Lu Zhou spent a quiet few days at home before joining his father, Lu Bangguo, on a fishing trip by the river. Their conversation about traveling fifty years into the future left Lu Zhou reflecting on whether progress was worth leaving loved ones and familiar life behind.

• Lu Zhou learned that debate over cryogenic hibernation had attracted little attention in China and continued avoiding work and public discussion.
• Lu Bangguo invited Lu Zhou to fish, and Lu Zhou went with him to a nearby river after his father kept urging him.
• As they fished, Lu Bangguo said he had brought Lu Zhou out because he seemed worried and needed a chance to relax.
• Lu Zhou asked whether his father would travel fifty years into the future in a time machine, and Lu Bangguo refused.
• Lu Bangguo explained that he would not leave his family and recalled how quickly technology had changed, ending with doubts about what the future would bring.

After the Jinling Institute for Advanced Study unveiled cryogenic hibernation technology, Musk met David Lawrence in Boston to discuss SpaceX and received a billion-dollar offer to accelerate the research. David denied having plans to travel to the future, but privately wondered what might happen.

• Musk learned that the Jinling Institute for Advanced Study had completed cryogenic hibernation technology ahead of SpaceX and Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals.
• Musk agreed to meet David Lawrence in Boston after hearing that Lawrence wanted to discuss SpaceX's space program.
• David asked Musk whether he would travel to the future, and Musk said he would rather remain in his own time.
• David asked how long cryogenic hibernation development would take and offered a billion dollars to fund it, requiring that the technology be safe.
• Musk asked whether David planned to travel to the future, and David said he had no such plans for now before privately wondering what the future would hold.

Summary: Legendary Quest!

Key Plot Points & Events

1. Legendary Quest Revealed: Lu Zhou enters the System Space and activates his Legendary Quest card. The quest panel displays:
   • Quest: "First Stairway to the Future"
   • Requirement: Unification of Algebra and Geometry
   • Rewards: Mathematics level +1, Void Memory B, 5 lottery chances, 10,000 points
2. Understanding the System's Purpose: Lu Zhou realizes the "Future Era" is not about traveling to the future, but about advancing each discipline to LV10 through Legendary Quests—personally pushing open the gates to a new era in mathematics, then physics, biochemistry, materials science, etc.
3. Return to Jinling: After a month-long family vacation, Lu Zhou packs up and takes the high-speed train back to Jinling to pursue the quest.
4. Proposal Submission: He submits a research proposal for the unification of algebraic geometry at Jin University. The staff member processing it is utterly stunned, needing confirmation that such an audacious topic is real.

Character Developments

• Lu Zhou: Demonstrates his characteristic ambition and drive—he cannot remain idle with such a fascinating problem before him. Shows maturity by respecting his father's wishes despite his concern for his parents' welfare. His confidence has grown to the point where he dares to tackle a problem that would seem like an April Fool's joke to others.

Significant Themes

• The Nature of Progress: The future is not given—it is created. The System's true function is to guide human advancement from one era to the next.
• Ambition vs. Contentment: Lu Zhou's relentless drive contrasts with his father's contentment with a simple, familiar life. Both choices are respected.
• Paradigm Shifts in Mathematics: The "unification of algebra and geometry" represents a fundamental leap forward, not incremental progress.

Character Interactions

• Lu Zhou & His Parents: He suggests they move to Jinling for better healthcare and resources. Old Lu refuses, arguing he'd be less happy in a big city and would hardly see his son anyway. Fang Mei offers to cook for him, but Lu Bangguo dismisses the idea ("Don't spoil him"). Though initially worried, Lu Zhou accepts their decision and resolves to visit more often.
• Lu Zhou & University Staff: A brief but telling interaction—the staff member double-checks the proposal out of duty, but acknowledges that for someone of Lu Zhou's stature, there's no real concern.

Chapter Summary: "Your Future Junior"

1. Key Plot Points & Events

• Lu Zhou encounters Ji Mo, an International Mathematical Olympiad gold medalist who followed him from Shangjing to Jinling to become his student.
• Lu Zhou gives Ji Mo advice on academic motivation and instructs him to call him "Professor Lu," not "Master."
• Lu Zhou shows Ji Mo his office, telling him he'll get a desk once he graduates from his undergraduate program.
• Lu Zhou submits a project proposal for the "Unified Theory of Algebra and Geometry" and announces to his research team that this will be their new research direction.
• Lu Zhou visits the Jinling Institute for Advanced Study to examine a black cube salvaged with engine wreckage.
• He discovers the black cube is nearly identical to a golden cube from his "Void Memory," speculates it might be a storage device, but fails to activate it—concluding it may need a special device or might be broken.

