You can say Cao is bad, but you can't say he's incompetent.

The popularity of "Detective Ming" exceeded all expectations.

Not only did it receive exceptionally high ratings across the board, but its daily viewership also surged by millions.

Given this momentum, it was no surprise that it eventually rivaled "The Voice," and with even better word-of-mouth.

As a fresh, one-of-a-kind detective show, it stood in a league of its own.

After two episodes, there was virtually no backlash.

Any criticism that did surface was directed at the celebrities themselves rather than the show, with the harshest comments being along the lines of, "Why invite XX? Such a waste of a great program."

As the show aired, the official Weibo account opened for Lin Zhi by the company saw her follower count skyrocket.

Lin Zhi occasionally posted photos—some taken by her assistant, capturing her stretching, posing, or dancing in her home studio.

Others were close-up shots after practice, her face glistening with sweat yet far from disheveled—instead, it evoked a tantalizing allure.

This "Sister Lin" was undeniably stunning.

She could have relied on her looks, but she chose to flaunt her figure.

She could have relied on her figure, but she chose to showcase her acting.

She could have relied on her acting, but she chose to build her persona.

As the show progressed, Lin Zhi grew more natural, embodying the detective role with increasing ease. Her scores, initially at the bottom, gradually reflected her sharp wit.

Of course,

this was partly due to Old He and Old Sa deliberately giving her opportunities.

By the third episode, Lin Zhi's reputation had completely turned around. Perhaps familiarity played a role—audiences no longer saw her as an inexperienced outsider.

After all, even variety show stars are stars.

With her beauty, intelligence, enviable figure, and solid background, her rise to fame was inevitable.

Not long after,

another show premiered: "Where Are We Going, Dad?"

From its debut, it received the same treatment as "Detective Ming," topping viewership charts and dominating ratings in 48 cities. Its audience share broke past 10% by the second episode!

Another phenomenon-level hit.

Hunan TV was left stunned.

Initially, when Cao Cheng claimed it would be a groundbreaking variety show, no one believed him.

After all, a program about celebrity dads taking their kids to the countryside—a family-oriented concept—might have its audience, but phenomenon-level?

What was so special about it?

Yet the results…

Left everyone in awe.

The network’s higher-ups threw a celebration banquet, personally inviting Young Master Cao.

Lately, Cao Cheng hadn’t been too busy, spending most of his time with Tang Xin.

Her pregnancy was progressing day by day.

Accompanying his first wife naturally took precedence over any banquet—that was non-negotiable.

But upon hearing the invitation, Tang Xin expressed a desire to go out.

She wanted to meet the production team and the young cast members.

She had grown fond of the show.

Perhaps it was her impending motherhood… but she found every episode utterly captivating.

Cao Cheng, of course, didn’t refuse.

The show differed slightly from his dreams—likely due to his influence. It aired earlier, with greater network support and investment, resulting in a more polished final product.

However,

the cast remained unchanged.

On the way, Tang Xin asked, "Do you think our child will be this adorable?"

Cao Cheng chuckled. "Setting aside the show’s editing, all kids are pretty much the same. You’ll see when you meet them. As for ours? Well, who knows about cuteness, but if they misbehave, you’ll definitely spank them. Maybe I’ll join in—a good old tag-team discipline."

"…"

Way to kill the mood.

Tang Xin shot him a glare, cradling her belly. "Stop scaring her."

Cao Cheng grinned. "Haven’t you had enough fun teasing Old Six at home?"

Tang Xin replied, "Being around more children might help this one’s development."

"Fine, as long as you’re happy."

Who knew if the baby could even hear at this stage? But one thing was certain—their future would be extraordinary.

Forget brain-computer interfaces or genetic modifications for now.

Cao Cheng had already stockpiled premium elixirs—

some to enhance physique,

others to boost intelligence.

This child’s starting point would far surpass his own.

And who knew? Before they even grew up, he might draw a cultivation manual from the system. Then… the future would truly be rewritten.

Upon arriving in Hunan,

they met with the network executives and coincidentally ran into the show’s celebrity parents and young cast.

For Tang Xin, watching the filming live was a delight.

But as Cao Cheng had predicted, the set was chaotic—crowded, noisy, and constantly interrupted by logistical hiccups.

Frequent pauses for adjustments made it far less entertaining than the edited TV version.

Without the magic of post-production, it was just… ordinary.

Still…

Tang Xin, soon to be a mother, couldn’t help but light up at the sight of the children.

Yet she kept her distance, observing quietly without intruding.

Cao Cheng’s priority was accompanying Tang Xin, so he didn’t seek out Lin Zhi.

He merely summoned her assistant for a brief update.

Learning that the girl was doing well sufficed.

