Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Silver Tongue”

Key Plot Points and Events

• During a dinner with Feng Jun, Expert Zhang, Senior Tao, and several women from Luohua, the conversation turns to Feng Jun’s extraordinary influence and hidden ambitions.
• Feng Jun explains that Luohua deliberately keeps a low profile, rarely builds outside connections, and focuses on its own affairs. Because it has ample money and avoids external lobbying, few people understand how capable or influential it really is.
• Senior Tao argues that Feng Jun’s extreme restraint makes others suspicious. By refusing to display selfish motives or make minor mistakes, Feng Jun may appear more threatening than someone with ordinary ambitions.
• Tao encourages Feng Jun to show some visible self-interest by establishing a Luohua production line in Thousand Province. He offers to owe Feng Jun a favor in exchange.
• The women debate where future production lines should be placed:
  • Zhang Caixin favors focusing only on Luohua’s existing affairs.
  • Yang Yuxin proposes Jincheng, citing her family’s connections and the benefits of industrial clustering.
  • Yu Qingzhu suggests Funiu lacks high-tech pharmaceutical production.
  • Zhang Caixin jokingly mentions Ming City.
• Yang Yuxin and Tao recognize the political sensitivity of strengthening local forces through major economic projects. Tao warns against violating unspoken boundaries, while Yang dismisses the danger as something that depends on how the issue is presented.
• Feng Jun ultimately agrees to allocate a production line to Thousand Province, but makes clear that he is doing so on his own terms. He refuses to rely on Tao’s influence and pointedly reminds Tao that he now owes him a favor.
• The meal ends after roughly forty minutes, with both sides satisfied. Jiangxia officials outside the room are disappointed because they overhear enough to suspect that Thousand Province may receive a valuable project instead of Jiangxia.
• At the afternoon forum, Liu Menglong serves as keynote speaker because Feng Jun refuses the role. Liu discusses renewable-resource recycling, environmental protection, and sustainable development, expanding beyond his own secondhand-equipment business.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun remains cautious, independent, and strategically secretive. He refuses to reveal his true goal—cultivating and gathering resources for the benefit of humanity—and understands that revealing it would create greater trouble.
• He demonstrates growing confidence in handling powerful figures. Rather than being pressured by Senior Tao, he turns the negotiation into a favor owed to him and maintains an openly arrogant but controlled attitude.
• Senior Tao proves to be highly persuasive and politically perceptive. He recognizes that Feng Jun’s self-effacement can generate suspicion and attempts to persuade him to display limited personal motives.
• Yang Yuxin emerges as Luohua’s most politically sophisticated representative. She understands the balance between economic development, family influence, and government concerns, and supports Feng Jun’s decision once she sees its strategic value.
• Zhang Caixin remains direct and protective of Luohua’s independence, opposing unnecessary expansion into outside regions.
• Yu Qingzhu contributes cautiously, while Gu Jiahui unintentionally weakens Yang Yuxin’s argument by mentioning the restrictions faced by her maternal family.
• Liu Menglong accepts an uncomfortable public role and presents himself as more knowledgeable and socially responsible than his business background might suggest.

Significant Themes

• The danger of appearing too perfect: Senior Tao argues that someone who never shows selfish motives or makes mistakes may seem more frightening than someone openly flawed.
• Strategic low-profile behavior: Feng Jun’s secrecy protects Luohua but also creates uncertainty and suspicion among outsiders.
• Power, influence, and political boundaries: Economic projects are shown to carry political consequences, especially when they strengthen local families or governments.
• Manipulation through rhetoric: Tao uses history, psychology, and moral reasoning to make lobbying Feng Jun appear like advice offered for Feng Jun’s own benefit.
• Independence versus cooperation: Feng Jun is willing to cooperate, but only when he controls the terms and receives appropriate recognition or leverage.
• Public image and self-interest: The chapter explores how openly displaying limited selfish motives can make a powerful person appear more ordinary and trustworthy.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Senior Tao engage in a polite but competitive verbal exchange. Tao tries to guide him, while Feng Jun recognizes and mocks the attempt, refusing to surrender control.
• Yang Yuxin acts as the main counterweight to Tao, openly challenging his political reasoning and helping Feng Jun assess the proposal.
• The women’s discussion becomes a playful competition over which cities might receive Luohua’s production lines, revealing their differing regional loyalties and political perspectives.
• Tao’s invitation to host the group in Thousand Province becomes both a social gesture and a tacit acknowledgment that Feng Jun has gained leverage.
• The Jiangxia representatives remain outside the central interaction, symbolizing how political stakeholders can be affected by decisions made behind closed doors without being directly included.

Chapter Summary: “Public Figures”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Menglong delivers a well-received presentation on resource recycling, drawing on his academic background and practical experience in the secondhand-equipment industry.
• His ideas receive strong praise from the principal and Expert Zhang, who describe his perspective as internationally advanced. Fang Qiong’s teasing makes Liu joke that he has achieved enlightenment through scavenging.
• Xiao Jinlong asks several serious questions about waste-to-energy systems. An expert who had argued with Liu earlier challenges Liu’s proposals again, leading to another heated debate.
• Liu’s classmates gradually overwhelm the expert by collectively scrutinizing his arguments. Though they are clearly defending Liu, they maintain the appearance of rational academic debate.
• The frustrated expert shifts the question to Feng Jun, asking which proposal he would choose in practice.
• Feng Jun hesitates because his knowledge of the Human Federation offers little useful guidance: its advanced civilization has cheap energy, weak incentives for recycling, and often disposes of waste on designated planets. Its garbage-management system focuses more on monitoring and containment than technological recycling.
• Senior Tao intervenes, claiming Feng Jun has already shared relevant but confidential views with him. This protects Feng Jun from answering while enhancing his image as a mysterious, well-connected expert.
• The salon ends at 5:40 p.m., but students remain to request autographs and photographs from the attending alumni and experts.
• The principal persuades Senior Tao to sign by appealing to his responsibility as an older alumnus passing knowledge to younger students.
• Feng Jun is surprised and frustrated to find that he attracts the longest autograph line, even longer than Senior Tao’s. Students also attempt to photograph him despite his objections, forcing the vice principal to restore order.

Character Developments

• Liu Menglong demonstrates genuine expertise, intellectual confidence, and considerable debating ability. Although modest about his accomplishments, he enjoys humorously deflecting praise.
• Feng Jun is shown to be thoughtful and cautious. He possesses extraordinary knowledge but recognizes that not every problem has a useful solution in the Human Federation. His reluctance to reveal his true perspective preserves his mysterious public image.
• Senior Tao proves socially perceptive and protective of Feng Jun. By invoking confidentiality, he prevents Feng Jun from being cornered and strengthens the impression that Feng Jun has powerful connections and hidden knowledge.
• The unnamed expert becomes increasingly isolated after provoking Liu and his classmates. His eventual attempt to redirect the debate reveals his disadvantage in a hostile group discussion.
• The principal and vice principal act as moderators and protectors of the event’s public image, managing both the academic debate and the students’ enthusiasm.

Significant Themes

• Expertise versus public perception: Liu’s practical experience is treated as serious intellectual knowledge, while Feng Jun’s true abilities are concealed beneath an aura of mystery.
• Collective pressure and social alliances: Academic debate is influenced not only by logic but also by group loyalty, reputation, and the power of numbers.
• The consequences of technological advancement: The Human Federation’s abundant energy has weakened its motivation to develop recycling technology, showing how prosperity can create environmental complacency.
• Public recognition and celebrity culture: The students’ demand for autographs and photographs illustrates how respected scholars and alumni can become public figures.
• Responsibility toward younger generations: The principal frames the alumni’s popularity as an opportunity to guide students’ values and encourage admiration for experts rather than entertainers.

Character Interactions

• Liu and Fang Qiong share a teasing exchange about his “higher realm” of scavenging.
• Liu debates repeatedly with the earlier opposing expert, while Liu’s classmates subtly unite to defend him.
• Xiao Jinlong engages Liu through practical questions about waste-to-energy policy.
• The expert pressures Feng Jun to take a position, but Senior Tao steps in and claims Feng’s views are confidential.
• The principal persuades Senior Tao to sign autographs by appealing to alumni solidarity and educational responsibility.
• Students enthusiastically surround the experts, especially Feng Jun, while the vice principal unsuccessfully tries to enforce the no-photography rule.

Chapter Summary: “Fallen So Low”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun attends a large Xiayang University event, where many students—especially female students—crowd around him for photographs and autographs because of his appearance and reputation as the “hidden richest man in Xia Nation.”
• Although numerous girls pursue Feng Jun, others have come to meet Senior Tao, a famous alumnus, showing that the event is partly a celebrity gathering for both men.
• A male student recognizes Yang Yuxin as a distant relative from the Jincheng Yang Family. To avoid an awkward social obligation, Yang Yuxin has her daughter, Gu Jiahui, bring him gifts instead.
• After the signing session ends, Feng Jun rejects requests for photos and escapes the attention of several persistent female students. His companions tease him, while Zhang Caixin reacts jealously.
• The guests travel by bus to a luxurious hotel for an alumni banquet. Feng Jun remains seated with the Luohua group, alongside old classmates Fang Qiong and Xiao Jinlong.
• Senior Tao and various alumni come to toast Feng Jun. Although Feng Jun does not actively visit other tables, he courteously receives everyone who approaches him and drinks generously.
• During the banquet, Chu Tianshu confronts Feng Jun about expanding the Cancer Care Center and exporting Luohua’s medical technologies overseas, particularly to Mairui Country.
• Feng Jun firmly refuses to open a branch in Mairui Country or export certain treatments there. He argues that the center has limited capacity and must prioritize Xia citizens, while people who abandoned Xia nationality cannot simply demand equal access.
• Chu Tianshu accuses Feng Jun of being narrow-minded and engaging in racial discrimination. Feng Jun counters that Xia people face serious discrimination in Mairui Country and that Chu’s argument ignores the country’s hostility toward them.
• Fang Qiong supports Feng Jun by noting that foreign currency may soon become less important because Xia currency is moving toward a Gold Standard. The discussion grows tense enough that security guards move closer to Senior Tao, apparently in case the dispute escalates.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Remains composed and restrained despite intense public attention. He demonstrates strong principles regarding national loyalty, medical resource allocation, and the protection of Luohua’s technologies. He also shows social tact by welcoming guests at the banquet even while avoiding unnecessary self-promotion.
• Yang Yuxin: Displays embarrassment and practical consideration when recognized by a distant relative. She avoids favoritism while still giving him appropriate support through gifts.
• Gu Jiahui: Helps her mother handle the unexpected family encounter, showing cooperation and attentiveness.
• Zhang Caixin: Reveals jealousy and possessiveness when young women openly pursue Feng Jun.
• Senior Tao: Is portrayed as humble and socially capable. He personally toasts every table and treats Feng Jun’s group with particular respect.
• Fang Qiong: Emerges as an internationally experienced but still nationally minded classmate. She supports Feng Jun’s position and appears interested in understanding how he achieved his current status.
• Chu Tianshu: Becomes increasingly emotional and argumentative. Though he presents himself as concerned about overseas Xia patients, his insistence on exporting Luohua’s medical resources exposes a clash between his international outlook and Feng Jun’s nationalist priorities.
• Tang Wenji and the other women: Provide comic relief during the banquet, particularly through their reactions to Chu Tianshu’s argument and the drinking session.

