Chapter Summaries

Yue Xiaofei, a former special forces War King reborn as a poor high school graduate, refused a dishonest sponsorship and chose to attend a military academy. When Gao Zisheng threatened his family and ordered their home demolished, Yue Xiaofei’s supposedly senile grandfather emerged with a fearsome presence, hinting that he had been a formidable soldier.

• Yue Xiaofei learned he had topped Jiangbei Province’s college entrance exam and declared that he would attend a military academy instead of Qingbei or Jingda.
• Yue Xiaofei rejected Director Ma’s offer of money for a deceptive advertisement, and Teacher Wang warned him that Gao Zisheng might retaliate.
• Gao Zisheng arrived at Yue Xiaofei’s home with armed thugs, admitted he had pushed Yue Xiaofei off a rooftop, and demanded a million yuan or Yue Xiaofei’s Top Scholar Slot.
• Gao Zisheng ordered Scarface and the thugs to demolish the house while Yue Xiaofei was held down, threatening his grandfather inside.
• A gunshot stopped the bulldozer, and Old Master Yue emerged from the house looking like a battle-hardened warrior.

Key plot points

• Old Master Yue drives off Scarface and the Gao Family’s thugs by threatening them with a gun, then reveals a hidden box containing more than a dozen military medals.
• He also shows Xiaofei a plaque bearing the title “Pillar of the Country” and a photograph of Xiaofei’s father, Yue Changlong, with his close comrade Zhao Mengsheng. A note from his father says Xiaofei can turn to Zhao for help.
• Xiaofei realizes his family has a formidable military legacy and sees the medals and plaque as potential leverage against the powerful Gao Family.
• Principal Li calls to announce that Xiaofei’s top-scholar result will be revoked over a fabricated cheating accusation. He admits the school is acting under Gao Family pressure and offers Xiaofei a chance to repeat the year if he gives up the title.
• When Xiaofei refuses, Principal Li threatens prison and hints at involvement in Xiaofei’s earlier rooftop fall, then says officers are on their way.
• Xiaofei decides to carry the plaque and pursue a complaint, resolving to challenge the people abusing their power.

Character developments and interactions

• Old Master Yue shifts from a seemingly frail grandfather into a forceful, guarded figure with a distinguished past. He entrusts Xiaofei with the family’s history and what may be a crucial connection.
• Xiaofei moves from astonishment at his family’s secrets to determined defiance. Drawing on his past life as a special-forces “War King,” he believes he can confront the Gao Family rather than submit.
• Principal Li is exposed as corrupt and complicit in the Gao Family’s attempt to take Xiaofei’s academic honor. His threats turn their conflict openly personal.
• Scarface and the other thugs retreat in fear when Old Master Yue produces the gun.

Significant themes

• Justice versus corruption: The Gao Family uses its influence to manipulate the school and threaten Xiaofei.
• Legacy and hidden power: Xiaofei’s father’s military achievements and friendship with Zhao Mengsheng may provide a path to help.
• Defiance and courage: Xiaofei refuses to surrender his earned title, even when threatened with imprisonment.
• Power and social status: The chapter contrasts the Gao Family’s wealth and local influence with the state-level authority symbolized by the medals and plaque.

Plot points and events

• Yue Xiaofei sets out to seek justice for his family, carrying his late grandfather Yue Qinhu’s heavy “Pillar of the Country” plaque and a box of medals. He plans to go to the Jiangcheng district office because he cannot locate the classified Navy and Air Force units.
• Despite the scorching heat and public ridicule, Yue keeps walking, determined to clear his family’s name and confront Gao Zisheng.
• Livestreamer Lin Xiaolu notices him and sees the medals spill from his pocket. Suspecting he may be a thief or fraud, she calls her grandfather, retired military officer Lin Tiejun.
• Lin Tiejun recognizes the significance of the plaque and asks Xiaolu to question Yue. When Yue names his grandfather as Yue Qinhu, Lin Tiejun is stunned: Yue Qinhu was his former regimental commander and the man who saved his life.
• Believing someone is falsely claiming kinship with his long-lost commander, Lin Tiejun angrily rushes to Jiangcheng to confront Yue in person.

Character developments

• Yue Xiaofei shows physical endurance and unwavering resolve, accepting humiliation and hardship as he pursues justice for his family.
• Lin Xiaolu shifts from curiosity to suspicion, treating Yue as a possible fraud and using her livestream to investigate him.
• Lin Tiejun moves from calm retirement to intense anger and urgency. His loyalty to Yue Qinhu and his fear that the man’s memory is being exploited drive his reaction.

Significant themes

• Justice and perseverance: Yue continues despite exhaustion, insults, and the risk of personal cost.
• Honor and legacy: The plaque and medals represent extraordinary service and carry deep moral weight.
• Appearance versus truth: Yue’s poverty-stricken appearance leads others to doubt his claims, while the chapter leaves open whether Lin’s suspicion is justified.
• Memory and loyalty: Lin’s response is shaped by an enduring debt to the commander who saved his life.

Character interactions

• Yue reassures his confused grandfather before leaving, then silently endures strangers’ gossip.
• Xiaolu publicly frames Yue as suspicious and questions him about the plaque; Yue calmly identifies it as his grandfather’s.
• Lin Tiejun directs Xiaolu to investigate, then reacts strongly to Yue Qinhu’s name and mobilizes his subordinates to travel to Jiangcheng.

