Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: A Robot with Hidden Mysteries

Key Plot Points and Events

• In River City, a black-clad woman learns that her father and the purple-clad woman’s three elder brothers have been crippled, while her mother was injured. Their spinal nerves were deliberately destroyed by an expert in Ancient Martial Arts, making recovery impossible.
• The attacker is identified as Lin Xiaosu, linking him to the growing conflict surrounding the Ancient Martial Arts families.
• At Unit 101’s laboratory, Changye is shown in two forms: her original body, operating the laboratory equipment, and a mission-oriented body being transformed into a highly realistic Biointelligent Robot.
• Xin Yue jokes crudely about Changye designing the robot to seduce Lin Xiaosu, especially because Changye has programmed a shared-password system that would allow her to experience the robot’s sensory perceptions remotely.
• Changye insists that the robot’s purpose is scientific: it will protect the Lin family’s elderly matriarch and allow Changye to study complete human sensory data. Although she could modify the robot in many ways, she decides to preserve its humanlike design and functions.
• At the Phoenix City Detective Agency, Zhou Xi joins as a new employee. She explains that she wants to repay Lin Xiaosu for helping her and for inspiring her to move beyond her obsession with avenging her parents.
• Lin Xiaosu refuses to let Zhou Xi work without pay, offering her a salary of 5,000 per month because of her professional qualifications. He emphasizes that the agency does not carry old grudges into the future and that he wants the people around him to be optimistic.
• The agency receives a 100,000-yuan reward, officially described as payment for assisting the police. Lin Xiaosu places the money into the agency’s accounts rather than keeping it, both to compensate Miao Ruolan for her work and to maintain an equal, organization-to-organization relationship with Qianlong.
• Lin Xiaosu announces that the agency will buy a car, symbolizing its transition from a struggling operation using electric scooters into a more established business.
• As the agency becomes known throughout Phoenix City, difficult cases begin arriving almost daily. Its investigative methods are unconventional and efficient, overturning traditional expectations about how detective work should be conducted.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu becomes increasingly confident and responsible as a leader. He supports Zhou Xi emotionally and financially, values fairness, and invests the agency’s reward into its future rather than treating it as personal income.
• Zhou Xi begins moving away from a life defined by revenge. Lin Xiaosu’s encouragement gives her renewed hope, and joining the agency offers her a healthier, more positive direction.
• Miao Ruolan continues to act as a dependable partner in the agency and welcomes Zhou Xi’s recruitment. Her role and contribution are implicitly recognized through Lin Xiaosu’s decision to share the reward.
• Changye is established as both a brilliant scientist and a highly dangerous, unusual figure. She remains focused on scientific and protective goals despite Xin Yue’s persistent sexual teasing.
• Xin Yue acts as a mischievous provocateur, deliberately interpreting Changye’s experiment in the most suggestive way possible and exposing the awkward implications of Changye’s design.
• The black-clad woman and the purple-clad beauty are drawn into the broader conflict after their families are attacked, creating a likely motive for retaliation against Lin Xiaosu.

Significant Themes

• Protection and hidden agendas: The biointelligent robot is presented as a protective measure for the Lin family, but its design and Changye’s shared-sensory connection conceal more complicated possibilities.
• Science versus desire: Changye frames the robot as a scientific achievement, while Xin Yue repeatedly highlights its sensual and potentially erotic functions.
• Moving beyond revenge: Zhou Xi’s decision to join the agency represents a shift from living in the past toward building a future.
• Fairness and mutual support: Lin Xiaosu distributes resources fairly, pays employees properly, and treats the detective agency as a collective effort.
• Professional growth and legitimacy: The agency’s reward, new car, and increasing casework mark its evolution into a respected and financially sustainable organization.
• Conflict between old and new forces: Ancient Martial Arts families, modern detective work, biotechnology, and covert organizations increasingly intersect around Lin Xiaosu.

Important Character Interactions

• The black-clad woman and the purple-clad beauty discuss their families’ crippling and identify Lin Xiaosu as the attacker.
• Xin Yue teases Changye about the robot’s body and its shared sensory system, while Changye defends the project as legitimate scientific research.
• Lin Xiaosu and Zhou Xi establish a relationship based on repayment, encouragement, and new beginnings.
• Lin Xiaosu and Miao Ruolan agree on Zhou Xi’s salary, demonstrating their cooperative leadership.
• Lin Xiaosu indirectly reconciles with Qianlong by using Qianlong’s reward for the agency rather than accepting it as a private favor.
• The agency’s growing reputation brings Lin Xiaosu, Miao Ruolan, and Zhou Xi together as a more organized and capable investigative team.

Chapter Summary: “The Liu Family Still Has Someone”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Phoenix City Detective Agency continues operating smoothly despite a steady stream of cases. Miao Ruolan and Zhou Xi handle investigations competently in Lin Xiaosu’s absence, while Lin remains extraordinarily efficient at both solving cases and reading.
• Lin Xiaosu reflects on Ding Ruoshui, the mysterious daughter of Changsheng Group founder Ding Lizhong. Her unusual abilities and unexplained visit to Phoenix City remain an unresolved question.
• Zhou Mei visits the agency and reveals that Du Lifeng, owner of Dell Company, was killed when a brain-implanted chip was remotely detonated after his arrest. This confirms Lin Xiaosu’s earlier suspicion that interrogating Du Lifeng would be nearly impossible.
• Dell Company’s project has been halted, but Du Lifeng’s death also helped authorities connect Phoenix City’s kidnapping cases. Du Lifeng’s driver, Dongzi, was linked to a Gene Human and to an overseas organization kidnapping gifted children and training them as assassins for the Blood Spear Project.
• One kidnapped child, Liu Chao, was the fourth son of Liu Yuanchang. Zhou Mei warns that Liu Chao may eventually seek revenge against Lin Xiaosu because Lin crippled Liu Yuanchang and his three older sons.
• Lin privately knows that Liu Chao is not in Hydra’s training base. He rescued the boy earlier, and Liu Chao is now in Qianlong, classified as a promising “Path-Changer” destined for “Horned Dragon.”
• Zhou Mei reveals that the Liu family also has a daughter, Liu Qianxun. She works at Changsheng Group as Li Ziyi’s assistant and bodyguard, and she has close ties to the company’s powerful upper management.
• Liu Qianxun is also reportedly being pursued by Li Changsheng’s third son, making her position within Changsheng Group especially influential and potentially dangerous.
• Zhou Mei’s main purpose is to warn Lin Xiaosu that the Liu family’s remaining connections and influence may create future complications.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu remains calm, perceptive, and several steps ahead of others. He already understands the truth behind Du Lifeng’s death and the kidnapping network but deliberately maintains an appropriately surprised appearance.
• He shows confidence in his detective abilities, jokingly calling himself a “master detective,” though Zhou Mei mocks his arrogance.
• Lin’s secret knowledge about Liu Chao reveals that he is not simply an enemy of the Liu family’s younger generation; he has actually saved Liu Chao and helped place him on a better path.
• Miao Ruolan and Zhou Xi demonstrate that the agency can function effectively without Lin. Zhou Xi, whose appearance and health have dramatically improved, becomes interested in learning Ancient Martial Arts.
• Zhou Mei appears playful and teasing in public, joking about the agency’s tenants and possible romantic relationships, but becomes serious when discussing Dell Company, the kidnapping conspiracy, and the Liu family.
• Liu Qianxun is introduced as a capable and influential Ancient Martial Arts practitioner whose alliances with the Changsheng family give her considerable status.
• Liu Chao is positioned as a possible future character of importance. Though young, he may eventually understand both his family’s crimes and Lin Xiaosu’s role in saving him.

Significant Themes

• Hidden networks and consequences: Individual crimes are revealed to be parts of a much larger conspiracy involving biotechnology, brain chips, kidnapping, and foreign espionage.
• Family loyalty versus moral responsibility: Liu Chao may have to choose between loyalty to his criminal family and loyalty to the country and the people who saved him.
• Power and influence: Liu Qianxun’s importance comes not only from her family but also from her own martial abilities and connections within Changsheng Group.
• Knowledge and foresight: Lin Xiaosu’s advantage lies in seeing connections others miss and knowing information that even the police do not possess.
• Transformation: Zhou Xi’s physical and emotional recovery, as well as the kidnapped children’s potential development into trained operatives or national assets, highlights how people can be reshaped by their circumstances.
• Humor amid danger: Teasing exchanges about landlords, romance, and Ancient Martial Arts contrast with the serious threats surrounding the characters.

Character Interactions

• Lin Xiaosu and Zhou Xi discuss Miao Ruolan’s driving test and Zhou Xi’s wish to learn Ancient Martial Arts, with Zhou Xi teasingly commenting on Lin’s special place in Miao’s heart.
• Zhou Mei jokes with Lin about inspecting the agency’s rooms and preventing Ancient Martial Arts practitioners from damaging the building, creating a humorous contrast before their serious conversation.
• Lin and Zhou Mei exchange playful banter about his self-confidence, but their relationship shifts into mutual seriousness as they discuss Du Lifeng’s death and the kidnapping organization.
• Zhou Mei warns Lin about Liu Chao’s possible future resentment and then introduces Liu Qianxun as another surviving and influential member of the Liu family.
• Lin’s private perspective differs sharply from Zhou Mei’s public information: he already knows Liu Chao has been rescued and may ultimately become an ally rather than an enemy.

