Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun exits the game space after fighting continuously for three days and three nights against the Evil Valley guild. The guild members are confused because he disappears without the usual logout effects.
• Back in the real world, Feng Jun suffers from extreme exhaustion and hunger. He eats large quantities of food, showers, and tries to recall the spear techniques he seemed to comprehend in the game, but the memories have vanished.
• He discovers that the Blazing Fire Art manual exists in his in-game storage but cannot be brought into reality. He wastes energy points attempting to retrieve it, as well as other movement and blade technique manuals.
• Hoping that fictional knowledge might work differently, Feng Jun tests an e-book containing the Prairie Fire Spear Technique. Instead of gaining the technique, he enters a physical representation of the Qidian novel category and receives only a physical copy of the book, which he cannot bring back.
• He performs another test with a xuanhuan game, but this also fails. In less than an hour, he wastes twenty-five energy points, along with significant time, fuel, and money. He accepts that these failures are necessary experiments but becomes increasingly frustrated.
• Feng Jun retrieves his newly modified motorcycle and three-wheeled farm vehicle, paying 250,000 yuan for the custom work. He is pleased with their quality and arranges to collect them later at night.
• He purchases a high-end laptop and digital camera, intending to use the camera to document the Wilderness Space. However, he postpones returning there until he has sufficient supplies and a full energy reserve.
• To facilitate online shopping and package deliveries, Feng Jun returns to his former rental unit at the factory and persuades the elderly caretaker, Sixth Master, to receive his packages in exchange for a carton of cigarettes.
• The chapter ends with the unexpected appearance of Guo Yueling, who looks exhausted and emotionally distressed.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Becomes more cautious and analytical about the limitations of the game space. His failed experiments teach him that game manuals, techniques, and e-book knowledge cannot easily be transferred into reality. Although disappointed, he maintains a practical attitude and continues preparing for future exploration.
• Feng Jun’s resourcefulness: He invests heavily in transportation, technology, food, fuel, and supplies, showing that he is preparing seriously for long-term survival and investigation.
• Sixth Master: Reveals his fondness for small benefits and reluctance to accept responsibility, but Feng Jun easily persuades him with cigarettes.
• Guo Yueling: Appears dramatically changed from her formerly arrogant self. Her red eyes, exhaustion, and distressed expression suggest that she has recently experienced serious trouble.

Significant Themes

• Trial and error: Feng Jun repeatedly tests the boundaries of the game space, accepting costly failures as necessary steps toward understanding its rules.
• The limits of fantasy becoming reality: Although the game and fictional worlds can be entered or partially materialized, their abilities and knowledge cannot yet be directly transferred into the real world.
• Preparation and survival: Feng Jun’s purchases and logistical planning emphasize the importance of equipment, energy, transportation, and supplies before confronting danger again.
• The cost of experimentation: Progress requires enormous sacrifices in energy, time, fuel, money, and physical stamina.
• Practical value versus appearance: Feng Jun respects the vehicle shop owner’s craftsmanship despite the high price, valuing skill and results over suspicion about profit.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun’s disappearance leaves the Evil Valley guild members confused and arguing over whether he logged out or triggered a system bug.
• Feng Jun negotiates with the vehicle shop owner, who offers delivery and gives practical advice on transporting the motorcycle safely.
• Feng Jun bargains with Sixth Master to secure help receiving packages, using cigarettes to overcome the old man’s concerns.
• The chapter concludes with Guo Yueling calling out to Feng Jun after his return. Her visibly weakened condition creates tension and suggests an important upcoming confrontation or revelation.

Chapter Summary: “A Plan for Weapons”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun rejects Guo Yueling’s attempt to reconcile and return him to his former job. She admits that she and Red Sister were wrong to fire and humiliate him, but Feng Jun remains bitter over her earlier mockery of his poverty.
• When Guo refuses to release his arm, Feng Jun painfully forces her to let go. Her accusations that he is mistreating a woman only anger him further, especially because Liu Shuming had also struck a woman without receiving similar blame.
• Guo begs for forgiveness by invoking her elderly parents and children. Feng Jun rejects her appeal, arguing that having dependents does not justify treating him unfairly. When she kneels and continues pleading, he kicks her aside and leaves.
• Feng Jun suspects that Sixth Master, Xia Xiaoyu, or both may have helped Guo locate him. Sixth Master denies informing her, claiming she had been searching for Feng Jun daily.
• Feng returns to his villa and spends five days charging his mysterious energy reserves. His energy rises to nearly one hundred points, though the diesel required costs almost 100,000 yuan.
• He collects a massive shipment of supplies from Heping Street, nearly filling half a room, and orders another 50-kilowatt generator from Wang Haifeng.
• During lunch with Wang, Feng’s improved clothing and apparent financial success reveal that he has recently become much wealthier. He offers to buy Wang’s wife an expensive handbag for her birthday, reinforcing their close friendship and his willingness to spend money on those who help him.
• Feng then cautiously asks Wang whether he can obtain explosives. He claims they are needed for mining, concealing the true reason: he wants weapons powerful enough to fight the enormous monsters in the alternate world.
• Wang can only tentatively offer detonators, but Feng insists that he needs TNT and ideally modern firearms, armor-piercing ammunition, or even heavier weapons.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Becomes increasingly independent, wealthy, and confident, but remains deeply resentful toward people who mocked his poverty. His anger leads him to act harshly toward Guo. At the same time, he is strategic and practical, investing in generators, supplies, and weapons to prepare for future dangers.
• Guo Yueling: Moves from arrogance to desperation. She acknowledges her wrongdoing and repeatedly begs Feng Jun for forgiveness, using her family responsibilities as an appeal, but receives no sympathy.
• Wang Haifeng: Shows concern about Feng’s sudden spending and the risks associated with explosives. Despite his disbelief and irritation, he still tries to help because of their friendship.
• Sixth Master: Remains calculating and evasive, denying that he deliberately enabled Guo to find Feng.
• Xia Xiaoyu and Ye Qingyi: Though not present, they remain connected to Feng’s thoughts. Feng suspects Xia Xiaoyu influenced Guo’s visit and briefly reflects on his interest in Ye Qingyi, though he is currently too occupied to pursue romance.

Significant Themes

• Resentment and class humiliation: Feng’s reaction to Guo is driven less by the firing itself than by her contemptuous jokes about his poverty and lack of status.
• Justice versus revenge: Feng believes Guo’s apology cannot erase the harm she caused. His refusal to forgive—and his physical retaliation—show how personal grievances continue to shape his morality.
• Preparation and survival: The generators, stored supplies, energy charging, and proposed weapons all reflect Feng’s growing awareness that he must prepare seriously for the alternate world’s threats.
• Secrecy and deception: Feng must conceal the existence of the other world, forcing him to disguise his need for explosives as mining work.
• Wealth and changing identity: His new financial resources alter how others perceive him and allow him to pursue plans that were previously impossible.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Guo Yueling: Their confrontation exposes unresolved hostility. Guo seeks reconciliation through apology and emotional pleading, while Feng responds with contempt and intimidation.
• Feng Jun and Sixth Master: Their exchange is polite but strained. Feng warns that he may move out if Sixth Master causes similar trouble again, while Sixth Master defensively denies responsibility.
• Feng Jun and Wang Haifeng: Their lunch demonstrates genuine camaraderie and frankness. They joke about money, discuss Wang’s wife’s birthday, and move into a serious conversation about acquiring explosives.
• Feng Jun and Ye Qingyi: Their relationship remains undeveloped but occupies Feng’s thoughts, suggesting a possible romantic subplot delayed by his current survival-oriented priorities.

Chapter Summary: “Arrogant at First, Respectful Later”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun discusses acquiring firearms and ammunition with Wang Haifeng to protect himself while mining. Wang suggests asking Xia Xiaoyu, whose family has military connections, but Feng ultimately decides that detonators would be more useful than firearms.
• Feng believes firearms may be ineffective against the powerful gorilla and hedgehog in the other world. Rather than confront them directly, he plans to rely on caution and explosives while accepting some degree of risk.
• He buys an expensive Xiang Ke’er handbag worth 18,000 Xia currency for Mrs. Wang’s birthday, transports goods from Heping Street to his villa, and orders large quantities of food and water.
• At Mrs. Wang’s birthday banquet, Feng sits with Wang Haifeng’s friends, Li Qiang and Zhang Wei. Both initially look down on him because he is an outsider, formerly worked at Hongjie Club, and appears socially inferior to local Yang City residents.
• Mrs. Wang publicly thanks Feng for the handbag, revealing its luxury-brand value and changing Zhang Wei’s attitude toward him.
• Zhang Wei begins probing Feng about his new business. After learning that Feng is involved in mining, he tries to recruit him as a securities client to help meet his monthly business quota.
• Feng agrees to place 500,000 Xia currency into an account, while deliberately concealing the extent of his wealth.
• Feng then uses the opportunity to ask whether Zhang Wei can help obtain mining detonators, hinting that wealthy partners may also invest through him. Zhang Wei confidently agrees to investigate.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Shows greater confidence, wealth, and decisiveness than before. He is willing to take calculated risks rather than wait for perfect preparation. He remains guarded about his finances and business but uses his resources strategically to cultivate relationships and obtain supplies.
• Wang Haifeng: Recognizes that Feng has changed after entering the wider world, though he still sees traces of his old friend beneath Feng’s new boldness. He offers practical advice and remains loyal.
• Mrs. Wang: Demonstrates social tact by praising Feng’s handbag in a way that makes him feel appreciated without embarrassing him. Her response indirectly elevates Feng’s status at the banquet.
• Zhang Wei: Initially arrogant and dismissive, he becomes friendly and respectful after realizing Feng can afford an expensive luxury gift and may possess substantial wealth. His friendliness is partly self-interested, motivated by his securities quota and desire to attract Feng as a client.
• Li Qiang: Is less hostile than Zhang Wei and makes a modest effort to include Feng in the meal, reflecting greater social courtesy.

