Recently, Miracle Media has been riding an unstoppable wave of success.
Already a household name, its fame has grown even greater.
This is partly thanks to the popularity of "The Good and Evil List" and "Fat Fairy." After the first season aired, starting from December, the show began sweeping awards left and right.
From minor accolades to major honors, over the next year, it seemed like the show was either winning awards or on its way to collect another.
Titles like "Drama of the Year," "Best TV Series," "Most Popular Newcomer," "Most Popular Supporting Actor," "Best Leading Actor," "Best Director," "Most Popular Leading Actress," and more kept pouring in.
A dazzling array of recognition.
Its international reach also expanded, with the number of countries airing the show steadily increasing.
...
On the financial side, things were nearing completion.
As for Cao Cheng, he was practically basking in contentment every day.
His emotional fulfillment had almost reached its peak.
Unless he unveiled some world-shaking black technology, whether in gaming, variety shows, or TV dramas, there wouldn’t be any massive breakthroughs.
The gaming scene was dominated by a few titles—like "Battle Royale" and "King of Glory"—known to everyone.
Browser-based games like "Ball Ball Farm" were already relics of the past.
But...
Those games had once filled Cao Cheng’s pockets to the brim, and their contributions couldn’t be forgotten.
There were still some promising games on the horizon, but current smartphones couldn’t handle them yet—they’d have to wait.
Times were changing. PC games were gradually declining, while mobile games were exploding in popularity.
Following the trend, Cao Cheng could only focus on mobile games, as investing too much effort into online games would be a thankless task.
However, some single-player games were worth developing early, waiting for their moment to shine.
Oh right!
This year, there was another blockbuster—"Wolf 2"!
With over five billion in box office revenue, it left many stunned.
Now that was something worth pursuing!
...
As for variety shows,
the plan was to debut the "Twelve Golden Flowers."
It had to happen this year.
Once the Twelve Golden Flowers made their debut, Cao Cheng could finally take a proper break in the coming years.
After all, many things didn’t require his personal involvement.
If not for the Twelve Golden Flowers, he could’ve been lounging around right now, effortlessly raking in emotional fulfillment.
...
Late January.
The Spring Festival arrived.
The Spring Festival Gala was the same as ever.
Family reunions were still family reunions.
But this year felt livelier, with kids running around, adding warmth and joy to the atmosphere.
After the holidays, Ren's mother would have her hands full again, taking care of the children at home.
Tang Xin was in the final stages of her project, nearly done.
As for Cao Cheng, he’d been idle, but with the Twelve Golden Flowers project kicking off this year, preparations had to start early.
He needed to check in on things.
Besides,
Old Cao had nothing to do at home. Watching one kid or two made no difference—after all, he was the idlest one in the household.
Even Ren's mother occasionally cooked a meal.
Old Cao? He did absolutely nothing.
Just freeloading.
Tsk!
Before leaving, Cao Cheng glanced at Old Cao and sighed, shaking his head.
Old Cao’s face darkened instantly. "What’s with the sighing? You acting like I’m on my deathbed or something?"
"Not at all."
Cao Cheng chuckled. "I just think it’s awkward that you’re the only one with nothing to do. Doesn’t your conscience hurt? Look at me—the New Year’s not even over, and I’m already back to work. Ah, in the end, I’m the one carrying this family."
Old Cao spun around with a sweeping kick—but missed, nearly throwing out his back in the process.
Old Cao grumbled resentfully, "How about I go out to work, and you stay home to take care of the kids?"
"Forget it. But don’t get me wrong—it’s not that I don’t want to take care of them. I’d definitely do a better job than you. But… the problem is, you can’t even make money. What are you gonna do out there? You’re good for nothing!" Cao Cheng retorted before turning and running off.
Old Cao had already anticipated this and whipped out his belt, but he was still a step too slow. He could only watch as Cao Cheng jumped into the car, which zoomed away in an instant. Fuming, Old Cao twisted the belt in his hand and cursed in the direction Cao Cheng had fled.
