Fourth Sister's Visit

"Not bad, young man."

"Well done."

The man who had chased after the robber, panting heavily, gave Cao Cheng a thumbs-up.

"Piece of cake," Cao Cheng replied with a smile, feeling pretty good about himself.

After a brief chat, Cao Cheng learned that the man who had chased the robber was an off-duty police officer. Today happened to be his day off.

As for the woman who got robbed…

Well.

Better not dwell on it.

Average looks.

Average figure.

Average background.

Something’s off!

In the web novels from his past life, a woman like this would at least be a female CEO or something.

Otherwise, why would a robber bother targeting her?

But no, she was just an ordinary middle-aged woman, no stockings or anything.

She had simply withdrawn money at the bank and caught the robber’s attention.

She kept thanking Cao Cheng profusely, looking genuinely grateful.

But the "positive emotions" she provided only amounted to 1 point!

Seriously?

That’s not even enough to cover the loss of a thermos.

Negative emotions are so much easier to collect.

Take this robber, for example. After being handcuffed by the police, he still contributed 12 points of negative emotions to Cao Cheng.

All in all, 30 points—more than Aunt Wang ever gave.

Aunt Wang, Aunt Wang…

I don’t even want to talk about you. Beating you eight times, and the accumulated negative emotions still can’t compare to a single robber?

What even are you?

Nothing!

……

Cao Cheng didn’t notice.

In the distance, a BMW sat parked, a girl inside staring intently in his direction.

Her eyes held an emotion hard for outsiders to decipher.

Too bad Cao Cheng didn’t see her.

Otherwise,

He’d definitely shout, "I’m blessed by fate—the female lead just delivered herself to me!"

At this moment, Cao Cheng was like a hero.

Surrounded by a group of old men playing chess, all praising him.

But Cao Cheng wasn’t particularly thrilled.

He had thought he was the chosen one.

Yet after a whole month,

He finally encountered a robber, only for the plot to go off-script.

In novels, shouldn’t the police chief be shocked? Then personally thank him, leading to a meeting with a stunning policewoman?

Isn’t that the usual trope?

But in reality, the guy just complimented him a few times, took the criminal away, and didn’t even ask for his name.

Think he’ll come back to thank him?

What a shame.

If this were ten years later, a viral video could’ve gotten him a free apartment.

And after playing chess for so long, he hadn’t run into any legendary old men.

Suddenly,

At the chessboard, one old man caught Cao Cheng’s attention.

The man was a stranger—first time here.

His presence was imposing.

His gaze was sharp.

The kind of sharpness that came from seeing too many corpses—utterly devoid of emotion.

Cao Cheng’s eyes narrowed. Given the old man’s age, around sixty, could he be a retired general?

But when Cao Cheng asked, it turned out the old man had worked at a crematorium, burning bodies for over twenty years, and had just retired.

(╬ Ò﹏Ó)

Whatever.

No mood for chess. Time for cards.

Soon, Cao Cheng left the square and headed to a mahjong parlor.

Inside, some familiar middle-aged female players gave him less-than-friendly looks.

Their faces brimming with negative emotions.

Not because Cao Cheng had won much from them.

In fact, he had deliberately lost quite a bit.

But Cao Cheng played in a way that annoyed everyone—even if he couldn’t win, he made sure no one else could either.

He’d dismantle his own tiles, making them impossible to match or claim, leaving others frustrated beyond belief.

"Ladies, come on, let’s play! I’ll cover the table fee," Cao Cheng called out.

"Xiao Cao, don’t mess around today," one of the women warned.

"Ah, Sister Lin, it’s not my fault. I’m still learning, okay? Cut me some slack. Drinks on me, smoke all you want, and I’ll treat everyone to chicken legs at lunch," Cao Cheng said sweetly.

But once the game started, the torment began.

First, he’d hesitate endlessly before playing a tile, agonizing over every move, driving the women crazy.

