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

Inside the abandoned gymnastics hall.

The intense training had just ended, and the air was thick with the smell of sweat.

Chen Mo stood in the center of the field, her chest heaving violently. Sweat dripped down her chin onto the old mat.

In front of her, her assistant Liu Liu was holding a laptop and excitedly playing a video.

That was the first promotional video for the "Steel Flower" project.

In the footage, a thin figure moves through an abandoned factory area, performing a series of difficult maneuvers.

Each shot has a strong visual impact.

"Sister Mo, you're so cool!" Liu Liu's voice trembled with excitement. "This video is sure to go viral."

Chen Mo didn't speak, but just looked at himself on the screen, his calm eyes revealing a hint of anticipation and nervousness.

This is the first answer sheet she has ever given in her life.

She hoped to please that man.

At this moment, Gu Ming emerged from the shadows of the gymnastics hall.

He did not discuss filming details or training plans.

He was holding an unopened white Huawei phone box.

He walked up to Chen Mo, and all eyes in the training hall turned to him.

The atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

Gu Ming looked at Chen Mo and spoke calmly.

"Hand out."

Chen Mo was somewhat puzzled, but he still subconsciously extended his right hand.

The veins on the back of her hands were prominent, and her knuckles were covered with old and new wounds and calluses.

But these hands are also long and steady.

Gu Ming's gaze fell on her hands.

"What were these hands originally used for?" he asked.

Chen Mo paused for a moment, looked down at his hands, and answered honestly:

"On the construction site, I carried bricks and mixed cement."

"And now?" Gu Ming asked again.

"Now..." Chen Mo glanced at the punching bag and phone next to him, "...for punching, and for using the phone."

"very good."

Gu Ming nodded, then did something that surprised everyone.

He solemnly placed the brand-new phone box into Chen Mo's calloused hands.

Chen Mo held the exquisite phone box, completely stunned.

She could tell it was a brand new phone.

Why give her a new phone? Her old one is still working.

"The phone you used before, and the software on it..."

Gu Ming finally got to the point. His voice was calm, but every word was spoken clearly.

"...is your recruit training ground."

Chen Mo's body jolted violently.

Her pupils dilated slightly in shock.

New recruits...training ground?

"I set strict assessment standards in that training ground."

Gu Ming looked at her with sharp eyes.

"I'm testing your character to see if you panic when the numbers in your account plummet, and if you waver because of continuous losses."

"I'm testing your focus to see if you can accurately execute every instruction I give you in any environment."

"I'm still assessing your execution ability to see if you get complacent because of the profits in your account, and whether you develop inappropriate greed or wishful thinking."

Gu Ming's every word made Chen Mo understand things more clearly.

She recalled the past few months, during which she felt tense, anxious, excited, and disappointed every day while staring at the candlestick charts.

She thought that Gu Ming was testing her business acumen.

She thought that Gu Ming was teaching her how to make money.

So it was all a lie?

Feelings of grievance, confusion, and even a hint of being deceived welled up inside me.

She felt that all her efforts had been built on a lie.

His lips trembled slightly, and his hands holding the phone box began to shake.

The light in his eyes was dimming.

Just as Chen Mo's emotions were about to spiral out of control.

Gu Ming's voice rang out.

"Chen Mo."

He paused for a moment, speaking each word slowly but forcefully.

"I hereby declare."

"Your basic training officially ends today."

"All of your assessment criteria...are excellent."

Chen Mo's mind went blank.

ended?

Excellent performance review?

All her confusion and grievances were rendered meaningless by the phrase "excellent in everything," leaving her feeling stiff and helpless.

Looking into her confused eyes, Gu Ming knew that there was only one last step left.

He looked directly into her eyes, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable power.

"From today onwards, you will step into the real battlefield."

He gently tapped the new phone box in Chen Mo's hand.

"This phone has no simulator or training software."

"Inside, it's linked to Star Media's highest-level real-money trading account."

"Our account contains all the ammunition we need to fight our first tough battle."

Looking at Chen Mo's shocked face, he slowly curled a smile of appreciation and trust into his lips.

He uttered those words in a solemn tone.

"My warrior..."

"It's time to switch to real guns and live ammunition."

Time seemed to stand still.

The confusion, grievance, and bewilderment in Chen Mo's eyes vanished instantly upon seeing the words "my warrior."

Instead, there was a strong sense of excitement and honor.

She realized that she had not been deceived.

Instead, she was undergoing a test from him.

Every drop of sweat she shed, every sleepless night she stayed up, and every moment of psychological torment she endured were medals that earned her the right to step onto the battlefield.

She gripped the phone box tightly in her hand.

That cold touch, in her palm at that moment, felt like a pledge of absolute trust.

She met Gu Ming's eyes.

Her eyes were red, but she didn't let a single tear fall.

Soldiers must not shed tears.

She looked at Gu Ming with all her might, and solemnly and slowly nodded.

A nod.

She knew it from the moment she gripped the phone tightly.

Only then did he truly become his warrior.