Chapter Summaries

Plot Points and Events

• Lin Qi sends a message to Lin Xin, who responds that the Eastern Alliance has intervened in Alliance City.
• Lin Qi decides to negotiate with the Capitalist using the Asian Political Zone's Cutting-Edge Pharmacology Enterprise Summit as an entry point.
• Lin Qi attends the exchange meeting hosted by the [Small Pharmaceutical Enterprise Alliance], where he suggests United Pharmaceutical join the alliance.
• Lin Qi initiates a communication channel with the Capitalist at midnight.

Character Developments

• Lin Xin shows concern for Lin Qi's safety, indicating personal growth.
• Lin Qi demonstrates strategic thinking and adaptability in handling the Capitalist and the alliance.

Significant Themes

• The struggle for power and influence among different factions (Eastern Alliance, Capitalist, Large Enterprise Alliance, Si Clan).
• The importance of alliances and unity among smaller entities to challenge larger ones.

Character Interactions

• Lin Qi interacts with Lin Xin, Guang Leng, and the Capitalist via emails and the communication channel.
• Lin Qi meets with Xiao Gu and the management enterprises of the [Small Pharmaceutical Enterprise Alliance], discussing United Pharmaceutical's potential joining.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Qi contacts the Capitalist for help, revealing he's involved in the Asian Political Zone Advanced Pharmacology Enterprise Summit and has issues with the European Political Zone's Witch Hunt.
• The Capitalist guesses Lin Qi's identity and involvement in the summit, but Lin Qi avoids confirming it.
• Lin Qi reveals that a Rank 4 Blood Clothes from the Assassin's Alliance is heading to Alliance City, indicating the Eastern Alliance's displeasure with the situation.

Character Developments

• The Capitalist shows a more casual and friendly demeanor while still maintaining their business-like essence.
• Lin Qi demonstrates his cunning and strategic thinking, manipulating the Capitalist to remove him from their suspect list.

Significant Themes

• The power struggle between the Asian Political Zone and the European Political Zone, with the Eastern Alliance's involvement.
• The importance of intelligence and information in the corporate world.
• The complex relationships and alliances between different factions.

Character Interactions

• Lin Qi and the Capitalist engage in a strategic conversation, with Lin Qi revealing information to manipulate the Capitalist into helping him.
• The Capitalist, despite their initial reservations, agrees to help Lin Qi due to the value of the intelligence he provides.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Qi informs Capitalist that the Eastern Alliance sent the same Fourth Rank Blood Clothes previously seen in Greenland City. Capitalist reveals that he may arrange for “Master Ma” to come to Alliance City through Guangleng, implying that Master Ma has connections with Baili Xueyuan and may have helped deal with the Blood Clothes in the past.
• Capitalist reflects on the value of the Highest Level Mercenary Group’s members. He originally joined because of Guangleng, later recognized Master Ma and Arthur’s abilities, and now realizes that Wizard and King Kong also possess significant backgrounds and usefulness.
• Lin Qi reviews his efforts to help Liu Xuan: involving the Eastern Alliance, securing support from the Pharmaceutical Small Enterprise Alliance, and obtaining a meeting with a Permanent Director of the Asian Political Zone Large Enterprise Alliance.
• Liu Xuan receives an invitation from Director Qiao Xi, one of the eleven Permanent Directors. Qiao Xi represents the Intercontinental Stabilization Trauma Response Company, the most powerful giant enterprise in the Asian Political Zone and an organization famous for its strict neutrality.
• Liu Xuan realizes that ordinary concessions or profits will not persuade Qiao Xi. Her best strategy is to explain the broader political and corporate entanglements involving Si Pharmaceutical, Ninghang Technology, and the European and Asian Large Enterprise Alliances.
• Lin Qi spends the next day developing his strength and overseeing work in the Doomsday World, including meditation, workshop production, cybernetic implant operations, and Wei Yue’s Blood Moon Descent Artifacts. He expects to obtain his final Second Rank power soon and then advance toward Third Rank.
• Lin Qi plans to eliminate Si Ranan’s threat once the current political crisis is resolved and the Si Clan loses its external backing.
• As Liu Xuan travels toward the Council Building, an S-level intelligent missile attacks her hovering vehicle in Alliance City’s heavily protected central district. The assault is clearly intended to stop her from meeting Director Qiao Xi.
• The Council’s First Security Squad intervenes. Its captain, King Kong, disables the missile with S-level EMP interference and assumes responsibility for protecting Liu Xuan. He openly operates under the identity and title of “King Kong,” revealing his connection to Lin Qi’s mercenary group.

Character Developments

• Lin Qi: Becomes increasingly capable of influencing major political and corporate forces despite still lacking Fourth Rank strength. He demonstrates strategic foresight, builds alliances, and remains focused on improving his personal power. His hostility toward Si Ranan and the Si Clan hardens into a firm intention to destroy them.
• Capitalist: Is shown to be an influential strategist who values talented individuals more than monetary rewards. His support for Lin Qi and Liu Xuan is part of a broader effort to cultivate and employ powerful allies.
• Liu Xuan: Moves from desperation toward cautious hope after securing a meeting with Qiao Xi. She recognizes that the Liu Group’s survival depends on presenting the crisis as a threat to the wider Asian enterprise system rather than merely bargaining for her own company.
• King Kong: Is revealed to be a high-level operative working for the Large Enterprise Alliance. Despite being classified as an A-level implant user, his extensive S-level cybernetic components give him combat ability close to the S-level. His bold, public use of the name “King Kong” suggests he is unconcerned about concealing his mercenary identity.
• Qiao Xi: Though she does not appear directly, her reputation is emphasized. Her strict neutrality and the power of her company make her potential involvement exceptionally significant.
• Master Ma: Gains greater importance through Capitalist’s revelation that he may have personal connections allowing him to deal with the Fourth Rank Blood Clothes.

Significant Themes

• Alliance-building and political maneuvering: Lin Qi’s influence comes from connecting powerful organizations rather than relying solely on force.
• Neutrality as power: Qiao Xi’s refusal to take sides makes even the possibility of her involvement more valuable than ordinary financial incentives.
• Talent, networks, and hidden identities: Capitalist evaluates people according to their potential and connections, while King Kong’s public identity shows that powerful figures may operate openly despite concealed affiliations.
• Power versus preparation: Lin Qi still lacks sufficient strength to handle every threat directly, so he relies on planning, alliances, and steady advancement.
• Corporate conflict as warfare: The attack on Liu Xuan demonstrates that political and business struggles in the Cyber World can escalate into assassination attempts and military-style operations.

Character Interactions

• Lin Qi and Capitalist exchange carefully guarded information, each indirectly testing the other while coordinating support for Liu Xuan.
• Capitalist’s connections to Guangleng and Master Ma reveal the wider network behind the mercenary group.
• Lin Qi’s previous discussions with Liu Xuan shape the argument she plans to present to Qiao Xi, even though she does not know he has already conveyed the same information.
• Liu Xuan’s bodyguards attempt to protect her from the missile, but King Kong and the Council’s security forces take over, asserting official authority.
• King Kong’s intervention links the political crisis directly back to Lin Qi’s mercenary group and confirms that Capitalist’s influence has placed powerful allies around Liu Xuan.