Plot points and events

• After Scarface reports that his men failed to stop Yue Xiaofei, Gao Zisheng dismisses the danger and falsely tells his father, Gao Tianxiong, that Yue is the aggressor.
• Gao Tianxiong mobilizes hundreds of thugs across Jiangcheng, ordering them to stop Yue from reaching the military district headquarters.
• Yue continues toward the headquarters with a complaint plaque on his shoulder, accompanied and livestreamed by Lin Xiaolu. Her audience grows as viewers witness the thugs close in.
• Yue fights off one attacker, but the mob overwhelms and injures him. He refuses to abandon the plaque and crawls toward the headquarters, driven by the need to seek justice.
• Lin Xiaolu’s grandfather, veteran Lin Tiejun, watches the livestream and rushes to the scene, determined to investigate the injustice and punish the criminals.
• Yue reaches the military district’s security line. The thugs stop short of crossing it, leaving him inside the gate.
• Bloodied but still resolute, Yue kneels before the flag and formally declares that he has come to seek justice for his grandfather, Yue Qinhu, and his father, Yue Changlong.

Character developments

• Yue Xiaofei demonstrates extraordinary courage and endurance. Though badly beaten, he never relinquishes the plaque or his purpose; reaching the gate becomes an act of defiance and perseverance.
• Gao Zisheng is revealed as arrogant and manipulative. He blames Yue to protect himself and assumes his family’s influence will ensure impunity.
• Gao Tianxiong responds to the complaint by escalating matters, using the family’s criminal network to intimidate Yue.
• Lin Xiaolu remains beside Yue and continues filming despite the danger, helping make the attack public.
• Lin Tiejun is presented as a principled veteran who reacts to the livestream with indignation and a commitment to intervene.

Significant themes

• Justice against power: Yue’s appeal challenges the Gao family’s belief that wealth and influence place them above accountability.
• Courage and perseverance: Yue’s refusal to stop, even while injured, makes his journey a public act of resistance.
• Public witness and exposure: Lin Xiaolu’s livestream turns a private injustice into a visible confrontation, drawing attention to the abuse.
• Military honor and family legacy: Yue invokes his family’s service and sacrifices as the moral basis for his demand for justice.

Character interactions

• Gao Zisheng berates Scarface, then misleads his father about the dispute.
• Gao Tianxiong answers by directing his network of thugs to block Yue.
• Lin Xiaolu supports Yue and alerts her grandfather as the attack intensifies.
• The thugs threaten and assault Yue, while he answers their intimidation with defiance and pushes past them to the protected gate.
• Yue’s final kneeling appeal addresses the military authorities and invokes his grandfather and father, turning his personal grievance into a formal plea for justice.

Chapter summary

• Yue Xiaofei reaches the military district gate, badly beaten and kneeling, with a Pillar of the Country plaque and a box containing more than a dozen First-Class Merit Medals. Armed guards stop the thugs pursuing him, and one rushes to alert Division Commander Xiao Zhan.
• Xiao Zhan reacts with outrage when he learns that a young man carrying so many medals has been attacked. He orders the entire division to assemble and goes to the gate with his troops.
• Xiaofei explains what happened: he earned the highest science score in Jiangbei Province, but school bully Gao Zisheng and Principal Li allegedly stole his score, accused him of cheating, threatened his family, and sent hundreds of men to beat him.
• Xiaofei drops the medals and pleads, “Give me back my dad!” His father, Yue Changlong, was a soldier and has been imprisoned for five years. Xiaofei believes his father could not have been a criminal, given his military service and decorations, and asks the military district to help uncover the truth.
• Xiao Zhan promises to protect Xiaofei and hold those responsible accountable. The soldiers are moved and furious, while Xiao Zhan pledges that anyone who harmed or dishonored a hero will pay.
• Xiaofei then asks to borrow one million yuan, startling the soldiers and viewers of Lin Xiaolu’s livestream. Online commenters accuse him of fraud, though Lin herself suspects he is sincere.
• Xiaofei explains that Gao Zisheng claims his father owed the money and has threatened to destroy their home and turn Xiaofei’s grandfather out onto the street. His grandfather, a veteran with dementia, is alone at home. Xiaofei insists the money is not for himself: he needs it to keep his grandfather alive.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiaofei shifts from demanding justice for his father to revealing the immediate danger facing his grandfather. Despite his injuries and humiliation, he remains determined to protect his family.
• Xiao Zhan moves from command authority to a protective, almost paternal role, responding to Xiaofei’s plea with personal promises and decisive action.
• The soldiers are shaken by Xiaofei’s suffering and galvanized by their commander’s anger.
• Lin Xiaolu doubts the accusations against Xiaofei but is unable to speak up as her livestream audience turns against him.

Significant themes

• Honor and duty: The medals and plaque represent service and sacrifice, making the mistreatment of their holder—and his family—especially disgraceful.
• Family loyalty: Xiaofei’s priorities are his imprisoned father and vulnerable grandfather, not his academic achievement or personal gain.
• Justice versus corruption: The alleged score theft, forged debt, threats, and violence suggest powerful people are abusing their influence.
• Public judgment and appearances: Online viewers quickly condemn Xiaofei over the million-yuan request without knowing his reasons.

Key plot points and events

• Xiao Zhan learns how cruelly the Gao family has treated Yue Xiaofei and his elderly grandfather, a war hero with dementia. Outraged, he resolves to hold them accountable, even if it costs him his position.
• Gao Zisheng arrives at the military-district gate, expecting the soldiers to support him. Yue Xiaofei deliberately lets him believe he is safe and encourages him to keep talking.
• Gao boasts about having bullied Yue at school, mocks his grandfather’s military service and medals, and threatens the old man. He then stamps on Yue’s hand and medals, leaving Yue badly injured.
• Xiao Zhan and the soldiers struggle to restrain their anger, but Xiao Zhan waits as Gao continues exposing his cruelty.
• When Gao dares Yue to hit him, Yue slaps him in front of his men and the soldiers, then explains that he did it for those Gao has bullied and for his grandfather.
• Lin Xiaolu’s livestream draws a huge audience, with her followers surging to one million and viewers celebrating Yue’s slap.

