Chapter Summaries

After recognizing a possible connection between the auctioned Diyuesi Qina and the Qina he once knew, Su Li decided to leave Grolda Star and advance to Class B before getting involved. He set Simon and Jemodis to download advanced knowledge while he searched for a way to obtain enough energy.

• Su Li recognized that Diyuesi Qina resembled the C-Class Superhuman Qina he had met and decided not to interfere while he remained only C+.
• Diyuesi Qina was sold for 120 million Star Coins, and Jessica brought Su Li and the slaves she had won back to the floating hotel.
• Su Li bought the newly acquired slaves with Resource Points and told Simon and Jemodis that they would leave Grolda Star.
• Su Li explained that he needed to reach Class B and considered antimatter reactors as a possible energy source, but he could not afford or obtain them easily.
• Su Li gave Simon and Jemodis a three-meter-long list of advanced knowledge to download and said he would be away for hours or longer.

After returning from the Virtual Universe, Su Li met with Ye Mohan and learned that headquarters would investigate the Superhuman who attacked him and reward him and Xia Ke. Ye Mohan granted Su Li a month of leave, and he left the Detective Bureau with Xia Ke.

• Su Li woke at the Detective Bureau, learned Ye Mohan had returned, and asked to see her.
• Ye Mohan told Su Li that headquarters was investigating the high-level Superhuman and would reward him and Xia Ke for their service.
• Su Li asked for time to recover, and Ye Mohan gave him a month off with Xia Ke temporarily acting in his place.
• After leaving the bureau, Su Li dropped his act of weakness and agreed to take the full month off while Xia Ke handled the Detective Bureau.
• Su Li warned Xia Ke that a future breakthrough could leave him asleep for at least a month, and she hurried him home.

Su Li left Grodal Star with Jessica, Simon, Jemodis, Utriel, and their group, then considered how to obtain enough energy to advance to B-rank. He settled on mass-producing Super Fuel from petroleum, though he still needed to solve the problems of developing production technology and finding petroleum-rich planets.

• Su Li met Jemodis at a hotel on Grodal Star, confirmed that the requested knowledge had been downloaded, and prepared to leave.
• Jessica and the group boarded her spaceship and left Grodal Star, but paused in outer space because they had not chosen a destination.
• Jessica suggested visiting the Geteri people, but Su Li rejected the idea because he was searching for an Energy Star.
• Su Li considered the energy needed to reach B-rank and realized that Super Fuel could provide it far more efficiently than ordinary petroleum.
• Su Li decided to develop mass production of Super Fuel and seek several petroleum-rich planets, despite the major obstacles involved.

Su Li questioned Jessica’s slaves for leads on an unclaimed oil-based Energy Star and promised to seek freedom for anyone with useful information. After choosing a slave’s advice to hire an intelligence organization, Su Li heard Jemodis offer information of her own.

• Su Li gathered Jessica’s slaves and offered to persuade her to free anyone who provided solid information about an oil-based Energy Star.
• Jessica objected to freeing her slaves, but Su Li calmed her by promising future compensation and saying she might only need to free one or two.
• The slaves offered several leads, but Su Li rejected them as unreliable or too conspicuous.
• A former high-ranking official suggested hiring an intelligence organization to find a suitable planet, and Su Li agreed to seek his freedom.
• Jemodis approached Su Li and said she might have information to share.

Jemodis told Su Li how Xinghe Heavy Industry seized control of her father after discovering a vast underground river of refined heavy oil on his planet. Su Li decided to hire an intelligence organization to investigate the company’s powerful, unknown background before acting.

• Jemodis explained that her father owned a resource planet in the Lingguang Civilization, where Xinghe Heavy Industry discovered an underground river of heavily refined oil.
• Jemodis said Xinghe Heavy Industry secretly controlled her father and sold the oil, while the Lingguang Civilization’s leaders ignored her warning.
• Jemodis recounted how her father sent her away to seek help, but Xinghe Heavy Industry pursued her and she was captured by slave traders.
• Su Li asked why the Lingguang Civilization tolerated Xinghe Heavy Industry, and Jemodis admitted she did not know the company’s true backing.
• Su Li decided to find an intelligence organization to investigate Xinghe Heavy Industry before pursuing the planet’s resources.

Simon traveled to Durs City to buy intelligence about Xinghe Heavy Industry for Su Li, paying five hundred thousand Star Coins for the detailed report. Su Li discovered the company was Monina’s personal source of spending money and considered how to deal with it despite their dangerous history.

