Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Post-Match”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Meng, previously overshadowed by Jing Xiaoyi and treated as an insignificant participant, reveals his true strength during the final battle.
• He fights in multiple ways: launching solo attacks, directing his allies from a distance, and overwhelming enemies with fierce, relentless assaults.
• Inspired by Qin Meng’s leadership, the Grey Eagle Squad and the followers of Mao Youyou, Tang Wan, and others defeat the larger X-Star force with fewer fighters and casualties.
• Qin Meng personally rescues—or “digs out”—Jing Xiaoyi and secures the final qualification token, confirming their victory.
• After the match, commentator Carrot Bro becomes extremely popular because he had followed the Grey Eagle Squad from the beginning. His passionate yet balanced commentary during the final battle earns widespread praise.
• Despite the exciting battle, Carrot Bro and many viewers feel the conclusion was anticlimactic because the apparently dominant X-Star side is crushed almost effortlessly once the Grey Eagle Squad reveals its hidden strength.
• Carrot Bro regrets betting only a small amount on the Grey Eagle Squad and privately losing a much larger bet on the X-Star’s Jackal Squad.
• Many spectators blame the Military Headquarters for concealing the Grey Eagle Squad’s capabilities. Supporters celebrate their victory, while X-Star members and political opponents suspect the Military Headquarters is hiding ambitions to overpower the Federal Government.

2. Character Developments

• Qin Meng: Undergoes the chapter’s major transformation, changing from an unnoticed background figure into a decisive warrior and capable commander. His performance establishes him as a central force behind the victory.
• Jing Xiaoyi: Although previously portrayed as the competition’s star, he becomes someone Qin Meng must rescue, shifting the balance of prominence between the two characters.
• Carrot Bro: Gains fame and influence through his commentary but also reveals his emotional volatility, regret, and insecurity about his reputation after making the wrong private bet.
• Carrot Bro’s good brother: Provides comic commentary and contrasts Carrot Bro’s regret with a more carefree attitude toward their financial losses.
• The Grey Eagle Squad and their allies: Demonstrate strong unity and morale, fighting effectively despite being outnumbered.

3. Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and deceptive appearances: Qin Meng and the Grey Eagle Squad appear weak or ordinary until the decisive moment, emphasizing the danger of underestimating others.
• Leadership and morale: Qin Meng’s courage inspires his companions, showing how a strong leader can transform an outnumbered group into an effective fighting force.
• Public perception versus reality: Commentators and spectators misjudge the competition because they lack access to the Military Headquarters’ secrets.
• Political distrust and conspiracy: The victory fuels speculation that the Military Headquarters possesses overwhelming hidden power and may be preparing to challenge the Federal Government.
• Victory, regret, and hindsight: Supporters celebrate the win while gamblers lament missed opportunities, illustrating how confidence often comes only after the outcome is known.
• Humor through exaggerated reactions: The chapter uses Carrot Bro’s dramatic despair and the crowd’s contradictory interpretations to satirize gambling, fandom, and political paranoia.

4. Character Interactions

• Qin Meng directly interacts with Jing Xiaoyi by rescuing him and retrieving the final qualification token.
• Qin Meng’s battlefield leadership unites him with Mao Youyou’s, Tang Wan’s, and other allies’ followers, allowing them to defeat the X-Star team collectively.
• Carrot Bro and his good brother discuss their bets, with the brother teasing him for losing more money and Carrot Bro lamenting his failed prediction.
• The audience’s reactions divide into celebration from Mi Star supporters and outrage or suspicion from X-Star supporters and political opponents.
• The chapter closes by contrasting people who interpret events optimistically with those who project their own distrust and sinister assumptions onto the Military Headquarters.

Chapter Summary

Federal Government and X-Star tensions

Federal officials panic after the Military Headquarters’ success, fearing it will become too powerful and expose their schemes. They are also pressured by Princess Mishela, who blames the Federal Government for the disaster that caused severe X-Star losses. Secretary of State Lin Ye desperately placates her, arguing that both sides were outmaneuvered and should preserve their alliance rather than destroy their cooperation.

Concessions to X-Star

Mishela demands that the Federal Government quickly obtain and transfer the core research on Psychokinesis Simulation and the New Energy Card. Lin Ye agrees because maintaining X-Star as a counterbalance is necessary to prevent the Military Headquarters from overwhelming the Federal Government politically.

X-Star’s humiliating departure

The day after the competition, Mishela submits X-Star’s departure notice and invites a Mi Star diplomatic delegation to visit X Star. However, she abandons plans to promote the Little Pill, since Psychokinesis Simulation has rendered its supposed advantages—stealth, convenience, and lethality—largely ineffective. The X-Star delegation leaves in visible disgrace, with a much smaller and less prestigious escort than the one that accompanied its arrival.

Public reaction and rising fame

Qin Meng’s role as national hero Colonel Qin Meng is celebrated, though he is spared from personally seeing off the X-Star delegation. Meanwhile, Jing Xiaoyi—now widely known as “Master Jing”—becomes a major public sensation. His fans rival or even surpass Qin Meng’s in enthusiasm, flooding his message page with exaggerated declarations of love, demands for Energy Cards, and envy of Qin Meng for marrying someone so talented, attractive, and capable.

Jing Xiaoyi’s recovery

Jing has been unconscious for three days because of his injuries and awakens aboard a spaceship in a sealed nutrient pod. Despite being extremely weak, he immediately watches recordings of the final battle from every angle and then reads the public’s extravagant praise. Qin Meng becomes increasingly anxious and finally tries to stop him by force, insisting that Jing must rest rather than exhaust himself mentally.

Character Development and Interactions

• Lin Ye is shown as politically pragmatic and skilled at manipulation, using reassurance and pressure to keep Mishela from destroying the Federal Government’s alliance with X-Star.
• Mishela remains fierce, suspicious, and politically aggressive, but accepts continued cooperation after securing promises regarding advanced technology.
• Jing Xiaoyi gains enormous popularity and displays his characteristic vanity and curiosity by enjoying both the battle footage and public admiration, even while gravely injured.
• Qin Meng reveals deep concern for Jing’s health. His stern attempt to restrain Jing contrasts with the public’s romantic idealization of their relationship.

Significant Themes

• Political opportunism and shifting power: The Federal Government and X-Star cooperate not out of trust but because each needs the other to counter the Military Headquarters.
• Humiliation after failed ambition: X-Star’s grand entrance and reliance on the Little Pill collapse after Psychokinesis Simulation undermines its strategy.
• Celebrity and public perception: Jing’s achievements rapidly transform him into a beloved public figure, showing how fame can rival military reputation.
• Affection expressed through conflict: Qin Meng’s anxious, forceful concern highlights the protective bond between him and Jing, even as Jing remains focused on battle records and fan praise.

Chapter Summary: “Jumping Around After Returning~”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jing Xiaoyi successfully uses a “pity tactic” to secure two hours of internet access each day.
• He spends the time revising and uploading a comic inspired by his experiences on Planet One. The original version had been drawn hastily as cave paintings and mocked by viewers as primitive and unattractive.
• After spending seven and a half days on Planet One—fighting battles, observing local creatures and plants, and even tasting various species—Jing Xiaoyi has gained fresh inspiration. He incorporates the planet’s wildlife, food, and survival experiences into a more elaborate comic series.
• Determined to correct the public’s negative impression of his artwork, Jing Xiaoyi draws obsessively and uploads the completed series page by page.
• Qin Meng repeatedly tries to persuade him to rest, suggesting that they watch a movie or collaborate on the comic, but Jing refuses. He insists that finishing the series is necessary to defend his pride while public attention remains focused on him.
• Despite his injuries and physical weakness, Jing Xiaoyi completes the entire series through sheer determination and artistic confidence.

