Chapter Summaries

Ning Hongye warned Yue Xiaofei to stay away from Longdu, saying she might have to kill him if he came. Meanwhile, Yue Feng took control of the crisis in Modu, appointed Yue Xiaofei as the financial groups’ new young master, and ordered Asura Hall to leave the Dragon Kingdom.

• Ning Hongye said she had repaid a favor to the Lu family with ten years of her lifespan and warned Yue Xiaofei not to come to Longdu for three years.
• Yue Feng ordered his war generals to drag Third Master Du away and sink him in the sea after Yue Xiaofei rejected Du’s plea for mercy.
• Zhou Pengfei offered to reveal the Zhong Family’s secrets and evidence in exchange for his life, and Yue Feng told him to speak.
• Bai Zhengling, Li Bowen, and the heads of the Ten Great Financial Groups arrived and bowed to Yue Feng and Yue Xiaofei.
• Yue Feng made Yue Xiaofei the groups’ new young master, and Jin Dapao reported that Li Fei was hospitalized but not seriously hurt.
• Yue Feng ordered Asura Hall’s forces to withdraw from the Dragon Kingdom and return to Headquarters within the twelve-hour limit.

Plot points and events

• At Yue Feng’s command, the massive force surrounding Azure Alliance Headquarters withdraws with striking discipline. He dismisses everyone except his younger brother, Yue Xiaofei.
• Yue Feng says Zhong Xiaofeng is unlikely to strike again soon, but warns that openly fighting the powerful Zhong Family could draw intervention from other major forces. He agrees to trust Ning’s prediction about Zhong Po.
• Yue Feng prepares to go alone to Cloudtop Heavenly Palace in Changbai Mountain to find their mother, explaining that extra people would be no help in such a dangerous place.
• Determined not to remain helpless, Xiaofei asks how Yue Feng became so powerful. Yue Feng tells him about the Kunlun Project, a secret effort to create superhuman soldiers, and reveals that Professor Ye Kunlun at Qingbei University may still be researching it in secret.
• Yue Feng warns that pursuing superhuman strength could bring unbearable pain and even death. Xiaofei accepts the risk, determined to find their mother, clear their father’s name, confront the Zhong Family, and share the family’s burdens.
• At dawn, Yue Feng leaves for Changbai Mountain. As Xiaofei resolves to travel to Longdu and seek Professor Ye, Lei Zhen calls with an invitation: the Sea Dragon will arrive at Modu Naval Port the next day, and Xiaofei is invited aboard.

Character developments

• Yue Xiaofei turns his frustration at being protected into a firm resolve to become stronger and take an active role in his family’s struggles.
• Yue Feng remains protective and duty-bound, but Xiaofei’s heartfelt plea softens his resistance enough for him to reveal a possible route to gaining strength.
• Lei Zhen reappears as a supportive connection, offering Xiaofei a new opportunity through the Sea Dragon invitation.

Significant themes

• Strength has a price: Yue Feng’s warning that one must bear the weight of the crown emphasizes sacrifice, pain, and risk.
• Family responsibility: Both brothers want to protect their family, though Yue Feng carries that burden alone while Xiaofei seeks to share it.
• Power and helplessness: Xiaofei’s lack of strength drives his determination to change.
• Dangerous ambition: The possible path to superhuman abilities offers hope, but may cost Xiaofei his life.

Character interactions

• Yue Feng and Xiaofei discuss the threat posed by the Zhong Family and Yue Feng’s mission to find their mother.
• Xiaofei pleads to accompany Yue Feng and later argues that he wants to help protect their family; Yue Feng initially refuses, then gives him Professor Ye Kunlun’s name while stressing the risks.
• The brothers exchange a restrained farewell as Yue Feng departs.
• Lei Zhen contacts Xiaofei with the Sea Dragon invitation, interrupting his plans and setting up a possible new development.

Yue Xiaofei accepted Lei Zhen’s invitation to meet the returning servicemen at Modu Naval Port, hoping to learn about his missing father, and asked the financial leaders to investigate Ye Kunlun. Frustrated by officials’ evasions about Yue Qinhu and Qin Lie, Lin Tiejun decided to demand recognition for the forgotten hero and set out for Yushan in uniform.