• Simon arrived on Little Sirius and went to Durs City to purchase intelligence about Xinghe Heavy Industry on Su Li’s behalf.
• A Durs Group broker demanded five hundred thousand Star Coins for detailed intelligence, claiming a powerful figure stood behind the company, and Simon paid.
• Simon returned to Jessica’s spaceship and gave the report to Su Li.
• Su Li learned that Xinghe Heavy Industry was effectively a wallet for Xinghe Monina, a B-rank Superhuman and TRE chief for the Xilan Civilization’s Messi Sectors 1 through 7.
• Su Li recalled that he had tricked Monina and stolen a Mind Oscillator from her, then judged that Xinghe Heavy Industry should still be manageable because Monina did not care much about it.

Su Li decided to target Xinghe Heavy Industry despite Simon's fear of Xinghe Monina, then traveled toward the Lingguang Civilization while studying the Spectral Race's advanced knowledge. By the time the spaceship reached a remote Lingguang resource star, Su Li had begun forming a plan to surprise people at Xinghe Heavy Industry, though he would wait to see whether his experiment went smoothly.

• Simon nervously asked Su Li whether they would still provoke Xinghe Heavy Industry, and Su Li said the company was within his control because Monina did not manage it.
• Su Li had Jessica take the spaceship toward the Lingguang Civilization, planning to buy its coordinates and replenish the ship's energy along the way.
• Su Li tested leaving the Virtual Universe while the spaceship was moving and found that he returned to his original position, even during wormhole travel.
• The spaceship reached the vicinity of a remote Lingguang resource star on the third day, while Su Li spent most of the journey studying the Spectral Race's advanced knowledge.
• Su Li developed ideas for dealing with Xinghe Heavy Industry and planned to apply what he had just learned after checking whether his experiment succeeded.

Su Li and Jemodis landed on Jinguang Star to meet its owner, Tischi, as part of their plan, but discovered Xinghe Heavy Industry was already visiting him. Su Li revealed his power by swiftly removing Tischi’s guards and asked Tischi for a favor.

• Su Li and Jemodis prepared to meet Tischi on Jinguang Star, and Su Li told Jemodis he was a C+ Superhuman.
• Jessica stayed aboard the spaceship while Su Li and Jemodis went to meet Tischi.
• A soldier told Jemodis that Tischi was receiving guests from Xinghe Heavy Industry, so she and Su Li waited in a reception room.
• Tischi arrived and greeted Jemodis, who introduced Su Li as the person who wanted to see him.
• Su Li made Tischi’s two biochemical-modified guards disappear and calmly asked Tischi for a small favor.

Su Li used his control over Tischi to arrange a visit to Linghui Star, where he planned to investigate Xinghe Heavy Industry. He took Jessica to Dacheng Star and told Norris he would send him back only after reaching B-rank, claiming he could make his own Gene Blueprint.

• Su Li bought Tischi and told him to take Su Li to Linghui Star in two days under the pretext of inspecting Xinghe Heavy Industry’s work.
• Su Li explained to Jemodis that Tischi’s fear would stop him from betraying them, then returned with her to Jessica’s spaceship.
• Su Li planned to go to Dacheng Star to make something that would surprise Xinghe Heavy Industry, but Jessica cried until he agreed to bring her along.
• On Dacheng Star, Norris asked Su Li to take him back, and Su Li said he would wait until he reached B-rank and could protect himself.
• When Norris asked whether he had a Gene Blueprint, Su Li boasted that he could make one himself, and a familiar voice called Norris an idiot.

Su Li left Jessica with Norris to explore Dacheng Star, then considered how to use his Resource Points to subtly control Xinghe Heavy Industry. He began developing a way to overcome the company’s security and powerful Superhumans without drawing attention.

• Jessica recognized Norris as her childhood playmate, whom she still called Idiot Norris, and Su Li learned why Norris was afraid of her.
• Su Li gave Norris a Void Radar Jammer and told him to take Jessica out for a few days without causing trouble.
• Su Li reflected that Norris could help Jessica communicate with people on Dacheng Star, though he worried about how its civilization might react to learning about the wider universe.
• Su Li compared his Resource Point ability to Miao Yunxi’s control, reasoning that it could let him quietly influence Xinghe Heavy Industry’s leaders.
• Su Li identified the company’s security forces and likely C-Class Superhumans as obstacles, and focused his research on neutralizing them discreetly.

