Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Phantom Immortal Technology’s managers discuss how to counter accusations that Dragon Scale Security Software spies on users. Chen Wanhua proposes monitoring the software’s encrypted data traffic and demonstrating what information it exchanges, but says he needs Shen Bing’s approval. The company plans legal and commercial retaliation and begins considering who benefits most from the smear campaign; Strange Fox Company is suggested as a possible culprit.
• Shen Bing already knows about the attack through Qiuqiu, his super AI. He lets his managers investigate, while Qiuqiu continues monitoring the original poster. A flood of complaints to Rongcheng officials and the police then forces a formal response.
• Deputy Police Director Zhou Changlin calls Shen Bing about the allegations. Shen Bing says the company has nothing to hide and welcomes an investigation, though he jokes that anyone able to tap phones would not need an app.
• Meanwhile, Shen Bing watches the operation at Sanling Heavy Industries. A farming couple is helping move components into the company’s headquarters, where Thorne’s team discovers a secret underground research base and finds that researchers are dismantling the cargo.
• Shen Bing decides not to abduct the researchers, but asks Thorne to send a floor plan. He then informs Commander Gao that Sanling is responsible and urges him to act quickly, giving the military a chance to catch the company in the act.

Character developments and interactions

• Wang Sheng takes charge of the company’s response, balancing public reassurance with legal and commercial countermeasures. He assigns Chen Wanhua to trace the smear campaign, despite Chen’s uncertainty about how to investigate its backers.
• Chen Wanhua’s technical insight offers a practical way to rebut the spying claims, while Yuan Yi’s suggestion helps him find that approach.
• Shen Bing shows confidence in his staff by letting them handle the software crisis, and calm assurance when speaking with Zhou Changlin. He is also cautious about provoking Sanling’s researchers directly.
• Zhou Changlin is caught between his official duty to respond to public complaints and his awareness that Shen Bing is influential. Commander Gao, by contrast, trusts Shen Bing enough to act promptly on his intelligence.

Significant themes

• Reputation and public pressure: Even baseless allegations can force companies and authorities to respond when complaints become widespread.
• Trust and transparency: Demonstrating what software communicates may be more persuasive than explaining its technical principles.
• Power and accountability: Shen Bing’s influence is considerable, but government agencies still must follow procedure.
• Strategic restraint: Shen Bing delegates, gathers information, and chooses when to intervene rather than personally handling every problem.

Chapter summary

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing tells Commander Gao that a farming household and others along the route helped with an operation. Gao understands that Shen wants the entire group rounded up and promises they will not escape.
• Gao is impressed by Shen’s investigative skill and suspects it comes from a new prototype. Shen says he will explain once it is finished, leaving Gao curious.
• Shen reflects that Dragon Scale Security Software, launched six days earlier, has already made a dramatic entrance for Phantom Immortal Technology. He plans to expand the company without destroying the existing industry or causing serious social disruption.
• In Shanghai, police and military forces surround Sanling Heavy Industries, a Japanese-owned company. Officials demand access to its premises, but company representative Mr. Mitsui protests and invokes its foreign ownership.
• After Mitsui fails to reach the general manager, Director Xiao orders the search to begin. The authorities prevent staff from contacting the outside world while the operation proceeds.
• Soldiers locate a concealed, high-security metal door behind cabinets in a basement storage room. Officials point out that it was not present during an earlier fire inspection and appears to be an unauthorized structural alteration.
• Senior company representative Mr. Miyazaki arrives and claims the door is merely decorative, but his strained response raises further suspicion.

Character developments

• Shen Bing appears both inventive and strategically cautious: he has developed a prototype that aided the investigation, but keeps its workings private until it is ready. He also wants his company to succeed without wrecking the broader industry.
• Commander Gao shows respect for Shen’s abilities and concern for his well-being, while remaining eager to learn how Shen solved the mystery.
• Director Xiao and the military commanders act decisively and insist that foreign ownership does not exempt a company from local law.
• Mitsui shifts from confident indignation to helpless anxiety as the authorities proceed despite his threats.
• Miyazaki attempts to minimize the significance of the hidden door, but his visibly strained explanation makes the company seem more suspect.

Significant themes

• Innovation and discretion: Shen’s new technology is powerful, but he keeps details confidential until it is complete.
• Responsible growth: Shen rejects a strategy that would leave competitors with no future, recognizing the potential social costs of unchecked disruption.
• Sovereignty and the rule of law: The authorities assert that Huaxia’s laws apply regardless of a company’s foreign ownership.
• Concealment and suspicion: The hidden blast-resistant door and the company’s evasive explanations suggest that the building conceals something serious.

Character interactions

• Shen and Gao discuss the operation, Shen’s prototype, and the importance of protecting his health; their exchange mixes mutual respect with Gao’s curiosity.
• Director Xiao confronts Mitsui over the search, while Mitsui tries to use the company’s foreign status to resist. The authorities remain firm and take control.
• Military officers coordinate with police as they search the building, then challenge the legality of the concealed door.
• Director Xiao asks Miyazaki to open it and offers an apology if the company is operating legally; Miyazaki responds with an implausible claim that the door is only decorative.