Character developments and interactions

• Yue Xiaofei endures pain and pretends to be frightened so Gao will reveal his character publicly. His restraint gives way to a decisive act of defiance: he stands up for himself, other victims, and his grandfather’s honor.
• Gao Zisheng grows increasingly arrogant, openly admitting to past abuse and showing contempt for soldiers’ sacrifices. His confidence collapses into shock when Yue finally strikes him.
• Xiao Zhan shifts from anger at the Gao family’s treatment of Yue to barely contained fury at Gao’s public insults. He restrains the soldiers so Gao can expose himself, while remaining ready to intervene.
• The soldiers are disgusted by Gao’s behavior and want to retaliate, but initially obey Xiao Zhan’s order to wait. Their shared outrage reflects their respect for Yue’s grandfather and military service.

Significant themes

• Honor and remembrance: The medals symbolize the grandfather’s service and sacrifice, making Gao’s attempt to defile them especially insulting.
• Abuse of power and impunity: Gao believes family wealth and influence place him above consequences.
• Courage and justice: Yue turns apparent helplessness into a public stand against a bully.
• Public accountability: The livestream transforms the confrontation into a spectacle, allowing viewers to witness and condemn Gao’s behavior.

Plot points and events

• Gao Zisheng tries to have Yue Xiaofei seized, threatening the thugs and invoking his family’s influence. Xiao Zhan refuses to obey him, citing the law and Yue’s treatment of a national hero’s medals.
• A provincial official phones Xiao Zhan and claims there are no records of Yue’s grandfather or father, ordering him to stop investigating. Gao seizes on this to brand Yue a thief and fraud, while the livestream audience turns against Yue.
• Just as the thugs begin to approach, retired Major General Lin Tiejun arrives. Gao assumes Lin is there to help his family, but Lin strikes him with his cane and orders everyone not to touch Yue.
• Lin initially suspects Yue of falsely claiming descent from a revered wartime commander. Seeing Yue’s face makes him hesitate, and a photograph on Yue’s damaged phone confirms that Yue’s grandfather is the old regimental commander.
• Overcome with remorse and grief, Lin kneels—not to Yue, but before the Pillar of the Country plaque—and recalls how the commander saved and mentored him. The soldiers and livestream viewers recognize that Yue’s family history is genuine, while Gao’s supporters fall silent.

Character developments and interactions

• Yue Xiaofei remains steadfast under pressure, insisting that his family’s medals and his grandfather’s wounds are genuine. His composure and resemblance to the commander help persuade Lin.
• Xiao Zhan is committed to protecting Yue but is shaken when provincial authorities order him to stop. Lin’s arrival and testimony begin to resolve the conflict.
• Lin Tiejun shifts from suspicion to recognition, then to deep remorse. His emotional tribute reveals his lifelong loyalty to the commander who saved him.
• Gao Zisheng moves from arrogant threats to panic as Lin rejects him and publicly validates Yue’s heritage.
• Lin Xiaolu supports Yue and turns to her grandfather for help; her livestream captures the dramatic reversal.

Significant themes

• Truth versus corruption: Political influence can obstruct justice, but firsthand evidence and loyal witnesses challenge the Gao family’s attempt to erase Yue’s history.
• Honor and sacrifice: The medals and plaque represent the commander’s service, while Yue’s determination to defend them reflects respect for his family’s legacy.
• Comradeship and gratitude: Lin’s kneeling and confession show the enduring bond between soldiers and the lasting debt he feels to his commander.
• Public judgment: The livestream audience quickly turns against Yue, then reverses course when credible proof emerges.

Key plot points and events

• Yue Xiaofei recognizes Lin Tiejun as “Little Lin,” a name his grandfather used while suffering from dementia. Instead of taking offense, Lin is thrilled: Yue Qinhu—the former regimental commander he revered—is alive.
• Yue reveals that Gao Zisheng had gone to his home threatening to tear it down and confine his grandfather in a dog kennel. Lin responds with fury and warns Gao not to have harmed Yue Qinhu.
• Lin explains Yue Qinhu’s forgotten wartime history. More than seventy years earlier, Yue led a desperate defense of Jiangcheng against invading forces, protecting hundreds of thousands of civilians. Though gravely wounded and nearly killed, he helped defeat the enemy and was honored as a “Pillar of the Country.”
• Yue Qinhu later disappeared, choosing to return to farming. The city’s statue to an “unknown hero” was built in his honor, and the chapter reveals that Yue Xiaofei’s grandfather is that hero.
• Lin and the soldiers turn against Gao Zisheng, demanding punishment for insulting the hero and bullying his family. Gao is seized, but he argues that the many First-Class Merit Medals displayed at the house cannot all legitimately belong to Yue Qinhu, accusing him of theft or coercion.

Character developments and interactions

• Yue Xiaofei learns the truth about his grandfather and moves from confusion to pride, insisting that Yue Qinhu is a genuine hero. He also reveals Gao’s threats, prompting Lin’s intervention.
• Lin Tiejun shifts from grief at believing his commander dead to elation upon learning he is alive. His deep loyalty becomes forceful anger when he hears Gao threatened Yue Qinhu.
• Lin Xiaolu is startled by Yue’s casual way of addressing her grandfather, then asks about Yue Qinhu’s identity and legacy.
• Gao Zisheng tries to exploit Yue’s disrespectful-sounding address, but loses confidence under Lin’s threat. He later attempts to defend himself by challenging the authenticity and number of Yue’s medals.
• The soldiers and livestream audience learn that the city’s anonymous wartime hero was Yue Qinhu; the soldiers unite in calling for Gao’s punishment.

Significant themes

• Recognition of forgotten heroes: Yue Qinhu’s sacrifice went largely unrecognized during his lifetime, despite shaping Jiangcheng’s survival.
• Humility and shared credit: Though personally honored, Yue Qinhu credited his comrades rather than himself.
• Loyalty across generations: Lin’s devotion to his former commander extends to protecting the commander’s grandson.
• Justice and reputation: The chapter contrasts reverence for Yue Qinhu’s service with Gao’s attempt to discredit him, setting up a dispute over whether past heroism and present accusations can coexist.