It pissed him off.
Taking care of kids was exhausting, damn it.
But in Cao Cheng’s words, it was like a break? Like slacking off?
Bullsh— no, your grandma’s bullsht! Try taking care of them for a few months yourself.
He’d raised these two little ones through blood, sweat, and tears. The older one, Little Six, was starting to develop his own thoughts—well-behaved, but not exactly obedient.
And the younger one? No independent thinking yet, but whatever Little Six did, Little Cao would copy.
It was exhausting.
Not to mention, Little Cao was still on goat’s milk, needed diaper changes, and had zero bladder control. Even with a tiny faucet down there, the bed still got soaked.
Could he really dump all this on Ren’s mother?
She already worked so hard.
Even if she didn’t, it was Old Cao’s job—after all, he wasn’t the one working, right?
As Old Cao stomped and ranted outside the courtyard, Ren’s mother, who had just finished wiping Little Cao’s butt, called out from inside, "Old Cao, come in and empty the poop bucket."
"Ugh, coming," Old Cao muttered, fastening his belt as he trudged inside.
Ren’s mother asked casually, "Did Little Five leave already? That kid, couldn’t even wait for his mother. I wanted to pack him some snacks for the road."
Old Cao glanced at the poop bucket and sneered, "Snacks? He should’ve taken this crap with him. That ungrateful brat."
Ren’s mother rolled her eyes and chuckled, "Did he piss you off again?"
"He… whatever, it’s nothing." Old Cao sulked as he went to empty the bucket.
What could he say?
That the kid called him good for nothing?
Pfft. I’m good for nothing?
I can empty a poop bucket—can you?
And this is your kid’s crap. You don’t deal with it, so I have to? You disrespectful, ungrateful brat!
Grumbling under his breath, Old Cao got to work. Meanwhile, Ren’s mother finished changing Little Cao’s pants and gave him a light pat. "Go play."
"Thank you, Grandma~" Little Cao chirped sweetly, planting a kiss on her cheek before scampering off to his toys.
......
......
Cao Cheng first made a stop in Shenzhen to meet with Pony Ma.
The earlier bet they’d placed had, unsurprisingly, been won by Young Master Cao.
In just a few short years, WeChat Pay had completed its closed-loop payment system.
Pony Ma had initially considered meddling, but in the end, he had to swallow this bitter pill.
What could he do?
Cao Cheng had won fair and square. Any underhanded tricks might not have worked anyway and could’ve ruined their relationship.
After all, Young Master Cao controlled more shares than Pony Ma himself.
He still didn’t understand how Cao Cheng had managed to reclaim some overseas equity, but the guy had pulled it off.
Plus, with all the contracts and agreements signed during the bet, cheating was near impossible.
Looking back, Pony Ma realized he’d been completely outplayed by this kid.
Damn it.
Totally outmaneuvered.
The only good thing was that this guy genuinely had no intention of interfering—he didn’t meddle in operations or finances, and even gave Little Brother Ma his full support. Any decision Little Brother Ma proposed, as long as it could be brought to the board, would immediately receive backing from the proxy director representing Cao Cheng’s side.
No obstacles whatsoever.
Over time, Little Brother Ma came to understand Cao Cheng’s personality.
This guy had investments everywhere.
QQ was just one of his ventures, and he had no interest in managing it.
Not to mention his status…
Little Brother Ma could only sigh. He’d once even considered his own daughter, thinking she might be a good match for him.
But now, it was clear—
That was just wishful thinking.
The woman Cao Cheng married… well, let’s not even go there.
This time, Cao Cheng came to discuss two upcoming variety shows.
The two sat down for tea and conversation.
When the topic turned to the shows, Little Brother Ma frowned. “There’s a problem here.”
“Go on,” Cao Cheng nodded.