2. Character Developments

• Lu Zhou: Demonstrates a pragmatic, no-nonsense mentoring style. He emphasizes substance over formalism and genuine curiosity over chasing awards. His primary focus remains reaching system LV10 and unraveling the mystery of the cube and his fragmented memories.
• Ji Mo: Introduced as eager, worshipful, and a bit naive. He idolizes Lu Zhou and speaks in grand ideals, but shows willingness to accept guidance and correction.

3. Significant Themes

• Mentorship and academic philosophy: Lu Zhou stresses that true achievement comes from studying mathematics for its own sake, not for medals or fame. He advocates giving promising undergraduates freedom to develop rather than binding them early.
• Ambition vs. humility: Ji Mo's grand declarations are tempered by Lu Zhou's insistence on curbing arrogance and impatience.
• Mystery and the unknown: The black cube and its connection to Lu Zhou's Void Memory deepen the sci-fi/mystery subplot, hinting at larger unanswered questions about the system and the wreckage.

4. Character Interactions

• Lu Zhou and Ji Mo: A mentorship exchange where Lu Zhou sets expectations, offers blunt advice, and establishes boundaries while accepting Ji Mo as a prospective student.
• Lu Zhou and his research team: He casually drops the bombshell of their new research direction—the Unified Theory of Algebra and Geometry—leaving them stunned.
• Lu Zhou and the AI/mechanical arm: A brief, humorous interaction where the AI wants to dissect the black cube, and Lu Zhou reminds it the cube needs to be reassembled, not destroyed.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points

• Lu Zhou still cannot determine the purpose of "Wreckage Two," but gains hints about its origins; he expects the next memory fragment to be the key.
• He shifts focus to the Unification of Algebra and Geometry, a project that is less about a single flash of genius and more about systematically weaving existing methods together — a task he is uniquely positioned to complete due to his prior Riemann Hypothesis work.
• Director Li visits and relays a Russian diplomatic letter of thanks for Lu Zhou's earlier discovery of a critical vulnerability at the Helios Nuclear Power Plant.
• Li reveals the Helios incident was not an accident: intelligence suggests a premeditated plot to plant a virus and trigger a reactor overload, targeting both the plant and Lu Zhou himself.
• Russian authorities have since arrested several spies; the plot was foiled thanks to the safety of the fusion device.
• Lu Zhou decides to reduce his participation in public events for security, though Li reassures him that the international situation is favorable.
• Professor Wu Tianqun arrives with exciting news: the Carbon-Based Chip Laboratory has produced samples of "Longteng No. 1" that meet commercial performance standards.

Character Developments

• Lu Zhou: Pragmatic and cautious about personal security; modest about his computer skills; focused on a new, less "inspired" but equally significant research project.
• Director Li: Acts as a reassuring mentor figure, sharing intelligence while advising Lu Zhou not to over-avoid academic obligations.
• Wu Tianqun: Highly enthusiastic and excited, eager to share the laboratory breakthrough.

Significant Themes

• The nature of scientific achievement: Some breakthroughs require creativity; others require careful synthesis of existing knowledge.
• Security versus scientific openness: A prominent scientist faces targeted threats; balancing safety with necessary public engagement.
• International scientific cooperation and espionage: Even successful collaboration (Helios) can expose researchers to hidden dangers.

Character Interactions

• Lu Zhou & Director Li: A conversation covering the diplomatic letter, the assassination/industrial sabotage plot, and security advice; Li downplays Lu Zhou's modesty about his computer skills.
• Lu Zhou & Wu Tianqun: Lu Zhou guesses the news from Wu's expression; Wu confirms the successful production of commercially viable carbon-based chip samples.

Lu Zhou visited the Carbon-Based Chip Research Institute and saw the completed Longteng No. 1, a carbon-based chip that outperformed its silicon-based benchmark despite having lower transistor density. With production potentially beginning by the end of the month, he contacted Director Li and then told Mr. Wang that the ordered chip had been made.

• Professor Wu Tianqun showed Lu Zhou the Longteng No. 1 prototype and explained its performance and planned server-market positioning.
• Lu Zhou bent the chip until it snapped, then learned from Professor Wu Tianqun that it could be made in volume and production might begin by the end of the month.
• Lu Zhou called Director Li about Longteng No. 1, prompting Director Li to turn his car around and return to the Institute for Advanced Study.
• Lu Zhou considered how to use the chip, called Mr. Wang, and told him that the chip he had ordered was ready.