Plot points and events

• Gao Zisheng challenges the authenticity of Yue Qinhu’s First-Class Merit Medals, arguing that Army medals should not include Navy and Air Force awards. His accusation unsettles the crowd and online viewers.
• Yue Xiaofei insists his grandfather is no thief and asks Lin Tiejun to investigate the medals. He suspects they may have belonged to his father, who went to prison five years earlier.
• Xiao Zhan traces the serial number on an Air Force medal—81129—but discovers that access to its record requires exceptionally high clearance. The inquiry travels up the chain of command to Air Force Headquarters.
• Air Force commander Lei Zhen recognizes the number as belonging to Yue Zhangkong, Azure Sword’s first captain and a celebrated test pilot. Zhangkong died diverting a failing fighter away from a residential area and was posthumously honored as a martyr and the “King of the Skies.”
• Learning that Zhangkong’s nephew has been bullied, Lei orders all twenty of Azure Sword’s Falcon-20 fighters to deploy to Jiangcheng, despite a staff officer’s warning that the move breaks procedure.
• While the crowd waits, Gao regains his confidence and again accuses the Yue family of theft. His triumph is interrupted by the thunderous arrival of the fighter formation.

Character developments

• Yue Xiaofei moves from anger to determined action, seeking an official investigation to defend his grandfather and uncover the medals’ origins. His suspicions about his father deepen.
• Gao Zisheng briefly gains public support by raising a plausible question, then uses the lack of immediate proof to resume bullying and make baseless accusations.
• Lei Zhen is revealed as a forceful commander deeply loyal to Yue Zhangkong. His grief and outrage override procedural caution, and he personally accepts responsibility for the deployment.
• Azure Sword’s officers and pilots show their continuing devotion to their former captain, responding to news of his family’s mistreatment with collective anger and solidarity.

Significant themes

• Honor and reputation: Yue Xiaofei fights to protect his family’s name, while the medal investigation promises to reveal the truth behind its honors.
• Loyalty and sacrifice: Yue Zhangkong’s fatal act to protect civilians inspires lasting loyalty among his comrades.
• Justice versus procedure: Lei Zhen chooses to act decisively for a martyr’s family, even at the cost of breaking rules.
• Hidden identity and legacy: The medals’ restricted record and Yue Xiaofei’s uncertainty about his father suggest a larger family history still concealed.

Character interactions

• Gao provokes Yue Xiaofei by questioning the medals; Yue answers by demanding a formal investigation rather than backing down.
• Lin Tiejun and Xiao Zhan cooperate to trace the serial number, connecting the local dispute to the Air Force’s command structure.
• Lei Zhen’s account of Zhangkong’s service turns the news of Yue Xiaofei’s mistreatment into a call to action, uniting Azure Sword in defense of their former captain’s family.
• Gao tries to enlist Xiao Zhan against Yue Xiaofei, but the incoming fighters abruptly shift the balance of the confrontation.

Plot points and events

• Twenty Falcon-20 fighter jets from the famed Azure Sword squadron arrive at the military district, making clear that they have come to protect Yue Xiaofei.
• Air Force legend General Lei Zhen and twenty pilots apologize to Yue for arriving late and declare him a child of the Air Force. Lei warns that anyone who harms him will make an enemy of the entire squadron.
• Gao Zisheng realizes the situation has turned against him. On his father Gao Tianxiong’s advice, he admits wrongdoing but tries to shift the blame onto Principal Li.
• Lei explains that Yue’s uncle, Yue Zhangkong, commanded the Azure Sword and died in a test-flight accident after steering his aircraft into a mountain to save people below and preserve flight data. Lei invites Yue to join the Air Force and continue his uncle’s legacy; Yue says he must consult his grandfather first.
• When Gao points out Yue also has a Navy medal, Lei investigates its number. It belonged to Yue Changhai, a Navy captain who sacrificed himself and his warship to stop an enemy vessel from violating the kingdom’s waters.
• The revelation leaves Lei stunned: Yue’s family has produced three martyrs—Army veteran Yue Qinhu, Air Force legend Yue Zhangkong, and Navy hero Yue Changhai.

Character developments and interactions

• Yue Xiaofei learns more about his family’s military history and is offered a place in the Air Force, but remains thoughtful and defers the decision to his grandfather.
• Lei Zhen shifts from outraged protector to emotionally moved witness as he honors Yue and uncovers the full extent of his family’s sacrifices.
• Gao Zisheng goes from smug bully to frightened opportunist, trying to save himself by obeying his father’s advice and blaming Principal Li.
• Gao Tianxiong urges his son to minimize the damage by accepting temporary blame and scapegoating the principal.
• The Azure Sword pilots publicly apologize to Yue and reaffirm their commitment to protect him and uphold their fallen commander’s legacy.

Significant themes

• Family legacy and sacrifice: Yue’s relatives have served and died for their country across the Army, Air Force, and Navy.
• Honor and protection of martyrs’ families: The Air Force’s intervention turns Yue’s mistreatment into a public disgrace.
• Duty and self-sacrifice: Both uncles chose others’ safety and national defense over their own survival.
• Accountability versus evasion: Gao’s attempted blame-shifting contrasts with the pilots’ sincere acceptance of responsibility.