Key plot points and events

• Authorities test their suspicions about Sanling Heavy Industries by cutting through a concealed metal wall. Behind it, they uncover a vast, hidden basement Laboratory.
• Soldiers and police arrest the people inside, including Sanling’s General Manager Ishikawa Chuichi, who is unconscious. Investigators recover the missing technological component from the March 7 crash, matching it to official drawings.
• Commander Yang orders every suspect taken for questioning, with military support used to guard and distribute the detainees. Evidence teams remain behind to secure the Laboratory.
• Before Japan’s government can respond, Huaxia’s Foreign Affairs and Public Security ministries hold a press conference. They reveal that the crash killed four soldiers carrying the component, and that a high-tech audio-frequency attack may have caused the driver and passengers to lose control.
• Surveillance footage links disguised suspects to the crash and later to Sanling’s building. Officials also show the recovered component, connecting the secret Laboratory to the stolen item.
• Huaxia states that key Sanling figures and suspected participants in the crash and theft have been detained, and insists the case will proceed under its laws. The spokesperson rejects the prospect of extradition with a pointed appeal to the “four fallen martyrs,” then declines to entertain a reporter’s challenge about whether Sanling’s involvement is proven.

Character developments and interactions

• Director Xiao moves from cautious investigation to forceful certainty once the hidden Laboratory is found. He takes responsibility for breaching the wall and expresses deepening anger at the Japanese suspects.
• Commander Yang shifts from directing the raid to managing the large-scale arrests and evidence-gathering, stressing that the case must be handled thoroughly.
• Miyazaki goes from trying to obstruct the search to being restrained and arrested as the operation exposes the secret facility.
• Captain Liu and the soldiers act decisively, using the cutting machine to breach the wall and then securing the suspects and evidence.
• At the press conference, the Japanese reporter presses for extradition, while an American reporter questions the breadth of the arrests. The spokesperson answers both firmly, emphasizing Huaxia’s jurisdiction and the victims’ deaths.

Significant themes

• National sovereignty and security: A covert foreign Laboratory on Huaxia’s territory is portrayed as a serious violation, regardless of its stated purpose.
• Justice and accountability: Officials frame the investigation as a commitment both to avoid wronging the innocent and to ensure the guilty do not escape.
• Evidence and public narrative: The recovered component, forensic findings, and surveillance footage turn suspicion into a public case.
• Patriotism and martyrdom: The four dead soldiers become a moral and political focus, especially in the refusal to discuss extradition as if their sacrifice could be set aside.

Key plot points and events

• Online reaction to Huaxia’s press conference is intensely supportive: people mourn the four fallen soldiers, condemn the suspected perpetrators, and begin boycotting Japanese products—especially those associated with Sanling.
• Investigators uncover that the arrested operatives were Japanese nationals who had lived in Huaxia for years. They appear to have worked for the Sanling consortium rather than Japan’s intelligence services, though Sanling’s close links to the Japanese military leave open whether the operation was corporate or state-directed.
• Huaxia and Japan trade statements over the arrests. Japan demands the release of people it calls innocent and an apology; Huaxia says uninvolved people will be released but rejects the apology demand. Other countries investigate Sanling Heavy Industries’ local operations, pushing the company into turmoil.
• Shen Bing donates money to the fallen soldiers’ families, feeling responsible because Phantom Immortal Technology’s products were the real target. He accepts that direct perpetrators and commanders will face severe punishment.
• Shen returns to developing an energy-storage device. His team produces a low-voltage “Super Battery” with 20,000 mAh capacity—over five times that of common phone batteries—but its cost is too high for mass-market sales. Shen sees it as groundwork for a larger plan rather than a product to sell.
• Phantom Immortal Technology faces renewed accusations that its Dragon Scale Security Software monitors phone communications. Shen authorizes the company to provide a decryption program to support its defense. The company explains that its user terms authorize data collection, and a local investigation begins.
• Online posts and photos of officials entering the company reignite public anger, with users demanding a thorough investigation and suggesting the inquiry may be influenced by the company’s connections.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing shows remorse and a sense of responsibility by supporting the soldiers’ families, while remaining pragmatic about punishment and commercial strategy. He works closely with Qiuqiu, who organizes experiments and reports the battery’s performance.
• Commander Gao communicates the military’s determination to ensure that those responsible are punished.
• Wang Sheng contacts Shen for approval to demonstrate how Dragon Scale operates; Shen quickly supplies the decryption program. The company’s legal team then responds publicly to the privacy allegations.

Significant themes

• Nationalism and corporate accountability: Public anger spreads beyond the suspected perpetrators to Japanese products and Sanling’s wider business network.
• Public opinion and political rhetoric: Governments frame the same events differently, while online commentary can quickly reshape public sentiment.
• Privacy in the digital age: The chapter questions how meaningful consent is when companies routinely collect and analyze user data.
• Responsibility and justice: Shen feels morally accountable even without legal responsibility, while officials emphasize harsh consequences for those directly involved.
• Innovation and commercialization: A major technical breakthrough is valuable only if its cost and timing make commercial sense.

Plot points and events

• Phantom Immortal Technology faces an online campaign accusing its Dragon Scale Security Software of stealing users’ private information and claiming its product passed review through bribery. The company has already announced an open demonstration of the software’s communications ports, but the rumors continue.
• Wang Sheng learns that Chen Wanhua’s team traced one poster to an internet café, then identified a second troublemaker through Dragon Scale itself: the person had used the software on their phone while posting photos of a government inspection.
• The software’s intelligent core flagged the user and sent information to the company’s backend. Further investigation links the posters to an online-promotion studio. The studio received a five-million-yuan payment, and phone records reveal repeated recent contact between one of its staff and a senior executive at rival Strange Fox Company.
• On Shen Bing’s instructions, Qiuqiu tells Chen to invite Strange Fox’s technical director and two security engineers to the public demonstration. Chen suspects this is a move to expose the rival, but Qiuqiu dismisses his guess as foolish.
• At the event the next morning, government representatives, cybersecurity experts, reporters, and the unexpected Strange Fox delegation gather in Phantom Immortal Technology’s conference room. Wang welcomes them and introduces Chen, who begins explaining what Dragon Scale transmits and why its anti-fraud features work best online. The demonstration is about to show the data flow.

