Ch 4: Unexplained Negative Emotion?

A sudden system notification caused Cao Cheng to almost drop his insulated tea cup.

20??

This is a critical hit, huh?

Cao Cheng looked at the old man in front of him.

Good job, Old Zhang, it hasn’t even started yet, and you’re already showing such negative emotions just from setting up the pieces?

It’s just that you lost twenty yuan to me yesterday…

Old Zhang felt Cao Cheng’s gaze and looked at him in confusion: “What’s wrong? What’s with that look?”

Cao Cheng chuckled: “Old Zhang, I didn’t realize you were so petty.”

“What?” Old Zhang looked completely bewildered.

“Alright, alright, stop pretending, today I’ll only win ten yuan from you at most.” Cao Cheng spoke generously. It wasn’t out of politeness; he was just afraid of making the old man angry. After all, he was over seventy, and he had high blood pressure.

Most importantly, Old Zhang brought 20 points of negative emotion.

Let him win two games, give him some hope, and slowly fleece him.

You can’t fleece him to death all at once.

We need a slow and steady approach.

One big meal is not as good as many small meals; Young Master Cao understands.

Eighteen minutes later.

Cao Cheng lost.

This was the third time Cao Cheng had lost this week.

Old Zhang happily accepted fifty yuan.

If Cao Cheng wins, it’s ten yuan; if he loses, it’s fifty. Otherwise, how could so many old men let him be the banker all the time?

This fifty yuan made the surrounding old men shake their heads enviously.

Actually, it’s not really about the money; it’s mainly that Xiao Cao has been very successful recently. Who doesn’t know that this kid is a chess master?

If they could win a game against him, they would have something to brag about.

“Oh dear.”

Cao Cheng feigned a shake of his head: “A slight misstep, a slight misstep. Old Zhang, you’re quite good. Did you secretly study chess manuals?”

“Hehehe…” Old Zhang laughed like a seventy-year-old child, his broken teeth showing.

What are you laughing about?

Look at your teeth; it’s a pity you don’t go into movies.

However,

These people are not related to him and their status isn’t very high; they are ordinary people, so the negative emotions they can provide average around 1 point.

This resulted in Young Master Cao only accumulating 53 points of emotion this week.

Adding Old Cao’s 17, that’s a total of 70!

And the sudden critical hit just now, 20 points.

Only 10 more emotion points are needed for the first lottery.

According to the system.

The first lottery has a lucky critical hit, guaranteeing a good item.

Cao Cheng was increasingly excited.

At this rate, it should be completed in at most three days, or maybe even today.

【Ding~ Negative Emotion +5】

What the heck?

Again…

Cao Cheng stared blankly at Old Zhang, who was grinning. No, this old geezer gets negative emotions even when he wins?

You’re playing the depression card with me, are you?

Sunny-side-up depression?

The louder you laugh, the faster you die, is that the meaning?

No!

Cao Cheng realized it at this moment.

It wasn’t Old Zhang.

He looked around, but didn’t see any old men angry. They weren’t actors; they couldn’t hide their micro-expressions that well.

Cao Cheng had, after all, ‘Years of Experience.’ To say the least, he was very good at reading people.

It definitely wasn’t these old men around him.

That’s strange…

Who would have negative emotions towards him for no reason?

Old Cao?

It wasn’t him; Old Cao was on his honeymoon overseas; they even made an international call yesterday.

According to the system, only the emotions of nearby people can be collected, at least within the same city; outside the city, it’s impossible to collect them.

The system isn’t omnipotent.

Unless the system upgrades.

Now, beyond a certain range, even if someone wants to kill him, no emotion points will be collected.

Therefore,

The source of this sudden 20 points, and now another 5 points of negative emotion, is most likely someone nearby.

……

Cao Cheng stood up and looked around further.

There were many retirees in the square park in the morning.

In the distance, there were three bald men playing a whip-cracking game.

Crack, crack, crack…

A little further away was a table tennis area, and there was also basketball.

On the other side, people were practicing Tai Chi.

There were also people just walking around the square for exercise.

He didn’t see anyone staring at him, nor did he see anyone angry…

That’s strange.

“Xiao Cao, what are you looking at?” Old Zhang asked in confusion.

“Nothing, let’s play again!” Cao Cheng sat down bewildered, picked up his teacup and took a sip, frowning in thought.

Inside a car not far away.

