Director Li glanced at his officer, then at Cao Cheng.
“You two know each other?”
The officer nodded. “Reporting to Director Li, we’ve met once before. This young man caught a robber last time. I was in a hurry back then and forgot to ask for his details. Later, I couldn’t find him.”
Cao Cheng rolled his eyes.
I’m at the square every damn day. If you really wanted to find me, how hard could it be?
And are the street cameras just for show?
Now you’re feeding me this bullshit.
You bastard…
You never even tried to look for me.
Can’t be bothered to call you out.
The only reason you ‘recognized’ me now is because you’re scared I’d bring up last time first.
Pretty slick, kid.
Director Li beamed. “I had no idea, Xiao Cao! You’ve even caught a robber before. Seems you’ve got the makings of a cop in your bones. Seriously consider what I said earlier—I’ll recommend you for police academy. Otherwise, it’d be a waste of talent.”
“I’ll think about it. By the way, Director Li, about that robber I helped catch—any rewards?” Cao Cheng cut straight to the point.
“……” Director Li.
“……” The officer.
[Ding~ Negative emotions +10]
This wave of negativity definitely came from that no-name officer.
Cao Cheng smiled. “A commendation would do too. Like ‘Model Citizen’ or ‘Brave and Righteous Citizen.’”
Director Li chuckled. “Of course, of course. There’s not just a commendation but also a cash reward for bravery. I’ll put in the application for you.”
“Then I’ll thank Director Li in advance. And I’ll seriously consider your suggestion.”
“Great, it’s settled then. I’ll wait for your call.”
---
The next day.
Day three since ‘Fourth Sister,’ the top donor, left.
Miss her!
The situation was still unfolding.
Especially in the neighborhood, where the aunties’ gossip had blown yesterday’s events into something worthy of a blockbuster movie.
Aunt Wang, in particular, was shaken.
Thank goodness those thugs didn’t get in. Otherwise, my daughter and son could’ve been beaten, crippled, or worse…
Too terrifying.
“Aunt Wang, you really ought to thank Xiao Cao properly this time. If it weren’t for him, who knows what might’ve happened.”
“Yeah, Aunt Wang, stop arguing with him from now on.”
“This was a lifesaving favor.”
The aunties all spoke up for Cao Cheng.
Public opinion had shifted.
The masses’ eyes were sharp.
Aunt Wang forced a smile. “When did I ever argue with him? Every time, it’s me who ends up fuming. Fine, fine. I’ll bring gifts today and make peace with this little… this kid.”
“That’s more like it.”
“Oh, speak of the devil—here comes Xiao Cao!”
“Xiao Cao, over here!”
Cao Cheng strolled over, thermos in hand, grinning.
Someone offered a seat, another passed sunflower seeds, and a third fanned him.
Look at this.
Look at my grassroots support.
“Oh, Aunt Wang’s here too.”
Aunt Wang forced a laugh. “Uh, yeah. About yesterday… thanks.”
“Ah, no big deal. Like I always say, squabbles between neighbors are just internal conflicts. Even if we fight, it’s all in the family. But if outsiders try to mess with our compound, we’ve got to unite and fight back.” Cao Cheng raised a fist.
“Damn right!”
“Exactly!”
“Xiao Cao’s got a point. We’ve got to stand together against outsiders.”
“Xiao Cao’s a college grad, after all. This level of awareness is rare.”
Cao Cheng waved off the praise modestly.
His words had an escape clause, though.
I’ll still piss off Aunt Wang whenever I feel like it.
No way I’m letting go of my second—no, now third—biggest source of negativity.
But Cao Cheng’s new target was shifting to her son, Little Zhou.
Last night, Aunt Wang had laid into him with brutal efficiency.
Kid’s temper is explosive.
Probably because he’s young and rebellious, his negative emotions spiked way harder than Aunt Wang’s.
Dude’s constantly seething.
At this rate, Little Zhou would overtake Aunt Wang soon.
Then there were those thugs.
More points to farm.
The musclehead was already ranked first.
Young Master Cao kicked his teeth out yesterday—guy couldn’t even speak clearly. Still in the hospital, occasionally radiating fresh negativity.
Of course, this was all speculation. The system didn’t track names.
Close enough.
Young Master Cao wasn’t the nitpicking type.
No need to obsess over every detail.