Key plot points and events

• Public evidence confirms that Yue Xiaofei’s grandfather and two uncles were decorated heroes, disproving online claims against him. The livestream audience celebrates the family’s service.
• Pilot commander Lei Zhen comforts Xiaofei, promises the Azure Sword’s support, and contacts Headquarters to send further help. Gao Zisheng realizes he has provoked powerful allies.
• At Jiangcheng No. 1 High School, Principal Li boasts of his ties to the Gao Family while privately pursuing a promotion with Teacher Bai.
• Gao enforcer Brother Dao arrives and orders Li to take the blame for the scandal involving Xiaofei, warning that the Gao Family will otherwise endanger him and his relatives. Li reluctantly agrees.
• Back at the confrontation, Xiaofei names the medals’ recipients: his grandfather Yue Qinhu, eldest uncle Yue Zhangkong, and second uncle Yue Changhai. Lin Tiejun and Lei Zhen publicly defend the family.
• Gao Zisheng counters by bringing up Xiaofei’s father, Yue Changlong, who is imprisoned, and uses this to insult Xiaofei and question his honor.

Character developments and interactions

• Yue Xiaofei gains confidence as the truth about his family is confirmed, but remains under attack when Gao Zisheng turns to his father’s past.
• Lei Zhen shifts from offering sympathy to openly standing guard over Xiaofei and mobilizing further support.
• Gao Zisheng moves from fear and desperation to a last attempt to regain control by shaming Xiaofei through his father.
• Principal Li is revealed as corrupt and dependent on Gao Family favors; under Brother Dao’s threats, he agrees to become their scapegoat.
• Brother Dao acts as the Gao Family’s coercive fixer, forcing Li’s compliance.
• Lin Tiejun and Lei Zhen stand together in defense of the Yue family, while the surrounding Gao Family thugs remain intimidated.

Significant themes

• Inherited honor and stigma: Xiaofei’s family’s heroic service is celebrated, but Gao Zisheng tries to define him by his imprisoned father.
• Power and intimidation: The Gao Family uses favors, threats, and scapegoating to protect itself.
• Loyalty and protection: Military allies and public supporters rally around Xiaofei as the truth emerges.

Plot points and events

• Gao Zisheng claims that Yue Xiaofei’s father, Yue Changlong, was a criminal, prompting the crowd and livestream viewers to question the Yue family’s honor.
• Yue Xiaofei admits his father was imprisoned five years earlier but says the circumstances were suspicious. He argues that without powerful witnesses, he might also have been framed by the Gao family.
• He asks Lin Tiejun and Lei Zhen to investigate his father’s fate, admitting he does not even know whether his father is still alive.
• Lin calls a contact, who discovers that Yue Changlong is being held in Yanshan Prison, known as the “Black Prison”—a secretive facility for high-ranking traitors and dangerous criminals.
• The contact reveals that Yue Changlong’s case is top secret and beyond even Lei Zhen’s clearance. Gao seizes on this as supposed proof that Yue Changlong betrayed the country, but Lin and Lei insist the facts are still unknown.
• Yue Xiaofei presents an old photograph of his father with Zhao Mengsheng, his father’s trusted military friend. He asks the generals to help find Zhao, believing he can explain what happened.

Character developments and interactions

• Yue Xiaofei shifts from defiant composure to visible vulnerability as he speaks about his father. His determination to uncover the truth—and his trust in his father—remain firm.
• Lin Tiejun and Lei Zhen initially defend Yue Changlong’s character, then become unsettled by the prison’s secrecy. Despite their uncertainty, they agree to investigate and take Yue’s plea seriously.
• Gao Zisheng uses the allegations to smear Yue Xiaofei and the Yue family, repeatedly declaring Yue Changlong a traitor without evidence.
• The crowd and livestream audience move from suspicion to shock as the revelations deepen, while the mysterious classification leaves the central question unresolved.

Significant themes

• Justice and abuse of power: Yue Xiaofei fears that an ordinary person can be framed and silenced without influential allies.
• Family honor versus uncertain evidence: The Yue family’s reputation conflicts with the alarming secrecy surrounding Yue Changlong’s imprisonment.
• Loyalty and trust: Yue Xiaofei relies on his father’s principles and on the bond between his father and Zhao Mengsheng.
• Truth under secrecy: The chapter ends with the case still unresolved, setting up the search for a witness who may reveal what happened.

Key plot points and events

• Generals Lin Tiejun and Lei Zhen search military records for Zhao Mengsheng but find no trace of him. They wonder whether he used another name or had a classified identity.
• Yue Xiaofei finds a partly faded phone number on the back of the old photograph but cannot read its last two digits. Gao Zisheng mocks him and insists Zhao was invented.
• Lin Xiaolu asks the million-plus livestream viewers to identify Zhao. After a stream of jokes and guesses, a prominent user claims he may be the eldest son of the powerful Longdu Zhao Family—the celebrated “prince of capital high society” twenty years earlier.
• Lin and Lei recognize the Zhao Family’s importance but reject the identification: a family heir would not seemingly have served as an ordinary soldier alongside Yue Xiaofei’s father. Xiaofei’s hope of proving his father’s innocence dims.
• Lin and Lei promise to keep investigating and order Gao Zisheng and his hundreds of thugs arrested. Gao panics and wets himself as the guards move in.
• Police sirens interrupt the arrests. Bureau Chief Hou arrives with a convoy, setting up a new confrontation.

Character developments and interactions

• Yue Xiaofei remains steadfast in believing his father’s account, despite public mockery and the lack of evidence. The Zhao Family lead briefly gives him hope before the generals’ doubts discourage him.
• Lin Tiejun and Lei Zhen take Xiaofei’s cause seriously, investigate through their military contacts, and prepare to punish the Gao Family for attacking a hero’s son. Their surprise at the Zhao identification shows how significant—and obscure—the family is.
• Gao Zisheng continues taunting Xiaofei and accusing his family of dishonesty, but his bravado collapses when arrest becomes imminent.
• Lin Xiaolu tries to turn the livestream’s large audience into a resource for finding Zhao.
• The generals’ protective stance contrasts with Gao’s bullying; the livestream audience, meanwhile, shifts from jokes to a potentially meaningful clue.