• Lei Zhen told Yue Xiaofei that the servicemen would arrive the next day, and Yue Xiaofei agreed to meet them at five in the afternoon at Modu Naval Port.
• Yue Xiaofei reflected on his family’s unresolved mysteries and ordered Bai Zhengling, Li Bowen, and the other financial leaders to investigate Ye Kunlun of Qingbei University.
• Lin Tiejun’s former subordinate evaded his questions about Yue Qinhu and Qin Lie, leaving Lin Tiejun frustrated by the lack of records or recognition for the heroes.
• Lin Tiejun resolved to use his medals and kneel at the highest point in Longdu to force people to acknowledge Yue Qinhu’s deeds.
• Lin Tiejun put on his preserved military uniform, left the guesthouse, and told a taxi driver to take him to Yushan.

Lin Tiejun confronted the guards at a restricted area after they denied having a record of Yue Qinhu, and threatened to kneel to demand justice for the hero. An elderly man named Xu intervened and began asking about Yue Qinhu’s Pillar of the Country plaque, hinting that he knew its significance.

• Lin Tiejun paid the taxi driver and walked to the restricted-area gate to seek Yue Qinhu’s file and Qin Lie’s descendants.
• The guards said they could find no record of Yue Qinhu and refused to let Lin Tiejun enter without authorization.
• Lin Tiejun demanded justice for Yue Qinhu and threatened to kneel at the gate if the guards would not recognize the hero’s honors.
• An elderly man named Xu appeared, stopped the guards from saluting, and asked Lin Tiejun about the plaque.
• Elder Brother Xu led Lin Tiejun aside and said each Pillar of the Country plaque bore an inscription written personally by that man.

Lin Tiejun told Elder Brother Xu that Yue Qinhu had been his old regimental commander, and discovered that Xu was Yue Qinhu’s long-lost comrade. Xu brought Lin Tiejun into his villa, where Lin saw a golden-thread nanmu plaque inscribed “Pillar of the Country.”

• Lin Tiejun recounted how Yue Qinhu had led their regiment through the Defense of Jiangcheng, then left the army without accepting credit or honors.
• Lin Tiejun explained that he had found Yue Qinhu alive in Jiangcheng and had come to Longdu to restore the veteran’s name and seek recognition for his descendants.
• When Lin Tiejun named Yue Qinhu, Elder Brother Xu revealed that Yue Qinhu had saved his life and that he had searched for him for decades.
• Elder Brother Xu pulled Lin Tiejun through the gates, where guards saluted him as Chief, and led him to his villa.
• Lin Tiejun entered the living room and saw a golden-thread nanmu plaque inscribed “Pillar of the Country.”

Lin Tiejun pieced together the clues in Elder Xu’s villa and realized the unassuming old man was the legendary Founding Marshal Xu Anbang. Xu Anbang confirmed his identity, leaving Lin Tiejun overwhelmed by the revelation.

• Lin Tiejun spotted a second [Pillar of the Country] plaque in Elder Xu’s villa and wondered whether it belonged to him.
• Lin Tiejun studied photographs showing Elder Xu’s rise through the military and his close ties to celebrated generals.
• Lin Tiejun recognized Elder Xu in a photograph wearing a naval uniform with nine gold stars beside an aircraft carrier.
• Lin Tiejun connected the clues and asked whether Elder Xu was the Founding Marshal Xu Anbang.
• Xu Anbang confirmed that he was the Xu Anbang Lin Tiejun knew.

Lin Tiejun recognized Xu Anbang, the legendary founder of the Dragon Kingdom Navy, and learned that Yue Qinhu had saved Xu’s life during the Korean Battlefield. Xu credited Yue with helping secure the war’s outcome and protecting the Dragon Kingdom’s future.