---
“Everyone, I’ve got an idea. Not sure if I should bring it up…” Cao Cheng smiled at the circle of aunties.
“Go ahead, Xiao Cao.”
“What’s the idea?”
Cao Cheng’s grin widened. “Lately, the streets aren’t safe. Too many hoodlums and petty thieves around, putting folks like us at risk. So we’ve got to band together…”
He laid out his plan: a civilian organization.
Mobilize the retired and stay-at-home women to form a group called “Sanjiang’s Eyes.”
Yep.
Modeled after the legendary “Chaoyang Masses” from his dreams.
Even though, timeline-wise, that Earth’s version hadn’t been officially recognized yet.
That’d take another two years.
One of Beijing’s four great mysterious forces.
The others—Xicheng Aunties, Haidian Netizens, Fengtai Mediators—wouldn’t emerge for another decade.
But Cao Cheng was jumping the gun.
First mover advantage.
The emotional payoff—both negative and positive—would be insane.
But this wasn’t just about farming emotions.
As a righteous man, a gentleman, a true knight, Young Master Cao sought to cleanse Sanjiang City’s streets single-handedly.
With great power comes great responsibility, right?
He started painting the vision.
The aunties ate it up, Aunt Wang included, buzzing like they’d mainlined adrenaline.
“All of you here—sisters, aunties, moms—some retired, some homemakers—but I know you’re good people.”
“Same as me. That’s why we’re here. Birds of a feather, as they say.”
“Am I right?”
“Damn right!”
“Absolutely!”
Cao Cheng motioned for calm, then launched into his crescendo:
“And because we’re good people, we can’t stand filth in our midst.”
“That’s how we pulled off last night’s miracle—wiping out a whole gang of thugs.”
“Director Li told me they were enforcers for some big nightclub. Drugs, fights, harassing women, gambling… a festering tumor on society.”
The crowd erupted in outrage.
Scum like that deserves to be purged!
Can’t let good people suffer!
(Okay, that was exaggerated. Real charges were just attempted disturbance—a few days in lockup. But Young Master Cao needed them to feel the threat.)
He paused, then dropped the kicker:
“I’ve already applied for commendations and cash rewards from Director Li.”
"Although the bonus might not be much, I know everyone isn’t doing good deeds for the money, but for justice and the yearning for a better life in their hearts... Compared to money, I believe what everyone truly needs is a commendation banner."
"What’s a commendation banner?"
"It’s society’s recognition of your efforts, official acknowledgment of your contributions, praise for good people, our badge of honor, and the most glorious example we ordinary folks can set for our children!!"
"Let our children know that even if their mothers are retired or stay-at-home homemakers, they are still extraordinary!!!!"
"They can still make outstanding contributions to the core socialist values."
"Bravo!" A middle-aged woman exclaimed, moved to tears, and began clapping.
Clap, clap, clap...
The room immediately erupted in applause, everyone deeply resonating with the sentiment.
"So, the purpose of establishing this 'Jiangbei Community Watch' is to rely on us ordinary folks to unite and improve our neighborhood environment, community relations, and local security."
"It’s also a way for everyone to shine. Even if we’re retired aunties or stay-at-home moms, we haven’t withdrawn from society. We’re part of it, and we should stand as proud examples of honorable mothers—role models our children can look up to."
"What does everyone think?"
"Who’s in favor? Who’s against?"
Unsurprisingly, not a single objection was raised.
This is what you call...
the will of the people!
villain is the number one simp for the book's leading female protagonist, Shen Wan'er. As expected, he later becomes a tool for the main character to show off and slap faces, ultimately meeting a tragic end with his family ruined and his life in shambles. Fortunately, he awakens the [Universal Pure Love System], which allows him to earn points by performing acts of pure love. To change his fate, Gu Yan makes a decisive choice to seek warmth and companionship with the book's biggest villain—Cold Qingqiu. ........... My name is Leng Qingqiu. To find the murderer who killed my parents years ago, I deliberately blinded myself so that everyone would lower their guard around me. Just as I was secretly accumulating power and capital according to my initial plan, a man walked into my world. "Lengleng, Qingqing, Qiuqiu, which nickname do you prefer?" I don't like any of them. You'd better leave quickly! "Why aren't you saying anything? How about I call you my baby wife?" Leng Qingqiu thinks to herself, this man is truly annoying! (Stubborn pure love warrior + single female lead + true pure love + 1v1)
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