Significant Themes

• Changing social status: Wealth and perceived success quickly alter how others treat Feng. Zhang Wei’s attitude changes almost immediately after learning the value of Feng’s gift.
• Appearances and social judgment: The banquet guests judge Feng based on his origin, occupation, connections, and spending power rather than his character.
• Caution versus adventure: Feng balances preparation with risk-taking. He does not seek absolute safety before entering dangerous situations, but he does make practical plans and avoids unnecessary confrontations.
• Mutual exploitation and networking: Zhang Wei approaches Feng as a potential source of business, while Feng uses Zhang Wei’s ambition and connections to seek detonators.
• Discretion and hidden wealth: Feng carefully conceals the true nature of his mining activities and the scale of his resources, revealing only enough to achieve his immediate goals.

Character Interactions

• Feng and Wang Haifeng share a familiar, teasing friendship, though Wang is unsettled by Feng’s transformation and new interest in weapons.
• Mrs. Wang’s gracious thanks publicly validates Feng and exposes the gap between his understated behavior and his actual spending power.
• Zhang Wei’s interaction with Feng shifts from ignoring him to actively flattering and questioning him once he suspects Feng is wealthy.
• Feng remains skeptical of Zhang Wei’s sudden friendliness but cooperates when doing so benefits him, agreeing to open an account while refusing to disclose much about his business.
• Their final exchange establishes a tentative business relationship: Zhang Wei seeks investment and commissions, while Feng seeks access to detonators.

Chapter Summary: “Limited-Time Friend Request”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Wei agrees to help Feng Jun obtain detonators—and potentially TNT—because he believes Feng Jun is wealthy and may offer him future business.
• Unlike Wang Haifeng, who distrusts Feng Jun’s motives and feels uneasy about controlled explosives, Zhang Wei rationalizes that a rich person is unlikely to use them for petty wrongdoing.
• After the birthday banquet ends, Zhang Wei and Li Qiang invite Feng Jun to a nightclub, partly to entertain him and partly to strengthen their relationship for business purposes.
• At Mingjuehui nightclub, the men reject several groups of hostesses because they arrive late and find the available choices unattractive. Feng Jun says he prefers bars, where women seem more natural.
• Their conversation turns into a challenge: Li Qiang doubts Feng Jun can add an attractive woman through the “People Nearby” function on his phone.
• Zhang Wei raises the stakes, promising to arrange the detonators if Feng Jun can add a beauty within half an hour. After Feng Jun asks about TNT as well, Zhang Wei shortens the time limit to ten minutes.
• If Feng Jun loses, he must pay the nightclub bill; if he succeeds, Zhang Wei will help obtain the explosives. Li Qiang begins timing the challenge while the nightclub attendant privately doubts Feng Jun will succeed.

2. Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Gains confidence and social influence as others recognize his wealth and potential business value. Though initially reluctant to visit the nightclub, he becomes relaxed and playful, drinking and accepting the challenge under the influence of alcohol.
• Zhang Wei: Shifts from initially dismissive behavior toward Feng Jun to actively courting his favor. His desire to secure future business makes him willing to promise access to controlled explosives and participate in the wager.
• Li Qiang: Acts as an amused instigator and mediator. He understands Zhang Wei’s business motives, encourages the nightclub outing, and deliberately provokes Feng Jun to make the challenge more entertaining.
• Wang Haifeng: Though absent from the main events, he provides a contrast to Zhang Wei: he is more cautious and morally uneasy about helping Feng Jun obtain detonators.
• The nightclub staff: Attempt to retain the men as customers despite their complaints. The attendant is inexperienced and becomes flustered by Zhang Wei’s teasing, while the hostess recognizes that the men have unusually high standards.

3. Significant Themes

• Wealth and social assumptions: Zhang Wei assumes Feng Jun’s wealth makes him trustworthy and unlikely to misuse explosives, revealing how money influences perceptions of status and morality.
• Business-driven relationships: Zhang Wei’s friendliness is partly strategic; he wants to secure future business through Feng Jun, while Feng Jun accepts the social situation partly to obtain detonators.
• Masculine pride and competition: The men constantly tease and challenge one another over wealth, nightlife experience, attractiveness, and social ability.
• Appearance versus authenticity: Feng Jun criticizes the heavy makeup of nightclub hostesses and prefers the more natural appearance of women in bars, highlighting the contrast between manufactured beauty and perceived authenticity.
• Risk and impulsiveness: Alcohol, pride, and the promise of explosives lead Feng Jun and Zhang Wei to make increasingly reckless commitments.

4. Character Interactions

• Zhang Wei and Feng Jun develop a warmer rapport after Zhang Wei promises to help with the detonators.
• Zhang Wei and Li Qiang collaborate in entertaining and testing Feng Jun, though they also compete in teasing him.
• Feng Jun debates nightlife preferences with Zhang Wei, defending bars and natural-looking women against Zhang Wei’s defense of the nightclub.
• Li Qiang challenges Feng Jun to prove his social appeal, and Zhang Wei escalates the challenge by tying it to the acquisition of detonators and TNT.
• The nightclub staff repeatedly try to keep the group from leaving, while the men use their dissatisfaction to assert status and negotiate better treatment.

Chapter 45 Summary

Plot and Key Events

• Feng Jun, Zhang Wei, and Li Qiang continue their playful bet at Mingjuehui: Feng Jun must use Liaoliao’s “People Nearby” feature to find and add a woman, despite his friends doubting his ability.
• Three new hostesses arrive, and Zhang Wei and Li Qiang decide to keep all of them present while Feng Jun attempts his challenge. The women become curious about Feng Jun’s unusual method.
• Feng Jun carefully searches through profiles, avoiding attractive profile pictures that might belong to micro-merchants or insurance sellers. He eventually notices a profile marked by a white lotus image and the name Hao Fengjing.
• Because Hao Fengjing’s Moments are private, Feng Jun enters the mysterious space connected to the app and encounters a locked door bearing her name. After repeatedly ramming the door, he manages to break in.
• Inside, he finds a book containing Hao Fengjing’s Moments and a tablet showing her chats and contact groups. He learns that she frequently photographs scenery, rarely speaks in group chats, and is currently ill, wearing a traditional cupping treatment on her forehead.
• Feng Jun briefly activates the tablet’s camera and sees Hao Fengjing wearing a frightening facial mask while watching a drama. Feeling that he has invaded her privacy, he stops observing her.
• Feng Jun explores the surrounding hallway and discovers that other users’ rooms can also be accessed, though their information is more restricted. He concludes that breaking Hao Fengjing’s door may have altered the system and enabled deeper access.
• Back in the private room, Feng Jun confidently claims he has found a beauty. His friends are puzzled when they see that her profile picture is only a lotus flower.
• To prove himself, Feng Jun sends Hao Fengjing a friend request, offering her a 100-yuan red packet if she accepts. The hostesses are impressed by his bold and generous approach.

Character Development

• Feng Jun reveals his mischievous, competitive side and refuses to lose face once challenged. He also demonstrates persistence by repeatedly attacking the locked door and resourcefulness by investigating the strange space.
• Although he violates Hao Fengjing’s privacy, Feng Jun shows some moral awareness and stops once he realizes he is intruding too deeply. He remains confident in his intuition, believing his “sixth sense” can identify her as a beauty.
• Zhang Wei and Li Qiang continue acting as teasing friends and skeptical spectators. Their mockery gradually shifts into amused curiosity as Feng Jun carries out his plan.
• The three hostesses are portrayed as observant and socially perceptive. They quickly understand the bet and become invested in seeing whether Feng Jun can succeed.

Themes

• Curiosity and privacy: Feng Jun’s supernatural access allows him to inspect another person’s private life, raising ethical discomfort even as it satisfies his curiosity.
• Confidence and performance: Feng Jun’s actions are partly motivated by pride and the need to maintain his image before his friends and the hostesses.
• Technology and hidden identities: The app’s “People Nearby” function becomes a gateway to secret personal worlds, suggesting that online profiles conceal far more than they reveal.
• Persistence and ingenuity: Feng Jun’s willingness to keep trying—both in breaking the door and persuading Hao Fengjing—reflects his determined, practical nature.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Wei and Li Qiang tease Feng Jun while encouraging him to continue, upgrading his title from “Little Feng” to “Manager Feng” to flatter and provoke him.
• The hostesses joke with the men and show interest in Feng Jun’s strange search method. They watch closely as he explores Hao Fengjing’s profile.
• Feng Jun presents himself as mysterious and self-assured, insisting that his choice of a lotus profile picture reflects an accurate intuition.
• The chapter ends with everyone waiting to see whether Hao Fengjing will accept Feng Jun’s request after receiving his unusual red-packet offer.

