Chapter Summaries

Yang Bo forced Charlie to transfer more than twenty billion in loans and fifty billion in Roll Family funds, then released recordings of Charlie online. The recordings exposed Charlie’s identity and abuse of his relatives, and Alliance news outlets began reporting on the scandal.

• Charlie hesitated over the mortgage loan, but Yang Bo threatened him with a Taser until he borrowed more than twenty billion using his credit and collateral.
• Yang Bo forced Charlie to transfer the fifty billion in family funds he could access, then knocked him unconscious with the Inhibition Helmet and left without it.
• Yang Bo uploaded Charlie’s unedited recordings to a virtual porn website and escaped, while passengers on his ship discussed the suspicious Atomic Bomb incident on Tianze Star.
• A Tianze Star citizen recognized Charlie in the video, confirmed his identity with an intelligent search, and tipped off a reporter.
• Alliance news outlets reported that the Tianze Star Speaker of the House had been kidnapped and tortured, highlighting Charlie’s confession about having his brother’s family tortured to seize the inheritance.

Yang Bo watched Charlie’s confession spark outrage across the Alliance and Tianze Star, turning attention from the Atomic Bomb incident to political corruption. Charlie later claimed he had been forced to lie, but the women he had named publicly accused him of coercing them, while Yang Bo’s role as the kidnapper went unnoticed.

• Yang Bo found reports and videos spreading Charlie’s five-hour confession about crimes, political schemes, and sexual coercion, though the Alliance tried to limit their circulation.
• Citizens across the Alliance condemned Charlie, and protests and impeachment efforts mounted against the Ruling Party, Tianze Star’s Governor, and the Alliance’s current leadership.
• Charlie appeared and claimed he had been kidnapped and forced to fabricate everything in the video.
• Lilian, Charlie’s nephew’s wife, and other women said Charlie had coerced them and that they had evidence, prompting women’s organizations to target him.
• Yang Bo noticed that public attention had shifted from the Atomic Bomb incident and that no one was discussing the kidnapper.

Yang Bo learned that Alliance politicians suspected Charlie’s kidnapping was backed by powerful political connections, while the Special Investigation Team found no leads. After returning to March Star with the Zhang Family’s stolen haul, Yang Bo valued it at more than ninety billion and began considering how to recruit capable leaders for his future expansion.

• Li Yong and Li Han suspected Yang Bo had powerful political connections and intelligence support, while Alliance politicians focused on finding whoever had aided Charlie’s kidnappers.
• The Special Investigation Team failed to trace the kidnappers, and Charlie was detained after his money was found transferred to charities.
• Yang Bo left Sky Cloud Star, returned to March Star, and inventoried the supplies he had taken from the Zhang Family’s bunker.
• The Zhang Family’s Clan Leader told the family they would be held responsible for the bunker incident, and the family speculated that Zhang Bozhen might have powerful allies.
• Yang Bo estimated his haul was worth more than ninety billion, then considered recruiting experienced officials to help him build a faction.
• Yang Bo saw the Alliance Secretary of State announce his resignation and realized former high-ranking officials could be a source of talent.

Yang Bo attended Black Star Company's shareholders' meeting in Vicki City, where he learned that the company planned to withhold dividends and exploit Golden Lion City's crisis. He left the decision ahead of him as he entered the meeting amid rival shareholders.

• Yang Bo discussed Charlie's kidnapping and the Alliance's political turmoil with Annie, Su Wei, and Siya, while considering how he might recruit talent for a future faction.
• Yang Bo traveled with Li John's six armed guards aboard the Golden Skull to Black Star Company's headquarters in Vicki City.
• Pete told Yang Bo that the company planned to withhold dividends and demand resources from shareholders to attack Golden Lion City after the Alliance traced its Tianze Star hacker attack there.
• Yang Bo and Pete questioned whether the company should seize Golden Lion City's resource sites while the Alliance's Special Investigation Team was investigating.
• Yang Bo met the shareholders gathered for the meeting, then accepted Valerie's provocative challenge to play a few rounds after it.

Yang Bo, acting as Li John, agreed to a Life and Death Contract with Valerie and fought her in an unarmed duel after shareholders voted to prepare for conflict with Golden Lion City. He dodged Valerie’s opening attacks and kicked her into the arena wall, gaining Berserk Energy and Earth Element Control as the fight continued.

• Tate Bobby briefed Black Star Company’s shareholders on the Alliance investigation of Golden Lion City and proposed using company dividends to hire mercenary and adventurer teams.
• Yang Bo abstained from the vote to prepare for conflict, while ten shareholders supported the operation and six opposed it.
• Valerie challenged Li John to a fight to the death over her father’s death, and Yang Bo accepted a Life and Death Contract.
• Valerie drew an unlimited unarmed duel and transformed into a three-and-a-half-meter-tall stone-skinned giant.
• Valerie cracked the arena floor and charged at Li John, but Yang Bo leaped over her and kicked her head, sending her crashing into the wall.

