"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!
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
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?"
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
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.
