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

Once Zhou Tianhao understood the situation, he acted swiftly.

The next morning, he drove his BMW and parked it downstairs at Star Media.

Holding a bouquet of nine hundred and ninety-nine red roses in her hands, it was tacky and garish.

"Mr. Gu, I'm here for work!"

He rushed into the office and shoved the bouquet of flowers into Xiao Tong's arms.

"Miss Xiao Tong, this is for you. From now on, I'll be your assistant. Please feel free to ask if you need anything!"

Xiao Tong, holding the bouquet of flowers that was taller than her, was at a loss, her face flushed red, and she looked to Gu Ming for help.

The others in the office exchanged glances, wanting to laugh but not daring to.

"Young Master Zhou, enthusiasm is a good thing."

Gu Ming pulled Zhou Tianhao aside, patted him on the shoulder, and said seriously.

"But we're making art, so we have to be mindful of the methods. Doing this will scare Xiao Tong and have a negative impact."

"Then... what should I do?"

Zhou Tianhao leaned closer, looking like he was asking for advice.

"If you want to pursue a girl, sending flowers and money won't work. You have to let her see your value and make her admire you."

Gu Ming pointed him in the right direction.

"The company is currently short of a production assistant to handle Xiao Tong's logistical needs. I can offer you this position, but there will be a probationary period. You need to prove that you can handle the job and help Xiao Tong. Understand?"

"Understood! Mr. Gu, I understand!"

Zhou Tianhao's eyes lit up.

Wow, there are so many tricks to pursuing girls!

He immediately tossed the bouquet aside and adopted a serious expression.

"Ms. Xiao Tong, are you thirsty? Would you like some water? What are the filming schedules for today, and is there anything I can prepare?"

Xiao Tong looked at the spoiled young master in front of her, then at Gu Ming, whom she couldn't understand, and could only nod stiffly.

Gu Ming calmed the energetic Zhou Tianhao down, and the company finally returned to order.

Because the truly important things are about to begin today.

In the afternoon, on the outskirts of HG, at an abandoned helipad.

A modified Bell 407 helicopter is undergoing final checks.

Qi Hong and his team carefully installed the Shotover F1 gimbal under the nose of the camera.

Meanwhile, in a mobile command vehicle not far away, Gu Ming, Xu Jing, and Wang Min were sitting in front of a monitor.

The screen displays a live feed from a Phase One camera, so clear that you can see the veins of the leaves on the ground.

"Old Qi, run the gimbal self-test program once."

"GPS signal locked, image transmission signal normal."

"Wind speed of three meters per second, northwest wind, conditions for takeoff are met."

Gu Ming calmly issued instructions through the walkie-talkie.

Zhou Tianhao stood outside the car, seeing such a scene for the first time, and didn't dare to breathe.

He was stunned by the professional scene before him.

And the CEO Gu who was calling him brother yesterday is now completely different from the one he knew, and has completely taken control of the scene.

"take off."

With Gu Ming's command, the helicopter's rotor began to spin faster, creating a gust of air.

The aircraft slowly rose into the air and flew towards the city center.

On the command vehicle's screen, the image began to move.

The scenery on the ground rapidly shrank, and for the first time, the city of Hegang was presented to them from a high-altitude perspective.

The red brick residential buildings are arranged in neat rows, appearing square and orderly when viewed from above.

The crisscrossing streets run through the entire city.

In the distance, the chimneys of the coal preparation plant still emit white smoke, a symbol of the city's past.

A river flows through the city, shimmering with golden light in the setting sun.

"It's so...so beautiful."

Xu Jing looked at the screen on the monitor and sighed softly.

This is not the Hegang she knows.

From this perspective, this resource-depleted city possesses a spacious yet orderly industrial aesthetic.

This place has both past glories and present desolation.

"Old Qi, altitude 500 meters, fly at a constant speed along the main street."

Gu Ming's voice came through the walkie-talkie.

"Point the camera east, give me a long panning shot to capture the sunset and the silhouette of the city."

Qi Hong's operation was very steady, and the image on the monitor moved slowly, with each frame looking particularly beautiful.

During the one-hour flight, they filmed nearly 100 gigabytes of footage.

