Chapter Summaries

Lin Chen examined Old Man Song, gave him calligraphy for his birthday, and confirmed Song Wan could recover, though he knew Old Man Song had less than a month to live. After Lin Chen and Xu Mengyao left him, Lin Chen overheard Song Shikang and his wife plotting to seize control of the Song Family after Old Man Song died.

• Song Qingquan asked Lin Chen to examine Old Man Song, whose weak pulse showed no major illness but whose life force was exhausted.
• Lin Chen wrote “Tranquility Reaches Far” and gave the calligraphy to Old Man Song, asking him not to sell it or reveal its source.
• Lin Chen told Old Man Song that Song Wan could recover with time, while privately recognizing he could not save Old Man Song, who would not last another month.
• Lin Chen and Xu Mengyao left Lin Xiaoqian playing under the nannies' care and went with Song Qingquan to meet Song Shikang.
• Lin Chen overheard Song Shikang and his wife plan to remove Song Qingquan and Song Shikang's eldest brother after Old Man Song died, then make Song Shikang the head of the Song Family.

At a Song Family gathering, Song Shize and Song Qingquan publicly showed unusual deference to Xu Guofeng because Lin Chen was Lin Yu. Lin Chen then told Xu Guofeng that Old Man Song had less than a month to live and that Song Shikang planned to sideline Song Qingquan and later target Song Shize, leaving them to consider how to respond as Old Man Song appeared.

• Song Qingquan introduced Lin Chen and Xu Guofeng to influential figures, helping the Xu Family enter the Song Family's circle.
• Song Shize and Song Qingquan both greeted Xu Guofeng first and treated him warmly, surprising the other guests.
• Xu Guofeng learned that Lin Chen was Lin Yu and had given Old Man Song a piece of calligraphy.
• Lin Chen told Xu Guofeng that Old Man Song had less than a month to live and that Song Shikang and his wife planned to sideline Song Qingquan before turning against Song Shize.
• Xu Guofeng advised Lin Chen to wait before telling Song Qingquan or Old Man Song, and Old Man Song emerged supported by Song Shikang.

At Old Man Song’s birthday banquet, Lin Chen was invited to drink with a gathering of powerful elders. Old Man Song revealed that Lin Chen was the author Lin Yu and asked the elders to protect and support him, leaving Lin Chen grateful for the favor.

• Several influential retired elders arrived at Old Man Song’s birthday banquet, and Xu Guofeng explained to Lin Chen that the Song Family’s influence in China exceeded that of many wealthier families.
• Old Man Song invited Lin Chen to drink with the elders in a private hall, while Song Shize stayed outside to drink with Xu Guofeng’s table.
• Lin Chen entered the hall and greeted the elders, who were surprised by how young he was.
• Old Man Song revealed that Lin Chen’s pen name was Lin Yu, and Lin Chen asked the elders to keep his identity secret so he could focus on raising Lin Xiaoqian.
• Old Man Song asked the elders to look after Lin Chen in the future, and Lin Chen thanked him for using his influence to help him.

Wu Yangcheng realized the Song Family had sided with Lin Chen after hearing that Lin Chen was dining with influential elders, leaving him to weigh surrendering against remaining free. At the banquet, Lin Chen gained the bigwigs’ favor, revealed his medical skill and potential, and left with their support and contact details.

• Wu Yangcheng received word that Lin Chen was drinking with Old Man Song, Old Man Li, and other bigwigs, and feared his legal troubles had become hopeless.
• Wu Yangcheng considered turning himself in for a reduced sentence or staying free for as long as he could.
• Lin Chen declined the bigwigs’ offers of help and added them as friends on WeChat.
• Lin Chen said his medical skills ranked among the country’s top ten and estimated he could become number one in three to five years.
• Old Man Song and the other bigwigs toasted Lin Chen and left the small hall impressed by him.

After the banquet, Lin Chen impressed the Song Family’s guests with his drinking and learned that Old Man Song had less than a month to live. He then warned Old Man Song that Second Master Song planned to seize power after his death.

• Lin Chen joined Song Qingquan and other guests for drinks, and several influential figures toasted him in turn.
• Lin Chen checked on Xu Guofeng, who was already heavily drunk, while Lin Chen continued drinking with Song Shize and the others.
• Old Man Song privately asked Lin Chen about his health, and Lin Chen told him his Life Force would be exhausted within a month.
• Lin Chen said Old Man Song could not be treated or strengthened with tonics because his body could no longer replenish Vital Energy.
• Lin Chen warned Old Man Song that Second Master Song planned to ally with the Song Family Head to force out Third Master Song and then compete for the position of family head.

Lin Chen told Old Man Song about trouble within the Song Family, then left with Xu Mengyao and Lin Xiaoqian. On the train back to Magic City, Xu Mengyao postponed their trip to Yili, giving Lin Chen more time to improve his Aircraft Manufacturing Skill before they flew again.