Chapter Summary: “Show Your Face”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun and his friends place a bet at a karaoke bar over whether a woman named Good Scenery will accept his ChatChat friend request.
• Feng Jun sends her a large red packet—first 100 yuan, split into an initial 50 yuan and a promised second payment—to persuade her to respond.
• Good Scenery accepts the request and quickly questions why she has received only 50 yuan. Feng Jun explains that his friends doubt her beauty and says he will send the rest after a video call.
• After some playful arguing, Good Scenery agrees to video chat. She appears exceptionally beautiful, impressing Feng Jun’s friends and confirming his confidence.
• Good Scenery demands that Feng Jun show his own face. He jokes about being handsome, while Li Qiang and Zhang Wei also appear on camera and compete humorously over who is best-looking.
• Finding the men childish and bored, Good Scenery ends the call and sends a beckoning emoji to remind Feng Jun about the remaining money.
• Feng Jun finally sends her an 88-yuan red packet, which she accepts without further conversation.
• Impressed by Feng Jun’s apparent talent for finding beautiful women online, Li Qiang asks him to help find someone for him as well.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun displays confidence, shameless charm, and strong improvisational ability. He enjoys using flattering wordplay and manipulating the bet to prolong his interaction with Good Scenery.
• Good Scenery initially presents herself as unattractive and skeptical, but her appearance contradicts her claims. She is witty, direct, and financially practical, refusing to be drawn into excessive flirting without receiving the promised money.
• Li Qiang and Zhang Wei begin by teasing Feng Jun but become impressed by his success. Their admiration turns into genuine interest when Li Qiang asks Feng Jun to repeat the trick for him.
• The hostesses provide comic commentary and react with surprise to Good Scenery’s beauty. Their teasing reinforces the playful, flirtatious atmosphere.
• Li Qiang is portrayed as a carefree young man who prefers uncomplicated, casual relationships over pursuing college girls, whom he considers too difficult or risky to court seriously.

Significant Themes

• Appearance and perception: The chapter contrasts Good Scenery’s self-deprecating view of herself with everyone else’s recognition of her beauty.
• Flirtation and performance: Both sides use exaggerated language, teasing, and strategic humor to control the interaction.
• Money and online social exchanges: The red packet functions as both an incentive and a test of sincerity, turning a casual friend request into a negotiated encounter.
• Male camaraderie and competition: Feng Jun’s friends mock him, admire him, and compete over attractiveness, creating a humorous group dynamic.
• Modern casual relationships: The chapter reflects the characters’ preference for fast, low-commitment interactions rather than emotionally complicated courtship.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun exchanges playful, increasingly flirtatious messages with Good Scenery while negotiating the second payment.
• Good Scenery challenges Feng Jun’s assumptions and mocks his claim to be handsome after seeing him on video.
• Li Qiang and Zhang Wei join the video call, turning it into a group performance and jokingly competing for Good Scenery’s approval.
• The hostesses tease Li Qiang about pursuing multiple women, while he responds with suggestive banter.
• By the end, Li Qiang shifts from spectator to participant, asking Feng Jun to help him find a woman of his own.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun enjoys Li Qiang and Zhang Wei’s envy after demonstrating that his mysterious “Sixth Sense” can help him find attractive women.
• Li Qiang tries to persuade Feng Jun to use the ability for him, offering to handle a previous favor in return. He eventually proposes a wager: if Feng Jun can use Li Qiang’s phone to add a beautiful woman, Li Qiang will pay him 50,000 yuan; if Feng Jun fails, he will cover the evening’s bill.
• Feng becomes cautious after a hostess notices the unusual tattoo-like mark on his hand, realizing that the strange power and its possible changes must remain secret.
• To avoid revealing that the ability may only lead to unattractive people, Feng warns that his “Sixth Sense” could select either an exceptionally beautiful woman or someone “not ordinarily ugly.”
• Zhang Wei encourages Li Qiang to accept the risk and offers to share the cost. The two friends jokingly compete over who would get the woman if she turned out to be beautiful.
• Feng adds another condition: Li Qiang must genuinely ask out the woman he adds, claiming that otherwise he would be “defying heaven’s will.” Zhang Wei supports the condition, while secretly suggesting Li Qiang could pretend to comply.
• Li Qiang finally hands over the challenge. Feng insists on using his own phone, swipes only twice, and announces the selected profile: “When the Flowers Bloom,” located within two kilometers.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes more confident and playful with his newfound ability, using humor and carefully worded conditions to control the situation. At the same time, he shows growing awareness of the need to conceal the supernatural source of his success.
• Li Qiang shifts from arrogant confidence to nervous reluctance as he realizes the bet could force him to spend money on an extremely unattractive woman. Nevertheless, pride and the pressure of the group push him to accept.
• Zhang Wei acts as an instigator, encouraging Li Qiang to proceed while also trying to benefit if the chosen woman is attractive. His joking support reveals a willingness to sacrifice his friend for entertainment and romantic opportunity.
• The hostesses serve as an enthusiastic audience, repeatedly encouraging the wager and laughing at the men’s banter.

Significant Themes

• Pride and male competition: Li Qiang and Zhang Wei are motivated less by the money than by saving face and proving themselves in front of their friends.
• Risk and temptation: The possibility of finding a beautiful woman outweighs the fear of losing money or encountering someone unattractive.
• Secrecy and control: Feng recognizes that his supernatural power must not become public knowledge, especially because the mark on his hand may reveal something unusual.
• Manipulation through humor: Feng uses jokes, exaggerated warnings, and “heavenly will” rhetoric to disguise the real limitations of his ability and protect himself.
• Entertainment and social pressure: The group’s amusement drives the men into accepting increasingly embarrassing conditions.

Character Interactions

• Feng and Li Qiang negotiate the wager, with Feng teasing him and Li Qiang attempting to bargain.
• Zhang Wei repeatedly provokes Li Qiang into accepting the challenge, then claims the woman for himself if she proves attractive.
• The hostesses encourage the bet, touch and question Feng about his hand tattoo, and laugh at the men’s arguments.
• Li Qiang and Zhang Wei exchange a covert plan allowing Li Qiang to appear to follow Feng’s condition without necessarily doing so.
• The chapter ends with Feng selecting the nearby profile “When the Flowers Bloom,” leaving the outcome of the wager unresolved.

Chapter Summary: “Even With Tears, You Must Finish the Fight”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun wins a bet by using his mysterious ability to locate both an exceptionally beautiful woman and an exceptionally unattractive one through the social app Liaoliao.
• Li Qiang is tasked with adding the unattractive woman, Na Shi Hua Kai, and initially assumes her lack of profile pictures means she is modest and attractive.
• Following Feng Jun’s instructions, Li Qiang sends her a small red packet and repeatedly pressures her into accepting a video call.
• The call reveals that Na Shi Hua Kai is an extremely obese, elderly-looking woman with a highly unusual and unattractive appearance. Li Qiang is horrified, while Feng Jun, Zhang Wei, and the hostesses laugh uncontrollably.
• Feng Jun declares victory because he fulfilled his promise to find someone “ugly enough.”
• Li Qiang attempts to shift the financial burden of the bet onto Zhang Wei, arguing that he suffered the embarrassment on everyone’s behalf. Zhang Wei agrees to pay only part of the cost and continues teasing him.
• Na Shi Hua Kai demands the remaining fifty-yuan red packet and begins threatening Li Qiang, claiming she can locate him and send people after him.
• Li Qiang blocks her, but she quickly obtains his phone number and personal information. She calls him directly, proves that she knows he is at Mingjuehui, and threatens to search the private rooms for him.
• Realizing she may have influence or connections, Li Qiang immediately backs down and offers to unblock her and send the money.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates precise control over his mysterious “sixth sense,” successfully finding people who perfectly match the bet’s requirements. He remains composed and amused while concealing how he actually accomplishes it.
• Li Qiang changes from confident and boastful to humiliated, angry, and finally cautious. Though he initially refuses to pay and tries to save face, his ability to read danger leads him to apologize and compromise once Na Shi Hua Kai reveals her reach.
• Zhang Wei acts as the primary source of mockery. He enjoys Li Qiang’s embarrassment so much that he believes the incident will remain a lifelong joke, though he negotiates over how much money to pay.
• Na Shi Hua Kai is introduced as aggressive, demanding, and possibly well-connected. Her appearance shocks everyone, but her ability to obtain Li Qiang’s information makes her more intimidating than her initial presentation suggests.
• The hostesses serve as an amused audience, laughing at Li Qiang’s misfortune and becoming increasingly curious about Feng Jun’s abilities.

Significant Themes

• Humiliation and pride: Li Qiang must endure public embarrassment after acting arrogantly and insisting on the video call.
• The consequences of gambling and dares: What begins as harmless entertainment costs a large amount of money and creates an unexpected personal threat.
• Appearance versus danger: Na Shi Hua Kai’s unattractive appearance causes everyone to underestimate her, but her connections and investigative ability quickly make her formidable.
• Hidden abilities and disbelief: Feng Jun’s uncanny success makes the others wonder whether his “sixth sense” is genuine, though he refuses to explain it.
• Social status and power: Li Qiang’s willingness to surrender over fifty yuan shows that financial cost matters less than avoiding trouble with someone influential.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun orchestrates the prank while Li Qiang and Zhang Wei argue over its cost and consequences.
• Li Qiang and Zhang Wei bicker over whether Zhang Wei should pay the full fifty thousand yuan, with Zhang Wei treating the incident as priceless entertainment.
• The group’s laughter intensifies Li Qiang’s humiliation but also establishes the event as a memorable shared joke.
• Feng Jun jokes with the hostesses about his “sixth sense,” while Li Qiang and Zhang Wei privately suspect that his ability may be more than coincidence.
• Na Shi Hua Kai’s hostile messages and phone call shift the mood from comedy to tension, forcing Li Qiang to abandon his defiance and negotiate with her.

