Do I give you too much leeway Huh Do I give you too much face

Seeing his younger brother’s face full of a smug, “I’ve got this in the bag” expression.

As if everything was completely under control.

The Fourth glanced at him sideways.

She knew this little brother loved to scheme, but she couldn’t quite figure out what kind of calculation would be the optimal solution.

After all, there were 101 seats, and in the end, nine people would be selected.

These candidates were the cream of the crop, chosen from hundreds of companies and tens of thousands of people.

Each one had their own unique strengths.

At the very least, in some aspect, they outshone those who had been eliminated.

Moreover, this variety show was no longer just a talent competition; it had become a kind of cultural baptism.

Many people were paying close attention.

If, in the end, all nine winners were turned into the “Eight Beauties”…

No denying the “Eight Beauties” were indeed talented, but doing it that way would inevitably attract public criticism.

That wouldn’t do the “Eight Beauties” any favors.

Even The Fourth could see that clearly. She didn’t believe her younger brother hadn’t thought of it.

And she definitely didn’t believe he would let the “Eight Beauties” bear the brunt of the whole internet’s backlash just to secure their positions!

“So, what exactly are you thinking? What’s the plan?”

“Buddha says, ‘What cannot be spoken, must not be spoken.’”

“……”

The Fourth could tell just by looking at him that this guy was 100% scheming, and had probably been planning this for a long time.

She raised her hand and gave his earlobe a twist, threatening, “Little brother, are you going to tell me or not?”

“Ouch~~”

Even someone as tough as Cao Cheng would feel pain when his earlobe was twisted—especially when he hadn’t prepared any countermeasures.

“Hey, hey, hey, how old are you? Still pulling ears?” Cao Cheng smiled wryly.

“Who cares how old you are? If it works, it works. Now spill it, little brother, or I’ll twist your ears right off today.”

“Xiang sister, you’re getting more and more violent, but if you think that’ll make me give in, you’re wrong. Unless…” Cao Cheng turned his face sideways and pointed to his cheek, the meaning clear without words.

The Fourth puckered her lips.

It seemed she had made up her mind.

Slowly, she released her grip on his earlobe.

Then she leaned in.

Cao Cheng suddenly turned his head, face to face—

He caught a flash of surprise in The Fourth’s beautiful eyes.

And then they bumped into each other.

Hmm?

…

Once an opportunity presents itself, you don’t let it go.

For a full few minutes.

Until they were both gasping for air.

Only then was Cao Cheng satisfied, clicking his tongue.

The Fourth’s cheeks were flushed red, and she gave him two playful punches on the chest.

But whether it was from weakness or something else, those two punches didn’t have much force.

They felt more like a coquettish gesture.

However,

This wasn’t the first or second time.

The Fourth didn’t keep holding onto this, instead shifting her attention back to the earlier question.

“Alright, tell me—how exactly are you scheming this?”

“Lean in.”

They were already close, but with a slight lean, they were almost face to face again.

How could she resist?

And so it continued…

Cao Cheng moved in again.

“……”

The Fourth was exasperated.

Little brother, you’re so unfair.

Am I giving you face or not? Huh? Am I?

I’m going to hit you!

…

…

After going back and forth for ten or twenty minutes, the program on the laptop on the desk was nearing its end. Cao Cheng finally settled down.

In the end, he didn’t hold back and laid out some of his plans in full.

It mainly comes down to using contracts, Cao Cheng’s cunning, and human nature to make those companies actively beg to have their artists ranked lower.

After all, no company boss truly wants their artist to debut as part of a group.

Sure, debuting in a group brings massive fame.

But...

Those who hold out until the end, even if they don’t make the group, still gain decent recognition. That’s already a pretty perfect way to debut through a reality show.

Big companies from various countries, like those from Xiaoxi Ba and Baga, have deep roots in training their trainees. This foundation allows them to leverage the fame gained here to ensure their artists develop even better afterward.

“So,”

“If you were the boss of their company, would you rather have your artist debut in the final group of Chuang 101, only to have most of the profits from the next two years harvested by me,”

“Or would you prefer your artist not to make the top nine, maybe rank tenth or eleventh, so after the show ends, they return to your company and start making money for you?”

“...”

After hearing Cao Cheng’s words, The Fourth finally understood everything.

Human nature is truly baffling.

Honestly,

Even though The Fourth isn’t short on money, looking at it from this angle, she wouldn’t want most of her artist’s income over the next two years to go straight into Cao Cheng’s pocket.

Why should that be?

Her artists have been nurtured for years, with significant investment.

Just because they joined this one reality show, the majority of their income for the next two years—whether from concerts, endorsements, or fan support—would mostly go to Cao Cheng.

That’s way too much of a loss.

After pondering for a long while, The Fourth blurted out, “You bosses really have filthy hearts!”

Oh?

Insulting me, huh?

Let me show you what I’ve got...

Cao Cheng leaned in.

This time, The Fourth was prepared. She raised both jade-like hands and firmly pressed them against Cao Cheng’s face: “What do you think you’re doing?”

Cao Cheng was speechless: “Wow, you’re quick on the draw this time.”

“Of course. Third time’s the charm, right? If you try that again, watch your tongue,” The Fourth warned smugly.