Character Developments

• Jing Xiaoyi: Reveals himself to be highly competitive, proud, vindictive, and extremely confident in his artistic abilities. His drawings are deeply connected to his sense of identity, and criticism of them affects him more strongly than criticism of his clothing, inventions, or cooking. His time on Planet One broadens his creative perspective and gives his work greater vitality, but his confidence remains comically disconnected from others’ assessment of his art.
• Qin Meng: Acts as the practical and concerned counterpart to Jing Xiaoyi. He worries about Jing’s health and tries several gentle methods to make him rest. Although Qin privately finds the comics bizarre and unattractive, he recognizes their distinctive charm and understands how important they are to Jing.

Significant Themes

• Pride and artistic identity: Jing views his artwork as his true profession and most treasured talent, making criticism of it a personal attack.
• Determination and perseverance: His wounded and weakened condition does not stop him from completing the comic.
• Experience shaping creativity: The dangers, species, and food of Planet One transform his earlier abstract idea into a more vivid and original work.
• Comedy through self-confidence: The humor comes from the contrast between Jing’s absolute belief in his professional-level art and Qin Meng’s private judgment that it is merely “ugly-cute.”
• Reputation and public perception: Jing is determined to repair the embarrassment caused by his earlier livestreamed cave drawings and prove his skill to the galaxy.

Character Interactions

• Jing and Qin’s exchange highlights their contrasting personalities: Jing is stubborn, passionate, and defensive, while Qin is patient, rational, and protective.
• Qin attempts to redirect Jing toward rest and entertainment, but Jing treats the comic as an urgent battle for personal dignity.
• Their relationship is affectionate and familiar; Qin’s teasing internal commentary contrasts with his outward concern, while Jing trusts Qin enough to argue openly with him.

Summary of Page 304

Plot and events

Jing Xiaoyi’s new comic series becomes an enormous success. Its popularity comes from its memorable art style, humor, educational portrayal of different species, and the lingering fame of “Master Jing.” The comic combines adventures across Planet One with vivid monsters, martial-arts-inspired heroics, and elaborate fantasy food. Its exaggerated dishes—including nested dinosaur roasts modeled after legendary whole-camel cuisine—captivate readers.

Character developments

Jing Xiaoyi’s extensive experiences surviving and hunting beasts give his creatures authenticity and personality. His artistic reputation grows as he successfully adapts Chinese martial-arts culture into a futuristic alien setting, emphasizing chivalry, courage, loyalty, and helping the weak. Despite his imaginative food illustrations, Jing is physically frail and limited to bland, nutritious porridge in reality, making him frustrated by the gap between his fantasies and his condition.

Themes

The chapter highlights the relationship between lived experience and creative success, showing that Jing’s adventures provide the foundation for his art. It also celebrates cultural fusion, combining martial-arts values, monster adventures, popular science, humor, and culinary tradition. Food functions both as spectacle and as a symbol of imagination, craftsmanship, and excess. The contrast between fantasy cuisine and Jing’s restricted diet adds humor and irony.

Character interactions

Jing’s nutritionist prepares and praises the porridge, sincerely believing it is delicious and appropriate for Jing’s recovery. The nutritionist also admires Colonel Qin, viewing him as a stern military figure who is secretly gentle enough to wash his hands and cook for his wife. Jing, however, strongly rejects the nutritionist’s opinion of the porridge, insisting that nutritious does not mean tasty.

Chapter Summary: “Buddha Jumps Over the Wall”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After seven days of being forced to consume expensive medicinal porridge while recovering, Jing Xiaoyi finishes his comic serialization and regains his blue eyes.
• Fed up with the porridge, Jing declares that he will make a vat of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, an elaborate and highly prized dish.
• He recalls that he had previously bought seafood, including geoduck, for this dish but processed it into seafood paste when competition preparations became too demanding. He therefore needs to purchase the ingredients again.
• Jing possesses an authentic ancient recipe supplied by Diandian. The dish requires numerous luxury ingredients, including shark fin, abalone, sea cucumber, ham, various meats, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and Shaoxing wine.
• Much of the necessary food is already available because Jing secretly collected ingredients during the competition. His storage includes both familiar delicacies and unusual items from alien creatures and rare planets, many of them valuable or edible.
• The sheer quantity and variety of food he brought back had previously astonished the receiving staff and livestream audience, temporarily distracting them from concern over his unconscious condition.
• While recovering, Jing continues drawing comics, experimenting with food, and avoiding official negotiations concerning the New Energy Card and psychic-power conversion technology.
• He refuses to meet most military and government representatives, insisting that only General Chen should handle the matter. Qin Meng helps keep officials away, though he cannot block the high-ranking Secretary of State Lin Ye.
• General Chen, having finished reorganizing the Gold Star Military District, arrives—or is preparing to arrive—to take responsibility for the negotiations. He instructs Jing and Qin Meng to delay everyone and, if necessary, have Jing pretend to faint.
• Chen argues that the technology should not be handed over freely in the name of patriotism. He warns that doing so would harm their long-term interests and encourages them to protect their rights until a proper agreement can be made.

Character Developments

• Jing Xiaoyi/Jing Yi: Recovers physically and regains his blue eyes, but remains mischievous, stubborn, and focused on food and comics. He demonstrates strategic awareness by refusing to negotiate until General Chen arrives and by using his illness—and even the possibility of pretending to faint—as leverage.
• Qin Meng/Qin Xiaomeng: Continues acting as Jing’s protector and gatekeeper, shielding him from government officials and supporting his decisions. His reaction to Jing’s plan to make Buddha Jumps Over the Wall suggests both apprehension and familiarity with Jing’s extravagant food projects.
• General Chen: Emerges as a reliable mentor and protector. He is willing to confront powerful institutions on Jing and Qin’s behalf and understands the dangers of surrendering valuable technology without compensation or safeguards.
• Military and government officials: Become increasingly frustrated as Jing refuses access and postpones negotiations. Their inability to pressure him highlights how unusual and politically sensitive the New Energy Card has become.

Significant Themes

• Protection of intellectual property and personal interests: The chapter challenges the idea that important technology must be given away for free simply because it benefits society or the military.
• Power and negotiation: Jing’s refusal to cooperate immediately demonstrates that withholding information can be a strategic advantage when institutions are competing for control.
• Loyalty and mentorship: General Chen’s willingness to shoulder responsibility allows Jing and Qin to remain secure while negotiations unfold.
• Food as passion and identity: Jing’s obsession with collecting rare ingredients and preparing Buddha Jumps Over the Wall provides comic relief while emphasizing his adventurous, food-loving personality.
• Abundance and ingenuity: Jing’s exceptional packing and preservation skills turn resources gathered during the competition into a vast culinary treasure trove.
• The tension between public good and exploitation: The chapter questions whether claiming to serve the nation justifies taking someone’s discoveries without fair compensation.

Character Interactions

• Jing and Qin discuss or prepare for the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall project, with Qin visibly alarmed by Jing’s determination.
• Qin blocks government representatives from reaching Jing, while Secretary Lin Ye is allowed through because of his senior position.
• Military officials attempt to discuss the New Energy Card with Jing, but Jing deflects them and demands that General Chen negotiate directly.
• General Chen firmly advises Jing and Qin to delay all parties, promising to handle the political pressure himself and defending their right to negotiate proper terms.