June arrived.

The prophecy unfolded as the market plunged.

Once again, Cao Cheng’s foresight was vindicated.

Back in February, when the index hovered around 2400 points, he had warned against investing for the next six months.

Subsequent trends aligned perfectly with his prediction—the index bottomed out at 2100, rebounded slightly, but never reclaimed its previous peak, let alone set new highs.

Then came June.

A steep post-Dragon Boat Festival crash triggered investor panic.

Behind the scenes, other factors were at play… (redacted)

Naturally,

institutions played their part.

As Cao Cheng often said, retail investors were clueless—their trades alone couldn’t sway the market so drastically.

The real culprits were the garbage institutions.

This time was no exception.

Leverage issues, preemptive institutional sell-offs to hedge risks, intensified market pressure…

A cascade of factors drove prices into bargain territory.

Cao Cheng "reluctantly" scooped up these dirt-cheap shares,

averaging below 1900 points.

While accumulating, he leveraged Skyrise Capital—a firm under Tang Xin’s name—to issue a public advisory.

The message urged retail investors not to panic: "If you have funds, buy the dip; if not, hold tight. Don’t mimic certain institutions."

How many saw it or heeded the advice? That wasn’t Cao Cheng’s concern.

He’d said his piece.

Done his part.

By month’s end,

regulators convened emergency meetings with major institutions—three in total.

They also reached out to Cao Cheng, as before, hoping he’d leverage his influence to stabilize sentiment.

Another freefall risked systemic collapse.

Cao Cheng obliged without hesitation.

Such a prime opportunity to harvest emotional energy? He’d have stirred the pot regardless.

The next day,

his Weibo post read:

"1850 points—ironclad bottom!"

"A century may pass before we see this level again."

Those two lines instantly topped the hot searches.

The cards were now on the table.

Both fans and gambling addicts immediately flooded the comments, some arguing, others skeptical.

After all, in the secondary market, is there really such a thing as an "ironclad bottom"?

How many times have people tried to buy the dip, only to catch the falling knife halfway down?

"Trying to trick me into buying the top again?"

"Let me tell you a joke—A-shares have an ironclad bottom… HAHAHA."

"YOLO, all in!"

"You can call Cao Cheng shady, but you can’t call him incompetent. He’s Wall Street’s acknowledged ‘thief’—sure, the title sounds bad, but do you think just anyone can earn that rep? How many people actually walk away with profits from that scene?"

"Exactly, you can’t say he’s bad at this."

"Take me with you! What are you all buying? Any tips?"

"Anyone with big… insights got any sector recommendations? Something stable?"

"Bothering the big-brain crew again? Do you even need guidance at this point? Just buy whatever’s cheap! If it’s an ‘ironclad bottom,’ anything goes—just don’t touch those ST stocks."

"How do you check for ST stocks?"

"What’s an ST stock?"

"Damn, you guys know nothing?"

"Trust the Stock God. The secondary market and gold crashed just like he predicted."

"Gotta admit, gold’s collapse was legendary. Thank god I listened and got out. From $1,700+ an ounce to $1,400—I’d be wrecked otherwise. And gold’s still falling. Did the Stock God say when it’ll rebound?"

"Stock God, when’s the bottom for gold?"

"Same question—what’s the play with gold? When’s the ironclad bottom?"

"..."

Cao Cheng’s platform was buzzing.

Haters were few—most got flamed into oblivion the moment they spoke up, with some even getting doxxed.

After all, Cao Cheng’s prediction this time was god-tier.

Reputation matters.

This wave earned him countless new believers.

Even institutions took notice, reconsidering their strategies.

Sure, competitors aren’t friends, but as the saying goes: You can call Cao Cheng shady, but you can’t call him incompetent. That’s a fact everyone could agree on.

So when Cao Cheng confidently declared an "ironclad bottom," people paid attention.

Especially the financial elites—some knew his background.

The Tang family’s son-in-law…

No way he didn’t have insider info.

You’d be a fool not to believe him.

...

Cao Cheng waited two days.

The "ironclad bottom" trended the whole time, and the market stabilized.

He posted again: "No need to debate the market—I stand by my call. It’s not going lower."

"Anyone who bought in at this level can do whatever from here. Don’t ask me. As for commodities…"

"Chill the hell out. Wait two years."

"..."

"King sht."

"??"

"Wait, what?"

"Two more years? Seriously?"

"…Fine, I’ll trust him. Cao Cheng hasn’t been wrong yet."

"I’m betting against him this time. Yeah, he’s been right before, but everyone slips up. With all the global chaos and wars brewing, how can things go lower?"

"Good point… Now I’m torn."

"Ugh…"

"Gege, take me with you~ I’m really good at… you know~"