Cao Gongzi's Calculations and Plans for the Future

The entire meal revolved around discussions about real estate.

The conversation grew increasingly in-depth, and by the end, everyone at the table agreed that the quoted price wasn’t excessive—at least not outrageously so.

After all, beyond construction costs, the interior decor and furnishings were even more extravagant.

The entire home was outfitted with smart technology.

A decade later, this kind of setup still wouldn’t be commonplace, and even then, a full installation would cost hundreds of thousands.

And that didn’t even account for appliances and renovations.

So…

Given that this was a cutting-edge innovation—the first of its kind in fourth-and-a-half-generation residential properties—wasn’t it reasonable for the price to be a bit higher?

Most importantly, what Cao Cheng was selling wasn’t just a house, but an experience and a reputation.

What he was really harvesting wasn’t money.

It was emotional value.

Of course,

There was one key point Cao Cheng hadn’t mentioned yet: these new materials weren’t limited to real estate—they had applications in other industries as well.

Like military defense.

These new steels, memory alloys, and the like could all be used in weaponry, tank armor, artillery, and more.

Especially since their hardness was two hundred times that of steel, while remaining incredibly lightweight, highly malleable, stable, durable, and boasting exceptional tensile strength.

This stuff was practically tailor-made for military equipment—applicable across land, sea, and air.

On the other hand, it was also useful for transportation infrastructure.

Indispensable in industrial sectors too.

Energy, railways…

Even space.

So,

Over the next few decades, starting from this point, it would take at least forty years before these materials were used in real estate.

But other fields wouldn’t have to wait that long.

In other words, in the dreamscape, these materials appeared one by one, first deployed in other industries before eventually becoming mainstream in housing.

Cao Cheng, however, was playing the reverse game.

When those inspection teams came around later, they’d find themselves more baffled the deeper they dug.

No wonder the emotional value was bound to skyrocket.

Cao Cheng didn’t bring this up, though. Revealing too much might worry his sisters, given how far-reaching the implications were.

It just felt like something their family—ordinary businesspeople—couldn’t quite handle.

And under normal circumstances, that would be true.

If not for Tang Xin’s presence, Cao Cheng wouldn’t have taken such a massive leap.

After all, there were plenty of ways to harvest emotional value without unveiling things he couldn’t protect.

Take that X-serum, for example. Without the Tang family’s backing, Cao Cheng would’ve been in deep trouble—or at the very least, far less relaxed.

……

All these new materials were patented, and classified as confidential patents at that.

Cao Cheng had previously acquired several upstream and downstream companies with a wave of his hand, merging them under a proxy management structure.

He had no shortage of capable executives at his disposal.

Truth be told, society wasn’t lacking in talent.

Especially young talent.

The paperwork for these new materials wasn’t much hassle either. His status spoke for itself, and with the Tang family backing him,

No one was going out of their way to obstruct him—even if they weren’t exactly rolling out the red carpet.

It saved a lot of headaches.

Besides, these materials hadn’t been deliberately publicized yet. There was no rush.

He’d wait until his father-in-law was firmly settled before making moves.

As long as Cao Cheng didn’t leak the details himself, no one would ever know.

Even after the houses were built, no one would be able to detect anything.

Because,

Cao Cheng’s goal was simply to construct homes and develop real estate. At first, no one would pay close attention to the technical specs of these new materials.

Building a house only required approval from urban development authorities. As long as the new materials met certain standards, they could be used—no exhaustive testing needed.

They’d check basic parameters, not peak performance metrics.

Same with local quality supervision departments.

Just a few key indicators for review.

So…

For now, this remained completely under wraps.

If Cao Cheng hadn’t mentioned it today, even his family wouldn’t have known.

……

After dinner,

Ren's mother pulled Cao Cheng aside for a chat. It was clear she was considering a comeback.

Understandable, really. With a devoted husband like Old Cao at home, he was the perfect man to support her from behind the scenes.

All she had to do was manage the household, and Ren's mother could return to her role as a powerhouse.

Plus, with their little bundle of joy, her lifelong wish was fulfilled, so she wasn’t thinking about a second child.

Mainly because the family’s ventures were multiplying.

Cao Cheng’s investments were expanding rapidly.

Ren's mother could see he was short on manpower—one of the reasons she was tempted to step back in.

Naturally, Cao Cheng had no objections.

……

Once these matters were settled, they were quickly set aside.

Cao Cheng’s mind returned to the matter of the Twin Locks.

Eldest Sister was at 93.

Third and Fourth were both at 94.

Seemed like breaking past the 95 threshold was genuinely tough.

The next day,

Cao Cheng sought out Tang Xin.

She was also in Zhonghai, busy with their new home—especially the interior decor. She wanted to handle it herself, creating a cozy little nest.

The moment they met, he tossed her a Twin Lock. It read: 98!

Slightly higher than Ren Fanxing’s.

This pretty much confirmed it.

Breaking through the body’s limits was essential to surpass the 95 mark.

As for why it was 98 instead of a perfect 100,

Cao Cheng had a rough idea.

Considering Ren Fanxing’s conflicted expression, it was clear that "sharing" created some subconscious reservations.

An imperfection, in other words.

If Ren Fanxing didn’t exist—or Tang Xin, or the little mixed-race girl—maybe it could’ve hit 100.

At least, that was Cao Cheng’s theory.

……

This new home wasn’t particularly large.

Tang Xin didn’t seem to care for the Ren family’s architectural style.