Chapter Summary — Page 306

Key Plot Points and Events

• With strong financial and personal support, Jing Xiaoyi and Qin Meng enjoy a comfortable life while Jing recovers from the exhaustion and injuries caused by the competition.
• Jing repeatedly pesters Qin Meng for intimacy after being neglected during the competition and his subsequent recuperation. Once Qin finally gives in, Jing becomes too exhausted to help prepare the elaborate meal they had planned.
• Qin takes over the cooking and prepares several jars of Mi Star-style Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, while Jing supervises from a rocking chair with a whip, jokingly acting as an overseer.
• Qin expertly processes numerous rare ingredients, including shark fin, sea cucumber, fish lips, abalone, dinosaur-derived foods, and Little Red Dragon eggs. The dish is enhanced by:
  • Replacing traditional meats with dinosaur ingredients
  • Adding secret seasonings such as Wine Plum and seafood sauce
  • Using spiritual power to improve speed, precision, and flavor
• Qin demonstrates exceptional control and speed, especially when opening the jars mid-cooking to add delicate ingredients without losing steam or burning himself.
• As the five jars near completion, Jing worries about how to distribute the limited food among Fan Qiao, Qin’s legion, Brown Bear and the other soldiers, and possibly others.
• General Chen arrives unexpectedly, accompanied by Yang Chun, whom Jing has not seen for some time.

Character Developments

• Jing Xiaoyi: Reveals his lively, mischievous, and affectionate nature through his relentless teasing and seduction of Qin. Though physically recovered, he remains overly enthusiastic and is once again rendered unable to help after exhausting himself. His concern over fairly distributing the food also shows his generosity and loyalty toward his allies and soldiers.
• Qin Meng: Demonstrates both deep concern for Jing’s health and remarkable culinary ability. He initially resists Jing’s advances out of fear that Jing has not fully recovered, then patiently cares for him and skillfully prepares the complicated dish. His confidence and pride emerge as he displays his precise spiritual-power control.
• Fan Qiao and Qin’s soldiers: Though absent from the scene, they remain important to Jing, who feels responsible for rewarding their loyalty and hard work.
• General Chen and Yang Chun: Their sudden arrival introduces a new development at the chapter’s close.

Significant Themes

• Domestic intimacy and playful romance: The chapter combines teasing physical affection with everyday domestic activities, presenting Jing and Qin as a comfortable and deeply familiar couple.
• Care and responsibility: Qin prioritizes Jing’s recovery, while Jing worries about sharing the finished food fairly with those who support them.
• Skill and cooperation: The dish’s success depends on Jing’s recipe and direction combined with Qin’s extraordinary precision and spiritual power.
• Abundance versus scarcity: Despite their comfortable lives, the limited number of jars creates tension over who deserves to receive them.
• Food as affection and reward: The elaborate dish symbolizes care, celebration, and appreciation for loyal companions.

Character Interactions

• Jing persistently seduces and pressures Qin, while Qin alternates between resisting him for health reasons and indulging him.
• Afterward, Qin treats Jing like a child, urging him to sleep and promising that the food will still be there later.
• Jing supervises Qin’s cooking in a playful, theatrical manner, while Qin confidently proves his expertise and earns Jing’s admiration.
• Jing mentally weighs the competing claims of Fan Qiao, Qin’s legion, and other soldiers before General Chen and Yang Chun interrupt his calculations with their arrival.

Chapter Summary: “Benefits of Natural Food”

Key plot points and events

General Chen arrives immediately after disembarking from his ship to congratulate Jing Xiaoyi for winning a championship for the Gold Star Military District. His enthusiastic shoulder-slapping nearly overwhelms the physically frail Jing. Seeing Qin Meng in an apron, Chen jokingly praises—or teases—him for acting like a homemaker. Their exchange turns into a playful “lesson,” with Yang Chun and others ganging up on Qin Meng before everyone settles down for a meal.
Qin Meng reveals that he and Jing Xiaoyi have prepared a Mi Star version of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. Although the dish gives off almost no scent while cooking, opening the jar releases an extraordinary aroma that leaves everyone stunned and salivating. The meal proves even more impressive than beggar’s chicken, combining dozens of premium ingredients into a rich, gelatinous, wine-scented broth. Everyone eagerly prepares to eat, especially General Chen.

Character developments

• Jing Xiaoyi is celebrated for his championship victory and continues to influence Mi Star’s culinary culture through his recipes and guidance.
• Qin Meng demonstrates unexpected cooking ability and thoughtfulness by preparing an elaborate meal, though he receives little recognition for his past sacrifices and gifts.
• General Chen is shown as warm, boisterous, teasing, and extremely food-motivated when among trusted companions, in contrast to his formal public image. His appetite repeatedly overrides his dignity.
• Yang Chun acts as Chen’s willing accomplice and recognizes the dish from Jing’s comic.
• The group’s relaxed teasing highlights their close, familial relationships.

Significant themes

• Food as affection and community: Preparing and sharing an exceptional meal becomes an expression of friendship, loyalty, and family-like intimacy.
• The transformative power of natural food: The dish symbolizes a return to genuine culinary traditions and sensory pleasure after society had pursued the wrong path.
• Cultural influence and renewal: Jing Xiaoyi’s recipes have inspired a broader culinary revival, with food festivals, experimentation, and new classic dishes emerging across Mi Star.
• Humor and domesticity: The chapter contrasts military authority with ordinary, playful family behavior, especially through General Chen’s appetite and Qin Meng’s reluctant “homemaker” role.

Character interactions

General Chen congratulates and physically jokes with Jing, then teases Qin Meng about cooking. Qin responds sarcastically, prompting Chen to order Yang Chun to discipline him in a playful mock-punishment. Later, Chen and the others react almost comically to the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall’s aroma, while Qin silently resents Chen’s implication that one meal is enough to prove his filial devotion. Jing and Qin share the satisfaction—and surprise—of seeing their careful preparation produce such an exceptional result.

Chapter 308 Summary

Key plot points and events

General Chen and his companions arrive hungry and are tempted by Jing Xiaoyi and Qin Xiaomeng’s Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. Although Qin Xiaomeng does the actual cooking, Jing Xiaoyi directs the preparation, and the recipe proves so exceptional that it far exceeds General Chen’s faded memories of Jing’s cooking. General Chen orders the dish to be distributed so everyone can judge it.
Yang Chun mischievously takes charge of serving, deliberately ignoring Jing Xiaoyi and giving the first bowls to General Chen and his colleagues. Jing, horrified that the food may run out before he receives any, silently fumes. Qin Xiaomeng secretly stores the remaining jars in their competition-winning storage device, preserving the leftovers. Yang Chun divides the main jar into ten perfectly equal portions, with the final bowl going to Qin Xiaomeng.

Character developments

• Jing Xiaoyi displays his usual dramatic vanity and strong attachment to food, but also takes genuine pride in the quality of the dish and in his culinary heritage. His irritation at Yang Chun eventually gives way to satisfaction as everyone appreciates the meal.
• Qin Xiaomeng proves both practical and perfectly attuned to Jing’s thinking. By saving the remaining jars, she quietly protects their interests and helps him regain his good mood.
• Yang Chun reveals a playful, mischievous side, intentionally tormenting Jing while efficiently serving the food. His precision and confidence make him appear like the true host of the meal.
• General Chen and the others, initially skeptical and eager to judge the cooking, become completely absorbed in enjoying it.

Significant themes

The chapter celebrates the power of food to evoke pride, memory, and cultural identity. It also emphasizes the contrast between generosity and possessiveness: Jing wants others to appreciate his creation but resents their consuming it without acknowledging his contribution. The meal creates a rare moment of communal pleasure, while the detailed tasting highlights the richness and diversity of traditional cuisine.

Character interactions

General Chen challenges the cooks to prove the dish is more than appearance. Yang Chun responds by taking over the serving process and deliberately denying Jing the recognition and first taste he wants. Jing reacts with exaggerated frustration, while Qin Xiaomeng silently supports him by hiding the leftovers. Despite their playful grievances, the group eats in shared appreciation, savoring each ingredient slowly. Watching them, Jing feels proud—not only of the meal, but of the culture and nation represented by the culinary tradition behind it.

