Chapter Summaries

Lin Yue woke and witnessed Xu Shi having a woman modified into a remotely controlled sex doll, which brought back traumatic memories and fueled her hatred of him. Xu Shi then told Lin Yue he was tired of tormenting her and would let her go.

• Lin Yue woke from her coma and realized Xu Shi’s earlier methods had left her with disturbing cravings.
• Lin Yue saw Xu Shi, Su Lin, and Jiang Chengcheng modifying a woman through a window and tried to stop them.
• Jiang Chengcheng finished the modification, and Xu Shi used a remote control to make the woman obey commands.
• Xu Shi revealed he intended to use the modified woman against Lin Wenhua and returned to Lin Yue, who had been awake and hiding her anger.
• Xu Shi told Lin Yue that he was tired of tormenting her and would let her go.

Xu Shi released Lin Yue after her failed assassination attempt, while secretly planning to use her conflicting feelings and planted Malice Entropy to draw her into his own force. He left with Su Lin and Jiang Chengcheng for late-night food, while Lin Yue remained unconscious and the Hexagram Assassin appeared to have a role in his plans.

• Xu Shi told Lin Yue he would let her go, praised her loyalty to Shen He, and promised her the chance to try to kill him again someday.
• Su Lin sedated Lin Yue, and Xu Shi ordered her clothes changed before she was sent back.
• Xu Shi explained that releasing Lin Yue would help him recruit her and that Malice Entropy and Victim Consciousness Implantation would deepen her fear and emotional dependence on him.
• Xu Shi considered finding companions for Lin Yue and looked toward the modified Hexagram Assassin.
• Xu Shi invited Jiang Chengcheng to late-night food as a reward, and she asked him to call her Chengcheng.
• Su Lin watched Xu Shi and Jiang Chengcheng leave together, then kicked the unconscious Lin Yue.

After Hexagram Assassins attacked Serpent Coil board members, the company blamed Lin Wenhua, who suspected Xu Shi had framed him and ordered cyborg assassins to find Number 1557. Xu Shi tried to hire Tang Shuang as his bodyguard, while she concealed that being around him relieved her Ability Complication more effectively than medicine.

• Serpent Coil employees and board members linked the attacks on executives to Lin Wenhua because the assassins bore red hexagram tattoos, and more people began aligning with Xu Shi.
• Lin Wenhua insisted he had not ordered an assassination and suspected Xu Shi had turned his surveillance operation against him.
• Lin Wenhua ordered his cyborg assassins to find Number 1557 and kill her on sight.
• Xu Shi asked Tang Shuang to work as his bodyguard, but she refused and said the Inspection Bureau would investigate the attacks.
• Tang Shuang left after secretly observing Xu Shi, knowing that being around him eased her Ability Complication better than medicine.

Xu Shi kept Sixpointed Star hidden and learned that Xie Qingyan wanted to discuss his proposed cooperation. He arranged to meet her for dinner, where the two reunited on unusually formal terms.

• Xu Shi considered Tang Shuang's growing ease around him and checked on the hidden Sixpointed Star, deciding she should remain concealed while he worked against Lin Wenhua's plans.
• Xie Qingyan called Xu Shi to ask whether his offer of cooperation was serious, and he invited her to dinner to discuss it in person.
• Xie Qingyan accepted Xu Shi's invitation and arranged to meet him that evening.
• Xu Shi booked Babylon Restaurant in District 17, and Xie Qingyan arrived on time in a black gown and fur stole.
• Xu Shi greeted Xie Qingyan warmly, and she returned his smile, surprised by his serious manner.

Xu Shi and Xie Qingyan reunited over dinner, tested each other’s intentions, and discussed Prism’s ongoing cyberattacks. Xie Qingyan accepted Xu Shi’s Overlimit Project proposal as an equal partnership, and they toasted to renewed cooperation.

• Xu Shi shook Xie Qingyan’s hand and found that her higher rank suppressed his ability.
• Xu Shi and Xie Qingyan shared a cordial dinner and reminisced about their past.
• Xie Qingyan questioned Xu Shi about the attacks on Prism’s unmanned hospitals, while he denied involvement and offered help.
• Xu Shi presented Xie Qingyan with an outline of the Overlimit Project.
• Xie Qingyan proposed a sixty-forty split, but Xu Shi offered to divide the project’s profits equally.
• Xu Shi and Xie Qingyan agreed to cooperate and toasted to reconciliation.