Chapter Summary: “Wife” Moves In

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Liu Family’s crimes are essentially confirmed. All four male members have been permanently crippled, their assets frozen or confiscated, and their illegal quarry operations shut down. Because of their medical condition, they are granted medical parole and placed in Changsheng Group’s Longevity Hospital.
• The Liu Family’s remaining money will likely be insufficient to compensate the villagers. Zhou Mei jokes that Lin Xiaosu might take advantage of the young woman eligible for compensation, prompting playful banter between them.
• During July, Lin Xiaosu buys a sky-blue car for the detective agency after Miao Ruolan and the other female employee obtain their driver’s licenses. The women realize that he likely bought it especially for them and become emotionally affected.
• Lin Xiaosu receives a call from his mother informing him that “Changye” has arrived at the family home with luggage and intends to stay permanently. His mother assumes she is Lin Xiaosu’s devoted girlfriend and future wife.
• In reality, Changye is a Biointelligent Robot created to resemble the real Changye. She has been sent by Qianlong to protect Lin Xiaosu’s family, though her “daughter-in-law” identity also gives her a natural place in the village.
• Xiaoye quickly wins over Lin Xiaosu’s mother by doing household chores, cooking dinner, washing clothes, and behaving like an ideal daughter-in-law. She even eats ordinary food convincingly, making her almost indistinguishable from a human.
• In private, Xiaoye reveals that she is a highly advanced Biointelligent Robot with a bionic body, reinforced bones, simulated muscles, artificial nerves and blood vessels, and a processor instead of a human brain.
• She possesses extensive stored knowledge, including cooking, medicine, farming, combat, firearms, and equipment use. She can convert food into bioelectricity and can also recharge through an electrical outlet when necessary.
• Xiaoye further reveals that her body can reproduce and that she can control the number and sex of her children, leaving Lin Xiaosu stunned.
• The next morning, Lin Xiaosu uses the detective agency’s new case as an excuse to leave immediately and avoid the awkward situation of living with a supposedly romantic “wife.”

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu: Becomes increasingly uncomfortable with Xiaoye’s arrival because everyone believes he now has a wife, potentially damaging his freedom to pursue other women. He is amazed by Xiaoye’s human-like capabilities and tries to maintain emotional and physical distance, ultimately fleeing back to the detective agency.
• Xiaoye/Changye: Demonstrates an uncanny ability to imitate a human woman and a traditional daughter-in-law. Though fundamentally a machine, she displays warmth, humor, adaptability, and apparent happiness while caring for the Lin family.
• Mother Lin: Becomes thrilled by Xiaoye’s arrival, immediately accepting her as Lin Xiaosu’s wife. She is especially impressed by Xiaoye’s cooking, domestic skills, obedience, and willingness to live with the family.
• Zhou Mei: Continues her teasing and flirtatious exchanges with Lin Xiaosu, reinforcing their familiar, playful relationship.
• Miao Ruolan and the other agency worker: Feel touched and excited by Lin Xiaosu’s purchase of a car, interpreting it as a sign of his care for them.
• Qianlong: Although absent, influences events by sending Xiaoye to protect Lin Xiaosu’s family in accordance with his obligations and principles.

Significant Themes

• Humanity versus artificial life: Xiaoye appears, behaves, eats, and even functions biologically like a human, raising questions about what truly distinguishes a person from a machine.
• Appearance and social identity: Xiaoye’s disguise allows her to fit naturally into the village, but it also creates a false marital identity that complicates Lin Xiaosu’s relationships.
• Family expectations and marriage: Mother Lin’s joy reflects traditional hopes for her son’s marriage, while Lin Xiaosu is trapped by the gap between public appearances and reality.
• Duty and protection: Xiaoye’s arrival is fundamentally an act of repayment and protection connected to Qianlong’s rules and Lin Xiaosu’s previous assistance.
• Comedy through misunderstanding: Much of the chapter’s humor comes from Lin Xiaosu’s mother believing Xiaoye is a genuine, loving wife while Lin Xiaosu knows she is a robot.
• Domestic ideals: Xiaoye’s extensive abilities make her an exaggerated image of the perfect daughter-in-law—skilled, obedient, hardworking, economical, and capable of raising a family.

Character Interactions

• Lin Xiaosu and Zhou Mei: Trade provocative jokes about corruption and romantic behavior, showing their comfortable and teasing rapport.
• Lin Xiaosu and his mother: His mother enthusiastically pressures him to fulfill his role as a husband, while he struggles to explain the truth without exposing Xiaoye.
• Lin Xiaosu and Xiaoye: Their private conversation reveals Xiaoye’s true nature and abilities. Her literal answers and flirtatious interpretations repeatedly embarrass him.
• Xiaoye and Mother Lin: Xiaoye immediately behaves like a devoted daughter-in-law, while Mother Lin embraces her with delight and pride.
• Lin Xiaosu and the detective-agency women: His purchase of the car strengthens their affection and suggests his growing role as a provider and protector.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu flees home because Xiaoye, an alluring robot, is living with him and he fears he will give in to temptation.
• He visits Willow Grove Temple, where Second Uncle offers him homemade steamed buns and tea. Their conversation includes humorous arguments about youth, aging, and Second Uncle’s embarrassing past.
• Lin discovers that Second Uncle is studying a fragmentary Dao Book left behind by Daoist Lu Yun. The text describes how the Heavenly Dao leaves traces through astronomy, weather, nature, and seasonal changes.
• Second Uncle explains the three stages of Daoist understanding:
  • Peering into the Dao — glimpsing the laws of reality.
  • Way-Awakening — comprehending those laws and using them to perform supernatural feats.
  • Way-Grasping — mastering concepts such as time, space, and Karma.
• Second Uncle hopes Lin can use the Dao Book to predict more dangerous Celestial Change Days, specifically Equatorial Blazing Days and Equatorial Baleful Days.
• Second Uncle reveals another book, the Sea Abyss Classic, also left by Daoist Lu Yun. It records dangerous, abyssal creatures and plants, contrasting with the Immortal-Realm-oriented creatures in the Mountains and Rivers Classic.
• Lin notices two particularly significant entries:
  • The Netherworld Nine-Transformation Beast, whose transformations include a black worm and a bloodthirsty White Serpent.
  • Boundary Grapes, which can cause an exotic beast’s bloodline to undergo Nirvana.
• Lin memorizes the Sea Abyss Classic rapidly, refuses to take the Dao Book, and leaves after agreeing to investigate the disappearance of Diandian for Second Uncle.
• Returning to the detective agency, Lin contacts Changye and immediately asks about the White Serpent on Prison Mountain.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates extraordinary memory and reading ability, absorbing the Sea Abyss Classic in minutes despite its archaic and complex content. His reaction to the White Serpent entry suggests he has connected it to a major mystery or threat.
• Second Uncle is portrayed as relaxed, humorous, and somewhat evasive, but also deeply committed to understanding Daoist texts and predicting supernatural disasters. His concern over Diandian reveals a more vulnerable side.
• Changye continues her scientific experiment involving an intelligent robot modeled after herself. She is increasingly curious about human domestic life, emotions, desire, and intimacy, though she remains reluctant to admit her personal interest.
• Lin’s relationship with Xiaoye is established as physically and emotionally dangerous for him, prompting him to escape to the temple.

Significant Themes

• The limits of knowledge: The Dao Book emphasizes that the Dao can only be glimpsed and cannot be completely explained or mastered.
• Science and supernatural cultivation: Changye approaches human emotion and intimacy scientifically, while Second Uncle studies celestial phenomena through Daoist principles.
• Human desire and emotion: Changye’s experiment raises questions about whether emotion, sexuality, and physical experience can be understood through observation alone.
• Inheritance and hidden knowledge: Daoist Lu Yun’s fragmentary books preserve knowledge of supernatural beings, natural laws, and dangerous realms.
• Transformation: The Netherworld beast’s successive forms and the Boundary Grapes’ ability to trigger bloodline Nirvana suggest that evolution, mutation, and power advancement are central to the story.

Important Character Interactions

• Lin and Second Uncle trade teasing remarks about Second Uncle’s youth and moral conduct, establishing their familiar and playful relationship.
• Second Uncle entrusts Lin with the possibility of deciphering the Dao Book and asks him to investigate Diandian’s whereabouts.
• Lin examines the Sea Abyss Classic and silently recognizes possible connections between its entries and known creatures or events.
• Changye reflects on Lin’s experiment with Xiaoye before answering his urgent call. Their conversation shifts quickly from playful curiosity about the “gift” to the serious question of the White Serpent on Prison Mountain, ending the chapter on a cliffhanger.

Chapter Summary: “White Serpent Transformation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu warns Changye that the White Serpent may be the legendary Netherworld Nine-Transformation Beast, capable of evolving through multiple forms.
• He explains that the creature likely consumed one of the nine Boundary Grapes, accounting for the laboratory’s missing ninth grape. Its apparent unconsciousness may actually have been a hibernation period before transformation.
• Changye contacts Qianlong headquarters and learns that, seven days earlier, the White Serpent escaped after killing three researchers and transformed into a Scarlet Bird.
• The Scarlet Bird has crossed five provinces and traveled three thousand li in six days, killing thirty-seven people. It drains the victims’ brain marrow and is difficult to detect because it is only about the size of a pigeon.
• Changye receives temporary S-class Dragon Eye access to investigate the victims and determine the creature’s next target.
• She summons Lin Xiaosu, who immediately joins her in a flying car. They examine records and discover that all thirty-seven victims were young women.
• Lin Xiaosu identifies the likely motive: the Scarlet Bird is seeking Pure Yin Marrow, suggesting that its next transformation requires the marrow of young virgins.
• The pair travel to a vocational school in Northern Sichuan, where another girl has just been killed. Instead of stopping to investigate conventionally, Lin Xiaosu takes manual control of the flying car and begins pursuing the Scarlet Bird directly.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates extensive knowledge of ancient creatures and quickly recognizes the White Serpent’s transformation pattern. His insight becomes essential to Qianlong’s investigation.
• He also reveals a strong intuition about the growing influence of the mysterious Primordial World, sensing that its creatures may be becoming increasingly active.
• Despite being rejected by the Qianlong Review Council, Lin Xiaosu is treated as the organization’s best hope of capturing the Scarlet Bird. Headquarters offers him a special channel if he helps complete the mission.
• Changye responds decisively to the crisis, contacting Qianlong, securing classified access, recruiting Lin Xiaosu, and preparing to determine the creature’s next target.
• Changye’s fear increases as she recalls that the White Serpent contributed to Qianlong member No. 325’s death; she understands that its transformation has made it even more dangerous.
• Miao Ruolan and Zhou Xi notice Lin Xiaosu’s sudden departure. Their discussion shows concern for him, but also respect for the rule that they must not interfere with his missions.

