Chapter Summaries

Xu Shi defeated Shen He in Divine Arrival by overpowering his hacks and breaking his influence over the players, then used the threat of tracing Shen He's connection to erase him from the game. After logging off, Xu Shi learned from Yu Xingchuan that the task he had assigned had succeeded.

• Xu Shi fought Shen He in Divine Arrival, countering his attacks with Yujing while taunting him about their hacks.
• Xu Shi used a wave of black light to free the surrounding players from Shen He's influence, and their backlash left Shen He badly weakened.
• Xu Shi struck Shen He down and warned that prolonging the fight could expose his hiding place, then erased him with lightning.
• Xu Shi told the players he was an administrator and advised them to report troublemakers before vanishing from the game.
• Xu Shi logged off, joked with Xia Ke'an, and received Yu Xingchuan's call confirming that the assigned task had succeeded.

Xu Shi secured Yu Xingchuan’s help in controlling the situation outside the city and promised to support her bid to become Director of the Inspection Bureau. After Gu Yi located Shen He in District Five, Xu Shi sent Lin Yue to capture him, and Lin Yue agreed in exchange for his promise.

• Yu Xingchuan reported that the Inspection Bureau had subdued most of The Forgotten, with some members switching sides during the fight.
• Xu Shi confirmed that he would help Yu Xingchuan become Director of the Inspection Bureau and ordered her team to hold the prisoners and remain outside the city.
• Gu Yi found Shen He’s location in District Five, and Xu Shi decided to send someone to capture him.
• Xu Shi pressured Lin Yue by reminding her that Shen He had kept his hiding place from her and appealing to her concern for her sister.
• Lin Yue agreed to go after Shen He and set off with her dagger after Xu Shi promised to keep their deal.

As Night Sin City erupted into a preplanned riot, Lin Yue’s forces searched for Shen He while Lin Xing and others faced escalating danger. Serpent Coil’s combat teams moved to suppress the chaos, but the Investigation Bureau was trapped outside the city and Shen He’s plans remained unresolved.

• Lin Yue found Shen He’s safehouse empty and ordered a search, while her people joined the effort to find Lin Xing.
• Shen He, badly injured after his virtual-world fight with Xu Shi, ordered his allies to keep their plans secret and prepare to continue.
• The Forgotten detonated explosives across Night Sin City and rioters attacked residents as the city descended into chaos.
• Long Tian led Serpent Coil forces into the city, where her combat teams crushed rioters and began evacuating residents and rescuing the injured.
• Bao Cheng arrived in a disheveled state, and Lin Xing realized that the riot and Shen He’s disappearance pointed to a more serious crisis.

Xia Wuyou and Song Cui fought while Serpent Coil’s forces suppressed the riot, and Shen joined the battle to help capture Su. With the rioters defeated, Xu Shi considered how to handle the captives and the fate of Serpent Coil’s leaders.

• Xia Wuyou exposed Shen’s identity, then fought Song Cui as the battle against The Forgotten continued.
• Xu Shi ordered Shen to support Xia Wuyou, and Shen arrived after helping suppress rioters in other districts.
• Shen and Xia Wuyou attacked Su together, using their abilities to disrupt her and force an opening.
• Shen struck Su with a stun gun, and Director Su injected her with a sedative before the forces captured her.
• Xu Shi and Xia Ke'an discussed using the captives to answer Night Sin City’s residents and deciding the fate of Serpent Coil’s veteran pillars and Su’s blood brother.

As a riot began outside the city, He Yu tried to turn the chaos to his advantage, but Qi Zhao and Snake’s men took control of the situation and summoned him and the He family. The chapter left He Yu and his relatives being escorted away while the riot and the coming confrontation remained unresolved.

• He Yu learned that the riot had begun and considered using it to improve his position while keeping his own involvement hidden.
• Qi Zhao arrived with armed men and questioned He Yu about where he stood in the conflict between Xu Shi and Snake.
• Qi Zhao’s men took control of the He family’s residence, and Snake’s Xue warned them that Snake was watching the Fang side.
• Qi Zhao insisted that He Yu and Eldest He come with him, and He Yu agreed after deciding not to resist.
• The He family was loaded into vehicles as the parties waited anxiously for the riot’s outcome.

Xu Shi confronted Qi Maoyang over his role in the Forgotten riots while Gu faced him in District One. Gu effortlessly defeated Qi Maoyang, and Xu Shi left the door open for continued cooperation with Imaginary Numbers.