Su Li finished preparing a device to produce Super Fuel at industrial scale, then traveled with Tischi to Linghui Star to investigate Xinghe Heavy Industry’s secret control of the planet. After learning that Xinghe Heavy Industry was backed by the powerful B-rank Superhuman Xinghe Monina, Tischi panicked, but Su Li calmed him and won his determined help with the plan.

• Su Li asked Luo Qi to look after Jessica on Dacheng Star while he handled other business.
• Su Li returned to Jinguang Star, told Simon to flee to the Lingguang Star System if he received no news within a day, and departed for Linghui Star with Tischi.
• Tischi told Su Li that Xinghe Heavy Industry had offered him unusually favorable terms, and that he had arranged their visit to Linghui Star without raising suspicion.
• Su Li revealed that Xinghe Heavy Industry had abducted Jemodis's father and was secretly mining heavy-oil energy beneath Linghui Star, with Xinghe Monina backing the company.
• Tischi realized Xinghe Heavy Industry's dealings put him in danger, clung to Su Li for help, and agreed to carry out Su Li's mission with renewed determination.

Su Li and Tischi executed their plan on Linghui Star, where Tischi had arranged access to Xinghe Heavy Industry’s operations. Su Li activated a planet-wide magnetic storm that disabled the planet’s technology and left him ready for a fight without outside interference.

• Tischi arrived at Linghui Star and greeted Long Lu'er, who introduced him to Xinghe Heavy Industry representative Jiemo Duo.
• Tischi declined a banquet and toured Xinghe Heavy Industry’s mining bases while Su Li stayed aboard the spaceship.
• After ten hours, Tischi’s trusted subordinate delivered coordinates confirming that the preparations were complete.
• Su Li threw the primary unit onto Linghui Star, activating it alongside thirty-five scattered sub-units.
• The resulting magnetic storm darkened the sky and disabled most technology across Linghui Star, isolating the planet and setting up a contest of strength.

Su Li investigated the ruined Xinghe Heavy Industry castle on Linghui Star and discovered that its person in charge, Jiemo Duo, had taken Tischi hostage. After subduing and purchasing Jiemo Duo, Su Li began questioning him about the mystery surrounding the star.

• Su Li used his strongest combat forms to reach a ruined castle and killed the D-Class figures who flew out to confront him.
• Su Li found Jiemo Duo holding Tischi hostage and immobilized Jiemo Duo with Carbon Element Manipulation.
• Su Li discovered that Jiemo Duo was a D+ Superhuman and purchased him for 500,000 Resource Points.
• Su Li suspected that Jiemo Duo and his associates had concealed Linghui Star's resources, but he could not explain why the Lingguang Civilization had been threatened.
• Jiemo Duo agreed to cooperate after Su Li promised to spare him, and he answered Su Li's questions.

Su Li learned that Xia Hexing had used his ties to Monina and the Xilan Civilization to pressure the Lingguang Civilization into letting Xinghe Heavy Industry mine Linghui Star’s heavy-oil underground rivers. He planned to lure Xia Hexing to the resource site and ambush him, while Jiemo Duo began cleaning up the aftermath.

• Jiemo Duo explained that Xia Hexing had arranged for Xinghe Heavy Industry to mine the heavy-oil underground rivers by exploiting his identities as Monina’s subordinate and an Xilan person.
• Su Li asked whether Xia Hexing would investigate if supplies from Linghui Star stopped, and Jiemo Duo said Xia Hexing would likely come alone unless he discovered a crisis he could not handle.
• Su Li asked Jiemo Duo to lure Xia Hexing to the site, and Jiemo Duo warned that a fight could attract the attention of Xilan headquarters and the Lingguang Civilization.
• Su Li asked about Xia Hexing’s talent, learned it was reportedly related to electricity, and ordered Jiemo Duo to clean up the aftermath before contacting him.

Xia Hexing cautiously investigated Jiemo Duo’s distress call about an armed force attacking Linghui Star, suspecting the situation might be a trap. After reviewing evidence of unfamiliar armor powered by heavy oil, he accepted Jiemo Duo’s explanation but found no record of the armor in the Infinite Great Star Cluster database.