Significant themes

• Truth versus disbelief: Xiaofei’s faith in his father is tested by missing records and public skepticism.
• Power and social status: The Zhao Family’s influence is immense, yet its heir’s apparent service as a common soldier makes the online claim seem implausible.
• Public attention as a tool: The livestream offers a possible path to information, though most viewers initially provide little help.
• Justice and accountability: Lin and Lei move to hold the attackers responsible, while the police chief’s sudden arrival leaves the outcome unresolved.

Plot points and events

• Principal Li is arrested for falsely accusing Yue Xiaofei of cheating. Bureau Chief Hou Tao promises a full investigation, including the arrest of Gao Zisheng and the hundreds of thugs who pursued Xiaofei.
• Lin Tiejun and Lei Zhen demand that Xiaofei’s exam results be verified, his name cleared, and everyone involved punished. The authorities promise an answer within three days.
• Though the immediate crisis appears resolved, Xiaofei suspects the Gao Family’s unusual silence and Hou Tao’s eagerness to cooperate may signal something is wrong.
• Lin and Lei accompany Xiaofei home, where they discover his family lives in severe poverty. Xiaofei explains that his applications for school aid were repeatedly rejected while wealthy students, including Gao Zisheng’s circle, misused the funds.
• Xiaofei introduces them to his grandfather, Yue Qinhu, who has dementia. Lin recognizes him as the commander who saved his life more than sixty years ago and breaks down with gratitude.
• Lei finds an old handgun in the house. An inscription identifies it as a gift to Yue Qinhu from Qin Lie—apparently Marshal Qin—prompting astonished reactions from both veterans.

Character developments

• Yue Xiaofei remains alert and distrustful even after the arrests, noticing that the situation may not be as straightforward as it seems.
• Lin Tiejun shifts from demanding justice for Xiaofei to an emotional reunion with the commander who once saved him. He accepts that Yue Qinhu no longer remembers him.
• Lei Zhen is determined to expose the misuse of aid and becomes intrigued by the handgun’s connection to a powerful historical figure.
• Yue Qinhu’s dementia contrasts with the heroic past Lin remembers, while the gun suggests his history may be even more significant than Xiaofei knows.
• Hou Tao appears deferential and decisive, but Xiaofei’s doubts leave his motives uncertain.

Significant themes

• Justice and corruption: The chapter exposes unfair accusations, violence, and the diversion of aid meant for poor students.
• Neglected sacrifice: The descendants of heroes may be left in poverty despite the honors and support they deserve.
• Memory and legacy: Yue Qinhu has forgotten his past, but others and the objects he left behind preserve it.
• Power and accountability: Lin and Lei use their influence to demand that officials pursue the case regardless of the people involved.

Character interactions

• Lin and Lei confront Hou Tao over the treatment of Xiaofei and insist on concrete action.
• Xiaofei rejects Principal Li’s apology as self-serving.
• Xiaofei’s account of denied aid angers Lin and Lei and prompts Lin to order a deeper investigation.
• Lin reunites with Yue Qinhu, expressing lifelong gratitude despite the old man’s inability to recognize him.
• Lei’s discovery of the handgun links the impoverished household to a much larger—and still unexplained—military history.

Chapter summary

The engraved inscription on Yue Qinhu’s pistol identifies it as a gift from Marshal Qin Lie, the famous “God of War” and one of the Ten Marshals. Yue Qinhu suddenly sits up, calls Qin “Brother,” and relives fragments of their wartime past, suggesting their bond was far closer than that of commander and subordinate. Lin Tiejun recalls that Yue Qinhu once led their charge against the Japanese and gave him a cartridge casing with the words, “Bullets may rust, but our backbones must never bend.” Touching it briefly brings Yue Qinhu a moment of clarity, though he soon slips back into confusion and hums a marching song.
Lei Zhen decides the pistol belongs with Yue Qinhu, recognizing it as a tribute to a hero. The group wonders why no official record or retirement benefits reflect Yue Qinhu’s apparent high rank, and suspects someone may have erased his history. Since Yue Qinhu cannot explain further, Lei proposes finding Marshal Qin’s descendants. At his suggestion, Guards search the house for clues.
They uncover an old chest made from exceptionally valuable dark cedar. Rather than military records, it contains a magnificent phoenix crown and a gold key. Yue Xiaofei recognizes the chest as part of his grandmother’s dowry, while Lin Tiejun recalls Yue Qinhu once speaking of a woman he loved and planned to marry after the war. Lin Xiaolu identifies the crown as an exceptionally rare Dzi Phoenix Crown, potentially worth more than a billion and in better condition than the example in the Forbidden City. The chapter ends with the crown’s significance—and the key’s purpose—still unexplained.

Character developments and interactions

• Yue Xiaofei sees his grandfather anew: not simply a vulnerable man with dementia, but a celebrated, possibly concealed war hero. He readily agrees to search the house for evidence.
• Yue Qinhu reveals fragments of a heroic past through his words, memories, treasured pistol, and response to the cartridge casing, though his clarity is brief.
• Lin Tiejun recognizes Yue Qinhu as the former commander who led his men in battle and shares a keepsake from their wartime service.
• Lei Zhen moves from astonishment to respect, refusing to reclaim the pistol and committing to investigate Yue Qinhu’s identity.
• Lin Xiaolu helps uncover the value of the crown, bringing expertise from her visit to the jewelry museum.

Significant themes

The chapter contrasts a hidden heroic past with a humble present, as Yue Qinhu’s ordinary life conceals extraordinary service. It also emphasizes memory, loyalty, and wartime bonds, preserved through objects such as the pistol and cartridge casing. Finally, the unexplained absence of Yue Qinhu’s official history raises the possibility of deliberate erasure, while the crown and key introduce a new mystery tied to the family’s past.