Little Brother Ma chuckled wryly. “Given our status, do we really need to personally involve ourselves in variety shows? Even if you just want to have some fun with it, wouldn’t a single word from you be enough? Why bother talking to me about it?”
He added, “I don’t even understand this stuff.”
And that was the truth.
For people like them, a blink of an eye could mean millions gained or lost.
Forget the future—just last year alone,
public records showed Little Brother Ma cashing out 7.9 billion.
Not counting salaries or other income, just that alone meant his daily earnings exceeded 20 million.
So, discussing a variety show that might make a few hundred million? It almost felt insulting.
Cao Cheng was in the same boat—earning even more than Little Brother Ma—yet here he was, fixated on these shows.
But he had no choice.
He needed emotional value.
To put it bluntly, if Little Brother Ma needed emotional value, he’d probably roll up his sleeves and do it himself too. All that talk about social anxiety, not understanding, or being clueless about interpersonal dynamics? Nonsense.
If he were really that rigid, could he have built his company to this level?
Don’t underestimate him.
So, seeing that Little Brother Ma wasn’t particularly interested—even if the project was profitable—Cao Cheng just smiled. “Telling you is a matter of courtesy. After all, we’ll need to mobilize a lot of people from the entertainment division. Even though I’m a shareholder, you’re the one at the helm.”
That amused Little Brother Ma.
He laughed. “Alright, I get it. Do whatever you want, as long as you don’t bankrupt the company.”
Cao Cheng grinned. “There’s one more thing.”
Little Brother Ma shot him a look. “I knew it. You wouldn’t come to me personally just to talk about a variety show. Spit it out. We’ve known each other for years—you know my temperament, and I know yours. No need to beat around the bush.”
Cao Cheng waved a hand. “You’ve got the wrong idea. This other thing is actually for your benefit. I’m not asking you for a favor.”
Little Brother Ma didn’t buy it. This guy always made it sound like everything was for your own good, only for you to realize later that you’d been tricked.
Cao Cheng chuckled. “Don’t look at me like that. What I wanted to say is about Little Sister Ma. She’s interning now, right? Handling entertainment-related work? Consider this variety show a gift from me, as an elder, to help her build some credibility in the company. It’ll make it easier for her to take over from you in the future.”
“…”
As Cao Cheng spoke,
Brother Ma pondered for a moment, sensing no hidden pitfalls in the situation.
Moreover, Cao Cheng was clearly showing his support for him and his chosen successor.
This was excellent.
"Alright, then let her take charge. As the senior, help guide her along," Brother Ma said without much hesitation—after all, they had been tight-knit partners for years, their bond solid.
Cao Cheng straightened up earnestly. "Don’t worry about it. By the way, I’m heading to DJI later. You coming?"
"Why would I…"
Before he could finish, Cao Cheng cut in, "They’re probably gearing up for an IPO soon, and the next round of funding is about to kick off."
Brother Ma shot to his feet. "Let’s go. Perfect timing for lunch."
"Heh…"
The two of them chuckled knowingly.
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
iemie, male, Race: Moon. Hobby: Collecting anomalies. At first, he thought he possessed two systems: the Crimson Rainbow Moon and the Clear Cold Frost Moon. One day, he discovered that he himself could also become a system for others, holding the chessboard of fate. The Eighth Epoch, also known as the Eternal Moon Epoch. Humans, witches, elves, bloodline descendants, specters, demons, and spirits together compose a new history. Walking the path on behalf of the moon, before he knew it, Chen Miemie's footsteps were followed by all manner of strange and wondrous anomalies. As time passed, many titles circulated about him—The King in Yellow, Lord of Anomalies, Heart of the Eternal Moon, and more. "Me? I'm just a traveler who enjoys collecting interesting creatures," Chen Miemie said.
g Yu was preparing for retirement when her organization decided to eliminate her. She transmigrated to a zombie apocalypse world. However, a tiny unexpected situation occurred: She somehow transformed into an adorable little girl?!