• Lin Chen told Old Man Song about the Song Family's internal situation, declined to advise him, and promised not to reveal that his lifespan was short.
• Lin Chen used the System to remove the alcohol smell from himself, then left the manor with Xu Mengyao and Lin Xiaoqian.
• Song Qingquan saw Lin Chen's family off to the high-speed rail station, where Xu Mengyao spoke with Yang Qingyue by video call.
• Xu Mengyao told Lin Chen that she and her father would be busy handling new cooperation offers, so their trip to Yili might be delayed.
• Lin Chen taught Lin Xiaoqian to fold paper airplanes on the train and learned that his Aircraft Manufacturing Skill had reached sixty-five hours, short of the one hundred hours needed for Grandmaster level.

Lin Chen let Lin Xiaoqian play games to raise his Hacking Skill, which reached Master level, while he continued working toward Grandmaster level. Sirius then told him that Guo Qingsong had been arrested for leaking information about “Academician Lin,” but the Intelligence Organization behind the leak remained unidentified.

• Lin Chen had Lin Xiaoqian play a letter-typing game during their journey, gaining hacking experience while she played for longer than usual.
• Lin Chen let Lin Xiaoqian play games again the next morning, and his Hacking Skill reached Master level.
• Lin Chen planned to use his hacking knowledge to inspect and protect the family’s phones and computers once he reached Grandmaster level.
• Sirius told Lin Chen that Guo Qingsong had been arrested for leaking information about “Academician Lin” to an Intelligence Organization.
• Sirius said the organization had likely suspected Lin Chen and tested him through Xu Mengyao’s flight, but its leadership remained unknown.

Lin Chen discussed security, firearms training, and aircraft vulnerabilities with Sirius, demanding two billion in consultant fees to share what he knew. The higher-ups agreed to arrange a safety meeting with the major Airline Companies, while Lin Chen’s gun permit and payment remained unresolved.

• Sirius asked Lin Chen to relocate for safety, but Lin Chen refused to leave his wife and daughter and demonstrated that he could defend himself at close range.
• Sirius offered to arrange shooting practice and apply for a Gun Permit if Lin Chen met the required marksmanship standard.
• Sirius asked whether Lin Chen knew about vulnerabilities in other aircraft, and Lin Chen demanded two billion in consultant fees for the information.
• Sirius reported Lin Chen’s terms to the higher-ups, who debated the fee and decided the Airline Companies should pay for safety improvements.
• The higher-ups ordered a three-day Safety Discussion Meeting for the heads of all major Airline Companies.

Lin Chen reached Grandmaster-level hacking skill, guided Lin Xiaoqian toward spending less time gaming, and received 1.6 billion for vulnerabilities and backdoors he had prepared. As Xu Mengyao reported that Pan Jia’s husband’s family had become a major shareholder in the Zheng Family’s company, Lin Chen recognized the growing threat, while Lin Xiaoqian offered to help fight the bad guys.

• Lin Chen learned that his hacking skill had reached Grandmaster level and helped Lin Xiaoqian decide she preferred drawing, math, and other activities to extended gaming.
• Sirius told Lin Chen that the government and major Airline Companies had agreed to pay him two billion before taxes for the airline vulnerabilities and backdoors.
• Lin Chen received 1.6 billion in his bank account, then gave Sirius a password-protected USB Drive containing the files and their solutions.
• Xu Mengyao told Lin Chen that Pan Jia had partnered with the Zheng Family through her husband’s family, which now held twenty percent of the company and was its Second Largest Shareholder.
• Lin Chen grew concerned about the alliance’s influence, and Lin Xiaoqian offered to help if there were bad guys.

Lin Chen reached Mythical Level in Cooking Skill, gaining benefits that improved the health and longevity of people who ate his food and temporarily helped anorexia patients eat normally. The next day, Song Qingquan brought Song Wan to visit and arrived with a trunk full of valuable wine for Lin Chen.

• Lin Chen taught Lin Xiaoqian how to stay safe around strangers and reviewed her family's names, phone numbers, and address with her.
• While washing dishes, Lin Chen's Cooking Skill reached Mythical Level, and the system explained its effects on energy, health, aging, lifespan, and anorexia.
• Lin Chen learned that his parents would gain fewer longevity benefits than Xu Mengyao and decided to wait for his martial arts and medical skills to improve.
• Song Qingquan called to ask if he and Song Wan could visit the next day, and Lin Chen agreed; the system clarified that one meal could help anorexia patients for three days to half a month.
• Song Qingquan arrived with Song Wan, whose health and mental state had improved, and Lin Xiaoqian encouraged her to eat properly.
• Song Qingquan showed Lin Chen more than a hundred bottles of expensive wine from his family's cellar, and they began moving them into Lin Chen's car.