• Xu Shi welcomed Qi Maoyang and questioned him about Imaginary Numbers’ connection to the riots, while Qi Maoyang’s father stayed away.
• Xu Shi showed Long Tian and the others a live projection of Gu confronting Qi Maoyang in District One.
• Qi Maoyang attacked Gu with earth dragons, stone spikes, and flying rocks after accusing him of forcing the confrontation.
• Gu remained untouched and destroyed Qi Maoyang’s earth dragons, then defeated him and let him fall helplessly to the ground.
• Xu Shi said he was satisfied with Imaginary Numbers’ attitude and indicated that the group could continue working with him.

Wen Shengkui’s knowledge-based ability and his intervention in Sin City were explained as the fallout from Long Tianding’s defeat settled. As Tang Shuang moved against Governor Yue Chizheng, Xu Shi’s note forced her to choose how to handle him, and she ordered his arrest.

• Xu Shi explained that Wen Shengkui grew stronger through knowledge, while memory deterioration and his age remained weaknesses.
• Ning Wei returned with Lin Wenhua, and Wen Shengkui sent Lin Wenhua to Xu Shi while warning him to manage things properly.
• Qi Maoyang realized Tang Shuang might become governor, while Tang Shuang confronted Yue Chizheng with evidence of his crimes.
• Tang Shuang learned that Yu Xingchuan had acted to suppress riots without her approval and received Xu Shi’s note urging her to withdraw or deal with City Hall’s affairs.
• Tang Shuang accused Yue Chizheng of conspiring with The Forgotten to incite a riot and ordered her squad to take him down.

Xu Shi’s forces crushed the city riot and captured Tang Shuang’s group, leaving Tang Shuang unable to escape Night Sin City. As Xu Shi prepared to finish consolidating control, news arrived that the He family had been taken and Teeth was missing.

• Xia Ke'an warned Xu Shi that Tang Shuang would resent being used, while Xu Shi weighed the risks of relying on Shen He and Spark.
• The city riot and civilian mental infection failed, and the news reached Tang Shuang as Xu Shi’s forces tightened control across Night Sin City.
• Tang Shuang’s group tried to retreat and locate Xia, but Spark surrounded them and captured them before they could escape.
• Lu Ke tried to use her final escape option, but Xu Shi contacted her and warned her not to think about running away.
• Xu Shi ordered Tang Shuang brought under his command, then learned that Teeth had disappeared and the entire He family had been secretly taken away.

After the riot was temporarily settled, Xu Shi visited Jiang and discussed the results of Fensheng's Yujing enhancement and the possibility of Ability Transplant. He reassured Jiang about her place in his life and encouraged her to focus on developing specialized enhancement armaments while they considered whether she should awaken an ability.

• Xu Shi reflected that Shen He had surrendered because she could not abandon her brother, bringing the riot to an end.
• Xu Shi met Jiang, who welcomed him with a home-cooked meal, and thanked her for Yujing's unexpectedly powerful enhancement effect.
• Xu Shi asked Jiang to hand ordinary mass-produced weapons to Engineering Department newcomers and focus on specialized enhancement armaments.
• Xu Shi explained that Ability Transplant might let people choose abilities, but warned Jiang that awakening one was not necessary and could carry risks.
• Jiang admitted that the battlefield performances of Shen and Xia Wuyou had made her feel inadequate, and Xu Shi reassured her that he had never treated her as a tool.
• Jiang agreed to analyze combat data and develop equipment, while Xu Shi encouraged her to be less restrained with him.

Xu Shi led the conglomerates and City Hall in dividing Shark Tooth’s spoils and setting new rules for Sin City, while Tang Shuang became the new governor and Yu Xingchuan took over the Inspection Bureau. After the meeting, Xu Shi told Su Lin that he still had people to confront and set off to settle accounts with old friends.

• Xu Shi arrived at City Hall with Su Lin, where Xie Qingyan requested He Yuzhao so she could deal with his betrayal, and Ye Shanshan thanked Xu Shi for saving her.
• Xu Shi praised Song Chen for helping turn the riots against Shen He’s forces, then joined the representatives of the major conglomerates and City Hall for a meeting.
• The representatives agreed to divide Shark Tooth’s assets, continue Feather Pen’s development projects, and integrate Sin City while leaving local gangs in place under supervision.
• The representatives approved restrictions on The Forgotten and agreed that Tang Shuang would become governor, while Yu Xingchuan took over as Director of the Inspection Bureau.
• Xu Shi left the meeting with Su Lin and said he still had old friends to settle accounts with.

Xu Shi executed Lin Wenhua and He Yuqiang while taunting them, then confronted Shen He and his sedated sister in the detention cells. Xia Wuyou arrived as Xu Shi began provoking Shen He, whose resentment remained strong.