Significant Themes

• National loyalty versus overseas identity: The argument centers on whether people who have taken foreign citizenship should still receive priority from Xia institutions.
• Limited resources and social responsibility: Feng Jun insists that scarce medical capacity must first serve domestic citizens, rather than being sold to the wealthiest foreign patients.
• Racial discrimination and double standards: Chu Tianshu accuses Feng Jun of discrimination, but Feng Jun points out the hypocrisy of defending Mairui Country while ignoring its discrimination against Xia people.
• Fame and public attention: Feng Jun’s celebrity status attracts both admiration and absurd levels of personal attention, contrasting with Senior Tao’s more conventional prestige.
• Classmate relationships and changing social status: The banquet brings former classmates together, highlighting how differently their lives have developed—through wealth, government careers, overseas success, or political influence.
• National technological control: Luohua’s cancer and diabetes treatments are treated as strategic resources, not ordinary commercial products that can be freely exported.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun is surrounded by female admirers while his companions tease him; Zhang Caixin’s jealousy contrasts with the Little Celestial Master’s blunt amusement.
• Yang Yuxin and Gu Jiahui work together to handle the distant relative who recognizes her.
• Feng Jun reconnects with Fang Qiong and Xiao Jinlong, though he avoids discussing his own accomplishments and instead encourages Fang Qiong to talk about her life in New Zealand.
• Senior Tao shows special courtesy to Feng Jun’s table, toasting each person individually.
• Chu Tianshu directly challenges Feng Jun over overseas medical expansion, leading to a public ideological dispute about citizenship, national priorities, foreign currency, and racial discrimination.
• Fang Qiong supports Feng Jun’s economic argument, while Tang Wenji briefly questions why Mairui Country needs Luohua’s cancer treatment if its own medical system is supposedly advanced.

Chapter Summary: “What a Nerve”

Key Plot Points and Events

• At a class reunion, Chu Tianshu argues that Mairui Country is not racially discriminatory and criticizes negative accounts as “false propaganda.”
• Feng Jun challenges Chu’s outlook, emphasizing the importance of remembering history and admitting that he personally holds prejudices against foreigners who have abandoned Xia Nation.
• Chu asks whether Feng Jun would treat him or his immediate family if they became Mairui citizens and contracted cancer. Feng agrees, but only if they paid the exact same amount in Mairui currency and received no special queue-jumping privileges.
• Chu then asks for overseas distribution rights to Feng Jun’s diabetes supplement, claiming he can use Mairui pharmaceutical networks to sell it worldwide. Feng rejects the proposal, preferring profits and employment to remain in Xia Nation.
• Chu reacts bitterly, suggesting that returning to Xia Nation was a mistake. Feng is left irritated and regrets having been too polite.
• Other classmates criticize Chu’s constant praise of Mairui Country and sympathize with Feng. Fang Qiong and others point out that racial discrimination exists abroad and that Xia people are often treated as easy targets.
• After the dinner, Feng speaks with Senior Cao, a city-government official and fellow alumnus. Cao supports Feng’s position, accuses Chu of “forgetting his roots,” and reveals that Chu’s uncle had studied abroad on public funding but never returned.
• Cao hints that Chu’s background is being investigated for possible foreign influence or infiltration. He and Feng discuss overseas students, public opinion manipulation, and the suspicious reluctance of authorities to investigate certain matters.
• The chapter ends with Senior Cao admitting that he lacks the standing to approach Feng directly and suggesting that the university principals may be better positioned to speak with him.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun remains firm, pragmatic, and strongly nationalistic. He is willing to help former classmates but imposes stricter conditions on those who have taken foreign citizenship. His restrained behavior at the reunion shows that he is conscious of how his wealth and status affect others.
• Chu Tianshu is portrayed as presumptuous and ideologically disconnected from his former classmates. His identification with Mairui Country causes him to defend it reflexively, while his requests for cancer treatment and business rights reveal that he still expects benefits from Xia Nation.
• Feng’s classmates increasingly side with Feng and view Chu as arrogant and ungrateful. Their reactions reinforce the social gap between Chu and the group.
• Fang Qiong offers a more balanced perspective, acknowledging that discrimination exists everywhere while defending Xia Nation’s improvements. She is also characterized as financially independent but hardworking and tied down by responsibility for her ranch.
• Senior Cao emerges as a politically aware but cautious official. He respects Feng’s influence and hints at broader national-security concerns without speaking openly about them.

Significant Themes

• National loyalty versus personal advancement: Chu’s foreign citizenship and defense of Mairui Country contrast with Feng’s belief that those who leave should not expect equal priority from Xia Nation.
• Hypocrisy and entitlement: Chu claims emotional ties to his homeland while seeking privileged access to Feng’s medical services and commercial products.
• Racism and historical memory: The discussion challenges the idea that racism can be dismissed simply because one person did not experience it. Feng argues that ignoring past discrimination prevents people from learning from it.
• Economic nationalism: Feng refuses to let overseas interests control the distribution of Xia Nation’s valuable medical products, favoring domestic benefit over global expansion.
• Foreign influence and public opinion: Senior Cao’s comments introduce a wider political subplot involving infiltration, overseas students, propaganda, and the manipulation of public sentiment.
• Social status and restraint: Feng’s wealth gives him power, but he deliberately avoids appearing domineering, even when classmates criticize him for being distant.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Chu Tianshu: Their exchange is the chapter’s central conflict. Feng responds calmly but sharply to Chu’s idealization of Mairui Country and refuses to grant him special treatment or business privileges.
• Feng and his classmates: Liu Menglong, Gao Qiang, Gu Jiahui, Xiao Jinlong, and Fang Qiong largely support Feng and criticize Chu’s behavior. Their conversations show the group’s shared resentment toward Chu’s condescension.
• Feng and Senior Cao: Their meeting shifts the chapter from a personal argument to a broader political discussion. Cao respects Feng but is cautious about approaching him, while Feng recognizes the implications behind Cao’s hints.
• Senior Cao and the university representatives: Cao relies on the two principals to serve as intermediaries, suggesting that Feng’s influence and status now exceed his own.

Chapter Summary: “Verification (Reserve Next Month’s Guaranteed Votes)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The old and current principals of Xiayang University question Feng Jun about whether he has promised Senior Tao a production line for Thousand Province.
• Feng Jun confirms that he has also agreed to reserve a production line for Jiangxia, his alma mater, but criticizes the university officials for passively waiting for him to offer it.
• Senior Cao seeks direct confirmation from Senior Tao because he must report the decision through official channels. Senior Tao confirms Feng Jun’s promise and explains that he persuaded Feng Jun through “reasoning with him and moving him emotionally.”
• Feng Jun avoids further discussion and leaves without saying goodbye to Senior Tao. Since the group’s bus has departed, he and the five Luohua women walk back toward the university.
• Beauty Lin calls to question Feng Jun’s sudden allocation of two production lines, explaining that it disrupted higher-level plans for distributing them. Feng Jun angrily defends his right to decide where the production lines go and threatens to handle future allocations independently.
• Beauty Lin apologizes and explains that advance communication would prevent local governments from exploiting Feng Jun’s name to compete for economic benefits. Yang Yuxin later agrees with her reasoning, prompting Feng Jun to acknowledge that he would respect officials who took risks to improve their local economies.
• The next morning, Feng Jun receives a postcard from Senior Tao, inviting him to Thousand Province. He admires the senior’s sincerity and handwriting but decides not to visit.
• Feng Jun attends the final salon session at Xiayang University and plans to complete a formal donation ceremony before returning to Luohua. The donation has already been transferred, and the ceremony will be recorded by the university.
• He notices that several participants, including Chu Tianshu, are absent, but decides that their future relationship is no longer worth caring about.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun remains blunt, independent, and resistant to bureaucratic pressure. His anger reveals a stronger awareness of his influence and his unwillingness to let others dictate how he distributes resources he acquired.
• Senior Tao is portrayed as persuasive, politically skilled, and careful not to reveal his methods for dealing with Feng Jun. His postcard demonstrates a respectful and sincere relationship with his junior.
• Senior Cao is practical and cautious, emphasizing the need for clear confirmation because he lacks the authority to act on verbal assurances alone.
• Beauty Lin initially appears critical but quickly apologizes and shifts to a cooperative approach after recognizing Feng Jun’s irritation and growing influence.
• Yang Yuxin helps Feng Jun understand the political and economic realities behind the allocation disputes.
• The principals become increasingly deferential toward Feng Jun while still maintaining a familiar, humorous relationship with him.
• Chu Tianshu’s absence reinforces Feng Jun’s decision to sever emotional concern for people with whom he no longer expects to interact.