Chapter Summary: “Weakness Is the Original Sin”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qiang is terrified after Na Shi Hua Kai tracks him down and threatens him over his refusal to participate in her video request. She orders him to call her the next day and treat her to a meal, promising to forgive him if she is satisfied.
• Zhang Wei and Feng Jun tease Li Qiang about the incident. Li Qiang, embarrassed and worried about Na Shi Hua Kai’s influence, asks Zhang Wei to accompany him to dinner. Zhang agrees because of his family’s government connections, while Feng Jun refuses, insisting that he is uninvolved.
• The group’s mood is ruined by the threatening phone call. They drink a little more before leaving the nightclub, and Feng Jun regrets that his attempt to teach Li Qiang a lesson has spoiled the entire evening.
• Feng Jun returns to his hotel instead of contacting Hao Fengjing, wary of encountering another difficult woman and mindful that it is already late.
• The next morning, Feng Jun visits Shenghai Securities with Zhang Wei and opens a stock-trading account. Zhang patiently teaches him the basics and arranges an unusually low commission rate.
• Feng Jun notices that Zhang Wei is respected but socially distant from his colleagues, reinforcing the impression that Zhang has authority and is not easy to approach.
• Zhang tells Feng Jun that Li Qiang has arranged dinner with Na Shi Hua Kai, though someone is helping mediate the situation. He also mentions that the item Feng Jun asked him to find will take several more days.
• Feng Jun decides to return to the villa rather than continue socializing. The previous night has reminded him that he is still vulnerable despite his recent opportunities and growing wealth.
• He orders a powerful dune buggy, paying a deposit so it can be modified for use in the Wilderness Space.
• Feng Jun also obtains another fifty-kilowatt generator from Wang Haifeng and transports it to the villa. The electrician is surprised that he has bought a second generator.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes more cautious and self-aware. Na Shi Hua Kai’s ability to locate and intimidate Li Qiang makes him realize that money and his mysterious advantage do not yet make him powerful. He resolves to prioritize cultivation, energy accumulation, and practical preparations over pleasure or social distractions.
• Li Qiang suffers the consequences of his impulsiveness. His confidence collapses after Na Shi Hua Kai’s threat, and he tries to use Zhang Wei’s connections and companionship for protection.
• Zhang Wei proves loyal and dependable by accompanying Li Qiang, helping Feng Jun open his securities account, explaining stock trading patiently, and securing him favorable fees. At the same time, his coworkers’ formal attitude suggests that he carries considerable influence.
• Na Shi Hua Kai is established as intimidating, resourceful, and possibly well-connected. Although she is portrayed as unattractive and domineering, she is not necessarily petty; her anger stems from Li Qiang’s disrespect and refusal to honor their arrangement.

Significant Themes

• Weakness as the “original sin”: Feng Jun recognizes that vulnerability invites humiliation and danger. His central goal becomes increasing his strength so he can control his own fate.
• Humility amid success: His recent access to wealth and the Wilderness Space has made him careless and overconfident, but the incident with Na Shi Hua Kai reminds him that hidden powers exist beyond his understanding.
• Responsibility and consequences: Li Qiang’s impulsive behavior leads to the dinner obligation and threatens the group’s peace. Feng Jun also reflects on how his own actions unintentionally caused trouble.
• Strength versus material wealth: Feng Jun concludes that money is useful but cannot replace personal power. He is willing to spend heavily on equipment that will help him explore the Wilderness Space and grow stronger.
• Preparation and caution: The purchase of the dune buggy and additional generator shows Feng Jun shifting from improvised survival to deliberate long-term planning.

Character Interactions

• Li Qiang pleads with Na Shi Hua Kai over the phone, then complains to Feng Jun and Zhang Wei about being targeted.
• Zhang Wei mocks Li Qiang but ultimately agrees to attend the dinner for protection, while Li Qiang appeals to their brotherly bond.
• Feng Jun distances himself from the conflict but feels guilty for having initiated the prank-like lesson that caused the problem.
• Zhang Wei treats Feng Jun warmly at the securities company, offering guidance and practical assistance despite maintaining a distant relationship with his coworkers.
• Feng Jun and Zhang discuss Na Shi Hua Kai’s upcoming dinner and the delayed item Zhang is helping him obtain.
• Feng Jun’s return to the villa brings him back into contact with the electrician, who is astonished by Feng Jun’s continued investment in power equipment.

Chapter Summary: “Let Fate Take Its Course”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun spends more than ten days at his villa, leaving only once to collect a large number of supplies from his rented room. His growing wealth and preparation reflect his plans to return to the wilderness world.
• His Energy Points approach 300, and the mark on his hand darkens to nearly black. He stops charging when his distant relative returns, though he remains eager—and nervous—to go back because of the two dangerous creatures he previously encountered.
• Feng Jun contacts Zhang Wei about obtaining TNT or, at minimum, detonators for protection. Zhang Wei admits that acquiring explosives is more difficult than expected and asks Feng Jun to deposit another two million yuan to help meet his business quota.
• After transferring the money, Feng Jun asks Zhang Wei to teach him stock trading. He has been studying the software alone but remains confused by basic functions, such as directly typing stock abbreviations to find companies.
• Zhang Wei arranges a meeting at a hotel and brings Zhang Shaohong, a senior colleague seeking investors for a new fund. She attempts to persuade Feng Jun to let the fund manage his money and repeatedly presses him to attend dinner and meet the project manager.
• Feng Jun politely but firmly refuses her proposal and invitations. He prefers managing his own investments because he wants to study the stock system personally, partly with future plans involving securities-company software and possible data manipulation.
• Wang Haifeng joins Feng Jun and Zhang Wei for dinner. He probes Feng Jun about returning to Shi Kingdom, but Feng Jun conceals his true reason for going there.
• The group discusses Li Qiang, who remains psychologically uncomfortable around Feng Jun after their earlier conflict. They also reveal that Guo Yueling has been fired and that Sister Hong hopes Feng Jun will return to his former workplace.
• Feng Jun decides not to contact Sister Hong, reasoning that she has his contact information and would message him if she truly wanted to reach him. He chooses to “let fate take its course.”
• The chapter ends with Wang Haifeng asking Feng Jun about the hacking software he has supposedly been developing.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Becomes increasingly confident, financially independent, and authoritative. He is more cautious and deliberate, refusing unwanted investment pitches and romantic or social pressure. He continues preparing secretly for the wilderness world while maintaining a public image centered on business and stock trading.
• Zhang Wei: Remains helpful and loyal, assisting Feng Jun in obtaining detonators and teaching him about stocks. However, he also tries to benefit professionally from Feng Jun’s wealth and occasionally teases him about women.
• Zhang Shaohong: Appears ambitious and persistent in her efforts to secure Feng Jun’s investment. Her repeated attempts to overcome his refusal reveal a forceful sales style, but she ultimately leaves embarrassed and resentful.
• Wang Haifeng: Shows increasing curiosity about Feng Jun’s sudden wealth, travel plans, and hidden activities. His final question suggests he suspects Feng Jun has more technical or unconventional pursuits than he admits.
• Sister Hong: Though absent, she remains influential. Her possible interest in Feng Jun’s return creates unresolved emotional and social tension.
• Li Qiang and Guo Yueling: Their situations demonstrate Feng Jun’s changed status: Li Qiang now avoids him, while Guo Yueling’s dismissal may reopen Feng Jun’s connection with his former workplace.

Significant Themes

• Growing power and status: Feng Jun’s wealth has changed not only his circumstances but also his confidence, bearing, and relationships with others.
• Preparation and secrecy: His purchases, pursuit of detonators, study of stock software, and concealed plans all show that he is preparing carefully for future risks while hiding the truth from his acquaintances.
• Independence versus convenience: Feng Jun rejects professional fund management because he wants direct control and personal knowledge, even if that means learning slowly through trial and error.
• Fate and personal choice: His decision to leave Sister Hong’s matter unresolved reflects his belief in allowing events to develop naturally rather than forcing a reunion.
• Social manipulation and boundaries: Zhang Shaohong’s persistent sales tactics contrast with Feng Jun’s increasingly firm ability to set boundaries and refuse pressure.
• Hidden identities and suspicion: The conversations about Shi Kingdom, hacking software, and Feng Jun’s wealth emphasize the gap between his public explanations and his secret activities.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Zhang Wei discuss explosives, money, and stock trading, showing their practical friendship and Zhang Wei’s growing awareness of Feng Jun’s unusual resources.
• Feng Jun rejects Zhang Shaohong’s attempts to obtain his investment, demonstrating his patience at first but irritation when she ignores his refusal.
• Zhang Wei acts as an intermediary between Feng Jun and Zhang Shaohong, though he ultimately supports Feng Jun’s decision.
• Wang Haifeng and Zhang Wei probe Feng Jun about his travels, finances, and past conflicts, while Feng Jun deflects their questions.
• The discussion of Sister Hong reveals that Feng Jun still thinks about her but refuses to pursue her without a direct invitation.
• The closing question about hacking software hints that Feng Jun’s companions are beginning to suspect that his ambitions extend beyond ordinary business and mining.