Key plot points

• Lin Xiaolu estimates that Yue Xiaofei’s grandmother’s phoenix crown may be worth at least a billion. She also recognizes the gold key’s marking as belonging to Modu Vault, where serial number 001 identifies a top-tier safe.
• Yue reveals his grandmother was Lu Lanxin, originally from Modu. Lin Xiaolu suspects she belonged to the powerful Shanghai Lu Family, known for its historic wealth and influence.
• Lin Tiejun and Lei Zhen doubt that a wealthy Lu heiress would have married Yue Xiaofei’s grandfather, a rough soldier. Lin Xiaolu argues that love could have crossed social boundaries.
• Yue resolves to travel to Modu, find the Lu family, and open the vault, but postpones the trip until after visiting his mother’s grave on the anniversary of her death.
• Lin Tiejun offers to care for Yue’s grandfather, but Yue declines because his grandfather is attached to his home. Lin instead promises to arrange a guard and visit regularly.
• Lin Tiejun vows to investigate Yue’s father’s situation. Lei Zhen offers Yue a chance to become a pilot and promises to pursue the compensation owed for Yue’s uncle, but Yue asks for time to decide.
• After the visitors leave, Yue reflects that the revelations about his family—the crown, key, military history, and mysterious relatives—suggest there is much more to uncover.

Character developments and interactions

• Yue Xiaofei shifts from disbelief to determination as he considers his grandmother’s possible connection to the Lu family. He remains devoted to his mother and grandfather, prioritizing family duties over immediate opportunity.
• Lin Xiaolu becomes an enthusiastic ally, urging Yue to investigate his heritage and offering to accompany him to Modu.
• Lin Tiejun and Lei Zhen show respect and loyalty toward Yue’s family because of his grandfather’s and uncles’ service. They offer practical support, protection, and career opportunities.
• Yue expresses gratitude to both men, while politely refusing to move his grandfather or commit yet to becoming a pilot.

Significant themes

• Family legacy and hidden identity: Yue’s ordinary life is increasingly connected to a powerful and mysterious past.
• Duty and loyalty: Yue’s care for his mother and grandfather shapes his choices, while Lin and Lei honor obligations to the Yue family.
• Love across social boundaries: Lin Xiaolu challenges the assumption that wealth and class would have prevented Yue’s grandparents from marrying.
• Unanswered mysteries: The vault, the Lu family, Yue’s father, and his uncles’ histories point toward further revelations.

Key plot points and events

• Gao Zisheng, still in custody, demands that his father, Gao Tianxiong, secure his release and take revenge on Yue Xiaofei. Gao Tianxiong warns him to keep quiet because senior figures Lei Zhen and Lin Tiejun are scrutinizing the Gao Family.
• Gao Tianxiong agrees to get Zisheng out within three days. He tells a subordinate to ensure it happens and vows to deal with Yue eventually.
• Three days later, the investigation names Principal Li as the sole mastermind behind the exam-paper switch and attack on Yue. Li receives a seven-year sentence, while Gao Zisheng is cleared and released; the hired thugs have also changed their statements.
• Yue is furious at the apparent cover-up, but Lei Zhen and Lin Tiejun promise to keep investigating. Lin Xiaolu says she has spoken up for Yue online.
• Gao Zisheng posts a taunting photo outside the police station, implying Yue is powerless. Lei Zhen and Lin Tiejun are outraged, and Lin prepares to confront the Gao Family.
• Lei Zhen stops him after receiving a phone call. He reveals that Gao Tianxiong is not the Gao Family’s true source of power: Zisheng’s mother, Jiang Bichij, has extensive connections.

Character developments and interactions

• Yue Xiaofei moves from anger at the rigged investigation toward determined resolve: he believes he must become stronger to uncover the truth and clear his father’s name.
• Gao Zisheng remains vindictive and arrogant. His release only emboldens him, and his public post turns the investigation’s outcome into a deliberate provocation.
• Gao Tianxiong is furious but cautious, prioritizing the family’s position while promising his son eventual revenge. His deference to his wife hints that his own authority depends on her.
• Lei Zhen and Lin Tiejun support Yue and condemn the cover-up. Their anger nearly drives them to act against the Gao Family, though Lei Zhen recognizes that a powerful hidden backer changes the situation.
• Lin Xiaolu supports Yue publicly, while the group’s discussion reinforces their shared suspicion that Principal Li was made a scapegoat.

Significant themes

• Corruption and scapegoating: The investigation appears engineered to protect the powerful by placing all blame on Principal Li.
• Power and hidden influence: The reveal of Jiang Bichij suggests the Gao Family’s influence extends beyond what its public leader can command.
• Justice and perseverance: Yue accepts that anger alone cannot change the outcome and resolves to pursue the truth through strength and persistence.
• Intimidation and defiance: Gao Zisheng’s post taunts both Yue and his supporters, escalating the conflict even after his legal release.

Key plot points and events

• Lin Tiejun warns Yue Xiaofei that Jiang Bichij is extraordinarily influential in the provincial capital, may have powerful backing in Longdu, and has ruined people who crossed her.
• Yue apologizes for dragging Lin and Lei Zhen into danger. They reject his apology, feeling they have failed his family of fallen heroes and failed to uncover the truth about his father’s case.
• Lin vows to travel to Longdu and seek help from Marshal Qin’s descendants, hoping to establish Yue Qinhu’s military rank and challenge the Gao family and Jiang Bichij. He and Lei reassure Yue that he is not alone.
• After they leave, Yue remains determined to make Gao Zisheng pay, despite the danger.
• At home, Yue hears a broadcast announcing that God of War Zhao Shanhe and his 800,000 troops are poised to capture the Wolf Country capital after a decade of victories.
• At the frontier, Zhao privately addresses a photograph of Yue Changlong and Zhao Mengsheng, calling Yue Changlong “Boss Yue” and crediting him as his mentor. Zhao promises to give him credit for the coming victory.
• A messenger reports that people back home have suddenly begun searching online for Zhao Mengsheng’s name.