Significant Themes

• Transformation as evolution and escalation: The White Serpent’s change into the Scarlet Bird is not merely physical; it represents a dramatic increase in intelligence, speed, predatory ability, and threat.
• Ancient knowledge versus modern institutions: Lin Xiaosu’s knowledge from an ancient book provides information that Qianlong’s advanced laboratories and surveillance systems failed to uncover in time.
• The limits of human control: Qianlong possesses powerful technology and elite teams, yet the Scarlet Bird’s speed, size, and unpredictability allow it to evade pursuit.
• Hidden supernatural worlds: References to the Primordial World suggest that these creatures originate from a larger, unknown realm whose influence is beginning to intrude on the human world.
• The cost of secrecy: Qianlong suppresses news of the killings to prevent public panic, but this secrecy also underscores how vulnerable ordinary people are to threats they do not understand.

Character Interactions

• Lin Xiaosu urgently warns Changye about the missing Boundary Grape and the possibility of transformation.
• Changye relays his theory to Qianlong’s senior official, who initially doubts the information but becomes alarmed when it matches the classified truth.
• Changye argues that Lin Xiaosu is uniquely qualified to help, even though Qianlong previously rejected his membership.
• When Changye contacts Lin Xiaosu, he immediately orders her to come to him, taking command of the response.
• During the flight, Changye and Lin Xiaosu cooperate closely: she provides classified victim data and operational resources, while he interprets the evidence and develops the theory about Pure Yin Marrow.
• Their partnership shifts from investigation to direct pursuit when Lin Xiaosu abandons the planned ground inquiry and takes control of the flying car.

Chapter Summary: “Human Body Secret Realm”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu and Changye track a dangerous mutant red bird from Northern Sichuan to South Sichuan using Lin Xiaosu’s extraordinary Scent Tracking ability.
• They locate the bird near a quiet mountain village, where it is perched in a pine tree and apparently watching a village girl.
• Lin Xiaosu suspects the bird is more interested in Changye, so the two retreat to test its reaction. The bird follows them, confirming that Changye is its true target.
• The bird launches a lightning-fast attack on Changye. She traps it with a special alloy net, but it tears through the net and then destroys her weaponized hair, rendering both of her defenses useless.
• As the bird prepares to kill Changye, Lin Xiaosu catches it barehanded. His palm is severely shredded, but he crushes the bird’s head and kills it.
• A mysterious bead hidden inside the bird’s skull enters Lin Xiaosu’s wounded arm. It tears through his Micro-Meridians and threatens to reach his brain.
• Lin Xiaosu uses his True Qi to resist the bead. Under the extreme pressure, his opened Micro-Meridians form a new Human Body Secret Realm.
• The bead enters the secret realm, where it is destroyed by spatial turbulence and converted into pure energy. This energy restores Lin Xiaosu’s exhausted True Qi and more than doubles its strength.
• Changye treats Lin Xiaosu with antidote pills and bandages his severely injured hand. Although he insists he is fine, she remains deeply worried and urges him to return to the flying car for emergency treatment.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates remarkable calm, confidence, and control throughout the hunt, convincing Changye that he possesses abilities far beyond those of an ordinary rookie.
• His willingness to sacrifice his hand to save Changye reveals his decisiveness, courage, and protective instincts.
• Lin Xiaosu’s confrontation with the bead leads to a major breakthrough: he opens his first Human Body Secret Realm, validating the teachings of the Mysterious Emperor’s Inner Canon and the Rejuvenation Technique.
• Changye begins the chapter doubtful of Lin Xiaosu’s abilities but gradually becomes impressed by his scent tracking, combat judgment, and extraordinary strength.
• Her emotional reaction to his injury shows that she has developed genuine concern and attachment toward him, despite her usual composure as a veteran operative.

Significant Themes

• Trust and reliance: Changye finds herself instinctively trusting Lin Xiaosu and feeling that she can leave the mission’s dangers entirely in his hands.
• Sacrifice and protection: Lin Xiaosu accepts a devastating injury to prevent Changye from being killed.
• Human potential and hidden mysteries: The Human Body Secret Realm illustrates the chapter’s idea that the body contains vast, undiscovered power and dimensions.
• Danger beyond conventional strength: Changye’s combat abilities and weapons are completely ineffective against the mutant bird, emphasizing that certain creatures exist on an entirely different level.
• Transformation through crisis: Extreme danger becomes the catalyst for Lin Xiaosu’s breakthrough and dramatic increase in power.

Character Interactions

• Lin Xiaosu calmly guides Changye during the tracking operation, while she remains tense and alert.
• He teases her by asking whether she is a virgin, using humor to suggest that the bird is attracted to her and briefly easing the tension.
• Changye cooperates with his plan to test the bird’s interest, but the situation quickly turns into a deadly hunt.
• Lin Xiaosu saves Changye at the critical moment, catching the bird after her defenses fail.
• Afterward, Changye immediately tends to his wounds, feeds him antidotes, and insists on emergency treatment, revealing how deeply she has come to care for him.

Summary of “The Risks of Opening Doors”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu reveals that he has mastered the Rejuvenation Technique, an Ancient Martial Arts skill capable of rapidly healing severe injuries and purifying toxins.
• He demonstrates the technique by fully healing his mangled right hand within several hours, astonishing Changye and eliminating the need for medical treatment.
• While resting in the tea garden with his head on Changye’s thigh, Lin Xiaosu and Changye share a rare moment of peace and intimacy. Changye’s affection becomes increasingly apparent, though she remains cautious because her body is naturally poisonous.
• Lin Xiaosu questions Changye about the biological robot she created and gave to his mother. He worries about the robot’s reproductive abilities and the implications of humans having children with machines—particularly the lack of an ancestral bloodline and the creation of an entirely new kind of species.
• Lin Xiaosu suddenly kisses Changye. She fears her poison may kill him and prepares an experimental antidote, but his Rejuvenation Technique neutralizes the toxins.
• They kiss again more deeply, treating the encounter as an “experiment.” A toxin-monitoring needle briefly registers extreme danger, but Lin Xiaosu quickly recovers, proving that his technique can cleanse even Changye’s poison.
• Their flirtation turns into a metaphorical discussion about “opening doors,” with Changye warning Lin Xiaosu that some forms of intimacy are far more dangerous than others.
• Changye then changes the subject and tells Lin Xiaosu that, because of his recent accomplishments, he is now qualified to enter Qianlong.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates remarkable confidence in his abilities, especially his healing and toxin-purifying powers. He becomes increasingly bold and playful with Changye, deliberately testing the limits of her poison and their relationship.
• Changye reveals a softer, more emotionally vulnerable side. She enjoys caring for Lin Xiaosu and experiences romantic attraction, but her poisonous body makes intimacy dangerous and reinforces her fear of harming him.
• Changye also appears embarrassed and uneasy about the reproductive functions of her biological robot, suggesting that she has not fully confronted the ethical and scientific consequences of her creation.
• Their relationship shifts from mutual cooperation and teasing toward clear romantic and physical intimacy.

Significant Themes

• The dangers of scientific progress: The biological robot raises unsettling questions about artificial life, reproduction, identity, and whether science can create beings outside traditional human ancestry.
• Power and responsibility: Changye’s poison and Lin Xiaosu’s healing ability both have potentially lethal consequences, requiring restraint and careful judgment.
• Intimacy despite danger: Their kiss symbolizes the characters’ willingness to risk harm in order to experience closeness.
• Boundaries and curiosity: The recurring “opening doors” metaphor reflects both physical intimacy and the broader dangers of crossing limits without understanding the consequences.
• Human versus artificial life: The chapter questions what defines humanity—biology, ancestry, reproduction, or consciousness.

Character Interactions

• Changye cares for Lin Xiaosu while he rests, revealing tenderness through her concern and physical closeness.
• Lin Xiaosu teases Changye about her biological robot and challenges her attempts to avoid uncomfortable subjects.
• Their first kiss shocks Changye, but his resistance to her poison allows their intimacy to continue.
• Changye repeatedly tries to restrain Lin Xiaosu’s impulsiveness, while he responds by jokingly pushing past her stated boundaries.
• The chapter ends with Changye rewarding Lin Xiaosu’s achievements by granting him access to Qianlong, combining professional recognition with their increasingly personal relationship.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu is offered a special route into Qianlong by its leader, the Dragon Head. If he completes the current mission, he can become a Hidden Dragon Gold Medal holder without going through the usual process.
• He firmly refuses the offer, explaining that remaining outside Qianlong lets him:
  • Charge Qianlong for his services.
  • Avoid Qianlong’s rules and restrictions.
  • Continue helping Qianlong without being formally bound to it.
  • Retain the freedom to act in ways official Qianlong agents cannot.
• Lin compares this choice to a Go board: pieces already placed on the board are “dead,” while unplaced pieces remain “alive” and can determine victory. He wants to remain a free “living piece,” operating independently in the mortal world.
• Changye reports the mission’s success to Qianlong’s leader, whom she calls “Godfather.” The Scarlet Bird has been killed, and Lin’s performance has surpassed that of Qianlong’s three special operations teams.
• Godfather agrees to let Lin remain independent, paying him normally whenever Qianlong requires his help and otherwise allowing him to develop freely. Changye suggests giving him special glasses to protect his eyes, and Godfather appears willing to consider it.
• After returning to Phoenix City, Lin and Changye share an intimate but restrained encounter in the flying car. Changye stops things from progressing further, saying she will only be ready after completing her medical research and after Lin’s Rejuvenation Technique improves.
• Back at his room, Lin cannot sleep because he is preoccupied with the Inner Secret Realm within his arm. The realm destroys the Netherworld Nine-Transformation Beast’s nearly indestructible Origin Crystal.
• Lin realizes that the secret realm may contain or embody the Spatial Law, a high-level principle associated with the Way-Grasping Realm. He begins to understand that his cultivation may place him far beyond the ordinary world’s current understanding of Genetic Modification.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu: Demonstrates independence, strategic intelligence, and a strong desire to preserve personal freedom. Although he lacks conventional ambition, he recognizes the tactical value of remaining outside Qianlong’s system. His discoveries about the Inner Secret Realm also deepen his awareness of his extraordinary power and possible cultivation path.
• Changye: Initially frustrated by Lin’s refusal, she gradually accepts and even admires his reasoning. She recognizes that he has already contributed greatly to Qianlong without formally joining it. Her attraction to him becomes more apparent, though she maintains personal boundaries and prioritizes her medical research.
• Qianlong’s Godfather/Dragon Head: Revealed as a powerful and perceptive leader. Rather than forcing Lin into the organization, he accepts Lin’s independent role and recognizes the value of an unconventional agent operating beyond Qianlong’s formal structure.
• Miao Ruolan and Zhou Xi: They do not actively appear in the chapter but are mentioned as sleeping at the detective agency while Lin returns.