Significant Themes

• Personal influence versus institutional procedure: Feng Jun can make major decisions with a few words, while officials like Senior Cao must obtain formal confirmation and report through established channels.
• Power, reputation, and negotiation: Senior Tao succeeds through emotional and rational persuasion, while Feng Jun’s refusal to “lose face” shows how pride and personal dignity affect political dealings.
• Economic competition and moral ambiguity: Local governments may exploit connections or bend rules to secure development opportunities. The chapter suggests that such behavior can be understandable when motivated by responsibility to the public.
• Independence and control: Feng Jun insists on retaining control over the resources and opportunities he provides, resisting attempts to criticize or restrict him.
• Changing relationships: Feng Jun’s connection with Senior Tao deepens through mutual respect, while his emotional distance from Chu Tianshu signals the closing of an earlier relationship.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun exchanges teasing but increasingly respectful banter with the university principals.
• Senior Cao relies on Senior Tao to verify Feng Jun’s promise, highlighting the difference between their institutional positions.
• Senior Tao praises Feng Jun indirectly while keeping his successful persuasive strategy secret.
• Feng Jun and Beauty Lin clash over the production-line allocations, but their conversation ends with a more practical understanding of communication and political maneuvering.
• Yang Yuxin acts as a mediator, helping Feng Jun interpret Beauty Lin’s concerns.
• Feng Jun’s silent departure from Senior Tao and his indifference toward Chu Tianshu’s absence emphasize both his impulsiveness and his willingness to move beyond old connections.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun leaves the university forum to a large, admiring crowd. His classmates begin reassessing him, recognizing that although he appears aloof and arrogant, he is not needlessly domineering and has shown loyalty to his former dormmates.
• Zheng Sike and Liu Menglong reveal Feng Jun’s importance to their success and reputation, increasing the other classmates’ desire to associate with him.
• Feng Jun brings several Luohua members to Chaori County to inspect the construction of Seeking Immortals Manor. The site is heavily secured, and the staff clearly know that the Luohua members are people who must not be offended.
• Zhang Junyi arrives and invites the group to dinner with the elderly couple overseeing the village. Despite their normally powerful and independent personalities, the Luohua members behave obediently in front of her.
• The female site supervisor explains the village’s layout and confirms that new residents require a villagers’ vote, though Feng Jun’s father, the village chief, possesses veto power. Little Celestial Master expresses concern that outside authorities and sects may attempt to interfere with the village.
• The supervisor reports that Jiangxia City has allocated 200 million yuan to support Seeking Immortals Manor under a rural-development program. Feng Jun regards this as ordinary reciprocal support, noting that his own contributions to society—including technology, resources, cultivation-related advances, and vast donations—are worth vastly more.
• After leaving the village, Feng Jun returns to Libo Shoal, refines two sets of magical treasures, performs deductions, and then travels with three companions to the Insectoid World.
• Nearly thirty days after the agreed deadline, Feng Jun contacts Chen Jiu on Xingzheng Star to collect the valuable goods and production lines he purchased. Chen Jiu explains that the sellers installed surveillance because Feng Jun had delayed collecting them.
• Feng Jun agrees to give them time to remove the surveillance but warns that if the goods are stolen through an inside job, he will find and punish those responsible. He ultimately views the possibility of betrayal as an opportunity to retaliate and possibly seize compensation from powerful organizations.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: His reputation as a powerful but restrained figure grows among his former classmates. He demonstrates increasing maturity and respect for rules, partly influenced by Ji Niang True Immortal’s principles. However, his sense of restraint coexists with a calculating, even predatory desire to retaliate if others give him a legitimate excuse.
• Luohua members: Their deference toward Zhang Junyi reveals that even highly powerful cultivators respect familial authority and social bonds. Little Celestial Master becomes more openly wary of political and sectarian interference in the village.
• Female site supervisor: She recognizes the extraordinary status of Feng Jun and the Luohua group and carefully manages her interactions with them. Her shock at Feng Jun’s description of his donations emphasizes the vast gap between his resources and ordinary society.
• Chen Jiu: He is anxious about the delayed collection and the immense value of the transaction, fearing that Feng Jun might react aggressively. His relief at Feng Jun’s reasonableness shows the importance of trust and restraint in their relationship.
• Feng Jun’s classmates: They shift from seeing him as an aloof playboy to viewing him as an influential, generous, and dependable alumnus.

Significant Themes

• Reputation and hidden influence: Feng Jun’s strength, generosity, and connections influence people even when he does not actively seek recognition.
• Power and restraint: True power is shown not merely through force but through the ability to tolerate insults, negotiate calmly, and choose when retaliation is justified.
• Reverence and moral boundaries: Feng Jun reflects that cultivators must retain respect for rules, social order, moral limits, and civilized conduct; without such reverence, power turns people into beasts.
• Reciprocity and social obligation: Government funding, Feng Jun’s donations, and the relationships among classmates all reflect an exchange of support and recognition.
• Civilization versus force: Feng Jun accepts surveillance and procedural concerns because he understands the need for rules, yet he remains prepared to use overwhelming power if those rules are violated.
• Bureaucratic and political influence: The village’s voting system, Feng Jun’s father’s veto, and Green Mountain Sect’s outside pressure show the growing importance of governance around Seeking Immortals Manor.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun’s former classmates discuss his character and influence, encouraged by Zheng Sike and Liu Menglong’s praise of him.
• The Luohua group interacts respectfully with the construction staff and becomes noticeably submissive before Zhang Junyi, whose authority overrides their usual independence.
• Little Celestial Master challenges the village’s potential expansion and criticizes status-based judgment, while the site supervisor cautiously acknowledges Green Mountain Sect’s negative standing.
• Gao Qiang questions the legitimacy of classifying the enormous project as rural development, prompting Feng Jun to explain the principle of reciprocal support.
• Feng Jun and Chen Jiu negotiate the collection of the goods. Their exchange balances mutual concern, practical compromise, and Feng Jun’s veiled threat against anyone who might exploit the situation.

Chapter Summary: Backup Plan

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun retrieves the complete Life Potion production line and confirms that it has not been sabotaged. The equipment is highly complex, has extremely low fault tolerance, and includes multiple automatic destruction mechanisms to prevent defective potions from circulating.
• The activation system requires a control-gate chip and a real-time password generated through quantum entanglement. The sellers withheld the chip, claiming they feared Humanoid Civilization might possess extraordinary abilities. Feng Jun accepts this, since he has no intention of violating the agreement or forcibly activating the line.
• Feng Jun learns that the intended Life Potion recipient is a roughly 160-year-old woman in the Federation’s core region. She is aging rapidly and may have only five years left to live, but her frail condition makes Spatial Jump dangerous.
• The woman’s representatives demand that Feng Jun personally visit her, guarantee her safety and dignity, and submit to certain inspections. They emphasize her high status and insist that she cannot safely travel to the Border Star or Nine-Bend Star System.
• Feng Jun considers these demands unreasonable and mocks the importance attached to the woman’s status, noting that someone unable to live to two hundred would not be especially important in his civilization.
• Chen Jiu suggests renegotiating the terms, but Feng Jun refuses to waste effort on it. Instead, he plans to treat the woman through a method similar to how he removed the Hero Division Commander’s poison—one that does not technically violate the agreement.
• Feng Jun tells Chen Jiu to convey that he is dissatisfied and that rules cannot be imposed unilaterally. He intends to remind the other side of the difference in their strength without directly breaking the contract.
• After reuniting with Yi Jue, Qian Zhong, and Xuanyuan Buqi, Feng Jun begins planning a covert journey toward the woman’s location. They consider boarding a cargo ship traveling toward the Shining Star System, which is distant but strategically easier to infiltrate.
• The group debates whether they can endure the spatial tearing force of a Spatial Jump. Qian Zhong’s observations show that cargo ships generate stronger external forces than passenger ships, potentially injuring weaker cultivators. Feng Jun ultimately favors remaining outside the ship rather than infiltrating the cargo hold, prioritizing safety.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun remains calm, confident, and unwilling to be intimidated by status or diplomatic pressure. He distinguishes between genuinely breaking an agreement and using an unconventional method to fulfill it. His confidence in his own strength becomes more apparent, though he still values caution.
• Chen Jiu acts as an intermediary between Feng Jun and the Federation representatives. He understands Feng Jun’s attitude but worries that a confrontation could damage future negotiations. He has become accustomed to Feng Jun’s blunt remarks and recognizes the limits of his own influence.
• Qian Zhong demonstrates caution and independence. Even after Xuanyuan Buqi gives an assessment of Spatial Jump forces, she personally investigates rather than relying on his judgment. She also offers to lead the infiltration.
• Xuanyuan Buqi displays strong observational and Deduction abilities, having already studied the effects of Spatial Jump. His teasing exchange with Qian Zhong reveals their familiar, argumentative relationship.
• Yi Jue contributes practical intelligence by locating a suitable cargo ship and identifying the Shining Star System as a more manageable infiltration target.