Chapter Summary: “Capitalist's Identity, the Parties Connected by Lines of Interest”

Key Plot Points and Events

• King Kong’s rise and reputation: King Kong has rapidly become an elite member of the council’s security team despite using mostly low-grade cybernetic prostheses and achieving an extraordinarily high 85% cybernetic conversion rate, including several S-level implants. His ability to avoid cyberpsychosis makes him appear almost inhumanly resilient.
• His connection to Qiao Xi: King Kong’s real importance comes from his association with neutral council Director Qiao Xi. Various factions attempt to recruit or bribe him, but he rejects all corporate gifts. Investigations reveal that he was once a bottom-level test subject for dangerous corporate experiments and should have died years ago, yet his records before four years ago are mysteriously blank.
• Rescue of Liu Xuan: After Liu Xuan’s hovering vehicle is targeted, Qiao Xi sends King Kong and the council’s security forces to intervene. King Kong escorts Liu Xuan safely to Qiao Xi’s office, where the two women meet privately.
• Qiao Xi’s hidden calculations: Qiao Xi analyzes the various “lines of interest” surrounding Lin Qi, the Wizard, Liu Xuan, United Pharmaceutical, and the larger political struggle. She does not need to know the Wizard’s true identity; by helping Liu Xuan, she gains a favor from Lin Qi while risking little if her assumptions are wrong.
• Political repercussions: News of Qiao Xi’s meeting with Liu Xuan spreads through Alliance City, suggesting that the previously neutral director may be protecting the Liu Group. Other directors, major pharmaceutical enterprises, and Si Pharmaceutical immediately convene to determine how to respond.
• Enterprise power struggle: Four pharmaceutical corporations consider whether to abandon their attempt to exploit the Liu Group or instead attack the weakened Si Clan. Si Li remains silent, understanding that the confrontation is not really a battle among ordinary enterprises but part of a larger contest between intercontinental powers. The fate of Ninghang Technology and its ambition to become the Asian Political Zone’s twelfth Intercontinental Giant Enterprise is also at stake.
• Master Ma’s raid in New Reed City: Elsewhere, Master Ma attacks the Modi Group, a poorly protected and largely lawless cyber-metropolis enterprise. Following Guangleng’s plan, he defeats an S-level cybernetic implant recipient, destroys the headquarters, and steals a Ning Xin sample connected to Ninghang Technology.
• Qiao Xi summons Master Ma: After the raid, Qiao Xi contacts Master Ma, inviting him to Alliance City and informing him that the Wizard—and Master Ma’s former lover, Baili Xueyuan—are there. Master Ma suspects that the Blood Clothes faction of the Assassin Alliance may be cooperating with forces in Alliance City and jokingly—or suspiciously—asks whether Qiao Xi is responsible.

Character Developments

• King Kong is established as a highly capable, mysterious, and fiercely loyal operative. Though courted by corporations, he trusts Qiao Xi because she has genuinely improved his life and compensates him fairly. He suspects that she is the Capitalist, correctly recognizing her role even though he does not know her true identity.
• Qiao Xi/ the Capitalist is revealed to be calculating, pragmatic, and deeply skilled at political maneuvering. Rather than pursuing the Wizard’s identity directly, she maps the interests connected to him and turns uncertainty into leverage. Her relationship with allies is based on mutually beneficial exchanges rather than sentiment.
• Liu Xuan becomes an important protected figure whose rescue signals that the Liu Group may still possess powerful unseen backing. Her private discussion with Qiao Xi hints at negotiations with major strategic consequences.
• Si Li appears proud but politically restrained. Although the Si Clan is being mocked and threatened by rival enterprises, he recognizes that the current crisis is controlled by forces far above the local pharmaceutical companies.
• Master Ma is portrayed as direct, aggressive, and action-oriented. Unlike the cautious schemers in Alliance City, he solves problems through overwhelming force. His long-standing trust in the Capitalist stems from their history of profitable cooperation and her generous support of his strength.
• Lin Qi/the Wizard remains mostly absent but exerts major influence. Qiao Xi’s actions are designed to create an obligation from him, while his intelligence has helped shape events involving Liu Xuan and Master Ma.

Significant Themes

• Power is determined by interests and alliances: The chapter emphasizes that large political and corporate conflicts are decided through interconnected exchanges, favors, and hidden partnerships rather than open declarations.
• Identity is less important than leverage: Qiao Xi does not need to uncover the Wizard’s identity to benefit from his actions. Knowing who someone is matters less than understanding what they want and who gains from it.
• Mutual benefit as the basis of trust: The Capitalist’s relationships with King Kong and Master Ma are built on payment, resources, and tangible advantages. This transactional approach proves more reliable than loyalty based purely on ideology or emotion.
• Hidden intercontinental competition: The apparent conflict over the Liu Group and pharmaceutical profits masks a broader contest among intercontinental enterprises. Local corporations are merely pieces or vanguards in a much larger struggle.
• Contrasting methods of influence: Alliance City operates through meetings, suspicion, and political maneuvering, while Master Ma’s New Reed City operation is violent and immediate. Both approaches serve the same broader power struggle.
• Corporate exploitation and survival: King Kong’s past as a human test subject and the Modi Group’s use of cheap weapons reflect a world where corporations treat people and technology as expendable resources.

Character Interactions

• Qiao Xi and King Kong: Their relationship is one of command and loyalty. King Kong obeys her because she has rewarded him fairly and provided him with opportunities no corporation offered.
• Qiao Xi and Liu Xuan: Their private meeting represents a potentially decisive alliance or negotiation. Qiao Xi’s protection gives Liu Xuan and the Liu Group political weight at a moment when they appear vulnerable.
• Qiao Xi and Lin Qi: Though Lin Qi is not present, Qiao Xi deliberately engineers a situation in which he will owe her a favor by rescuing Liu Xuan.
• Si Li and rival pharmaceutical leaders: The rivals mock the declining Si Clan and consider attacking it if they cannot seize the Liu Group. Si Li refuses to be provoked, understanding their limited perspective.
• Master Ma and the Capitalist: Their partnership is based on long-term mutual profit. The Capitalist has materially strengthened Master Ma, while he carries out dangerous operations for her network.
• Master Ma and Baili Xueyuan: Their past romantic relationship is revealed, creating a personal reason for Master Ma to consider traveling to Alliance City.
• Master Ma and Qiao Xi: Qiao Xi’s invitation places him back in the Capitalist’s orbit and raises his suspicion that she may be connected to the Blood Clothes faction’s activities.

Chapter Summary: “The Manipulator Emerges”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Capitalist sends Master Ma an email implying that the child sample should be brought to Alliance City. Master Ma immediately leaves New Reed City, confirming that he will come either because of the sample or Baili Xueyuan.
• Nearly the entire Highest Level Mercenary Group gathers in Alliance City, marking their most complete reunion since its founding.
• Lin Qi meets Liu Xuan at Liu Heavy Industries’ Alliance City branch to hear the results of her meeting with Director Qiao Xi, the Permanent Director associated with the Intercontinental Stabilization Trauma Response Company.
• While traveling to the council building, Liu Xuan’s vehicle was attacked by an S-Minus Rank missile. Qiao Xi had arranged a security team in advance, allowing Liu Xuan to survive. Lin Qi realizes this was likely Capitalist protecting Liu Xuan as a calculated favor and possibly testing whether Liu Xuan is connected to him.
• Qiao Xi cannot openly support Liu Xuan or investigate another Director without violating her neutrality. Instead, she provides intelligence suggesting that the crisis against the Liu Group is not a formal action by the Asian Large Enterprise Alliance, but the result of individual corruption.
• Qiao Xi identifies two likely suspects:
  • Director Jin Yuanxi may have traded interests with the Si Clan and Ninghang Technology, though probably without involving European powers.
  • Director Aishwarya, originally from New Reed City and formerly a senior Modi Group executive, is suspected of colluding with the Large Enterprise Alliance of the European Political Zone.
• Qiao Xi advises Liu Xuan to find evidence against Aishwarya and submit it at a standing meeting before the upcoming Asian Political Zone Advanced Pharmaceutical Enterprise Summit.
• Liu Xuan initially admits that the conservative Liu Heavy Industries board may refuse to confront a Permanent Director directly. However, she decides that United Pharmaceutical cannot afford caution and must exploit the opportunity.
• Lin Qi promises to investigate Aishwarya and find evidence of her dealings. He also reveals that the Eastern Alliance has sent representatives to Alliance City, likely including Baili Xueyuan, and that they are independently investigating council members’ foreign collusion.
• Lin Qi plans to relay the information to Lin Xin, coordinate with Capitalist and Baili Xueyuan, and gather intelligence through every available channel, potentially using a plan to “startle the snake” and expose Aishwarya’s movements.

