Chapter Summaries

Chen Mo told Ni Ni he was about eighty percent confident he could treat her comatose father, Ni Shouguo, and explained that the treatment would require a long stay in Chen Family Village. Ni Ni agreed to arrange his transfer, and Chen Mo gave her a stabilizing powder for the journey, revealing that each packet cost three hundred thousand.

• Chen Mo explained that residual bleeding in Ni Shouguo's brain was keeping him unconscious and said he could probably treat it with about eighty percent confidence.
• Ni Ni asked whether the treatment required surgery, and Chen Mo described how he planned to use Acupuncture Needles and other methods.
• Chen Mo told Ni Ni to bring her father to Chen Family Village for a lengthy course of treatment, and she agreed to arrange the transfer.
• Chen Mo gave Ni Ni contact information for a modified ambulance and provided powder to keep her father stable during the journey.
• Chen Mo warned Ni Ni to keep the powder's use confidential and revealed that each packet cost three hundred thousand.

After helping Ni Ni at the hospital, Chen Mo received a call from Ning Yongzhi about his unreported visit to Shangshi and headed to the Special Affairs Administration to explain a police inquiry and the day’s events. He arrived at its concealed office and was given a pass to enter.

• Ni Ni offered to email Chen Mo his completed thesis, and Chen Mo gave her his email address.
• Ning Yongzhi called Chen Mo and asked why he had come to Shangshi without reporting to the office.
• Chen Mo said he would explain how he had handled the tattooed man and Ni Chengli when he reached the Special Affairs Administration.
• Chen Mo took a taxi to the department’s discreet courtyard office and sensed several people watching him.
• A staff member handed Chen Mo a photo pass and directed him toward an old four-story building.

Chen Mo met Shangshi branch director Ning Yongzhi, discussed his actions and requested information on Li Wentao, Li Xiangyang, and their family. He then asked Ning where Yuan Ruoshan was, since he had been unable to reach her.

• Chen Mo followed Wang Jing underground to Ning Yongzhi's office and learned his access card contained a tracking chip.
• Ning Yongzhi welcomed Chen Mo, and Chen Mo recognized that the director had Houtian Layer Eight cultivation.
• Chen Mo told Ning Yongzhi about the day's events and confirmed he could use the Special Affairs Administration's identity after beating several men, as long as nobody died.
• Chen Mo asked Ning Yongzhi for information about Li Wentao, Li Xiangyang, and their family, and Ning directed him to Wang Jing.
• Ning Yongzhi asked whether Chen Mo could treat cerebral hemorrhages, and Chen Mo cautioned that such cases were difficult.
• Chen Mo asked Ning Yongzhi where Yuan Ruoshan was because he could not contact her.

Chen Mo learned that Yuan Ruoshan was on a confidential mission, then toured the Shangshi Special Affairs Administration with Wang Jing. At the training base, Feng Shaiwen provoked Chen Mo into a spar, and Chen Mo accepted.

• Ning Yongzhi told Chen Mo that Yuan Ruoshan could not be contacted until her dangerous, confidential mission was complete.
• Wang Jing showed Chen Mo around the underground complex and pointed out its restricted areas.
• Feng Shaiwen blocked Chen Mo at the training base and challenged him to fight in the ring.
• Chen Mo realized Feng Shaiwen was jealous because Yuan Ruoshan had mentioned him, and mocked Feng Shaiwen for hiding his feelings for her.
• Feng Shaiwen punched at Chen Mo, who dodged and accepted his challenge before the onlookers gathered around the ring.

Chen Mo sparred with Feng Shaiwen at the Special Affairs Administration despite Wang Jing’s attempts to stop them. Feng Shaiwen discovered that Chen Mo was far stronger than his file suggested, and they continued fighting as the crowd watched.

• Feng Shaiwen’s teammate warned him to be careful before he challenged Chen Mo on the arena.
• Wang Jing called Ning Yongzhi and tried to stop the fight, while personnel gathered around the arena to watch and tease Chen Mo.
• Feng Shaiwen charged Chen Mo with a black tiger rips out the heart technique, but Chen Mo held back and forced him to retreat farther in their first clash.
• Feng Shaiwen realized Chen Mo was much stronger than the Houtian Layer Two level listed in his file and decided to fight seriously.
• Chen Mo and Feng Shaiwen exchanged several more attacks as Wang Jing continued shouting for them to stop.