At an IEEE conference, Intel CTO Michael Mayberry drew attention with the Silverlight architecture before a Huawei HiSilicon presenter began introducing a carbon-based chip project. The chapter ended as the audience fell into an eerie silence at the announcement.

• Michael Mayberry presented Intel’s Silverlight microarchitecture and its planned 7 nm chips to the conference.
• Qualcomm’s Derek Wackoff and Koch watched enviously as Intel stole the spotlight.
• Robert Swan warned Mayberry not to underestimate Huawei HiSilicon and its partners.
• A Huawei HiSilicon presenter introduced a joint project with the Jinling Institute for Advanced Study and began describing their carbon-based chip research.
• The hall abruptly fell silent as the presenter spoke.

Summary: Chapter "Academician Lu's Project"

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• He Hai, an obscure Huawei R&D engineer, presents a paper on carbon-based chip technology at an academic conference.
• He reveals the first "Longteng No. 1" chip, produced using carbon-based transistors and 28-nanometer process technology, with performance benchmarks rivaling Intel's Xeon series.
• Intel CTO Maybury interrupts the presentation mid-way, demanding whether Huawei is genuinely claiming a breakthrough in carbon-based chips.
• He Hai reveals the corresponding author is "Academician Lu"—a legendary figure with dual Nobel Prize and Fields Medal, prover of the Riemann Hypothesis, and recent Gauss Prize winner—instantly silencing all skepticism.
• The venue erupts into chaos after the presentation ends; the Q&A session is abandoned entirely.
• Qualcomm VP Koch and colleague Vakov discuss selling their Qualcomm shares due to the perceived threat to the semiconductor industry.

2. Character Developments

• He Hai: Experiences the "pinnacle of his life," transitioning from an unnoticed engineer to the center of global attention, handling scrutiny with nervousness but composure.
• Maybury (Intel CTO): Begins condescending and dismissive, then becomes increasingly hysterical as the credibility of the claim is confirmed, ultimately rendered speechless.
• Academician Lu: Exerts influence entirely off-screen; his name alone serves as an unassailable guarantee of scientific validity, demonstrating his immense reputation.

3. Significant Themes

• Science vs. Industry: The tension between legacy silicon-based semiconductor companies and revolutionary disruptive technology.
• Authority and Credibility: How the weight of a single academic's reputation can override collective industry skepticism.
• The Shock of Breakthrough: The gap between theoretical possibility and announced reality in high-stakes technology.
• Global Competition: The geopolitical and economic implications of a Chinese technological breakthrough in semiconductors.

4. Character Interactions

• Maybury interrupts He Hai's presentation with aggressive, repeated questioning about the chip's legitimacy.
• He Hai politely but firmly defends the results, deferring to Academician Lu's authority.
• Swan (seated beside Maybury) calmly urges the presentation to continue when Maybury is too stunned to respond.
• Koch and Vakov exchange a brief, deadpan dialogue about selling their stock—highlighting the commercial panic spreading through industry leaders.
• The audience's collective gasps and murmured disputes form a backdrop of skeptical yet awed reception.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points

• Huawei HiSilicon unveils carbon-based chip technology ("Longteng No. 1") at the IEEE flagship conference, causing a global semiconductor industry shock
• The revelation triggers a stock market crash, with Intel (despite its new Silverlight architecture) and other chip giants like Qualcomm and AMD hit by this "Black Swan event"
• Major demand surges for the new chips from domestic manufacturers and supercomputing centers
• Wang Zhengfei reveals this was deliberate: publishing the paper at the conference was a "pressure test" before the product launch
• The chapter ends with the IEEE conference withdrawing Huawei's paper—news both men find amusing rather than concerning

Character Developments

• Wang Zhengfei (Huawei CEO): Portrayed as a shrewd strategist, openly delighted by the industry disruption, using calculated tactics to break Western technological blockade
• Lu Zhou: Maintains his characteristic modesty about his contributions, declines a speaking role at the product launch, but agrees to attend; shows growing influence as he's now called "Academician Lu"

Significant Themes

• Technological disruption and its market impact
• Strategic use of information release to "pressure-test" industry reactions
• Breaking Western semiconductor dominance through innovation
• The gap between scientific research and commercial application

Character Interactions

• A friendly, mutually respectful conversation between Lu Zhou and Wang Zhengfei over tea
• Wang Zhengfei emphasizes Lu Zhou's credibility would guarantee chip sales; Lu Zhou deflects, wishing to avoid public speaking
• The call revealing the paper's withdrawal leads to knowing laughter—both recognize it signals the industry's alarm, confirming their success

After IEEE retracted Lu Zhou’s paper on questionable grounds, he decided the Jinling Institute for Advanced Study should establish its own multidisciplinary journal. He asked Chen Yushan to handle setting it up and named it “Future.”