Character Developments

• Lin Qi becomes increasingly strategic and politically capable. He recognizes that Capitalist’s protection was an investment designed to create a future obligation, and he accepts that relationships must be maintained through reciprocal interests rather than assumed goodwill.
• Liu Xuan regains confidence after meeting Qiao Xi. Though still cautious because of the Liu Group’s conservative board, she demonstrates renewed determination by choosing to risk everything through United Pharmaceutical rather than passively await the group’s collapse.
• Capitalist is portrayed as a calculating manipulator. Her protection of Liu Xuan serves both as genuine intervention and as a possible test of Lin Qi’s identity, allowing her to build leverage over him at little cost.
• Director Qiao Xi maintains a careful balance between neutrality and personal connections. She cannot openly interfere, but she uses her authority, security resources, and intelligence network to give Liu Xuan a realistic chance.
• Liu Xuan and Lin Qi’s partnership grows stronger. Liu Xuan recognizes that Lin Qi likely paid a significant price to secure Qiao Xi’s help and becomes concerned for his safety, while Lin Qi is reassured that she will not abandon their shared goal.
• The Eastern Alliance and Baili Xueyuan emerge as important outside forces whose investigation may complement Lin Qi’s efforts.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and calculated favors: Capitalist’s actions demonstrate that assistance can be an investment intended to create future obligations.
• Political neutrality versus personal influence: Qiao Xi must obey institutional constraints while using indirect methods to aid Liu Xuan.
• Risk versus conservative stagnation: The Liu Group’s reluctance to act reflects internal decay through excessive caution, while United Pharmaceutical represents initiative and willingness to gamble.
• Information as power: The conflict will likely be decided by intelligence, evidence, alliances, and exposure rather than direct force.
• Mutual dependence and strategic alliances: Lin Qi, Liu Xuan, Capitalist, Qiao Xi, and the Eastern Alliance all pursue overlapping interests, creating a network of conditional cooperation.
• Loyalty and shared purpose: Lin Qi and Liu Xuan’s commitment to United Pharmaceutical strengthens as they recognize that each is relying on the other to survive.

Character Interactions

• Capitalist and Master Ma: Capitalist manipulates Master Ma into traveling to Alliance City by withholding further explanation and exploiting his motives.
• Capitalist and Liu Xuan: Capitalist indirectly protects Liu Xuan from assassination, using the incident to potentially confirm her connection to Lin Qi.
• Lin Qi and Liu Xuan: They discuss Qiao Xi’s assistance, debate whether to confront Aishwarya, and reaffirm their determination to save United Pharmaceutical.
• Liu Xuan and Qiao Xi: Qiao Xi offers guarded but valuable help, giving Liu Xuan intelligence while avoiding an overt political stance.
• Lin Qi and Qiao Xi/Capitalist: Lin Qi interprets Qiao Xi’s actions as evidence of Capitalist’s behind-the-scenes influence and realizes he is accumulating a favor that must eventually be repaid.
• Lin Qi and the Eastern Alliance: Though not yet meeting directly, Lin Qi intends to coordinate with their investigation, especially through Baili Xueyuan, to expose the forces attacking the Liu Group.

Chapter Summary: “New Watchful Eyes—Could It Actually Be King Kong?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Qi informs Lin Xin about the situation involving Director Aishwarya and receives a warning to remain cautious in Alliance City. Lin Xin has forwarded the information to their teacher and urges Lin Qi not to interfere directly with major enterprises.
• Lin Qi agrees to attend the Pharmaceutical Small Enterprise Alliance’s exchange meeting. The alliance has grown rapidly, with over eighty percent of small pharmaceutical companies in Alliance City joining after United Pharmaceutical became one of its management companies.
• Suspecting that Director Aishwarya is secretly cooperating with the Large Enterprise Alliance, Lin Qi plans to use the exchange meeting to spread information and potentially provoke her into revealing a weakness.
• Lin Qi contacts Guangleng for intelligence. Guangleng reveals that Capitalist had already paid for similar information and allows Lin Qi to access it for free. The intelligence includes Aishwarya’s schedule and residence but reveals no obvious suspicious activity.
• Guangleng advises Lin Qi to investigate Aishwarya’s Extraordinary Profession, implying that the key to uncovering her conspiracy may lie in her abilities rather than her public movements.
• Because remotely using Analysis Mimicry only works on targets below Lin Qi’s rank, directly analyzing Aishwarya would be dangerous. Lin Qi therefore decides to investigate her family members, whose inherited Extraordinary Professions might reveal her own.
• Aishwarya has a massive family in Alliance City—six husbands, nine children, and more than forty third-generation descendants. Lin Qi purchases their movement records from Guangleng for one million Credit Points, increasing his debt to six million.
• Lin Qi leaves the Alliance Building with Green Hair to begin investigating Aishwarya’s relatives. He notices two people watching him: the familiar hostile observer connected to Si Ranan’s A-level Cybernetic Body, and a new watcher whose gaze seems more like surveillance than hostility.
• Using Psychic Vision, Lin Qi identifies the new watcher as a heavily augmented cybernetic implant user. The person possesses numerous A-level cybernetic bodies, several S-level prostheses, and one prosthesis with the aura of an Extraordinary Item.
• Lin Qi deduces that the watcher is likely King Kong, Number Six of the Highest Level Mercenary Group. He suspects the man may have been sent by Capitalist to test whether Lin Qi is truly Wizard.
• The chapter confirms that Qiao Xi arranged King Kong’s operation because she expected Wizard to personally investigate Aishwarya.

Character Developments

• Lin Qi becomes increasingly cautious and strategic. Rather than confronting Aishwarya directly, he builds an indirect investigation through her relatives and inherited abilities.
• He demonstrates growing confidence in his analytical powers, especially Psychic Vision and Analysis Mimicry, while recognizing the limitations imposed by his rank and the danger of attempting to analyze a powerful director.
• Lin Qi also shows financial recklessness—or necessity—by repeatedly borrowing from Guangleng despite already owing five million Credit Points.
• Lin Xin has matured significantly. Her warning to Lin Qi reflects the effectiveness of her education and her growing awareness of political danger.
• Guangleng remains mysterious and highly capable. His rapid acquisition of intelligence makes Lin Qi wonder whether he anticipated Lin Qi’s plan in advance.
• Qiao Xi/Capitalist is revealed to be actively monitoring the situation and willing to intervene indirectly through King Kong.
• King Kong is introduced as a potentially overwhelming cybernetic combatant with unusual tolerance for extensive augmentation, making him a serious force beneath S-Minus Rank.
• Director Aishwarya remains physically absent but becomes more threatening as Lin Qi uncovers the scale of her family, influence, and possible connection to the Large Enterprise Alliance.