Eldest Sister Ren Fanxing became increasingly angry, but thankfully she could control her temper.

If it were her younger self, she would have probably flipped the table already.

……

In the following time, Cao Cheng didn’t collect any more sudden emotion points.

Two full hours.

It was nearing noon.

Finally, he managed to make the old men angry five times.

He suddenly had 100 emotion points; he could go home and do the lottery.

“That’s a wrap for today, see you tomorrow…”

Cao Cheng, pocketing his fifty yuan profit, whistled, and left with his insulated cup.

Seeing Cao Cheng’s smug look.

Several old men were so angry that their teeth itched, providing Cao Cheng with another 3 points of negative emotion.

Cao Cheng almost couldn’t help but laugh.

These old men were really unwilling to lose.

Just wait.

Let Young Master Cao teach them what it means to learn until you die!

On his way out, he also went to the square management office and got a cup of free hot water.

He didn’t go home for lunch; he went straight to the mahjong parlor. The mahjong parlor served free lunch.

After lunch, he played mahjong, paying 20 yuan for the table and buying two packs of cigarettes.

He continued to eat dinner at the mahjong parlor; four dishes and a soup, and there was meat.

He wasn’t in a hurry about the lottery.

He would wait until evening, take a bath, wash his hands properly…

For the first lottery draw,

He had to have a sense of ritual!

In the afternoon, he won another 8 emotion points at the mahjong parlor; people who lose money easily generate negative emotions.

After dinner, he didn’t go to the square; he continued playing mahjong…

Until.

9:30 PM.

Cao Cheng, carrying his insulated cup, returned to the old house.

He didn’t notice two people following him from a distance.

Ren Fanxing’s tracking skills were excellent; ordinary people couldn’t detect her.

“Second Sister, he’s home.”

“I’m not blind, I can see!”

Third Sister shrank her neck. Throughout the day, she felt that Second Sister was becoming increasingly cold.

It was summer, but it felt like Second Sister had an air conditioner around her.

So cold!

Second Sister Ren Fanxing said: “It was really an idle yet fulfilling day. How does he manage to embody the word ‘parasite’ so perfectly?”

Third Sister whispered: “I think it’s pretty good.”

“What did you say?” Second Sister’s eyebrows furrowed, and she glared at her sister.

Third Sister shrank her neck and repeatedly said: “I mean, if our mother could rest for a while like that, it would be great. She’s just too tired.”

“Hmph, do you think our mother would be like him, without any contribution to society, wasting educational resources by going to university?”

“And that Cao guy told our mother how good his son is, studying computer science, about to work at a big company. That’s work? That’s a big company?”

“The square is quite large…”

“I’ll definitely tell our mother about this. I’ll also ask that Cao guy face to face if he’s telling the truth.”

Third Sister didn’t dare to speak in the face of Second Sister’s anger.

But Third Sister could understand why Second Sister was so angry.

The Ren family didn’t have a pillar of the family; the entire conglomerate was supported by their mother, until her daughters grew up.

The eldest sister also started helping out at the company, and Second Sister’s job was quite busy. Many times, she didn’t go home for several days, and didn’t even have time to sleep properly.

As a result, Cao Cheng seemed to be living a ‘leisurely’ life with the Ren family’s money, a life they couldn’t imagine.

By comparison, anyone would be psychologically unbalanced.

They didn’t even have time to spend the Ren family’s assets, so why should an outsider spend it freely?

“Let’s go.” Second Sister Ren Fanxing turned around.

Third Sister said: “Shouldn’t we go and meet him?”

“What’s there to meet? I feel disgusted just talking to that kind of person.”

“…”

Third Sister followed Second Sister’s footsteps helplessly, chasing after her and whispering: “Do I still need to continue investigating him, visiting his neighbors and former classmates?”

“No need, it’s a waste of time.”

“Oh!”

Third Sister pouted, sighing inwardly.

She was quite happy when she heard her mother say that they would have a younger brother.

She and Fourth Sister Ren Yuege were the youngest.

She had wanted a younger brother for a long time.

Moreover,

Cao Cheng did look good; he was handsome.

Although they hadn’t directly interacted or observed him closely, he looked very elegant from afar.

He had an indescribable carefree and casual air.

Third Sister really liked this feeling, but Second Sister was angry, so she didn’t dare to disobey.

She could only hope that this ‘cheap younger brother’ would look after himself!

【Ding~ Negative Emotion +20】

“What the hell???”