• Lu Zhou read IEEE’s retraction notice and rejected its vague accusations, insisting that he would not revise correct research.
• Chen Yushan asked whether Lu Zhou would revise the paper, and he said he would not change work that was correct.
• Chen Yushan suggested that Lu Zhou start his own journal, and he said Wang Zhengfei had raised the idea too.
• Lu Zhou decided to establish a multidisciplinary journal under the Jinling Institute for Advanced Study and asked Chen Yushan to manage its creation.
• Lu Zhou named the journal “Future.”

Chapter Summary: "Lion or Hunter"

Key Plot Points

• Following the Carbon-Based Chip breakthrough announced at the International Conference on Integrated Circuit Design and Process Technology, the global semiconductor industry is in turmoil, with executives at Intel, Qualcomm, etc., fearing layoffs and upheaval.
• IEEE retracts the Carbon-Based Integrated Circuit paper, citing fabricated experimental data, allowing some in the industry to breathe easier.
• Most of the industry accepts IEEE's credibility over Huawei HiSilicon, and discussions on Facebook dismiss the carbon-based chip as a "balloon."
• At Intel, Maybury reveals he orchestrated the retraction: people within IEEE who are "ours," plus pressure from industry and the White House, forced the retraction.
• The White House acted because semiconductors are a present-day core interest of the US (unlike new energy vehicles, where they might concede on Controlled Nuclear Fusion), involving trillions of dollars, jobs, and high-tech dominance.
• Maybury dismisses the significance of the retraction's being questioned: he argues that even if the technology is real, Huawei HiSilicon is a "lone lion" trying to enter a hunting ground owned by an established pride—the industry ecosystem Intel built. He claims compatibility and ecosystem influence matter more than raw technology.
• Maybury nevertheless approves and launches Intel's own Carbon-Based Integrated Circuit project, reasoning that if the path works, Intel can do it too.
• The chapter ends with Maybury seeing forwarded news: Jinling Institute for Advanced Study (Lu Zhou's institution) has founded a comprehensive academic journal called Future, with Lu Zhou as editor-in-chief—a development that visibly shakes Maybury.

Character Developments

• Maybury (Intel executive): Cunning, strategic, politically connected; pushed the retraction through IEEE and the White House. He displays pride in Intel's ecosystem dominance but also pragmatism in starting a parallel carbon-based project. The ending news about the Future journal catches him off guard, hinting his confidence may be misplaced.
• The young assistant: Naive and less politically aware; surprised IEEE agreed so easily and questions whether the retraction changes anything since the product launch is still scheduled. His "hunter" question implicitly challenges Maybury's lion metaphor.

Significant Themes

• Ecosystem power vs. disruptive technology: Whether a breakthrough can overcome the entrenched ecosystem (Intel's argument) or whether it can bypass/redefine it (the "hunter" possibility).
• Geopolitical/industrial rivalry: US–China competition over semiconductors, with academic institutions (IEEE) weaponized for national industrial interests.
• Academic integrity compromised: The retraction is framed as politically motivated, not truth-based.
• Hubris and underestimation: Maybury's lion metaphor vs. the hinted possibility that HiSilicon/Lu Zhou are "hunters with guns"—the title of the chapter encapsulates this central irony.

Character Interactions

• Maybury and his assistant discuss the retraction and its implications; Maybury teaches, the assistant questions.
• Maybury's internal reflections on the White House's calculus (contrasting new energy vehicles vs. semiconductors).
• Indirect interaction: Maybury reacts to news about Lu Zhou's Future journal, signaling a new confrontation between the established semiconductor order and Lu Zhou's institutional moves.

At the Third Nuclear Industry Summit, Lu Zhou’s old colleagues pledged to recognize his new journal Future as a top-tier publication, while the academic community debated its challenge to established journals. Lu Zhou established Future’s editorial office and promised its editor-in-chief a paper, revealing that he planned to submit a proof of the Riemann Hypothesis.