Significant Themes

• Surveillance and counter-surveillance: Lin Qi is being watched by multiple forces while simultaneously gathering intelligence on Aishwarya and her family.
• Information as power: The chapter emphasizes intelligence networks, hidden schedules, family records, and the strategic value of discovering an opponent’s Extraordinary Profession.
• Political caution and hidden alliances: Aishwarya’s suspected collusion could violate the Eastern Alliance’s rules, but the exchanges are likely concealed through extraordinary means.
• Inherited power and bloodlines: Extraordinary Professions can be passed through families, making Aishwarya’s descendants potential clues to her abilities.
• Debt and dependence: Lin Qi’s reliance on Guangleng highlights both his limited resources and Guangleng’s immense influence.
• Identity and testing: King Kong’s appearance suggests that Lin Qi’s identity as Wizard is still being investigated by powerful allies and enemies.

Character Interactions

• Lin Qi and Lin Xin: Lin Xin warns him to stay out of major enterprise conflicts and promises to seek their teacher’s help if he is endangered. Lin Qi reassures her briefly.
• Lin Qi and Xiao Gu: Xiao Gu invites Lin Qi to the growing pharmaceutical alliance meeting and proudly reports the alliance’s rapid expansion. Lin Qi agrees because the meeting may provide an opportunity to manipulate or warn opposing forces.
• Lin Qi and Guangleng: Lin Qi requests intelligence on Aishwarya and later on her family. Guangleng provides detailed information, charging him another million Credit Points while implying that Aishwarya’s Extraordinary Profession is central to the investigation.
• Lin Qi and Aishwarya: They do not meet directly, but Lin Qi begins targeting her family as a way to uncover her hidden abilities and possible criminal activities.
• Lin Qi and King Kong: Their interaction is limited to observation. Lin Qi detects King Kong watching him and evaluates both his terrifying cybernetic strength and the organization that may stand behind him.
• Qiao Xi and King Kong: Qiao Xi secretly orders King Kong to monitor Lin Qi, expecting him to investigate Aishwarya personally and using the operation to test his true identity.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Qi meets with Xiao Gu and Yuan Hong from the [Pharmaceutical Small Enterprise Alliance], asking them to gather information on Director Aishwarya.
• Lin Qi wanders around Alliance City, seemingly aimlessly, but actually using his Psychic Vision to analyze Aishwarya's family members.
• Capitalist, unaware of Lin Qi's true abilities, monitors Lin Qi's movements but is confused by his actions.

Character Developments

• Lin Qi demonstrates strategic thinking and deception, trying to mislead Capitalist and scare Director Aishwarya.
• Capitalist remains focused on Director Aishwarya while trying to understand Lin Qi's actions.
• Xiao Gu and Yuan Hong are drawn into Lin Qi's plans, showing loyalty to their alliance and curiosity about the higher-level power struggles.

Significant Themes

• Deception and misdirection in high-stakes political and corporate maneuvers.
• The power dynamics between large corporations and the Large Enterprise Alliance.
• The use of extraordinary abilities and technology in intelligence gathering and manipulation.

Character Interactions

• Lin Qi interacts with Xiao Gu and Yuan Hong, using them to spread information and create confusion.
• Capitalist communicates with King Kong, trying to understand Lin Qi's movements and intentions.
• Lin Qi's actions indirectly influence Director Aishwarya, causing her to become wary of Liu Heavy Industries.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Qi successfully evades Capitalist's suspicion by maintaining his chaotic movements and meeting with [Pharmaceutical Small Enterprise Alliance] members.
• Capitalist, unable to uncover Lin Qi's identity, decides to focus on her duties as a council member.
• Lin Qi receives information from Xiao Gu about a company controlled by Aishwarya's family selling non-standard Extraordinary Materials on the Black Market.

Character Developments

• Capitalist: Realizes the difficulty in uncovering Wizard's identity and decides to focus on her duties, showing a sense of regret and frustration.
• Lin Qi: Maintains his disguise and vigilance, showing strategic thinking in evading Capitalist's suspicion. He also demonstrates his analytical skills in finding a clue within the information provided by Xiao Gu.

Significant Themes

• Identity and Disguise: Lin Qi's continuous efforts to hide his identity as Wizard and Capitalist's struggle to uncover it.
• Information and Intelligence: The importance of information and intelligence in business and political contexts, as seen in Capitalist's investigation and Lin Qi's gathering of clues.

Character Interactions

• Lin Qi and Capitalist: Their interaction is indirect, with Capitalist monitoring Lin Qi and Lin Qi evading her suspicion.
• Lin Qi, Xiao Gu, and Yuan Hong: They work together to gather information, with Xiao Gu and Yuan Hong providing Lin Qi with valuable intelligence, hoping to gain favor with him and Liu Xuan.

Key Plot Points/Events

• Lin Qi learns that Aishwarya's family enterprise recently resold a hand-carry transport case that had been transformed into Extraordinary Materials, implying they've been transporting a large quantity of Extraordinary Items.
• Lin Qi speculates that Aishwarya, a permanent council member, might be a Wizard, which would explain their urgent need for Extraordinary Items.
• Lin Qi plans to find a Wizard in Alliance City to verify his guess.
• Ding Yang visits Lin Qi with urgent news from Headquarters: another Spiritual Energy Particles tide and mutation might occur within a week, and Headquarters has a plan to delay it by a month with Lin Qi's help.

Character Developments

• Lin Qi: Becomes more involved in the political intrigue surrounding the Aishwarya family and the Permanent Council. He also continues to develop his Mental Power and Cyber World technology.
• Ding Yang: Reveals his true intentions to Lin Qi, seeking his help for Headquarters' plan to delay the mutation.

Significant Themes

• The struggle for power and resources among the Permanent Council families.
• The desperate search for survival and safety in the face of the doomsday world's ever-increasing dangers.
• The potential influence of technology on the course of the apocalypse.

Character Interactions

• Lin Qi and Ding Yang: Ding Yang seeks Lin Qi's help for Headquarters' plan, revealing the true extent of Headquarters' power and influence.
• Lin Qi and Xiao Gu/Yuan Hong: Lin Qi promises to reward them for the valuable information they provided about Aishwarya.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Blood Moon anomaly is imminent, and Dragon Country's Headquarters needs a spacecraft to delay its arrival.
• Lin Qi meets with Ding Yang, who requests help from Magic University Camp, but Lin Qi is uncertain about his capabilities in spacecraft engineering.
• Ding Yang returns to Hongshan Camp and meets Wang Qiang, who brings a mysterious safe-like object. They discuss the urgency of the situation and the probability of Lin Qi's success.
• Lin Qi meets with Wei Yue, who senses the Blood Moon's awakening and fears the descent of its will, which could complete her transformation into a Blood Moon Envoy.

Character Developments

• Lin Qi: Struggles with the responsibility placed on him by Ding Yang. He's determined to help but is uncertain about his capabilities in spacecraft engineering. He remains committed to finding a solution.
• Ding Yang: Disappointed by Lin Qi's initial response but maintains faith in him. He's determined to give Lin Qi another chance and believes in his ability to help.
• Wei Yue: Fears the descent of the Blood Moon's will, which could complete her transformation into a Blood Moon Envoy. She asks Lin Qi to kill her if that happens.