• Lin Tiejun recognized Xu Anbang and stood at attention to report to him.
• Xu Anbang invited Lin Tiejun to sit, but Lin remained standing and asked how Xu had met his old regimental commander.
• Xu Anbang showed Lin a photograph of himself and Yue Qinhu on the Korean Battlefield.
• Xu Anbang said Yue Qinhu had saved him at Chosin Reservoir or Triangle Hill and had held off Eagle Country's crack 1st Marine Division.
• Xu Anbang declared that Yue Qinhu had safeguarded the Dragon Kingdom’s future and helped make its age of peace and prosperity possible.

Xu Anbang learned that Yue Qinhu had dementia, his sons had suffered tragic fates, and his grandson Yue Xiaofei had been bullied and was in trouble. Recognizing Yue Xiaofei as the young man Zhao Shanhe had defended, Xu Anbang resolved to fly to Jiangcheng and help the Yue family.

• Lin Tiejun told Xu Anbang that Yue Qinhu had dementia, two of his sons had died, and Yue Changlong had been wrongfully imprisoned.
• Lin Tiejun said Yue Xiaofei had been bullied in Jiangcheng and had carried a plaque to petition for justice.
• Xu Anbang recognized Yue Xiaofei as the young man Zhao Shanhe had once defended and realized he was Yue Qinhu's grandson.
• Lin Tiejun asked Xu Anbang to restore Yue Qinhu's status and help Yue Xiaofei, who was in trouble in Modu.
• Xu Anbang declared he would help Yue Qinhu and ordered a plane prepared for an immediate flight to Jiangcheng.

Plot points and events

• Xu Anbang is preparing to travel to Modu to find his old comrade, “Subduing Tiger,” when his great-granddaughter Xu Wanqing arrives and challenges him.
• Wanqing reminds him that doctors have warned him against travel because of his age and poor health.
• Xu Anbang tells Wanqing and Lin Tiejun that Subduing Tiger—the man who once saved his life—is still alive, though now suffering from dementia. Xu insists he must visit personally to repay his debt and honor their friendship.
• Wanqing points out that the next day is Xu Anbang’s 100th birthday. The Xu family has gathered for the celebration, including senior military leaders and Xu Anbang’s grandson, commander of the kingdom’s most advanced aircraft carrier.
• Lin Tiejun is stunned by the Xu family’s military and political influence, but Xu Anbang remains unmoved: seeing his old friend matters more than the banquet.
• Wanqing makes one final appeal, revealing that the heads of Longdu’s Eight Great Clans and other powerful officials are also expected to attend.

Character developments

• Xu Anbang is shown to be an imposing military legend, yet gentle and deferential around Wanqing. His loyalty to Subduing Tiger outweighs his health, birthday, and family obligations.
• Xu Wanqing emerges as a brilliant defense researcher and a determined, caring great-granddaughter. She tries to protect Xu Anbang while respecting the importance of his friendship.
• Lin Tiejun moves from military confidence to awe as he discovers both Xu Anbang’s personal history and the extraordinary power of the Xu family.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and gratitude: Xu Anbang’s determination to visit the man who saved his life reflects a lifelong debt of honor.
• Family duty versus personal bonds: Wanqing argues for family and public obligations; Xu prioritizes his old comrade.
• Power and humility: Despite the Xu family’s immense influence, Xu Anbang’s most urgent concern is an old friendship.
• Age and vulnerability: Xu’s legendary reputation contrasts with his fragile health and Wanqing’s protective care.

Character interactions

• Wanqing scolds Xu Anbang about his health, showing both affection and authority over a man who commands deep respect elsewhere.
• Xu introduces Wanqing to Lin Tiejun with pride, then shares the news that Subduing Tiger is alive.
• Wanqing and Xu clash over whether he should travel or attend his birthday, with Lin Tiejun silently witnessing the family’s influence and Xu’s unshakable resolve.

Xu Anbang pretended to accept his birthday plans so Xu Wanqing would leave, then secretly prepared to escape with Lin Tiejun and visit his old comrade. He chose to head to Modu first to help Yue Xiaofei, leaving Lin Tiejun to accompany him.