• Xu Shi questioned Lin Wenhua about his final regret, then shot him after Lin blamed the Xu family for keeping control of Serpent Coil.
• Xu Shi exposed He Yuqiang's betrayals and offered him an empty gun to test whether he would kill his father; after He Yuqiang tried to shoot Xu Shi, Xu Shi killed him.
• Xu Shi and Su Lin entered the Shen siblings' cell, where Shen Qin was still dazed from a heavy dose of sedative and Shen He asked Xu Shi to get her medical help.
• Xu Shi challenged Shen He for blaming his failure on Shen Qin and reflected that he had already secured the advantage and intended to profit from the conflict.
• Xia Wuyou called for Xu Shi from outside the cell, and Shen He showed renewed gloom and hostility.

Xu Shi taunted Shen He and Shen Qin after defeating them, then learned that Shen Qin had transplanted a regeneration ability using technology she inherited. He offered the siblings a chance to survive, but left them to decide which one of them would leave with the Beacon.

• Xu Shi summoned Xia Wuyou to provoke Shen He, and Shen He erupted in anger when he saw her close to Xu Shi.
• Xu Shi struck Shen He and mocked his repeated failures, while Shen Qin tried to intervene and begged him to spare her brother.
• Xu Shi questioned Shen Qin about her regeneration, and she revealed that she had transplanted the ability using research materials she inherited from an elderly predecessor among The Forgotten.
• Shen Qin told Xu Shi that her necklace held the transplant research, and he sent Su Lin to retrieve it.
• Xu Shi showed the siblings the Beacon and said only one of them could leave, prompting Shen He to insist that Shen Qin be spared instead.

Xu Shi killed Shen He after making the Shen siblings choose who would die, then revealed he had never intended to let Shen Qin go. He had Su Lin retrieve a valuable USB drive and ordered Jiang Chengcheng to modify Shen Qin so she would obey him.

• Shen Qin offered to die for Shen He, but Shen He chose to sacrifice himself and told her to live on.
• Xu Shi whispered something to Shen He, then shot him in front of Shen Qin.
• Xu Shi pulled the beacon away from Shen Qin and admitted he had never planned to free her.
• Su Lin brought Xu Shi an antique-style USB drive containing valuable, unfinished technology, and Xu Shi planned to discuss it with Xie Qingyan at Prism.
• Xu Shi asked Jiang Chengcheng to preserve Shen He's body and collect genetic samples from both siblings, then told her to modify Shen Qin with obedience and inhibition mechanisms.

Xu Shi’s group restrained Shen Qin after she tried to kill herself, while Jiang Chengcheng encouraged Su Lin to pursue Xu Shi. The next morning, Xu Shi answered a call from someone demanding the release of their sister.

• Jiang Chengcheng suggested ways to make Shen Qin obedient, but Xu Shi rejected the proposals and decided to consider a suitable plan.
• Shen Qin tried to throw herself against a wall, and Xia Wuyou knocked her unconscious before Xu Shi ordered Jiang Chengcheng to watch over her.
• Xia Wuyou invited Xu Shi to dinner, and he left with her while Jiang Chengcheng realized Su Lin was jealous and learned she had never been intimate with Xu Shi.
• Jiang Chengcheng urged Su Lin to ask Xu Shi out, change her appearance, and use food and drinks to help bring them closer; Su Lin agreed to try.
• The next morning, Xu Shi answered a call from someone who said they had done everything he requested and demanded to know when he would release their sister.

Lin Yue went to Serpent Coil to reclaim Lin Xing, only to discover that Xu Shi had secretly controlled Lin Xing and guided Spark’s rise from the beginning. After Xu Shi left the choice to her, Lin Yue recognized her own desire and obedience and knelt before him, completing the Malice Entropy closed loop.

• Xu Shi told Lin Yue to come alone to Serpent Coil to collect Lin Xing, warning that Lin Xing might refuse to return.
• Lin Yue left Spark in her subordinates’ care, passed Su Lin’s security check, and entered the room where Xu Shi was waiting.
• Xu Shi revealed Lin Xing in a revealing outfit and collar, and Lin Xing said she wanted to stay with him rather than return to Spark.
• Lin Xing restrained Lin Yue when she attacked Xu Shi, who insisted he had kept his promise by allowing Lin Xing to leave if she chose.
• Xu Shi and Lin Xing revealed that Lin Xing had been acting under Xu Shi’s control and had helped lead Lin Yue and Spark from the beginning.
• After Xu Shi told Lin Yue the decision was hers, Lin Yue recognized her desire and obedience, knelt, and called him “Master.”