Too big. Too lavish.

All she’d ever wanted was a little place for just the two of them.

Her previous purchases had always been modest apartments—never a villa or anything grandiose.

But since this was their new home, shared by both, it was slightly bigger: a 120-square-meter flat.

The renovations were nearly done.

Cao Cheng walked through it with her.

They stood on the unfinished balcony, gazing at the river view.

Tang Xin basked in the night breeze.

"I love this place, and this house. But… do you think it’s too small? Should we buy a few more? Something bigger? Alternate between them?"

Such was the dynamic of an older woman-younger man relationship.

She always considered Cao Cheng’s preferences.

"No need. This place is perfect. Besides, let’s not forget—we’re in real estate ourselves. If we want a certain kind of house, we can just build it. No point buying." Cao Cheng wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, and the two of them stood there in silence, taking in the nightscape.

Neither spoke.

For a moment, it felt as though time had collapsed—as if they’d aged together in an instant, reaching that "growing old together" ideal.

Maybe it was too serene.

They both felt like an old married couple.

Not even wed yet, and it already seemed like a lifetime had passed.

But,

The moment didn’t last.

Because Cao Cheng’s hands…

Were downright restless.

"Ah—!"

"Let’s go."

The place was too messy for… activities.

Cao Cheng pulled her out the door. Tang Xin laughed helplessly but let him lead the way.

What could she do?

She was weak for his looks.

And she wanted it too.

……

That night, Cao Cheng gave her a Twin Lock.

The Eternal Bond was complete.

The sensation was indescribable.

By the next day, Cao Cheng was still by her side.

Of course,

Beyond addressing physical needs, they also discussed some strategic plans.

Only Tang Xin was privy to Cao Cheng's plans for the next few years.

At first, even Tang Xin was startled by the scale of his vision, wondering if such preparations were excessive—perhaps even paranoid.

Was he overthinking it?

After all, Cao Cheng's foresight seemed almost fantastical.

It defied Tang Xin's understanding of the market.

It also contradicted mainstream economic forecasts.

Consider this: since the 2008 crisis, recovery had been sluggish, and these past few years had marked a period of deepening collaboration between Old Len and our village.

To put it bluntly, Old Len had lost all sense of restraint and printed way too much of that worthless paper.

What now?

They desperately needed to offload the excess.

But scanning the globe, there was nowhere capable of absorbing that much—nowhere at all.

Until their gaze landed on East Village.

After crunching the numbers, it seemed East Village was the only viable option, the only market big enough to swallow it all.

And what a coincidence.

East Village, too, needed massive exports, foreign reserves, and market access.

Sure, absorbing all that excess currency came at a cost, but in exchange, they gained valuable market share—a fair trade.

Thus, the two sides struck a deep partnership, a perfect match.

Truth be told, both stood to profit, though Old Len would inevitably take the lion’s share.

By all logic, Old Len wouldn’t suddenly turn hostile. Our village’s manufacturing prowess was a lifeline, helping them stave off hyperinflation.

In other words, everyone was banking on mutual benefit. A sudden fallout seemed unthinkable.

After all, both sides were still in recovery mode.

Starting a fight now would benefit no one, right?

Everything was trending upward, with economic growth soaring at an unprecedented pace.

Yet despite this, Cao Cheng insisted it was time to prepare—warning that a rupture was inevitable within one to four years.

That was the gist of it.

After running the numbers, Tang Xin was left utterly stunned.

Even now, Tang Xin struggles to believe it.

But despite her doubts, she didn’t object.

Out of sheer trust in Cao Cheng, she threw herself into helping him lay the groundwork.

This preparation was no small feat.

It would take years.

Because what lay ahead was entirely different.

If the 2008 crisis and the recent turmoil in Euro Village had been about riding the wave—playing the game with the wind at their backs—

what came next would be an uphill battle.

Before, Cao Cheng had merely "gone with the flow," making no drastic moves. He’d simply followed the big players, snatching scraps from the tables of financial giants.

This time, he aimed to smash their plates—even feast on them.

This was outright opposition.

Given his current scale, Cao Cheng was still the underdog. That meant extensive preparation, meticulous planning.

At least two years of groundwork.

In fact, he’d started right after withdrawing from the Euro Village crisis.

He assembled a quant team and developed software to track "short-selling pressure indices."

Tang Xin didn’t understand it.

But Cao Cheng knew: this was a weapon for aggressive quantitative short-selling. Tech versus tech—and he would win.

This was about laying the foundation.

To strike back, you first had to understand how the other side shorted the market.

Think of it like two martial artists dueling.

If your opponent’s strikes are lightning-fast,

and you can’t match that speed,

you’re at a disadvantage—unless you have tech on your side.

Imagine wearing smart glasses that slow down their movements, rendering every move visible.

That software was the glasses.

Meanwhile,

Cao Cheng tasked Tang Xin with recruiting at least 20 proxies through her family’s connections—commercial fronts, or "white gloves."

For the Tang family, this was no challenge.

Using these proxies, he established "self-destructing" SPV legal structures in the Cayman Islands.

In short: risk control. A way to isolate liability and shield assets after the fact.

Next, he deployed these proxies across three layers of offshore firewalls—Hong Kong, Singapore, and Butterfly Country.

Again, this was about post-event insulation, ensuring he could walk away unscathed.

Cao Cheng’s approach was simple: first, secure an exit. Protect himself and his family.

Only then would he make his move.