Chapter Summary: “Enemies Cross Paths”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qiang and Zhang Wei recount the incident at Mingjuehui to Wang Haifeng. Zhang Wei suspects Feng Jun used hacking or phone-manipulation software, while Li Qiang becomes increasingly convinced Feng Jun deliberately targeted him.
• Wang Haifeng defends Feng Jun, believing he is mysterious but dependable when paid. The group humorously speculates about Feng Jun’s supposed ability to remotely control phones, cameras, financial records, business negotiations, and even stock trading.
• Feng Jun denies possessing such powers, though the conversation makes him realize that information-gathering abilities could provide lucrative opportunities. He also recognizes that openly using such a “cheat” would provoke serious public and legal backlash.
• Zhang Wei arranges Feng Jun’s purchase of detonators and explosives. Because the transaction is highly illegal and sensitive, Zhang Wei agrees to pay for it but keeps himself physically separate from the exchange.
• While waiting for instructions, Feng Jun messages Hao Fengjing and attempts to arrange dinner. She gives only a brief reply because she is in a meeting, leaving Feng Jun uncertain whether their relationship is progressing.
• Zhang Wei finally tells Feng Jun to collect the goods at People’s Market. Feng Jun follows the instructions, using a baseball cap and a coded phrase to identify himself to the seller.
• After receiving the sack of detonators, Feng Jun notices suspicious people surrounding him. A high-school student reports the handoff to Hong-ge, who sends seven men to intercept him and uncover the source of the scarce detonators.
• Feng Jun realizes he is being followed and deliberately uses a lit cigarette near the suspected explosives to make his pursuers hesitate. When Liu Shuming identifies him, Feng Jun understands that the attackers are not police and turns into an alley.
• The pursuers trap him in a dead end. Hong-ge explains that they want information about the shortage of detonators and plan to interrogate Feng Jun. Liu Shuming and Gongji, a local gang leader, then reveal that they also have a personal grievance against him.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Remains calm, resourceful, and observant under pressure. He uses deception, quick thinking, and the apparent danger of the explosives to slow his pursuers. His interest in making money through information also shows his growing ambition, though he understands the risks of abusing such power.
• Li Qiang: Becomes more suspicious and resentful toward Feng Jun, convinced that Feng Jun was responsible for humiliating or manipulating him at Mingjuehui.
• Zhang Wei: Acts as the practical organizer of the explosive purchase. Although willing to help Feng Jun, he carefully distances himself from the illegal transaction.
• Wang Haifeng: Continues to view Feng Jun as mysterious but fundamentally reliable. His joking speculation about Feng Jun’s abilities also exposes his own pragmatic and opportunistic outlook.
• Hao Fengjing: Remains emotionally distant and difficult for Feng Jun to reach. Her short replies suggest that she is busy or reluctant to deepen their interaction.
• Hong-ge: Appears ruthless and calculating. He is determined to identify the source of the detonators and is willing to abduct and interrogate Feng Jun.
• Liu Shuming and Gongji: Re-emerge as enemies connected to Feng Jun’s earlier conflicts. Their appearance makes clear that the confrontation is motivated by both business interests and personal revenge.

Significant Themes

• Mistrust and suspicion: Characters repeatedly question Feng Jun’s true abilities, motives, and affiliations, even joking that he might secretly work for State Security.
• Information as power: The imagined ability to access phones, transactions, contracts, and stock information suggests how valuable—and dangerous—secret knowledge can be.
• Risk and moral ambiguity: Feng Jun becomes involved in illegal explosives trading while trying to maintain distance from the consequences. The chapter emphasizes the danger of entering illicit networks.
• Resourcefulness under pressure: Feng Jun’s quick observations and improvisation allow him to delay a coordinated pursuit, showing his ability to survive through intelligence rather than brute force.
• Enemies converging: Former personal antagonists and new criminal rivals unexpectedly meet, escalating Feng Jun’s situation from a secret transaction into a broader confrontation.

Character Interactions

• Li Qiang, Zhang Wei, and Wang Haifeng debate whether Feng Jun is a hacker or supernatural-level phone expert.
• Feng Jun trades sarcastic jokes with Wang Haifeng and Zhang Wei while concealing the seriousness of his plans.
• Feng Jun attempts to connect with Hao Fengjing through WeChat, but her minimal responses maintain emotional distance.
• Feng Jun exchanges coded words with the seller at the market, demonstrating the secrecy of the explosives deal.
• Hong-ge’s group coordinates Feng Jun’s capture, while Liu Shuming recognizes him and Gongji claims an existing grudge against him.
• The chapter ends with Feng Jun trapped in an alley, surrounded by enemies whose motives include both the detonator shortage and personal hostility.

Chapter Summary: “A Miraculous Turn”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Brother Hong and his gang corner Feng Jun in a dead-end alley, intending to overpower him and take him away. Rooster reveals that Feng Jun was formerly connected to Hongjie, but Brother Hong orders the attack regardless.
• Liu Shuming attempts to slap Feng Jun, but Feng Jun dodges and suddenly produces a length of rebar, striking Liu unconscious.
• Feng Jun rapidly defeats several attackers using the rebar, unexpected movements, and precise kicks. Rooster is badly injured in the thigh, while another thug’s knife attack fails.
• When the gang tries to restrain Feng Jun through numbers, he reveals a concealed stun gun and incapacitates two more men.
• Brother Hong attempts to threaten Feng Jun, but Feng Jun overwhelms him with an unusual combination of kicks, ultimately striking him in the face.
• Police sirens arrive before the gang can escape. All six of Brother Hong’s men have been defeated, while Brother Hong himself is bloodied and trapped.
• The gang lies to the patrol officers, claiming they were merely passing through the alley and were attacked without cause. The officers clearly distrust this story.
• Feng Jun claims the gang intended to rob him and reveals that he is carrying forty thousand yuan. He also mentions having over two million yuan invested in the stock market, partly to make himself seem financially powerful and less vulnerable.
• The chapter ends with Feng Jun carefully leaving the matter of criminal responsibility to the patrol officers rather than making exaggerated accusations himself.

Character Development

• Feng Jun demonstrates a major transformation from an apparently vulnerable target into a highly capable and prepared fighter. His mastery of unconventional movements, rebar, and a stun gun suggests both combat skill and careful preparation.
• He also shows strategic intelligence. Rather than openly exposing the sensitive issue of detonators, he allows the police to investigate the gang’s actions while presenting himself as a robbery victim.
• Brother Hong is shown to be experienced, calm, and ruthless, but not especially skilled in direct combat. His composure survives the ambush until Feng Jun defeats the entire group, leaving him humiliated and helpless.
• Rooster, initially confident because of his numbers, is quickly reduced to panic and pain after Feng Jun injures his leg.
• The gang as a whole is revealed to be overconfident and poorly prepared. They underestimate Feng Jun, bring inadequate weapons, and are unable to adapt to his equipment and fighting style.
• The patrol officers appear skeptical and practical. They recognize the gang, question their implausible story, and begin treating Feng Jun’s version as the more credible account.

Significant Themes

• Reversal of power: The attackers expect Feng Jun to be helpless, but the victim becomes the dominant force.
• Preparation and resourcefulness: Feng Jun’s hidden weapons and unexpected tactics overturn the gang’s numerical advantage.
• Appearance versus reality: Feng Jun looks ordinary and vulnerable, while Brother Hong’s intimidating reputation proves less important in a direct confrontation.
• Cunning within the law: Feng Jun carefully manipulates the situation without making reckless claims, allowing the police to reach their own conclusions.
• Humiliation of false confidence: The gang’s belief that seven men can easily control one person collapses almost immediately.
• Maintaining secrecy: Feng Jun avoids revealing the true issue involving detonators, showing that survival depends not only on strength but also on controlling information.

Character Interactions

• Brother Hong and Rooster: Rooster reports Feng Jun’s background, but Brother Hong dismisses the information and orders immediate action.
• Feng Jun and the gang: Their confrontation shifts from intimidation to panic as Feng Jun defeats them one by one and exposes hidden weapons.
• Feng Jun and Brother Hong: Brother Hong tries to assert authority and offer a final warning, but Feng Jun interrupts him and defeats him decisively.
• The gang and the patrol officers: The gang cooperates in presenting a false story, but their injuries and inconsistent account make them unconvincing.
• Feng Jun and the patrol officers: Feng Jun remains outwardly cooperative while answering strategically. He reveals his money, frames the encounter as a possible robbery, and avoids directly dictating the charges, preserving the officers’ authority and goodwill.

Chapter Summary: “Caught in the Crossfire”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Patrol officers investigate the violent confrontation involving Feng Jun, Liu Hong (“Brother Hong”), Rooster, Liu Shuming, and several thugs. They suspect the incident was more than a simple robbery.
• Feng Jun insists he acted in self-defense after being attacked by men carrying knives. He claims he merely picked up the rebar from the ground, though the officers clearly doubt him.
• He openly admits possessing a stun gun but evasively refuses to explain where it came from or where his large amount of cash originated. The officers consider labeling him as a suspect in another crime to force an explanation.
• Rooster tells the officers that Liu Shuming and Feng Jun had an old workplace grudge, presenting the attack as a personal dispute rather than a robbery. He also raises suspicion about Feng Jun’s unexplained wealth.
• The woven sack that caused the conflict is dismissed as worthless because it appears to contain only dirt. This allows the hidden explosives and detonators to go unnoticed.
• On the way to the station, Liu Hong threatens Feng Jun not to implicate him. Feng Jun refuses to be intimidated and mocks Liu Hong’s supposed status.
• Feng Jun has already hidden the detonators and TNT in his Wilderness Space, avoiding a potentially severe charge for illegal possession of explosives.
• At the patrol station, Feng Jun contacts Wang Haifeng, indirectly alerting Zhang Wei about the trouble. Both men arrive to support him.
• Wang Haifeng behaves boldly and treats the stun gun violation as minor, while Zhang Wei quietly checks whether Feng Jun is safe.
• Zhang Wei reveals that the confrontation originated from the delayed black-market supply of mining detonators. Liu Hong, frustrated by the delay, had arranged to attack the supplier, while Feng Jun was accidentally caught in the dispute.
• The officers eventually recognize Liu Hong as a notorious criminal. They hint to Feng Jun that cooperating against him could protect Feng Jun from further trouble.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Remains calm, sarcastic, and defiant under questioning. He cleverly avoids revealing the explosives or the source of his money and shows no fear of Liu Hong’s threats. His confidence suggests he is increasingly capable of managing dangerous situations.
• Liu Hong: Revealed as an influential and notorious underworld figure. He is arrogant, violent, and accustomed to acting without justification, but he also tries to control the narrative and intimidate Feng Jun.
• Rooster: Acts pragmatically, quickly changing his story to reduce the appearance of robbery and protect his group. He presents a partial truth while concealing their criminal motives.
• Zhang Wei: Shows guilt and concern because he served as the middleman for the explosive transaction. He learns that Feng Jun was unintentionally caught in a conflict caused by the delayed supply.
• Wang Haifeng: Provides loud, fearless support for Feng Jun and uses his assertive manner to unsettle the officers.
• Patrol officers: Gradually recognize that neither side is innocent. Their attitude shifts after identifying Liu Hong, and they subtly encourage Feng Jun to cooperate against him.