Character developments and interactions

• Wang Sheng stays composed and confident, letting the investigation proceed while trusting Shen Bing’s direction. He teases Chen and implies he understands the invitation’s purpose, but does not explain it.
• Chen Wanhua is eager to report the investigation’s progress, then becomes increasingly frustrated when Qiuqiu insults him and refuses to explain the plan. Despite his nerves before the press, he takes the lead in presenting the software.
• Qiuqiu displays a sharp, abrasive personality while efficiently directing the company’s response on Shen Bing’s behalf.
• Shen Bing remains offstage but makes the decisive choice to invite Strange Fox, suggesting a strategy beyond merely answering the accusations.
• Strange Fox’s representatives arrive as invited guests rather than hostile challengers, leaving the reporters uncertain about the company’s intentions.

Significant themes

• Public accusations versus verifiable evidence: Phantom Immortal Technology responds to online rumors with an open technical demonstration.
• Irony and hypocrisy: The people attacking Dragon Scale’s privacy practices used the software themselves.
• Technology as both tool and investigator: Dragon Scale’s intelligent core helps identify those targeting its makers.
• Trust, strategy, and hierarchy: Wang and Chen struggle to interpret Shen Bing’s plan, while Qiuqiu’s authority—and abrasive manner—reinforces that the company’s leadership has matters in hand.

Key plot points and events

• Phantom Immortal Technology publicly demonstrates Dragon Scale Security Software to rebut claims that it secretly monitors phone calls. Under close observation—including by staff from rival Strange Fox Company—the test shows that the software transmits only a small amount of encrypted keyword data, not the testers’ conversations.
• Strange Fox technical director Wang Tao confirms that his team tried and failed to crack the software, praising its security. He handles pointed questions about Strange Fox’s own products and upcoming stock listing with tact, while hinting that the companies may cooperate.
• The demonstration largely ends the online controversy and strengthens public confidence in Dragon Scale. Still, its transparency could help scammers work around the software, and the company’s promise to compensate users harmed by missed warnings leaves it exposed to risk.
• The next day, Apple president Bedi requests a meeting with Phantom Immortal chairman Shen Bing to discuss the future of information networks. Shen declines to commit to a meeting, telling his secretary, Yan Lexuan, to say only that he is very busy.
• Apple’s secretary reports Shen’s vague reply to Bedi, who is visibly displeased that a relatively new Chinese technology company has not eagerly accepted his invitation.

Character developments and interactions

• Wang Tao presents Strange Fox as a credible, gracious competitor: he openly acknowledges Dragon Scale’s superior security while protecting his own company’s interests through careful answers.
• Shen Bing remains cool and guarded, particularly toward Apple’s invitation. His dismissive response suggests he suspects an ulterior motive rather than viewing the meeting as an honor.
• Yan Lexuan is excited by Apple’s attention but confused by Shen’s lack of enthusiasm; she follows his instructions despite not understanding them.
• The reporters test the demonstration’s credibility and press Wang Tao about the competitive implications, while the audience’s applause reflects growing trust in Phantom Immortal.

Significant themes

• Transparency and trust: Publicly demonstrating the software helps dispel suspicion, though openness also creates potential security risks.
• Competition and public image: Strange Fox’s praise surprises observers and shows how business rivals can use diplomacy to protect their reputations.
• Power and caution: Shen’s refusal to accommodate Apple hints at deeper geopolitical or corporate tensions, reinforced by references to Phantom Immortal’s willingness to retaliate when targeted.
• Unresolved conflict: Although the controversy appears settled to ordinary users, the chapter suggests that the campaign against Phantom Immortal may continue behind the scenes.

Key plot points and events

• Apple Inc. president Bedi tries to arrange a meeting with Phantom Immortal Technology’s chairman, Shen Bing, hoping to bring the company’s Dragon Scale Security Software to the iOS App Store.
• Shen Bing declines twice, saying he is too busy. Bedi reluctantly sends senior vice president Kasimi to meet Phantom Immortal’s general manager instead; the company agrees to the appointment.
• Apple’s executives see Dragon Scale as a major commercial opportunity. They have tested it and found its performance, security, compatibility, and battery management excellent. Because iOS software must go through the App Store, Apple hopes to earn its usual revenue share.
• At Phantom Immortal, Chen Wanhua, Yuan Yi, and general manager Wang Sheng speculate about Apple’s motives. They conclude Dragon Scale is the likeliest target, though Apple might also be interested in the company’s superconducting material or Intelligent Core.
• Wang and Yuan recognize that Apple is the party under pressure and propose refusing to give it the usual cut. Wang calls Shen Bing for guidance.
• Shen Bing challenges Wang’s ambition: if Dragon Scale is so valuable, why should Phantom Immortal give it to iPhone users for free? Wang is left reconsidering the company’s negotiating strategy.