• Xia Hexing arrived near Linghui Star after delaying his response because the distress call and his missing spy had made him suspicious.
• Xia Hexing contacted Jiemo Duo, who claimed the armored forces had attacked again and urged him to help.
• Jiemo Duo sent Xia Hexing a video and detailed data showing unfamiliar D+-class armor powered by compressed heavy oil.
• Jiemo Duo said thousands of armors were spread across Linghui Star and that a particularly powerful one had driven his forces back.
• Xia Hexing searched the database and discovered there was no record of that kind of armor.

Xia Hexing tested Jiemo Duo, inspected Linghui Star, and attacked the powerful armor with confidence. The armor’s occupant stopped him, seized him, and dragged him inside, where Xia Hexing’s screams eventually faded.

• Xia Hexing summoned Jiemo Duo to meet him near Linghui Star and secretly prepared a report to Xinghe Heavy Industry headquarters if he failed to check in.
• Xia Hexing threatened Jiemo Duo, then inspected Linghui Star and found its mining bases devastated.
• Jiemo Duo showed Xia Hexing the positions of the emerging armors and directed him toward the largest one.
• Xia Hexing attacked the colossal armor and broke through its defenses, believing it was far weaker than a C-Class opponent.
• The armor’s occupant blocked Xia Hexing, inflicted splitting pain on him, and pulled him inside as he screamed.

Su Li captured Xia Hexing after a carefully planned operation and purchased him through the Shop, making him the final obstacle to Su Li’s advancement to B-rank. Su Li returned to a temporary base on Linghui Star with Jiemo Duo and the captured Xia Hexing, intending to use him to deal with a report that could expose them.

• Su Li explained that he had prepared several contingency plans, but his deception and modified armor had made Xia Hexing easy to defeat.
• Su Li purchased the nearly dead Xia Hexing for 80,000,000 Resource Points.
• Jiemo Duo told Su Li that Xia Hexing had arranged for an artificial intelligence to send a report, and Su Li said he would make Xia Hexing contact it.
• Su Li and Jiemo Duo brought Xia Hexing to their temporary base, where Simon, Jemodis, Tisqi, and Long Lu'er were waiting.
• Su Li left Jessica on Dacheng Star with Luo Qi and made Norris stay with her.

After leaving the Virtual Universe, Su Li reunited with Xia Ke and learned how Earth was reacting to the spread of super-technology. He returned to Linghui Star to continue his research, determined to reach B-rank.

• Su Li woke at home, spent time with Xia Ke, and heard that the Detective Bureau was quiet while scientists worldwide were rapidly developing theories from super-tech products.
• Xia Ke said people suspected Miao Yunxi's companies of possessing alien technology, but Su Li dismissed the public speculation and assured her that everything was under control.
• After Xia Ke left at dawn, Su Li returned to the Virtual Universe and moved his laboratory from Dacheng Star to Linghui Star, where he could earn Resource Points and use better equipment.
• Su Li headed to the experimental instruments and declared that he was ready to pursue B-rank.

Su Li industrialized Super Fuel production on Linghui Star and used it to advance toward B Class. After weeks of uninterrupted consumption, his C+ progress reached ninety-nine percent.

• Su Li learned that Linghui Star held enough heavy oil to make the Super Fuel he needed and ordered Jiemo Duo to search Jinguang Star for more energy.
• Su Li built a Super Fuel compression machine, tested it successfully, and then constructed nineteen more machines.
• Su Li began consuming the mass-produced Super Fuel to advance, while Ye Mohan approved his request for another month of leave.
• After fifteen days and then another ten days, Su Li's C+ progress reached ninety-nine percent.

Su Li returned to the Primal Star and drank the Super Fuel needed to advance to B-Class, unleashing enormous energy storms. Luo Wei and Hua Qi led the Wutu Tribe away from the blasts, but the storm caught up with them again the next day.

• Su Li returned to the Primal Star, where Luo Wei complained that he had left her without supplies for nearly four months and reported that most of the primitive people had struggled with her lessons.
• Su Li told Luo Wei to move Hua Qi and her people away, then drank ten liters of Super Fuel to complete his advancement to B-Class.
• Su Li's energy storms hurled Luo Wei away and damaged the nearby area, so she found Hua Qi and warned her to evacuate the Wutu Tribe.
• Hua Qi and Luo Wei led the Wutu Tribe hundreds of kilometers through the forest before stopping for the night.
• The next day, as the tribe prepared to hunt, Su Li's energy storm caught up with them again.