Significant Themes

• Freedom versus institutional control: Lin believes formal membership would limit him through regulations and obligations, while independence allows him to choose his own methods and objectives.
• The value of unconventional strength: A person does not need an official title or position to serve a larger cause. Lin’s independent actions can accomplish what organized teams cannot.
• The “living piece” metaphor: The chapter emphasizes flexibility, unpredictability, and the strategic power of remaining outside the established game.
• Money and self-interest: Lin’s comedic insistence on being paid reflects both his practical nature and his refusal to let lofty ideals erase his personal interests.
• Hidden potential and cultivation: The Inner Secret Realm suggests that Lin’s abilities belong to a deeper and more advanced system than modern Genetic Modification, hinting at a widening gap between him and the world around him.
• Science versus ancient cultivation: The world treats Genetic Modification as the height of achievement, while Lin begins to glimpse spatial laws and ancient cultivation realms far beyond that framework.

Important Character Interactions

• Lin and Changye: Their argument over Qianlong membership becomes the chapter’s central dialogue. Changye challenges Lin’s refusal, but his reasons eventually persuade her. Their later physical intimacy reveals mutual attraction, though Changye stops before they fully consummate the relationship.
• Changye and Godfather: Changye reports the mission and advocates for Lin’s independent status. She also subtly seeks special protection for him by suggesting a pair of glasses that could safeguard his eyes.
• Lin and the Inner Secret Realm: Lin’s reflection on the realm is effectively an encounter with a power he does not yet understand. Its destruction of the Origin Crystal convinces him that he may possess access to a level of force that transcends the modern world.

Chapter Summary: “Spatial Law”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu experiments with his newly acquired Spatial Law. He discovers that he can transfer objects into and out of a separate secret realm, where they lose their connection to the outside world and no longer seem to have weight.
• He establishes the secret realm’s first practical use: storage. However, the ability has a limit—objects approximately one foot square or smaller can be moved easily, while larger objects such as a desk lamp or chair cannot.
• After sleeping through most of the day, Lin Xiaosu returns to the detective agency and finds Miao Ruolan and Zhou Xi arriving together, dressed unusually elegantly.
• The women explain that they attended a matchmaking event while investigating a fraud case. Their client had given a woman a 380,000-yuan betrothal gift, only to be accused of rape when she refused to return the money. Their investigation revealed that she had committed the same scam against several men.
• Zhou Xi delivers the evidence to the police the next day, expecting the woman to be arrested for fraud.
• Lin Xiaosu tells Miao Ruolan about his search for a strange bird that had killed thirty-seven people. He explains that the bird was a creature from another world, essentially a Demonic Beast, and warns her that the world is changing.
• Miao Ruolan admits that her cultivation is progressing slowly because she struggles to locate her meridians. Lin Xiaosu offers to help her through a new method.
• He uses true qi to stimulate the meridians in her arm, allowing her to perceive the route they form. Though she cannot open the route immediately, the guidance gives her the foundation to cultivate it herself.
• Zhou Xi secretly spies on Miao Ruolan entering Lin Xiaosu’s room and mistakenly assumes they are romantically involved. Their discussion is entirely about cultivation, but Zhou Xi misinterprets the situation because of the locked door and the length of the session.
• Miao Ruolan returns to her room and begins cultivating with renewed determination. She wants to improve enough to keep pace with Lin Xiaosu.
• The next morning, Lin Xiaosu and Miao Ruolan are energetic, while Zhou Xi is exhausted from staying awake and imagining what had happened.
• As the agency resumes work, Miao Ruolan suddenly notices something outside, leaving Lin Xiaosu startled and suggesting a new development or threat.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu gains a clearer understanding of Spatial Law and begins using it practically, though its size limitations remain significant. He also demonstrates growing mastery of cultivation techniques and takes a more active role in helping Miao Ruolan advance.
• Miao Ruolan reveals both her emotional sensitivity and her deep attachment to Lin Xiaosu. She is embarrassed by the seemingly intimate cultivation lesson but ultimately focuses on learning. Her determination to improve reflects her desire to stand beside him as an equal.
• Zhou Xi displays strong moral convictions, becoming especially angry at the matchmaking scam because it violates her idealized understanding of love and marriage. She also proves observant and curious, though her tendency to jump to conclusions causes her to completely misunderstand Lin Xiaosu and Miao Ruolan’s interaction.
• Lin Xiaosu and Miao Ruolan’s relationship grows more intimate through trust, instruction, and shared cultivation goals, although no romantic boundary is actually crossed in the chapter.

Significant Themes

• The practical application of supernatural abilities: Spatial Law begins as an extraordinary power but is immediately tested for everyday usefulness, emphasizing experimentation and limitations.
• A changing world: The existence of Demonic Beasts and the death of thirty-seven people indicate that supernatural dangers are becoming part of ordinary society.
• Cultivation and self-improvement: Progress depends not only on talent but also on perception, patience, and disciplined effort.
• Misunderstanding and appearances: Zhou Xi’s comic misinterpretation highlights how easily external appearances—clothing, locked doors, and time spent together—can obscure the truth.
• Ideals of love and morality: Zhou Xi’s anger at the fraudulent woman reflects her sincere, perhaps idealistic belief in genuine relationships, while the case illustrates how greed and deception have corrupted marriage customs.

Important Character Interactions

• Lin Xiaosu tests Spatial Law alone, then later discusses supernatural changes with Miao Ruolan.
• Miao Ruolan and Zhou Xi recount their investigation into the matchmaking fraud, revealing their contrasting emotional reactions.
• Lin Xiaosu advises Miao Ruolan to increase her cultivation and personally guides her through sensing her meridians.
• Zhou Xi spies on the lesson and wrongly interprets it as a romantic encounter, creating the chapter’s main comic misunderstanding.
• Miao Ruolan privately recommits herself to cultivation, motivated by her feelings for Lin Xiaosu.
• The chapter ends with Miao Ruolan and Lin Xiaosu reacting to something outside the agency, setting up the next event.

Chapter Summary: “Ding Ruoshui, Elegant and Transcendent”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ding Ruoshui, the elegant woman Lin Xiaosu has previously encountered at the library, arrives at the Phoenix City Detective Agency in a remarkable, highly advanced car.
• Lin knows she may possess extraordinary abilities: through Temporal Reversal, he once witnessed a strand of her hair kill a mosquito with uncanny precision. He also had Changye investigate her background using Dragon Eye.
• Ding reveals that she is the daughter of Ding Lizhong, a major shareholder and technical director of Changsheng Group. Her father is a leading researcher in Biochip Technology who successfully created three remotely controlled Mutant Spiders.
• Two months earlier, a wealthy business tycoon was murdered at South Lake Villa. Evidence pointed to one of Ding Lizhong’s spiders:
  • The spider was identified as one of his experimental creatures.
  • Genetic traces from the victim were found on its claws.
  • The victim was a business rival of Changsheng Group, giving the company a possible motive.
• Although Ding Lizhong has not been formally arrested, authorities have repeatedly questioned him, dismantled his research team, confined him to his home, and apparently cut off all external signals there to prevent him from controlling the spiders.
• Ding Ruoshui believes her father is innocent but insists that she wants the truth regardless of the outcome. She hires Lin’s agency to investigate and agrees that proving his guilt would also count as resolving the case.
• She pays 100,000 yuan upfront and promises a total fee of 400,000 yuan. Lin accepts the case, recognizing that the investigation also gives him a legitimate reason to approach Ding Lizhong and learn more about Biochip Technology.
• Ding Ruoshui drives Lin toward River City. Meanwhile, Miao Ruolan and Zhou Xi discuss Ding’s beauty, wealth, and apparent interest in Lin, leading to playful jealousy and teasing.
• On the journey, Lin is impressed by the car’s advanced design, silence, comfort, and superior quality, which surpasses even luxury vehicles he has experienced before.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu: Demonstrates caution and strategic thinking. He remembers Ding Ruoshui’s supernatural-looking abilities and understands the danger surrounding her family. He accepts the case not only for the fee but also because it aligns with his interest in investigating Biochip Technology.
• Ding Ruoshui: Is presented as elegant, mysterious, wealthy, and unusually composed. She values truth over family reputation, showing that she will accept either her father’s innocence or guilt as long as the matter is conclusively resolved.
• Miao Ruolan: Is shocked by Ding Ruoshui’s powerful family background and the enormous fee. Her emotional attachment to Lin becomes more obvious through her reaction to Zhou Xi’s teasing.
• Zhou Xi: Becomes increasingly playful and mischievous, teasing Miao Ruolan about her relationship with Lin and provoking her embarrassment.
• Ding Lizhong: Though absent, he is characterized as a brilliant but controversial researcher whose technology is powerful enough to make him a serious public danger—or an easy target for framing.

Significant Themes

• Truth versus loyalty: Ding Ruoshui prioritizes discovering the truth over protecting her father’s reputation, even accepting the possibility that he may be guilty.
• Power and responsibility: Biochip Technology represents both scientific progress and a potentially terrifying weapon. Ding Lizhong’s belief that dangerous technology should remain in responsible hands is placed under suspicion.
• Appearance versus reality: Ding Ruoshui appears refined and transcendent, while her family is connected to murder, corporate rivalry, and dangerous experiments. The case raises questions about whether the obvious evidence reflects reality.
• Status and wealth: The chapter contrasts the agency’s modest setting with the Ding family’s enormous wealth and influence, while also showing that sophistication is not always tied to famous brands.
• Romantic tension and rivalry: Ding Ruoshui’s arrival introduces a possible emotional rival to Miao Ruolan, while Zhou Xi’s teasing exposes the growing intimacy between Lin and Ruolan.

