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

Gu Ming watched as Zhou Jianjun trembled as he signed his name on the contract that included an additional 200,000 yuan in compensation for emotional distress.

Just as Gu Ming finished dealing with the old matters, the newcomer he had his eye on was being driven to despair by reality.

HG City First People's Hospital.

Chen Mo clutched a wad of crumpled banknotes in his hand.

Three thousand two hundred yuan.

This is what she earned by carrying hundreds of tons of steel bars on the construction site over the past month.

It was a very thin stack, but it was warmed by her body heat.

With this money, her father's hospital and medication costs for next month were finally covered. She felt a little relieved.

Before she could catch her breath, her old cell phone in her pocket started vibrating shrilly.

A familiar number, from the attending physician in the inpatient department.

Chen Mo's heart tightened suddenly.

She had a bad feeling.

"Hello, Dr. Wang."

On the other end of the phone, a middle-aged man informed her in a businesslike tone.

"Chen Mo? Come to the hospital right now."

"Your father's condition suddenly deteriorated. The test results came back, and a lung infection caused complications. He needs to have surgery immediately."

"The surgery and subsequent treatment costs will probably amount to 200,000 yuan. Go and prepare accordingly."

"Remember, it's immediately, right now. If we delay any longer, we can't guarantee anything anymore."

Two hundred thousand.

immediately.

immediately.

Otherwise, your life will be in danger.

Every word left her mind blank.

She felt like the whole world was spinning.

The three thousand two hundred yuan in her hand had just made her feel a little more at ease, but compared to the number "two hundred thousand", it seemed particularly ridiculous.

She didn't know how she hung up the phone.

All I could see was complete darkness.

The hospital's stark white corridors were filled with an overwhelming smell of disinfectant.

Chen Mo sat against the cold wall all night.

My legs were numb and I had lost all feeling in them.

She just sat there, watching people come and go, as if she had lost her soul.

Until the phone screen automatically lights up due to low battery.

On the screen is a newly pushed entertainment news article.

A beautifully crafted poster took up the entire screen.

The girl in the poster is wearing a white dress, standing under the spotlight, with a bright smile.

That's Xiao Tong.

The title is: "The Sky Over Hegang Goes Viral Online; Hegang Goddess Xiao Tong Signs with Longquan Winery as Their Newest Brand Ambassador!"

The comments section below was filled with praise and envy.

"Sister is so beautiful! Beautiful face and sweet voice!"

"This is a true role model of positive energy!"

"I heard her family used to have a lot of hardship, but now they've finally overcome their difficulties! I'm so envious!"

Chen Mo stared blankly at the glamorous poster.

She knew Xiao Tong.

We used to take classes in the same dance class.

At that time, Xiao Tong's family was even worse off than hers. She always wore ill-fitting old clothes and timidly hid in a corner.

But now, she has become a star in the public eye.

And myself...

Chen Mo unconsciously swiped the screen and opened his mobile banking app.

A string of numbers popped up.

Balance: 127.5 yuan.

The glamorous celebrity posters on the screen stand in stark contrast to this pitiful number.

Chen Mo felt a tightness in his chest, as if he couldn't breathe.

On what grounds?

Why should she be so glamorous while I have to suffer like this?

Her hand reached into her pocket without her control and touched the business card that was warmed by her body heat.

Gu Ming.

The owner of Star Media.

The man's words echoed in her ears once again.

"Monthly salary of 50,000."

"There is 200,000 in this card."

"I never do charity, I only invest."

"Because your talent is worth this price."

devil.

She took the business card out of her pocket.

The thin piece of cardstock felt surprisingly heavy in my hand.

She stared intently at the name and phone number on it.

I don't know what I'll have to do if she makes this call.

Was it dignity? Was it her body? Or something else she couldn't even imagine?

From childhood to adulthood, she has only believed in one thing: relying on her own two hands.

To beg a man of unknown origin and accept a contract that seems like a favor but is actually a transaction is worse than death for her.

But... Father...

The image of my father lying in the hospital bed, tormented by illness, flashed through my mind.

Her laughable sense of dignity meant nothing compared to her father's life.

She wanted to tear up the business card.

My fingers have turned white from exerting so much force.

But in the end, she let go.

She then tucked the business card back into the deepest part of her pocket.

Just as she was hesitating, a nurse stopped in front of her.

"Excuse me, are you a family member of Chen Jianjun?"

Chen Mo numbly raised his head.

The nurse handed her a printed sheet.

"This is your father's critical condition notice. Take a look and then sign here."

Critical Illness Notice.

Her gaze was fixed on those five black lead characters, and she couldn't look away.

hum-

In that instant, Chen Mo felt as if all the sounds in the world had disappeared.

She couldn't hear a word the nurse was saying.

The noisy voices and sounds of instruments in the corridor seemed very distant.

The struggles about dignity and the fear of the unknown in her mind were all cleared away at that moment.

Only one thought remained.

Save him.

We must save him!

She pulled out the business card that was almost torn to shreds once again.

This time, her hands were shaking violently.

I had to swipe several times to unlock the phone screen.

With trembling hands, she entered the number one digit at a time.

Then, I pressed the dial button.

The phone rang three times.

The call was connected.

A young man's voice, calm to the point of being indifferent, came through the receiver.

"Feed?"

Chen Mo opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

She took a deep breath of the cold air, which smelled of disinfectant, using all her strength.

Then, she spoke those two words into the microphone in a very soft but clear voice.

"I... agree."