Significant Themes

• Self-preservation and deception: Both sides manipulate the truth to avoid legal consequences, while Feng Jun carefully conceals the most dangerous evidence.
• Power and intimidation: Liu Hong relies on reputation and threats, but Feng Jun refuses to acknowledge his authority.
• Accidental involvement: Feng Jun is not the intended target of the original dispute; he becomes involved through bad timing and association.
• Corruption and legal ambiguity: The officers struggle to determine which laws apply and consider using broader criminal accusations to investigate Feng Jun’s unexplained wealth.
• Hidden danger beneath ordinary appearances: The seemingly worthless woven sack conceals the true importance of the conflict—illegal mining explosives.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng Jun repeatedly clashes verbally with the patrol officers, refusing to provide information about his money or rebar.
• Rooster offers the officers a self-serving explanation of the conflict and indirectly casts suspicion on Feng Jun.
• Liu Hong threatens Feng Jun in the patrol car, but Feng Jun dismisses him with contempt.
• Wang Haifeng confronts the officers with exaggerated confidence, while Zhang Wei privately checks on Feng Jun’s safety.
• The officers later pressure Feng Jun to explain the incident and potentially help prosecute Liu Hong, creating a possible alliance between Feng Jun and law enforcement.

Chapter Summary: “One-Way Ticket”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun remains detained after striking Liu Shuming with an iron rod during an earlier confrontation. Although he claims Liu had been involved in robbery and rape, the constables dismiss the allegation and focus on the fact that Feng injured him.
• Brother Hong arrives with underlings and attempts to leave the constabulary, claiming he must visit the injured Liu Shuming and another victim. Deputy Director Han tacitly allows him to go despite his unfinished statement.
• Before leaving, Brother Hong threatens Feng Jun, warning him to stay in the constabulary forever and never come outside. Feng responds by delivering a powerful slap that leaves Brother Hong stunned.
• Brother Hong accuses Feng of violence and calls on the constables to intervene. The officers ignore or minimize his threat while treating Feng as the primary offender. Deputy Director Han orders that Feng be handcuffed.
• Red Sister, a powerful associate of Hongjie, arrives. She apologizes on behalf of Feng, offers Brother Hong fifty thousand and an “invitation” to visit Sea City and Crane River.
• The supposed gift is actually a veiled death threat: people who received similar “one-way tickets” in the past disappeared or suffered horrific fates. Brother Hong, recognizing the danger, refuses the money and insists the dispute is personal.
• Red Sister then turns the issue back on Brother Hong, accusing him of insulting Hongjie. She points out that he repeatedly invoked Hongjie while claiming that Feng and Liu Shuming were no longer associated with the organization.
• Red Sister clarifies that Liu Shuming was fired, while Feng Jun resigned voluntarily, revealing that she distinguishes between the two and has a more favorable attitude toward Feng.
• The chapter ends with Deputy Director Han impatiently reminding everyone that the constabulary is not a place for casual conversation, leaving the conflict unresolved.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun is shown to be fearless, impulsive, and unwilling to tolerate intimidation. Rather than submit to Brother Hong’s threat, he openly retaliates even inside the constabulary. He also continues trying to expose the questionable circumstances surrounding Liu Shuming’s release.
• Brother Hong initially behaves arrogantly, relying on his reputation and connections to intimidate Feng and influence the constables. However, Red Sister’s arrival exposes his vulnerability: he immediately understands the lethal implications of her polite offer and retreats from confrontation.
• Red Sister demonstrates considerable power, composure, and ruthlessness. She protects Feng and Hongjie through polite but terrifyingly indirect threats, manipulating the situation without openly resorting to violence.
• Deputy Director Han and the constables appear biased and intimidated by powerful figures. They overlook Brother Hong’s threats while moving quickly to punish Feng, suggesting corruption or fear within the constabulary.
• Wang Haifeng and Zhang Wei remain present as Feng’s supporters, while Wang recognizes and welcomes Red Sister when she arrives.

Significant Themes

• Power and corruption: The constables apply the law unevenly, favoring Brother Hong and treating Feng as guilty despite his claim of being attacked and threatened.
• Intimidation and reputation: Brother Hong’s influence initially protects him, but Red Sister’s reputation proves even more powerful, forcing him to back down without any direct physical confrontation.
• Justice versus authority: The official system fails to investigate Liu Shuming’s suspicious release and instead focuses on the most visible act of violence.
• Politeness as a weapon: Red Sister’s calm apologies, gifts, and invitations conceal deadly threats, showing how power can operate through implication rather than open aggression.
• Loyalty and affiliation: The distinction between Feng’s voluntary resignation and Liu Shuming’s dismissal reveals differences in character and determines how Hongjie treats each man.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng challenges the constables’ double standard after slapping Brother Hong, arguing that if Brother Hong can threaten him, he should be allowed to respond.
• Brother Hong and Feng engage in a direct power struggle, with Brother Hong relying on threats and Feng answering with immediate action.
• Red Sister verbally dominates Brother Hong by apologizing, offering him money, and then forcing him to acknowledge his insults against Hongjie.
• Red Sister questions why Brother Hong invokes Hongjie if both injured men supposedly no longer work there, exposing the weakness of his justification.
• Deputy Director Han repeatedly attempts to control the room, but his authority is undermined by the influence of Brother Hong and Red Sister.

Chapter Summary: Death at the Door, Yet None the Wiser

Key Plot Points and Events

• Red Sister, identified as Zhang Weihong, arrives at the police station to bail out Feng Jun after his fight with Liu Shuming.
• Deputy Director Han refuses to release Feng Jun because Liu Shuming is still in emergency treatment and the seriousness of his injuries has not yet been determined.
• Red Sister challenges Han’s impartiality, pointing out that Feng Jun may have been defending himself from a robbery. Han responds by ordering Brother Hong to remain at the station while someone else checks on Liu Shuming.
• Although Red Sister cannot secure Feng Jun’s immediate release, she promises that he will not be mistreated and says she will wait nearby until the matter is resolved.
• Feng Jun and Red Sister exchange lighthearted remarks about his former work at Hongjie and his new business, implying that Feng Jun has grown beyond his previous subordinate position.
• The next morning, the hospital reports that Liu Shuming suffered a skull fracture but is stable. The police then release everyone involved on the condition that they remain available for questioning.
• Feng Jun’s 40,000 yuan is retained as evidence. The police also attempt to make him pay a security deposit for Liu Shuming’s medical expenses, but Zhang Wei threatens to expose their actions to the media. The police back down.
• Feng Jun completes the formal release process, including photographs and full fingerprints.
• Outside the station, he encounters Brother Hong, who deliberately provokes him again and mocks his ability to oppose someone with a gun.
• Feng Jun warns Brother Hong that he may not have much time left, leaving Brother Hong uneasy despite his outward laughter.
• Afterward, Zhang Wei finally asks Feng Jun whether delivering the detonator fulfilled his side of their agreement.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Remains calm and irreverent throughout the police ordeal. He demonstrates increasing confidence, refuses to return to Hongjie, and subtly asserts his independence. His ominous warning to Brother Hong shows that his patience is wearing thin.
• Red Sister/Zhang Weihong: Reveals concern and goodwill toward Feng Jun by personally coming to help him. She acknowledges that her former decision to dismiss him may have been a mistake and recognizes that he has become more capable and independent.
• Deputy Director Han: Acts firmly within his authority and refuses to yield to Red Sister’s influence. Though pressured by both sides, he insists on waiting for the medical assessment before allowing anyone to leave.
• Brother Hong: Tries to preserve his authority while avoiding unnecessary conflict. However, his decision to provoke Feng Jun again exposes his arrogance and may place him in serious danger.
• Zhang Wei: Shows practical courage by confronting the police over the proposed security deposit. He also remains focused on the unresolved matter of the detonator.
• Wang Haifeng: Provides comic relief through his exaggerated willingness to camp outside the station, while also remaining loyal and supportive of Feng Jun.

Significant Themes

• Power and authority: The confrontation between Red Sister and Deputy Director Han shows that influence has limits when someone is acting within their official jurisdiction.
• Independence and personal growth: Feng Jun’s refusal to return to Hongjie reflects his transition from subordinate employee to someone pursuing his own path.
• Corruption and institutional self-interest: The police’s attempt to collect a security deposit despite already holding Feng Jun’s money suggests financial opportunism within the system.
• Threats and escalating conflict: Brother Hong’s repeated provocations deepen the feud and foreshadow possible violence.
• Composure versus intimidation: Feng Jun’s calm, almost casual manner contrasts with Brother Hong’s bluster, suggesting that Feng Jun may be more dangerous precisely because he does not need to display his power openly.

Important Character Interactions

• Red Sister and Deputy Director Han: Their tense exchange establishes a clash between social influence and official authority.
• Red Sister and Feng Jun: Their conversation carries mutual respect, regret, and hints of a changing relationship as Feng Jun distances himself from Hongjie.
• Zhang Wei and the police: Zhang Wei openly challenges the station’s attempt to shift medical costs onto Feng Jun, forcing the officers to abandon the demand.
• Feng Jun and Brother Hong: Their final confrontation is a direct escalation. Feng Jun gives Brother Hong a veiled death warning, while Brother Hong dismisses it as empty bravado.
• Feng Jun and his companions: Wang Haifeng and Zhang Wei continue to support him, though Zhang Wei is increasingly eager to clarify the status of the detonator deal.