• At the summit in Haizhou, Sheng Xianfu and Li Changxia remarked that Lu Zhou’s absence made the reunion feel incomplete, and Wang Zengguang said Lu Zhou was doing well.
• Li Jiangang learned that IEEE had withdrawn a paper listing Lu Zhou as corresponding author and discussed Lu Zhou’s newly founded journal, Future.
• Wang Zengguang announced that the Nuclear Industry Group would count Future papers as top-journal publications, and Li Jiangang made the same decision for the Luyang Institute of Materials Research.
• As news of Future spread, Chinese academics discussed its potential to challenge the influence of Science and Nature.
• Lu Zhou set aside a building at the Jinling Institute for Advanced Study for Future’s editorial office, and editor-in-chief Yao Gong reported on the journal’s launch.
• When Yao Gong asked Lu Zhou to submit a paper, Lu Zhou said he would provide a proof of the Riemann Hypothesis.

Chapter Summary: "An Unprecedented Privilege"

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Zhou chooses to publish his Riemann Hypothesis proof in the newly founded journal Future, despite editor Yao's concern that the topic is too prestigious for a new journal. Lu Zhou insists that journals are elevated by the works they publish, not the reverse.
• The inaugural issue of Future drops as a 30-page special edition featuring Lu Zhou's Riemann Hypothesis proof, with six top mathematicians (including Faltings) as reviewers. A subjournal simultaneously republishes the previously IEEE-retracted carbon-based chip paper word-for-word—a direct mockery of IEEE.
• The academic community reacts with astonishment, seeing Future as a potential future rival to Science and Nature, and the public narrative frames it as a bold challenge to established academic institutions.
• Meanwhile, Maybury (CTO of a rival semiconductor alliance including Intel, Qualcomm, AMD, and Samsung) is enraged because his plan to suppress the chip technology by forcing the IEEE retraction has backfired. Worse, he receives an invitation to HiSilicon’s product launch of the "Longteng No. 1" chip in Shanghai and decides—against his will—to attend.

2. Character Developments

• Editor-in-Chief Yao: Initially doubts the decision, but Lu Zhou’s words inspire him. He is encouraged to work toward making Future as respected as the top journals, showing his growth as a leader willing to embrace a bold vision.
• Lu Zhou: Demonstrates unwavering confidence and a contrarian philosophy. He cares less about traditional journal rankings and more about the intrinsic value of the research. His attitude positions him as a reformer willing to upend established hierarchies.
• Maybury: Shifts from calculating arrogance to frustrated helplessness. His failed conspiracy and forced attendance at the rival's launch chip away at his composure, setting up a future confrontation.

3. Significant Themes

• Institutional prestige vs. merit: The chapter argues that true prestige flows from the work itself, not from the platform that hosts it—and that a new journal can rise if it publishes world-class research.
• Defiance against established powers: Lu Zhou's actions (starting his own journal, republishing the retracted paper unchanged) are a direct rebuttal to IEEE’s attempted censorship, highlighting themes of academic freedom and independence.
• Industry–academia entanglement: The conflict between Lu Zhou and the semiconductor alliance illustrates how academic publishing and corporate power intersect, with the chip paper becoming a battleground for market control.
• Arrogance and retaliation: Maybury’s plan to suppress technology via retraction is outmaneuvered by Lu Zhou’s audacity, underlining the theme of underestimated opponents.

4. Character Interactions

• Lu Zhou ↔ Editor-in-Chief Yao: A mentoring-like exchange, where Lu Zhou reassures Yao and challenges him to elevate Future to the level of Nature and Science. He physically pats Yao on the shoulder, emphasizing warmth and encouragement.
• Maybury ↔ Assistant: A tense, one-sided exchange where Maybury’s rage is met with cautious deference. The assistant delivers the HiSilicon invitation, prompting Maybury’s reluctant decision to travel to Shanghai, revealing his pride and strategic calculation.

Summary: Product Launch Conference

Key Plot Points and Events

• Professor Witten reads a paper on carbon nanotube integrated circuits published in a new journal called Future, noting that IEEE had been pressured to pull the paper.
• Witten explains the broader context: the carbon-based chip technology threatens the U.S.-dominated semiconductor industry, and the researcher (Professor Lu) retaliated against IEEE's censorship by founding his own journal and publishing the paper unchanged.
• Witten predicts the semiconductor industry will attempt to suppress the technology through smear campaigns and industrial exclusion until they can develop it themselves.
• Meanwhile, two Intel executives (Swan and Maybury) arrive in Shanghai, intending to attend the product launch of the technology to assess exactly how far the carbon-based chip development has progressed.