Yang Bo defeated Valerie in one blow, gained control of her company shares and other assets, and began investigating her unusual powers. Meanwhile, Tate and James secretly agreed to use the aftermath of Valerie’s death to arrange an attack on Yang Bo, who returned to Li John’s manor unaware of the plot.

• Yang Bo killed Valerie at the start of their fight, shocking the crowd and securing her eleven percent share in the company.
• Yang Bo sold Valerie’s family assets other than the company shares, then wondered how she had acquired Berserk Energy and why she had granted him two skills.
• Tate brooded over Valerie’s defeat and discussed the danger posed by Yang Bo with James, who proposed arranging an assassination.
• Tate agreed to provide James with information and opportunities, including company meetings, in exchange for a share of the gains.
• Yang Bo returned to Li John’s manor and planned to upgrade its intelligent systems, weapons, and security detectors.

Yang Bo optimized the intelligent systems of Li John's Manor's mechas while keeping their hardware limitations and hidden backdoors in mind. He then returned to Devon Star, where Jerry Butler reported that the governments had reached an agreement and that an Empire investigation team was arriving, and Yang Bo went to meet the Devon Star government.

• Yang Bo ordered the manor's Mecha Pilots to return their mechas to the warehouse so he could optimize their systems.
• Yang Bo updated the intelligent systems of the First, Second, and Third Generation Mechas through the manor's internal network.
• Yang Bo decided against adding external modules or upgrading the alarm system, wary of attracting the Alliance's attention and needing to address an issue on Devon Star.
• Yang Bo returned to Devon Star, where Jerry Butler reported that the Empire's and Alliance's delegations had reached an agreement and that the Empire's Special Investigation Team would arrive soon.
• Jerry Butler told Yang Bo that Su Ruoxin had asked for him three times, and Yang Bo went to meet the Devon Star government, threatening to destroy it if its response was unsatisfactory.

Allen told Bart that the authorities had no leads on the Terrorist Attack against the investigation team, then described God Hall’s history and its suspected infiltration of the Empire. The chapter left Yang Bo with more information about the organization behind the attack and a reason for Bart to learn about it naturally.

• Allen said the Devon Star authorities could only compensate Bart because they had no leads on the Terrorist Attack.
• Bart invited Allen aboard his spacecraft to hear what he knew about the investigation.
• Allen explained that the attacked group included two Soul Secret Method users and that a Butler at the estate had likely been planted by the Carter Family.
• Allen said God Hall dated back to the Home Star era, once controlled major financial interests, and went underground after losing its currency power during interstellar expansion.
• Allen claimed God Hall had secret methods and ancient martial arts records, had infiltrated countries across the systems, and had even placed people in the Empire’s Special Investigation Team.

Yang Bo, posing as Viscount Bart, learned how God Hall had infiltrated the Empire and other governments, then confronted officials over the assassination attempts against him. He demanded a warship as compensation, leaving the Emperor to decide how to respond.

• Allen told Yang Bo that God Hall had infiltrated Imperial departments, noble families, academia, and political groups, and that the Empire was investigating its members.
• Allen explained that the attacks on Bart had been carried out by assassins hired through an organization, and said the authorities would eventually offer him an explanation.
• Yang Bo demanded half of Allen’s benefits for acting as a lobbyist, then agreed not to disrupt a meeting with officials if they behaved properly.
• The Governor of Devon Star told Bart that a 150-billion-Blue-Coin bounty had been offered for his death and later raised to 260 billion.
• Bart rejected financial compensation and demanded a lower-tier escort ship, threatening to make trouble online unless he received a satisfactory answer within a week.
• The Governor reported Bart’s demand to the Emperor, who was speechless at the request.

The Emperor and the Prime Minister considered Bart’s demand for a warship and agreed to provide one with restricted weapons systems. Meanwhile, Yang Bo continued producing Ultra-High Temperature Material and prepared for the possibility of receiving the ship, while postponing wedding arrangements amid Devon Star’s unrest.

• The Prime Minister urged the Emperor to sell Bart a reserve warship, arguing it would put idle assets to use and deter threats on Devon Star.
• The Emperor agreed to Bart’s request on the condition that the warship’s weapons systems were restricted.
• Yang Bo produced Ultra-High Temperature Material and searched White and the other two scientists’ memories for useful talent for his planned military-industrial base.
• Yang Bo told Jerry Butler to prepare a place for warships to dock and explained that he had demanded a warship from the authorities.
• Jerry Butler showed Yang Bo the wedding guest list, and Yang Bo suggested postponing the invitations or holding the wedding online because Devon Star remained dangerous.