Significant Themes

• Power and diplomacy: The Federation relies on status, inspections, and procedural demands, while Feng Jun believes that absolute strength determines which rules truly matter.
• Trust and contractual ethics: Although Feng Jun considers the other side’s demands insulting, he repeatedly insists that he will not violate the agreement. His response will be unconventional rather than openly hostile.
• Caution despite overwhelming strength: Feng Jun and his companions are powerful, but they still investigate the dangers of Spatial Jump and seek the safest method of travel.
• Cultural differences in values: The woman’s age and status are extraordinary to the Federation but unimpressive by Feng Jun’s civilization’s standards, highlighting the gap between the two societies.
• Life and privilege: The desperate efforts to preserve the life of an extremely old, influential woman reflect the value placed on longevity and the lengths the powerful will go to protect their own.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Chen Jiu discuss the Federation’s demands, with Chen Jiu cautiously warning against an aggressive response and Feng Jun insisting that he will merely challenge their assumption that they control the rules.
• Feng Jun reassures Chen Jiu that his treatment method will resemble the earlier removal of the Hero Division Commander’s poison, easing Chen Jiu’s fear of a treaty violation.
• The trio supports Feng Jun’s position after hearing about the negotiations.
• Qian Zhong and Xuanyuan Buqi exchange sarcastic remarks over their differing assessments of Spatial Jump forces, revealing mutual familiarity and rivalry.
• Feng Jun listens to both cultivators’ opinions but makes the final decision to favor the safer option of traveling outside the cargo ship.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun and his companions—Xuanyuan Buqi, Qian Zhong, and Yi Jue—successfully infiltrate a freighter by clinging to its hull rather than entering the tightly sealed cargo holds.
• After enduring a ten-day Spatial Jump with their spiritual energy gradually draining, they leave the ship and travel directly toward the Nine-Bend Star System.
• The Nine-Bend System is revealed to be a wealthy, heavily defended region resembling a developed solar system. Its planets contain abundant Energy Stone mines, and its habitable worlds are protected by numerous fortresses, sensors, and military installations.
• The group avoids detection by entering Xingzheng Star from the side facing away from the sun and landing in a remote woodland. They must evade surveillance devices, automated soldiers, and wild animals before leaving a protected wildlife reserve.
• Qian Zhong identifies their target on the opposite side of the planet. The group travels cautiously at night, passing brightly lit cities and discussing the stark contrast between prosperous regions and the war-torn Border Star.
• They eventually reach a wealthy estate near Central Capital. The estate and three neighboring properties are heavily fortified, containing thousands of residents and soldiers, powerful automated weapons, underground passages, a Doomsday Fortress, and more than twenty satellites.
• Since abducting the target is easy but doing so without detection is difficult, the group considers using rain or fog to disrupt surveillance.
• Qian Zhong devises a plan to modify an Illusion Formation into a Mist-Generating Formation. She secretly installs it and announces that thick fog will appear before dawn, creating an opportunity for the group to approach.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun remains practical and experienced, drawing on his previous use of weather-based formations on the Border Star. He also provides a broader perspective on the contrast between frontier hardship and metropolitan prosperity.
• Xuanyuan Buqi displays confidence and vigilance. He is impressed by the defenses but remains alert to hidden dangers such as chained passive detectors. He also teases Yi Jue about becoming too interested in worldly matters.
• Qian Zhong proves highly capable at reconnaissance, aura concealment, and tactical planning. Though she denies being proficient in formations, she demonstrates enough expertise to adapt one effectively for their mission.
• Yi Jue reflects on the inequality between the prosperous Nine-Bend System and the devastated Border Star. She frames her observations as “Red-Dust Tempering of the Heart,” suggesting a growing willingness to engage with ordinary worldly experiences.
• The group functions as a coordinated team, combining Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong’s power and caution with Feng Jun and Yi Jue’s specialized abilities.

Significant Themes

• Stealth versus overwhelming power: The group possesses immense strength, but their success depends on avoiding surveillance rather than simply attacking.
• Technological and spiritual defenses: The chapter emphasizes the combination of advanced military technology, satellites, automated weapons, formations, and cultivator abilities.
• Wealth and inequality: The prosperous, populous Nine-Bend System is sharply contrasted with the underpopulated and war-ravaged Border Star.
• Adaptation and resourcefulness: The characters repeatedly alter their plans in response to practical obstacles, ultimately choosing fog and illusions over a more conspicuous rain formation.
• The tension between cultivation and the mundane world: Yi Jue’s interest in urban life and Feng Jun’s familiarity with worldly pleasures highlight the cultivators’ engagement with ordinary society.

Character Interactions

• Xuanyuan Buqi jokes that Feng Jun’s methods may negatively influence Yi Jue, while Yi Jue responds that observing worldly life is part of her cultivation.
• Feng Jun explains that the Border Star can also be indulgent, but war has prevented the development of large, lively cities there.
• Xuanyuan Buqi and Yi Jue discuss the limitations of her Sweet Rain of Thought technique, with Xuanyuan warning that its spiritual fluctuations may attract attention.
• Qian Zhong confidently takes control of the formation plan, surprising Xuanyuan with her hidden technical ability.
• The chapter ends with Qian Zhong coordinating remotely with the others, informing them that the artificial fog will provide their window to infiltrate the estate.

• Key events: At the beginning of a new month, Feng Xiao announces three updates and asks readers to cast their guaranteed monthly votes. He notes that readers’ support helped the book reach its previous month’s voting goal.
• Character developments: No fictional plot or character development occurs. Feng Xiao expresses gratitude and directly addresses the readers.
• Themes: Appreciation for reader support, community participation, and the importance of maintaining strong early-month rankings.
• Character interactions: The main interaction is between Feng Xiao and the audience: he thanks readers for their earlier help and encourages them to continue supporting the book through monthly votes.

Chapter Summary: “Do You Want Beautification?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After receiving Qian Zhong’s instructions, Feng Jun, Yi Jue, Xuanyuan Buqi, and Qian Zhong put their plan into action to abduct the Lin Family’s elderly matriarch, Lin Jielin.
• They exploit a simple blind spot in the estate’s security: dense fog rising from the nearby lake. Since the manor’s residents regard fog as ordinary and even allow it for the old madam’s enjoyment, no one initially suspects it.
• As the fog becomes unusually thick and disrupts sensors, the guards begin considering dispersing it. Before they can respond, an alarm announces an attack.
• Xuanyuan Buqi uses a powerful brainwave attack to incapacitate more than forty guards, relatives, doctors, and staff almost instantly. He then knocks out the remaining personnel with physical strikes, abducts Lin Jielin, destroys the surveillance cameras and her locator, and escapes.
• The attackers’ methods reveal their likely identity: the security personnel conclude that the abductors possess advanced brainwave attack techniques associated with a humanoid civilization.
• Xuanyuan Buqi places Lin Jielin in a Spirit-Beast Bag, and Feng Jun uses Flash Step to transport the group to their original highland forest. The pursuing forces can trace her scent only to that location and lose the trail.
• The group then travels to the Dumbbell Galaxy, where Feng Jun releases Lin Jielin and treats her with medicine for Divine Sense injuries.
• Lin Jielin awakens confused and physically frail. Feng Jun explains that he has promised to extend her lifespan, but she struggles to understand him because of her age and senility.
• When asked whether she wants to die, Lin Jielin instinctively says she does not. Her motivation is to live long enough to meet her sixth-generation descendant.
• Feng Jun begins recording her consent as proof of the arrangement. Despite her confused condition, Lin Jielin immediately worries about her appearance and demands makeup before being filmed, prompting Feng Jun to jokingly ask whether she wants beautification.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates strategic patience and competence in planning the operation, but he is visibly troubled or exhausted after the kidnapping. He remains blunt and practical when dealing with Lin Jielin, yet also takes responsibility for treating and documenting her consent.
• Xuanyuan Buqi: Shows the overwhelming power of a Spirit Division Lord. His simultaneous brainwave attack incapacitates the estate’s defenders in seconds, though he uses enough control to avoid seriously endangering Lin Jielin.
• Qian Zhong: Her earlier judgment that the others might be “baggage” establishes her confidence and expertise, while the successful operation validates the group’s reliance on specialized abilities.
• Yi Jue: Acts as one of the restrained members of the team, recognizing the difficulty of challenging Qian Zhong’s concealment expertise.
• Lin Jielin: Though extremely old, physically weak, and mentally confused after the abduction, she retains dignity, pride, and a strong will to live. Her immediate concern with looking presentable reveals that her sense of status and personal vanity remain intact.

Significant Themes

• Overconfidence and security blind spots: Sophisticated defenses fail because personnel dismiss an ordinary environmental feature—fog—as harmless.
• The contrast between advanced technology and cultivation: Surveillance systems, sensors, locators, and reinforced glass are rendered ineffective by cultivation techniques such as Divine Sense attacks, concealment, and Flash Step.
• The will to live: Lin Jielin’s desire to meet a distant descendant gives her continued life a deeply personal purpose, even after more than a century of existence.
• Aging and dignity: Her senility and frailty contrast with her insistence on maintaining dignity and controlling how others see her.
• Humor amid danger: The brutal abduction and high-level conflict are undercut by Lin Jielin’s demand for makeup, creating a comic ending and humanizing her character.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun, Yi Jue, and Xuanyuan Buqi silently recognize the difficulty of working with Qian Zhong, whose confidence and specialized concealment skills dominate the operation.
• The manor’s guards discuss the fog and security threats, unknowingly assisting the attackers by treating the environmental change as insignificant.
• The security personnel react with outrage and humiliation after discovering that their extensive defenses were bypassed almost instantly.
• Feng Jun questions Lin Jielin about whether she wants to live, while she responds through confused but emotionally sincere statements about meeting her future descendant.
• Their final exchange juxtaposes Feng Jun’s formal need to record consent with Lin Jielin’s insistence on being beautified first, emphasizing both his practicality and her enduring pride.

Chapter Summary: “Therapeutic Effects”

Plot and events

Feng Jun takes the senile elder Lin Jielin away from the Human Federation’s tightly controlled medical environment and brings her to a secluded location. He first obtains her verbal consent—though her mental state makes the transaction morally questionable—to extend her life in exchange for a Life Potion production line. Because her body is too fragile to withstand the stronger Kunhao longevity fruit, Feng Jun gives her a milder fruit from the Sky-Ring Domain, which can extend a mortal’s life by several years. He supports her swallowing it with spiritual energy and places her in a high-tech medical bed inside a tent. Despite rain and unfamiliar surroundings, she gradually recovers, regains her independence, and eventually becomes mentally clear.

Character developments

Feng Jun is shown as pragmatic, calculating, and confident in his power. He deliberately secures the “moral high ground” by recording Lin Jielin’s agreement, even while recognizing that her senility makes the consent ethically dubious. His concern for her physical safety is genuine, however, as he carefully chooses a weaker longevity fruit and assists her when she nearly chokes. Lin Jielin initially appears confused and helpless, repeatedly calling for Xiao Lan and a makeup artist, but her physical condition improves rapidly. As her clarity returns, traces of her former authority and dignity emerge, suggesting that she once held considerable power.