Character developments

• Bedi is eager to secure a deal but must set aside his pride after Shen Bing repeatedly rejects him. His relief at securing a meeting with Wang shows how urgently Apple wants access to Dragon Scale.
• Wang Sheng is confident that Phantom Immortal can negotiate from strength, initially aiming for a zero-percent revenue share for Apple. Shen Bing pushes him to think beyond simply denying Apple its customary commission.
• Chen Wanhua is proud of Dragon Scale and enthusiastic about the chance to defy Apple’s standard terms.
• Yuan Yi quickly grasps the leverage Phantom Immortal holds: Apple’s eagerness suggests it needs the deal more.
• Shen Bing remains difficult to reach and commercially bold, reframing the issue from Apple’s cut to whether iPhone users should receive the product without a separate cost to Apple.

Significant themes

• Leverage and negotiation: A powerful platform may not control every deal when it needs a uniquely valuable product.
• Value and monetization: Shen Bing insists the company should recognize Dragon Scale’s worth rather than assume access to Apple’s users is valuable enough on its own.
• Pride versus pragmatism: Bedi suppresses his pride, while Phantom Immortal’s confidence shapes its willingness to reject conventional terms.
• Disruption of established norms: The chapter hints that Phantom Immortal may challenge the App Store’s customary revenue-sharing model.

Character interactions

• Bedi directs his secretary to pursue Shen Bing, then assigns Kasimi to negotiate with Phantom Immortal after the chairman refuses a meeting.
• Wang, Chen, and Yuan discuss what Apple wants and how much negotiating power Phantom Immortal has.
• Wang calls Shen Bing to confirm the proposed zero-percent cut. Shen Bing approves the instinct to demand more but questions why the software should be offered to iPhone users without Apple paying for it, leaving Wang surprised and uncertain.

• Apple Inc. negotiations: Shen Bing tells Wang Sheng to demand a special fee from Apple for using Dragon Scale Security Software, despite offering Android users the software for free. He admits that Apple’s role in a smear campaign against the company is the real reason he is angry. Wang Sheng suggests refusing to cooperate and letting the software’s growing popularity weaken Apple, but Shen insists he needs users worldwide—including Apple users—to become familiar with Dragon Scale. Wang Sheng agrees to press Apple for a favorable deal, sensing that Shen has a larger plan.
• A new mission: After the call, Shen Bing turns to the Gate to the Immortal Realm and accepts a mission to rescue the missing Southern Peak Emperor from Nightmare Land, a deadly region whose supernatural influence puts anyone below Sage rank to sleep. Shen believes he is immune because his character has no three souls and six spirits.
• The search and rescue: Shen arrives in the bleak, oppressive wasteland and uses the map to locate its boundary, then systematically searches inward. After several hours, he finds the sleeping Southern Peak Emperor, carries him out, and chooses to return immediately to Donghua Dijun’s abode.
• Character developments and interactions: Wang Sheng shows confidence in Dragon Scale’s long-term leverage and loyalty to Shen’s strategy, while remaining curious about its larger purpose. Shen reveals a pragmatic but ambitious aim to build worldwide familiarity with his software, alongside a personal grudge against Apple. In the mission, he is resourceful and confident, using the map to solve the search problem; his brief joke about stripping the Emperor’s valuables adds a mischievous note. The Southern Peak Emperor remains asleep throughout, while Donghua Dijun’s concern motivates the rescue.
• Themes: The chapter contrasts revenge with long-term strategy: Shen’s anger at Apple shapes his demands, but he still wants cooperation to expand his software’s reach. It also emphasizes technological dependence and user attachment, as well as Shen’s ingenuity and growing involvement in the supernatural world.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing arrives at Donghua Dijun’s palace, where officials take the unconscious Southern Peak Emperor into their care. They explain that the Nightmare Land merely put him to sleep and that he should soon awaken.
• Donghua Dijun welcomes Shen Bing and invites him to dine beside him, showing him unusual respect. Shen learns that the other guests are the remaining Five Peaks Emperors.
• Over the meal, Shen discovers that Donghua Dijun had not known who rescued his son; he had only divined that the prince was safe and waiting outside the palace.
• The immortal fruit and wine greatly increase Shen’s spiritual qi, bringing his total to nearly two thousand points.
• Donghua Dijun gives Shen Immortal Jade and promises to help him if needed. Shen accepts, recognizing that the promise is more valuable than the gift.
• Shen asks for an introduction to the Daoist Celestial Worthy—Lord Lao. Donghua agrees, but says they must wait until Lord Lao finishes an eighty-one-day pill-making session.
• Shen leaves by teleportation. Impressed by the feat, Donghua calls him unfathomable, while Shen privately knows how inexperienced he still is.

Character developments

• Shen Bing remains outwardly courteous and respectful, but inwardly pragmatic: he focuses on the spiritual qi from the feast and carefully saves Donghua’s favor for a future need. His long-term ambitions include finding a Great Luo Golden Immortal Remnant Soul and acquiring a Divine Puppet Artisan to support Phantom Immortal Technology.
• Donghua Dijun is a gracious host and a powerful figure who sincerely values Shen’s rescue of his son. He also prefers to repay favors promptly rather than let a debt linger.
• The Southern Peak Emperor remains unconscious, but his condition is clarified as temporary rather than life-threatening.

Significant themes

• Appearances versus reality: Shen seems mysterious and powerful to the immortals, yet he sees himself as a novice still dependent on their gifts.
• Favors as strategic resources: Donghua’s promise may be far more valuable than the Immortal Jade, and Shen deliberately preserves it for the right opportunity.
• Ambition and long-term planning: Shen’s immediate gains serve a much larger goal of expanding his technology beyond Earth and even the Milky Way.
• Hospitality and reciprocity: The feast and reward honor Shen’s deed, while Donghua’s offer reflects the importance of repaying obligations.