Xu Shi and Xie Qingyan finalized a confidential Serpent Coil–Prism research partnership, with Su Lin and Ye Shanshan handling the project. After the dinner, Xie Qingyan revealed she had been sober and warned Shanshan about Xu Shi’s strength, while planning to keep ties with Shark Tooth and pursue her own ambitions.

• Xu Shi and Xie Qingyan agreed to form a joint R&D team, share research results, and leave leadership with Serpent Coil.
• Xu Shi appointed Su Lin to lead the project, and Xie Qingyan assigned Ye Shanshan to handle follow-up work.
• Xie Qingyan teased Xu Shi about a personal matter, then left the dinner appearing drunk despite being completely sober.
• Xie Qingyan told Ye Shanshan that Xu Shi was likely a powerful psychic Ascendant and urged her to be careful around him.
• Xie Qingyan decided to maintain contact with He Yuzhao and oppose Xu Shi’s plan to put He Yuqiang in power.
• Xie Qingyan began to curse about settling the score over the unmanned hospital, but her Filthy Speech Syndrome interrupted her.

Xie Qingyan struggled with her complicated feelings toward Xu Shi and ordered Ye Shanshan to monitor him, while Xu Shi planned to learn more about Ye Shanshan and use their connection to gain leverage. The chapter left both sides preparing to watch one another through their trusted aides.

• Xie Qingyan admitted to herself that her feelings about Xu Shi were complicated, then told Ye Shanshan to track his activities and keep a trump card in reserve.
• Xu Shi told Su Lin that he had no sincere feelings for Xie Qingyan and complained that her ability had temporarily sealed his own.
• Xu Shi decided that a long-term alliance with Xie Qingyan could benefit him, but he remained wary of her involvement in the Shark Tooth matter.
• Xu Shi asked Su Lin to compile everything she knew about Ye Shanshan, hoping to use her as a way to gain leverage over Xie Qingyan.
• Su Lin teased Xu Shi about his interest in women, and the two bickered as they traveled.

Ye Shanshan became Xu Shi’s temporary secretary during the Overlimit Project, worried that he was punishing her for mocking him, but found him unexpectedly easygoing. After Jiang Chengcheng asked her to deliver breakthrough analyses, Ye Shanshan glanced at the document Xu Shi had been obsessively writing and was startled by its title.

• Xu Shi welcomed the joint Overlimit Project team and named Jiang Chengcheng as acting lead while Su Lin was on sick leave.
• Jiang Chengcheng greeted Ye Shanshan with a painfully forceful handshake, then apologized after Xu Shi called her out.
• Xu Shi asked Ye Shanshan to serve as his temporary secretary, and Xie Qingyan agreed to lend her for a few days.
• Ye Shanshan found Xu Shi’s workplace relaxed and noticed he kept working on the same handwritten document.
• Jiang Chengcheng gave Ye Shanshan breakthrough analyses to deliver to Xu Shi, and Ye Shanshan returned to his office while he was in the restroom.
• Ye Shanshan glanced at Xu Shi’s document and was shocked to see its seven-character title.

After finding Xu Shi’s detailed plan to train Xie Qingyan, Ye Shanshan concealed her discovery and decided to steal the document as evidence. She used her Shadow Meld ability to sneak into Serpent Coil’s building that night, determined to expose him to Xie Qingyan.

• Ye Shanshan saw Xu Shi’s plan for Xie Qingyan and resolved to warn her, but hid what she had discovered when Xu Shi returned.
• Xu Shi locked the plan in a desk drawer and warned Ye Shanshan not to approach his desk when he was away.
• Xu Shi drove Ye Shanshan home, and she pretended to be at ease while plotting to obtain the plan as evidence.
• Ye Shanshan changed into black clothes and entered Serpent Coil’s corporate building at ten that night using her Shadow Meld ability.

Ye Shanshan broke into Xu Shi's office to steal evidence, but Xu Shi caught her in a trap and used the incident to pressure her. He offered to keep her attempted theft secret if she put on a strange device.

• Ye Shanshan used her Shadow Meld ability to sneak through Serpent Coil and pick the lock on Xu Shi's desk drawer.
• Xu Shi, Jiang Chengcheng, and Xia Wuyou caught Ye Shanshan as she opened the drawer and held her in the air.
• Ye Shanshan accused Xu Shi of planning to do something bad to Xie Qingyan, but found only metal boxes in the drawer instead of the proposal she expected.
• Xu Shi revealed that Ye Shanshan's break-in could jeopardize Prism's cooperation with Serpent Coil, while Ye Shanshan insisted Xie Qingyan had not ordered it.
• Xu Shi offered not to expose Ye Shanshan if she put on a leather strap fitted with a hollow metal ball.