Yang Bo and Ning Xue decided to hold a simple online wedding because the investigation into the attack remained politically dangerous and their family ties made invitations complicated. After publicly criticizing the Empire’s failure to protect people, Yang Bo arranged to meet Zhang Bozhen to discuss payment for the completed mission and the possibility of obtaining warships.

• Yang Bo told Ning Xue that officials had provided no leads on the investigation-team attack and that the case involved Old Nobles, the royal family, and mysterious organizations.
• Yang Bo and Ning Xue agreed to hold their wedding online, invite no one, and postpone having children until Ning Xue’s superpower stopped growing.
• Yang Bo posted that he would keep the wedding simple because he could not guarantee guests’ safety on Devon Star, and said he might move away.
• Yang Bo read that Chairman Charlie had fled the Alliance to join the Interstellar Pirates while news of the Zhang Family Bunker atomic bomb incident was suppressed.
• Yang Bo contacted Zhang Bozhen to confirm that Ninth Mister had completed the mission, and they agreed to meet in person to discuss payment and possible purchases.
• Zhang Bozhen told Butler Niu to treat Ninth Mister as an important partner, while Yang Bo planned to pursue warships through him.

Zhang Bozhen discussed how to prove his sincerity to Ninth Mister’s team and speculated about its power, while Yang Bo sought a way to learn more about Alliance warships. The chapter left Yang Bo trying to invent a convincing excuse to visit the Ninth Fleet and consult Wang Muxue.

• Zhang Bozhen told Butler Niu to gather warship specifications and prices and discreetly investigate whether Ninth Mister’s team was connected to Chairman Charlie’s case.
• Zhang Bozhen and Butler Niu speculated that Ninth Mister’s team had a vast intelligence network and many partners, and Zhang Bozhen weighed the benefits and risks of working with them.
• Zhang Bozhen decided to handle the warship matter carefully and show the team his sincerity, expecting the purchase to bring him a profit.
• Yang Bo considered how to obtain complete warship performance data, noting that Li Yong’s experience covered mainly reconnaissance ships and that hacking military systems was unrealistic.
• Yang Bo decided he could learn from Wang Muxue and the Ninth Fleet, but struggled to find a plausible excuse for visiting her.

Yang Bo finished optimizing the manor’s mechas while weighing the risks of unifying their systems and struggling with the manor’s unreliable staff. He inspected the manor’s defenses and decided its drones, robots, alarms, and weapons all needed upgrades, leaving its security overhaul ahead of him.

• Yang Bo optimized the mechas used by his subordinates, chose not to unify their operating systems, and opened the warehouse permissions for the Mecha Pilots.
• Yang Bo received notice of a Black Star Company shareholders’ meeting and considered the challenges of managing Li John’s Manor and rooting out infiltrators.
• Xu Shun told Yang Bo that mecha prices had risen and asked about recruiting pilots; Yang Bo postponed recruitment and prepared to attend the company meeting.
• Yang Bo inspected the manor’s fighters, drones, robots, alarm system, and wall defenses, finding them outdated and deciding to redesign and standardize them.

Yang Bo optimized Xiaoyao Manor’s defenses while learning that Xu Shun was betraying him, then deliberately arranged to travel alone to Black Star Company. James prepared an assassination for the next day, and Li John’s mecha flight clearance application set the plan in motion.

• James and Tate met secretly and agreed to share intelligence for an assassination attempt on Li John, though neither fully trusted the other.
• Yang Bo surveyed Li John’s manor, named it Xiaoyao Manor, and began optimizing its alarm systems and mechas.
• Liu Fugui and Stanley noticed the mechas had improved but kept quiet because Yang Bo had not discussed the changes.
• Yang Bo told Xu Shun he would travel to the company alone, then learned through the Mental Seed that Xu Shun had passed the information on.
• Tate sent the travel intelligence to James, who decided Li John would die the next day, while Tate hoped they would destroy each other.
• The company received Li John’s application for mecha flight clearance, and Tate was surprised that he was really going through with the trip.

James learned that Li John was piloting a tenth-generation Tai Blade mecha, while the Pufferfish Mercenaries prepared to ambush him along the road to Vicki City. Yang Bo turned their attack around by disabling the road train’s radar, destroying its command carriage, and fighting back as the remaining mercenaries scattered.

• James regretted hiring the A-Class Pufferfish Mercenaries after learning Li John was traveling in only one mecha, and Regiment Commander Pufferfish ordered the group to intercept him.
• The Pufferfish Mercenaries opened fire from their road train as Yang Bo approached, but Yang Bo dropped low to evade the Laser Cannon and attacked its radar system.
• Yang Bo accelerated toward the road train and smashed through its command carriage, tossing in a Mecha Bomb that caused a massive explosion.
• Yang Bo used the halted road train as cover from four airborne enemy mechas while the armored mercenaries fled or scattered.
• Yang Bo shot down the fleeing armored mercenaries with his mecha’s Energy Weapon, which overwhelmed their combat armor.