Character interactions

• The palace officials treat Shen with deference and take responsibility for the rescued emperor.
• Shen and Donghua exchange formal courtesies, with Donghua showing respect by seating Shen beside himself and offering a substantial reward.
• Shen’s request to meet Lord Lao turns the encounter from a simple reward ceremony into a step toward his larger plans.
• Donghua admires Shen’s teleportation, unaware of the gap between Shen’s reputation and his actual cultivation.

Plot points and events

• Shen Bing begins experimenting with the Cultivation Interface. Breaking through an acupoint costs 50 spiritual-qi points, and he discovers he can unlock many acupoints at that fixed price.
• He spends spiritual qi to illuminate 38 acupoints, leaving 23 points. His character’s speed rises to more than three times its previous level. He hopes the increased vitality will help him search underwater for the Ten-Thousand-Year Blood Coral.
• Shen Bing collects 2,000 Immortal Jade from Donghua Dijun’s gift, bringing his total to 9,250. He reviews his valuable inventory, keeping the Skyflying Shuttle and Luotian Jade Pendant in reserve for technological study rather than transferring them into the real world.
• After an initial failure, he successfully analyzes the Underworld-Peering Mirror and obtains two-star Visual Geological Survey Technology. It can map underground terrain to depths of 20 kilometers and search for specified substances.
• Concerned that widespread use could encourage destructive mining, Shen Bing decides to keep the full technology for himself, though he considers developing a less powerful version.
• The next day, Apple senior vice president Kasimi arrives in Rongcheng with a delegation. Phantom Immortal Technology declined to arrange an airport pickup, leaving him resentful. Despite his anger, he recognizes the company’s indifference signals that negotiations will be difficult—and that Apple’s bargaining position may be weaker than he would like.

Character developments

• Shen Bing grows stronger and more confident in the cultivation system, while remaining cautious about what its later stages may require. He is also increasingly selective about how powerful technologies are used, balancing profit against potential harm.
• Kasimi arrives expecting deference and intending to assert Apple’s influence, but he understands that Phantom Immortal Technology is not acting like a company eager for Apple’s approval. He must negotiate within a humiliatingly restrictive bottom line set by Apple president Bedi.

Significant themes

• Power and discovery: Shen Bing tests the cultivation system and turns an unusual artifact into advanced technology.
• Responsibility in innovation: Geological-survey technology could be immensely useful, but its potential to damage the planet makes Shen Bing reluctant to release it broadly.
• Changing leverage: Apple’s prestige does not guarantee control when dealing with a company that refuses to follow expected corporate etiquette.
• Value beyond money: Shen Bing values Donghua Dijun’s promise and access to immortal food as much as—or more than—the jade itself.

Character interactions

• Shen Bing’s connection to Donghua Dijun provides him with Immortal Jade, cultivation resources, and a memorable meal.
• Shen Bing approaches the Underworld-Peering Mirror as a research opportunity, first failing to analyze it, then succeeding on a second attempt.
• Kasimi and Phantom Immortal Technology clash before negotiations even begin: his delegation expects courtesy, while the company’s staff refuses to treat an airport pickup as an obligation.
• Kasimi and Bedi are also at odds over strategy: Bedi’s imposed negotiating limit leaves Kasimi feeling compromised before he has even begun.

Plot points and events

• Apple vice president Kasimi arrives in Rongcheng to discuss cooperation with Phantom Immortal Technology. Apple’s Huaxia manager, Chen, has arranged a meeting with the company’s general manager, Wang Sheng, for the next morning.
• Reporters question Kasimi outside his hotel. He says Apple is interested in cooperation on artificial intelligence and praises Phantom Immortal Technology’s Dragon Scale Security Software. He also suggests that whether the software appears on Apple’s AStore is up to Phantom Immortal Technology.
• The interview sparks online debate over whether the software will come to iPhones and whether the company would accept AStore’s 30% revenue share. Some iPhone users threaten boycotts, while Android users mock them.
• Yuan Yi suspects Kasimi is using public opinion to pressure Phantom Immortal Technology. Wang Sheng agrees that the remarks create moral pressure, but doubts Apple’s AI proposal is genuine. He says the company has no need to partner in AI, following the chairman’s decision.
• Separately, Shen Bing searches the East China Sea seabed in the Gate to the Immortal Realm for Ten-Thousand-Year Blood Coral. Despite enhanced endurance and searching a vast area, he finds none and repeatedly dies from running out of air.

Character developments and interactions

• Kasimi remains resentful toward Huaxia but presents a courteous public face. His comments frame the AStore decision as Phantom Immortal Technology’s responsibility, potentially shifting blame onto them.
• Wang Sheng is confident and unmoved by online pressure. He believes boycotts are ineffective because the company’s popular Spirit Vision Telescope is already sold out, and other products are not aimed at ordinary consumers.
• Yuan Yi recognizes the pressure tactic and consults Wang Sheng; she accepts his explanation and the chairman’s decision.
• Shen Bing shows increased physical endurance underwater, but his treasure hunt leaves him frustrated and self-deprecating.

Significant themes

• Public opinion as leverage: Apple’s comments and the online debate turn a business decision into a question of whether Phantom Immortal Technology “cares” about users.
• Market access versus control: AStore offers reach to iPhone users but takes a substantial revenue share, highlighting the trade-off between distribution and independence.
• Confidence and strategic restraint: Wang Sheng refuses to react defensively, trusting the company’s position and its existing demand.
• Persistence amid frustration: Shen Bing’s repeated underwater searches reflect the chapter’s recurring image of him being assigned difficult, labor-intensive tasks.