Lin Chen cooked for Song Wan, whose appetite and condition temporarily returned to normal after eating his food. After Sirius arranged a shooting lesson for Lin Chen, he brought Lin Xiaoqian to the range, where Wang Rui reluctantly agreed to teach him.

• Lin Chen and Song Qingquan brought food upstairs, and Lin Chen prepared large portions while discussing Pan Jia's partnership with the Zheng Family and the possibility that someone in the Song Family had arranged it.
• Song Qingquan took most of Lin Chen's cooking away to preserve, while Song Wan ate and said she felt normal and could eat other dishes again.
• Lin Chen explained that the effect might be temporary, and Song Qingquan hoped the preserved meals would help Song Wan recover over the next few months.
• Sirius told Lin Chen his Gun Permit had been approved pending a Shooting Skill Level assessment, and Lin Chen asked to bring Lin Xiaoqian to practice.
• Lin Chen drove Lin Xiaoqian to the shooting range, where Wang Rui introduced himself as Lin Chen's reluctant firearms instructor.

Lin Chen took Lin Xiaoqian to a shooting range, where he quickly passed the marksmanship assessments and impressed Instructor Wang Rui. He stayed to practice with various firearms and teach Lin Xiaoqian, then said they would return the next day.

• Wang Rui brought Lin Chen and Lin Xiaoqian to the shooting range and explained the safety rules and pistol assessment.
• Lin Chen scored higher than Wang Rui on the two-handed pistol test and earned a perfect score shooting one-handed.
• Lin Chen passed the Moving Target assessment, and Wang Rui praised his marksmanship.
• Lin Chen tried more firearms and taught Lin Xiaoqian about pistols, rifles, Submachine Guns, and Sniper Rifles while his shooting experience improved.
• Lin Chen said he and Lin Xiaoqian would return the next day, and Wang Rui promised to prepare a gift for her.

Lin Chen trained at the shooting range until his Shooting Skill reached Grandmaster level, then received a palm-registered service handgun from Sirius. He stored the gun in his System Space and considered going abroad to stock it with more weapons.

• Wang Rui reported Lin Chen's exceptional marksmanship to Captain Lu, who told Sirius that Lin Chen was good enough to receive a gun.
• Lin Chen returned to the range with Lin Xiaoqian, and Wang Rui gave her a carved wooden handgun before Lin Chen encouraged him to take leave to visit his family.
• Lin Chen demonstrated his accuracy, and Captain Lu approved three days of leave for Wang Rui while Lin Chen taught Lin Xiaoqian.
• After two more days of practice, Lin Chen's Shooting Skill reached Grandmaster level, and he impressed Lin Xiaoqian with his shooting.
• Sirius gave Lin Chen a palm-registered service handgun and one hundred rounds, and Lin Chen stored them in his System Space while considering acquiring more weapons abroad.

Lin Xiaoqian fell and bruised her forehead, and Lin Chen treated her at home. Over dinner, Xu Mengyao told Lin Chen that hackers had attacked the company server and suspected Tianhe Group might be interested in Xu Group’s drone technology.

• Lin Xiaoqian tripped while playing with Nannan and Qiqi, and Lin Chen took her home after she bumped her forehead.
• Lin Chen applied a medicinal patch and massaged Lin Xiaoqian, while Xu Mengyao came home and checked on her.
• Lin Chen cooked dinner after Lin Xiaoqian pretended her injury might keep her from eating Xu Mengyao’s cooking.
• Xu Mengyao told Lin Chen that hackers had attacked the company server and that the company needed stronger network security.
• Lin Chen offered to reinforce the server’s defenses and try to trace the hackers if they attacked again.
• Xu Mengyao said she suspected Tianhe Group might seek to acquire Xu Group for its drone technology, and Lin Chen admitted he had never looked into Xu Group’s businesses.

Lin Chen designed a Network Defense System and had Xu Mengyao install it on the Xu Group server while warning that hackers might be after the company’s drone technology. The system appeared to install without changing anything, leaving Manager Li skeptical as Xu Mengyao trusted Lin Chen’s work.

• Xu Mengyao described the Xu Group’s drone business, and Lin Chen asked her to manufacture a thousand drones based on designs he planned to provide.
• After dinner, Lin Chen massaged Lin Xiaoqian, then worked through the night designing a Defense System while Xu Mengyao worried about the company’s network threats.
• Lin Chen finished the Network Defense System and copied it onto a USB Drive.
• Xu Mengyao gave the USB Drive to Manager Li and ordered him to install the Defense System on the Company Server.
• Manager Li warned Xu Mengyao that stronger hacker attacks could overwhelm the company’s defenses, then privately considered reporting her decision to Xu Guofeng.

