Young Master Cao Arrives... Damn You, Riddler

Zhonghai is not far from Qiantang.

Driving to the town takes at most two and a half hours.

If you go faster, you can get there in under two hours.

Inside the car.

The Fourth glanced at Cao Cheng, who still looked unruffled, and couldn’t help but ask, "Aren’t you worried at all?"

"Worried about what?" Cao Cheng shot back.

The Fourth gave him a sidelong look. "You’ve spent so long planning this, with every detail accounted for, and now there’s an unexpected setback. The final stage is just days away. Rehearsals have to be adjusted, lyrics reassigned—the whole performance could be affected."

The Fourth wasn’t wrong.

But…

Cao Cheng shook his head with a faint smile. "I know traditional Chinese medicine. A minor injury like this is nothing."

"Uh—" The Fourth froze, suddenly feeling like a clown.

Still, he pressed on. "Can a muscle or bone injury heal that fast? Won’t it affect the stage performance?"

Cao Cheng shook his head again. "It doesn’t matter. Even if it doesn’t heal in time and she misses the final stage, every cloud has a silver lining. You said it yourself—I’ve been planning this for ages. Did you really think I wouldn’t prepare for contingencies?"

The Fourth’s curiosity was piqued. "Go on."

"Just wait and see."

The Fourth gritted his teeth in frustration. "You’re one of those damn riddlers people complain about online… I hate you."

"…"

……

……

The journey passed.

A little over an hour to reach Qiantang.

Two and a half hours to arrive at the town.

And in those two and a half hours, the news had already spread.

The fandom was buzzing with concern over whether all eight members of the "Eight Golden Hairpins" would debut.

So, any news about them was guaranteed to draw massive attention.

Headlines like "Golden Hairpin Injured, Forced to Withdraw…" and "Ye Lan Seriously Hurt, Farewell to the Stage" quickly caused an uproar.

Ye Lan was one of the top contenders among the Eight Golden Hairpins.

During team formations in the variety show, she usually took center stage.

Even when multiple Hairpins were grouped together, Ye Lan was almost always the center.

Aside from Lin Zhi and a few others, Ye Lan was either the top or second most prominent in the group.

Her popularity was undeniable.

When news broke of her injury—serious enough to force her out of the competition—even official media outlets picked it up.

The official account of Produce Camp 101 also released a statement.

After rumors started circulating, fans flooded the show’s hotline and social media, demanding answers.

With Cao Cheng’s approval, the production team issued an official announcement.

They even released a video.

It showed the moment the safety harness failed during rehearsal.

She landed awkwardly, twisting her ankle.

The scene was chaotic.

The announcement included a statement from the on-site doctor: the injury required rest and might affect her final performance.

The wording was cautious, but fans could read between the lines—this was serious.

Outside the town, fans had already begun gathering.

Though they weren’t allowed inside, they could still catch glimpses of their favorites from a distance—whether during meals, rehearsals, or casual walks.

Some even exchanged greetings.

But after Ye Lan’s accident, the crowd outside the town swelled—not just with fans, but also reporters.

All drawn by the breaking news.

When Cao Cheng’s car arrived, it didn’t take a discreet route through the underground garage.

Instead, it entered through the main entrance, easily spotted by fans and journalists.

At first, no one knew who was inside.

But the Zhonghai license plate gave it away.

The moment the door opened and Cao Cheng stepped out, fans erupted in screams.

Most were young women.

"Ahhh—it’s Young Master Cao!"

"Hubby, hubby… I love you, hubby!"

"HUBBY!!!!!" A particularly shrill shout came from a male fan, startling the girls nearby.

Laughter followed.

Cao Cheng looked over at the source of the noise, spotted the guy, and yelled, "Get lost!"

"…" The male fan pouted dramatically.

The surrounding girls laughed even harder.

"Alright, alright—don’t block the way."

Cao Cheng raised a hand to calm the crowd. "You’ve all heard about Ye Lan’s situation, right? I came straight from Zhonghai to check on her, so I don’t have all the details yet. It’s not something you can explain over the phone."

He turned to the reporters. "But—once I’ve seen her, I’ll post an update on my Weibo right away."

"Sorry, folks—let me through. I’ll come back out later to chat."

Soon, order was restored, though Cao Cheng still took time for a few fan photos.

Only then did he drive inside.

Later, he arranged for drinks to be sent out to the crowd.

It was November. The days weren’t freezing, but they weren’t warm either.

Hot drinks—tea, milk tea, coffee—were a thoughtful gesture.

This was just Cao Cheng’s way.

Honestly, he didn’t even need to give the order. Supplies were always on hand.

Some were funded by fan clubs, others by the town’s own hospitality stations.

And then there were the agencies behind the Eight Golden Hairpins and other popular contestants, using their stars’ names to distribute goodwill.

Whether it was genuine or PR didn’t matter.

It won hearts either way.

……

News of Cao Cheng’s arrival spread online instantly.

Along with photos and firsthand accounts from fans.