Plot points and events

• Apple senior vice president Kasimi and his delegation visit Phantom Immortal Technology to negotiate, but are received coolly. Wang Sheng’s brusque manner leaves the meeting tense from the outset.
• Wang immediately rejects Apple’s proposal to cooperate on artificial intelligence, citing his boss’s instruction not to partner with any company in that field.
• Kasimi then raises the possibility of putting Dragon Scale Security Software on Apple’s AStore. Wang asks what Apple will offer, but rejects expedited review and promotion as insufficient, and refuses to share the software’s revenue with Apple.
• When Kasimi offers to reduce Apple’s usual sales commission by five percentage points, Wang dismisses the concession. He says Phantom Immortal wants the software distributed without Apple taking a cut.
• Wang argues that Dragon Scale’s AI capabilities could become essential to smartphones and warns that iPhones unable to run it may struggle against competitors. Concerned for Apple’s future, Kasimi agrees to waive Apple’s commission, provided iOS users receive the same features and prices as Android users.
• Wang accepts that condition but claims Phantom Immortal cannot yet support Apple users because it lacks funds to expand the software’s servers—having spent heavily on materials for its Machinery Factory.

Character developments and interactions

• Wang Sheng controls the negotiation through confidence, blunt refusals, and calculated pressure. He uses Phantom Immortal’s technological advantage to make Apple feel the urgency of securing access to Dragon Scale.
• Kasimi begins with a prepared strategy and tries to preserve leverage, but Wang’s early rejection disrupts it. As the stakes become clear, Kasimi becomes increasingly anxious and ultimately makes a major concession to protect Apple’s competitiveness.
• Manager Chen supports Kasimi by emphasizing Apple’s enormous user base and the promotional value of AStore, then joins him in accusing Phantom Immortal of unreasonable demands.
• Wang and Kasimi repeatedly clash over who is being unreasonable or insincere. Kasimi accuses Phantom Immortal of wanting a free distribution channel; Wang counters that Apple must show genuine sincerity and adapt to the value of the software.
• The meeting ends without a final agreement: Apple has agreed to waive its commission, but Phantom Immortal says it cannot yet provide service to iOS users.

Significant themes

• Leverage and negotiation: The side with the more valuable technology sets the terms, while Apple’s need to remain competitive weakens its bargaining position.
• Sincerity versus strategy: Both sides use calculated negotiating tactics, and each accuses the other of lacking sincerity.
• Technological disruption: Dragon Scale is portrayed as a potential force capable of reshaping the smartphone market and threatening established companies.
• Power and dependency: Apple’s vast platform and user base matter less when access to a transformative product may determine the future of its devices.

Key plot points and events

• Phantom Immortal Technology’s Wang Sheng rejects Apple’s offer of a free iOS distribution channel, claiming the company cannot afford the server capacity needed to support iPhone users.
• He demands $2 billion from Apple for an immediate iOS launch. Apple’s representative, Kasimi, is outraged but cannot make the decision alone and leaves to consult headquarters.
• Apple sends a contract before noon agreeing to pay the $2 billion. The contract includes provisions intended to prevent Phantom Immortal from altering Dragon Scale Security Software or favoring Android users. Shen Bing approves it, and the money arrives that afternoon.
• Phantom Immortal begins preparing the iOS version. Wang Sheng questions the wisdom of cooperating with Apple, but Shen Bing reveals a larger strategy: use Dragon Scale to enter the operating-system market and challenge the influence of American software ecosystems.
• Shen Bing says the immediate priority is translating Dragon Scale into other languages and establishing it as a world-class product.

Character developments and interactions

• Wang Sheng confidently bluffs about Phantom Immortal’s finances, uses Apple’s dependence on Dragon Scale to negotiate a huge payment, and is surprised by how quickly Apple agrees. His conversation with Shen Bing helps him infer the company’s broader ambitions.
• Kasimi grows furious at Wang Sheng’s apparent insolence but ultimately has to retreat because he lacks authority to approve the deal himself.
• Shen Bing presents the company’s expansion as a mission to spread clean energy, while privately revealing an ambitious plan to challenge Apple’s software ecosystem and the dominance of American operating systems.
• Chen Wanhua supports Wang Sheng’s negotiating act by adding the claim that Phantom Immortal lacks even enough server-room space.

Significant themes

• Power and leverage: A company that controls valuable technology can dictate terms even to a global giant.
• Bluffing and negotiation: Wang Sheng uses feigned poverty and provocative demands to pressure Apple.
• Ambition and technological independence: Shen Bing’s goals extend beyond security software toward a global operating-system platform.
• Public mission versus private motives: Shen Bing frames expansion as a responsibility to spread clean energy, while Wang Sheng suspects profit is also central.