• Xu Anbang sent Xu Wanqing away after she stopped him from leaving for his hundredth-birthday celebration.
• Xu Anbang secretly packed his old military gear and told Lin Tiejun he had only pretended to give up his plan to find Yue Qinhu.
• Xu Anbang revealed a hidden trail down the mountain and insisted that the guards could not stop him.
• After Xu Anbang called Lin Tiejun disgraceful, Lin Tiejun agreed to leave with him for Jiangcheng.
• Xu Anbang changed their destination to Modu, where he planned to help Yue Xiaofei and protect Yue Qinhu's grandson.

Xu Anbang vanished from the Xu Family villa on the eve of his hundredth birthday banquet, and the family discovered that he had gone to Jiangcheng with Lin Tiejun to find his old comrade Yue Qinhu. Xu Sanjiang mobilized the family’s military and civilian connections to bring him back before the banquet.

• Xu Wanqing went to fetch Xu Anbang for dinner and found his room empty, with Lin Tiejun missing as well.
• Xu Sanjiang questioned Xu Wanqing and learned that Lin Tiejun had told Xu Anbang that Yue Qinhu was in Jiangcheng.
• The Guard Division commander found surveillance footage showing Xu Anbang and Lin Tiejun walking away from Jade Spring Mountain.
• Xu Sanjiang ordered his family to investigate travel routes, block highways to Jiangcheng, and prepare a dedicated aircraft.
• Xu Sanjiang declared that the family had to bring Xu Anbang back before the birthday banquet the following night.

Plot points and events

• Elder Xu and Lin Tiejun escape from a heavily guarded facility and head toward Modu in a taxi. Xu says he has planned the trip to find a long-lost comrade-in-arms; the driver, impressed by their military service, agrees to take them.
• In Modu, Yue Xiaofei is still feeling the sadness of seeing his older brother Yue Feng off. Lin Xiaolu and Bai Bing comfort him.
• Yue Xiaofei then visits the historic Lu Mansion on Joffre Avenue, a valuable property left to him by his grandmother, Lu Lanxin. The preserved furnishings and photographs reveal the Lu family’s former prominence and powerful connections.
• A childhood photograph catches Yue Xiaofei’s attention: it shows him beside a blindfolded little girl. He recognizes the boy as himself and is struck by how familiar the girl seems.

Character developments and interactions

• Elder Xu is decisive and confident, calmly putting his escape plan into motion. Lin Tiejun remains loyal but anxious about the consequences and the risk of being tracked.
• The taxi driver shifts from disbelief to enthusiasm after noticing the medals and hearing the pair’s explanation, treating them as heroes.
• Yue Xiaofei moves from grief over his brother’s departure to curiosity about his family history and his own childhood.
• Lin Xiaolu and Bai Bing offer Yue Xiaofei comfort and support.

Significant themes

• Legacy and inheritance: Lu Lanxin’s gift includes not only property and wealth but also a substantial history and network of influence.
• Past shaping the present: The old mansion and childhood photograph connect Yue Xiaofei to a family history he is only beginning to uncover.
• Duty and respect: The taxi driver’s response highlights respect for military service and older generations.
• Destiny and hidden connections: Yue Xiaofei’s unexplained familiarity with the blindfolded girl foreshadows a significant relationship.

Character interactions

• Xu persuades the cautious Lin Tiejun to trust his plan and directly challenges the driver’s confidence, prompting him to accept the long trip.
• Lin Xiaolu and Bai Bing comfort Yue Xiaofei after his farewell to Yue Feng.
• At the mansion, the photograph links Yue Xiaofei to the mysterious girl, setting up the chapter’s central revelation: a possible childhood connection.

