His Fate Now Hinges on Young Master Cao's Attitude

Afterwards,

Cao Cheng didn’t explain too much.

There was no need to go into specifics with them.

As long as there was no bad blood, that was enough.

Then the conversation shifted to variety shows, with Young Master Cao offering the remark that "this show has strong staying power."

This piqued Old Huang’s curiosity somewhat.

On top of that, Cao Cheng also dangled a carrot.

"Act well, and you can direct."

He gave Old Huang a promise: if Old Huang ever wanted to make his own movie in the future, Cao Cheng would invest unconditionally. This hit right where it itched.

Who could resist such an offer?

Cao Cheng wasn’t just offering money—there was also reputation, theater chains, and more.

In other words, with Young Master Cao’s support, success was practically guaranteed. It wouldn’t be surprising if the project blew up before it even aired.

...

Cao Cheng enjoyed this meal quite a bit.

At the table were two future "billion-yuan box office emperors."

Just imagining how much emotional value they could bring made him giddy.

Later, Cao Cheng dangled another carrot, offering Old Huang the best terms to have his personal studio affiliate with the company.

The benefits went without saying—better resources and services, lighter operational burdens, and most importantly, legal tax optimization to reduce costs.

There weren’t many companies in the market that Old Huang could affiliate with, but Miracle Media was one of them.

And everyone in the industry knew how favorable Miracle Media’s contracts were.

Old Huang affiliating with them was a win-win.

After that, Young Master Cao also asked Old Huang to help him get in touch with Wang Baobao. To be honest, this guy was the poster child for underdog success stories.

Years later, when Old Huang and Shen Teng were starting to burn out, Wang Baobao would still be soaring—his range as an actor was broader than anyone imagined.

For Shen Teng, Cao Cheng also dangled a carrot: if Old Shen performed well after the stage play adaptation, he too could set up a personal studio and affiliate with Miracle Media, with benefits far beyond what he had now.

...

...

The gathering ended.

They exchanged numbers.

Once in the car, Lingling finally spoke up.

All evening, Lingling had been incredibly well-behaved, barely saying a word, playing the role of Cao Cheng’s demure companion—pouring drinks, serving food.

The men at the table were green with envy.

Now that everyone was gone,

Lingling asked, "Brother, do you really think highly of that Shen Teng?"

"Hmm?"

Cao Cheng chuckled. "Why do you ask?"

Lingling shook her head. "It’s just a feeling. Even though you spent most of the time talking to Brother Bo about variety shows and benefits, you always circled back to Shen Teng in the end, dangling carrots for him."

Heh.

This girl.

Sharp as a tack.

Cao Cheng said, "What do you mean ‘dangling carrots’? Is that the kind of person your brother is? The main thing is, Shen Teng is someone I invited. I can’t just leave him out in the cold. Besides, his acting range is broad, and he’s not famous yet—he’s a better investment than Old Huang."

Cao Cheng didn’t go into details.

If he told Lingling that, looking back ten years later, Old Huang’s total box office would be over 20 billion,

while Old Shen’s would be close to 40 billion,

it would probably scare her.

Unthinkable.

Right now, there wasn’t even such a thing as a "billion-yuan box office emperor."

The first one wouldn’t appear until Wolf Warrior.

So,

telling someone now that Shen Teng—a newcomer, someone who wasn’t even considered a film actor yet—would have a box office nearing 40 billion in ten years?

People would think you were insane.

"By the way,"

Cao Cheng changed the subject. "Lingling, do you want to act?"

"No." Lingling shook her head without hesitation.

"Why not?" Cao Cheng was curious.

Lingling said, "I’d be too self-conscious. I think acting is awkward, and there’s all that ‘dedication’ stuff. No thanks."

See?

What a good girl.

Cao Cheng reached over and ruffled her hair. No words were needed.

...

...

The next day,

news broke about Cao Cheng’s interview regarding the cancer drug’s target demographic. His phrase "our own people" and the photo of him holding an ID card went viral.

The emotional backlash was massive—and this was just the beginning.

As the news spread overseas, the negative sentiment would grow even stronger.

Especially since the drug wasn’t even on the market yet. Once it actually launched, the backlash would be even worse.

Nothing stings like comparison.

Right now, hardly anyone had access, so there was no real contrast.

But once it became available domestically, while people abroad could only watch enviously—protests might even break out.

That’s when the real emotions would flare.

Of course,

the hottest news wasn’t about Young Master Cao.

It was a tabloid photo of Cao Cheng hugging Sophie backstage.

The internet exploded.

Who was Sophie?

Marceau!

The French Rose, the Kiss of France.

She might be a little older, but she still had fans all over the world.

Her appearance at the Spring Festival Gala was already big news. Now, she was getting cozy with Young Master Cao…

And "cozy" was putting it mildly.

Gossip is human nature.

Cancer drugs? That only caused a stir in patient circles. To the average person, Sophie’s scandal was far juicier.

Soon after,

Cao Cheng’s Weibo blew up.

"Once again, I’m jealous of Young Master Cao. Seriously, Cao, what else are you hiding from us? Domestic stars are one thing, but how did you hook up with this foreign cougar?"

"Hey, watch your mouth. She’s older, but she’s still got it."

"Ugh, shameless. This woman’s so old she’s probably dried up, and my husband’s only in his twenties."

