"What exactly is needed?"
Cao Cheng looked at the report submitted to him and felt a headache coming on.
He never expected that creating a helmet to connect to the Core of the Pivot World would require so many components:
A neuromorphic chip!
A quantum-assisted computing module.
Sensors.
A transcranial direct current stimulation array.
At least a 5G millimeter-wave antenna, preferably 6G.
Flexible batteries.
A brand-new brain-computer interface system.
Non-invasive neural decoding algorithms.
Neural synchronization calibration technology.
And...
A whole lot more!
This was the report submitted by the research team.
Cao Cheng rubbed his temples in frustration.
He had a photographic memory and had studied a fair bit, but even he found many of these requirements baffling.
Still, after reviewing the list, Cao Cheng knew these components could be developed—it was just a matter of time.
Six months if things went smoothly, several years if they didn’t...
The best approach would be to quickly establish an entire supply chain for the product.
That would require the involvement of numerous companies.
Cao Cheng had no intention of building factories himself; his role would be limited to providing technology and services.
And once the helmet was ready, there’d still be game adaptations to handle—PC, mobile, VR...
Someone would need to oversee all that.
And Cao Cheng definitely wasn’t going to be that person!
Not out of laziness, but because he saw no need. Such a valuable learning opportunity should go to someone with ambition.
The problem was...
Eldest Sister, Third Sister, and The Fourth were all busy.
Then there was Second Sister... but she had her own job.
The mixed-blood girl was responsible for the medical side.
Tang Xin... was planning for a second child.
"Sigh..."
"Not enough hands on deck."
"Too few women around me."
"Maybe I should ask Old Cao?"
"He’s the only one at home with nothing to do."
"Could work..."
That evening, back at home.
Cao Cheng pulled Old Cao aside.
"Dad."
"Huh?"
Old Cao, who had just lit a cigarette, flinched in surprise and stared at Cao Cheng.
"Wait, just call me Old Cao. I don’t deserve being called 'Dad' by you," Old Cao cut him off immediately.
Cao Cheng shot him a sidelong glance: "Old man."
"What the hell?"
Old Cao was furious. "Are you incapable of anything but extremes? Either pretending to be filial or being a damn rebel? Ever heard of moderation? Just spit out what you want—no need for the small talk."
Cao Cheng sighed. "I just figured since Little Cao’s gone to the capital, I’d check in on you. See how you’re holding up. Experts say older men need to take care of their mood—staying happy means living longer. Otherwise, even the medicine I gave you won’t work as well."
"I’m just worried you’ll get bored. The sixth kid’s already in elementary school, and you’ve got nothing to do all day. Wouldn’t want you to fall ill from sheer boredom."
"Ren’s mother’s fine—she spends time shuttling the kid around and tutoring homework at night. That’s tiring enough. But you?"
"A grown man, just lazing around at home, eating and drinking for free."
Old Cao’s face darkened.
Cao Cheng quickly added, "Of course, you’re my dad. It’s only right that I provide for you. Who else is as filial as me? The Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars—lying on ice to catch fish, fetching deer milk for parents, moving heaven with devotion—those stories are ancient. If we included modern times, my name, Cao Cheng, handing you a cigarette, would be right up there."
As he spoke, he passed another cigarette to Old Cao.
Old Cao narrowed his eyes.
This kid was definitely up to no good.
And shameless, too—praising himself like that without batting an eye.
No wonder he’d become the richest man. With that kind of audacity, he was born to make money.
Seeing Cao Cheng about to continue, Old Cao cut in again: "Get to the point. No need to dance around it, dragging the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars into this. After that 'old man' remark, you’re disqualified anyway."
Cao Cheng grinned. "Here’s the thing—since you’re bored and don’t have any hobbies, not even the patience for fishing, I thought I’d find you something fun to do."
"Something fun?" Old Cao squinted. No, this felt off.
Cao Cheng explained, "I’ve developed some new tech and need to set up an entire supply chain. But the middle stages require someone trustworthy to oversee things."
"And don’t worry, it’s not hard work. In fact, it’s a chance to show off."
"Let me put it this way—do this well, and your name goes down in history."
"And not just national history—global history. This will change the lives of everyone on the planet."
"Most people wouldn’t get this opportunity. But you’re a Cao, and my dad. Otherwise, why would I even consider you?"
Old Cao didn’t look the least bit excited.
After a brief pause, he asked solemnly, "So, you’re just trying to make me work, huh?"
Cao Cheng rolled his eyes and took a drag. "Work? No, no. Think of it as being a supervisor, a foreman, a CEO, a captain—you’re steering the ship. I can’t trust outsiders with this."
He sighed. "I wouldn’t even hand this to my father-in-law. This is a chance for fame and fortune, and I know who comes first. That’s why I thought of you."
"But personally, I don’t need the recognition. I just worry about you at home. Sure, no one minds now, but what about later?"
"So,"
"After a month of careful consideration, I decided this is the perfect way to gild your legacy."
"Pull this off, and you’ll be the founding father of an entire industry—its revered patriarch!"
The pitch was grandiose.
And oddly enticing.
Old Cao’s interest was piqued.
"Don’t sweet-talk me yet. First, tell me what this is about."
Seeing Old Cao’s curiosity, Cao Cheng immediately adopted a more formal tone. He pulled out his phone and searched for something before handing it over.
"Here’s a novel."
"A novel?"
"Yeah, a web novel. It inspired this whole new direction. Read it, and you’ll understand."
Old Cao took the phone.
On the screen was the title—"MMORPG: [Title Redacted]..."
Cao Cheng continued, "Once you read it, everything will make sense. What we’re doing is bringing this gaming helmet to life, and then..."
He launched into another grand vision.
Old Cao didn’t get it.
But he could read the novel.
He had nothing better to do anyway.
Back in the day, he’d read period dramas.
This was his first time diving into an MMORPG story.
And once he started, he was hooked.
The concept was fascinating—wearing a helmet to enter another world.
A game that could change the globe.
A game with its own independent monetary system.
A game... that could even develop one's own abilities, strengthening the body in the game while also enhancing it in reality.
This...
is pretty damn awesome.
Seeing Old Cao completely absorbed, Cao Cheng stood up straight.
This... is a done deal!
pression Bureau] Transported to a fantasy world overrun by demons and monsters, Gu Qingfeng becomes a jailer in the Demon Suppression Prison of the Great Yan Dynasty's Demon Suppression Bureau. From this point on, bizarre cases frequently occur in the Demon Suppression Prison, once known as hell on earth and infamous for its gloomy, terrifying atmosphere! Why do the demons and monsters in the prison wail miserably every night? Why has the corpse demon, capable of transforming into various beauties, donned black stockings and switched careers to become a foot massage therapist? Why has the eye demon, expert in soul-snatching and illusions, turned into a VR headset? Why is the fox spirit performing otaku dances? Are all these occurrences a twisted expression of demonic nature, or a descent into moral depravity? After peeling away layer upon layer of mystery, all clues ultimately point to a jailer named Gu Qingfeng. Gu Qingfeng: "Hehehe... My dear demons and monsters, whose card shall we flip today?"
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