Character Interactions

• Ding Ruoshui formally approaches Lin and Miao Ruolan to commission the investigation.
• Lin and Ding discuss the case, the payment, and what qualifies as a successful resolution.
• Lin and Miao exchange a meaningful glance when they realize that Ding’s confinement is understandable but potentially excessive.
• Ding’s willingness to accept any conclusion earns Lin’s respect and convinces him to take the case.
• After Ding leaves with Lin, Zhou Xi teasingly suggests that Miao Ruolan may lose Lin to the beautiful newcomer. Miao becomes flustered while trying to deny their relationship.
• During the drive, Lin observes Ding’s exceptional car, deepening the impression that both Ding Ruoshui and her world are unusual and beyond ordinary standards.

Chapter Summary: “An Old Trope: Fake Boyfriend”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu rides in Ding Ruoshui’s custom-built car and learns more about her wealthy family. Her brother builds machinery, while her father researches genetic technology.
• Ruoshui reveals that painting is not merely a hobby: her bloodline is constantly active, and painting helps calm her mind. This hints at the danger of her abilities and suggests she is beginning to trust Lin Xiaosu with personal secrets.
• Because her family is under surveillance and she does not know which servants or security systems may be reporting on her, Ruoshui cannot introduce Lin Xiaosu as a detective. Instead, she hires him to pretend to be her boyfriend.
• They travel to River City, purchase expensive jewelry as gifts, and go to Ruoshui’s family villa beside South Lake.
• Lin Xiaosu enters the Ding estate using the family’s advanced security system and is greeted by servants who treat Ruoshui with great deference.
• Ruoshui introduces him to her mother as “Xiao Su,” her boyfriend. Her mother immediately welcomes him and questions him about his family.
• To avoid pretending to be wealthy, Lin Xiaosu honestly claims that his father works construction and his mother grows vegetables. He also openly admits that Ruoshui paid for the jewelry.
• His bluntness and confidence impress Mother Ding, who calls him “adorable” and praises his strong psychological resilience.
• Mother Ding summons Ruoshui’s father and leaves to arrange dinner. Ruoshui and Lin Xiaosu conclude that he has passed her initial test.
• The chapter ends with Ruoshui asking why Lin Xiaosu is so confident, and him beginning to explain that there is more than one reason.

Character Developments

• Ding Ruoshui: Becomes more open with Lin Xiaosu by explaining her unusual bloodline and its effect on her mental state. She demonstrates strategic thinking by using the fake-boyfriend identity to protect their investigation from family surveillance. Her playful teasing also reveals growing comfort and possible romantic interest.
• Lin Xiaosu: Easily adapts to the role of fake boyfriend and relies on humor, honesty, and emotional confidence rather than trying to imitate wealth. His shamelessly direct answers impress Ruoshui’s mother and establish him as someone who is not intimidated by status.
• Mother Ding: Initially evaluates Lin Xiaosu carefully, especially his background and financial circumstances. She appears amused by his frankness and ultimately responds favorably, though she interprets his lack of embarrassment as exceptional “psychological fortitude.”
• The Ding family: Their wealth and eccentricity are emphasized through the private car, lavish estate, numerous servants, advanced security, and family members whose hobbies involve cars, biotechnology, and extravagant consumption.

Significant Themes

• Disguise and deception: Lin Xiaosu must conceal his true purpose as a detective by adopting the role of Ruoshui’s boyfriend, while the family’s surveillance creates uncertainty about whom they can trust.
• Authenticity versus social performance: Lin Xiaosu refuses to exaggerate his family’s wealth and openly admits that Ruoshui bought the gifts. His honesty contrasts with people who pretend to be richer than they are.
• Confidence and self-worth: Lin Xiaosu’s confidence comes not from money or status but from his own composure and from Ruoshui’s apparent affection for him.
• Wealth and simplicity: The chapter humorously contrasts the Ding family’s extreme wealth with their mother’s understated clothing and the idea that truly wealthy people no longer need to display their status.
• Emerging intimacy: The fake relationship creates opportunities for genuine emotional closeness, especially as Ruoshui shares secrets and physically acts affectionate toward Lin Xiaosu.

Important Character Interactions

• Ruoshui and Lin Xiaosu discuss her bloodline, establishing greater trust between them.
• Ruoshui proposes the fake-boyfriend plan, teasing Lin Xiaosu about his appearance while he jokingly negotiates the role.
• At the Ding home, Ruoshui deliberately leans against Lin Xiaosu and presents him as her boyfriend, making the performance convincing.
• Lin Xiaosu’s candid conversation with Mother Ding turns what could have been an intimidating interrogation into a humorous exchange.
• Mother Ding recognizes his unusual lack of insecurity and responds positively, setting the stage for Lin Xiaosu’s meeting with Ruoshui’s father.

Chapter Summary: Appraising Paintings, Discussing Life

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu explains to Ding Ruoshui and her mother that marriage between their families would be advantageous because their combined assets would exceed five billion. His blunt emphasis on money amuses and embarrasses Ding Ruoshui’s mother.
• Ding Ruoshui’s father, Ding Lizhong, arrives and immediately begins testing Lin Xiaosu’s knowledge by mentioning a painting by the obscure historical artist Han Shuchun.
• Lin accurately analyzes Han Shuchun’s artistic development, explaining that the painter’s early works were forceful and distinctive, while his later works became more polished but less individual.
• In the study, Ding Lizhong presents the Broken Spear Painting and asks Lin to identify the battle depicted. Lin correctly concludes that it portrays the Xiaojinchuan Battle rather than the Yongmen Pass Battle.
• Lin supports his conclusion with details about the painting’s seasonal imagery and a letter in which Han Shuchun stated that he could never paint Yongmen Pass because of the emotional pain associated with his brother’s death there.
• Lin proceeds to identify and discuss the rest of Ding Lizhong’s valuable paintings, impressing him so much that Ding begins to regard Lin as a kindred spirit.
• Lin then examines a strange stone called The Contemplative, recognizing it as raw jadeite from Junjang Old Material. He explains the symbolism of its name: looking upward while thinking represents awareness of one’s smallness before the vast universe.
• This interpretation matches Ding Lizhong’s private intention. The stone serves as a warning to remain cautious and humble in his genetic research.
• Lin suggests moving to the rooftop so Ding can contemplate the sky. Over tea, Ding explains that he does not collect art or jade for their monetary value; rather, he uses them to experience history and remind himself of his responsibilities as a researcher.
• The chapter ends with Lin asking where Ding acquired the jadeite, causing Ding Ruoshui to worry that he is abandoning the sophisticated conversation and revealing an overly materialistic side.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates extraordinary knowledge, memory, and analytical ability. He successfully passes every intellectual test Ding Lizhong gives him, revealing expertise in painting history, historical texts, jadeite, and philosophical interpretation.
• Lin also shows an ability to connect objects with deeper ideas. His interpretation of The Contemplative allows him to understand Ding Lizhong’s personality and professional philosophy.
• Ding Lizhong changes from a cautious evaluator into an enthusiastic admirer. He is impressed not merely by Lin’s knowledge but by the way Lin understands the meaning behind his collection.
• Ding Ruoshui becomes increasingly astonished by Lin’s abilities. She had expected him to be tested, but he surpasses even experts and wins her father’s approval. She also begins to act more naturally as his fake girlfriend.
• Ding Ruoshui’s mother remains practical and sharp-tongued, teasing Lin for understanding the concept of “average” while recognizing his remarkable confidence.
• Ding Ruoshui’s maid views Lin as exceptionally thick-skinned—or psychologically resilient—after hearing his bold discussion of family wealth.

Significant Themes

• Knowledge as social power: Lin’s expertise allows him to overcome the status gap between himself and Ding’s wealthy, accomplished family.
• Appearance versus true ability: Lin initially seems like a shameless opportunist focused on money, but his remarkable intelligence and cultural knowledge reveal unexpected depth.
• History and memory: Ding’s art collection is a way of engaging with the past, while the Broken Spear Painting demonstrates how personal trauma shapes artistic expression.
• Humility before the unknown: The stone The Contemplative symbolizes the need to recognize human limitations when pursuing scientific progress.
• Art as philosophy: Paintings, jadeite, and scenic landscapes are not merely possessions; they become ways for Ding and Lin to discuss life, history, responsibility, and the universe.
• The performance of romance: Although Lin and Ding Ruoshui’s relationship is initially fake, she begins to behave as though she genuinely occupies the role of his girlfriend.

Character Interactions

• Lin and Ding Lizhong bond through a series of increasingly difficult discussions about art, history, jadeite, and scientific philosophy.
• Ding Lizhong tests Lin repeatedly, while Lin responds confidently and provides evidence for every conclusion, transforming the examination into mutual admiration.
• Ding Ruoshui silently observes the two men’s growing rapport. She is impressed, surprised, and slightly concerned that Lin may eventually expose his more opportunistic interests.
• The rooftop conversation shifts the relationship from a formal fatherly assessment to a relaxed exchange between intellectual equals, with Ding Lizhong becoming genuinely pleased with his prospective son-in-law.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ding Lizhong reveals that the jadeite ornament, The Contemplative, was given to him by Huang Chengwang, Changsheng Group’s chief engineer and leader of its Neutrino Communications research.
• Lin Xiaosu investigates Ding Lizhong’s predicament and argues that the accusation against him is deliberate framing.
• Ding initially suspects an external business competitor, but Lin points out that removing him would not cripple Changsheng Group’s research. The Group could simply appoint a successor, making an outside attack illogical.
• Lin concludes that the culprit is likely an insider who wants to eliminate Ding’s influence and redirect Changsheng Group’s research.
• Ding explains the origins and dangers of Biochip Technology:
  • It was initially intended to treat conditions such as cerebral palsy and vegetative states.
  • Animal experiments unexpectedly demonstrated that implanted chips could control living creatures.
  • After a chip-controlled mutant spider killed someone, public fear grew and the government might ban or suspend the project.
• Ding reveals that Changsheng Group has long been divided over two approaches to Biological Control:
  1. Biochip implantation, which Ding supports because it allows stronger restraint.
  2. Neutrino Communications, championed by Huang Chengwang, which can transmit signals through any physical barrier but provides weaker control over an animal’s instincts.
• Lin discovers that the study is not secure: a surveillance device is hidden inside the jadeite.
• Because Huang gave Ding the jadeite and leads Neutrino Technology research, he becomes the primary suspect.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates sharp investigative reasoning. He dismantles Ding’s theory of an external competitor and identifies the possibility of an internal power struggle.
• Lin also reveals his growing awareness of Neutrino Technology’s implications, recognizing that it could defeat all conventional shielding and surveillance protections.
• Ding Lizhong shifts from dismissing Lin as an inexperienced or somewhat vulgar young man to taking him seriously as an intelligent investigator. He is forced to reconsider his long-standing trust in Huang Chengwang.
• Ding Ruoshui becomes increasingly involved in piecing together the conspiracy. She recognizes that removing her father would allow Huang’s faction to redirect Changsheng Group’s research.
• Huang Chengwang is indirectly characterized as both Ding’s longtime friend and his ideological rival. His gift of the jadeite becomes suspicious evidence of possible betrayal.