Significant Themes

• Responsibility and Helping Others: Lin Qi and Ding Yang grapple with their responsibilities in the face of the Blood Moon anomaly. They both want to help but face challenges in doing so.
• Trust and Belief: Ding Yang maintains his trust in Lin Qi, believing that he will help if he can. Wei Yue, on the other hand, fears the loss of her own will and the descent of the Blood Moon's will.

Character Interactions

• Lin Qi and Ding Yang: They discuss the Blood Moon anomaly and the need for a spacecraft. Ding Yang expresses his disappointment but maintains his trust in Lin Qi.
• Ding Yang and Wang Qiang: They discuss the urgency of the situation and the probability of Lin Qi's success. Wang Qiang is more skeptical of Lin Qi's abilities.
• Lin Qi and Wei Yue: They discuss the Blood Moon's awakening and Wei Yue's fear of becoming a complete Blood Moon Envoy. She asks Lin Qi to kill her if that happens.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Qi and Wei Yue discuss the possibility of merging their wills to prevent Wei Yue's mutation by the Blood Moon.
• Lin Qi decides to find a way to delay the Blood Moon's mutation and complete the ritual on Wei Yue before it does.
• Lin Qi returns to Cyber World and contacts Arthur to acquire a T2-level Spacecraft design and core parts.

Character Developments

• Wei Yue shows fear of death and desperation to regain her freedom, leading her to trust Lin Qi.
• Lin Qi demonstrates his moral character and determination to help Wei Yue.
• Arthur reveals she has Spacecraft in stock and offers to help Lin Qi despite his lack of Credit Points.

Significant Themes

• Trust and betrayal, as seen in Wei Yue's trust in Lin Qi and her fear of losing herself.
• The struggle for freedom and independence, reflected in Wei Yue's desire to regain her individuality.
• The power of will and determination, shown in Lin Qi's resolve to help Wei Yue and Arthur's assistance despite financial risks.

Character Interactions

• Lin Qi and Wei Yue have a heartfelt conversation about their fears and hopes, leading to a deeper understanding and trust between them.
• Lin Qi and Arthur negotiate a deal for the Spacecraft, with Arthur showing understanding and willingness to help despite Lin Qi's lack of Credit Points.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Qi receives a spacecraft blueprint and modules from Arthur for seven million Credit Points.
• Guangleng offers to pay for the spacecraft and requests a personal favor in return.
• Lin Qi discovers a Spiritual Energy Particle vortex in Alliance City, indicating powerful extraordinary individuals or an attraction to Spiritual Energy Particles.
• He finds six Wizards meditating in Director Aishwarya's family territory, confirming her extraordinary profession.
• Lin Qi realizes the European Large Enterprise Alliance might be using Aishwarya's power to eliminate Wizards in the Asian Political Zone.
• He discovers a large quantity of Second Rank Extraordinary Items in Aishwarya's possession, hinting at a breakthrough in the case.

Character Developments

• Lin Qi: Shows resourcefulness and strategic thinking in acquiring the spacecraft and investigating Aishwarya. He also demonstrates his unique Psychic Vision ability.
• Arthur: Proves reliable and helpful in providing the spacecraft blueprint and modules.
• Guangleng: Shows trust in Lin Qi by offering to pay for the spacecraft and requesting a favor, indicating he believes in Lin Qi's potential.

Significant Themes

• The Witch Hunt against Wizards in the European Political Zone.
• The power dynamics between the European and Asian Political Zones.
• The importance of Extraordinary Items and their potential use in betraying Aishwarya.

Character Interactions

• Lin Qi communicates with Arthur to acquire the spacecraft.
• Lin Qi contacts Guangleng for help in paying for the spacecraft and discusses the case.
• Lin Qi observes Aishwarya's family members without direct interaction.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Qi discovers abnormal Spiritual Energy Particles within six Wizards, planted by the European Large Enterprise Alliance.
• He realizes that these particles are like Holy Light, which can erupt and damage the Wizards' Mental Power and souls.
• Lin Qi invites Aishwarya, a permanent council member of the Asian Large Enterprise Alliance, to Core Road 32, where her juniors are meditating.
• He warns her that Holy Light will descend in five seconds, intending to pressure her and prove the existence of the Holy Light bomb planted in her family's Wizards.

Character Developments

• Lin Qi demonstrates his ability to monitor and manipulate events remotely, using his psionic vision and Blood Manipulation.
• Aishwarya shows caution and willingness to negotiate, indicating she's aware of the potential consequences of her alliance with the European Large Enterprise Alliance.

Significant Themes

• Power struggles and the use of force as an influencing factor in the Cyber World.
• The covert methods of the European Large Enterprise Alliance in manipulating Wizards.
• The mystery and pressure that Lin Qi's special abilities can induce.

Character Interactions

• Lin Qi and Aishwarya communicate through a temporary chat window created by Guangleng.
• Aishwarya discusses the Liu Clan and Qiao Xi with her think tank before leaving to meet Lin Qi's invitation.
• Lin Qi monitors Aishwarya's actions and sends her warnings about the impending Holy Light eruption.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Aishwarya senses an abnormality in a meditation room where a Wizard is transforming due to a Holy Light seed planted by the European Large Enterprise Alliance.
• Lin Qi observes and records the transformation process, gaining valuable intelligence on Wizards and their transformations.
• Aishwarya enters the meditation room and uses her abilities to control and reverse the transformation of the affected Wizard.
• Lin Qi reveals that he knows about the Holy Light seed planted by the Europeans and offers to help remove it, bargaining with Aishwarya.

Character Developments

• Aishwarya: Realizes the severity of the situation and the threat posed by the Holy Light seed. She becomes more cautious and willing to negotiate with Lin Qi.
• Lin Qi: Demonstrates his knowledge and understanding of Wizards and their transformations. He uses this information to bargain with Aishwarya.

Significant Themes

• Power and Control: The European Large Enterprise Alliance uses the Holy Light seeds to control Wizards, demonstrating the power dynamics between intercontinental powers.
• Trust and Betrayal: Aishwarya's trust in the European Large Enterprise Alliance is betrayed, leading her to seek an alternative in Lin Qi.
• Leverage and Bargaining: Both Aishwarya and Lin Qi use their respective knowledge and power as leverage in their negotiations.

Character Interactions

• Aishwarya and the Affected Wizard: Aishwarya uses her abilities to control and reverse the transformation of her descendant, demonstrating her care for her family despite her tough demeanor.
• Aishwarya and Lin Qi: Aishwarya and Lin Qi engage in a negotiation, with Aishwarya revealing some of her plans and Lin Qi presenting his demands. Their interaction is tense and cautious, with both parties trying to gain an advantage.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Qi sends a message to Aishwarya, asking her to investigate Jin Yuanxi's collusion with Europeans and Ninghang Technology.
• Aishwarya agrees to help Lin Qi, understanding the implications of the Eastern Alliance's involvement.
• Lin Qi decides to wait for the results and keep an eye on Si Ranan.
• Guangleng calls for an impromptu meeting, and Lin Qi attends.
• Master Ma arrives late, mentioning he encountered trouble in Alliance City.

Character Developments

• Aishwarya shows her intelligence and understanding of the situation, agreeing to help Lin Qi.
• Lin Qi demonstrates his strategic thinking, planning multiple steps ahead.
• Master Ma shows a hint of vulnerability, suggesting he might have a personal connection to Baili Xueyuan.