The updates only deepened the worry.

Zhonghai to Qiantang wasn’t a huge distance, but the timing made it clear—Cao Cheng had dropped everything and rushed over the moment he heard.

That alone suggested Ye Lan’s injury was serious.

The internet was full of self-proclaimed experts.

Their analyses terrified genuine fans. Some young girls were already in tears, hearts aching for their idol.

……

People often mocked so-called "brainless fans"—the kind who wouldn’t shed a tear for their own family but would sob uncontrollably over an idol’s minor scrape.

But that was a gross oversimplification.

Sure, there were extreme cases.

But those were outliers.

Using them to stereotype all fans was unfair to the vast majority who simply enjoyed following celebrities.

Everyone has hobbies. Some people even love the national soccer team.

If that’s allowed, why not celebrities?

That said—

Cao Cheng did like the national team… but only after 2034, when they finally showed some promise.

As for the current squad? Well… General Fan’s infamous rant summed it up best.

……

No matter how fans raged online, it didn’t change the situation inside the town.

When Cao Cheng arrived, the show’s director hurried to open his car door.

After stepping out, Cao Cheng got a full debrief.

Ye Lan had been treated.

The injury wasn’t as bad as before.

She could walk with a limp, but any strenuous movement was off the table.

Then Cao Cheng, The Fourth, and a small entourage headed to the temporary medical office.

There were quite a few people here as well.

And doctors.

All of them were female doctors.

After all, this was a girl group audition—they had to film scenes that would reassure the fans.

Fans could be quite particular about such things.

In the infirmary, aside from Ye Lan and a few other top-tier members, there were also some close friends, both international and domestic.

Almost everyone had come by to check on her, but they couldn’t stay indefinitely.

At most, a group would drop in after finishing their training before heading out again.

As the finale drew closer, the pressure and tension among everyone were palpable.

Ye Lan’s injury had left many of the girls shaken.

After all, Ye Lan was already famous enough that even if she had to withdraw, it wouldn’t drastically affect her future.

But for the other girls, an injury forcing them out of the competition… their luck might not be as good.

"Director… Oh! C-Cao… CEO Cao."

Spotting a group entering, the girls first noticed the director and quickly greeted him, only to then see Cao Cheng and The Fourth.

Along with them were other producers, including the mentors.

One by one, they paid their respects.

The top eight members also caught sight of Cao Cheng and The Fourth, instinctively lowering their heads. Whether it was from frustration or low spirits, they seemed somewhat dejected.

The director, sharp as ever, stayed silent but subtly gestured for the other girls to leave.

The group filed out in a hushed but orderly manner, careful to keep their footsteps light as they exited the infirmary.

Soon, everyone else had left too—including the director.

The Fourth stepped forward, looking at Ye Lan, who sat by the bed.

Her eyes were red—clearly, she’d been crying.

The girls greeted again, "Hello, Fourth Sister."

The Fourth gave a faint smile. "Crying? Over something so small? You’re all CEO Cao’s favorites. Even if you had to withdraw due to injury, there’d still be other opportunities lined up for you later."

It was meant as comfort.

For the female boss to offer reassurance was already a sign of favor.

The others understood this, and similar words had already been shared among them.

But…

To Ye Lan, it still felt like a devastating loss.

Six months.

They were so close to the finish line, only for her to get injured during the final sprint.

And it wasn’t even her fault—a prop had malfunctioned, nearly coming loose and throwing off her balance.

It wouldn’t force her off the stage entirely.

But it might very well become a lifelong regret.

"Young Master."

"Alright, stay still. Let me take a look." Cao Cheng didn’t stand on ceremony, examining her ankle.

Falling from several meters up, losing her balance—

The fact that she hadn’t broken anything outright was a testament to her physical fitness.

But…

After a brief check, Cao Cheng spoke up. "It’s not serious. You can still perform."

"Really?" Ye Lan’s face lit up with hope.

The other seven also turned to Cao Cheng, relief flickering across their expressions.

"I’ll treat you in a bit, but… if you’re expecting to push yourself like before, that’s not happening. The tendons are strained."

Cao Cheng shook his head. "At most, I can patch you up enough to handle basic choreography…"

Tears rolled down Ye Lan’s cheeks as she nodded fiercely. "That’s enough! That’s more than enough!"

Cao Cheng then instructed The Fourth to fetch a doctor and bring some acupuncture needles.

Could she really not recover fully?

Of course, that was a lie.

A full recovery was absolutely possible. Not only did Cao Cheng have some knowledge of traditional medicine, but he also had cultivation backing him.

Healing something like this was child’s play.

But he couldn’t tell her the truth.

There was still publicity to consider—they’d need her cooperation later.

If he told her the truth, he worried her acting wouldn’t be convincing enough.

Better to keep it vague.

Either way, it wouldn’t affect the final performance.

With her current popularity, even if she had to perform the last show in a wheelchair, she’d still pull in high votes.

That was the power of fame.