Significant Themes

• Scientific progress versus ethical restraint: The chapter contrasts technology that restrains biological instincts with technology that can amplify or provoke them.
• The danger of unchecked innovation: Biochips developed for medical purposes evolve into tools for controlling animals, creating consequences far beyond their original intent.
• Power struggles within science and business: The conflict over research direction is also a political struggle for control of Changsheng Group.
• Trust and betrayal: Ding’s closest friend may be using their personal relationship to spy on and undermine him.
• Logic as a means of uncovering conspiracy: Lin solves the case by identifying flaws in the apparent motive and tracing who benefits from Ding’s removal.
• The limits of security: Neutrino Technology threatens to make traditional shielding, privacy, and physical barriers obsolete.

Character Interactions

• Lin questions Ding about who gave him the jadeite, establishing Huang’s connection to the suspicious object.
• Lin and Ding debate whether the framing originated from outside competitors or from an internal faction.
• Ding explains the scientific dispute to Lin and Ruoshui, allowing them to understand the stakes behind the attack.
• Ruoshui listens to her father’s explanation and independently connects his false accusation, the possible suspension of Biochip research, and Huang’s desire to promote Neutrino Biological Control.
• Lin finally confronts Ding with the revelation that the jadeite contains a surveillance device, turning a family visit into a major breakthrough in the investigation.

Chapter Summary: “Old Friend: Uncle Huang”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Ding Lizhong learns that surveillance equipment was hidden inside the jadeite and realizes that someone he deeply trusted—an old friend—has been spying on him.
• Lin Xiaosu identifies the hidden weakness in the enemy’s plan: Ding Lizhong remains free and still possesses influence within Changsheng Group. As long as he is not arrested or discredited, the enemy’s victory is incomplete.
• Lin proposes using Ding Lizhong as bait. Ding will secretly leave the villa in disguise, while allowing the hidden enemy to discover his departure. The enemy may then reactivate the Mutant Spiders and arrange another murder, attempting to frame Ding.
• Because Lin Xiaosu can use Temporal Reversal to trace the source of the Mutant Spiders if they act again, this plan could expose the real culprit.
• Ding Ruoshui realizes that the surveillance device in the study can be used against the enemy: they will let the spy hear that Ding plans to seek help from Master Huikong.
• Ding arranges to visit First Origin Temple. He disguises himself as the gardener, Uncle Sun, while Ruoshui drives him toward the temple under the pretense of visiting South Lake Park.
• Ding enters the temple to meet Master Huikong, while Ruoshui and Lin wait in the car.
• Lin explains that Huikong, a former provincial secretary-general who became a monk, still has enormous influence because he knows many secrets and has accumulated connections and favors over decades.
• While waiting, Lin buys a seemingly ordinary pair of glasses from a street vendor. The glasses are actually the powerful “Dragon Eye,” which activates only after confirming Lin’s identity through an iris scan.

2. Character Developments

• Ding Lizhong: Moves from shock and betrayal to strategic resistance. Though frightened by the possibility of being framed, he accepts that remaining passive will allow the enemy to win and agrees to become bait.
• Lin Xiaosu: Demonstrates his strength as a strategist. He understands the enemy’s motives, turns the surveillance system into a weapon, and remains confident that he can trace the Mutant Spiders if they are deployed again.
• Ding Ruoshui: Shows increasing tactical awareness, quickly understanding the logic behind the bait operation. She also becomes more involved in carrying out the counterplan and begins to see the complexities of worldly power and influence.
• Master Huikong: Though not yet directly shown, he is established as a highly influential former government official whose knowledge and connections may help Ding.
• The hidden enemy: Is portrayed as cautious but vulnerable to pressure. The plan is designed to make him believe that Ding is about to seek powerful outside assistance, forcing him to act prematurely.

3. Significant Themes

• Trust and betrayal: Ding is devastated that a close friend could have monitored him, emphasizing the pain of betrayal among people united by years of companionship and shared intellectual work.
• Strategy and counter-strategy: The enemy’s surveillance and manipulation are turned against him. The chapter highlights the idea that even a brilliant scheme contains weaknesses that can be exploited.
• Bait and risk: Ding must deliberately place himself in danger to expose the person plotting against him, raising the tension between self-preservation and the need to fight back.
• Influence and hidden power: Huikong’s continued authority illustrates how connections, secrets, favors, and time can preserve or even increase a person’s influence long after leaving office.
• Appearance versus reality: Ding disguises himself as Uncle Sun, the temple visit is concealed beneath a false outing, and the glasses sold as a novelty item are actually advanced technology.
• Humor amid danger: Lin and Ruoshui’s teasing conversation about “bargain” family members and revealing glasses provides comic relief while they wait for the enemy’s response.

4. Character Interactions

• Ding Lizhong and Lin Xiaosu: Lin advises Ding to view the situation from the enemy’s perspective and persuades him to risk leaving the villa as bait. Ding initially objects but ultimately recognizes the logic.
• Ding Lizhong and Ding Ruoshui: Father and daughter cooperate secretly. Ding entrusts Ruoshui with contacting Huikong and arranging the escape, showing their mutual trust.
• Lin Xiaosu and Ding Ruoshui: They discuss whether the enemy will fall for the trap. Lin explains Huikong’s background and influence, while Ruoshui jokes about Lin’s attraction to the Dragon Eye glasses.
• Ding Lizhong and the unseen observer: Although they never interact directly, Ding deliberately uses the study’s surveillance system to send the enemy a false—or strategically useful—message about seeking Huikong’s help.
• Lin Xiaosu and the glasses seller: Lin casually purchases the Dragon Eye glasses, concealing their true importance and ending the chapter with the revelation that they are identity-locked technology.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu receives a pair of Dragon Eye glasses, secretly brought by Changye. The glasses are a powerful Qianlong intelligence tool capable of searching people’s backgrounds, tracking movements, and using thermal imaging and night vision.
• Combined with Lin Xiaosu’s Heavenly Insight Eye, the Dragon Eyes give him nearly complete visual awareness. He discovers Deng Qiusheng, a genetically modified security employee of Changsheng Group, hiding in a car outside First Origin Temple.
• Deng’s presence appears designed to create suspicion around Changsheng Group, suggesting that Lin Xiaosu’s bait has worked.
• Meanwhile, Zhou Yibo, a senior Changsheng researcher formerly involved in the Biochip Technology project, is murdered in his villa by a gigantic spider-like creature. The attack closely resembles the earlier Variant Spider Murder Case.
• Police captain Shen Yinchuan arrives and determines that the existing three Mutant Spiders could not have committed the crime, implying that someone has cultivated additional mutant spiders.
• Because the evidence continues to point toward Changsheng Group and Ding Lizhong, Shen orders officers to locate Ding Lizhong and rushes to First Origin Temple, where Ding is visiting Master Huikong.
• Master Huikong refuses to use his influence to protect Ding. He tells him that justice will distinguish the pure from the corrupt, and that someone truly innocent should not require others to “cleanse” them.
• Ding leaves the temple and is confronted by Shen Yinchuan, who accuses him of having left his villa in disguise just before the new spider murder occurred.
• Ding’s reaction is weakened by the fact that he already suspected the murder would happen, following his son-in-law’s plan. Shen notices that Ding’s surprise is partly feigned, increasing suspicion against him.

2. Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu becomes more capable and dangerous as an investigator through the Dragon Eyes. His ability to combine supernatural perception with advanced intelligence technology gives him a major advantage.
• Changye demonstrates her connection to Qianlong and provides Lin with an extraordinarily valuable tool, suggesting a deeper transaction or alliance between them.
• Ding Lizhong is shown to be increasingly cornered. Though intelligent and influential, he is not a skilled actor and struggles to conceal his foreknowledge of the murder.
• Shen Yinchuan grows more determined to pursue Ding Lizhong despite his status as a famous scientist and businessman. He rejects the idea that Ding should receive special treatment.
• Master Huikong remains morally detached and principled. Rather than protect his old friend, he insists that justice cannot be manipulated through personal connections.
• Zhou Yibo’s death highlights the consequences of the collapse of the Biochip project and his connection to Changsheng Group.

3. Significant Themes

• Justice versus privilege: Shen challenges the protection traditionally afforded to powerful scientists and businessmen.
• Truth and deception: Lin uses surveillance and deduction to expose hidden actors, while Ding’s imperfect performance reveals how difficult it is to conceal guilt or foreknowledge.
• Moral accountability: Huikong argues that true innocence needs no external defense and that wrongdoing cannot simply be washed away through influence.
• Technology and power: The Dragon Eyes represent an enormous expansion of investigative power, while genetic modification and mutant creatures show how scientific advancement can become dangerous.
• Fate and manipulation: The murder appears to be deliberately staged to lure or implicate specific people, turning the investigation into a contest of strategy.

