No Idlers in This House

The next day!

Cao Cheng woke up, staring blankly at the ceiling.

It was time for self-reflection.

This was a habit cultivated over two lifetimes.

He always made time to introspect, no matter how busy he was, examining his strengths and weaknesses… then correcting what needed to be corrected and reinforcing what was already good.

Weaknesses? Nonexistent.

Only strengths.

But among these strengths, were there any slightly weaker ones?

Being too soft-hearted, easily swayed by others.

Could that count?

Cao Cheng had always considered himself a good person, a gentleman, a true hero—no objections, right?

But lately, his actions seemed to be getting… ‘darker’?

Blame the system!

Truthfully, Cao Cheng would have preferred to collect positive emotions—like when Little Chen sang well and made fans happy, that was positive too.

But the system rewarded far fewer positive emotions compared to negative ones.

No choice.

Cao Cheng had to resort to harvesting negative emotions, or else the system might eliminate him.

System: …?

Ahem.

Sure, the system had never explicitly stated that failure to collect emotions would result in elimination, but what if it did?

The system couldn’t speak or communicate, so if it decided to wipe him out for slacking, who could he even complain to?

People should always prepare for the worst-case scenario.

Thus,

Focusing on negative emotions was just faster and more convenient, wasn’t it?

Right!

Self-reflection complete—clearly, the system’s fault!

Time to get up.

Wash up!

Today, The Fourth was coming home!

Lingling would also be moving out of the hotel and into the mansion.

The four sisters at home already knew about Lingling, but while The Fourth was away, Cao Cheng couldn’t exactly bring her over.

Now that The Fourth was back, Lingling could naturally move in and room with her best friend.

……

Yesterday’s showdown.

As expected, Little Chen won.

His triumphant grin left Cao Cheng speechless.

He was celebrating too soon!

Soon, he’d experience the power of capital firsthand.

And later, his company would sue him for over 20 billion.

Yes, you read that right.

20 billion.

Even Cao Cheng had to admire Tianyu Entertainment’s audacity—how dare they demand that much?

This incident helped Cao Cheng understand the entertainment industry’s bottom line—which was that there was none.

What a mess.

Cao Cheng could already imagine the chaos when his colossal ‘presence’ entered this little entertainment bubble.

……

……

Summer break.

No one around him was idle.

Tang Xin was busy at her new company, networking and quickly establishing its framework.

The secondary market, after the "Happy Boys" finals, rebounded to 4,000 points.

And after this week, there was no looking back—it soared straight to the heavens!

Further boosting the prestige and fame of ‘Stock God Aotian.’

A boon for the new company as well.

……

Third Sister’s setup progressed even faster. In just half a month, everything was ready—only funding and the hired executives were left.

By month’s end, it’d all be settled.

Then, Cao Cheng would need to meet with the executives to discuss plans.

They had to set the tone and outline the company’s future investment strategy.

……

The entertainment company was also established, named "Miracle Media."

The full name? "In the East, There’s a Group of Dream-Chasing Entertainers Who Believe That Under the Leadership of Young Master Cao and His Fourth Sister, They Will Create the Miracle of Life Cultural Media Co., Ltd.!"

The Fourth had objected.

Vehemently.

She found it mortifying.

Like publicly defecating.

But she couldn’t resist Cao Cheng’s coercion—or the way he kept calling her "Sweet Little Sister."

In the end, she relented.

Originally, The Fourth had wanted to name it "Four Sisters Media."

Which infuriated Cao Cheng.

His company, named after the sisters—and excluding him?

What a garbage name!

But,

The Fourth eventually compromised.

And now,

With Lingling around, things were actually easier.

Lingling came from a prestigious family.

Her grandmother was a respected professor, and her parents worked in film and music in Beijing.

A third-generation star.

Well-connected in the industry.

So,

After days of fun, shopping, and relaxation, it was time for her to contribute.

She couldn’t just keep playing, could she?

What would that make her?

A slacker!

In this household,

No freeloaders allowed!

Everyone was busy.

Busy is good, busy is good!!

Cao Cheng sipped tea, basking in the sunset’s heat while enjoying the mansion’s central AC—just vibing!

Yet, gazing at the empty mansion, he sighed.

It reminded him of his dreamlike old age—back then, his children and grandchildren were always busy too.

Busy is good~~~~

……

That day.

Old Cao arrived.

But something seemed off.

He walked with a limp, leaning on a cane.

Still dashing and debonair,

Yet the cane added an air of ‘big boss’ authority.

No way.

Did Ren's Mother go that hard?

Crippled him?

Cao Cheng gasped, "What happened?"

Old Cao sighed dramatically, "A man’s DNA carries the ferocity of a beast—born to fight. For fame, fortune, love, a man will abandon life, dignity, even endure pain. Bruised and battered, he’ll defend every inch of his territory."

"Like the pride and dominance of a lion."

"If another lion invades his domain, the reigning king will sink his teeth into the challenger’s throat, proving his might."

"This was a battle for love. Winner takes all; the loser fades into obscurity."

As he spoke, Old Cao punctuated his words by tapping his cane rhythmically against the floor—a beat of dominance.

But…

Cao Cheng got it.

Frowning, he asked, "So, you got into a fight over Ren's Mother?"

"Uh…"

Old Cao hesitated, "A duel. Understand the concept of chivalry?"

"Fight’s a fight. Just say you won. What’s with the ‘duel,’ ‘chivalry,’ ‘lion king,’ ‘territory’ nonsense? You’re limping with a cane—since when do lion kings need canes?" Cao Cheng scoffed.

"It’s a walking stick."

"Cane’s a cane. ‘Walking stick,’ my foot."

"Stick."

"Fine, fine, cane it is."

"Not a cane—a walking stick!" Old Cao insisted, fixated on the term.

Cao Cheng waved him off, not wanting to dwell on it. "So, how’d the fight start?"

Old Cao lifted his chin proudly, gazing at the sky—until the sun blinded him, forcing him to look down.

With unshakable bravado, he declared, "Don’t let this cane… this stick fool you. I still crushed him—knocked out two of his teeth."

Cao Cheng marveled.

Ah, the good old days.

A decade later, knocking out teeth could land you in jail!

Sure, Cao Cheng had once done the same, but that was against thugs who came looking for trouble—justice served. Old Cao’s case? Pure ego.

Clearly, Old Cao had come to brag.

That expression on his face seemed to say, "Look, your old man's still got it—won the fight. Pretty badass, huh?"

"Give me the details."