Chen Mo fought Feng Shaiwen in the arena and defeated him while concealing most of his strength. Afterward, Qu Heqing and Du Xin competed to recruit Chen Mo into their squads.

• Feng Shaiwen introduced himself and challenged Chen Mo, then fought him while Ning Yongzhi and Wang Jing watched.
• Chen Mo held back, matching Feng Shaiwen’s displayed strength as they exchanged more than a hundred moves.
• Chen Mo struck an acupoint beneath Feng Shaiwen’s ribs and kicked him across the arena, then Feng Shaiwen’s squad members rushed to check on him.
• Qu Heqing praised Chen Mo’s combat ability and offered him a squad leader position.
• Du Xin interrupted Qu Heqing and invited Chen Mo to join his squad, prompting the two captains to argue.

Chen Mo defeated Feng Shaiwen in an arena challenge, then faced Feng’s angry resentment and a warning from Ning Yongzhi about getting along with colleagues. Feng left still determined to beat him someday, while Qu Heqing followed to talk him through his grudge.

• Ning Yongzhi stopped the onlookers from arguing, checked Feng Shaiwen’s injury, and told him to rest.
• Feng Shaiwen asked to speak with Chen Mo and remarked that he had not expected Chen Mo to be a Houtian Layer Five Martial Artist.
• Chen Mo mocked Feng Shaiwen, who got angry, threatened to defeat him someday, and walked away.
• Ning Yongzhi signaled Qu Heqing to follow Feng Shaiwen and help him let go of his resentment.
• Ning Yongzhi criticized Chen Mo for failing to get along with colleagues and said he would discuss the challenge with Feng Shaiwen.

Ning Yongzhi praised Chen Mo’s rapid cultivation but urged him to remain in the medical team, then asked him to reconsider treating Shi Xingwen. Chen Mo agreed, provided Shi Xingwen would accept the treatment, and Ning Yongzhi assured him that Shi would not refuse again.

• Ning Yongzhi expressed surprise that Chen Mo had reached Houtian Layer Five in only a few months, but emphasized the value of Chen Mo’s medical skills.
• Chen Mo confirmed he wanted to stay in the medical team rather than become a frontline combatant.
• Ning Yongzhi told Chen Mo that Shi Xingwen’s condition had worsened after he refused treatment and asked Chen Mo to give him another chance.
• Chen Mo said he would treat Shi Xingwen if he cooperated, but worried that Shi might refuse again.
• Ning Yongzhi said he had warned Shi Xingwen that refusing this chance would leave him without further treatment, and Chen Mo agreed to help.

Chen Mo arranged for Shi Xingwen to receive treatment in Gourd Valley and asked the Special Affairs Administration to investigate the hospital incident involving Ni Ni. As he left the branch, Du Xin and Qu Heqing tried to recruit him into their combat squads, leaving Chen Mo caught in their shameless pitches until Wang Jing intervened.

• Chen Mo asked Ning Yongzhi to send Shi Xingwen to Gourd Valley for treatment, and Ning agreed to add him to the group of patients.
• Chen Mo told Ning Yongzhi about the hospital incident and asked the Special Affairs Administration to investigate possible abuse of privileges involving Ni Ni; Ning sent him to Wang Jing for help.
• Wang Jing gave Chen Mo initial documents and promised to send the completed information to his hotel the next morning.
• Du Xin and Qu Heqing stopped Chen Mo outside the branch and competed to recruit him, with Qu offering to make Feng Shaiwen apologize and back off from Yuan Ruoshan.
• Chen Mo clarified that he and Yuan Ruoshan were only friends, while Du Xin offered help getting close to her and touted the women in his squad.
• Wang Jing drove Du Xin and Qu Heqing away, allowing Chen Mo to leave.

Chen Mo returned to the hotel and joined Li Rui, Zhao Guodong, and Ma Yuan for food and drinks after they had spent the afternoon playing cards. Zhao Guodong revealed that he had run into Gong Hui at school and said seeing her had felt satisfying, leaving the others eager to hear what happened.