Chapter Summary

After the meal, General Chen praises Qin Meng’s cooking, noting that it tastes good, feels warming, and may aid digestion. His nutritionist, initially skeptical of traditional cooked food because nutrient solutions and pills are considered more efficient and healthier, becomes intrigued. Recent research suggests that although cooked food creates bodily waste, it may also strengthen immunity and improve long-term physical development, raising questions about whether the supposed “regression” to eating meals has hidden benefits.
Yang Chun then tries to provoke Qin Meng by sitting beside Jing Xiaoyi and claiming that grilled Emperor Owl Dragon would be more satisfying than Qin Meng’s softer, more delicate dish. His transparent attempt to flatter Jing Xiaoyi while insulting Qin Meng backfires. Qin Meng remains amused, recognizing that Yang Chun has effectively criticized food belonging to Jing Xiaoyi. Jing Xiaoyi responds with a gentle but intimidating smile, frightening Yang Chun into retreating to the kitchen in search of leftovers.
Finding that nothing remains, Yang Chun accuses Qin Meng of hiding the food. Qin Meng shamelessly denies it and mocks Yang Chun’s earlier complaints. Before Yang Chun can rally the others against him, Qin Meng abruptly shifts the conversation to an important military matter, leaving Yang Chun frustrated and unable to retaliate.
Qin Meng asks General Chen to decide what will happen after Jing Xiaoyi’s upcoming discharge. The hospital room has become the center of a struggle among competing factions, and Military Headquarters has had to protect Jing Xiaoyi from possible abduction. His online comic demonstrates that he is conscious and not seriously incapacitated, but officials have delayed a public explanation until General Chen, the Gold Star commanding general, could arrive. Because Chen’s arrival will attract media attention, they must quickly establish an official plan.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Qin Meng remains confident, mischievous, and strategically minded. He ignores Yang Chun’s provocation, uses humor to defend himself, and smoothly redirects the group toward urgent political and military business.
• Yang Chun is shown as impulsive and antagonistic but also easily outmaneuvered. His attempt to provoke Qin Meng and curry favor with Jing Xiaoyi fails embarrassingly.
• Jing Xiaoyi appears gentle and harmless on the surface, yet his restrained reaction intimidates Yang Chun and reveals his quiet influence.
• General Chen acts as an important authority figure whose arrival changes the political situation surrounding Jing Xiaoyi.
• The nutritionist begins reconsidering the accepted belief that nutrient solutions are superior to ordinary food.

Significant Themes

• The possible health and evolutionary value of traditional cooked food versus scientifically engineered nutrition.
• The tension between technological efficiency and natural bodily processes.
• Political factionalism and the need to control public information.
• Qin Meng’s ability to combine teasing humor with sharp strategic awareness.
• Loyalty and ownership: criticizing Qin Meng’s cooking also risks insulting Jing Xiaoyi, creating social consequences for Yang Chun.

Chapter Summary

Plot points and events

• After the discussion, Qin Meng removes his apron, changes into his military uniform, and leaves to carry out the agreed orders. General Chen casually asks him to reserve two jars of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, revealing his opportunistic fondness for the dish.
• General Chen asks Jing Xiaoyi what he plans to do after the current crisis. Jing unexpectedly answers that he intends to have children.
• Jing explains internally that, because he is currently protected by the military district and benefiting from Qin Meng’s influence, he can safely settle down and focus on family life while the turmoil continues outside.
• General Chen is initially stunned but quickly becomes enthusiastic about the idea. He assumes Jing wants children because of his love for Qin Meng and becomes emotionally moved by what he imagines as Jing’s willingness to sacrifice career opportunities for their family.
• The surrounding soldiers also react with envy and resentment toward Qin Meng, believing that he has somehow won the devotion of an exceptionally talented spouse.
• The truth is that Jing has always liked children and wants to raise one for himself. His decision is not primarily motivated by Qin Meng; he had already considered using stored sperm when he believed Qin Meng was dead.
• When Qin Meng returns, everyone glares at him, silently blaming him for failing to comfort or properly care for Jing.

Character developments

• Qin Meng shifts smoothly between domestic and military roles, demonstrating both competence and authority. His calm departure contrasts with General Chen’s casual attempt to claim extra food.
• Jing Xiaoyi shows strategic self-awareness. He recognizes that his current political protection allows him to withdraw from public conflict and pursue a more personal goal. His blunt announcement also highlights his confidence and independence.
• General Chen reveals a humorous but protective side. He quickly embraces the idea of Jing having children and mentally treats Jing as someone Qin Meng must cherish, even though his assumptions about Jing’s motives are mistaken.
• The other soldiers increasingly admire Jing and resent Qin Meng, viewing Jing as an extraordinary partner who is willing to cook, support his spouse, and raise children.

Significant themes

• Personal value beyond social roles: The passage argues that exceptional ability and independence can protect someone from being reduced to a biological or marital function. Jing is respected as a complete individual rather than merely as Qin Meng’s compatible partner.
• Public perception and status: Society’s expectations change depending on a person’s perceived worth. Had Jing been ordinary or unsuccessful, people would have pressured him to bear Qin Meng’s children; because he is powerful and accomplished, they assume he has the right to choose his own path.
• Domestic life amid political turmoil: Jing uses the protection provided by the military crisis to create a peaceful private life, showing how family planning becomes a form of retreat from the chaos outside.
• Misunderstanding and comic contrast: The characters interpret Jing’s decision romantically, while Jing’s actual motivation is more personal and practical, creating humor and irony.

Character interactions

• Qin Meng and General Chen have a relaxed, familiar relationship, shown through Chen’s shameless request for food.
• General Chen and Jing share an unexpectedly direct conversation, with Jing’s blunt answer leaving Chen momentarily speechless before winning his approval.
• General Chen and the soldiers collectively idealize Jing’s relationship with Qin Meng and criticize Qin Meng for not treating him attentively enough.
• Jing remains largely amused and detached from their assumptions, while Qin Meng returns to find himself the target of everyone’s protective hostility.

Chapter 157: “Steel and Tenderness” — Summary

Key plot points and events

• Qin Meng returns to find everyone treating him like a public enemy, though he has no idea why. Jing Xiaoyi is the only person acting normally—and secretly winks and blows Qin Meng a kiss.
• Qin reports to General Chen that everything is ready, but Chen remains suspicious of him and jokingly questions what makes Qin so appealing.
• General Chen privately interrogates Qin about his and Jing Xiaoyi’s decision to have a child. Concerned that they are both very young and were raised in troubled family environments, Chen worries they may not yet be prepared for parenthood.
• Qin reassures Chen that their decision is deliberate rather than impulsive. He insists that he and Jing Xiaoyi are prepared to create a stable, loving family and will not repeat the mistakes of their own upbringings.
• The discussion is interrupted when they are told that the scheduled time has arrived. Outside, preparations are underway for what appears to be a press conference or major public announcement.
• The chapter shifts to Yan Kun, sales manager and heir of the Starry Sky Grand Marketplace. He bitterly reflects on how badly his circumstances have turned out.
• Yan originally planned to profit from Jing Xiaoyi’s popularity by signing him to produce soul comics for the marketplace. However, after the Choking Game scandal broke, Yan abandoned the deal and distanced himself from Jing, believing his reputation was ruined.
• Yan assumed Jing and Qin’s relationship would deteriorate and that Qin would not defend a morally disgraced partner. Instead, the couple remained devoted, survived the scandal, and emerged even stronger.
• Jing Xiaoyi’s growing fame, increasingly bold achievements, and transformation into the renowned “Master Jing” made Yan regret his decision. The New Energy Card caused agencies and businesses to compete desperately for access to Jing.
• The Starry Sky Grand Marketplace’s board now orders Yan to establish a partnership with Master Jing. Yan is forced to accept, despite knowing that his earlier betrayal likely makes cooperation nearly impossible.

