

This was the first time the voice of this financial tycoon had sounded so solemn.

"Gu Ming, what exactly are you trying to do?"

"Uncle Shen, I'm just pushing him onto a high platform from which he can't get off, to see how he'll handle the consequences."

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone, so long that Gu Ming thought he had already hung up.

"Are you raising a tiger to your own detriment, or playing with fire and getting burned?"

Shen Guodong's voice drifted over.

Gu Ming smiled.

"No, not at all. I'm just waiting for the fire to start so I can see how big a fire he can burn himself."

After hanging up the phone, the office fell silent again.

Su Qingying brought in two cups of coffee, placing one next to Gu Ming.

Everyone thinks you're crazy.

she says.

"Soon, they'll find out who the real madman is."

Gu Ming turned the computer screen towards her; it displayed a series of complex codes and a bright red countdown.

"Wang Tianqi's Soul Engine is essentially a clumsy imitation and brute-force crack of our greedy code. He thought he had obtained a treasure, but it was actually a contract that would cost him his life."

"I've planted a logical backdoor in this code. Every large-scale call to computing power will cause the data redundancy of this backdoor to grow exponentially. In order to show off his skills and prove his value to the capital market, Wang Tianqi will definitely hold an unprecedented real-time soul-interaction live broadcast at the industry summit forum three days later."

Gu Ming pointed to an inconspicuous parameter on the screen.

"Once the live stream begins, the influx of traffic from across the internet will cause data redundancy to exceed the critical threshold. At that point, his prized 'soul engine' will completely collapse in front of everyone on the entire internet."

"The higher he's praised now, the harder he'll fall. Every word of praise he receives now will become a blade that turns against him later."

Su Qingying looked at the calculated computing power trap on the screen, then at the expressionless face of the man beside her, and a chill ran down her spine.

Looking at the man before her, she felt a fear that was almost godlike or demonic for the first time.

The office was quiet. Su Qingying looked at Gu Ming, her gaze softening unconsciously.

The two looked at each other and smiled.

With a click, the office door was pushed open.

Shen Li'an, who had just finished arranging the award ceremony, was about to return to claim credit when she happened to witness this scene.

Under the lights, Gu Ming and Su Qingying stood side by side, and the atmosphere that no one else could intrude stung her eyes.

Shen Lian'an's steps froze at the doorway.

Wang Tianqi himself spent a fortune to book all the LED screens on the Bund, displaying his smug face and the slogan "Tianqi has arrived, the future has come" 24 hours a day.

In the underground server room, Gu Ming looked at the lights of the Bund on the monitor screen with a calm expression.

He picked up the walkie-talkie and spoke to Chen Mo on the other end.

"The knife is sharpened."

"Send him on his way."

On the other side, Shen Lian, who was standing at the door, had her nails digging deeply into her palms.

Looking at Su Qingying and Gu Ming's backs as they walked side by side, she suddenly felt a sense of crisis.

At that moment, her phone started vibrating wildly.

It was her father's assistant calling.

"Miss, something bad has happened. One of our group's entertainment companies has been targeted by our rivals due to the recent media storm surrounding Apocalypse Entertainment, and its stock price has started to fluctuate abnormally."

Shen Lian held her phone, listening to the urgent report on the other end, then glanced at the two people in the office who lived in their own worlds.

She suddenly realized that she could no longer just be a rich girl who only knew how to spend money.

She must find a position in this game that no one can replace except for her financial power.