"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!!"
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
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)