Character interactions

Feng Jun repeatedly questions Lin Jielin to establish that she does not want to die and is willing to trade for an extended lifespan. Their relationship remains tense because she feels effectively kidnapped, while he insists that his actions are a transaction and that he avoided Federation security rules because he refuses to submit to them. Once lucid, Lin Jielin questions his motives, location, and demanded compensation. Feng Jun remains evasive about his identity and whereabouts but openly states that he wants the Life Potion production line already purchased for her treatment.

Themes

The chapter explores the moral ambiguity of extending life, especially when consent is given by someone suffering from senility. It also contrasts technological advancement with biological and spiritual power: the Federation can manipulate appearance and nearly maximize human potential, while Feng Jun possesses access to extraordinary longevity resources. Other themes include power and authority, privacy versus security, the value of life, and the idea that strength determines who has the right to define morality and negotiate terms.

Chapter Summary: “Formation Disc in Hand”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun completes the treatment of the elderly Lin Jielin by feeding her three vitality-restoring fruits over several days. He refuses to reveal the fruits’ origins, warning her that knowing too much could bring danger.
• Lin Jielin accepts the treatment despite her suspicions because she can feel her health and vitality improving. She agrees to conceal the existence of the fruits and asks whether future cooperation is possible.
• After ensuring that the fruit’s seeds have passed through her body, Feng Jun returns Lin Jielin to her tent via the Spirit-Beast Bag. He leaves without revealing himself, allowing rescuers to find her.
• Lin Jielin is recovered by armed female soldiers. Her wrist positioning device, secretly preserved in a Storage Pouch, reappears and helps confirm her identity.
• Feng Jun spends the following months overseeing the construction of factories in Jiangxia and Thousand Province. Two Life Potion production lines are eventually transported there.
• He rejects invitations to attend ribbon-cutting ceremonies, reinforcing his disinterest in public recognition and political influence.
• After emerging from seclusion, a powerful senior urges Feng Jun to resume investigating a hidden treasure. Feng Jun explains that his current priorities are the Fake-Death Pill, the Life Potion production lines, and ongoing Deduction work.
• Elder Bianji’s research into the Fake-Death Pill has found a promising direction, and Feng Jun’s Deduction abilities are expected to accelerate the remaining work.
• The Formation Dao informs Feng Jun that three Energy Conversion Formation Discs have been reserved for him, while Yi Jue is also allotted two. Feng Jun and Yi Jue arrange to collect them.
• Their visit expands into discussions about helping the Formation Dao improve additional formations. Yi Jue reveals that the Formation Dao is willing to discuss supporting the Spirit Plant Dao in its potential conflict or merger debate with the Wood Spirit Dao.
• Feng Jun and Yi Jue prepare to return to Xingzheng Star and possibly the Great Planet in the Insectoid World, where they can collect Energy Stones for the Spirit Plant Dao.

2. Character Developments

• Feng Jun remains cautious, pragmatic, and strongly motivated by interests rather than status. He protects the secrets of the vitality fruit, avoids unnecessary publicity, and prioritizes practical projects such as production lines, research, and Deduction.
• Lin Jielin becomes more cooperative after experiencing the fruit’s effects. Although she remains wary, she recognizes that Feng Jun has no immediate intention of harming her and understands the wider danger of revealing his methods.
• Yi Jue shows increasing responsibility as an elder of the Spirit Plant Dao. Though she dislikes political maneuvering, she actively seeks support for her Dao and begins paying attention to its material needs, including acquiring Energy Stones.
• Elder Bianji becomes increasingly dependent on Feng Jun’s Deduction abilities and repeatedly pressures him to assist with the Fake-Death Pill research.
• The Formation Dao demonstrates unusual friendliness toward Feng Jun, motivated by its need for his future Deduction assistance and by the enormous demand for Formation Discs in the Insectoid World.

3. Significant Themes

• Trust and secrecy: Lin Jielin’s treatment depends on mutual restraint. Feng Jun withholds information, while Lin understands that protecting the secret is necessary for everyone’s safety.
• Quality of life versus mere survival: Lin’s willingness to accept the fruit reflects the idea that a healthy, dignified life is more valuable than simply prolonging suffering.
• Pragmatism and political calculation: Feng Jun and the various Daos constantly evaluate relationships according to practical benefits, resources, and future cooperation.
• Growing industrial and organizational influence: The Life Potion production lines and Energy Conversion Formation Discs show Feng Jun’s increasing involvement in large-scale production and inter-world resource development.
• Responsibility versus personal preference: Yi Jue dislikes political negotiations but accepts them as part of her duty, while Feng Jun continues to distance himself from formal recognition and public status.
• Competition among Daos: The discussion of the Spirit Plant Dao and Wood Spirit Dao hints at broader institutional tensions, possible mergers, and shifting alliances among the Seventeen Daos and the Seven Upper Sects.

4. Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Lin Jielin: Their relationship is based on guarded cooperation. Feng Jun provides treatment but maintains strict control over information, while Lin responds with cautious obedience and discretion.
• Feng Jun and Yi Jue: They continue their familiar pattern of blunt conversation and mutual reliance. Feng Jun mocks her political negotiations, while Yi Jue explains her duty and insists on joining him in the Insectoid World.
• Feng Jun and Elder Bianji: Bianji’s urgency contrasts with Feng Jun’s desire to manage his own priorities. Their cooperation benefits the Fake-Death Pill research but frustrates other cultivators waiting for Feng Jun’s help.
• Feng Jun and the Formation Dao: The Dao’s preferential treatment reflects its desire to preserve a valuable alliance. Feng Jun correctly interprets its generosity as an investment in future access to his Deduction abilities.
• Yi Jue and the Formation Dao: Yi Jue negotiates for broader support and resources for the Spirit Plant Dao, revealing that her interactions with other factions are becoming strategically important.

Chapter Summary: “Just as Expected”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Jiu urgently contacts Feng Jun because the Lin Family wants a second lifespan-extension treatment.
• The first “test subject,” Lin Jielin, has recovered so dramatically that she appears more than ten years younger within a month.
• It is revealed that Robert is only acting on behalf of Lin Yongliang’s second son, who actually wants the treatment for his father, Federation Vice Premier Lin Yongliang.
• Lin Yongliang is a powerful, elderly political leader and Lin Jielin’s younger brother. Because he is cautious about alien medical technology, his family used Lin Jielin to test the treatment first.
• After seeing the results, Lin Jielin urges Lin Yongliang to undergo treatment immediately. However, the original deal required a Life Potion production line in exchange for treating one person.
• The Lin Family claims that obtaining a second production line has become difficult because news of Lin Jielin’s treatment and the reward leaked, attracting attention from numerous factions.
• Feng Jun refuses to make an exception. He agrees to treat Lin Yongliang only if the Lin Family provides a second production line, though he ultimately allows them a ten-year deadline to repay it.
• Feng Jun adds two conditions:
  1. The Lin Family must provide the activation equipment for the first production line.
  2. Lin Yongliang must protect himself properly, implying that Feng Jun will not follow the Federation’s elaborate security procedures.
• Robert becomes furious at Feng Jun’s demands, but Chen Jiu reminds him that the activation method was part of the original agreement.
• Robert argues that the six-month observation period is not finished. Chen Jiu counters that two months remain and tells him to wait.

2. Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates increasing confidence and ruthlessness. He refuses to be pressured by political status and insists that the Lin Family accept the consequences of its original bargain. His willingness to threaten withdrawal of Lin Yongliang’s restored lifespan shows how strongly he believes the powerful should not receive special treatment.
• Chen Jiu: Acts as a cautious intermediary between Feng Jun and the Federation. Though anxious about offending both sides, he increasingly recognizes that his safest and most important allegiance is to the mysterious Humanoid Civilization represented by Feng Jun.
• Lin Jielin: Her successful treatment confirms the extraordinary effectiveness of Feng Jun’s methods. She also reveals strong loyalty toward her brother by urging him to seek treatment, despite knowing that her own treatment may not have been worth a production line.
• Lin Yongliang: Is portrayed as cautious, politically powerful, and deeply respected by his family. Although he initially avoids accepting unverified alien treatment, his reaction to his sister’s recovery shows that he is now seriously interested.
• Robert: Becomes increasingly frustrated as the negotiation shifts out of his control. His anger reflects the Lin Family’s assumption that its political influence should earn it flexibility.
• Lin Yongliang’s second son: His decision to use Lin Jielin as a test subject reveals both strategic caution and selfishness. He wants to protect his father from risk while benefiting from the treatment’s success.

3. Significant Themes

• Power versus power: Political authority within the Federation means little to Feng Jun, who views himself as operating on a higher level. The chapter contrasts bureaucratic influence with the power of advanced cultivation and alien technology.
• Consequences of risk: Feng Jun emphasizes that the Lin Family chose to use Lin Jielin as an experiment and must accept the consequences of that decision, including the difficulty of securing a second production line.
• Privilege and entitlement: The Lin Family expects Feng Jun to accommodate Lin Yongliang’s status, while Feng Jun rejects the idea that important figures deserve special privileges.
• Trust and secrecy: The treatment’s secrecy is compromised by the large number of guards and interested parties. The chapter shows how difficult it is to contain information involving powerful families and transformative technology.
• Negotiation and leverage: The Life Potion production line remains Feng Jun’s primary bargaining tool. By allowing a ten-year debt but threatening to reclaim the restored lifespan, he preserves control over the agreement.
• Civilization and perspective: Chen Jiu’s reflections highlight the vast difference between ordinary Federation citizens, powerful officials, and the Humanoid Civilization. Feng Jun’s mysterious status makes him both dangerous and indispensable.

4. Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Chen Jiu: Chen Jiu explains the Lin Family’s hidden motives, while Feng Jun reacts skeptically and lays down strict terms. Their conversation reinforces Chen Jiu’s role as a reluctant but increasingly loyal intermediary.
• Chen Jiu and Robert: Robert vents his outrage over Feng Jun’s demands, but Chen Jiu remains controlled and practical. He reminds Robert that the activation equipment was already promised and refuses to simply side with the Federation.
• Lin Jielin and Lin Yongliang: Lin Jielin strongly encourages her brother to seek the treatment. Lin Yongliang respects her deeply, and her recovery convinces him that the alien method is genuine.
• Lin Yongliang and his son: Lin Yongliang criticizes his son for using Lin Jielin as an experiment, though his willingness to pursue treatment suggests he may not truly condemn the decision.
• Feng Jun and the Lin Family: Although they never meet directly in the chapter, Feng Jun’s terms establish a confrontational relationship. He agrees to help Lin Yongliang only under conditions that force the powerful family to acknowledge his leverage.

Chapter Summary: “Light-Speed Transmission”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Jiu firmly refuses Robert’s proposal to have Feng Jun extend the Federation Vice Prime Minister’s life before receiving the promised activation method and production line. Because the Vice Prime Minister would be surrounded by heavy security, Chen Jiu believes Feng Jun could be placed in danger or trapped.
• Chen Jiu proposes delaying the matter for two months, effectively rejecting the Vice Prime Minister’s treatment request while preserving the possibility of helping Lin Jielin.
• Feng Jun decides instead to return after five days, showing that he is willing to maintain his position without unnecessarily prolonging the conflict.
• Although Feng Jun appears to leave, he secretly uses Flash Step to reach a military convoy waiting nearby. The convoy belongs to the Right Dragon City Defense Army and is connected to Xuan Gao, who has been monitoring him.
• Xuan Gao explains that he was observing Feng Jun openly and had signaled his presence with a Glimmer Scope. Military security personnel accompany him, but Feng Jun refuses to allow them into his private discussion and warns them not to eavesdrop.
• Xuan Gao reveals that news of Feng Jun’s successful life extension for Old Madam Lin has spread widely, attracting numerous powerful people who want the same treatment.
• Feng Jun clarifies his terms: each life-extension treatment requires one complete, usable Life Potion Production Line as payment. The transaction must occur first, and the line must be capable of immediate activation.
• Xuan Gao explains that the person seeking treatment this time is a military figure. The military once possessed complete Life Potion Production Lines but was ordered to stop using them because the Federation feared giving the military too much independence. The lines were sealed rather than destroyed, meaning the military still possesses them.
• The chapter ends with the possibility that a complete military-held production line may satisfy Feng Jun’s conditions.

Character Developments

• Chen Jiu becomes more openly defiant and politically independent. He abandons his earlier tendency to appease Robert, recognizing that continued submission will not earn him trust or protection. His loyalty shifts decisively toward Feng Jun.
• Feng Jun demonstrates caution, confidence, and strategic control. He refuses to be pressured into treating the Vice Prime Minister under unsafe conditions and insists on conducting all future exchanges on terms that prevent betrayal.
• Xuan Gao is shown to be pragmatic and well connected, operating between official and unofficial spheres. Though he initially seems to be monitoring Feng Jun, he approaches him openly and tries to negotiate on behalf of powerful military interests.
• Robert loses leverage over Chen Jiu. His repeated insistence that the Federation’s promises will eventually be honored exposes the authorities’ unwillingness to provide the activation method immediately.
• The Vice Prime Minister is characterized indirectly as entitled and manipulative: he wants treatment but expects Feng Jun to accept delayed payment and incomplete guarantees.

Significant Themes

• Trust and betrayal: Feng Jun demands payment and activation guarantees in advance because the Federation has already shown signs of reneging on its promises.
• Power and leverage: Possessing the ability to extend life gives Feng Jun enormous bargaining power, allowing him to negotiate with military and political elites.
• Loyalty under pressure: Chen Jiu’s decision to stand with Feng Jun shows that loyalty can emerge from people with little formal power when they commit fully to a side.
• Political privilege and hypocrisy: Xuan Gao remarks that powerful figures expect others to obey rules while claiming exceptions for themselves, highlighting the double standards of the ruling elite.
• Military and civilian power: The Federation’s restrictions on military access to Life Potion technology reveal its fear of an overly powerful military and its efforts to maintain centralized control.
• Security versus vulnerability: The heavy guard presence around the Vice Prime Minister makes treatment dangerous, emphasizing that political protection can also become a threat to Feng Jun.

Character Interactions

• Chen Jiu and Robert: Chen Jiu challenges Robert’s attempts to delay or alter the agreed exchange, refusing to risk Feng Jun’s safety for the Vice Prime Minister’s benefit.
• Chen Jiu and Feng Jun: Chen Jiu reports the negotiation honestly, while Feng Jun decides the timing of their return and implicitly trusts Chen Jiu’s handling of the situation.
• Feng Jun and Xuan Gao: Their conversation is cautious but relatively frank. Xuan Gao seeks cooperation, while Feng Jun establishes strict conditions and makes clear that no discounts or exceptions will be granted.
• Feng Jun and the military guards: Feng Jun asserts authority by excluding them from the discussion and warning them against surveillance, demonstrating that he will not allow official power to intimidate him.
• Xuan Gao and the military authorities: Xuan Gao acts as an intermediary, explaining the military’s need for life-extension treatment and attempting to determine whether its stored production lines can be used in a deal.

Chapter Summary: “The Military’s Sincerity”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Federation orders the military to halt large-scale Life Potion production. Rather than surrendering its existing production lines, the military insists on sealing them for emergency use, threatening to destroy them if the Federation tries to confiscate them.
• The Federation accepts, unwilling to waste the enormous wealth represented by the equipment. The production lines remain sealed and are never secretly restarted, though later semi-finished-product lines emerge.
• Feng Jun learns from Xuan Gao that the military possesses roughly four or five Life Potion production lines. The military may be willing to sell two, but will retain some as strategic reserves.
• Feng Jun and Xuan Gao negotiate conditions for life-extension treatment, particularly the security arrangements for high-ranking military personnel. Patients may carry weapons, including heavy weapons, but cannot bring positioning or communication equipment.
• Feng Jun rejects the semi-finished-product lines after learning that they offer limited advantages and still require most raw materials in semi-finished form.
• The military offers Feng Jun production lines at a price below one billion tons of Energy Stones—far cheaper than the price charged by the Lin Family. Feng Jun agrees not to haggle.
• Xuan Gao reveals that the military can provide the activation components needed to make the dismantled production lines operational. If necessary, components may even be removed from sealed lines.
• After several days, the military confirms the deal. Feng Jun will receive the lines in about a month, after they are dismantled, packed, and transported. Payment can begin immediately at a military fortress and Energy Stone depot on the system’s sixth planet.
• Xuan Gao explains that the military is also benefiting strategically: receiving Energy Stones locally saves transportation costs, while lending them out during a period of high prices could produce additional profit.
• Feng Jun leaves the meeting by vanishing directly, demonstrating his superiority and disregard for Federation territory. The observing officer complains, but Xuan Gao warns him that Feng Jun may be able to hear him.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun remains cautious, pragmatic, and confident. He understands the Federation’s fear of military ambition, refuses unnecessary bargaining, and insists on strict security conditions. He also recognizes the difference between battlefield soldiers and politicians who merely command armies.
• Xuan Gao acts as the practical intermediary between Feng Jun and the military. He has researched the Humanoid Civilization and helped refine treatment and security arrangements. Though personally subordinate to military authority, he demonstrates competence, honesty, and increasing understanding of Feng Jun’s capabilities.
• The military is portrayed as disciplined, strategically minded, and willing to preserve its interests. It keeps emergency reserves, offers usable equipment rather than defective goods, and carefully maximizes its financial and logistical advantages.
• The observing officer reveals the Federation’s frustration and wounded pride but is forced to acknowledge that Feng Jun cannot realistically be controlled.

Significant Themes

• Military power versus civilian authority: The Federation’s attempt to regulate Life Potion production exposes tensions between government restrictions and military autonomy.
• Strategic self-interest: Both the military and Federation act according to long-term security concerns rather than simple commercial logic.
• Trust and sincerity in negotiation: Compared with the Lin Family, the military is more transparent and reliable, agreeing to provide activation components and selling the lines at a reasonable price.
• Human ambition and institutional conflict: The sealed production lines symbolize how rival power blocs can destroy or suppress immense wealth through infighting and fear of one another’s ambitions.
• The limits of political authority: Feng Jun’s ability to appear and disappear freely, combined with the military’s inability to stop him, highlights the gap between official power and actual capability.
• Practical morality over formal rules: Xuan Gao follows those who support him, while the military handles sensitive matters informally to avoid unnecessary bureaucracy—though it remains careful not to fabricate intelligence.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Xuan Gao: Their conversation is cooperative but cautious. Feng Jun probes the military’s intentions, prices, and capabilities, while Xuan Gao provides information and tries to secure favorable terms.
• Feng Jun and the military: Though they do not meet directly, their negotiations reveal mutual caution. Feng Jun demands control over security conditions, while the military preserves reserves and seeks logistical and financial benefits.
• Xuan Gao and the military officer: Xuan Gao serves as a buffer between the military and Feng Jun. He criticizes the officer’s emotional complaints and reminds him that Feng Jun may overhear them.
• Feng Jun and the Lin Family: The military’s lower price causes Feng Jun to resent the Lin Family for overcharging him, reinforcing the contrast between unreliable private sellers and the military’s more straightforward transaction.