Character developments

• Qin Meng: Shows maturity, confidence, and strong commitment to Jing Xiaoyi. Though irritated by General Chen’s teasing, he responds seriously when discussing parenthood and demonstrates that he has thought carefully about family responsibilities.
• Jing Xiaoyi: Remains playful and affectionate toward Qin, privately reassuring him through flirtation despite the tense atmosphere. His transformation from scandalized public figure to powerful and highly sought-after “Master Jing” is emphasized.
• General Chen: Reveals a protective, parental side. His harsh questioning comes from genuine concern that Qin and Jing might unknowingly pass their painful family histories on to a child.
• Yan Kun: Experiences deep regret and anxiety. His earlier pragmatism and decision to abandon Jing for business reasons now threaten his career, as he must seek cooperation from the very person he rejected.

Significant themes

• Responsibility and parenthood: The chapter stresses that having a child requires emotional maturity, preparation, and a commitment to breaking cycles of family dysfunction.
• Judgment versus reality: Yan’s assumptions about Jing’s character and marriage prove completely wrong. Public scandal does not reflect the couple’s true relationship.
• Loyalty and resilience: Qin and Jing withstand public attacks together, strengthening their bond rather than allowing the scandal to divide them.
• Regret and consequences: Yan’s choice to protect himself and abandon Jing may have seemed sensible at the time, but his opportunism now leaves him vulnerable.
• Steel and tenderness: The chapter contrasts General Chen’s stern questioning with his underlying affection, as well as Qin and Jing’s outward strength and private tenderness.

Character interactions

• Qin and Jing: Their brief exchange of glances, smiles, and a kiss shows their intimacy and mutual understanding even amid social tension.
• Qin and General Chen: Chen challenges Qin’s judgment and readiness for parenthood, while Qin firmly defends his relationship and future plans.
• Yan and Jing: Although Jing is not present in Yan’s section, Yan’s earlier rejection of him shapes their current conflict and makes future cooperation awkward.
• Yan and the board of directors: The board forces Yan to pursue a business relationship with Master Jing, placing him in an uncomfortable position created by his own past decision.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Yan Kun continues suffering under intense pressure after becoming responsible for securing the New Energy Card’s agency rights. His stress causes him to lose significant weight, though the board mistakenly interprets his strained appearance as proof of his seriousness and leadership ability.
• Yan deeply regrets having abandoned Master Jing in the past. He believes that remaining loyal to Jing could have earned him agency rights and perhaps helped him rise to the head of the commercial empire.
• Master Jing, recovering under the Military Headquarters’ protection, announces a major online press conference concerning the New Energy Card. Admission is highly competitive because the card’s superior performance is expected to bring enormous profits, influence, and prestige to whoever obtains the rights.
• The Starry Sky Grand Marketplace secures an invitation, and Yan is assigned to represent it. Because the board sends an experienced advisory team with him, Yan is unable to manipulate the situation or conceal his motives, increasing his anxiety.
• The press conference is organized with the Military Headquarters’ characteristic speed and efficiency. Invited representatives enter an online venue, ask questions directly, and are livestreamed publicly to ensure fairness and prevent secret negotiations.
• Master Jing and Colonel Qin appear together on the dais alongside several senior generals, including General Chen, General Zhuge, and General Zhou. Their impressive presence reinforces the Military Headquarters’ power and Jing’s elevated status.

Character developments

• Yan Kun: Becomes increasingly nervous, regretful, and psychologically burdened. He must maintain a confident public image despite fearing that Master Jing will recognize him and remember his past betrayal. His former opportunism now appears shortsighted to him.
• Master Jing: Though visibly pale and not fully recovered, he retains his intimidating charisma and striking appearance. His continued public prominence suggests that his influence remains extremely strong despite his illness.
• Colonel Qin: Acts as a powerful and imposing counterpart to Jing. His stoic military presence enhances Jing’s allure while making the couple appear exceptionally well matched.
• The business representatives: Their intense eagerness reveals how valuable the New Energy Card is expected to be. They are motivated not only by profit but also by the social status and reputation associated with becoming its agent.

Significant themes

• Regret and missed opportunities: Yan realizes too late that loyalty to Master Jing might have brought him immense advantages.
• Pressure and appearances: Yan must conceal his fear and guilt behind confidence, while the board misreads his suffering as admirable responsibility.
• Power and status: The agency rights represent wealth, prestige, and influence, making the press conference a major contest among commercial powers.
• Transparency versus manipulation: The Military Headquarters’ public livestream and controlled participation are designed to prevent backroom deals and ensure fairness.
• Contrasting forms of strength: Jing’s seductive vitality and Qin’s rigid military masculinity complement one another, emphasizing how their partnership enhances both characters.

Character interactions

• Yan is indirectly positioned against Master Jing, dreading their potential encounter and imagining Jing’s mockery of his past choices.
• Yan works under the watchful guidance of his veteran advisers, who limit his ability to scheme and intensify his anxiety.
• Master Jing and Colonel Qin appear as a unified couple whose contrasting personalities and appearances command the attention of everyone present.
• The assembled generals and business leaders collectively underscore the scale and importance of Jing’s authority and the New Energy Card negotiations.

Chapter Summary: “Seizing Every Opening to Show Affection”

• Master Jing becomes the center of attention at the press conference. Although Jing Yi is accustomed to working behind the scenes and initially feels nervous under the intense public scrutiny, he maintains a calm, commanding appearance.
• Qin Meng openly displays his care for Jing Yi. He supports Jing Yi by the waist and pulls out his chair, a brief but intimate gesture that makes Jing Yi blush and visibly smile. The moment delights livestream viewers and reinforces their enthusiasm for the couple.
• The host begins the official presentation, featuring a holographic display of five New Energy Cards, ranked from one to five stars. Their black-gold bodies and silver-white Energy Patterns make them visually striking.
• The revelation that the Military Headquarters has already produced cards across all five levels shocks the audience. Since Jing Yi had previously been the only known creator of New Energy Cards—and only Two-Star Cards had been publicly demonstrated—people are stunned by how quickly the technology has advanced.
• The cards promise enormous benefits:
  • Businesses see extraordinary profits and economic opportunities.
  • Warriors are thrilled by the cards’ potentially overwhelming power.
  • Their existence proves that New Energy Card technology is already mature, greatly increasing its commercial and military value.
• The chapter then shifts to the political and family consequences of the announcement. Government officials resent being excluded from control over an invention tied to public welfare, especially because Jing Yi joined the Military Headquarters through his connection to Qin Meng.
• The government particularly blames Qin Zhengyu and Jing Bo, whose earlier decisions involving their sons are portrayed as conventional upper-class family maneuvering: favored heirs are protected, while less-valued children are used in marriage alliances.
• However, the officials now recognize that these supposedly exploitative arrangements unexpectedly benefited Qin Meng and Jing Yi. Qin Zhengyu’s attempt to control Qin Meng’s marriage accidentally connected him with Jing Yi, whose value has risen enormously through the success of New Energy Cards.

Character Development and Interactions

• Jing Yi demonstrates strong composure and authority despite being uncomfortable with public attention. His blush and restrained smile around Qin Meng reveal a softer, more affectionate side beneath his polished exterior.
• Qin Meng is confident in showing physical affection and support in public, using even small opportunities to care for Jing Yi and signal their closeness.
• Jing Yi and Qin Meng’s relationship becomes a major source of public fascination, especially among their fans, while also giving Jing Yi emotional reassurance during a high-pressure event.
• Qin Zhengyu and Jing Bo are reinterpreted by outsiders as short-sighted patriarchs whose attempts to manipulate family alliances inadvertently created an extremely successful partnership.