Then he’d mimic the pros, rubbing the tiles without looking, chanting, "Come on, eight of bamboos, eight of bamboos…" only to reveal—oops, it’s the eight of dots!

The difference was night and day.

What was the point of rubbing it?

When the woman below him saw the eight of dots, her eyes lit up—she could claim it.

But Cao Cheng instantly snatched it back. "My bad, I’m not playing the eight of dots."

The woman glared daggers at him.

Then, after she dismantled her set expecting the eight of dots, Cao Cheng played it anyway. She nearly flipped the table.

And then came the "mantras."

"Eight of bamboos, eight of bamboos…"

His murmuring was like a cursed chant, giving the women headaches.

Occasionally, he’d slam tiles down—

Bang! Bang!

The sudden noise made them jump.

If not for the free drinks and table fee, plus the fact that Cao Cheng was good-looking, the women might’ve actually hit him.

The negative emotions flowed like a river.

But it came at the cost of the women’s sanity.

By lunchtime, Cao Cheng left with 50 points of negative emotions, thoroughly satisfied.

Lately, his daily harvest had multiplied.

Familiar faces provided stacked negative emotions—way more than before.

Back at the start, he’d be lucky to get ten points a day.

In the afternoon, he switched to another parlor.

Better not push his luck.

……

Night fell quickly.

By 7 PM, Cao Cheng was home.

Today had been fruitful.

He was almost ready for a ten-draw.

And as people’s negative emotions grew fiercer, collection would only speed up.

Life was looking up.

If things went well, he could pull a ten-draw every few days.

Sweet.

Knock, knock, knock—

Just as Cao Cheng settled in, someone rapped at his door.

"Who is it?"

"Is this Uncle Cao’s place?" A soft, melodic voice floated in from outside. Even without seeing her, the voice alone suggested high marks.

"……"

Puzzled, Cao Cheng opened the door.

And was instantly dazzled by the sight before him.

This girl was… stunning.

Exquisite features.

Fashion-forward style.

In an era still dominated by non-mainstream trends, a girl this refreshingly put-together was rare.

Right now, the streets were full of "Chun-Li" wannabes.

People still believed in "In Chun-Li We Trust, Eternal Life We Get."

So,

This girl?

Premium quality.

Even a decade later, her sleek, stylish look would still be cutting-edge.

Especially her face—

A true goddess.

Though Cao Cheng had only dated one girl in this life, his century-long dreamscape had exposed him to plenty.

After all, you learn from those around you.

With an old playboy for a father, even the most loyal heart could wander.

Yet even so,

This girl’s beauty was top-tier.

Many celebrities at their peak couldn’t hold a candle to her.

The girl tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling. "So, do I look good, little brother?"

"!"

Cao Cheng was speechless. Was she always this forward?

"And you are?"

"I’m your sister, Ren Yuege," she said with a light laugh. Though she played the part of a demure lady, the mischief in her eyes betrayed her restless spirit.

"Ren Yuege?... You're Aunt Ren's daughter?" Cao Cheng suddenly realized.

"Smart!" Ren Yuege gave Cao Cheng an approving look.

Why does she have her mother's surname?

Whatever.

It wasn't Cao Cheng's place to dig into her family background.

They weren't that close anyway.

Besides, he found it a little awkward—this girl was way too familiar for someone he'd just met.

Since when were they on "big sister" terms?

Ren Yuege lifted her slender leg and stepped inside.

A faint trace of her perfume drifted past Cao Cheng.

After entering, she glanced around and remarked, "Not bad. The place and furniture are a bit old, but it's tidy—much better than I expected."

"Though," she added, "the smoke smell is a bit strong. Not good for your health, little brother."

As she spoke, Ren Yuege walked to the balcony and opened the window, then did the same in the kitchen to air out the place.

"Hey."

Cao Cheng was speechless. "I just turned on the AC."

"All the more reason to air it out. Otherwise, it'll get stuffy. Can't you smell it?"

"That's not the point. The point is, you didn't exactly ask for my permission."

"But I'm your sister~."

"..."