Character Developments

• Witten reveals himself as unusually open-minded and philosophically reflective, viewing the academic upheaval positively and even suggesting he may learn Chinese.
• Wilczek expresses pragmatic concern about the fragmentation of the international academic community caused by the language barrier introduced by Future, showing a more traditional and cautious perspective.
• Swan demonstrates strategic thinking, insisting that understanding the opponent is essential to defeating them.

Significant Themes

• Academic freedom vs. corporate/political influence: The ethical boundary between industry interests and the free exchange of scientific ideas.
• Language as a barrier to knowledge: Whether linguistic division hinders academic progress or merely challenges established norms.
• Intellectual arrogance and prejudice: The danger of assuming one's own language, culture, or framework is the only valid one.
• Technological disruption and resistance: The economic and political stakes of a transformative technology (carbon-based chips) challenging established industrial power.

Character Interactions

• Witten and Wilczek: A friendly but intellectually pointed conversation where Witten playfully challenges Wilczek's anxieties about the academic lingua franca, ultimately urging him to embrace change rather than resist it. Wilczek concedes he found Chinese too difficult, while Witten counters that prejudice, not difficulty, is the real obstacle.
• Swan and Maybury: A brief professional exchange, with Maybury dismissive of the need to attend the launch at all, while Swan insists on gathering intelligence. Their dynamic shows a superior confident in his plan and a subordinate slightly more reluctant.

Lu Zhou and Wang Zhengfei discussed the strict standards of Lu Zhou’s journal, Future, before attending Huawei’s product launch. Huawei revealed that its carbon-based chips powered a new phone and an expanding device ecosystem, leaving Intel executive Swan alarmed by the threat to the semiconductor industry’s established order.

• Wang Zhengfei told Lu Zhou he had promised a bonus to engineers whose first-author papers appeared in Future’s main journal, and Lu Zhou explained its high publication standards.
• Wang Zhengfei introduced Lu Zhou to Huawei chief product strategy officer Shao Yi, who went onstage to present at the launch.
• Swan and Maybury arrived at the launch and watched Shao Yi introduce the Longteng No. 1 carbon-based chip and the Mete100 phone.
• Shao Yi explained that the chip’s heat-management properties made the Mete100 thinner and lighter without sacrificing performance.
• Shao Yi pledged that Huawei would adopt Longteng chips across its phones and upgrade its wider device ecosystem within three years.
• Swan realized Huawei was building an industrial ecosystem that could displace established semiconductor companies and felt afraid.

Huawei demonstrated the Longteng No. 1 Carbon-Based Chip in a concept phone, whose graphics and CPU performance overwhelmed a silicon-chip comparison device. The demonstration sparked widespread excitement, while Intel CEO Swan decided to seek a meeting with Huawei’s leadership.

• Huawei staff compared a meta100 concept phone with a 28 nm Longteng No. 1 chip against a mete30 with a 16 nm Kirin 950, and the meta100 maintained over 60 fps while staying within normal temperatures.
• Maybury and Swan watched the demonstration in shock, and Swan noticed that Qualcomm, AMD, and other semiconductor companies had not been invited.
• Swan told Maybury to return to the hotel while he planned to talk to Huawei’s boss.
• The Mete100 also crushed the silicon-based phone in a Superπ stability and performance test.
• Visitors recorded the demonstration, and videos and discussions of the Mete100 and Carbon-Based Chip spread rapidly online.

Chapter Summary: IEEE's Misfortune

Key Plot Points

• Huawei's carbon-based chip product launch goes global, confirming Professor Lu Zhou's previously retracted paper was accurate all along.
• IEEE faces a severe reputational crisis for retracting a correct paper. A dozen+ professors withdraw from IEEE, and the Hua Academy of Sciences downgrades IEEE journals.
• IEEE's PR counterattack (excuses like "committee chairman acted alone" and "temporary retraction") fails; the retraction cannot be undone, and Lu Zhou would refuse reinstatement.
• The Semiconductor Industry Alliance (which orchestrated the retraction) faces existential stakes. At Qualcomm headquarters, executives scramble for solutions.
• Qualcomm's chief engineer Wackoff proposes a pragmatic shift: negotiate privately with Huawei rather than resist. Chairman Jacob reluctantly agrees.

Character Developments

• Jacob (Qualcomm chairman): Moves from rage and denial to reluctant pragmatism, finally accepting the need to break with the alliance and approach Huawei privately.
• Derek Wackoff (chief engineer): Emerges as the rational strategist. Argues for adaptation to the new landscape instead of futile resistance.
• The secretary: Proposes lobbying Congress to ignore Huawei patents; quickly dismissed as delusional by Jacob.