Significant Themes

• Public image versus private emotion: Jing Yi appears powerful and unshakable publicly, but Qin Meng’s small gesture draws out his genuine embarrassment and happiness.
• Unexpected value and reversal of fortunes: Those treated as disposable marriage pieces—Jing Yi and Qin Meng—emerge as exceptionally valuable figures.
• Political and economic power: New Energy Cards represent not only technological progress but also enormous wealth, military strength, and institutional competition.
• Irony and unintended consequences: The family elders’ calculated decisions backfire, ultimately helping the very people they undervalued.
• Affection as both intimacy and public symbolism: Qin Meng’s actions are personally tender while also strengthening the public image of their partnership.

Chapter Summary

Plot and events

After Jing Yi’s impressive Energy Card demonstration, the government faction’s officials lament losing him to the Military Headquarters. They blame Jing Bo and Qin Zhengyu for failing to recognize Jing Yi’s abilities and fantasize about the benefits they might have gained by keeping him under their control. Once the demonstration ends, the press conference begins. By convention, Jing Yi must answer the three most popular questions from the interstellar audience. The first question unexpectedly asks about his standards for choosing a spouse and whether he plans to change partners, catching him completely off guard.

Character developments

Jing Yi, who had carefully prepared answers for serious and technical questions, is forced to improvise when confronted with the frivolous romantic question. Rather than becoming flustered, he quickly turns the situation to his advantage. He openly identifies Qin Meng as his ideal partner, confidently signaling that he has no intention of changing spouses. Qin Meng, initially furious at the audience’s apparent attempts to “steal” his partner, is immediately soothed and delighted by Jing Yi’s public declaration. Yan Kun also finds it difficult to maintain hostility toward Jing Yi because of his charm and attractive appearance.

Character interactions

Jing Yi and Qin Meng engage in a playful, intimate exchange throughout the press conference. While Qin Meng is visibly jealous and angry at the marriage-related question, Jing Yi secretly teases him under the table, instantly defusing his temper. Jing Yi then gestures toward Qin Meng while answering, saying that someone like him matches his preferences. Qin Meng is deeply pleased, privately acknowledging how completely Jing Yi has captivated him. The audience responds enthusiastically with cheers, laughter, and excited reactions.

Significant themes

The chapter contrasts political ambition with personal affection. The government faction views Jing Yi as a valuable asset to control, while Jing Yi demonstrates that he cannot easily be manipulated or reclaimed. It also emphasizes public image and performance: Jing Yi turns an embarrassing question into a calculated public display of devotion. Jealousy, possessiveness, and playful intimacy further develop the romantic relationship between Jing Yi and Qin Meng, while the enthusiastic audience reaction highlights the couple’s growing public appeal.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• During an interview, Jing Xiaoyi is finally asked a serious question: how he discovered the New Energy Card.
• He presents a carefully prepared story developed with Diandian, claiming that when he was ten, he became lost and wandered into a mysterious place.
• The story is technically based on truth: as a child, the original owner had actually been kidnapped. However, Jing Xiaoyi disguises the kidnapping as an adventurous disappearance.
• The kidnapping had likely involved human traffickers who intended to ransom and later sell him. Jing Xiaoyi suspects that his family may never have paid the ransom and that his return was due to luck and outside intervention.
• The experience left the original owner deeply traumatized. He became withdrawn, avoided leaving home and physical contact, and grew heavily dependent on his stepmother.
• Jing Xiaoyi embellishes the incident with fantastical elements, including a wise old man, an alien civilization, a hidden paradise, another dimension, and knowledge of X-Star telekinesis.
• He explains that the New Energy Card was the most important item he found in the mysterious mobile space. He claims that he later forgot most of what he saw and was unable to find the place again.
• The audience is captivated by the story and envies the ten-year-old Jing Xiaoyi for discovering such extraordinary treasures.

Character Developments

• Jing Xiaoyi demonstrates his ability to improvise, manipulate public perception, and turn dangerous truths into an entertaining legend. He knowingly lies with confidence while preserving enough real detail to make the account believable.
• He shows greater insight into the original owner’s childhood trauma and family dynamics, especially recognizing that Jing Bo’s harshness may have concealed guilt and fear.
• The original owner is revealed to have been psychologically scarred by the kidnapping, explaining his later isolation, dependence on his stepmother, and difficulty with intimacy.
• Jing Bo is portrayed as emotionally conflicted. His apparent anger may have been a defensive response to guilt over failing to protect or rescue the child.
• The stepmother remains a complicated figure: she was responsible for helping shape the original owner into a hated troublemaker, yet she also became his main emotional refuge after the kidnapping.
• Diandian contributes indirectly by helping Jing Xiaoyi construct the interview narrative.

Significant Themes

• Truth versus fabrication: Jing Xiaoyi transforms a traumatic real event into a fictional adventure, showing how stories can conceal truth while still being emotionally persuasive.
• Trauma and personality formation: The kidnapping fundamentally changes the original owner’s behavior and relationships.
• Family guilt and emotional distortion: Jing Bo’s cruelty may stem from guilt, while the stepmother’s closeness becomes central to the child’s emotional survival.
• Public image and storytelling: Jing Xiaoyi carefully creates a heroic, mysterious persona for himself, using narrative skill to control how others understand his achievements.
• Luck and survival: The original owner survives through improbable circumstances, making Jing Xiaoyi’s later life possible.
• Human greed and exploitation: The kidnapping reflects the persistence of criminality and trafficking even in an advanced society.

Character Interactions

• The female host asks Jing Xiaoyi about the origin of the New Energy Card, giving him the opportunity to perform his prepared story.
• Jing Xiaoyi mentally contrasts the public version of events with the hidden truth of his childhood.
• His recollections reveal the complicated bond between the original owner and his stepmother, as well as the hostile but possibly guilt-driven relationship with Jing Bo.
• Jing Xiaoyi’s performance creates a strong connection with the audience, who become absorbed in his tale and emotionally identify with the wonder and regret surrounding his discovery.

Chapter Summary: “Conferment of Honors”

• Jing Yi’s achievements are recognized: The public reflects on how Jing Yi secretly obtained and developed the New Energy Card and the method of using spiritual power to simulate Psychokinesis from a young age. Rather than condemning him for being cautious and calculating, Mi Star’s people admire his strength and perseverance, especially given his unreliable and hostile family. Their contempt for the Jing Family grows because of their combination of cruelty and incompetence.
• His contributions are placed in perspective: Jing Yi is credited not merely with discovering the New Energy Card, but with independently researching its principles and making mass production of one- through five-star Energy Cards possible. Viewers compare his achievements with archaeologist Zhong Yifan’s earlier discovery and conclude that Jing Yi, as the person who established the card’s laws and retained the rights, is likely to receive enormous benefits and influence.
• The audience’s romantic question: The host reads a fan-submitted question asking about Jing Yi’s future plans and requesting that he publicly kiss Colonel Qin Meng. The audience expects Jing Yi to become embarrassed and Qin Meng to take the initiative, imagining a dramatic, passionate display between the popular couple.
• Jing Yi surprises everyone: Instead of acting shy, Jing Yi confidently stands, lifts Qin Meng’s chin, and kisses him in front of the audience. The kiss is bold and passionate, leaving viewers stunned and humorously indignant that Qin allowed Jing Yi to take control. Jing Yi then calmly returns to his seat, though his flushed cheeks and softened expression reveal his genuine affection.
• His future plans are revealed: When answering the other half of the question, Jing Yi states that he plans to have a child first. His simple, domestic ambition contrasts with the grandeur of his accomplishments and shocks the audience, since Mi Star people generally have children in their thirties.