Xu Shi punished Ye Shanshan by forcing her to wear “Silence” and having Xia Wuyou confine her in a dark room. After Xia Wuyou left, Jiang Chengcheng stayed with Xu Shi to discuss the Overlimit Project, while her deeper feelings for him surfaced.

• Xu Shi made Ye Shanshan choose between wearing “Silence” and a Shell-simulated Egg, and she reluctantly chose “Silence.”
• Xu Shi told Ye Shanshan she would wear it until Su Lin recovered, then asked Xia Wuyou to tie her up and hang her in the gym.
• Xu Shi had Ye Shanshan locked in a dark room, and Xia Wuyou declined his offer to stay overnight before leaving.
• Jiang Chengcheng remained behind and said she had work matters to report, so Xu Shi took her hand and asked about the Overlimit Project.
• Jiang Chengcheng held Xu Shi’s hand more tightly, drawn to him by feelings she could not clearly explain.

Jiang Chengcheng reported promising progress on the Overlimit Project and asked Xu Shi to test specialized enhancement equipment. She then asked him for an intimate reward, while the night left the bound Ye Shanshan unable to sleep.

• Jiang Chengcheng showed Xu Shi preliminary Sand Nightmare chip enhancements and explained that stability and personalized designs still needed work.
• Jiang Chengcheng asked Xu Shi to serve as the first test subject for specialized ability-enhancement equipment, and he agreed.
• Xu Shi praised Jiang Chengcheng and teased her about wanting a reward, prompting her to confess that she wanted to be his late-night snack.
• Xu Shi carried Jiang Chengcheng toward the bedroom, while Ye Shanshan remained tied up and struggled to sleep through the sounds.

Xia Wuyou told Xia Ke'an about Xu Shi summoning her, and Xia Ke'an advised her to follow her own desires while revealing that she wanted Xu Shi’s help uncovering the truth about Refraction. The next day, Xu Shi left Jiang Chengcheng resting while he went to handle something potentially dangerous.

• Xia Wuyou returned to the hospital and told Xia Ke'an about the work discussion Xu Shi had summoned her to attend.
• Xia Ke'an teased Xia Wuyou about obeying Xu Shi and advised her to make choices based on what she wanted.
• Xia Ke'an said she would ask Xu Shi for help investigating the destruction of Refraction when the opportunity arose, adding that the incident might have involved him.
• Xia Ke'an said Disgu’s expansion in Sin City was likely connected to Xu Shi and predicted Zhang Shijun would soon be outmatched.
• Xu Shi woke late beside Jiang Chengcheng, told her he was leaving to handle something dangerous, and gave her the day off.
• Jiang Chengcheng helped Xu Shi get dressed and kissed him goodbye before returning to sleep with his pillow.

Xu Shi visited Long Saber Party leader Ding Jun to offer weapons and support against Disgu, which had recently absorbed Spark’s people. Ding Jun was astonished by Xu Shi’s unusually generous offer and asked why Xu Shi wanted Disgu destroyed.

• Xu Shi took Ye Shanshan, still forced to hide the Silence device on her face, to meet Ding Jun in District Seven.
• Xu Shi proposed supplying the Long Saber Party with weapons because Disgu had been encroaching on its territory.
• Ding Jun examined Xu Shi’s list and was surprised to see advanced weapons, drones, laser weapons, and armored vehicles.
• Xu Shi said he wanted Disgu to suffer eternal damnation but could not send a large force into Sin City because of Dragon City.
• Ding Jun asked what Disgu had done to anger Xu Shi, and Xu Shi revealed that Disgu had absorbed Spark’s people.

Xu Shi secured Ding Jun’s alliance and planned to build influence in Sin City while Ye Shanshan remained under his control. In District Eight, Lin Yue found the mechanically modified girl she had seen during her captivity and ordered her rescued, suspecting her story was tied to the Serpent Coil assassination.