Significant Themes

• The power dynamics between the Asian Political Zone, European Political Zone, and the Eastern Alliance are explored.
• The theme of trust and deception is prevalent, with characters like Aishwarya and Capitalist trying to read between the lines.

Character Interactions

• Lin Qi and Aishwarya's interaction shows a mutual understanding and respect for each other's intelligence and capabilities.
• Lin Qi and Arthur's interaction hints at a potential alliance, with Arthur eager to learn from Lin Qi.
• Capitalist and Lin Qi's interaction is marked by curiosity and caution, with Capitalist trying to deduce Lin Qi's identity and Lin Qi being more guarded around Capitalist.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Arthur's promotion to Tier 4 Knight is triggered unexpectedly during the meeting, causing Guangleng to abruptly end it due to network security concerns.
• Lin Qi shares that Aishwarya, a permanent council member, is a Wizard and has been persuaded to side with the Mercenary Group, which will benefit their mission.
• Guangleng reveals that he's facing pressure in the Cyber network, challenging his previously perceived invincibility.

Character Developments

• Arthur advances to Tier 4 Knight, demonstrating her determination and ambition.
• Lin Qi becomes more cautious about revealing his identity, deciding not to inform Lin Xin directly.
• Guangleng's "god-like" image is somewhat tarnished, showing he's not invincible.

Significant Themes

• The power dynamics and politics within the Cyber World and its organizations.
• The struggle for advancement and recognition among extraordinary professionals.
• The consequences of unexpected events and the need for adaptability.

Character Interactions

• Lin Qi and Arthur's interaction highlights Arthur's ambition and Lin Qi's strategic thinking.
• Guangleng's interaction with the group reveals his leadership and the group's complex communication methods.
• Lin Qi's internal monologue shows his caution and strategic planning regarding his identity and the mission.

Chapter Summary: Si Ranan: Someone Was Setting Me Up

Key Plot Points and Events

• News breaks that Jin Yuanxi, a Permanent Director of the Asian Political Zone Large Enterprise Alliance, accepted benefits from Si Pharmaceutical and helped the Si Clan politically. Evidence of the corruption scandal spreads rapidly across the Cyber Network.
• Several companies that had supported Si Pharmaceutical withdraw their signatures, causing the upcoming Asian Political Zone Advanced Pharmaceutical Enterprise Summit to shift from resource redistribution to potentially dismantling Si Pharmaceutical.
• United Pharmaceutical and Lin Qi benefit from the sudden reversal, though Lin Qi avoids publicly taking responsibility. Many suspect Permanent Director Aishwarya—or the forces behind United Pharmaceutical—of exposing Jin Yuanxi.
• Lin Qi reasons that Aishwarya deliberately acted decisively, possibly to prove her loyalty to him and distance herself from the Large Enterprise Alliance.
• Liu Xuan invites Lin Qi to an afternoon meeting, likely signaling that the Liu Group is preparing to exploit the Si Clan’s weakened position.
• Si Li realizes that the Si Clan’s political alliances have collapsed. With Aishwarya abandoning them, Jin Yuanxi compromised, and Qiao Xi remaining neutral, he orders Si Ranan to leave the Alliance Building and begin the clan’s escape plan.
• Si Ranan prepares to flee to Greenland City, carrying the straw doll she has repeatedly used in attempts to assassinate Lin Qi.
• A security squad loyal to Jin Yuanxi arrives to prevent Si Ranan from escaping. Jin Yuanxi intends to use the Si Clan as a scapegoat for the scandal involving his dealings with Ninghang Technology and the Large Enterprise Alliance.
• Lin Qi secretly intervenes. He uses Rapid Growth to induce dizziness and loss of bodily control in Si Ranan, then uses Momentum Control to make her drop a virus-filled test tube and fail to reach it.
• Si Ranan realizes that someone is manipulating her movements, but cannot identify the method or attacker. She becomes convinced that she has been deliberately set up.

Character Developments

• Lin Qi: Demonstrates greater strategic restraint and increasingly sophisticated use of his abilities. Rather than openly attacking Si Ranan, he manipulates events covertly, preserving his anonymity while preventing her escape. He also shows a growing ability to exploit political conflicts without directly entering them.
• Si Ranan: Loses her confidence as the Si Clan’s position collapses. Her determination to kill Lin Qi remains, but desperation replaces control when she attempts to escape. Her inability to understand the invisible interference leaves her frightened and suspicious.
• Si Li: Reveals himself as a pragmatic and experienced leader. He immediately abandons the failed alliance with Jin Yuanxi and prioritizes preserving the Si Clan, recognizing that retreat is preferable to being destroyed alongside their former allies.
• Aishwarya: Establishes herself as ruthless, efficient, and politically independent. Her attack on Jin Yuanxi both assists Lin Qi and demonstrates that she has her own hidden safeguards.
• Jin Yuanxi: Shifts from political ally of the Si Clan to an adversary intent on sacrificing them to protect himself. His security team’s intervention shows how quickly he turns against former partners when his own position is threatened.
• Liu Xuan and the Liu Group: Their invitation suggests that the Liu Group is ready to recover from its earlier disadvantage and capitalize on the Si Clan’s sudden collapse.

Significant Themes

• Political betrayal and shifting alliances: The Si Clan’s downfall results from allies abandoning it as soon as its protection becomes dangerous. Jin Yuanxi, Aishwarya, and other factions treat alliances as temporary exchanges of interest.
• Indirect power and manipulation: Lin Qi gains influence not by acting openly, but by controlling information, political actors, and even physical momentum from the shadows.
• Survival over loyalty: Si Li’s decision to flee and Jin Yuanxi’s attempt to sacrifice the Si Clan emphasize that powerful factions prioritize self-preservation over promises.
• Perception versus reality: Publicly, Lin Qi appears merely pleased by the news, while privately he is assessing and manipulating the entire situation. Similarly, Si Ranan cannot distinguish illness, technology, or supernatural interference.
• The vulnerability of power: The Si Clan’s apparent strength disappears almost overnight once its institutional support collapses, showing that political influence depends heavily on hidden backing.

Character Interactions

• Lin Qi and Xiao Gu: Xiao Gu enthusiastically praises United Pharmaceutical and subtly credits Lin Qi for the political reversal. Lin Qi maintains a modest public façade while allowing the praise to strengthen his company’s reputation.
• Lin Qi and Aishwarya: Though they do not interact directly in the chapter, Lin Qi interprets Aishwarya’s actions as a calculated response to his request and as a possible signal of cooperation.
• Si Li and Si Ranan: Si Li orders Si Ranan to abandon the Alliance Building and carry out the clan’s escape plan. Their exchange highlights his pragmatism and her continued fixation on Lin Qi.
• Jin Yuanxi’s security team and Si Ranan: The security team is dispatched to stop Si Ranan from escaping and to contain the fallout from Jin Yuanxi’s scandal.
• Lin Qi and Si Ranan: Lin Qi covertly attacks and obstructs Si Ranan without revealing himself. His manipulation leaves her physically helpless and psychologically convinced that an unseen enemy is controlling her.