Plot points

• At Lu Mansion, Yue Xiaofei discovers an old photograph of himself beside a blindfolded girl identified as Ning Hongye. Their names and the Lu and Ning family seals are written on the back.
• Xiaofei has no memory of the photo or of Ning Hongye, and finds its presence in the long-sealed mansion unsettling. He also cannot reconcile the apparent closeness between their families with Ning Hongye’s later attack on him and his brother.
• Bai Bing suggests their memories may have been erased, or that Ning Hongye acted under pressure—or even to protect him. Xiaofei remains unconvinced and keeps the photograph, intending to ask Ning Hongye about it.
• Bai Bing receives an urgent mission and leaves, so she cannot accompany Xiaofei to Modu Naval Port. Xiaofei says Lin Xiaolu and Uncle Jin Dapao will go with him, and that his new standing in Modu should help protect him.
• Elsewhere, Gao Zisheng secretly escapes the Jiangcheng detention center. With a new identity card, he becomes Jun Xiaoguo, registered in Longdu, and vows revenge on Xiaofei—starting with Xiaofei’s grandfather.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiaofei shifts from shock to wary suspicion as the photograph raises more questions than it answers. He stays determined and confident despite the mystery.
• Xiaolu initially teases him about a childhood romance with Ning Hongye, then realizes the evidence conflicts with the history of violence.
• Bai Bing responds analytically, offering possible explanations, then prioritizes her mission while urging Xiaofei to be careful.
• Gao Zisheng abandons his former identity and turns his humiliation into an explicit, escalating vendetta against Xiaofei and his family.

Significant themes

• Hidden past and uncertain memory: The photograph hints at a shared history Xiaofei cannot recall.
• Trust and concealed motives: Ning Hongye’s apparent connection to Xiaofei clashes with her attack, leaving her true intentions unclear.
• Reinvention and revenge: Gao’s new identity marks a deliberate break from his past, but his hatred remains.
• Mystery and foreboding: The photo’s unexplained presence in a sealed mansion and Gao’s escape both signal threats still unfolding.

After leaving detention under his new identity, Jun Xiaoguo learned that Yue Xiaofei had become a powerful figure and that his sister Gao Yuyan had died because of the fallout from Yue Xiaofei’s rise. Dismissing Gao Yufeng’s warnings, Jun Xiaoguo planned to target Yue Qinhu, but Chen Mo told him the Second Master had ordered him to go to Modu Port instead.

• The Jun Family secured Gao Zisheng’s release and gave him the new identity Jun Xiaoguo, while Jiang Bichij remained trapped in a Longdu punishment establishment.
• Jun Xiaoguo failed to reach Jiang Bichij, then called Gao Yufeng and announced that he would kill Yue Xiaofei.
• Gao Yufeng told Jun Xiaoguo that Gao Yuyan had died after Li Feiyu, crippled and cast out by Yue Xiaofei, took his anger out on her.
• Gao Yufeng warned Jun Xiaoguo that Yue Xiaofei was now a financial-group heir and the Dragon Head of the Azure Alliance, but Jun Xiaoguo claimed the Jun Family could defeat him.
• Chen Mo arrived to escort Jun Xiaoguo, who ordered him to find Yue Qinhu, but Chen Mo said the Second Master had ordered them to go to Modu Port.

Gao Zisheng resisted Chen Mo’s order to leave the country and agreed to wait until the next day before seeking revenge on Yue Xiaofei. At Modu Naval Port, Yue Xiaofei learned about his uncle Yue Changhai’s sacrifice, then received news that his family’s old house in Jiangcheng had been deliberately set on fire, though his grandfather was safe.

• Chen Mo told Gao Zisheng that the Jun Family had arranged his escape overseas, but Gao refused to leave before getting revenge on Yue Xiaofei.
• Gao agreed to let Chen Mo scout the situation the next day before acting against Yue Xiaofei.
• At Modu Naval Port, Yue Xiaofei viewed the destroyer Sea Dragon with Jin Dapao and Lin Xiaolu.
• Jin Dapao explained that Yue Changhai had died ramming the first Sea Dragon into an enemy ship, and that the new destroyer honored him.
• Jin Dapao received word that the Yue Family’s old house in Jiangcheng had burned, but his men had already taken Yue Xiaofei’s grandfather to safety.
• Jin Dapao told Yue Xiaofei that investigators had found accelerants, confirming the fire was arson.