• Chen Mo found Li Rui, Zhao Guodong, and Ma Yuan playing cards at the hotel, ordered food, and teased them about neglecting their theses.
• The four friends ate and drank together, aware that it might be difficult to gather again after this get-together.
• Zhao Guodong explained that their advisor had called him back to school to collect the thesis contents and defense schedule.
• Zhao Guodong said he had run into Gong Hui at school and found the encounter satisfying.
• Li Rui and Ma Yuan pressed Zhao Guodong to explain what had happened with Gong Hui.

Chen Mo learned that Gong Hui had changed her appearance and wanted to see him, then agreed to meet her after she called in tears. He waited for her at a coffee shop, suspecting she might be in financial trouble and wondering whether he would help her.

• Zhao Guodong told Chen Mo that Gong Hui looked plain now and had asked to meet him, then gave him her phone number.
• Li Rui and Ma Yuan warned Chen Mo to consider carefully before contacting Gong Hui, and Chen Mo pocketed the number without promising to go.
• Chen Mo struggled to focus on his paper, called Gong Hui, and agreed to meet her at the Shangdao Coffee Shop.
• Chen Mo drove to the coffee shop, ordered coffee, and waited while wondering whether Gong Hui needed to borrow money from him.

At a coffee shop, Gong Hui told Chen Mo how Brother Hai had threatened her after she left Wang Lizheng, and how her father’s leukemia treatment left her desperate for money. She asked Chen Mo to lend her money, believing he would help, and ended her story with him as her last hope.

• Chen Mo met Gong Hui at Shangdao Coffee Shop and noticed how much she had changed in appearance and demeanor.
• Gong Hui asked Chen Mo to lend her money, saying she knew he would help because he was a good person.
• Gong Hui explained that Brother Hai had beaten Wang Lizheng and demanded money and that she accompany him, so she cut ties with Wang Lizheng and went into hiding.
• Gong Hui returned to her hometown after learning her father had leukemia, but the family could not afford his surgery despite selling their home and seeking help from relatives.
• After exhausting her resources and considering desperate ways to raise money, Gong Hui heard about Chen Mo and came to him for help.

Gong Hui explained her father’s medical crisis and begged Chen Mo for a one-million loan, offering to do anything in return. Chen Mo agreed to transfer the money the next day, though he left without resolving his conflicted feelings about helping her.

• Gong Hui’s former classmate told her that Chen Mo had become a multimillionaire through his vegetable business and urged her to seek his help.
• Gong Hui met Chen Mo and showed him her father’s medical bills and records, explaining that she needed money for surgery.
• Gong Hui asked to borrow one million and promised she would repay Chen Mo, even offering herself in exchange.
• Chen Mo struggled with his reluctance to become entangled with Gong Hui again but agreed to provide the money the next day.
• Chen Mo settled the bill and left the café, telling Gong Hui they would speak by phone later.

Chen Mo asked the Special Affairs Administration to investigate Gong Xingrong, Brother Hai, and the people targeting the Ni Group. He planned to confront Brother Hai to stop him from harassing his classmates, while Brother Hai shivered in a sauna without knowing Chen Mo was thinking of him.

• After Chen Mo left, Gong Hui silently wished him well, and Chen Mo called Wang Jing at the Special Affairs Administration.
• Chen Mo asked the Information Department to investigate Gong Xingrong and his family by noon the next day so he could verify Gong Hui's account before lending her money.
• Chen Mo requested detailed information about Brother Hai within three days, including his contacts, haunts, income, and any crimes.
• Chen Mo also asked the Information Department to find out who was suppressing or trying to acquire the Ni Group.
• Chen Mo decided to deal with Brother Hai to prevent him from targeting his classmates, while Brother Hai shivered in a sauna and ordered Xiao Si to raise the temperature.

Chen Mo met Gong Hui, decided to verify her family situation through the Special Affairs Administration, and kept the details private from his friends. After returning to the hotel, he studied Ni Ni’s thesis and its sources, leaving confident that he could pass his thesis defense.

• Chen Mo decided not to visit Gong Hui’s father and instead asked the Special Affairs Administration to check whether Gong Hui’s account was true.
• Chen Mo returned to the hotel, where Li Rui, Ma Yuan, and Zhao Guodong were playing cards and asked where he had been.
• Chen Mo told his friends he had only talked with Gong Hui and refused to share her private affairs.
• After Chen Mo left, Li Rui, Ma Yuan, and Zhao Guodong worried that Gong Hui might rekindle their relationship, but agreed Chen Mo would stay calm and they could help if needed.
• Chen Mo downloaded Ni Ni’s thesis, memorized it, and researched its cited sources to prepare for his defense.

