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

No. 108, Shengli Road.

The office of Star Media.

The recording of Wang Min's live stream is playing silently.

From being besieged by comments at the beginning, to her trembling voice as she spoke and presented evidence, public opinion was completely reversed in the end.

The whole process was a very successful crisis management.

But Gu Ming saw something deeper.

These three girls have both advantages and disadvantages.

Their strengths lie in their authenticity and grassroots nature, possessing an untamed wildness that is most likely to attract early adopters.

But their shortcomings are just as obvious.

They lack a sense of rules, act impulsively, and are easily swayed by their emotions.

If it weren't for his intervention yesterday, their influencer careers would have ended the very next day.

One success is luck, but consistent success is what makes a career.

He had to sheath this wild sword with a scabbard called "Rules".

Gu Ming turned off the video and created a new document.

He typed a few words in the title bar: "Star Media Artist Management Contract".

Instead of using those generic templates online, he wrote the terms himself.

The first point is about obedience.

In all public activities, content releases, and business collaborations, Party B must accept the guidance and arrangements of Party A.

Article Two, Regarding Discipline.

Party B is strictly prohibited from publishing any personal statements on any platform or in any form that have not been reviewed by Party A.

The third point concerns image.

Party B is obligated to maintain the positive public image designated by the company and must not engage in any private conduct that could damage that image.

……

He typed each word carefully on the keyboard, his expression focused.

This contract is not for exploitation, but for constraint and protection.

He wanted to transform them from a makeshift troupe that relied on brotherhood and loyalty into well-behaved and professional commercial artists.

This is the prerequisite for them to go further.

Around noon, his mother, Meng Xiaoyan, called, urging him to come home for lunch.

When Gu Ming returned home, he smelled the aroma of food as soon as he opened the door.

Meng Xiaoyan prepared four dishes and a soup, a feast as lavish as a festival.

"Wow, has the sun risen in the west? Is the food good today?"

Gu Ming smiled as he changed his shoes.

"To celebrate your success."

Meng Xiaoyan brought out the last plate of braised fish from the kitchen, a smile she couldn't hide on her face. "I heard from your aunt that you were the one who orchestrated that online incident yesterday? Did you really make those girls famous?"

There are no secrets in a small county town; once it's spread among relatives and neighbors, everyone knows.

"It wasn't about making them famous, it was just about solving some problems."

Gu Ming sat down and picked up his chopsticks.

"You child, what are you being modest about?"

Meng Xiaoyan placed a large piece of fish into his bowl, saying, "You're quite capable, aren't you? You can get things done just by sitting at home and moving your fingers."

After offering a few words of praise, she changed the subject and sighed.

"Sigh, speaking of which, I still think it's a pity about that teacher, Li Li."

Gu Ming paused in his eating.

"Mom, why are you bringing her up again?"

"I'm just stating the facts."

Meng Xiaoyan's tone was a mix of regret and boastfulness: "Her family is so well-off. Her father is a leader, and she's a tenured teacher with a stable job. She's also very beautiful. If you had been more proactive and attentive back then, you might already have a child by now."

She glanced at Gu Ming and continued:

"Unlike you now, running your own company, working day and night, it doesn't seem reliable at all. Tell me, when will you ever settle down?"

Gu Ming didn't refute, he just silently ate his rice.

He understood his mother's logic.

Stability and dignity were the standards by which her generation measured everything.

In his mother's eyes, what he is doing now is just children playing house, far less practical than being a "teacher son-in-law".

Meanwhile, in a high-end residential community in the west of the city.

Li Li irritably threw a cushion off the sofa.

On the phone screen in front of her was the homepage of Wang Min's account, which already had over 60,000 followers.

The comments section below the video was filled with praise.

"Support the righteous sisters!"

"This sister is so cool! I'm a fan now!"

Looking at all this, Li Li felt a mix of emotions, and she couldn't understand it.

On what grounds?

Just because they're uneducated?

Rude behavior?

Or do you just speak without thinking?

How can someone like this become famous?

What's wrong with this world?

She couldn't believe that Gu Ming, whom she looked down upon, was behind all of this.

Could that ordinary-looking, unassuming man, who "escaped" from the big city, possess such great abilities?

impossible.

This is either a coincidence or some kind of publicity stunt that she didn't realize.

She doesn't want to become an internet celebrity; she just can't accept that her judgment was wrong.

She, Li Li, comes from a good family, graduated from a prestigious university, and is a tenured teacher. She has always been very good at judging people.

How could someone deemed a "loser" suddenly become a "god" in the eyes of others?

This feeling made her feel suffocated.

I have to go and see it for myself.

She was going to find flaws, to find evidence that the company was all show and no substance, to prove that her judgment was correct.

Yes, Gu Ming must be a fraud, and that so-called "Star Media" must be a shell company.

Just then, her phone chimed; it was a WeChat message from her best friend.

"Lily, did you see the news? Yesterday's livestream reversal involving that 'energetic young woman' was orchestrated by a company called 'Starry Sky Media'! My cousin told me that their boss is Gu Ming, the guy you went on a blind date with last time. He seems incredibly capable!"

These words precisely hit Li Li's sore spot.

But he forced a disdainful expression onto his face and replied:

"What's so great about it? It's definitely a scam. What future can a small workshop like that have?"

Although he said that, he was already wavering in his heart.

She couldn't sit still any longer.

I grabbed the Mercedes car keys from the coffee table, stood up, and knew I had to check on them immediately.

She wanted to expose this "scam" to make herself feel better.

The next morning, at 9:30.

A white Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan slowly came to a stop across the street from No. 108 Shengli Road.

Li Li did not get off the bus.

She rolled down the car window, her gaze scrutinizing and disdainful as she looked at the small storefront.

A simple sign hangs above the doorway—

Star Media

The glass door was even covered in dust, and it was impossible to see inside.

really.

Just as she expected, it was a small, insignificant workshop.

She took out her phone, pointed it at the storefront, and prepared to take a picture.

I've already decided what to do: send the photo to my mom with a caption:

"Mom, look, this is the 'capable' young man you used to talk about, and he's doing so poorly."

Just as she adjusted the angle and was about to press the shutter,

With a creak.

The office door opened.

Li Li's finger stopped in mid-air.

She witnessed a scene she would never forget.

The three sisters, Wang Min, Liu Liu, and Zhang Hong, were walking out of the door.

On their faces was a genuine joy and excitement that Li Li had never seen before.

The most jarring thing was that each of them was holding a brand-new, stapled document.

Li Li has excellent eyesight, and she clearly saw the words printed on the cover of the document: "Artist Management Contract".

"Thank you, boss!"

"Don't worry, boss, we'll do whatever you say from now on! If you tell us to go east, we'll never go west!"

"Boss, you're like a second parent to us!"

Three girls surrounded a man, chattering away, their voices filled with admiration and trust.

That man was Gu Ming.

He waved his hand:

"Alright, the contract's signed. From now on, we're all family. Let's go celebrate our official partnership and I'll treat you to a nice meal."

Li Li: "......"