Chapter Summary: “Holding Hands?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Qi captures and restrains Si Ranan inside the Alliance Building. Although he could potentially kill her, he keeps her alive because she may be useful in obtaining the Si Clan’s S-level Potion research and because he must avoid exposing his identity.
• A security team led by Little Jin locates and arrests Si Ranan. Their leader reveals that Permanent Director Jin Yuanxi is being investigated by the Intercontinental Network Communications Company and threatens Si Ranan to keep the Si family silent.
• From this information, Lin Qi deduces that Aishwarya has rapidly moved against Jin Yuanxi by spreading information through the cyber media and triggering an investigation. Jin Yuanxi responds by controlling the Si family and attempting to protect himself.
• Lin Qi receives instructions from Liu Xuan to accompany her to the Council Building. He correctly concludes that Jin Yuanxi invited them to investigate possible links between the Liu Group, United Pharmaceutical, and Director Qiao Xi.
• Liu Xuan reveals that the Liu Group and more than ten major enterprises are preparing to propose amendments to the Heir Act. The unstable intercontinental political situation has made the Act a potential trigger for Corporate War.
• The Liu Group has effectively taken over the Si Clan’s former political strategy, using the Heir Act to gather allies and increase its influence while the Si Clan is collapsing.
• At the Council Building, Qiao Xi sends King Kong to protect Liu Xuan and Lin Qi. His presence intimidates Little Jin and ensures that Jin Yuanxi’s security team cannot mistreat them.
• When Liu Xuan exits the air vehicle, she offers Lin Qi her hand so they can present a united front. Lin Qi accepts, realizing that they are deliberately acting as a close pair to influence Jin Yuanxi’s perception. Liu Xuan briefly appears to link arms with him before quickly withdrawing, demonstrating her skillful performance.

Character Developments

• Lin Qi: Demonstrates powerful but concealed abilities, including Rapid Growth and Momentum Control. He continues manipulating events from the shadows while carefully analyzing the motives of Jin Yuanxi, Aishwarya, and Qiao Xi. He also proves adept at maintaining false identities and performing under political pressure.
• Si Ranan: Is defeated and captured despite having a higher Extraordinary rank than Lin Qi. Her arrest gives Lin Qi a clearer understanding of the conflict surrounding Jin Yuanxi and the Si Clan.
• Jin Yuanxi: Emerges as a cautious and desperate political survivor. He attempts to sacrifice the Si Clan, control its members, and investigate who caused Aishwarya’s betrayal.
• Aishwarya: Acts decisively against Jin Yuanxi, using public information channels and corporate pressure to weaken him. Her actions show strong survival instincts.
• Liu Xuan: Reveals her political awareness and acting ability. Though she dislikes the compromises behind the Liu Group’s alliances, she manages the situation pragmatically and prepares Lin Qi for Jin Yuanxi’s interrogation.
• Qiao Xi / the Capitalist: Continues indirectly supporting Lin Qi and Liu Xuan. By sending King Kong, Qiao Xi both protects them and increases pressure on Jin Yuanxi.
• King Kong: Is presented as an intimidating and unusually powerful implant user whose physical and cybernetic capabilities surpass those of Little Jin despite his official A-level classification.

Significant Themes

• Political maneuvering and misdirection: Nearly every faction is trying to identify hidden alliances while concealing its own true objectives.
• Survival through compromise: Jin Yuanxi sacrifices former allies to save himself, while the Liu Group uses the Si Clan’s abandoned strategy for its own advancement.
• Identity and deception: Lin Qi’s safety depends on maintaining several layers of false identity and allowing others to draw incorrect conclusions about his role.
• Power versus official status: King Kong’s actual combat strength greatly exceeds what his formal ranking suggests, echoing the gap between public reputation and hidden ability.
• Performance as strategy: Hand gestures, body language, and apparent relationships become tools in the political contest, particularly during the staged arrival at the Council Building.

Important Character Interactions

• Lin Qi and Si Ranan: Lin Qi suppresses her while deciding whether to preserve her life for future leverage.
• Little Jin and Si Ranan: Little Jin orders her transfer and subtly informs her of Jin Yuanxi’s investigation, using both intimidation and indirect communication.
• Lin Qi and Liu Xuan: Liu Xuan warns Lin Qi to remain quiet during Jin Yuanxi’s test. Their coordinated behavior culminates in Lin Qi taking her hand and pretending to be closely aligned with her.
• Little Jin and King Kong: Little Jin is irritated and intimidated by King Kong, who has been sent to prevent the security team from acting aggressively.
• Qiao Xi and the protagonists: Though absent, Qiao Xi influences events by deploying King Kong and strengthening Liu Xuan’s position.
• Jin Yuanxi and the Liu Group: Jin Yuanxi seeks to probe the connection between the Liu Group, United Pharmaceutical, and Qiao Xi, believing Qiao Xi may be behind Aishwarya’s actions.

Chapter Summary: Cultivating a New S-Level Potion Manufacturing Enterprise

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Xuan and Lin Qi arrive at the Council Building to meet Permanent Director Jin Yuanxi regarding the upcoming Asian Political Zone Advanced Pharmaceutics Enterprise Summit.
• King Kong, sent by Director Qiao Xi, is present to protect them and signal Qiao Xi’s support for United Pharmaceutical. His appearance also demonstrates the considerable difference in influence between Qiao Xi and Jin Yuanxi.
• Liu Xuan deliberately presents herself and Lin Qi as unequal, keeping him slightly behind her and making him appear subordinate. This helps conceal Lin Qi’s true identity and protects him from Jin Yuanxi’s investigation.
• Jin Yuanxi observes their arrival through surveillance and concludes that the Liu Group had prepared Qiao Xi as a backup ally. Realizing the Liu Group has successfully gained leverage, he decides that preserving himself requires abandoning the Si Clan.
• Lin Qi uses Psychic Vision to assess Jin Yuanxi. He discovers that Jin Yuanxi is not an Extraordinary but relies on powerful S-level cybernetic prostheses and an S-level suppressor. Lin Qi judges that Jin Yuanxi would not be difficult for him to kill, though he carefully hides his own abilities.
• During the meeting, Jin Yuanxi separates United Pharmaceutical from Liu Heavy Industries, recognizing that Liu Xuan is attempting to establish an independent power base.
• Jin Yuanxi explains that the Si Clan made an unacceptable political error by abusing the Large Enterprise Alliance Heir Act and threatening corporate war. Although Si Pharmaceutical was previously protected because it could produce S-level Potions, the Council is now prepared to withdraw that protection.
• He proposes using the upcoming summit to cultivate a new major pharmaceutical enterprise capable of manufacturing S-level Potions.
• Jin Yuanxi implies that United Pharmaceutical can compete if it receives support from both himself and Qiao Xi. His real purpose is to use United Pharmaceutical as evidence of cooperation with Qiao Xi, strengthening his own position while distancing himself from Ninghang Technology, Europe, and the Si Clan.

Character Developments

• Liu Xuan demonstrates political intelligence and composure. She understands Jin Yuanxi’s motives and carefully controls the conversation, guiding him toward offering United Pharmaceutical an opportunity without openly revealing her own alliances.
• Lin Qi continues to conceal his identity and abilities. His realistic nervousness at entering the Council Building helps maintain the image of an inexperienced researcher, while his Psychic Vision reveals his superior ability to assess threats.
• King Kong acts as Qiao Xi’s representative and protector. His presence publicly establishes Qiao Xi’s backing of United Pharmaceutical and intimidates Jin Yuanxi’s security personnel.
• Jin Yuanxi is shown to be highly calculating and self-preserving. Though he regrets losing the Si Clan as an ally, he is willing to sacrifice them immediately to protect himself and repair his political position.
• Qiao Xi does not appear directly, but her influence is strongly felt. Her decision to send King Kong gives United Pharmaceutical significant political weight.
• Liu Xingyuan is recognized by Jin Yuanxi as a strategist much like himself, having prepared an alternative path for the Liu Group through United Pharmaceutical and Qiao Xi.