Key plot points and events

• Yue Xiaofei learns that his grandfather’s home was deliberately burned. The fire was set about an hour earlier, and the treasured plaque from Yue Qinhu’s room has disappeared.
• Jin Dapao believes the plaque was stolen rather than destroyed: investigators found no remains, and the perpetrators avoided nearby security cameras, suggesting a carefully planned operation by professionals.
• Yue Xiaofei immediately suspects the Zhong Family, especially Zhong Xiaofeng, and wants to confront them. Jin Dapao stops him, pointing out that the trail is already cold and Yue Qinhu has been moved to a secure location.
• Lin Xiaolu urges Yue Xiaofei to stay and focus on finding news about his father. Jin promises a thorough investigation and orders his men to seal off Jiangcheng’s exits and search for the culprits.
• After agreeing not to return to the burned house, Yue Xiaofei paces the dock, weighing whether the Zhong Family could really be responsible or whether another faction is involved.
• While distracted, he bumps into a man—and recognizes him as Gao Zisheng, whom he never expected to see there.

Character developments

• Yue Xiaofei is enraged and protective of his grandfather and the family’s honor. Though tempted to act immediately, he reluctantly restrains himself when Jin and Lin remind him that impulsive action would be ineffective.
• Jin Dapao takes charge of the investigation and prioritizes both Yue Qinhu’s safety and finding the plaque.
• Lin Xiaolu acts as a calming, supportive presence, helping persuade Yue Xiaofei to stay.
• Gao Zisheng reappears unexpectedly, looking thinner and more sinister than Yue Xiaofei remembers.

Significant themes

• Family loyalty and honor: The theft of the plaque is presented as an attack on both Yue Qinhu’s deepest attachment and the Yue Family’s dignity.
• Rage versus restraint: Yue Xiaofei wants immediate revenge, but those around him urge patience and a more effective response.
• Mystery and suspicion: The careful arson and missing plaque suggest a planned operation, but the culprit remains uncertain.

Character interactions

• Yue Xiaofei confronts Jin Dapao about the fire and plaque, while Jin provides the evidence and physically prevents him from rushing off to retaliate.
• Lin Xiaolu supports Jin’s advice and redirects Yue Xiaofei toward the larger goal of finding his father.
• At the chapter’s close, Yue Xiaofei’s solitary brooding is interrupted by his unexpected face-to-face encounter with Gao Zisheng.

Key plot points and events

• Yue Xiaofei unexpectedly encounters Gao Zisheng at Modu’s port, despite believing Gao should still be imprisoned in Jiangcheng.
• Gao insists he is Jun Xiaoguo, a Longdu resident and wealthy young man. He produces an ID card bearing that name and claims Yue is harassing him.
• Yue recognizes Gao’s face, cruelty, and initial fear, and suspects the man’s new identity may be tied to the strange fire at the old house in Jiangcheng.
• Jin Dapao wants to seize Gao immediately, but Yue urges caution: someone influential may have secured Gao’s release and supplied him with a new identity. Jin begins checking whether Gao remains in custody and whether Jun Xiaoguo is a real person.
• The Sea Dragon warship arrives. Yue, Jin, and Lin board after an identity check, where they are met by hundreds of sailors in formation. A commanding voice orders them to salute.

Character developments

• Yue Xiaofei remains convinced that “Jun Xiaoguo” is Gao Zisheng, but recognizes that the apparent identity change suggests a powerful backer and a larger mystery.
• Gao Zisheng quickly overcomes his fear of Yue by leaning on his claimed Jun family identity, becoming openly arrogant and denying their history.
• Jin Dapao reacts furiously and impulsively, but accepts Yue’s warning and turns to investigate through his connections.
• Lin Xiaolu offers reassurance and shares Yue’s concern, though she considers the possibility of mistaken identity.

Significant themes

• Identity and deception: Gao’s new name and official ID challenge Yue’s certainty, while his behavior and reaction suggest the past has not disappeared.
• Power and impunity: The possibility that someone could free Gao and give him a new identity raises the threat of powerful forces protecting him.
• Duty and reverence: The Sea Dragon’s arrival shifts the scene from personal anger to the solemn authority of the military.

Character interactions

• Yue confronts Gao, who denies knowing him and uses Chen Mo’s protection and his supposed status to intimidate him.
• Yue restrains Jin from acting rashly and directs him to verify the facts.
• Lin comforts Yue, while Jin supports him by making inquiries.
• Upon boarding the Sea Dragon, the group witnesses the disciplined crew and hears the order to salute, marking a dramatic transition to the chapter’s military setting.