Significant Themes

• Academic integrity: Retracting a correct paper backfires catastrophically; the episode becomes a lesson in the dangers of politicized scholarship.
• Technological disruption: A revolutionary technology (carbon-based chips) can rapidly make established ecosystems obsolete, forcing even giants to choose between adapting or drowning.
• Pragmatism vs. pride: Alliances fracture when survival outweighs loyalty; "mutual benefit" is framed as the only viable long-term path.
• The inevitability of change: The era of silicon-based chip dominance is ending, and resisting the new order is portrayed as futile.

Character Interactions

• Jacob violently rejects his secretary's suggestion, showing his volatility and desperation.
• Wackoff and Jacob engage in a tense strategic debate; Wackoff gently steers Jacob toward accepting reality.
• Wackoff references Intel's "old fox Swan" attending the launch, implying rival companies are already defecting — a key nudge that breaks Jacob's resolve.
• The chapter closes with Wackoff's quiet resignation; the alliance is implicitly shattered, and Qualcomm's survival-focused pivot begins.

Here is a concise chapter summary:

Key Plot Points

• Lu Zhou receives a hidden system achievement, “Transcending the Era”, during Huawei’s carbon-based chip product launch.
• The reward includes a lottery chance, 100,000 Engineering Experience Points, and 5,000 Points.
• He draws Memory Pills x30 from the lottery, which he considers nearly useless at his current stage.
• Lu Zhou reflects on the confusing conditions for triggering hidden achievements, wondering if the system rewards advancing disciplines indirectly.
• He leaves the launch event, declining Huawei’s offer of an escort, preferring to wander alone.
• A man named Ye Nan, from Yifang Ventures, catches up to him and asks for five minutes of conversation; Lu Zhou agrees.

Character Developments

• Lu Zhou shows a pragmatic, somewhat detached attitude: he dislikes fuss, values productivity, and sees the business relationship with Huawei as purely transactional.
• He is introspective about the system’s workings, but remains uncertain how to deliberately trigger hidden achievements.
• He considers spending his accumulated points on interesting application technologies rather than hoarding them.

Significant Themes

• Hidden achievements / system mysteries: The chapter emphasizes the unpredictability of the system’s grading criteria.
• Technology vs. business: Lu Zhou’s lack of interest in being treated as a benefactor shows his focus on scientific contribution over commercial gratitude.
• Security and status: Wang Peng’s vigilance and the subtle presence of security detail highlight Lu Zhou’s importance.
• Unexpected encounters: The approach by Ye Nan signals potential future dealings in the venture capital/tech space.

Character Interactions

• Lu Zhou & Huawei staff: A staff member apologizes for President Wang’s absence; Lu Zhou politely waves off the need for attention, showing his low-maintenance personality.
• Lu Zhou & Wang Peng: Brief exchange where Lu Zhou corrects Wang Peng’s notion that Huawei owes him anything; Wang Peng silently disagrees but doesn’t argue.
• Lu Zhou & Ye Nan: A stranger’s eager, respectful approach; Lu Zhou cuts through polite chatter to get to the point but agrees to a short meeting. Wang Peng’s checking of the coffee shop name shows professional caution.

Chapter Summary

Setting: A café called 92 Degrees, near a convention center.

Key Plot Points

• Lu Zhou meets with Ye Nan, a venture capitalist who has requested this meeting.
• Lu Zhou receives a phone call from the Academy of Engineering—IEEE has asked someone to lobby him on their behalf, violating some prior understanding; Lu Zhou is unbothered.
• Ye Nan pitches his investment thesis inspired by Huawei's product launch: he believes true virtual reality (neural-level consciousness-computer interface, as depicted in Ready Player One) is the next major investment opportunity.
• Ye Nan offers to invest several hundred million dollars and asks Lu Zhou to help develop it using Carbon-Based Chips.
• Lu Zhou dismisses the idea, explaining that Carbon-Based Chips aren't a universal solution—true VR isn't merely a computational problem.
• Lu Zhou gently mocks Ye Nan's confidence by asking whether Ye Nan is richer than him (referencing Lu Zhou's own immense wealth from East Asia Power), which Ye Nan sheepishly concedes is not the case.
• Lu Zhou takes the call for five minutes, extends their conversation slightly, but ends the meeting at "five minutes." He leaves the café, then asks his AI assistant Xiao Ai to download a movie—implying lingering curiosity about Ye Nan's VR idea.