After Xu Guofeng confirmed that Lin Chen had created Xu Group’s Defense System, Mitchell led a cautious attack against the company. Lin Chen detected the intrusion and secretly entered the server, where Mitchell remained trapped in his Honeypot System.

• Steward Li warned Xu Guofeng that Xu Mengyao had installed a Defense System, and Xu Guofeng confirmed with her that Lin Chen had written it.
• Xu Guofeng reassured Steward Li that the system was legitimate and told him to stay calm if another intrusion occurred.
• Mitchell accepted a million-dollar job targeting Xu Group and sent his disciples to test the company’s defenses before joining the attack himself.
• Mitchell’s disciples withdrew and resumed their attack, allowing Mitchell to slip into Xu Group’s server while Steward Li’s team fought back.
• Lin Chen received an alert, left Lin Xiaoqian to do exercises, and accessed Xu Group’s server, where he realized Mitchell was caught in his Honeypot System.

Lin Chen traced the hackers attacking Xu Group, exposed their leader Mitchell, and arranged for the police to arrest him. After reassuring Xu Mengyao that the threat was handled, Lin Chen returned to helping Lin Xiaoqian with her math.

• Lin Chen traced Mitchell through his disguises, copied evidence of his crimes, and led the police to arrest him.
• Lin Chen uncovered the identities and criminal evidence of Mitchell's apprentice and his team, but found no connection to Tianhe Group.
• Lin Chen decided not to use Hacker Means against Tianhe Group and instead planned to deal with them through normal means.
• Lin Chen helped Lin Xiaoqian understand an Olympiad math problem and encouraged her to solve another one.
• Manager Li reported the attack on Xu Group's server to Xu Mengyao, who warned him not to touch the backend system.
• Xu Mengyao called Lin Chen, and he told her the hackers had been caught before they joked about his speed.

Lin Chen designed a high-performance drone while caring for Lin Xiaoqian, then learned that Old Man Song had died much sooner than expected. He suspected the death was abnormal, while Song Qingquan warned that the Song Family might face turmoil.

• Sirius learned that Mitchell had been arrested and called Lin Chen, who confirmed he had used a honeypot to defend Xu Group and helped expose Mitchell.
• Lin Chen completed drone blueprints and sent them to Xu Mengyao, who arranged for a thousand drones to be manufactured within a few days.
• Lin Chen massaged Lin Xiaoqian and learned from the system that he had gained forty-five hours of Ancient Medical Skill experience.
• Song Qingquan told Lin Chen that Old Man Song had died, despite Lin Chen's earlier examination suggesting he had more than twenty days left.
• Song Qingquan warned that the Song Family could face trouble because Old Man Song had died before dividing the family property, and Lin Chen suspected the death was not normal.

After Old Man Song died, the Song brothers questioned whether the food Song Wan sent him was connected to his sudden death, and Lin Chen agreed to come to the Song residence. Lin Chen packed for a trip to the Imperial Capital with Lin Xiaoqian, whose help expanded his System Space, then learned that Old Man Song’s lawyer wanted to see him about a will.

• Song Shikang questioned Song Shize and the household staff about Old Man Song’s condition, and they learned that he had eaten food Song Wan sent at noon.
• Song Qingquan called Song Wan and told her that her grandfather had died, then asked Lin Chen whether his dish could have caused the death; Lin Chen denied it and agreed to come over.
• Song Shize promised not to move his father’s body before Lin Chen arrived, while Lin Chen privately considered how the death implicated Song Wan, Song Qingquan, and himself.
• Lin Chen packed for the Imperial Capital with Lin Xiaoqian, and her help triggered a System Space expansion to two thousand cubic meters.
• Lin Chen told Xu Mengyao about Old Man Song’s death and the food he had eaten, then received a call from the old man’s lawyer, who said there was a will.

Lin Chen traveled to the Imperial Capital after learning that Old Man Song had left a sealed will for him to inspect. The will revealed that Old Man Song suspected his death was unnatural and had entrusted Lin Chen with a share of the Song Family’s assets and the distribution of the rest.

• Lin Chen took Lin Xiaoqian on Xu Mengyao’s private jet to the Imperial Capital and considered stocking survival supplies for future emergencies.
• Xu Mengyao told Xu Guofeng that Song Wan had sent a dish to Old Man Song, who died soon after eating it.
• Liu Feng and Cheng Xiaojun drove Lin Chen and Lin Xiaoqian to Tianding Law Firm, where Lin Chen opened the sealed will under recorded supervision.
• Lin Chen read Old Man Song’s letter, which said he suspected something was wrong with his death and left Lin Chen five percent of the Song Family’s roughly three hundred billion in assets.
• Old Man Song entrusted Lin Chen with distributing the remaining fifty-five percent according to Shize and the others’ performance.