Chapter Summary: Heart Set on the Federation

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun learns that the military’s massive Energy Stone operation is not controlled by a powerful life-extension seeker, but by logistics personnel seeking profit. Despite the enormous potential earnings, he remains uninterested in the money.
• The military asks Feng Jun to activate a production line on the sixth planet in exchange for revealing the identity of the person seeking life extension. Feng Jun agrees to deploy the Energy Stones but insists that the military control its soldiers during the process.
• Xuan Gao examines information about Feng Jun’s previously purchased production line and discovers that it is an outdated model from thirty years ago. The military’s semi-finished components may not be compatible, so Feng Jun decides to wait for the Lin Family’s response.
• The Lin Family offers to provide a Quantum Entanglement Random Password Generator but continues withholding the more important Core Control Gate Chip. They promise to deliver the chip within a week if Feng Jun extends Deputy Prime Minister Lin Yongliang’s life, while otherwise retaining the right to delay delivery for up to six months.
• Feng Jun rejects the Lin Family’s manipulative conditions. He accepts the password generator but declares that if the gate chip is not delivered within six months, he will never help with life extension.
• Feng Jun openly mocks the Federation’s dishonesty, stating that he would rather waste billions of tons of Energy Stones than allow the person behind the scheme to achieve his goal.
• After Feng Jun leaves, Chen Jiu’s subordinate Qiangzi reveals that Robert’s driver gave him a restricted Multi-barrel Plasma Cannon and urged him to remind Chen Jiu that his “heart must remain with the Federation.”
• Chen Jiu recognizes the gift as an attempt to influence or recruit Qiangzi. Although disappointed, he forgives him this time and prepares to contact Robert.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes increasingly distrustful and contemptuous of the Human Federation’s powerful figures. He demonstrates that personal pride and retaliation matter more to him than material gain, willingly accepting a massive financial loss to punish those who have acted dishonestly.
• Xuan Gao serves as a cautious intermediary between Feng Jun and the military. He remains reluctant to reveal sensitive information and warns Feng Jun not to expect the Lin Family to cooperate easily.
• Chen Jiu is caught between his loyalty to Feng Jun and his connections within the Federation. He feels personally responsible for the Lin Family’s broken promises, despite not being at fault, and fears losing his influence after relations with the Humanoid Civilization deteriorate.
• The Lin Family, particularly Deputy Prime Minister Lin Yongliang, is portrayed as calculating and unreliable. They technically make concessions while continuing to withhold the component Feng Jun truly needs, using life extension as leverage.
• Qiangzi is shown to be vulnerable to material temptation but not truly disloyal. His acceptance of the plasma cannon reflects both his desire for greater power and his concern about Chen Jiu’s relationship with the Federation.
• Robert remains offscreen but emerges as a political force attempting to maintain influence over Chen Jiu and the Border Stars.

Significant Themes

• Distrust and broken promises: The Lin Family’s evasive negotiations reveal how political leaders manipulate agreements while pretending to honor them.
• Power and leverage: Both the military and the Lin Family try to use scarce technology and life extension to control Feng Jun’s choices.
• Pride over profit: Feng Jun’s willingness to sacrifice enormous wealth for the satisfaction of denying his enemies shows that personal dignity and revenge outweigh practical considerations for him.
• Political loyalty: The chapter questions whether individuals should prioritize the Federation, their employer, or their personal relationships.
• Influence through gifts: Robert’s side uses the plasma cannon to subtly test and redirect Qiangzi’s loyalty.
• The gap between ordinary people and elites: Chen Jiu and his subordinates suffer the consequences of decisions made by powerful figures, despite having little control over them.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Xuan Gao: They discuss the military’s Energy Stone scheme and the incompatibility between Feng Jun’s old production line and newer activation components. Their exchange highlights Feng Jun’s confidence and Xuan Gao’s caution.
• Feng Jun and Chen Jiu: Feng Jun criticizes the Lin Family and the Federation but acknowledges that Chen Jiu personally tried to help. Chen Jiu apologizes and provides the password generator, attempting to preserve their relationship.
• Feng Jun and the Lin Family: Though they do not meet directly, their negotiation is central to the chapter. Feng Jun rejects their attempt to keep him dependent on them.
• Chen Jiu and Qiangzi: Qiangzi’s confession creates a tense moment in which Chen Jiu suspects possible betrayal. He ultimately forgives him but warns that another incident will end their relationship.
• Chen Jiu and Robert: Their strained relationship becomes the next major concern. Chen Jiu realizes he must contact Robert to address the growing conflict between the Federation and the Humanoid Civilization.

Chapter Summary: “Petty Scheming”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Robert learns that the Humanoid Civilization may end its cooperation if the Life Potion production line is not delivered within six months. He asks Chen Jiu to arrange a meeting, but Chen explains that they have already met Old Madam Lin.
• The meeting with Lin Jielin was ineffective because she was unaware of the Humanoid Civilization. Information about the aliens has been suppressed or ignored in the Federation’s core regions to avoid panic and instability.
• Robert suspects Chen Jiu may be deliberately withholding access to the Humanoid Civilization or trying to monopolize the opportunity. His insinuation offends Chen, who angrily ends the call.
• Robert repeatedly apologizes and manages to resume the conversation. He explains that he is concerned about the vice prime minister’s situation and wants to understand whether the Humanoid Civilization truly intends to end the deal.
• Robert questions whether the aliens might activate the production line without the required core gate chip, possibly by obtaining it through illegal channels.
• Chen interprets this as an accusation that he might steal or secretly acquire the chip, becoming increasingly defensive. Robert clarifies that he is asking about possible avenues available to the aliens, not accusing Chen personally.
• Robert ultimately asks Chen to assess whether the Humanoid Civilization might obtain the chip and whether doing so would interfere with other Life Potion production lines.

Character Developments

• Robert reveals himself as both politically calculating and capable of humility. Although proud and suspicious, he quickly apologizes when he realizes he has alienated Chen. His priority is protecting the vice prime minister and managing the consequences of the broken agreement.
• Chen Jiu is shown to be sensitive about his status as a Border Star native and deeply concerned about appearing disloyal to the Federation. His anger stems from feeling mistrusted and from the betrayal he previously suffered at Xiao Qiang’s hands.
• Feng Jun remains mostly an observer, but his brief comment shows his practical and analytical nature. He notices the Federation’s communication technology and considers adapting it for the Blue Star Realm.
• Old Madam Lin is portrayed as physically and mentally declining, explaining why others concealed the news about the Humanoid Civilization from her. Her lack of knowledge prevents her from contributing meaningfully to the negotiations.

Significant Themes

• Mistrust and political suspicion: Both Robert and Chen interpret each other’s words defensively, turning a practical discussion into an argument over loyalty and motives.
• Pride and dignity: The Humanoid Civilization’s refusal to accept a revised arrangement is framed as an assertion of dignity, much like soldiers who would rather die than suffer humiliation.
• Information control: The Federation suppresses or minimizes news of alien civilizations to prevent public unrest, while individuals around Lin Jielin hide information to protect her health.
• Power and social position: Chen’s limited status restricts his access to sensitive channels, while Robert’s influence allows him to manage large political and commercial matters.
• Contractual consequences and leverage: The Federation’s attempt to alter the deal has damaged its relationship with the Humanoid Civilization, which now possesses the leverage to threaten withdrawal.

Character Interactions

• Robert and Chen’s conversation is dominated by sarcasm, misunderstanding, and attempts to test each other’s loyalty.
• Chen accuses Robert of treating him as untrustworthy, while Robert insists he is only trying to analyze the aliens’ options.
• Their conflict gradually shifts from personal accusations to a practical investigation: whether the gate chip can be acquired elsewhere and what consequences that would have for the Federation’s other production lines.
• Feng Jun’s observation about the communicator provides a brief contrast to the tense negotiation, highlighting the technological gap between the Federation and the Blue Star Realm.

Chapter Summary: Guessed the Wrong Direction

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Jiu and Robert discuss whether the mysterious Humanoid Civilization crippled other Life Potion production lines to improve its own supply. Chen believes this is unlikely, since the civilization has previously helped Humanity and has never been proven to attack Federation warships.
• Robert remains suspicious, questioning whether the civilization could have stolen gate chips from active production lines or found another way to activate them. Chen refuses to speculate too deeply, though he privately considers that the civilization may simply be venting its anger.
• Robert decides that the Federation should warn Life Potion production bases, fearing that the Humanoid Civilization may have alternative methods of obtaining supposedly rare gate chips.
• After the conversation, Chen reflects that the civilization may indeed possess other channels for acquiring the chips.
• Feng Jun visits the Great Planet after more than five months. Large quantities of Energy Stones have been produced, but the mining machinery is severely damaged because of the planet’s harsh conditions and nonstop use. Less than 80% of the equipment remains operational.
• The cultivators request replacement parts and new mining equipment. Having grown accustomed to machinery, they now find manual excavation inconvenient despite their powerful cultivation.
• Feng Jun agrees to arrange purchases. With the Energy Stones provided by the miners, he accumulates enough resources to buy two military-supplied Life Potion production lines and substantial mining equipment.
• He delivers over 900 million tons of Energy Stones to a military location on the Sixth Planet, but discovers that surveillance equipment is still active there. He destroys the satellite and monitoring devices.
• Feng Jun confronts Xuan Gao about the surveillance. The military claims the equipment was forgotten by a previous garrison and should not have been operational. Feng Jun accepts the explanation only provisionally and warns that any repeat will have consequences.
• Xuan Gao then reports that experts have found a solution to the problem with Feng Jun’s first production line: the gate chip from a mothballed production line can be used.
• He explains that gate chips mainly control access to production lines, although different models have some compatibility issues. Older chips are actually advantageous here because later versions were temporarily unstable and sometimes required replacement every ten years.

Character Developments

• Chen Jiu remains cautious and politically detached. He neither openly supports nor condemns the Humanoid Civilization, relying instead on its past actions and his own observations. His confidence as a veteran of the Border Star allows him to dismiss public criticism and “keyboard warriors.”
• Robert is revealed to be habitually suspicious and somewhat antagonistic, but he recognizes that he has been unfairly projecting his irritation onto Chen Jiu. He apologizes and adopts a more respectful attitude, while continuing to investigate possible threats.
• Feng Jun demonstrates increasing authority and independence. He is willing to destroy surveillance equipment and openly threaten consequences when the military violates his trust. At the same time, he pragmatically manages trade, resources, and cooperation between the Great Planet and the Federation.
• The cultivators undergo a practical change in attitude: although they once disdained ordinary machinery, they have become dependent on it after experiencing its efficiency.