4. Character Interactions

• Lin Xiaosu and Changye: Changye provides Lin with the Dragon Eyes, strengthening their alliance while hinting at an unspoken exchange involving Qianlong.
• Lin Xiaosu and Deng Qiusheng: Lin identifies Deng as a hidden observer connected to Changsheng Group, recognizing his appearance as part of a larger trap.
• Shen Yinchuan and his officers: Shen directs the investigation, dismisses excuses about surveillance signals, and orders immediate action against Ding’s circle.
• Ding Lizhong and Master Huikong: Their old friendship is revisited, but Huikong refuses to exploit his influence for Ding, instead offering a moral warning.
• Shen Yinchuan and Ding Lizhong: Their confrontation marks a major escalation. Shen openly questions Ding’s movements and reactions, while Ding realizes that his foreknowledge may have betrayed him.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Yinchuan arrests Ding Lizhong, Ding Ruoshui, Lin Xiaosu, and the sedan as potential suspects after they lure the killer into revealing itself.
• Changye arrives and presents a Hidden Dragon White Jade Plaque, proving her high-ranking Qianlong status. She takes control of the investigation and orders Shen Yinchuan to cooperate.
• At the crime scene, Lin Xiaosu uses his Temporal Reversal ability to reconstruct the murder. He discovers that a gigantic, five-star-danger-level Mutant Spider emerged from South Lake, killed Zhou Yibo by piercing his head, and escaped back into the water.
• Lin Xiaosu tracks the spider through South Lake by using an unexplained method involving the water and a metallic device. The team follows its trail to a waterway near Changsheng Group, a location known for possible alien activity.
• The spider’s trail continues through the sewer system. Since the passage is too narrow for humans, Changye deploys a high-grade Qianlong device called the Jade Cicada, which projects a live image of the sewer and follows the spider’s tracks.
• At a blocked sewer outlet, they discover that the spider—or someone controlling it—replaced a heavy iron plate. This leads the investigators to conclude that a human accomplice may be directing the creature.
• Changye uses the sewer map and Qianlong’s Dragon Eye system to identify the building above the outlet.
• The group enters the industrial building and questions its manager, but they cannot yet determine which room contains the spider. The Jade Cicada remains stationed near the blocked sewer exit, confirming that the creature may still be trapped inside.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates extraordinary investigative abilities. His temporal reconstruction, underwater tracking, and deduction of the spider’s movements convince Shen Yinchuan that his methods are far beyond ordinary detective work.
• Changye is revealed to be a powerful and highly ranked Qianlong operative. She takes command of the case and displays advanced technology, including the Jade Cicada and Dragon Eye.
• Shen Yinchuan initially treats the group as suspects, but his attitude changes once Changye establishes her authority and Lin Xiaosu successfully traces the Mutant Spider. He begins to trust and genuinely follow their leadership.
• Ding Ruoshui is left anxious and uncertain when the group is first detained, but she remains present as the investigation shifts from suspicion to pursuit.
• The chapter also suggests that the spider is not acting entirely on instinct: its ability to replace the iron plate implies the involvement of an intelligent human controller.

Significant Themes

• Authority versus procedure: The chapter explores the limits of ordinary police investigations when the investigators themselves are suspects. Qianlong’s authority overrides standard procedure.
• The contrast between conventional investigation and extraordinary technology: Traditional forensic work cannot track the spider, while Lin Xiaosu’s supernatural abilities and Changye’s advanced equipment reconnect the broken trail.
• Trust earned through results: Shen Yinchuan’s skepticism gradually turns into respect as Lin Xiaosu and Changye repeatedly prove their competence.
• Human control over monstrous power: The possibility that someone is directing the Mutant Spider suggests a larger conspiracy rather than an isolated monster attack.
• Limits of deduction: Even after tracing the spider to a specific building, the investigators face uncertainty because they cannot identify its exact location.

Important Character Interactions

• Changye directly overrides Shen Yinchuan’s authority by identifying herself as a Concealed Dragon, forcing him to hand over the case.
• Changye publicly supports Lin Xiaosu by declaring him a detective and instructing Shen to follow his lead.
• Lin Xiaosu directs Shen during the pursuit and asks Changye to solve the obstacles his own abilities cannot overcome.
• Changye and Lin Xiaosu work together closely: his deductions identify routes and targets, while her technology verifies and advances the investigation.
• Shen Yinchuan transitions from questioning whether he should listen to Lin Xiaosu to obeying him and Changye without hesitation.
• The chapter ends with the team united outside the suspected building, but still unable to locate the spider or its controller precisely.

Chapter Summary: “Locking Onto the True Culprit”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Logistics finally provides blueprints showing that Changsheng Group’s sewer system lies beneath the building’s northeast corner, but the exact entrance remains unclear.
• Lin Xiaosu realizes that a Fit parked in the underground garage is suspicious: its driver entered earlier but never exited. Using Temporal Reversal, Lin discovers that the car conceals a mechanical passage leading to a hidden underground chamber.
• Changye cuts through the steel floor beneath the parking space, revealing the secret entrance. The lights below immediately go out, confirming that someone is present.
• Lin Xiaosu, Changye, and Captain Shen Yinchuan enter the passage and defeat three mutant spiders guarding the chamber.
• They discover four steel cages, three empty and one occupied. A middle-aged man, He Yunfei of Changsheng Group’s Research Division Two, is captured before he can release anything from the final cage.
• Shen incapacitates He Yunfei, while Changye activates signal shielding to prevent possible remote control or assassination through a neural chip.
• Under interrogation, He Yunfei confesses to carrying out Zhou Yibo’s murder using the mutant spider. Evidence from the spider’s claws is expected to confirm the killing through genetic matching.
• He Yunfei identifies his superior, Huang Chengwang, as the mastermind. Huang controls Research Division Two and therefore had access to the building and the mutant spiders.
• The group rushes to arrest Huang, but discovers that he anticipated exposure. He had purchased a flight to Fusang and fled shortly after the murder, exploiting the police’s delay in finding the hidden chamber.
• The police secure the underground site, arrest He Yunfei, collect evidence, and release Ding Lizhong and his family after confirming that they were not responsible for the murder.
• Lin returns to the Ding family’s villa, where everyone anxiously awaits an explanation of how he solved the case. The chapter ends as a police car approaches the villa.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates his investigative ability and keen observation by identifying the suspicious Fit and reconstructing the hidden entrance through Temporal Reversal. His deductions connect the murder, the mutant spiders, Changsheng Group, and Huang Chengwang.
• Changye proves her combat strength by cutting through the steel floor and killing a mutant spider with her Dragon Scales. She also shows caution and strategic awareness by activating signal shielding around He Yunfei.
• Shen Yinchuan acts decisively as a police captain, defeating the mutant spider and subduing He Yunfei. His respect and gratitude toward Lin deepen after Lin helps solve the case.
• He Yunfei collapses under interrogation and reveals both his own role in the assassination and Huang Chengwang’s larger conspiracy.
• Huang Chengwang is established as a calculating and cautious mastermind. His prearranged escape shows that he expected the possibility of exposure.
• Ding Ruoshui reveals that her feelings for Lin began before she considered using his detective skills, suggesting genuine affection rather than purely practical motives.
• Ding Ruoshui’s mother worries that Lin might be exploited by the family and insists that the Ding family behave honorably, though her double standard regarding her son’s relationships creates comic tension.

Significant Themes

• Observation and deduction: Small inconsistencies—especially the driverless Fit—allow Lin to uncover an elaborate hidden facility.
• Concealment and exposure: Huang’s secret chamber, mutant spiders, and escape plan emphasize how carefully the crime was hidden, while Lin’s abilities gradually expose the entire scheme.
• Justice versus escape: Although the immediate perpetrators are captured and evidence is secured, the mastermind escapes overseas, leaving the case only partially resolved.
• Trust and gratitude: Shen’s appreciation for Lin and Ruoshui’s defense of his character show the growing respect and personal bonds surrounding him.
• Family conscience and social expectations: The conversation at the villa explores whether Lin is being used and contrasts genuine relationships with transactional ones.

Important Character Interactions

• Lin, Changye, and Shen cooperate closely during the search, combining investigative skill, supernatural abilities, and police expertise.
• Shen and Changye support Lin’s deductions rather than questioning his unusual methods, allowing them to act quickly.
• He Yunfei’s confrontation with the trio shifts the investigation from locating the killer to identifying the mastermind.
• Changye, Lin, and Shen work together to pursue Huang, but Huang’s prior escape frustrates their efforts.
• At the villa, Ruoshui’s mother questions her relationship with Lin, while Ruoshui insists that her feelings began independently of the case. The family’s discussion is interrupted by the arrival of a police car, creating suspense for the next chapter.

Chapter Summary: “South Lake Cruise, Ferrying Others, Ferrying Self, Ferrying Thoughts”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu returns to the Ding residence after solving the latest Variant Spider Murder Case.
• He reveals that the real murderer was He Yunfei, a researcher from Changsheng Group’s Research Division Two, who acted under orders from Huang Chengwang. Huang has fled to Fusang, but the evidence against him is strong.
• Lin explains that the mutant spiders used in both murders were not Ding Lizhong’s controlled spiders. They were a separate group secretly cultivated by He Yunfei in an underground chamber.
• The earlier murder investigation was deliberately framed to implicate Ding Lizhong. His deputy, Zhou Yibo, planted the victim’s genetic material on Ding’s spider to create false evidence.
• Zhou Yibo is later killed by one of the mutant spiders. His death both silences him and further frames Ding Lizhong, since a deputy’s murder could be interpreted as the leader eliminating someone who knew his secrets.
• Lin’s investigation clears Ding Lizhong completely and exposes the conspiracy behind both murders.
• Ding Lizhong celebrates his restored innocence with Lin, his wife, and the household servants. Lin also receives the remaining 300,000 payment for the investigation.
• The next morning, Ding Ruoshui invites Lin on a cruise across South Lake, partly because her mother has warned her not to abandon him after using him as her fake boyfriend.
• Ding Ruoshui and Lin continue their playful banter about their arrangement, romance, money, and her mother’s terrible signature dish.
• While they cruise, Ding Lizhong prepares to return to Changsheng Group and reclaim control over Research Division Two’s scientific direction, which has fallen into chaos after Huang Chengwang’s escape and the arrests of numerous employees.
• The chapter ends by introducing Liu Qianxun, who watches Lin and Ding Ruoshui from a lakeside teahouse. She intensely hates Lin because he destroyed her family’s martial arts abilities, wealth, and influence. His sudden alliance with Ding Lizhong makes her realize that he has established powerful connections in River City.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu proves his investigative ability by solving the murder case, clearing Ding Lizhong, and uncovering the sophisticated framing scheme.
• Ding Lizhong moves from suspicion and despair to relief and renewed confidence. His professional future is restored, and he can once again direct the research he values deeply.
• Ding Ruoshui continues pretending to be Lin’s girlfriend, but her family’s reaction forces her to show more consideration toward him. Her teasing relationship with Lin becomes increasingly comfortable and companionable.
• Mother Ding becomes openly enthusiastic about Lin as a potential son-in-law and pressures her husband to approve of him.
• Liu Qianxun emerges as a vengeful antagonist. Her family’s ruin has intensified her hatred, but Lin’s growing influence in River City complicates her plans for revenge.