• Ding Jun learned Zhang Shijun had sheltered Shen He and, after weighing Xu Shi’s offer, agreed to work with Serpent Coil.
• Xu Shi told Ding Jun they would rule Night Sin City together, with Xu governing the light and Ding the dark.
• Xu Shi assigned Ye Shanshan to handle future equipment deliveries and used the remote for Silence to threaten her with a shock.
• Lin Yue struggled to rebuild Spark and cope with the lingering effects of her captivity under Xu Shi.
• Lin Yue found an unconscious, heavily modified girl bearing a hexagram mark and ordered her taken to camp for medical and mechanical help.

Lin Yue cared for the injured Hexagram, learned how she escaped Xu Shi, and gave her the name Lin Xing, welcoming her as a younger sister. Before Lin Yue left to prepare a charge, Lin Xing asked whether Spark had once included an engineer surnamed Luo.

• Lin Yue watched over the Hexagram as she recovered and helped her feel safe after she woke up frightened.
• Using Lin Yue’s communication bracelet, the Hexagram explained that Xu Shi had bought and modified her, and that she escaped after resisting him during surgery.
• Lin Yue promised to shelter the Hexagram and help with her modifications, then named her Lin Xing and called her a younger sister.
• Lin Xing agreed to stay with Lin Yue and asked whether Spark was the organization once led by Shen He.
• Lin Xing asked if Spark had previously had an engineer surnamed Luo.

Lin Yue learned that Luo Zhikang might still be alive and passed the news to Shen He, who resolved to plan a careful rescue. Xu Shi revealed that he had used Lin Xing to monitor Lin Yue and lure Shen He toward Serpent Coil, then freed Ye Shanshan and discussed an Overlimit Project launch with Xie Qingyan.

• Lin Xing told Lin Yue that Luo Zhikang had been alive when she underwent modifications, and Lin Yue relayed the information to Shen He.
• Shen He decided he would rescue Luo Zhikang but would wait for a safe opportunity and a foolproof plan.
• Xu Shi revealed that Lin Xing was his planted spy and that he had arranged for Lin Yue to pass Luo Zhikang's location to Shen He as bait.
• Xu Shi removed Silence from Ye Shanshan after Su Lin's return was arranged, ending her punishment.
• Xu Shi and Xie Qingyan independently proposed holding a launch event for the Overlimit Project.

Xu Shi arranged a public launch for the Overlimit Project, using it to restore the conglomerates’ standing and lure Shen He into action. Shen He decided to use the event as cover for a rescue operation and moved to remove Mr. Zhang from power.

• Xu Shi and Xie Qingyan finalized the Overlimit Project launch event for next Friday in District Nineteen, with a reception afterward.
• Xu Shi watched Ye Shanshan leave and suspected she was one of Xie Qingyan’s spies at his side.
• Serpent Coil and Prism’s promotion campaign spread across Night City and drew widespread attention to the launch.
• In Disgu Camp, Shen He weighed the event as an opportunity to rescue Luo Zhikang while pursuing the Enhancement Chip.
• Shen He told Zhang Shinian they would move their operation forward and arranged for Mr. Zhang to step down.

Shen He seized control of Disgu and organized a three-part plan to rescue Luo Zhikang, deciding to lead the rescue himself. Meanwhile, Xu Shi returned to find Su Lin playing games with Gu Yi and blamed Gu Yi for the change.

• Shen He had Zhang Shijun placed under house arrest and took control of Disgu.
• Shen He assigned Lei Song to cause a diversion in District Nineteen and Zhang Shinian to support the rescue from District Six.
• Shen He decided to lead the rescue team himself and kept the takeover of Disgu secret from Lin Yue.
• Xu Shi returned and found Su Lin playing games with Gu Yi.
• Xu Shi took the remote from his pocket and jolted Gu Yi, blaming her for turning Su Lin into a gamer.

Xu Shi prepared for the upcoming press conference and chose Gu Yi to accompany him to a banquet while Su Lin handled other tasks. After Su Lin dressed Gu Yi for the event, Xu Shi removed her Red Ant and replaced it with a crystal necklace, leaving Gu Yi to protest his teasing.

• Su Lin told Xu Shi that Lin Wenhua had kept a low profile and made no moves at the company since the previous incident.
• Xu Shi chose Gu Yi as his female companion for the banquet because Su Lin and Wuyou had other tasks and Jiang Chengcheng was undergoing treatment.
• Su Lin selected a silver-blue dress and styled Gu Yi for the banquet.
• Xu Shi replaced the Red Ant around Gu Yi's neck with a crystal necklace.
• Xu Shi teased Gu Yi about looking like a little puppy, and she angrily pounced on him.