Summary of “Red Sister’s Advice”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Wei confirms that Feng Jun successfully received the smuggled goods despite being intercepted by police. Feng Jun had only been carrying dirt and rocks as a decoy, while the actual goods had been delivered with the help of others.
• Zhang Wei admits he will not participate in such dealings again, but promises to help Feng Jun recover the fifty thousand yuan seized by the police. He suggests using the media to pressure the authorities if necessary.
• Wang Haifeng brings Feng Jun to the Suhai Grand Hotel, where Red Sister has arranged a meal to comfort him after his arrest.
• During the meal, Red Sister explains that she helped secure Feng Jun’s release partly because of Liu Shuming and Xia Xiaoyu. Liu Shuming had previously interfered in Xia Xiaoyu’s case, leaving her dissatisfied, and Red Sister’s intervention helped compensate for that.
• Feng Jun realizes that Red Sister had known about his mining activities before agreeing to help him. He also understands that her sudden concern was connected more to Xia Xiaoyu than to personal affection for him.
• Red Sister and Wang Haifeng encourage Feng Jun to pursue Xia Xiaoyu, arguing that marrying into her powerful family could save him years of struggle. Feng Jun rejects the idea, insisting that he can succeed independently and does not want to appear dependent on a woman.
• Red Sister warns that mining is dangerous and unstable, especially when great profits come from risking workers’ lives. She advises Feng Jun to quit while ahead and seek a more secure future.
• Feng Jun briefly jokes and flirts with Red Sister, creating an awkward but playful exchange.
• Feng Jun asks whether he may retaliate against Brother Hong, who had insulted Red Sister. She tells him to leave the matter alone and focus on mining, promising that the media will monitor the robbery case and keep Brother Hong occupied.
• Feng Jun abruptly leaves the meal, declaring that he is going to make money.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Remains secretive and resourceful, concealing the details of his operation while calmly managing the consequences of his arrest. He shows pride and independence, rejecting the idea of relying on Xia Xiaoyu’s family. His determination to expand his fortune is stronger than his interest in romance or stability.
• Zhang Wei: Becomes more cautious after the police incident and wants to distance himself from the dangerous business. Nevertheless, he accepts responsibility as a middleman and is willing to help Feng Jun recover his money.
• Red Sister: Reveals herself as politically connected, practical, and experienced. Although she helped Feng Jun, her motives were partly strategic and tied to Xia Xiaoyu. She acts as a blunt adviser, warning him about the dangers of mining and encouraging him to pursue a safer, more advantageous relationship.
• Wang Haifeng: Continues to serve as an intermediary and lighthearted commentator. He reveals information to Red Sister, teases Feng Jun about Xia Xiaoyu and other women, and supports Red Sister’s assessment of Feng Jun’s situation.
• Xia Xiaoyu: Does not appear directly, but her emotional attachment to Feng Jun and her family’s influence drive much of the conversation. Her anger over Liu Shuming’s lenient punishment explains Red Sister’s intervention.
• Liu Shuming: Functions as an important background influence, having previously manipulated the legal consequences of an attempted crime.
• Brother Hong: Remains an offstage threat, but Red Sister implies that the media and Feng Jun’s growing influence may soon put him under pressure.

Significant Themes

• Independence versus reliance: Feng Jun wants to build his own success rather than benefit from Xia Xiaoyu’s family connections, while others see those connections as a valuable shortcut.
• The danger behind wealth: The chapter challenges the idea that mining is easy money, emphasizing that enormous profits often come at the cost of workers’ lives and long-term security.
• Hidden motives and alliances: Red Sister’s assistance is shown to be conditional and politically motivated rather than purely charitable.
• Power and influence: Media connections, family status, police pressure, and personal networks are portrayed as essential tools for resolving conflicts.
• Ambition and risk: Feng Jun remains willing to pursue dangerous opportunities, even after seeing their consequences, because his desire to accumulate wealth outweighs his concern for stability.
• Romance and social status: Xia Xiaoyu’s potential relationship with Feng Jun is treated as both an emotional matter and a path to greater status, creating tension between genuine affection and material advantage.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Zhang Wei: Discuss the smuggling operation, the police-seized money, and Zhang Wei’s reluctance to become involved again. Their exchange shows cautious trust and shared awareness of the risks.
• Feng Jun and Red Sister: Red Sister offers blunt advice about Xia Xiaoyu, mining, and Feng Jun’s future. Their conversation also includes teasing and flirtatious remarks, though Feng Jun ultimately treats her more as a powerful ally than a romantic interest.
• Feng Jun and Wang Haifeng: Wang Haifeng jokes about Feng Jun’s romantic prospects and urges him to consider Xia Xiaoyu. Feng Jun responds defensively and blames him for interfering in his relationships.
• Red Sister and Wang Haifeng: They work together to explain Feng Jun’s situation and reinforce the idea that Xia Xiaoyu’s family could significantly benefit him.
• Feng Jun and Xia Xiaoyu: Though absent, their strained but emotionally charged relationship is central. Feng Jun refuses to explain himself to her immediately, while others insist that she cares deeply about him.

Chapter Summary: “What You Fear Comes to Pass”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun reflects on his recent troubles, recognizing that his weakness forced him to endure Brother Hong’s humiliation and accept help from a woman. He is nevertheless grateful that his mysterious bodily transformation allowed him to survive the confrontation with seven men and secure the detonators and TNT.
• He returns to his villa after taking precautions to avoid pursuit and prepares to re-enter the Wilderness Space. He briefly exchanges flirtatious messages with “Good Scenery,” joking that he is a thief who stole the phone. Their banter reveals her suspicion and sharp wit, while Feng Jun is tempted to continue courting her but ultimately prioritizes his plans.
• Upon entering the Wilderness Space, Feng Jun discovers that the ape and hedgehog are still engaged in a massive battle. He cautiously moves away from them, transporting his supplies by motorcycle and selecting a concealed location several kilometers from the fighting.
• Feng Jun spends an entire day laying more than thirty kilometers of cable. He buries ten electrically triggered detonator lines, attaching three detonators to each for reliability, and adds TNT to three of the lines.
• He constructs a concealed hillside cave over four days, making it suitable for long-term survival. The cave is camouflaged, ventilated, and soundproofed.
• Feng Jun searches the surrounding area for jade, hoping to find more Mutton-Fat White Jade like the piece he previously discovered. After more than a week without success, he brings in a fifty-kilowatt diesel generator and settles into a long-term routine of searching by day, resting and reading by night.
• More than two months pass. Feng Jun earns back the energy points spent on the expedition, but the ape and hedgehog continue fighting the entire time. His jade search produces almost nothing, aside from four unusual stones.
• Eventually, the battle ends. Feng Jun is curious about the outcome and considers investigating, but fear—especially after remembering a giant eagle being torn apart—keeps him cautious. He avoids using the generator until wind can mask its noise.
• The following morning, while scouting, Feng Jun discovers a curled, injured hedgehog in a shallow pit. The creature has lost more than a dozen spines but remains alert and opens an eye to watch him.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Becomes more cautious, resourceful, and strategically minded. Rather than rushing toward danger, he creates distance from the fighting, establishes a concealed base, prepares a complex explosive operation, and patiently waits for opportunities. His confidence in his physical abilities is growing, but he remains aware of his limitations and is restrained by fear of powerful creatures.
• Good Scenery: Shows herself to be playful, skeptical, and clever. She catches Feng Jun’s implausible “thief” story and teases him about flirting with her. Their exchange suggests mutual amusement and possible romantic interest.
• The hedgehog: Emerges from the battle badly injured but alive, suggesting that it may have defeated or survived its confrontation with the ape. Despite its injuries, it retains sharp senses and immediately notices Feng Jun.

Significant Themes

• Fear and self-preservation: Feng Jun repeatedly chooses caution over greed or curiosity, particularly after witnessing the violence of the Wilderness Space. The chapter’s title foreshadows his fear that approaching the battlefield—or the injured hedgehog—may bring danger directly to him.
• Growth through preparation: Feng Jun’s increasing strength is matched by practical planning. He relies on equipment, camouflage, explosives, shelter, and patience rather than simply trusting his transformed body.
• The limits of human understanding: The prolonged battle between the ape and hedgehog emphasizes how different the Wilderness Space is from the ordinary world, with creatures possessing extraordinary endurance and power.
• Patience and delayed rewards: Feng Jun spends months preparing and searching with little immediate gain, reflecting his willingness to endure hardship for future opportunities.
• Romance versus ambition: His playful conversation with Good Scenery offers a lighter contrast to the dangerous Wilderness Space, but Feng Jun ultimately suppresses his romantic impulses to focus on self-improvement and survival.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun mentally revisits his conflict with Brother Hong and the assistance he received from a woman, reinforcing his frustration with his own weakness.
• His messages with Good Scenery develop into flirtatious banter. She challenges his false identity, exposes the flaws in his story, and teases him about lust and romantic exaggeration.
• Feng Jun’s most important interaction at the chapter’s end is with the injured hedgehog. After finding it, he becomes the observed party as the creature opens an eye, setting up a potentially dangerous encounter.

Chapter Summary: “Scared the Life Out of Me”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun unexpectedly encounters a giant Spirit Porcupine while exploring the other realm. He slowly retreats, knowing that running would be futile because the creature is much faster.
• The porcupine recognizes Feng Jun as potential prey but considers him too weak and lacking in spiritual qi to be worth pursuing casually. It follows him cautiously, preparing to deliver a fatal attack.
• Feng Jun reaches a storage shed containing his detonator. He has strategically planted ten kilograms of TNT around the area, including explosives near the shed and one kilogram intended for a final, suicidal attack if necessary.
• Hoping the porcupine behaves like Blue Star hedgehogs, Feng Jun detonates a distant explosive to frighten it into curling up and exposing its vulnerable underside. Instead, the noise provokes the creature into attacking.
• The porcupine launches itself at Feng Jun with its spines raised, intending to impale him. Feng Jun narrowly dodges, unexpectedly leaping more than four meters through a burst of survival-driven strength.
• The porcupine crashes into Feng Jun’s electric fence, suffering an unfamiliar electric shock. Terrified by the sensation, it flees more than ten kilometers away instead of continuing the attack.
• Feng Jun realizes that the electric fence, which he had built merely to repel small animals, has saved his life. He retrieves the TNT, detonators, and generator and returns to Blue Star, abandoning other supplies.
• The encounter severely damages his territory: the fence is destroyed, part of the cave collapses, and his laptop and other equipment are ruined. Despite losses exceeding ten thousand, Feng Jun considers the cost worthwhile.
• Back on Blue Star, Feng Jun notices how filthy he has become after two months in the wilderness. Although he considers bathing and meeting Good Scenery, his desire to continue exploring the other realm outweighs his desire for comfort. He immediately prepares to return.