Xu Shi revealed the truth to Lin Yue, who accepted her loyalty to him and let go of her feelings for Shen He. After discussing Sin City’s future and her duties there, Lin Yue left with Lin Xing, while Su Lin’s attempt to invite Xu Shi out was interrupted by a call from Governor Tang.

• Xu Shi summoned Lin Yue, and she submitted to him after her psychological defenses collapsed.
• Lin Yue told Xu Shi that she had severed her own finger over Shen He, and Xu Shi warned her not to punish herself for another person’s mistakes.
• Xu Shi told Lin Yue that he had killed Shen He, and she decided she no longer needed to see him.
• Xu Shi explained plans to reform Sin City and instructed Lin Yue to consolidate its territories, assuring her that Ding Jun would hand over his districts.
• Lin Yue left with Lin Xing, and Su Lin tried to invite Xu Shi out before Governor Tang’s phone call interrupted her.

Xu Shi advised Governor Tang on Night Sin City's post-riot governance and admitted he had manipulated events and her career for Serpent Coil's benefit. Tang Shuang asked him to step outside with her, leaving their conversation unresolved.

• Su Lin postponed asking Xu Shi to dinner, and he left with her to go home.
• Xu Shi reviewed Tang Shuang's governance proposal and advised her to condemn The Forgotten's leaders, publicly try Yue Chizheng, and reward Song Chen's faction.
• Xu Shi revealed that he had killed Shen He and said Shen Qin, also known as Nan Qian, could not be allowed to die because he still needed her.
• Tang Shuang confronted Xu Shi about manipulating the riot, earlier attacks, the chip robbery, and her appointment as governor.
• Xu Shi admitted he would have forced Tang Shuang out of City Hall and into Serpent Coil if she had refused his plans.
• Tang Shuang said the office felt stuffy and invited Xu Shi outside for air.

Tang Shuang thanked Xu Shi for helping her become governor but remained conflicted about the underhanded methods used to remove Yue Chizheng. After accepting their cooperation, she used her remaining authority as Inspection Bureau Director to make Xu Shi complete his overdue community service, leaving him ordered to report to the bureau in uniform the next morning.

• Tang Shuang thanked Xu Shi for helping her become governor and admitted she was uneasy about the dishonorable methods that had secured the position.
• Xu Shi reassured Tang Shuang that their goals for Night Sin City were similar, and she accepted their arrangement despite her reservations.
• Tang Shuang and Xu Shi agreed to cooperate, but she held onto his hand and reminded him she was still the Inspection Bureau Director.
• Tang Shuang invoked Xu Shi's 120 hours of community service and got him to agree to complete it.
• Tang Shuang gave Xu Shi an Inspection Bureau uniform and ordered him to report to the bureau the next morning.

Xu Shi accompanied Tang Shuang on her final Inspection Bureau patrol, where they surveyed Night Sin City’s reconstruction and fought an ambush by Forgotten remnants. After Tang Shuang checked that Xu Shi was safe, he shot her in the forehead, leaving her fate unclear.

• Xu Shi reported for duty in an Inspection Bureau uniform, and Tang Shuang corrected his posture before taking him on patrol.
• Xu Shi advised Tang Shuang to delegate more as Governor while they inspected the city’s reconstruction.
• Xu Shi and Tang Shuang explored District Five and discussed plans for nearby districts and a possible meeting with Lin Yue.
• Forgotten remnants ambushed Xu Shi and Tang Shuang, but Tang Shuang quickly defeated them while shielding Xu Shi.
• Tang Shuang checked Xu Shi for injuries and mentioned that Serpent Coil would blame her if he were hurt, so Xu Shi shot her in the forehead.

Xu Shi killed a camouflaged Forgotten assassin who had tried to bomb him and Tang Shuang, then reassured Tang Shuang after his actions triggered her fear about their conflicting beliefs. They resolved the misunderstanding, and Tang Shuang kissed him before the story paused.

• Xu Shi shot and killed a camouflaged Forgotten assassin who had approached with explosives strapped to his body.
• Xu Shi warned the consortium representatives to clear the demolition zone of hidden dangers, then drove the shaken Tang Shuang away.
• Tang Shuang confronted Xu Shi about pointing his gun at her and admitted she could not be certain how he would treat her in an irreconcilable conflict.
• Xu Shi argued that their shared goal and willingness to compromise made such a conflict unlikely, easing Tang Shuang's fears.
• Tang Shuang asked Xu Shi to pull over, then cupped his face and kissed him.