Significant Themes

• Mistrust and incomplete information: Both the Federation and Feng Jun must make decisions despite not knowing the Humanoid Civilization’s true motives or the military’s full intentions.
• Perspective and prejudice: Robert’s suspicion contrasts with Chen Jiu’s more balanced assessment, while Border Star experience gives Chen a different understanding of threats and public pressure.
• Dependence on technology: The cultivators’ shift from dismissing machinery to requesting more of it shows how convenience and efficiency can reshape values.
• Power and accountability: Feng Jun’s destruction of surveillance equipment and warning to the military emphasize the need to enforce boundaries when institutions abuse or mishandle authority.
• Unexpected solutions through old technology: The obsolete gate chip proves more useful than newer models, suggesting that technological progress can create new instability rather than guaranteed improvement.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Jiu and Robert: Their tense conversation centers on whether the Humanoid Civilization is hostile. Robert repeatedly challenges Chen’s conclusions, while Chen resents being asked for an opinion that Robert does not want to accept. They eventually reach a more respectful understanding.
• Feng Jun and the Great Planet cultivators: The cultivators openly request equipment and spare parts, revealing their growing reliance on Feng Jun’s ability to procure Federation goods. Feng Jun responds humorously but agrees to help.
• Feng Jun and Xuan Gao: Feng Jun confronts Xuan Gao over the active surveillance devices. Xuan Gao mediates with the military and relays Feng Jun’s warning, then informs him of the gate-chip solution.
• Feng Jun and the military: Their relationship remains useful but distrustful. The military supplies resources and technical assistance, yet its secrecy and negligence force Feng Jun to remain vigilant.

Chapter Summary: “Returning to the Old Trade”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun learns from Xuan Gao that production lines can have their service lives artificially controlled, especially those located in unstable regions. He is interested in obtaining gate chips for mothballed production lines but understands that the military will expect something in return.
• Xuan Gao explains that the Federation military now views Feng Jun favorably because he saved the Hero Division Commander from poisoning. The commander has recovered, visited Xuan Gao repeatedly, and recommended that the military strengthen ties with Xuan Gao’s transport fleet.
• Feng Jun insists that any exchange should be made fairly and that he is willing to repay the Federation if obtaining the chips would place its military in a difficult position. Xuan Gao warns that openly assisting an outside civilization could expose the military to accusations of collusion.
• Xuan Gao reports Feng Jun’s attitude to a military officer. The officer concludes that the mysterious civilization values equal exchange and communication, and orders his subordinates to intensify their personality profiling of Feng Jun in hopes of gaining its trust.
• Feng Jun travels to Left Capital to contact He Runxian, who has recovered from his illness and continues working at a production base. He Runxian has resisted Federation attempts to exploit his connection to the mysterious force, despite suffering professional and commercial retaliation.
• Feng Jun places a new order with Hesheng Corporation for 5,000 specialized mining machines. He Runxian welcomes the order because his factory has been suffering from suppressed business and political pressure.
• Since Feng Jun’s large order could attract attention, the two agree that production and payment will be handled in batches of 1,000 units, without a deposit. They establish a secret signal for notifying Feng Jun when each batch is ready.
• He Runxian cautiously asks whether Feng Jun can extend human lifespans. Feng Jun warns him not to become involved with the mysterious force again after finally escaping the Federation’s pressure.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates fairness, caution, and a willingness to repay favors. He also shows strategic secrecy by inventing a reason for needing the mining equipment and avoiding unnecessary explanations. Despite his growing influence, he remains wary of political entanglements.
• Xuan Gao: Acts as a trusted intermediary between Feng Jun and the Federation. He admires Feng Jun’s sense of equal exchange and carefully conveys his goodwill without violating the mysterious force’s rules.
• Hero Division Commander: His recovery has transformed him into an important supporter of closer relations with Feng Jun and Xuan Gao. His gratitude influences the military’s more favorable attitude.
• Federation military: Shifts from suspicion and hostility toward cautious cooperation. Rather than confronting Feng Jun, it begins studying his personality and searching for ways to build trust.
• He Runxian: Remains resentful of the Federation for manipulating and persecuting him, but his meeting with Feng Jun temporarily restores his confidence. He is still tempted by the possibility of access to Feng Jun’s abilities, particularly lifespan extension.

Significant Themes

• Reciprocity and equal exchange: Feng Jun believes favors should be repaid rather than exploited, while the Federation recognizes that this principle may be central to dealing with the mysterious civilization.
• Trust between civilizations: The Federation’s strategy shifts from coercion and suspicion to observation, diplomacy, and attempts to understand Feng Jun’s character.
• Political danger and surveillance: Both Feng Jun and He Runxian must conceal their dealings because association with the mysterious force can lead to official suspicion, commercial suppression, or accusations of treasonous cooperation.
• Resentment toward institutional power: He Runxian’s refusal to help the Federation reflects his anger over being controlled and mistreated, while Feng Jun’s dealings show the difficulty of operating under a powerful centralized government.
• Practical commerce as diplomacy: The mining-equipment order becomes more than a business transaction; it strengthens ties between Feng Jun and Hesheng Corporation while giving the Federation another indirect link to him.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Xuan Gao: Discuss the gate chips, military relations, and the risks of appearing to collude with an outside civilization. Their exchange highlights mutual trust and Feng Jun’s ethical approach.
• Xuan Gao and the military officer: Xuan Gao explains Feng Jun’s behavior, prompting the military to reassess the mysterious force and begin a formal personality analysis.
• Feng Jun and He Runxian: Reconnect through a large equipment order. Their conversation mixes business, shared dislike of surveillance and suppression, and concern over He Runxian’s desire to seek further help from Feng Jun.
• Feng Jun and the Federation: Though they never meet directly in the chapter, Feng Jun’s actions—saving the commander, offering fair compensation, and placing a major order—cause the Federation to move cautiously from hostility toward potential cooperation.

Chapter Summary: “He Runxian’s Backbone”

Key Plot Points and Events

• He Runxian asks Feng Jun whether he can obtain a Life Potion for his nearly 150-year-old grandmother. Feng Jun bluntly refuses, saying that even with He’s wealth and status, he is not qualified to seek such a privilege.
• He Runxian explains that Hesheng Corporation was suppressed because he refused to use his connections to ask others for favors. Feng Jun respects his honesty and backbone, privately considering that He may someday deserve a life-extension quota, though he decides not to promise or hint at it.
• He Runxian reorganizes production at his Ancestral Star base, reducing work for other subsidiaries and contacting outside factories to help fulfill a large order. He deliberately bypasses headquarters to make a point, though headquarters quickly discovers what he is doing.
• Headquarters confirms that the order is worth several thousand production units and that payment will theoretically come in Energy Stones from the Humanoid Civilization. He Runxian refuses to ask for life extension or seek special favors, insisting that he is only responsible for securing business.
• Headquarters initially threatens and questions him but ultimately agrees to coordinate and accelerate production. Its cooperation is motivated less by concern for He Runxian than by a desire to avoid damaging relations with the powerful Humanoid Civilization.
• A month later, Feng Jun returns to Xingzheng Star. Xuan Gao remains near Lower Capital because powerful people are searching for him. The military production line Feng Jun is waiting for has not yet been completely dismantled and delivered; another week may be needed.
• Feng Jun realizes that Lin Jielin’s life-extension deadline has passed by nearly ten days. He considers visiting Chen Jiu to determine whether the previous transaction has been completed or whether Chen may be negotiating a second order.
• Feng Jun remains outside Lower Capital while Qian Zhong and Xuanyuan Buqi observe Chen Jiu through Divine Sense. After a full day, Chen reveals nothing about the production-line transaction.
• That night, Chen Jiu sits gloomily outside the hospital he purchased while being watched by shadowy figures. Xuanyuan Buqi grows impatient and suggests bringing Chen in for questioning. Feng Jun agrees.

Character Developments

• He Runxian: Demonstrates courage, loyalty, and independence. He refuses to exploit personal connections for life extension and openly challenges Hesheng Corporation’s efforts to suppress him. His willingness to accept a risky order from the Humanoid Civilization restores his confidence and gives him leverage.
• Feng Jun: Shows respect for principled people, especially He Runxian, but remains cautious about granting favors. He understands that offering life extension too easily could create entitlement or resentment. He also proves patient and methodical in dealing with Chen Jiu, waiting for evidence before taking action.
• Hesheng Headquarters: Reveals its pragmatic and authoritarian nature. It normally seeks to control its subsidiaries but compromises when the order involves the Humanoid Civilization and could improve the Federation’s external relations.
• Xuan Gao and Chen Jiu: Both are portrayed as worldly and cautious, unlike He Runxian. Their reluctance to pursue life extension reflects their awareness of social and political limits. Xuan Gao is also under intense pressure, while Chen Jiu appears increasingly secretive and troubled.
• Xuanyuan Buqi: Becomes impatient with Feng Jun’s cautious surveillance, reflecting the cultivators’ disdain for wasting time on mortal affairs.

Significant Themes

• Integrity versus opportunism: He Runxian refuses to use influence or beg for favors, preserving his principles even when doing so harms his company.
• Power and hierarchy: Feng Jun’s access to life-extension technology gives him authority that even wealthy industrialists cannot challenge. Hesheng headquarters likewise dominates its subsidiaries but must yield before the Humanoid Civilization.
• The value and danger of favors: Feng Jun recognizes that great favors can create resentment or unhealthy expectations, so he avoids promising He Runxian future life extension.
• Business as political leverage: He Runxian’s order is more than a commercial opportunity. It protects him from suppression and forces Hesheng headquarters to cooperate because of the client’s immense power.
• Patience versus direct action: Feng Jun favors careful observation and confirmation, while Xuanyuan Buqi prefers immediately confronting Chen Jiu.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and He Runxian discuss life extension, personal loyalty, and the limits of social status. Though Feng Jun refuses his request, he privately gains greater respect for He.
• He Runxian and Hesheng headquarters argue over his decision to bypass normal channels. He remains firm and sarcastic, while headquarters reluctantly supports him for strategic reasons.
• Feng Jun, Qian Zhong, and Xuanyuan Buqi monitor Chen Jiu. Qian warns that Chen is under heavy surveillance, Feng waits for proof of a breach, and Xuanyuan pushes for interrogation.
• The chapter ends with Feng Jun accepting Xuanyuan Buqi’s proposal to bring Chen Jiu in for questioning.