Character developments and interactions

• Yue Xiaofei shifts from guilt over endangering Lin and Lei to renewed resolve to confront his enemies. Zhao Shanhe’s story inspires his patriotism and admiration.
• Lin Tiejun and Lei Zhen show loyalty to Yue’s family and remorse over their past failures. Lin takes concrete action by planning to seek support in Longdu.
• Zhao Shanhe is revealed as a masked, nine-star general nearing an unprecedented triumph. Despite his immense power, he remains deeply indebted to and affectionate toward Yue Changlong.
• The bond between Zhao and Yue Changlong is conveyed through the old photograph and Zhao’s memories: Changlong was not merely a comrade but the person who taught Zhao what he could achieve.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and duty: Lin and Lei stand by the family of fallen soldiers, while Zhao honors his mentor.
• Justice against powerful enemies: Yue’s determination contrasts with the formidable influence of Jiang Bichij and the Gao family.
• Hidden histories and identities: Zhao’s masked face, the unresolved case surrounding Yue’s family, and the sudden interest in Zhao Mengsheng’s name hint at larger secrets.
• Legacy and recognition: Zhao’s victories are tied to Yue Changlong’s guidance, suggesting that the family’s past may hold great military significance.

Plot points and events

• General Zhao Shanhe hears that someone has been investigating his former army name, Zhao Mengsheng. The clue came from a streamer’s live chat, so he dismisses it as attention-seeking and orders his troops to capture the Wolf Country capital within three days.
• In Jiangcheng, Gao Zisheng tries to invite Pan Tiantian to Royal No. 1, where he is partying with friends and models. Pan refuses, saying she does not want Yue Xiaofei to misunderstand.
• After seeing Yue Xiaofei’s newfound backing through Lin Xiaolu’s stream, Pan tries to reconnect by inviting him to a class reunion. Yue replies only that he is busy.
• Yue, meanwhile, is cleaning his grandfather’s pistol and assumes Pan is interested in him only because of his influence. He has no desire to engage with her.
• Gao’s friend Blondie reveals that Yue’s mother is buried in Qingshan Cemetery’s Sin Mausoleum, where society’s outcasts are interred. Since her death anniversary is three days away, Gao plans to confront Yue at her grave and force him to kowtow.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhao remains focused on the military campaign, unaware that the search for him may be connected to Yue’s family.
• Pan shifts from keeping Yue at arm’s length to cautiously seeking his attention, but Yue distrusts her motives and rebuffs her.
• Gao’s resentment of Yue intensifies after Pan rejects him. Blondie encourages him to exploit the painful circumstances surrounding Yue’s mother, and Gao embraces the cruel plan.
• Yue’s growing status contrasts with his personal isolation: influential people may be backing him, but he is still preoccupied with family and uninterested in social maneuvering.

Significant themes

• Power and status: The chapter contrasts wealth and business connections with military and political influence, captured in the saying that an armed ancestor outranks generations of business.
• Appearance versus sincerity: Pan’s renewed interest may be opportunistic, while Gao’s pursuit is possessive and spiteful.
• Family and vulnerability: Yue’s mother’s grave becomes the target of an attack meant to wound him where he is most vulnerable.
• Fate and hidden connections: The old photograph links Zhao Shanhe and Yue Xiaofei across a great distance, hinting that their stories may converge.

Plot points and events

• Three days later, Yue Xiaofei prepares to visit his late mother, Ye Qingmei, at Qingshan Cemetery. He carries her photograph and white chrysanthemums.
• He remembers that Ye, a celebrated pediatrician, died after volunteering during a deadly outbreak. Xiaofei plans to tell her he earned Jiangbei Province’s top science-track score, and vows to resolve his father’s case and uncover his grandfather’s identity.
• At an expressway entrance, wealthy businessman Gao Tianxiong initially orders his driver to force past a traffic cordon, but panics when he spots an emergency-lit Coaster approaching and makes the car reverse.
• The Coaster is followed by five official Red Flag limousines bearing Handong Province’s highest-ranking plates. Gao realizes a major delegation is arriving and asks a subordinate to investigate.
• Jiangcheng’s top official, Li Dakang, learns that Handong’s provincial leadership has arrived without notice. He assembles the municipal leadership to meet them.
• Li greets provincial chief Sha Zhenjiang at the expressway exit. Sha explains that the delegation has come to visit someone to whom they owe a great debt, leaving the officials stunned.

Character developments

• Yue Xiaofei is grieving but determined. His academic achievement gives him hopeful news to share with his mother, while his promises concerning his family show his larger ambitions.
• Gao Tianxiong, normally entitled and forceful, is revealed to fear the authority signaled by the official Coaster and provincial license plates.
• Li Dakang shifts from surprise to anxious deference as he realizes the visit is unprecedented and likely driven by a serious purpose.
• Sha Zhenjiang appears calm and authoritative, while his cryptic explanation hints at gratitude and a significant undisclosed connection.

Significant themes

• Grief, duty, and perseverance: Xiaofei honors his mother’s sacrifice and continues pursuing answers about his family.
• Power and hierarchy: The vehicles, license plates, and officials’ reactions make political rank immediately visible.
• Mystery and suspense: The sudden provincial delegation—and its debt to an unnamed person—sets up the chapter’s central unanswered question.
• Public service and sacrifice: Ye Qingmei’s death while treating children during an epidemic is contrasted with the powerful officials’ unexplained mission.

Character interactions

• Xiaofei speaks to his grandfather before leaving, then privately addresses his late mother through the photograph.
• Gao orders his driver to breach the cordon, then urgently reverses course when the Coaster arrives.
• Gao calls a trusted subordinate to find out why the delegation is in Jiangcheng.
• Xiao Zhang reports the arrival to Li Dakang, who mobilizes the city leadership.
• Li greets Sha with deference; Sha’s brief explanation unsettles the assembled officials.