Significant Themes

• Political survival and opportunism: Jin Yuanxi is willing to abandon long-standing allies when they become liabilities, prioritizing his own safety above loyalty or principle.
• Power concealed beneath appearances: Lin Qi appears to be merely a young researcher, while he is actually a powerful and dangerous individual. Similarly, United Pharmaceutical appears weak but is supported by influential hidden forces.
• Alliance-building and leverage: The meeting is less about pharmaceuticals than about political positioning. Jin Yuanxi wants to borrow Qiao Xi’s influence, while Liu Xuan seeks protection and legitimacy for her new enterprise.
• Corporate warfare and factional struggle: Major enterprises prepare multiple backers and escape routes, treating business alliances like political and military strategies.
• Manipulation through mutual understanding: Liu Xuan and Jin Yuanxi both understand what the other wants and conduct the negotiation indirectly, allowing each side to preserve appearances.
• The decline of old powers and rise of new ones: The Si Clan’s impending fall creates an opening for United Pharmaceutical to become a new S-level potion manufacturer.

Character Interactions

• Liu Xuan and King Kong: Liu Xuan recognizes that King Kong’s presence is a deliberate show of Qiao Xi’s support. She responds with gratitude but keeps the matter understated.
• Liu Xuan and Lin Qi: Liu Xuan protects Lin Qi by acting as though he is subordinate to her. Lin Qi cooperates by appearing inexperienced and suitably awed by the Council Building.
• King Kong and Little Jin: Their contrasting status reveals the gap between Qiao Xi’s and Jin Yuanxi’s influence. Little Jin avoids confronting King Kong directly.
• Jin Yuanxi and Liu Xuan: Their conversation is a carefully controlled political negotiation. Jin Yuanxi tries to separate United Pharmaceutical from Liu Heavy Industries and offer it a path into the summit, while Liu Xuan encourages him to state the offer openly.
• Jin Yuanxi and Lin Qi: Jin Yuanxi studies Lin Qi and misinterprets his behavior, believing him to be only a talented researcher and Liu Xuan’s favored companion. He fails to recognize Lin Qi’s true strength.
• Jin Yuanxi and the Si Clan: Jin Yuanxi decides to abandon the Si Clan after its political miscalculation, using its downfall to restructure the pharmaceutical industry and strengthen his own position.

Chapter Summary: “Oriental Logistics: Next-Day Delivery, Arrived Early?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jin Yuanxi tells Liu Xuan that, regardless of whether Qiao Xi supports him, he will continue his plan to publicly align himself with United Pharmaceutical. His goal is to signal to the Intercontinental Network Communications Company that he has changed sides, protecting himself from retaliation while sacrificing broader interests if necessary.
• Jin Yuanxi spends nearly two hours recounting his past connection with Liu Xuan’s father, Liu Xingyuan. Although he presents the conversation as nostalgic, Liu Xuan recognizes that he is trying to gain her trust and use her influence to change Qiao Xi’s position.
• Liu Xuan and Lin Qi leave Jin Yuanxi’s office safely under King Kong’s protection. They return to their vehicle and cautiously discuss the upcoming Asian Political Zone Advanced Pharmaceutical Enterprise Summit, avoiding electronic surveillance.
• Because of Jin Yuanxi’s support, Liu Xuan gains access to meetings that she previously would not have been qualified to attend. She plans to secure an S-Minus Rank opportunity for United Pharmaceutical, which could provide Lin Qi with valuable S-level pharmaceutical knowledge and materials.
• Lin Qi receives an email from Guangleng informing him that the components he purchased through Arthur have arrived far earlier than expected via Oriental Logistics. He now owes nine million Credit Points in total, including the purchase and delivery costs.
• The shipment contains two crucial items: a powerful T2-level spacecraft engine and a sealed core Brain containing a low-level aerospace AI capable of independently controlling and checking the completed spacecraft.
• Lin Qi realizes he has only seven days to build a spacecraft in the Doomsday World. He begins dismantling the engine and adapting it to his Exoskeleton, with Guangleng secretly disabling the Alliance Building’s alarms to conceal the work.
• After nearly four hours, Lin Qi finishes reducing the engine into mountable components. By nightfall, he has attached the parts to his body, making himself extremely bulky and covered in sixty adjustable exhaust nozzles. He intends to test whether the Gate can transport the modified Exoskeleton to the Doomsday World.

Character Developments

• Jin Yuanxi reveals himself as highly strategic and politically cautious. He is willing to sacrifice broader interests to protect his own position, while using personal stories and apparent warmth as tools of manipulation.
• Liu Xuan demonstrates political awareness and emotional restraint. She sees through Jin Yuanxi’s attempt to influence her but patiently tolerates him because of his status. She also becomes more assertive in securing opportunities for United Pharmaceutical.
• Lin Qi continues evolving from someone dependent on corporate contracts into an increasingly independent figure. His skills, hidden connections, and access to advanced technology allow him to pursue goals beyond the control of any single enterprise.
• Guangleng quietly supports Lin Qi by concealing his engineering work and helping protect the secrecy of the spacecraft components.
• Qiao Xi’s influence remains significant despite her absence. Her protection of Liu Xuan and her likely ability to see through Jin Yuanxi’s maneuvering reinforce her intelligence and political strength.

Significant Themes

• Political maneuvering and self-preservation: Jin Yuanxi’s alliance with United Pharmaceutical is primarily a protective signal, showing how powerful figures use public affiliations to survive corporate conflict.
• Trust versus manipulation: Jin Yuanxi uses memories and personal connection to influence Liu Xuan, while Liu Xuan and Lin Qi maintain a stable relationship by respecting each other’s boundaries and secrets.
• Knowledge as power: Access to pharmaceutical and cybernetic knowledge is tightly controlled by major corporations. Liu Xuan’s support gives Lin Qi unusual freedom to acquire expertise without becoming completely bound to a company.
• Independence and hidden capability: Lin Qi’s growing resources and abilities allow him to operate outside traditional corporate control, while his spacecraft project highlights both his ambition and the risks of his independence.
• Technological adaptation: Lin Qi repeatedly modifies advanced Cyber World technology to meet the survival requirements of the Doomsday World, blending engineering ingenuity with experimentation.

Character Interactions

• Jin Yuanxi and Liu Xuan: Jin Yuanxi attempts to draw Liu Xuan closer through stories about her father and indirectly persuade her to influence Qiao Xi. Liu Xuan recognizes the tactic but remains polite and guarded.
• Liu Xuan and Lin Qi: Their conversation reflects mutual understanding and quiet loyalty. Liu Xuan promises to pursue valuable opportunities for United Pharmaceutical and Lin Qi, while Lin Qi’s brief agreement reassures her that he will remain with the company for now.
• Liu Xuan and King Kong: Liu Xuan thanks King Kong for protecting her and Lin Qi, acknowledging Qiao Xi’s assistance.
• Lin Qi and Guangleng: Guangleng provides behind-the-scenes support, preserving the secrecy of Lin Qi’s engineering work.
• Lin Qi and Arthur: Although Arthur is absent, the delivered engine and Brain represent the trust and commercial arrangement between them. Lin Qi respects Arthur enough not to investigate his background and feels intense pressure to make the expensive purchase worthwhile.