Character Development and Interactions

• Jing Yi is shown as both strategically brilliant and emotionally confident. He has matured from a secretive survivor into someone capable of openly claiming credit, affection, and a peaceful future. His public kiss demonstrates his assertiveness and deep feelings for Qin Meng.
• Qin Meng appears briefly but becomes the center of the audience’s playful criticism when Jing Yi takes the lead in their romantic exchange. Their interaction confirms the couple’s intimacy and mutual trust.
• The public shifts from admiring Jing Yi’s technological accomplishments to enthusiastically following his personal life, highlighting his status as both national hero and celebrity.
• The Jing Family is further condemned by comparison with Jing Yi’s achievements and resilience.

Significant Themes

• Strength forged through adversity: Jing Yi’s rise from an unsafe family environment reinforces the theme of overcoming betrayal and danger through intelligence, patience, and ability.
• Recognition and rightful credit: The chapter emphasizes the difference between merely discovering a technology and fully developing it, suggesting that Jing Yi deserves substantial honor and reward for his work.
• Public image versus private emotion: Although Jing Yi is celebrated for extraordinary accomplishments, his most surprising revelation is his ordinary wish to build a family.
• Love and role reversal: The kiss humorously overturns the audience’s expectations about who should take the initiative, presenting Jing Yi and Qin Meng’s relationship as affectionate, playful, and less conventional than fans assume.

Chapter Summary

• Government population policy: The chapter opens by explaining the government’s long-standing efforts to encourage childbirth. In the interstellar era, population growth is considered vital for colonizing habitable planets, exploiting resources, expanding markets, and developing talent—especially with the threat of the X-Stars. However, improved living standards and abundant resources have made people less willing to marry or have children, creating a demographic dilemma.
• Ethical limits on reproduction: The government considers using genetic technology to increase the population but rejects the idea because it could reduce children to tools and undermine social morality. The society values human dignity and recognizes the potential physical and psychological harm of treating reproduction as a purely strategic resource.
• Military inheritance and reproduction laws: The law allowing the spouses of fallen school-level officers to use the military sperm bank is presented as part of this broader population issue. A spouse who exercises the right may also inherit the officer’s military-district residence and property; otherwise, the residence is reclaimed. The chapter also reflects on the morally questionable tradition of “ghost marriages,” which society tolerates when parents claim a prior engagement, partly out of respect for soldiers and partly to preserve their descendants.
• Jing Yi’s unexpected decision: Jing Yi, barely twenty and at the height of his fame after discovering the New Energy Card, announces that he wants to withdraw from public life, return home, and have a child. His choice surprises everyone because he is stepping away just as his influence and career are reaching their peak.
• Public reaction and character development: Rather than viewing Jing Yi as arrogant or overambitious, the public admires his ability to recognize when to advance and when to retreat. Many people believe his success is largely due to luck and would resent him if he continued interfering in fields dominated by experts. His decision to step back reassures them that he is modest, self-aware, and not intoxicated by fame.
• Character interactions: Yan Kun sits in the audience feeling melancholy and almost bereaved at the prospect of Jing Yi leaving the spotlight. The female host awkwardly covers the emotional moment by congratulating Jing Yi and joking that viewers might arrange for their children to marry his future child. Her playful comment sparks widespread enthusiasm, with people fantasizing about producing beautiful children who could become Jing Yi’s in-laws.
• Broader impact: The joke unexpectedly contributes to a small rise in the birth rate over the following years, emphasizing Jing Yi’s enormous cultural influence. Even a casual remark connected to him can affect society on a large scale.
• Themes: The chapter explores population growth versus personal freedom, the ethics of reproduction, the social consequences of fame, humility in the face of success, and the tension between treating children as individuals and viewing them as carriers of genes or tools for national development. It ends as the discussion shifts from the preliminary questions to the program’s main topic.

Chapter Summary: “An Oddball Assessment”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter opens with the major factions considering how the highly coveted New Energy Cards will be distributed. Since only a few low-star cards have reached the market and higher-star cards remain unseen, demand and competition are intense.
• General Chen praises Jing Xiaoyi/Jing Yi for sharing the New Energy Card production method, emphasizing its potential to strengthen Mi Star’s individual combat power.
• He also highlights Jing Yi’s discovery that mental strength can imitate Psychokinesis. Because Mi Star’s only neighboring power, X-Star, cannot be trusted to preserve peace, this ability could become strategically crucial if properly researched.
• Without prior warning, General Chen awards Jing Xiaoyi the Special-Class Military Merit Medal. The medal grants him treatment equivalent to that of a general and protects him from direct accountability by any individual or faction unless he commits treason.
• Jing Xiaoyi is surprised and awkward during the improvised ceremony, while the elderly generals salute him. General Chen secretly winks at him, revealing that the stern presentation was partly deliberate.
• General Chen says the formal medal ceremony will occur later. The attendees interpret this as a hint that Qin Meng may be promoted to brigadier general at the next year’s promotion ceremony, allowing him and Jing Xiaoyi to hold comparable status.
• The meeting then shifts to the central issue: how agency rights for the New Energy Cards will be assigned.
• Rather than using the expected bidding system, Chief of Staff General Zhuge announces that applicants must answer three questions. The factions whose answers are judged best will receive agency rights.
• Representatives are shocked when General Zhuge reveals that their think tanks, waiting outside and prepared to advise them through earpieces, cannot assist because the venue is being jammed. They must compete entirely on their own.

Character Developments

• Jing Xiaoyi/Jing Yi: Gains enormous political and military protection through the Special-Class Military Merit Medal. His inventions and discoveries are formally recognized as matters of national importance, elevating him from a valuable individual to someone with near-general-level standing.
• General Chen: Demonstrates both strategic foresight and a mischievous personal side. His public ceremony is solemn, but his wink and carefully timed announcement show that he is deliberately protecting Jing Xiaoyi and supporting Qin Meng’s future advancement.
• Qin Meng: Though absent from most of the scene, his reputation and achievements shape the discussion. His recent victory against the X-Star team makes a future promotion to brigadier general plausible, and his relationship with Jing Xiaoyi creates pressure for him to match his husband’s rising status.
• The military leadership: Presents a united, serious front while maneuvering politically to protect Mi Star’s interests and reward those who strengthen the nation.

Significant Themes

• National security and technological power: New Energy Cards, Psychokinesis, and mental strength are treated not merely as inventions but as tools essential to Mi Star’s survival and independence.
• Merit and political protection: The medal illustrates how exceptional contributions can grant an individual authority and immunity beyond ordinary social or military structures.
• Competition and unequal access: The factions are desperate to obtain agency rights, revealing the enormous economic and strategic value of New Energy Cards.
• Strategy over convention: Military Headquarters rejects straightforward bidding in favor of an unusual assessment, emphasizing intelligence, adaptability, and independent judgment.
• Public ceremony versus private motives: The formal medal presentation masks General Chen’s personal effort to support Jing Xiaoyi and Qin Meng.
• Pressure within relationships: Jing Xiaoyi’s extraordinary success creates expectations for Qin Meng to advance as well, showing how love and admiration are intertwined with status and ambition.

