"LMAO, typical of you guys... I can't even tell if you're fans or haters, though your true colors are showing."
"No wonder Young Master Cao once said his biggest critics and troubles don't come from outside, but from within—right here in the Qianqing Palace..."
"???"
"WTF."
"HAHAHA, y'all are insane, spouting absolute nonsense."
"These folks upstairs are clearly Young Master Cao's fans—talking all cryptic, not a single coherent word..."
...
Cao Cheng's appearance.
Lasted only a second.
Then, when the national-style dance performance 'One Color Under Heaven' by the Jiu Troupe ended, the camera caught him again—two seconds this time—a shot of Young Master Cao applauding.
That was it, just those few seconds in total.
Yet it sparked a flood of comments and traffic online.
Almost like...
In that dreamlike version of Earth, when Jack Ma suddenly reappeared in the spotlight after vanishing for years.
Many didn’t even know what trouble Jack Ma had gotten into or what scandal he’d caused.
Later, influencers and pundits dissected it endlessly.
Now!
Young Master Cao’s situation was similar—plenty of speculation, endless hot takes.
But the difference was, Cao Cheng hadn’t done anything wrong.
His disappearance was just him laying low.
Otherwise, he could’ve easily posted daily blogs or even unhinged videos without issue.
...
As for whether this reappearance was part of some promo campaign, as the haters speculated?
Absolutely not.
What could possibly require Young Master Cao’s personal endorsement these days?
That’s just delusional.
The truth was, after being gone so long, his father-in-law urged him to show his face occasionally—so he wouldn’t seem like he’d been "kicked to the curb," fueling wild conspiracy theories.
Don’t netizens just love a good conspiracy?
As for the whole "youthful vitality, healthy body" narrative, at just thirty, he’s far from the stage people are imagining.
Better to fade out gradually.
Disappearing overnight? Nah.
So here he was.
Cao Cheng casually showing up at the Spring Festival Gala.
Honestly, this appearance wasn’t just his father-in-law’s doing—it also reflected his growing indifference.
His influence had expanded exponentially.
He was leagues ahead of where he’d been before.
Especially these past few years... His mastery of the 'Wolong Carefree Scroll' had reached new heights.
With greater power came shifts in perspective.
Immortality might still be out of reach, but longevity? That was within grasp.
His focus had shifted.
The future—his future, humanity’s future—lay in the cosmos...
Cao Cheng had also unlocked numerous rewards. Within a decade, a large-scale lunar base would be established.
That first step outward?
Would accelerate everything.
Think about it...
Ancient history spanned millennia—from Liu Bang’s Han Dynasty to the Ming’s Zhu Yuanzhang, over 1,500 years.
Yet societal progress was minimal. A Han-era time traveler in the Ming Dynasty wouldn’t feel out of place.
Only a few oddities would surprise them.
(Assuming we ignore cultural and linguistic differences, focusing purely on technology.)
But from Zhu Yuanzhang’s era to today? Just 500 years—barely two dynasties’ worth of time—and the gap is staggering.
If Zhu Yuanzhang teleported to the modern world, he’d die of shock.
Nothing would make sense to him.
That’s the power of a single leap forward—like the Industrial Revolution.
Now, history’s repeating.
Once the lunar base is operational, space exploration—stagnant for decades—will explode.
In just years, maybe a decade, advancements will defy current expectations.
...
So.
With this in mind, Cao Cheng saw no need for excessive secrecy.
The stars were the limit now.
Breakthroughs would come in waves.
Human lifespans would extend dramatically—cosmic living changes everything.
Especially with Cao Cheng’s life-extending tech.
And his youth-enhancing cosmetics.
Many mysteries would soon have simple explanations.
Though really,
it mostly came down to Cao Cheng no longer caring. Secrecy wasn’t a priority—just indifference.
...
...
In a flash,
the Gala ended.
This year’s biggest talking point wasn’t any performance—it was Young Master Cao.
Trending topics multiplied.
Search queries skyrocketed.
Teens who’d barely known him now Googled the "low-key billionaire" they’d overlooked.
Some were elementary schoolers a few years back.
Now in middle school.
Or even high school.
With their own social circles and online accounts.
Back then, Young Master Cao was irrelevant to them.
His disappearance left them clueless, uninterested.
At most, they knew:
Miracle Media dominated domestic entertainment.
Miracle Cosmetics ruled global beauty.
Miracle Real Estate was a property giant.
Miracle Games...
The list went on.
Everyone knows there’s a top billionaire in the country.
Just like how many people today think of "Penguin Ma" (Jack Ma), the older generation used to curse him daily, calling him "Ma the Shameless" or similar insults.
But do kids these days even know who "Ma Huateng" is?
Yet, who hasn’t heard of Ma Huateng?
Young Master Cao is currently in the same situation—everyone knows there’s this billionaire, but few truly understand him.
……
Now, with so many trending topics suddenly blowing up, it’s naturally drawn the attention of countless young men and women.
Even some netizens who weren’t very active online before.
And those who’d slipped through the cracks of the information bubble.
After all, among the millions of internet users back then, not everyone paid attention to Young Master Cao—at most, two or three out of ten followed his affairs.
The rest were just fish that slipped through the net.
……
The more people learned, the clearer an impression they formed of Young Master Cao.
Who knew a billionaire could be like this?
Constantly clashing with fans online.
Videos of past interviews with Cao Cheng started resurfacing on short-video platforms.
There were even clips of Young Master Cao trading barbs with "Little Cannon."
And now, behind every one of Little Cannon’s movies, there’s a line that reads: "Young Master Cao is invincible and the handsomest man alive!"
"Wait, seriously? That’s in there?"
"I didn’t see it! I just finished streaming If You Are the One 3 online…"
"No way—I just went back and checked If You Are the One 3, skipped to the very end after the credits, and sure enough, there it was. Dying laughing…"
"Little Cannon is such a sneaky bastard. He lost the bet but still played dirty, hiding that line after all the acknowledgments and thank-yous, right at the very end."
"No kidding, that old fox is crafty. How many people actually sit through every last second of the credits?"
"Come on, girls, let’s go troll Little Cannon. I’ve had enough of his nonsense."
"Let’s go, let’s go!!"
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
th】 【No prior gaming knowledge required】【The First Cultivation + Game Design Novel on the Platform】 In a world where the righteous path dominates and crushes the demonic sects, Lu Ze unlocks the "Son of the Demon Path" system. Killing righteous cultivators now grants him power-ups. Wait—deaths in illusions count too? As a former game designer, Lu Ze decides to give the cultivators of this world a little—no, a massive—shock... Sect Elders: "What is this 'Escape from the Demon Sect' game? Why have all our disciples abandoned cultivation to play it??" Elite Disciples: "You're saying... mastering 'Demon Slayer' can help us counter demonic schemes?" Reclusive Masters: "Why did I leave seclusion? Ask that backstabbing rat who ambushed me in 'Eternal Strife' yesterday!" Rogue Cultivators & Civilians: "'Immortal Abyss Action' is addictive! You can even earn spirit stones by loot-running..." Sect Prodigy: "My Dao heart is unshakable... except for that cursed black hammer." Royal Scions: "Can skins have stat boosts? I’ll pay 10,000 spirit stones for one!!" Sect Leader: "WHO IS CORRUPTING MY DISCIPLES?!!!"
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