Character Developments

• Lu Zhou: Pragmatic, unimpressed, and wryly amused by Ye Nan's enthusiasm. Reveals he prefers simple things (instant coffee) and has little patience for fawning or speculative nonsense. Yet his parting request to download a movie (presumably Ready Player One) hints that Ye Nan's idea did spark genuine interest despite his dismissiveness.
• Ye Nan: Wealthy, earnest, and full of grandiose vision. Shows deference and nervousness around Lu Zhou, but is undeterred in his optimism. Lacks scientific grounding—sees money and nano-chips as solutions to fundamental technical barriers. His mindset is the classic "rich second-generation investor."

Significant Themes

• The limits of money vs. scientific reality: Lu Zhou explicitly notes that wealth cannot solve certain fundamental research problems; there are places money simply cannot be spent.
• Public perception vs. actual scientific advancement: Ye Nan's investment pitch typifies popular hype around buzzwords (IoT, VR, Carbon-Based Chips) without understanding what these technologies can and cannot do.
• Academic integrity and global tech competition: Lu Zhou treats IEEE's lobbying effort with casual dismissal, reflecting geopolitical tensions and academic independence.
• Naive futurism vs. grounded pragmatism: Ye Nan paints an idealized, billion-dollar utopian vision; Lu Zhou applies sober technical constraints.

Character Interactions

• Lu Zhou ↔ Ye Nan: The entire conversation is the core. Ye Nan tries to impress Lu Zhou with his "revelation" and investment money; Lu Zhou patiently humors him, corrects his misconceptions, and gently deflates him—but leaves a door open ("If I come up with any new ideas, I'll call you").
• Lu Zhou ↔ Waitress: Brief, polite interaction; she smiles at his exchange with Ye Nan.
• Lu Zhou ↔ Wang Peng (driver): Mentioned only in passing; Wang Peng awaits Lu Zhou outside.
• Lu Zhou ↔ Xiao Ai (AI assistant): Casual, functional—downloads requested content via text interface (shown as bubbly chat messages).

Summary: "Our Dragon Soar"

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Intel's CEO, Swan, emerges from a critical negotiation with Huawei after Intel's carbon-based chip technology failed to compete. The deal prevents Intel from filing for bankruptcy protection.
• Huawei's management deliberately chose not to dismantle Intel entirely, reasoning that keeping a bloated, inefficient competitor alive is safer than allowing a new, more agile Silicon Valley startup to rise in its place.
• At a victory banquet at Binjiang Grand Hotel (booked for three days), Wang Zhengfei reveals to Lu Zhou the terms of the agreement with Intel: "Two guarantees and one agreement."
• The key exchange in the deal is the North American market — Huawei gains market access in exchange for sparing Intel.
• Lu Zhou plans to return to Jinling to attend an IMCRC meeting (regarding the Lunar Hadron Collider project).

2. Character Developments

• Swan (Intel CEO): Shows visible exhaustion and vulnerability for the first time. His composed demeanor cracks, and he seeks solitude and a drink — described as the darkest day of his career.
• Maybury (Intel CTO): Extremely anxious about his job security, fearing his silicon-based expertise is now obsolete. His professional confidence is described as "more fragile than paper."
• Wang Zhengfei: Triumphant and strategic. Shows business shrewdness in choosing to keep Intel alive rather than annihilate it, recognizing long-term market dynamics over short-term victory.
• Lu Zhou: Remains focused on his scientific responsibilities (IMCRC, research projects), treating the business victory with calm detachment. Shows humility in describing his work as "not tiring" because he enjoys it.

3. Significant Themes

• Strategic pragmatism over total victory: The decision to preserve Intel as a controlled, weakened competitor rather than eliminate it reflects realpolitik in business.
• Technological disruption and obsolescence: Silicon-based chips are being completely replaced by carbon-based chips, rendering entire careers and technologies obsolete overnight.
• Power shift in global tech: The balance has decisively moved from North American semiconductor dominance to Huawei's carbon-based chip supremacy.
• The tension between science and business: Lu Zhou's priorities remain scientific, while the commercial battle is merely a means to support larger ambitions.

4. Character Interactions

• Maybury & Swan: Maybury desperately awaits the negotiation outcome; Swan gives him a cold, exhausted look and walks away — a moment that shocks Maybury, who has never seen Swan so defeated.
• Wang Zhengfei & Lu Zhou: Share an amicable conversation over champagne. Wang asks about Lu Zhou's return plans, then discloses the Intel deal details. Wang praises "Dragon Soar" (the technology) as the reason for victory; Lu Zhou corrects him to "Our Dragon Soar," emphasizing collective effort. The chapter ends with a toast.