Yang Bo used the highway train’s weapons and his mecha to annihilate the Pufferfish Mercenaries attacking him. After the last surviving pilots surrendered, he was left in control of the battlefield.

• Yang Bo killed nineteen mercenaries, then hid inside the highway train’s weapons carriage as the Pufferfish Mercenaries’ Air Superiority Mechas returned.
• The train’s Laser Cannons destroyed three Air Superiority Mechas before the mercenaries blew up the weapons carriage, and Yang Bo escaped the blast and burned another damaged mecha.
• Yang Bo attacked the ground mechas near the locomotive, killing their pilots with his cold weapon and using the resulting explosions to disable their sensors.
• Yang Bo killed two more mecha pilots in a charge, then pursued three fleeing pilots down the highway.
• One of the three pilots turned to fight, but Yang Bo pierced his cockpit; the other two climbed out and surrendered.

Yang Bo survived an ambush by the Pufferfish Mercenaries and used the company’s delayed rescue to challenge Tate and demand changes to Black Star Company’s Armed Forces Department. As Tate returned to announce that the incident had been investigated, Yang Bo had rallied minor shareholders to press for dismissals, an audit, and an inquiry into the attackers’ connections.

• Yang Bo spared two surrendered Pufferfish Mercenaries, then claimed their mechas as spoils while police and company guards arrived after the battle.
• Tate learned that the mercenaries’ mission had failed and James faced a compensation claim for providing inaccurate target information.
• Yang Bo accused Tate of failing to protect him and won support from shareholders who questioned the Armed Forces Department’s management and response time.
• Pete showed Yang Bo a short video of the fight, which revealed that Yang Bo had defeated the ambushers in less than five seconds.
• Yang Bo urged shareholders to dismiss the Armed Forces Department’s managers, investigate their possible ties to the attackers, and audit the company as Tate returned claiming the incident had been explained.

Yang Bo challenged Tate over the Armed Forces Department’s failure and the company’s leadership, but Tate kept control by postponing a chairman election and opening departmental posts to shareholder nominations. The board then approved Tate’s plan to target Golden Lion City, while Yang Bo abstained and continued to suspect James of involvement in the attack against him.

• Tate sent shareholders an investigation report blaming the Armed Forces Department’s deputy minister for the delayed response and proposed replacing its managers.
• Yang Bo criticized Tate’s leadership and called for a new chairman, prompting shareholders to debate whether to prioritize reform or the planned campaign against Golden Lion City.
• Yang Bo noticed that James seemed distracted during the debate and suspected he might be connected to the attack.
• Tate called for a vote on replacing the chairman; Yang Bo and some others raised their hands, but they held less than one-third of the shares, so Tate remained in office.
• Tate gave shareholders two days to nominate candidates for thirty-three Armed Forces Department management positions, and everyone supported the proposal.
• Tate presented a 650-million-Credit-Point plan to target two mines and farmland in Golden Lion City; Yang Bo abstained from the operation and considered planting a Mental Seed in James.

After Black Star Company's shareholders approved Tate's plan to exploit Golden Lion City's crisis, Yang Bo confronted James and planted a Mental Seed in him, learning that James had arranged the attack and was tied to Anbang Bank. Tate told James to flee and use his shares as collateral, while Yang Bo sent evidence to Anbang Bank to provoke a clash with the Bobby Family.

• Black Star Company's shareholders approved Tate's plan, and Tate asked them to prepare their armed forces if needed.
• Yang Bo confronted James after the meeting, sensed his intense malice, and planted a Mental Seed during their heated exchange.
• Yang Bo learned through the Mental Seed that James had planned the attack and faced enormous compensation for the losses suffered by the Free Mercenary Guild.
• Tate berated James in private, then told him to flee with his family and use his shares as collateral.
• Yang Bo returned to Xiaoyao Manor, traveled to Sky Cloud Star, and emailed James's connection at Anbang Bank to set the company against the Bobby Family.

Anbang Bank learned that James planned to mortgage his Black Star Company shares and flee, so Martin and his superior dispatched a special operations team to stop him. James was caught in the act as he signed the mortgage contract.

• Martin and his superior discussed the warning about James, then arranged to contact the informant and prepare a special operations team.
• Yang Bo told Anbang Bank he would find out when and where James planned to sign the contract, while keeping Tate's involvement concealed.
• After James contacted two young men to arrange the mortgage, Yang Bo sent the meeting details to Anbang Bank.
• Anbang Bank's special operations team reached Vicki City and surrounded the bar where James was meeting the two men.
• James agreed to mortgage his shares for 300 million Alliance Credit Points and began signing the contract after receiving an initial transfer.
• Anbang Bank's team burst into the private room and restrained James as he signed.