The sudden system alert nearly made Cao Cheng drop his insulated tea cup.
20??
A critical hit?
Cao Cheng stared at the old man in front of him.
Not bad, Old Zhang. We haven’t even started yet, and just setting up the chess pieces already gives you this much negative energy?
It’s just twenty bucks I won from you yesterday…
Old Zhang noticed Cao Cheng’s gaze and looked at him in confusion. "What’s wrong? What’s with that look?"
Cao Cheng chuckled. "Old Zhang, didn’t take you for such a petty guy."
"Huh?" Old Zhang was utterly baffled.
"Alright, alright, no need to act. Today, I’ll only take ten bucks from you at most." Cao Cheng spoke magnanimously—not out of courtesy, but because he was afraid of pushing the old man too far. After all, he was over seventy and rumored to have high blood pressure.
Most importantly, Old Zhang had just provided 20 points of negative energy.
Let him win a couple of games, give him some hope, and slowly milk him dry.
Can’t squeeze him all at once.
Gotta keep the golden goose alive, right?
Cao Cheng knew the difference between a one-time feast and a lifetime of meals.
Eighteen minutes later.
Cao Cheng lost.
This was his third loss in a week.
Old Zhang gleefully pocketed fifty bucks.
If Cao Cheng won, it was ten; if he lost, it was fifty. Otherwise, how could these old-timers let him keep running the table?
The fifty bucks had the other seniors shaking their heads in envy.
The money wasn’t even the main thing—it was Cao Cheng’s recent unbeatable reputation. Everyone knew this kid was a chess prodigy.
Beating him even once would be bragging rights for life.
"Ah well," Cao Cheng sighed dramatically, shaking his head. "Just one misstep, just one. Old Zhang, you’ve been holding out on me—been secretly studying chess manuals, huh?"
Old Zhang grinned like a seventy-year-old child, his crooked teeth on full display.
What’s so funny?
With those teeth, you’re wasting your talent not being in horror movies.
Still, these folks were just ordinary people, not relatives or high-status figures, so the negative energy they provided averaged around 1 point.
That’s why, after a whole week, Cao Cheng had only scraped together 53 points.
Add Old Cao’s 17, and it totaled 70!
Plus the sudden critical hit earlier—20 points.
Just 10 more points, and he’d have enough for his first system draw.
According to the system, the first draw came with a luck bonus—guaranteed to yield at least a decent reward.
Cao Cheng was itching with anticipation.
At this rate, he’d hit the mark in three days at most—maybe even today.
[Ding~ Negative Energy +5]
What the—?
Again?
Cao Cheng stared blankly at Old Zhang, who was still grinning like an idiot. Wait, this old coot is giving off negative energy even after winning?
Playing the depressed winner card, huh?
Sunshine depression?
The louder the laugh, the quicker the breakdown—is that it?
No!
Cao Cheng quickly realized.
It wasn’t Old Zhang.
He scanned the area but didn’t spot any visibly upset seniors. These guys weren’t actors—they couldn’t hide micro-expressions that well.
With his "century of life experience," Cao Cheng prided himself on reading people.
Definitely not the usual suspects.
Then who the hell was it?
Who’d have any reason to randomly resent him?
Old Cao?
Nah, he was off honeymooning abroad. They’d even chatted on an international call yesterday.
The system’s rules were clear: only emotions from people within the same city could be collected. Beyond that, nada.
The system wasn’t omnipotent.
Unless it leveled up.
Right now, no matter how much someone might loathe him from afar, their hatred wouldn’t register.
So this sudden burst—20 points earlier, now 5—had to be from someone nearby.
Cao Cheng stood up, scanning the wider park.
Morning in the square was packed with retirees.
Three bald guys were cracking whips in the distance.
Snap! Snap! Snap!
Further off were the ping-pong and basketball areas.
Another group practiced tai chi.
Some just power-walked laps around the square.
No one seemed to be glaring at him, no visible anger…
Weird.
"Xiao Cao, what’re you looking for?" Old Zhang asked.
"Nothing. Let’s go again!" Cao Cheng sat back down, sipped his tea, and frowned in thought.
