[International Briefing: The Bodhi Ancient Tree was stolen half a month ago. Legend had it that Sakyamuni had attained enlightenment and become a Buddha beneath this tree. Revered as a national treasure of Tianzhu, it had drawn the utmost attention from the Tianzhu government, which had already ordered the security department to form an investigative team.]
[World Oddities: The Loch Ness Monster had been spotted again. An outdoor enthusiast had posted photos, and initial estimates put its length at at least a hundred meters. Experts later determined that all the photos showed clear signs of manipulation, and the person responsible had apologized.]
[Finance Weekly: Recently, a mysterious tycoon in Shanghai City had been dumping stocks and real estate on a massive scale, cashing out nearly ten billion yuan—and he was still at it. Financial experts said the domestic economy was stable and improving in the short term, and that this move would cost him at least hundreds of millions over the next six months.]
July 18, 2025.
At a private port in Shanghai City.
Lu Yuan browsed one news story after another on his phone, his expression calm.
"Almost time."
Lu Yuan turned off his phone and took out a pair of binoculars to gaze ahead.
At that moment, a ferry was slowly appearing on the distant horizon. It carried only one shipping container. Looking closely, one could see that the container was plastered with seals, as if it held something extraordinarily valuable.
Half an hour later, the ferry pulled in and dropped anchor, coming to a steady stop at the port.
Soon, dozens of people dressed in black and wearing sunglasses disembarked.
Their leader was a tall, bald man with bulging muscles. A black Thousand-Legged Centipede was tattooed on his neck, stretching all the way up to his face. His eyes gleamed coldly, and his mere presence exuded a powerful sense of oppression.
The bald man approached and took off his sunglasses. "Mr. Lu, this job nearly cost me several of my men. When do you think you'll pay the balance?"
"In about half an hour, at most."
Lu Yuan smiled, his expression calm, and continued, "The Centipede Organization is renowned around the world. Who would dare stiff you?"
The bald man looked at the young man standing before him, barely in his twenties yet unusually composed, and nodded. "That puts my mind at ease, Mr. Lu. In that case, come aboard and inspect the goods. If everything checks out, we'll unload."
"Sure."
Lu Yuan nodded.
The two boarded the ship. The seals on the container were torn away, and the doors swung open with a scrape of metal.
Inside lay an ancient tree, uprooted in its entirety and at least ten meters long.
Its roots, branches, and clusters of emerald-green leaves all looked as if they had only recently been dug up.
But now it lay quietly inside the container.
Seeing this, the bald man sighed. "I really don't know what you rich folks are thinking. You spent all that money just to get a tree?"
Lu Yuan shook his head gently. "This isn't an ordinary tree. It's the Bodhi Ancient Tree beneath which Sakyamuni attained enlightenment."
That was right.
He was the one who had hired people to steal the Tianzhu national treasure, the Bodhi Ancient Tree!
The bald man beside Lu Yuan was the leader of one of the world's top three groups of thieves, known as the Thousand-Legged Centipede. They said there was nothing he couldn't get his hands on, so long as you could afford the price.
All told, Lu Yuan had spent nearly a hundred million on this job.
But as long as he got his hands on the tree,
Lu Yuan felt it would all be worth it.
Because he was a reborn man.
A little over a month from now—on the night of September 1, 2025—the entire world would undergo a transformation.
All kinds of myths and legends would descend upon the land. Demonic beasts, spirits, and countless other creatures would emerge.
A new era would begin!
From then on, this world would no longer be ruled by money. It would be a world of the survival of the fittest, where the strong reigned supreme.
Some would awaken with a Thunder Body and command lightning. Some would inherit the bloodlines of their ancestors, blessed with extraordinary talents. Others would sprout wings from their backs and soar through the sky.
The Bodhi Ancient Tree would also transform at that moment, becoming an unparalleled divine treasure. Refine it, and it could increase one's talent by a billionfold. A good-for-nothing could become a genius; the benefits were beyond imagination. A hundred million was less than a pile of waste paper by comparison!
In his previous life, Lu Yuan had simply learned of it too late. One slow step had led to another, until he had fallen farther and farther behind.
In the end, unable to keep up with the new era, he had been killed, his blood staining the earth.
But in this life,
Lu Yuan had been reborn three months before the transformation. He had been given another chance.
So he would lay the groundwork for the future before the world changed!
In this life, he would get ahead of everyone!
In this life, he would reach the very top!
"Whatever kind of tree it is, money's what matters."
The bald man had no idea what Lu Yuan was thinking. He waved a hand. "If you've confirmed everything is in order, Mr. Lu, can we unload it now?"
"Go ahead."
Lu Yuan naturally had no intention of explaining. He smiled, then walked off the ferry.
Before long, the container holding the Bodhi Ancient Tree was unloaded and secured on a truck.
Lu Yuan had prepared the truck long ago. There was no driver; he would drive it himself. To prevent accidents and keep anyone from discovering the tree, he had made extensive preparations in advance. For instance, he had bought this port not long ago, and all the cameras had already been removed.
This was no ordinary item, after all. It was a national treasure of Tianzhu, wrapped up in all kinds of myths and legends.
Even with Lu Yuan's current fortune, getting caught with it would cause him serious trouble.
As for the bald man and his men,
Their business was illegal to begin with, so they would never talk.
"The balance just came through."
The bald man looked at the balance on his phone and broke into a grin. "It's been a pleasure working with you, Mr. Lu. If you ever need us again, just give us a call."
Although the Bodhi Ancient Tree was a national treasure, the Tianzhu government had not put any security measures in place.
After all, who would have thought someone would set their sights on a tree?
So, for the Centipede Organization,
This job might have seemed strange, but it had been easy enough—and paid well.
He hoped Lu Yuan would come back for more. As for his earlier claim that the job had nearly cost him several men, that had just been a joke.
"Certainly."
Lu Yuan smiled and shook the man's hand before climbing into the truck, starting it up, and driving out of the port.
The bald leader of the Centipede Organization and his men didn't linger either. They soon left.
Late at night.
In northern Shanghai City lay a vast forest, rarely visited by people.
Yet at its center stood a three-story villa, its lights blazing and its interior luxuriously furnished. A towering, thick wall, dozens of meters high, surrounded the entire estate, keeping its lights from showing outside and lending it a mysterious air.
After a long, busy day, Lu Yuan returned to the first-floor hall, his body weary.
He poured himself a glass of red wine, then turned his gaze toward the courtyard outside.
The Bodhi Ancient Tree he had brought back from the port had been planted there and watered heavily to keep the soil moist.
Lu Yuan knew the tree could live for thousands of years, and that it would be fine even if he didn't do all this.
Still, he believed in taking every possible precaution.
He didn't want anything to go wrong.
Ring, ring.
Just then, Lu Yuan's phone suddenly rang. He picked it up and saw that the call was from an overseas number.
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