Character Development

• Feng Jun demonstrates remarkable calm and tactical thinking under extreme pressure. Though terrified and physically trembling, he carefully retreats, uses his explosives strategically, and reacts quickly enough to evade the porcupine.
• His crisis-induced leap reveals that fear and survival instinct can temporarily push his physical abilities beyond their normal limits.
• Feng Jun also shows increasing confidence in the other realm. Even after nearly dying, he does not abandon exploration; instead, curiosity and the promise of discovering unknown regions drive him back almost immediately.
• He remains practical, accepting significant property damage as a fair price for survival, while also showing a growing willingness to prioritize adventure over comfort and social pleasures.

Significant Themes

• Survival and adaptability: Feng Jun survives through preparation, observation, and quick improvisation rather than superior strength.
• The unpredictability of nature: His assumptions about the porcupine’s behavior prove partly wrong; creatures in the other realm may resemble Blue Star animals but possess different instincts and abilities.
• Fear as both weakness and strength: Feng Jun is visibly terrified, yet that fear sharpens his thinking and unlocks extraordinary physical performance.
• The value of preparation: The explosives and electric fence, originally created for separate purposes, become essential defensive measures.
• Exploration versus comfort: Even after suffering hardship and nearly losing his life, Feng Jun chooses the dangerous unknown over returning to ordinary pleasures and companionship.
• Unintended consequences: The electric fence, designed only to deter minor pests, proves more effective than Feng Jun’s carefully planned explosives.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and the Spirit Porcupine: Their encounter is a tense predator-prey confrontation. The porcupine initially views Feng Jun as weak and not worth much effort, but still attempts to kill him once startled. Feng Jun uses distance, explosives, and evasive movement to survive.
• The porcupine’s interaction with the electric fence changes the balance of power. Its unfamiliarity with electricity causes panic, making it flee despite its physical superiority.
• Feng Jun and Good Scenery: Good Scenery is not physically present, but Feng Jun thinks about contacting her and enjoying a meal or romantic encounter. His decision to postpone this highlights his preference for exploration over immediate pleasure.

Chapter Summary: “Any Need for Help?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun has spent twenty days observing a small mountain village in the Wilderness Space, studying its population, customs, language, and martial ability before attempting contact.
• The village resembles an ancient Xia Dynasty settlement, with farming, hunting, livestock, long-haired inhabitants, and relatively low martial power. Feng Jun believes he could rank among the village’s strongest fighters.
• Wanting to integrate safely, Feng Jun disguises and equips himself with modern weapons and supplies before approaching the village by a long, concealed route.
• Along the way, he discovers a young village woman fighting a stronger middle-aged man over a rare plant called a Yaling Green Bamboo Shoot.
• The man claims ownership of the bamboo shoot and attempts to take advantage of the woman. She refuses and fights him, but gradually loses ground due to his superior endurance and skill.
• When the woman notices Feng Jun, she calls for help. After some difficulty understanding her dialect, Feng Jun confirms that she needs assistance.
• The woman offers to split the bamboo shoot with him. Feng Jun says he is less interested in the plant than in helping her and establishing ties with the village.
• The middle-aged man tries to bribe Feng Jun by offering him the woman, revealing his immoral and predatory nature.
• Disgusted by the man’s attitude, Feng Jun draws his powerful crossbow. The woman asks him to capture the man alive.
• Terrified by the unfamiliar weapon, the middle-aged man attempts to flee while threatening Feng Jun and identifying himself with Yellow Maple Ridge.
• Feng Jun fires, striking the man in the left leg with a steel bolt and stopping his escape.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates patience, caution, resourcefulness, and strong observational skills. Although he is wary of entering the village, he seeks genuine integration rather than conquest. His disgust toward coercion and exploitation becomes clear, and he is willing to intervene even without personal interest in the reward.
• The young woman: Revealed to be brave, skilled, and independent. She travels through dangerous mountain areas alone and refuses to surrender either the bamboo shoot or her dignity. Despite her difficult situation, she remains practical, offering Feng Jun a share or asking him to summon help.
• The middle-aged man: Shown to be arrogant, greedy, sexually predatory, and confident in his martial superiority. His confidence collapses when confronted with Feng Jun’s unfamiliar technology, though his greed remains evident.
• Relationship development: Feng Jun’s intervention creates his first meaningful connection with someone from the village and may provide a path toward entering the community.

Significant Themes

• Caution versus intervention: Feng Jun carefully studies the village before acting, but ultimately chooses to help when he witnesses injustice.
• Technology versus traditional martial arts: The man’s confidence in his swordsmanship is undermined by Feng Jun’s modern crossbow, emphasizing the gap between their worlds.
• Justice and personal morality: Feng Jun refuses to tolerate the man’s attempt to claim the woman as a reward and acts because of his moral disgust, not merely for material gain.
• Cultural and linguistic barriers: Feng Jun struggles with the villagers’ speech and customs, highlighting his outsider status and the challenge of integration.
• Greed and exploitation: The conflict begins over a valuable natural resource and escalates because the man seeks both the plant and control over the woman.

Character Interactions

• The woman and the middle-aged man clash physically and verbally over the Yaling Green Bamboo Shoot.
• Feng Jun initially observes rather than intervenes, evaluating both fighters and trying to understand their conversation.
• After the woman appeals to him, Feng Jun clarifies that he wants to know whether she truly needs help rather than immediately accepting her offer of payment.
• The middle-aged man attempts to manipulate Feng Jun with an offensive offer, but this instead provokes Feng Jun’s hostility.
• Feng Jun uses his crossbow to shift the balance of power, while the woman requests that he capture rather than kill the attacker.
• The chapter ends with Feng Jun successfully shooting the fleeing man in the leg, establishing his superiority and marking a decisive first encounter with the local people.

Chapter Summary: “Condemning People for Their Words”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun and the woman chase the wounded middle-aged man after Feng Jun shoots him in the thigh with a crossbow.
• Feng Jun fires a second bolt, again hitting the man’s thigh and finally stopping him.
• The man turns to fight, but Feng Jun refuses to engage in close combat, arguing that using his crossbow is the sensible choice.
• Realizing Feng Jun will simply wait for him to bleed out, the man surrenders and drops his saber.
• The woman insists that he should still be killed because he had threatened revenge and insulted her chastity.
• During the conversation, the man identifies himself as the “Heavenly Fury Star” of Yellow Maple Ridge’s Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits, denying that he is merely a thief.
• Feng Jun deliberately distracts him and fires another bolt into his chest. The man attempts to draw a hidden longsword and throw it at Feng Jun, but Feng Jun evades the attack.
• The sword demonstrates tremendous power by embedding deeply into a distant boulder, confirming Feng Jun’s suspicion that the man’s swordsmanship was more dangerous than his saber skills.
• The woman finishes the man by throwing her machete and nearly severing his neck.
• Afterward, she strips the corpse, removes Feng Jun’s bolts, and suggests taking the dead man’s weapons as well.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates increasing caution and practical combat judgment. Rather than allowing himself to be provoked into an honorable duel, he relies on the crossbow and uses deception to neutralize a hidden threat.
• He remains unfamiliar with the local customs and level of poverty, initially finding the woman’s willingness to kill over spoken threats—and her use of a corpse’s clothing—surprising.
• Feng Jun also recognizes the woman’s superior movement technique and begins to respect her abilities, despite her blunt criticism of his own lack of speed.
• The woman is shown to be blunt, pragmatic, fiercely protective of her honor, and ruthless when necessary. She is also highly cautious, immediately retreating when the man reaches for his sword.
• The middle-aged man reveals courage and pride, initially resisting surrender and attempting to provoke Feng Jun into close combat. However, he ultimately chooses surrender when he realizes his opponent will not be manipulated.

Significant Themes

• Practicality versus traditional honor: Feng Jun rejects the local expectation that a “real man” must fight at close range, insisting that using the weapon he has is simply good tactics.
• Caution and survival: Both protagonists prioritize avoiding unnecessary risk, using ranged attacks, deception, retreat, and finishing blows to ensure the enemy cannot retaliate.
• Cultural difference: Feng Jun is repeatedly surprised by the local society’s harsher standards, including killing someone for threatening revenge and accepting dead men’s clothing out of necessity.
• Words and consequences: The chapter’s title reflects the woman’s belief that insulting a woman’s chastity or threatening revenge can justify execution, contrasting with Feng Jun’s more restrained expectations.
• Poverty and resourcefulness: The woman’s willingness to salvage clothing, weapons, and ammunition highlights the village’s severe poverty and the practical value of every possession.

Character Interactions

• The middle-aged man repeatedly tries to shame Feng Jun into a close fight, but Feng Jun mocks the idea and refuses to be baited.
• The woman openly criticizes Feng Jun’s lack of movement techniques, while Feng Jun defensively argues that combat ability does not depend entirely on speed.
• Feng Jun and the woman disagree over whether the man should be spared, but their actions show that both are ultimately cautious and decisive.
• After the killing, Feng Jun’s discomfort with stripping the corpse contrasts with the woman’s matter-of-fact attitude, reinforcing their differing backgrounds and perspectives.