While staying in a hotel, Chen Mo checked on the animals he had left in the Universe Bead and discovered that Big Snake had been feeding them. The animals were safe and playing in their designated area when Chen Mo returned his attention to them.

• Chen Mo remembered he had left Big Yellow, Big Gray, and Little Red's family in the Universe Bead, then found them healthy and well cared for.
• Big Snake emerged after hearing the animals bark and approached them, at first intending to eat them.
• Big Snake sensed Chen Mo's aura on the animals and realized they belonged to his master, so he stopped trying to swallow them.
• Big Yellow and the others communicated that they were hungry, and Big Snake caught fish from the pond to feed them.
• Chen Mo discovered Big Snake had been looking after the animals and felt pleased with him.

Chen Mo praised the big snake, then joined Li Rui, Zhao Guodong, and Ma Yuan to meet professors about their graduation theses. He drove them to school and left them speculating about who had brought his car to Shangshi.

• Chen Mo praised the big snake, then teased it for swaying like Big Yellow and the others until it stopped.
• Li Rui, Ma Yuan, and Zhao Guodong woke Chen Mo before dawn and reminded him about meeting professors to discuss their theses.
• Chen Mo cleansed his clothes, complained about the disturbance, and agreed to go despite having already finished his thesis.
• Chen Mo took out his car keys, surprising his friends, who questioned how his car had reached Shangshi when he had said he flew there.
• Chen Mo said someone else had driven the car to Shangshi, and his friends peppered him with questions about whether the driver was a woman and what their relationship was.
• Chen Mo refused to explain further and let his friends keep guessing.

Chen Mo and his friends bribed five professors to secure an easy thesis defense, then celebrated over food and drink. Chen Mo secretly put one of his powerful pills in their soup, but his friends used their newfound energy to plan another afternoon of card games.

• Li Rui and his group gave their advisor a red envelope and received advice on how to approach professors about their theses.
• Li Rui, Zhao Guodong, and Ma Yuan handled gifts for five professors, while Li Rui paid the expenses and refused repayment.
• Chen Mo secretly put one of his refined pills into the soup, and Li Rui, Zhao Guodong, and Ma Yuan felt energized after drinking it.
• Zhao Guodong, Ma Yuan, and Li Rui announced that they would play cards in the afternoon, leaving Chen Mo regretting that he had given them the pill.
• Zhao Guodong urged Chen Mo to join their toast, and the four friends finished their meal somewhat tipsy but not drunk.

After lunch, Chen Mo drove Li Rui, Zhao Guodong, and Ma Yuan and was stopped by traffic police for suspected drunk driving. He used True Essence and a Cleansing Technique to pass the breathalyzer, then kept his method secret from his curious friends.

• Li Rui led the drunken group to Chen Mo's car, and Chen Mo drove them away despite having drunk at lunch.
• Traffic police stopped Chen Mo and asked him to take an alcohol test after smelling alcohol on him.
• Chen Mo used True Essence to force alcohol from his body and cast a Cleansing Technique to remove its smell.
• Chen Mo passed the breathalyzer, while Li Rui's test triggered the alarm and showed a high reading.
• Traffic police returned Chen Mo's documents and warned him not to drink and drive.
• Zhao Guodong, Li Rui, and Ma Yuan asked how Chen Mo had passed, but he refused to explain.

Chen Mo reviewed the Special Affairs Administration’s findings confirming Gong Xingrong’s cancer diagnosis and his relationship to Gong Hui. He transferred Gong Hui 1.2 million yuan to help pay for her father’s treatment, and she called him in tears to thank him.

• Wang Jing told Chen Mo that the Special Affairs Administration had sent him its investigation materials.
• Chen Mo reviewed the files, which confirmed Gong Xingrong’s leukemia and that he was Gong Hui’s father.
• Chen Mo transferred 1.2 million yuan to Gong Hui, including an extra 200,000 yuan for care and recovery.
• Gong Hui received the money, called Chen Mo to thank him, and cried as he told her she could repay him when she was able.