Yue Xiaofei received a heartfelt welcome aboard the new Sea Dragon and reflected on his second uncle Yue Changhai’s sacrifice and the strength of the Dragon Kingdom Navy. The solemn visit ended when a persistent video call revealed that the man he knew as Jun Xiaoguo was Gao Zisheng.

• Ouyang Jian and the Sea Dragon’s crew welcomed Yue Xiaofei as Yue Changhai’s nephew and showed him the destroyer.
• Ouyang Jian brought Yue Xiaofei to the Honor Exhibition Room, where they looked at Yue Changhai’s photograph and recalled his sacrifice.
• Yue Xiaofei reflected that his grandfather had nearly died in a fire at the family home in Jiangcheng despite the Sea Dragon protecting the nation’s waters.
• Yue Xiaofei answered a persistent video call and recognized the caller as Gao Zisheng, the man who had called himself Jun Xiaoguo.

Aboard a yacht bound for international waters, Gao Zisheng revealed that he had burned Yue Xiaofei’s family home and stolen the Yue Family’s [Pillar of the Country] plaque. He called Yue Xiaofei to taunt him and began trampling the plaque, leaving Yue Xiaofei enraged and watching helplessly over video.

• Gao Zisheng bragged to Chen Mo and two models that he had set fire to Yue Xiaofei’s old family home and stolen the [Pillar of the Country] plaque.
• Chen Mo reminded Gao Zisheng that Second Master Jun had ordered him to keep a low profile overseas, but Gao Zisheng decided to provoke Yue Xiaofei before leaving.
• Gao Zisheng video-called Yue Xiaofei aboard the Sea Dragon and admitted that he had started the fire, lamenting that Yue Qinhu had not been home.
• Gao Zisheng showed Yue Xiaofei the stolen plaque and threatened to trample the Yue Family’s glory.
• Gao Zisheng raised his expensive leather shoe and stamped down on the [Pillar of the Country] plaque.

Plot points and events

• Gao Zisheng smashes the Yue Family’s ancestral plaque, provoking Yue Xiaofei into a furious outburst. Watching from the exhibition room, Jin Dapao wants to retaliate, but Ouyang Jian restrains him because Gao’s location is unknown.
• Gao then tries to chop up the plaque. Its Golden-thread Nanmu wood is too hard for his knife; the blade rebounds, slips, and cuts his arm.
• Gao berates Chen Mo for not helping quickly enough, then orders two crew members to carry the plaque off and burn it.
• Yue Xiaofei warns Gao that his uncle, Zhao Mengsheng, will punish him. Gao says he is no longer afraid: he claims to have found his biological father, the Jun Family’s Second Master, and boasts that the powerful Jun Family outweighs Zhao Mengsheng’s influence.

Character developments

• Yue Xiaofei shifts from outrage to desperate defiance as Gao desecrates his family’s legacy and threatens to destroy the plaque.
• Gao Zisheng is shown as cruel, arrogant, and reckless. His injury briefly exposes his weakness, but he quickly returns to bullying those around him.
• Chen Mo remains outwardly professional while privately despising Gao, whom he protects only because of orders from the Second Master.
• Jin Dapao is enraged by the plaque’s desecration, while Ouyang Jian tries to keep him from acting without a clear target.

Character interactions

• Gao deliberately taunts Yue Xiaofei, taking pleasure in his helpless anger.
• Yue invokes Zhao Mengsheng to threaten Gao, but Gao counters with his newfound Jun Family connection.
• Gao treats Chen Mo and the crew as servants, insulting them and issuing orders; Chen Mo follows orders despite his contempt.

Significant themes

• Family honor and legacy: The plaque represents generations of the Yue Family’s sacrifice, making its desecration deeply personal.
• Power and protection: Gao believes his new blood connection to the Jun Family places him beyond consequences.
• Humiliation and helplessness: Gao uses the video call to provoke Yue, who can witness the destruction but cannot intervene.
• Duty versus respect: Chen Mo protects Gao out of obligation, not loyalty.