From dusk to sunset, and then to the first lights of the city.

This city, through Gu Ming's lens, reveals its magnificent side.

The helicopter returned and landed.

Qi Hong and Xu Jing jumped out of the cabin, their faces showing both exhaustion and excitement after completing the filming.

"Boss, you're awesome!"

Old Qi gave Gu Ming a genuine thumbs up.

"I've been shooting aerial photography for twenty years, and I never imagined that a small third-tier city could produce such a cinematic feel."

Gu Ming smiled but didn't say anything.

He simply gazed at the distant sky, where the last rays of sunset were about to fade.

The team members began packing up the equipment, and Zhou Tianhao also ran around helping to move boxes, hoping to leave a good impression on Xiao Tong.

Inside the command vehicle, only Gu Ming and Wang Min remained.

"Boss, you're amazing."

Wang Min looked at the materials she had just copied from the computer, her eyes filled with admiration.

"I only realized today that our city can be so beautiful."

Gu Ming leaned back in his chair and picked up an old guitar that he didn't know when he had left in the car.

Whether a city is beautiful or not depends on your perspective.

He casually plucked a few strings and tuned the instrument.

"Boss, you can play the guitar too?"

Wang Min felt like he had discovered a new continent.

"Just messing around in college."

Gu Ming smiled, his fingers moving across the strings to play a simple yet melancholic chord.

Then, he began to sing softly.

His voice, though untrained, possessed a husky, magnetic quality.

"Gray buildings, expressionless walls."

"The rusty rails stretch into an unknown distance."

"The north wind blew, stirring up coal dust, which fell on my shoulders like black snowflakes."

With just a few simple lyrics and a slightly melancholic melody, Wang Min was completely stunned.

Isn't this song about Hegang?

Gu Ming didn't stop; his fingers strummed the guitar strings.

"The sky over Hegang feels a bit empty."

"It can hold my dreams, but it can't hold my poverty."

"The nights in Hegang are a bit chilly."

"I light a cigarette, but it can't light up my life."

The singing echoed in the small command vehicle.

Wang Min listened intently.

She also grew up in Hegang, so she understands all too well what the song is about.

That feeling of wanting to escape yet also being attached, that sense of confusion and struggle among young people in this city.

This song expresses the sentiments of all the young people in this city.

After the song ended, Gu Ming stopped.

"Boss... this song..." Wang Min's eyes were a little red, "It's so beautiful. Did you write it?"

"Yeah, I was just looking at the scenery and writing this for fun."

Gu Ming spoke very casually.

But he knew that this song was not written casually.

This is a representative work of his previous life, when he was a very talented folk singer.

That song became a hit across the internet a few years later, resonating with countless young people struggling in small cities.

And now, this song has appeared in his hands ahead of schedule.

"Wang Min, is there a voice recorder in the car?"

Gu Ming asked.

"Yes, let me look for it."

Wang Min pulled a small voice recorder out of the storage box.

"Do me a favor."

Gu Ming handed her the voice recorder.

"I'll sing it again, and you can record it for me. The sound quality doesn't need to be too good, just a demo will do."

"Okay, boss!"

Wang Min solemnly pressed the record button.

Gu Mingqing cleared his throat and started playing the guitar again.

This time, he sang it even more completely.

Outside the car, there was the noise of packing up equipment and Zhou Tianhao's loud and boisterous voice.

Inside the car, a song destined to become a hit was recorded.

Recording complete.

Gu Ming took the voice recorder and saved the file into a newly created folder named Plan B.

Wang Min asked curiously:

"Boss, this song... are we going to release it?"

"No."

Gu Ming shook his head and put the recorder away.

"It's not the right time yet."

He looked out the window at the busy crowd and a smile appeared on his lips.

Plan A involves using Zhou Tianhao to secure the support of Longquan Winery.

But this is only the plan on the surface.

His real backup plan was this Plan B he prepared for Xiao Tong.

He doesn't need Zhou Tianhao to make Xiao Tong famous.

When Zhou Tianhao and his family think they have everything under control, he will show them who is truly in charge.

And this song, "The Sky Over Hegang," was an important preparation for him.