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

That roar exhausted all her strength and tore through the facade she had built with pride and a sense of superiority.

She stared intently at the man in the car like a prisoner awaiting trial, yearning for an answer.

Even if it's a humiliating or mocking answer.

At least, that proves that she exists in his eyes.

Gu Ming looked at her.

There was no anger, no impatience, and not even the deliberate indifference he had shown before in his eyes.

It was a pure, emotionless scrutiny.

It's like an engineer looking at a faulty but simply constructed part.

He did not answer immediately.

Instead, he calmly looked at her, his gaze sweeping over her chest, which was heaving with emotion, and finally settling on her eyes, which were filled with grievance and resentment.

This calmness, more so than any fierce response, sent a chill down Li Li's spine.

Just when she thought Gu Ming would drive away as before, he finally spoke.

"Teacher Li, you asked the wrong question."

His voice was flat, as if he were stating a fact that had nothing to do with him.

Li Li was stunned, and even forgot to shed tears.

"What?"

"Disdain" is an emotional expression.

Gu Ming tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel.

"And I never make any judgments based on emotions."

"I only assess value."

value?

Li Li's mind went blank; she couldn't understand those two words at all.

These two cold, seemingly extracted words from a business report formed an absurd contrast with her surging emotions at that moment.

"I don't understand... what value?"

She asked instinctively.

Gu Ming seemed very patient, like a teacher explaining a basic problem to a student who was not yet quick to grasp the concepts.

Your value lies in stability.

"You come from a good family, have a tenured teaching job, and are quite good-looking. In a small city like Hegang, you are an excellent marriage prospect. Any local man who wants a stable life would think you are the best choice. This is your value, and this is your path—a stable life."

Every word he said seemed to affirm her.

But this affirmation filled Li Li with an unprecedented sense of panic.

Because Gu Ming immediately changed the subject.

"But this isn't my track."

"Xiao Tong's value lies in uncertainty."

"She comes from an ordinary family, with no connections, like a blank sheet of paper. She has a background in dance, but more importantly, she has a story to tell, a sense of vulnerability that resonates with ordinary people. Her value lies in her ability to be molded, packaged, and ultimately seen by billions of people. This is the path I'm on."

Gu Ming looked at Li Li's face, which had turned from flushed red to deathly pale.

So, it's not that I look down on you.

"But your value to my career is zero, or even negative."

"A person who is so stable that they are perfect means that they have no stories to tell. In the world of traffic, they are worthless."

"Teacher Li, do you understand?"

"We are not on the same track."

We are not on the same track.

So that's how it is... So that's how it is.

He doesn't dislike her.

It wasn't because of the argument during the blind date that I held a grudge against her.

He simply... genuinely felt she was useless.

Like a stone by the roadside, a tree, an object completely unrelated to his world.

She felt as if all her strength had been drained away by those words.

All the grievances, anger, and jealousy became utterly ridiculous in that instant.

You won't be angry at a stone, nor will you be jealous of a tree.

Because they... are none of your business.

The color drained from Li Li's face little by little.

The light in his eyes gradually faded away.

She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

Finally, as if her spine had been removed, her legs went weak, and she collapsed onto the cold cement floor.

Gu Ming looked at Li Li, who was lying on the ground, without a trace of pity in his eyes.

He has already given his answer.

He didn't look at her again and slowly rolled up the car window.

That layer of dark glass, like a curtain, completely separated the two worlds.

The engine let out a low growl.

The black Audi A6 drove past Li Li smoothly without stopping at all.

Not far away, Xiao Tong sat in Li Li's car, staring in disbelief at everything.

She saw Li Li rush out to stop the car, heard that heart-wrenching question, and also saw Gu Ming roll down the car window and say a few words.

Then she saw Li Li, who had been so aggressive just a second ago, collapse to the ground as if her soul had been sucked away.

Gu Ming's car sped away from her.

An indescribable chill rose in Xiao Tong's heart.

For the first time, she realized so clearly just how cold and powerful the man, who always appeared calm, truly was inside.

……

Back to Star Media.

Gu Ming took off his coat, as if he had just gone out for a walk.

"Wang Min, notify all key personnel that a meeting will be held in the conference room in five minutes."

His voice was devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

Qi Hong, Xu Jing, and others had already arrived in the conference room.

"Boss, will the afternoon shoot continue?"

Wang Min asked.

"continue."

Gu Ming nodded.

"As originally planned, we'll film the video featuring Guofang 1915. But we won't release it yet."

"Not issuing it?"

Everyone was taken aback.

"Um."

Gu Ming leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped in front of him on the table.

"Now, we don't need to do anything."

"Just wait."

"Wait for a phone call."

He looked around at everyone.

"Negotiations with Longquan Winery could begin at any time. I need you to start preparing immediately."

"Xu Jing, take a team to collect and compile successful marketing cases of all domestic liquor brands in the past three years, especially crisis public relations cases. I need to see a complete report before I leave work today."

"Old Qi, go and study all of Longquan Winery's products, including packaging design, brand story, and pricing strategy. Give me a comprehensive analysis of their strengths and weaknesses."

"Wang Min, go and investigate Zhou Jianjun thoroughly. From his rise to wealth to his network of connections, from his personality to his personal hobbies, I want all the information I can find."

The instructions were clearly laid out one by one.

The atmosphere in the office became tense yet orderly once again.

Gu Ming returned to his office and closed the door.

He made himself a cup of tea and then placed his phone in the center of the table.

The screen was lit, and it was very quiet.

He knew that number would soon appear on the screen.

Because what he gave Zhou Jianjun was not a multiple-choice question.

It was their only way to survive.