"Third Sister."
Evening.
Third Sister had returned home.
Cao Cheng took her hand with an ingratiating smile and led her into a small room.
Third Sister gave a gentle laugh. "What is it?"
"Hehe~~"
Cao Cheng fawned over her, urging her to sit before starting to massage her shoulders. As he worked, he spoke up, "Third Sister, do me a favor, will you?"
"Spit it out!" Third Sister never refused Cao Cheng’s affectionate gestures and even enjoyed this kind of younger brother’s flattery.
This was exactly how she imagined a younger brother should be—so well-behaved.
"I want to set up an investment company. Will you help me?"
"An investment company?" Third Sister was taken aback.
Cao Cheng nodded.
He continued massaging her tired shoulders before moving down to knead the muscles in her legs, all while explaining his idea in detail.
Third Sister understood.
But when Cao Cheng mentioned the company’s name—"A Group of Dream-Chasing Employees in the East Who Believe That Under the Leadership of Cao Cheng and His Third Sister, They Will Create the Miracle of Life Investment Group"—
Third Sister burst out laughing.
Her laughter was uncontrollable—she had always been easily amused.
What was so funny?
Cao Cheng said sternly, "I’m serious."
"I know, I know—hahaha!" Third Sister nodded, seeing that her little brother was indeed serious.
But it just felt ridiculous.
What kind of company name was that?
Was this even something a human could come up with?
Would it even get approved?
And wasn’t it way too long?
Just the name alone—regardless of what the company actually did—would definitely attract attention if it got out.
Huh?
Third Sister suddenly paused.
This little brother of hers… actually had some clever ideas.
A company’s biggest fear was obscurity—that’s why so much money was spent on advertising, buying fame.
Brainwashing ads were meant to make sure everyone, young and old, knew about them.
But a name like this…
It might seem eccentric, but whether it had a future or not, the first one to stand out would surely reap the biggest rewards.
Third Sister had an epiphany.
Of course, it was only because she trusted and doted on Cao Cheng that she considered the positive side.
If it were The Fourth, she would’ve jumped up and cursed—what kind of nonsensical name was this?
Third Sister rested one leg on his lap, letting him massage it, her cheeks slightly flushed as she asked seriously, "Are you really serious about this?"
"Of course. I’m being completely serious."
"Alright then, let’s discuss it…" Third Sister indulged him—no matter how unreasonable his requests were, she would try her best to fulfill them.
……
Truthfully,
many of this company’s functions overlapped with Tang Xin’s operations.
Or rather, it wasn’t so much a conflict as it was redundancy.
After all, "Ao Tian Fund" could also invest in projects—not just stocks and forex.
So starting a separate company wasn’t strictly necessary.
But Cao Cheng wasn’t satisfied with that name…
Besides,
having a venture capital firm entirely under his control was necessary.
At any rate, what was there to fear with limited liability?
……
Third Sister had a deep understanding of business.
She had always assisted Eldest Sister behind the scenes—though she held no official position, calling her an executive assistant wouldn’t be wrong.
As the third daughter of a family-run enterprise, she had absorbed far more practical knowledge than Cao Cheng.
This was a gap in experience.
Despite Cao Cheng having "lived" longer, neither of his lifetimes had made him a real tycoon.
Most of what he knew was theoretical.
How could that compare to Third Sister’s hands-on experience?
So,
after a long discussion, Cao Cheng felt his decision was right—he needed Third Sister’s help.
But he couldn’t rely entirely on her.
This was also Third Sister’s own stance.
They needed professional managers—she could assist, oversee, serve as a director or shareholder, but not as the CEO.
First, Third Sister’s capabilities were just slightly lacking.
Second, the company had to be properly structured, not run like a family business.
The Ren Group was already a family enterprise, and its many inherent flaws were something Third Sister clearly saw.
But after so many years, some deep-rooted issues couldn’t be fixed—internal reform was needed, yet the right opportunity never came.
Eldest Sister was troubled by this too.
Even Ren's Mother had taken a wait-and-see approach.
Now, since they were setting up a new company, they might as well make it professional, elite-driven—promoting the capable, demoting the incompetent, and minimizing office politics.
This would ensure the group’s long-term health and survival.
This was wisdom born of experience.
Cao Cheng understood.
Plus, he could borrow some future corporate management models.
Things like CDG, CSIG—clear divisions of labor.
As for the personnel hierarchy, they could refine it into 14 levels, with well-defined roles and managerial ranks…
In short,
Third Sister gave him plenty of advice and practical insights.
He felt like he had learned something new.
"Third Sister, this company depends on you. After you register it, help me contact headhunters—you’ll have the final say on the professional managers." Cao Cheng delegated authority.
This was one of Cao Cheng’s strengths—he knew how to delegate.
He didn’t cling to power or money, nor was he the type to micromanage.
Besides, he trusted Third Sister.
Yes!
Pure trust—definitely not just an excuse to be a hands-off boss.
"Won’t you be involved?" Third Sister asked curiously.
Cao Cheng sighed. "Third Sister, you know I’ve got other investments. Right now, I’m managing billions in funds…"
Third Sister nodded.
"Plus, I’ve partnered with Tang Xin on a public fund—investing 100 million."
"And then there’s The Fourth—I’m planning to start a cultural media company with her."
"Now, on top of that, there’s this investment group with you…"
"I’m swamped!"
Third Sister’s heart ached a little for him.
Softly, she said, "Don’t overwork yourself. Money can’t all be earned—you need to rest. Our family isn’t short on money anyway."
"Third Sister, you’re the best!!"
Third Sister wasn’t foolish.
She knew Cao Cheng had a tendency to delegate and step back, but she didn’t call him out on it.
At the same time, she understood that even if he wasn’t hands-on with management, overseeing such vast funds and multiple companies required serious mental effort.
Brain work could be even more exhausting than physical labor.
Third Sister knew this well.
So,
even if she suspected he was slacking off a little, she still spoiled him.
After all, he was her only younger brother.
She had waited so long for him.
If she didn’t dote on him, who would?
"I’ll talk to Eldest Sister later. I’ll help you for a while—she’ll probably agree."
"Mmm~~~"
A twinge of guilt pricked Cao Cheng.
Tricking The Fourth was one thing, but Third Sister was genuinely good to him—he almost felt bad deceiving her.
Sigh.
"Third Sister… I’m sorry."
"Why are you suddenly apologizing?" Third Sister chuckled.
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.
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)
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
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.
