A year had passed.
Cao Cheng was living life on easy mode.
All thanks to the rise of short videos.
Not that short videos alone could make Young Master Cao kick back completely.
But this was just the beginning.
Whether it was the idol industry, gaming circles, film and television, finance, or business...
After years of relentless effort,
Nearly every closed-loop system had been perfected.
From now on, there wasn’t much left for Young Master Cao to do personally. Even when action was needed, he could just lounge in his recliner, barely opening his eyes between cultivation sessions to issue a lazy command...
Besides, the explosive potential of short videos in later stages rivaled any industry.
Even if it seemed like mere entertainment at its core,
Its true power lay in propaganda.
Right now, short videos might still be flying under the radar, not yet as wildly popular as they would become. Many people didn’t see their significance.
But when the short video boom finally hit,
Even the Americans were stunned.
Who could’ve guessed something so trivial—just silly little clips—would win over hearts so completely?
...
In the blink of an eye,
Their child was almost three.
One day, after Tang Xin had collected her "marital dues" from Cao Cheng,
The couple chatted for a while.
Tang Xin seemed slightly hesitant.
Cao Cheng noticed.
Raising an eyebrow, he teased, "You get what you want and suddenly turn shy? What, was it not enough?"
Tang Xin smacked him, half-amused, half-exasperated.
"Honestly, aren’t you too old for this? Our son’s three already!"
With a mock scowl, she added, "And watch your mouth—don’t let our boy pick up your bad habits."
Cao Cheng chuckled, then sobered. "Alright, out with it. What’s on your mind?"
Tang Xin knew she couldn’t hide anything from him.
After a brief pause, she finally spoke: "My father asked me a few days ago... He wants us to consider sending De Cheng to Beijing."
"??"
Cao Cheng was momentarily confused.
Then it clicked.
His father-in-law was offering to groom their son.
Truthfully,
Cao Cheng didn’t care either way.
Whether little Cao grew up to be a businessman, a politician,
Or even some celebrity chasing skirts—
It made no difference to him.
Life was short.
Grass withers in autumn.
A brief immortality—no, wait! A mere century. Might as well enjoy it.
Besides, Cao Cheng was practically immortal.
This wouldn’t be his only child.
At most, this one was special as the firstborn.
Sure, by Chinese tradition, the eldest son carried more weight.
But Cao Cheng couldn’t care less.
With memories spanning over a century,
And having died once already,
Such things meant little to him.
As long as the kid was happy.
And with his own longevity, there was no need to pressure children into perpetuating some family legacy.
But...
That said,
Cao Cheng recognized his father-in-law’s good intentions.
To the old man, sure, Cao Cheng might live longer than most—but not forever, right?
Eventually, the next generation would have to carry the torch.
And as a businessman—
No matter how successful, there were always limits, both domestically and abroad.
But if De Cheng went to Beijing, raised under his grandfather’s wing in a family with three generations of accumulated influence...
If the boy entered politics later, resources would flow endlessly.
If he proved capable,
The Cao business dynasty could seamlessly transition into something greater...
The benefits spoke for themselves.
No empire lasts a millennium,
But families do.
...
In an instant,
Cao Cheng grasped his father-in-law’s plan.
And Tang Xin’s stance too.
She probably wanted this.
Having grown up in such a family, she understood its advantages.
Maybe less carefree than staying here,
But far more accelerated in growth.
Plus,
That environment meant a built-in circle.
Children raised alongside future power brokers formed bonds deeper than mere partnerships.
Yet,
Tang Xin wouldn’t agree unilaterally.
Even seeing the benefits, she deferred to Cao Cheng at home.
Otherwise, goodwill could sour fast.
After some thought, Cao Cheng said, "I’m fine either way. And I’d never force the kid into any path."
"But De Cheng’s too young now. We can’t exactly ask him what he wants to be."
"Still,"
"We can ask if he’d like to stay with his grandparents for a while."
"If he hates it, we bring him back."
"If he loves it? Then we respect that."
Tang Xin beamed. "You’re the best, husband."
"The best?"
"Then let’s make another."
"If De Cheng really goes into politics later, we won’t see him much—not like regular families enjoying their kids’ company."
"Old Cao and Ren’s mother would be heartbroken."
"Next one’s a girl."
Tang Xin laughed. "Since when can you choose? Just snap your fingers and it’s a daughter?"
"Wanna bet?"
"No thanks. Everyone says never gamble with you—zero chance of winning. Where’s the fun?"
"Who?" Cao Cheng feigned outrage. "Who’s slandering me now?"
"The Fourth," Tang Xin grinned.
Cao Cheng huffed. "That bratty sister—always spreading rumors. Just wait till I deal with her."
Tang Xin added, "She also claims you use bets as excuses to bully her."
"Damn it—"
Cao Cheng’s face twisted in theatrical fury. "Not just slander, but dirty slander now!"
Tang Xin giggled, snuggling closer to pinch him. "Oh please, I know you too well."
With a dramatic sigh, Cao Cheng lamented, "Ah, the times are corrupt. Prejudice weighs like a mountain upon men’s hearts."
Amid the playful bickering,
The noble cause of procreation continued.
Plans for a second child were underway.
With her own career milestones achieved and a rare break in her schedule, Tang Xin finally had time to breathe.
The next day, Cao Cheng and Tang Xin discussed the Beijing idea with Ren’s mother.
Old Cao, however, objected.
"De Cheng’s just a toddler! Shouldn’t he be playing, not training?"
"And besides—"
He grumbled, "Acting like we can’t raise him right. Look how well this little rascal turned out under me! Where’d you be without my parenting?"
The others couldn’t help but laugh.
Father and son were cut from the same cloth—
Both shameless in taking credit.
Old Cao continued, "No offense, daughter-in-law. Just saying kids need childhoods. And we’d miss him! Right, Ren’s mother?"
He glanced at her for backup.
Ren’s mother, too, was reluctant to part with her grandson.
orn and Humiliation】【Forced Love】 In his past life, Lin Ran was betrayed and murdered by his girlfriend and family, while the yandere female aristocrat, who had treated him as a mere plaything, avenged him by doing in his enemies. Upon seeing the yandere female aristocrat lying in the same coffin, ready to die with him, Lin Ran realized how profoundly mistaken he had been. Reborn, he abandoned the fickle campus beauty and wholeheartedly embraced the yandere female aristocrat's arms. "Ran! If I dig out your eyes and turn them into a specimen, you'll only be able to look at me!" Lin Ran: "Darling, kiss me!" "Ran! If I break your legs, you won't run away anymore, right?" Lin Ran: "Love, hold me tight!" "Ran! If..." Lin Ran: "Hush now! Love me more!" Luo Yao: ... Seeing his scumbag dad: "Take him out!" Seeing his stepmother: "Get rid of her!" Seeing his brother: "Eliminate him!" Seeing his white moonlight: "Send that to Southeast Asia!"
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.
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)
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?!
