Set a Small Goal

Big Fortune Forum!

Symbolizing a prosperous market opening.

This forum is a hub for stock discussions.

It’s filled with all kinds of "greenhorns," and of course, no shortage of so-called "experts."

Despite the seemingly serious atmosphere of stock analysis, it’s riddled with all sorts of vulgar rants.

These days…

Internet moderation is still quite lenient—even phrases like "motherfcker" can be openly typed out.

This reminded Cao Cheng of a news story from his dream: two middle-aged women went at each other online, cursing from domestic to international platforms for a full sixteen years… and almost ended up physically destroying each other.

Too bad Cao Cheng couldn’t find someone with that level of dedication to a feud. Otherwise, the steady stream of emotional outbursts over sixteen years would’ve been astronomical in value.

But then again,

Cao Cheng wasn’t too greedy.

As his system leveled up and expanded its collection range, forums like this became new hotspots for harvesting emotions.

Now he could immerse himself in gathering emotions without even leaving home.

This was good.

This was very good.

After browsing around, Cao Cheng nodded in agreement at the "divine" analyses from various charlatans. Truly, these were experts—financial jargon played to perfection. Not that Cao Cheng understood any of it.

But not understanding made it all seem even more impressive.

After some thought, Cao Cheng decided not to learn from them.

His goal was to collect emotions, not to show off or sell courses.

……

He registered an account on the forum.

After a few seconds of consideration, he chose a name fit for the "Chosen One": Stock God Aotian!

Cheesy?

Absolutely!

But unforgettable at first glance.

What a naming genius I am.

Then he posted a thread.

The title? "The Bull Market Is Coming!"

The content was brief—just a screenshot of his investment capital: 500 grand!

He boldly claimed his positions were set, waiting for the bull run to begin.

A downright arrogant post.

It completely disregarded the greenhorns and experts alike.

So even though it was nighttime, replies poured in quickly.

Along with emotional spikes.

[Ding~ Negative Emotion +2]

[Ding~ Negative Emotion +3]

[Ding~ Negative Emotion +1]

[Ding…]

It was obvious—these emotions ranged from anger to disdain, envy, and resentment.

Not a single positive emotion in sight.

No surprise there.

In this field, everyone’s a rival. No greenhorn wants to see another make money. The industry thrives on human negativity.

Losing money hurts, but seeing others lose even more? That’s pure joy.

So,

Most people in this industry are emotionally unstable.

Cursing is rampant.

Stuff like:

"Bull market my ass~~!"

"Who the hell invests this much in stocks? Fake screenshot!"

"Bull market? More like big sucker."

"How does this guy have so much cash? What am I missing?"

"Bro, I believe you… but I ain’t buying. Hahaha…"

"I thought a bull run was coming too, but after your post, I’m sure it’s doomed!"

"Moron…"

The forum had users from all over.

But locals dominated the numbers.

Soon, negative emotions hit 80!

Though just 80, this was only the first post. As the market fluctuated and the bull run eventually arrived, emotions would skyrocket.

And as long as he kept posting, fresh emotions would keep flowing.

This was even more valuable than harvesting from "Jiangbei locals."

Cao Cheng scrolled through the replies, unbothered. Aside from clapping back at the worst offenders, he ignored most insults.

Besides,

The replies revealed human defiance.

The more he preached about the coming bull market, the harder these fools resisted believing it.

Cao Cheng planned to exploit that very trait—farming them repeatedly.

The bull run hadn’t even started yet, and he was already "predicting" it.

Once the market heated up, he’d "predict" the peak. By then, no one would listen—they’d be too deep in the frenzy.

And when the crash came? The emotional tsunami would be off the charts. Maybe even spawn a [Divine] treasure chest instantly.

So,

Cao Cheng’s next move? Set a small goal.

Level up the system once more. If the upgrade expanded his collection range nationwide, he could monopolize this forum’s emotional output.

……

After skimming the thread for a few minutes, Cao Cheng closed the site. No need to linger.

Traffic was low at night.

But once the market opened tomorrow and stocks dipped? The thread would explode with rage—fueling endless emotions.

This was just an appetizer, so Cao Cheng wouldn’t obsess over it.

What really demanded his time and effort was the game.

"Happy Farm" was simple to design.

But Cao Cheng wanted to optimize it further.

Once it went viral nationwide,

It’d become another emotion-harvesting goldmine.

Stealing crops? Joy.

Getting crops stolen? Rage.

Harvesting? Happiness.

Pests infesting crops? Despair.

The emotional rollercoaster would be endless.

Any emotion tied to his creations would flow back to him.

If circumstances allowed, Cao Cheng would’ve launched "Battle Royale" already.

That game was pure virtual slaughter.

Even thirty years later, it’d still have a massive player base.

Just imagining the ocean of negativity it’d generate thrilled him.

Who hasn’t raged playing Battle Royale?

And the longer people played, the more their emotional buffs stacked.

So,

Back to the original point.

Current mission: Level up the system and expand the collection range.

……

The next day.

The first day of "Fourth Sis" joining the household.

Annoying!

Cao Cheng woke early for his standing meditation.

Compared to money and emotions, health was the real priority.

Living longer meant more time to enjoy his wealth—what was the point otherwise?

Half an hour later, he was drenched in sweat.

Leaving his room,

He ran into Ren Yuege stepping out of the bathroom, her domineering aura intact despite the sleepwear.

Cao Cheng recognized her.

But still greeted, "Good morning, Third Sis."

"……"

This brat was already pissing her off at dawn.

Ren Yuege scowled. "I’m your fourth sister!!"

"Oh, good morning, Fourth Sis." Cao Cheng smirked.

Ren Yuege laughed angrily, then suddenly shifted tones. "Why are you so sweaty? Is it that hot? Or are you just… weak? Kidney issues?"

Personal attacks, huh?

This little firecracker couldn’t take an L.

With a triumphant grin, Ren Yuege added faux-concern, "Little bro, don’t blame sis for saying this, but young men should take care of their health."

Ren Yuege was still a virgin.

But as an adult, she’d heard enough—never seen a pig run, but eaten pork? Close enough.

Her advice sounded earnest.

Cao Cheng snorted. "Don’t worry, I’ll outlast your future husband."

"Ugh."

Ren Yuege’s face flushed as she spat, "Stop being disrespectful, or I’ll twist your ear."

Cao Cheng chuckled.

He entered the bathroom to freshen up.

Then suddenly called out, "Didn’t flush? What kind of habit is that?"

"……"

[Ding~ Negative Emotion +20]

Ren Yuege stormed back in, furious and embarrassed.

She checked the toilet—spotless.

Only then did she realize the little jerk had tricked her.

Ren Yuege delivered another fierce attack, turning to pinch Cao Cheng's ear as she gritted her teeth: "You little brat, can’t you go a single day without bullying me?"

Cao Cheng stumbled from her sudden body check, yelping, "Ow ow ow, that hurts!!"

Still gripping his ear, Ren Yuege snorted, "If you dare mess with me again, I’ll twist this ear right off. Got it?"

"Got it," Cao Cheng surrendered.

Only then did Ren Yuege release him, letting out a haughty huff as she strode out of the bathroom.

Cao Cheng grumbled loudly, "Third Sister is way nicer than you!"

(▼へ▼メ)

[Ding~]