Key plot points and events

• Dragon Scale Security Software launches first on China’s App Store, then internationally. Its rapid adoption—more than ten million downloads in half a day in China—makes it a global sensation, surpassing even the publicity around Shen Bing’s geothermal technology.
• After spending the day searching the Gate to the Immortal Realm for Ten-Thousand-Year Blood Coral, Shen Bing heads to the Nancy Building for a dinner meeting.
• Shen Bing, driver Li Xiao, and executive Wang Sheng arrive at the upscale Tang Court restaurant. The security guard recognizes Shen Bing’s exclusive Supreme Gold Card, a benefit arranged by Nancy Group chairman Fang Yuanming.
• Shen Bing reveals that he is meeting Zhou Hong, chairman of Strange Fox Company. He says the company is the first step in his plans for the internet industry and brings Wang Sheng so he can learn the broader strategy.
• Zhou warmly welcomes Shen Bing. Shen Bing also recognizes Yang, a young member of Zhou’s party, and remarks that they met shortly before the New Year.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing balances his work in the Immortal Realm with his expanding technology plans. He is confident about his internet strategy but lightly embarrassed when Wang Sheng points out that Shen has declined meetings with more prominent executives.
• Wang Sheng is curious about Shen Bing’s plans and asks why the Strange Fox meeting matters. Once Shen explains his purpose, Wang agrees to observe and prepare to lead the company’s implementation.
• Li Xiao follows Shen Bing’s instructions and trusts the Nancy Group’s arrangements, jokingly implying that Fang Yuanming would be held responsible if the car were stolen.
• Fang Yuanming is characterized as politically astute: instead of giving Shen Bing cash, he has provided a prestigious card that strengthens their relationship while appearing legitimate.
• Zhou Hong greets Shen Bing with evident respect and enthusiasm, establishing a cordial tone for the meeting. Shen Bing’s recognition of Yang suggests an existing connection that may matter later.

Significant themes

• Technology as everyday companionship: Dragon Scale’s appeal comes not just from security features but from its intelligence and personal warmth.
• Strategic influence and relationships: Shen Bing’s business decisions depend on carefully chosen first moves and on gestures that build loyalty.
• Status and power: The Nancy Building’s exclusive card system and Tang Court’s reputation illustrate how prestige shapes business and social life.
• Planning for expansion: Shen Bing treats the meeting with Strange Fox as a foundation for a much larger internet-industry strategy.

Key plot points

• Shen Bing reunites with Yang Peng—“Old Yang,” his university friend—and recruits him to Phantom Immortal Technology. Yang accepts, excited by the chance to advance his technical work and help his friend.
• Zhou Hong, Yang’s current boss at Strange Fox Company, does not resist the move. He recognizes Yang’s ability and understands that their connection to Shen Bing could benefit his own company.
• The chapter reveals how Strange Fox became connected to Phantom Immortal Technology: during the campaign of online rumors against Dragon Scale Security Software, Zhou Hong secretly investigated and found a promotion studio linked to one of his senior executives. Yang helped with the investigation and contacted Shen Bing. Zhou then agreed to Shen’s broader proposal to help transform the internet.
• At a banquet, Shen outlines his view that personal-computing interfaces have barely advanced since the arrival of Windows. He proposes that Strange Fox take over the enterprise-security side of Dragon Scale by developing products through interfaces to its Intelligent Core.
• Zhou realizes this offers access to a huge business opportunity, including corporate, government, telecom, and hardware-security markets. Shen says he wants no equity or excessive payment—only Strange Fox’s commitment to stand with Phantom Immortal Technology.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Peng is established as an exceptionally gifted but unassuming programmer. His loyalty to Shen and enthusiasm for meaningful technical work outweigh concern about status or appearances.
• Zhou Hong emerges as cautious but far-sighted. He values Yang, recognizes the risks of opposing Phantom Immortal, and sees the partnership as a potentially transformative gamble for Strange Fox.
• Shen Bing acts confidently and strategically: he recruits his friend, rewards Zhou’s cooperation with a valuable opportunity, and seeks an enduring alliance rather than immediate financial gain.
• The friendly teasing between Shen and Yang contrasts with Zhou’s joking complaint about losing an employee; beneath the humor, all three understand the business stakes. The banquet shifts their conversation from personal history to a major strategic partnership.

Significant themes

• Friendship and professional loyalty: Yang’s relationship with Shen shapes both his career move and the companies’ connection.
• Technology as a platform for transformation: Shen argues that Dragon Scale’s real value lies in its Intelligent Core, not merely its current security software.
• Risk, trust, and alliance: Zhou accepts a gamble on Shen’s vision, while Shen asks for loyalty and cooperation in return for access to a lucrative market.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing secures Zhou Hong’s agreement to cooperate, instructing Wang Sheng to prepare a formal agreement. The meal that follows helps keep the meeting cordial.
• On the drive back, Wang Sheng asks why Shen is giving up lucrative cybersecurity opportunities. Shen explains that keeping the Intelligent Core’s products entirely in Phantom Immortal Technology’s hands could destroy competitors and create a dangerous monopoly. He also wants other companies to build applications and services around his operating system, forming a broader software ecosystem.
• The investigation into the March 8 traffic-accident conspiracy concludes. Authorities uncover a Japanese operation to steal Huaxia’s secrets, organized by Sanling Heavy Industries’ local general manager, Ishikawa Chuichi, on instructions allegedly originating from headquarters in Japan.
• In a closed trial, Ishikawa and those who caused the fatal accident are sentenced to death; other defendants receive severe sentences. Huaxia rejects Japan’s protests and request to exchange benefits for the prisoners, stressing that four Huaxia servicemen were killed.
• Though the captured participants have been sentenced, the mastermind who remains beyond Huaxia’s reach is still unresolved.

Character developments

• Shen Bing shows that his business strategy is about more than immediate profit: he considers market stability, political limits, and the need for an open application ecosystem. He also recognizes the importance of appearing governable to the state.
• Wang Sheng moves from questioning Shen’s decision to understanding its broader consequences and admiring his strategic thinking.
• Zhou Hong readily agrees to the partnership and helps maintain a friendly atmosphere during the meal.
• Ishikawa Chuichi is identified as the central local organizer of the espionage operation, though the ultimate authority behind it remains beyond reach.