Character Interactions

• General Chen and Jing Xiaoyi: Chen publicly honors Jing Xiaoyi, personally pins on his medal, and privately winks to indicate the ceremony’s suddenness and playful intent.
• The old generals and Jing Xiaoyi: They salute him as an equal in status, prompting him to hurriedly return the salute despite his discomfort with military protocol.
• General Chen and Qin Meng: Although Qin Meng is not present, Chen implicitly supports him by suggesting that the formal ceremony will be delayed until Qin Meng can potentially be promoted alongside Jing Xiaoyi.
• The factions and Military Headquarters: The representatives expect a transparent bidding process but are instead forced into an unfamiliar question-based contest, creating immediate tension and suspicion.
• Representatives and their think tanks: The representatives planned to rely on outside experts, but the signal jamming cuts off that support and leaves them isolated at a critical moment.

Chapter 319 Summary

Military Headquarters imposes a harsh written assessment on the influential faction leaders attending the press conference. General Zhuge announces that they must answer three questions, each within five minutes and in at least one hundred words. They may not consult anyone, whisper, look around, or use voice input; failing to submit on time counts as forfeiting the question. The strict rules leave the guests anxious and resentful, as the questions could determine whether their organizations gain the lucrative opportunity they are competing for.
The first question asks for their views on the current international situation. Since the galaxy is divided mainly between Mi Star’s Federal Government and X Star’s Empire—with space pirates and domestic politics also relevant—the guests understand that the question is essentially about relations between Mi Star and X Star. Because Military Headquarters sets and grades the answers, most participants assume that a hawkish, confrontational stance will be rewarded. They hurriedly write broad, politically safe responses, hoping that quantity and displays of loyalty will compensate for a lack of precision.
Yan Kun approaches the test more strategically. Although he believes offending Master Jing has already damaged his chances, he realizes that the written format gives him a new opportunity. He analyzes Military Headquarters’ recent behavior: Master Jing’s deliberate humiliation of the X-Star delegation, the reveal of the New Energy Card and Psychokinesis Simulation, and the complete defeat of the X-Stars in competition. From these events, he concludes that Military Headquarters strongly rejects appeasement and intends to respond forcefully to any challenge.
Rather than merely repeating patriotic slogans, Yan Kun reframes the question around the New Energy Card, the real reason the attendees are competing. He decides to discuss how the technology could alter international relations, how its benefits should be expanded, and how its dangers should be controlled. After spending several minutes forming this interpretation, he submits a sincere answer based on his own beliefs instead of trying to manipulate the examiners. As a businessman, he admits that he cannot influence national policy directly, but he openly expresses his contempt for the Federal Government’s appeasement approach and his belief that excessive submission will not win genuine friendship or respect.

Character Development and Interactions

• General Zhuge acts as an intimidating examiner, taking visible amusement in the guests’ discomfort and reinforcing Military Headquarters’ ruthless, uncompromising image.
• The faction leaders become nervous and competitive, revealing how heavily ambition and fear of failure affect their judgment.
• Yan Kun demonstrates intelligence, composure, and strategic flexibility. His earlier conflict with Master Jing remains a disadvantage, but he refuses to give up and uses the assessment to regain a chance.
• The chapter contains little direct personal interaction; the main interaction is between General Zhuge and the contestants, while Yan Kun mentally interprets Military Headquarters’ attitude and policies.

Significant Themes

• Political testing and hidden agendas: The seemingly broad question is also a test of the contestants’ ideology and compatibility with Military Headquarters.
• Pressure and ambition: High stakes cause powerful leaders to panic, showing how fear of gain and loss can undermine confidence.
• Sincerity versus empty rhetoric: Yan Kun recognizes that hollow slogans may fail and chooses a focused, honest answer.
• Appeasement versus strength: The chapter contrasts the Federal Government’s accommodating policy with Military Headquarters’ belief in deterrence and force.
• Technology and international power: The New Energy Card is presented as a development capable of reshaping relations between major powers and influencing the balance of power across the galaxy.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The protagonist answers the first of three questions posed by General Zhuge about how New Energy Cards should be promoted.
• His proposal focuses on:
  1. Using New Energy Cards to stimulate the economy and strengthen the entire industrial chain.
  2. Preventing the cards from being monopolized by a small group so that the entire population can benefit militarily and economically.
  3. Protecting the core technology from the X-Stars through encryption and other safeguards.
• Although the question initially seems unrelated to policy, his answer effectively expresses a strategic stance: humanity must use its temporary advantage to grow stronger while guarding against the X-Stars.
• The second question asks the participants to describe their ideals. The lack of a clear standard answer leaves everyone uncertain about how they will be judged.
• The third question asks each participant to describe the company they represent. Because every company has many different aspects, the examinees again struggle to predict what the Military Headquarters wants to hear.
• After all three questions are submitted, the seven people onstage grade every answer using a five-point system. Their average scores determine the winner.
• Once the answers are complete, the venue’s signal jamming is lifted, allowing the contestants to consult their outside think tanks during the grading period.
• Master Jing announces that Starry Sky Grand Marketplace has won the agency qualification.
• Yan Kun is shocked and realizes that Jing Xiaoyi recognized him from the beginning. He believes Jing Xiaoyi deliberately judged him fairly rather than allowing personal history to influence the result.
• Yan Kun becomes deeply admiring of Jing Xiaoyi and effectively gains another devoted fan.
• Jing Xiaoyi sends Yan Kun the cooperation terms. After reviewing them with his think tank, Yan Kun discovers that several clauses reflect ideas similar to his own answers, though Jing Xiaoyi’s version is much more comprehensive and mature.

Character Developments

• Yan Kun demonstrates strategic awareness by connecting New Energy Cards to economic growth, national strength, mass empowerment, and technological security.
• His anxiety about whether his answers satisfy the Military Headquarters reveals his uncertainty and lack of confidence despite his preparation.
• After winning, Yan Kun’s feelings toward Jing Xiaoyi shift dramatically. His earlier shame is replaced by gratitude, admiration, and almost fanatical loyalty.
• Jing Xiaoyi is shown to be perceptive, fair-minded, and politically sophisticated. He recognizes Yan Kun’s identity but separates personal feelings from public decisions.
• Jing Xiaoyi’s cooperation terms reveal that his plans are more developed and systematic than Yan Kun’s initial ideas.
• General Zhuge and the Military Headquarters appear to be testing not only business competence but also political judgment, personal values, and the applicants’ understanding of their companies.

Significant Themes

• Strategic national development: New Energy Cards are presented as tools for strengthening the economy, industry, military, and society as a whole.
• Competition and technological secrecy: The threat from the X-Stars makes it essential to protect core technology while exploiting the temporary advantage.
• Fairness versus personal relationships: Jing Xiaoyi’s decision to judge Yan Kun objectively emphasizes the separation of public duty from private feelings.
• Uncertainty and subjective judgment: The open-ended questions make the examination feel like a lottery, highlighting how difficult it is to predict the values and expectations of those in power.
• Leadership and maturity: Yan Kun has promising ideas, but Jing Xiaoyi’s refined proposals demonstrate the difference between having insight and possessing fully developed policy expertise.
• Admiration and loyalty: Yan Kun’s reaction shows how deeply people can be influenced by perceived magnanimity and recognition.

Character Interactions

• Yan Kun and General Zhuge: Yan Kun responds carefully to Zhuge’s policy and personal questions, trying to infer the Military Headquarters’ expectations.
• Yan Kun and the think tanks: Once communication is restored, Yan Kun and the other contestants consult their advisers to evaluate their answers and chances of success.
• Yan Kun and Jing Xiaoyi: Their exchanged looks reveal that Jing Xiaoyi recognized Yan Kun immediately. Yan Kun interprets Jing Xiaoyi’s fair judgment as an act of generosity, strengthening his admiration.
• Jing Xiaoyi and Yan Kun’s company: Jing Xiaoyi provides detailed cooperation terms, and Yan Kun’s review confirms that the agreement incorporates ideas he had proposed while improving them considerably.