Significant Themes

• Truth overcoming manipulation: The murders were constructed through false evidence, planted genetic material, and political maneuvering, but careful investigation reveals the truth.
• Betrayal and broken trust: Ding Lizhong discovers that Zhou Yibo, a subordinate he personally trained, helped frame him. He also loses his long-standing friendship with Huang Chengwang.
• Family and emotional renewal: Ding Lizhong’s exoneration restores not only his professional standing but also his household’s happiness. His daughter’s apparent romantic relationship gives his wife and family new hope.
• Performance versus genuine feeling: Lin and Ding Ruoshui’s relationship began as an arrangement, yet their playful ease and family interactions suggest that the performance may be developing into genuine closeness.
• Power, revenge, and social connections: Lin’s actions reshape alliances in River City. His enemies, especially Liu Qianxun, recognize that his influence is growing.

Character Interactions

• Lin and Ding Lizhong share a serious conversation in which Lin explains the entire conspiracy and restores Ding’s faith in his own innocence.
• Ding Lizhong and his wife celebrate Lin’s success and discuss him as a possible son-in-law. Mother Ding is particularly eager for the relationship to continue.
• Lin and Ding Ruoshui exchange sarcastic jokes about romance, money, obligation, and her mother’s cooking, revealing their growing familiarity.
• Ding Lizhong reflects on his renewed professional purpose and the unexpected happiness brought by his daughter’s “relationship.”
• Liu Qianxun observes Lin and Ding Ruoshui from afar, contrasting the joyful family scene on the lake with her own resentment and desire for revenge.

Chapter Summary: “That Day’s Agreement”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Ziyi and Liu Qianxun observe Lin Xiaosu after he successfully overcame Ding Lizhong’s previous predicament. Ziyi warns Qianxun not to confront him directly, since Lin is stronger than she is.
• Ziyi points out that Liu Qianxun could instead manipulate her admirer from Changsheng Group. Realizing this, Qianxun leaves to exploit that relationship.
• Lin Xiaosu and Ding Ruoshui spend a peaceful day touring South Lake, eating by the lakeside, and listening to Jiangnan music in a tea house.
• Lin questions Ruoshui about Genetic Modification. She explains that it is dangerous, unreliable, and mainly pursued by people in the middle levels of society, while the poor cannot access it and the truly powerful often disdain it.
• Ruoshui appears to be an ordinary person rather than a Gene Human, yet her earlier ability to kill a mosquito with a strand of hair suggests she may secretly practice martial arts. Her origins and abilities remain mysterious.
• Lin receives a call from Changye, his “cousin” in the provincial police department. Ruoshui playfully claims to be his girlfriend, and Changye accepts the act before speaking privately with Lin.
• Changye confirms that Huang Chengwang has been identified as Hydra’s regional “Snakehead,” responsible for controlling mutant creatures and connected to several major crimes, including the Yuntai Mountain incident, the Phoenix City kidnapping case, Du Lifeng’s death, and the Qu Taiqing case.
• Lin doubts that Huang Chengwang is the real mastermind. He observes that Huang had enough time to kill He Yunfei, a crucial witness, before fleeing, yet deliberately left him alive.
• Lin links this pattern to the earlier Ghost-Eyed Old Seven and Qi Hongzhong case, suggesting that Hydra may have sacrificed Huang as a decoy, just as Qi Hongzhong was previously used as a false target.
• Changye accepts that the true Snakehead may still be hidden and revisits the possibility of Ding Lizhong being involved, especially because of his expertise in chip-based control technology.

Character Developments

• Li Ziyi demonstrates strategic intelligence and influence. Although she appears to advise Liu Qianxun neutrally, her strange smile suggests she may have her own motives.
• Liu Qianxun shifts from considering direct confrontation to planning psychological manipulation through her wealthy admirer.
• Ding Ruoshui reveals a thoughtful, skeptical attitude toward Genetic Modification and presents herself as unusually perceptive and self-aware. Her unexplained physical abilities deepen the mystery surrounding her.
• Lin Xiaosu continues to act as both investigator and martial expert. His sharp reasoning allows him to recognize inconsistencies in the official conclusion about Huang Chengwang.
• Changye initially accepts the conventional investigation results but is persuaded by Lin’s logic. Her growing trust in his deductions strengthens their investigative partnership.
• Ding Lizhong remains an ambiguous figure: possibly an innocent victim of a setup, but still a credible suspect because of his knowledge of neural chips and remote control.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: Huang Chengwang’s apparent guilt may be a deliberate façade, while the true mastermind remains hidden.
• Manipulation and sacrifice: Hydra appears willing to abandon operatives to mislead investigators.
• Power and social hierarchy: Ruoshui’s criticism of Genetic Modification reflects how access to technology differs between social classes.
• Trust and deception: Characters adopt false identities and relationships, while even apparent evidence may be carefully constructed.
• Hidden identities and unexplained abilities: Ruoshui’s possible martial-arts background and the concealed Snakehead reinforce the chapter’s atmosphere of mystery.

Important Character Interactions

• Li Ziyi advises Liu Qianxun and indirectly helps her devise a plan to use her admirer.
• Lin and Ding Ruoshui develop a relaxed but subtly investigative relationship; Lin probes her background while she openly challenges his assumptions.
• Changye and Ruoshui jokingly establish a “cousin” and “little sister-in-law” relationship, creating a playful cover for Lin’s identity.
• Lin and Changye analyze Huang Chengwang’s escape and challenge the official interpretation of the evidence, ultimately agreeing that the true Snakehead may still be at large.

Chapter Summary: “S-Class Mission, Five Hundred Thousand in Pay”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu and Changye analyze Zhou Yibo’s murder and conclude that money or women were unlikely to have motivated him. They suspect he was promised a higher scientific position—possibly Ding Lizhong’s role—in exchange for helping eliminate Ding.
• Their reasoning points toward Li Changsheng, chairman of Changsheng Group, as the possible mastermind behind the conspiracy.
• Changye offers Lin Xiaosu a new mission worth 500,000 yuan: an S-class operation to eliminate Huang Chengwang, whom Qianlong has identified as the “snakehead” behind the killings.
• Huang Chengwang is responsible for silencing thirty-seven Gene Humans connected to nearly a thousand deaths, including scientists, national elites, and children. Qianlong therefore issues a red kill order against him.
• Huang has fled to Fusang, making the mission significantly more dangerous because of the country’s advanced genetic-modification research, hostile attitude toward Daxia, and familiarity with Qianlong’s methods.
• Changye accepts the mission partly because Huang Chengwang killed Qu Taiqing, the grandfather-like figure who once rescued and cared for her.
• Lin Xiaosu agrees to accompany Changye, primarily because his investigative abilities will help locate Huang in Fusang’s vast population.
• Before departure, Changye reveals that Huang stole a mysterious purple stone from Prison Mountain. The stone contains extraordinary energy and helped Huang advance his neutrino research.
• Huang has already presented the stone to Fusang’s Imperial Research Institute. Recovering it would elevate the mission to SS-class, though a specialist team will handle that objective.
• At the airport, Lin Xiaosu receives a forged identity based on a deceased Qianlong operative, adopting the name Su Zhe and posing as an employee of a Fusang science-and-trade company.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates sharp analytical ability by identifying the likely motive behind Zhou Yibo’s betrayal. Despite the seriousness of the mission, he remains humorously obsessed with payment and immediately asks whether an SS-class mission would double the reward.
• Changye reveals both strategic competence and emotional vulnerability. Her decision to pursue Huang is motivated not only by duty but also by grief and a desire for justice for Qu Taiqing.
• Changye also shows trust in Lin Xiaosu by selecting him as her partner, recognizing that his greatest strength is finding hidden targets rather than killing them.
• Ding Ruoshui appears reluctant to see Lin Xiaosu leave and playfully hints at personal interest by asking whether he would charge her for a movie date.
• Lin Xiaosu continues to use humor and teasing to ease tension, while Changye balances his irreverence with the gravity of their mission.

Significant Themes

• Justice versus personal revenge: Qianlong officially discourages revenge, but it allows personal motives when they do not interfere with duty. Changye’s mission therefore combines national justice with personal grief.
• Loyalty and betrayal: Huang Chengwang’s actions are framed as treason because he fled abroad with technology that could strengthen a hostile nation.
• The value of scientific recognition: Zhou Yibo’s possible betrayal suggests that ambition and the desire for professional status can be more powerful than money.
• Duty and sacrifice: Lin Xiaosu adopts the identity of a fallen comrade, which Qianlong presents as carrying on that person’s unfinished mission.
• National security and technological competition: The purple stone and neutrino technology raise the stakes beyond Huang’s assassination, threatening to give Fusang a major strategic advantage.
• Humor amid danger: Lin Xiaosu’s greed, teasing, and comic reactions contrast with the deadly seriousness of the mission.

Important Character Interactions

• Lin Xiaosu and Changye engage in a humorous but intellectually serious discussion about Zhou Yibo’s motives, revealing their complementary skills.
• Changye uses the promise of a large reward to persuade Lin Xiaosu to accept the mission, while Lin Xiaosu jokingly complains about losing the chance to profit from their earlier mistake.
• Changye shares the personal reason behind her pursuit of Huang, deepening Lin Xiaosu’s understanding of her motivations.
• Lin Xiaosu and Ding Ruoshui exchange flirtatious banter before his departure, suggesting a possible emotional connection.
• Changye and Lin Xiaosu prepare disguises and forged documents together, ending the chapter as partners embarking on a dangerous operation in Fusang.