"LMAO… legendary comment."

"‘Dried up’… that’s hilarious."

The comments were all over the place.

When Young Master Cao woke up and saw the news online,

he was momentarily stunned.

There were paparazzi hiding backstage?

Well, it made sense.

Backstage was crowded, and many paparazzi paid staff for tips.

Plenty of staff made side money that way.

But…

there was a slight issue.

Cao Cheng hadn’t just hugged Sophie backstage—that was just her culture’s greeting.

Besides, a woman in her fifties? Cao Cheng wasn’t that desperate.

It’s just that Cao Cheng’s French was pretty good.

French is a beautiful language.

Worth learning.

And Sophie happened to recognize Young Master Cao—his reputation preceded him. The "financial thief," the "father of new cosmetics."

These two titles made her greet him with proper etiquette: a cheek kiss.

Perfectly normal.

But when caught on camera, it looked questionable.

She had performed a duet with Huanhuan, who was also an acquaintance, but no one took photos of Cao Cheng hugging Huanhuan.

Or of him chatting with Shen Teng and the others.

Cao Cheng smiled, unbothered by the gossip.

Let it spread. More emotional backlash to harvest.

No big deal. Even if Young Master Cao didn’t explain, it wouldn’t affect him.

It would just add another colorful stroke to his life’s canvas.

That said,

let’s be real—this woman had something.

She wasn’t even that old, just in her fifties, and she’d aged like fine wine. Plus, with X-Serum, she looked remarkably young.

Because of this, many families had three generations of "toads"—grandpa liked her, dad liked her, and now the son took one look and fell for her too.

Who could resist…?

...

The Fourth naturally called him.

This one—every time Young Master Cao made headlines, she was always the first to react.

"Nice. Even Sophie, huh?"

Sarcasm dripping.

Cao Cheng chuckled, "Stop yapping, or I’ll smack you later."

"Tch." The Fourth snorted.

But from Cao Cheng’s tone, The Fourth could tell there was nothing to worry about.

The woman was just being overly sensitive.

She was merely curious and came to ask.

Cao Cheng casually explained, "It was just a cheek-kiss greeting, and she happened to ask me about cosmetics. After all, I’m the so-called 'Father of New Cosmetics.' Besides, I met so many people backstage, but the paparazzi didn’t publish a single photo of anyone else—like I specifically went for her. That’s why it’s just gossip."

After a brief clarification, Cao Cheng added, "By the way, last night I..."

He quickly recounted the details of the dinner gathering.

For this matter, he only set the direction—the rest would be handled by the company, with The Fourth or Sister Li reaching out to Old Huang to discuss the affiliation between the company and the studio.

And then there was the variety show.

Regarding the issue with director Old Yan, Cao Cheng also tasked The Fourth with poaching him.

There would be absolutely no collaboration with the local TV station.

Their relationship had always been rocky, and it wasn’t going to improve.

It wasn’t about holding a grudge.

After all, Cao Cheng had even reconciled with Toilet TV (a nickname for a rival station), so the local station wasn’t some irreconcilable enemy.

But Cao Cheng knew the local station’s nature—there was no foundation for long-term cooperation.

The moment you thrived, they’d trip you up behind your back.

So, for this variety show, Cao Cheng planned to separate production from broadcasting from the start, airing it on Toilet TV and online platforms.

After a few seasons, it would drop TV broadcasts and go exclusively online.

That would allow more flexibility without needing major adjustments.

Betrayal was the name of the game.

What’s the fun without a little betrayal?

...

As the Spring Festival approached,

Cao Cheng remained in Beijing,

while many agents had already arrived in Zhonghai to contact Miracle Pharmaceuticals.

Cao Cheng left the mixed-race executive in charge of handling them. Regarding the life-extending product, the answer was always "unavailable."

If they wanted to talk, it had to be about cancer drugs.

He’d let them wait.

Some were smarter.

After tracking down Cao Cheng’s whereabouts, they came to Beijing, collaborating with local authorities through capital investments, hoping to arrange an official meeting with the young master himself.

Two days before the Spring Festival,

after rounds of negotiations, Cao Cheng finally met his "old acquaintance" Cohen.

Their relationship had soured before over the X-Serum and Star Element disputes.

But this time,

Cohen clearly came with sincerity.

He bowed in apology the moment they met.

It seemed that as an agent, the capital behind him was dead serious about securing X-99, the life-extending product.

Moreover,

the reason they sent Cohen again was simple: it takes the one who tied the knot to undo it.

Last time, Cohen and Cao Cheng had clashed over cosmetic ingredients.

Now, his mission was to mend that rift.

After apologizing, Cohen outright stated they could negotiate on the cosmetics issue, offering greater market access. They were even willing to abandon Star Element entirely, pulling it from shelves.

Only X-Serum would remain on the market.

That was genuine sincerity.

...

At this,

Cao Cheng recalled some words from his father-in-law.

Smiling at Cohen, he said, "With the New Year around the corner, you’ve come at the perfect time. Enjoy the festive atmosphere. We’ll talk business after the holidays."

Seeing Cao Cheng’s softened demeanor, Cohen exhaled in deep relief.

His orders were clear: if he failed to earn forgiveness, his existence would no longer be necessary.

So now,

his life hung on Cao Cheng’s attitude.