“...”

Forget it, forget it.

I’ve already gained plenty of benefits today.

No need to push her too far.

Cao Cheng could tell she was struggling inside.

If it weren’t for his usual pushiness or outright ruthlessness, she wouldn’t have let loose like this.

Alright, let’s call it a day.

Cao Cheng smiled and picked up a cigarette: “Help me light this.”

The Fourth didn’t say a word, grabbed a lighter, and lit it for him.

Then she asked, “But your scheming isn’t good for the debuting artists. Like I said earlier, the way you play this, sure, you’ll make a lot of profit behind the scenes, but the fans might not buy it.”

“Especially some of the international fans.”

“Foreign fans want to support their own country’s female trainees. If it’s all trainees from our country, other countries will probably band together to boycott.”

“This was a perfectly good show, but in the end, you’ve made a mess of it. Have you thought about that?”

Heh.

You have to admit, The Fourth thinks far ahead.

Not wrong at all.

Cao Cheng shook his head: “That’s an unsolvable problem. You want the benefits, but you don’t want the backlash. How’s that possible? All I can do is keep the negative publicity to a minimum.”

“And in the entertainment industry, every artist is constantly under the watchful eyes of reporters and fans. Any little mistake gets blown way out of proportion.”

“In this circle, who doesn’t get criticized?”

“Damn it, even someone as kind-hearted, innocent, and honest as me—just look at how many hate comments I get every day.”

“Pathetic!”

At this, Cao Cheng was a bit flustered and frustrated.

The Fourth chuckled softly and tapped Cao Cheng’s forehead with a delicate finger. “Have some shame, will you? You—kind-hearted? Innocent? Honest? First, take your hand off me before spouting nonsense like that.”

Cao Cheng looked down.

Helplessly, he pulled his hand back.

Can you really blame him?

Two people sitting together—there has to be somewhere to put your hands, right?

The Fourth rolled his eyes and continued, “You’re the one who trained the Twelve Golden Maidens. Surely you don’t want them to be plagued by negative rumors. So, what’s your plan?”

“I already have some ideas in mind, but it depends on how things develop. It shouldn’t be a big problem...”

Cao Cheng said that much.

Naturally, The Fourth didn’t press further. After all, Cao Cheng hadn’t fully worked it out yet.

But The Fourth believed his troublesome little brother would handle it well.

After all, he loved scheming the most.

...

After the show aired,

Many of Cao Cheng’s companies suddenly became very busy.

Especially those dealing with unmanned equipment.

Whether it was drones, driverless cars, robots, robot dogs, or unmanned ships...

Anything Cao Cheng invested in suddenly attracted attention.

Old Taishan even personally called to ask Cao Cheng’s thoughts... Cao Cheng explained how he envisioned the future of unmanned equipment integrated with the battlefield.

Honestly,

Unmanned devices have been used in combat for quite some time.

But...

Most of the previous unmanned devices were used for reconnaissance.

The next generation of unmanned devices, however, could change the very nature of warfare.

If you haven’t experienced that kind of transformation, it’s impossible to imagine how fierce this technology can be.

It’s like that battle in the early 1990s.

If that battle hadn’t broken out, ordinary people—never mind ordinary people, even the strategic think tanks of various countries—would have never imagined that warfare could be fought like that!

Everyone was stunned.

So...

After Cao Cheng babbled on and on, rambling about his ‘speculations’ for the future,

Old Taishan was silent for quite a while.

Then he threw out a single sentence: “You’d better come to the capital with all those unmanned devices of yours.”

“...”

After hanging up, Cao Cheng slapped himself.

Damn it.

Looking for trouble for no reason.

Isn’t it better to just lie at home and rest?

Now he had to go to the capital again.

And there’d be meetings—long ones that dragged on for days.

So annoying!

But what could he do?

Old Taishan had called; how could he not go?

Sure enough,

On the third day, Cao Cheng arrived in the capital and was immediately pulled away by Old Taishan.

Although being around him felt a bit like riding on someone else’s coattails, it was really exhausting.

Cao Cheng even wondered,

Did he somehow cause Old Taishan all this trouble?

If he hadn’t given him so many health supplements to keep him young, would he be working this hard?

Still,

Although Young Master Cao liked to rest, he admired those who didn’t.

He just couldn’t do it himself.

He had spent a lifetime in dreams; this lifetime, he had no intention of touching work at all.

Occasionally being busy is fine.

But if he had to be like this every single day, he might as well be dead.

...

That’s how it went.

Held firmly by Old Taishan, Cao Cheng ended up staying in the capital for nearly a month.

If it weren’t for Tang Xin coming back halfway through with her eldest grandson, Old Taishan probably would have insisted on keeping Cao Cheng around.

The main reason?

Even if Cao Cheng didn’t reveal much about the future,

the little bits and pieces he occasionally shared were enough to instantly open the eyes of many researchers and think tanks, helping them see much further ahead.

Actually, everyone there was smart.

What they lacked was probably just a spark of inspiration.

And Cao Cheng happened to be able to provide that kind of insight from time to time.

Plus, he could guarantee technical support.

So during those days in the capital, many organizations and some high-ranking officials were eager to recruit Cao Cheng.