Inside a car not far away:
Second Sister Ren Fanxing stewed in silent fury. Thankfully, she’d learned to control her temper.
A younger version of herself would’ve already flipped that chess table.
The rest of the morning passed without any more surprise energy spikes.
Two hours later, nearing noon:
Five more outbursts from the seniors finally pushed him past the 100-point threshold. Time to cash in.
"Closing up shop. See you all tomorrow!"
Whistling, Cao Cheng pocketed his fifty-yuan profit, grabbed his thermos, and strolled off.
The sight of his smug exit had the old men grinding their teeth—adding another 3 points to his haul.
Cao Cheng barely stifled a laugh.
These geezers never learn.
Just wait.
Master Cao would teach them the true meaning of "live long enough to become the villain."
On his way out, he swung by the square’s management office for a free refill of hot water.
No time to go home—lunch meant free grub at the mahjong parlor.
After eating, he paid 20 yuan for a table, bought two packs of cigarettes, and settled in.
Dinner? Same place. Four dishes, soup, and meat—all complimentary.
As for the prize draw? No rush.
Tonight, he’d purify himself with incense and a thorough hand-washing.
First draw deserved ceremony!
The afternoon at the mahjong den netted him 8 more points—losers were always generous with their negativity.
Post-dinner, he skipped the square and kept playing…
Until 9:30 PM.
Thermos in hand, Cao Cheng finally returned to his old apartment.
He didn’t notice the two figures tailing him at a distance.
Ren Fanxing’s stealth was top-tier—ordinary folks would never spot her.
"Second Sis, he’s… home," The Third whispered.
"My eyes work," Ren Fanxing snapped.
The Third shrank back. All day, her sister had radiated an increasingly glacial aura.
Despite summer’s heat, being near her felt like standing in AC.
So cold.
Ren Fanxing muttered, "What a masterclass in being a useless leech. How does someone waste a college education—a computer science degree—to end up hustling retirees in a park?"
The Third ventured timidly, "I think it’s kinda nice…"
"What did you say?" Ren Fanxing’s glare could freeze lava.
"I mean—" The Third backtracked hastily, "—Mom should take a break like this. She works too hard."
"Humph. Unlike him, Mom actually contributes to society. That bastard Cao lied straight to her face—bragging about his son landing some ‘big company’ job. This is his career? A park?"
Her voice dripped venom. "That ‘big company’ must be the square’s property management."
"I’ll make sure Mom knows. And I’ll ask that Cao bastard point-blank—does a single truthful word ever leave his mouth?"
The Third stayed silent under her sister’s wrath.
But she understood the rage.
This wasn’t just about today.
This was years of pent-up fury at a world that kept disappointing them.
The Ren family had no pillar to lean on—their mother single-handedly held up the entire conglomerate until her daughters grew up.
The eldest sister had now started helping out at the company, while the second sister, Ren Fanxing, was swamped with work, often not returning home for days, barely even finding time to sleep properly.
Meanwhile, Cao Cheng was suspected of living an "easy" life beyond their wildest dreams, funded by the Ren family’s money.
The contrast was enough to make anyone resentful.
They barely had time to enjoy their family’s wealth—why should an outsider get to spend it so freely?
"Let’s go," said Ren Fanxing, turning away.
The Third asked, "Aren’t we going to meet him?"
"What’s the point? Just talking to someone like him makes me sick."
"..."
With a resigned sigh, The Third followed her second sister’s lead, lowering her voice as she pressed, "Should I keep investigating him, then? Talk to his neighbors or old classmates?"
"Don’t waste your time."
"Oh."
The Third pouted, feeling a pang of disappointment.
Back when their mother had first mentioned gaining a new brother, she’d actually been excited.
She and The Fourth, Ren Yuege, were the youngest.
She’d always wanted a little brother.
And truth be told, Cao Cheng wasn’t bad-looking—he was handsome.
Though they’d never spoken or gotten a close look at him, from a distance, he carried himself with an effortless charm.
There was a carefree, untamed air about him.
The Third quite liked that vibe, but with Ren Fanxing furious, she didn’t dare defy her.
All she could do was hope this "bargain brother" would manage on his own.
[Ding~ Negative emotions +20]
"What the hell???"