Significant themes

• Restraint and ecosystem-building: Shen believes a company can gain more by enabling others than by monopolizing every market.
• Power and political limits: Extreme corporate dominance could threaten both domestic businesses and the state, making unchecked growth dangerous.
• Justice and national sovereignty: Huaxia refuses to treat the defendants as bargaining chips, particularly because the operation cost four servicemen their lives.
• Unfinished accountability: The trial punishes those in custody, but the principal mastermind remains beyond the law’s reach.

Character interactions

• Shen and Zhou establish a business partnership, with Wang tasked with formalizing it.
• Shen patiently explains his strategy to Wang during the car ride; Wang’s skepticism turns into understanding and sincere praise.
• Huaxia’s officials reject Japanese consular protests and the government’s proposed exchange, while public reactions diverge: protests in Japan and celebrations in Huaxia.

Key plot points and events

• Phantom Immortal Technology and Strange Fox Company sign a cybersecurity licensing deal. Strange Fox will develop and operate enterprise security products based on Dragon Scale Security Software. The fee—kept confidential—is five billion yuan, with only one billion due upfront and the rest payable after Strange Fox goes public.
• The announcement confuses the industry but dramatically boosts Strange Fox’s reputation and attracts investors. Other internet companies begin looking for ways to work with Phantom Immortal Technology, keeping its phone operators busy.
• Shen Bing completes Li Tieguai’s mission by finding and delivering the Ten-Thousand-Year Blood Coral. He receives only 2,000 immortal jade, less than he spent on teleportation, but is relieved to finish before the month’s deadline.
• With his balance above 10,000 immortal jade, Shen buys two Demon Puppet Artisans from Lu Ban for 2,000 jade each. He also buys more cat food for Little Doudou.
• Shen names the puppets Lu Mo and Mo Ban. Lu Mo is assigned to care for the immortal plants at Shen’s cultivation ground; Mo Ban is brought into the real world to support Phantom Immortal Technology and research at the Underground Base.
• Just as Shen is about to introduce Mo Ban to Earth, Commander Gao calls and asks what trouble Shen is causing with the Turing Award.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains resourceful and ambitious, but feels pressure from his monthly missions and regrets not completing them earlier. He increasingly uses his Immortal Realm resources to strengthen both his cultivation grounds and his company.
• Lu Ban is friendly and praises Shen’s help, but remains businesslike: he sells the puppets at the regular price rather than giving a discount.
• Li Tieguai appears stingy from Shen’s perspective, rewarding the difficult coral mission with only 2,000 jade.
• Commander Gao ends the chapter by confronting Shen, hinting that Shen’s activities have attracted attention again.
• Shen’s interactions with the puppets are practical and humorous: both initially resemble him, so he has Lu Mo change his face, and he gives each puppet a distinct name and role.

Significant themes

• Technology and strategic partnerships: The licensing deal shows how cooperation between apparent rivals can reshape an industry and create new opportunities.
• Resourcefulness and investment: Shen turns Immortal Realm assets into practical support for his business, while carefully managing his jade and obligations.
• Duty and consequences: Monthly missions bring pressure, and Shen’s past procrastination makes him determined to work harder.
• Humor and contrast: Shen’s modern, informal attitude contrasts with the Immortals’ long timescales, formal manners, and strict business dealings.

Chapter summary

Plot points and events

• Commander Gao tells Shen Bing that he has been nominated for the Turing Award. The ceremony is in the United States, and the award’s organizers expect him to attend in person.
• Gao and intelligence officials suspect the nomination may be an American trap: they estimate a high chance that the United States will use Shen’s visit to target or detain him.
• Shen publicly jokes that he might go for the prize money, then argues that refusing to attend could make Huaxia look weak. He also suggests that an American operation against him could create an opening to obtain F135 engine technology.
• Gao rejects the idea, insisting that Shen’s safety matters more than the technology. Shen clarifies that he never said he would attend in person and promises to handle the situation safely, prompting Gao to report the matter to the chief.
• Alone afterward, Shen reveals his real motive: he has decided to put himself in the Americans’ path and let them make the first move. His underground research base needs more staff, but the Gate to the Immortal Realm requires workers’ origins to be lawful. Shen cannot simply abduct people; if the Americans provoke him, however, he believes he will be free to act against them.
• News of the nomination spreads through Huaxia. The public celebrates Shen’s achievement, praises Dragon Scale Security Software’s Intelligent Core, and assumes he will win and attend the ceremony. The chapter ends with news also emerging that Shen is a student at Rongcheng University of Electronic Science and Technology.

Character developments

• Shen Bing appears playful and confident, but his decision is strategic rather than impulsive. He is motivated less by the award or F135 technology than by the chance to expand his workforce under the Gate’s rules. He remains conscious of danger and says he will prioritize safety.
• Commander Gao is protective and cautious. He recognizes Shen’s history of unconventional plans but remains alarmed by the prospect of sending him into a hostile situation.
• The public sees Shen as a national scientific hero and treats the nomination as confirmation of Huaxia’s growing influence.

Significant themes

• Recognition and national prestige: The Turing nomination is celebrated as international recognition of Huaxia’s scientific achievements.
• Appearances and deception: Shen and Gao question whether the prestigious award is a genuine honor or a cover for an American operation; Shen also leaves his actual plan deliberately unclear.
• Risk versus national interest: Gao prioritizes Shen’s safety, while Shen weighs the opportunity to act against the strategic danger.
• Rules, legality, and power: The Gate’s restrictions prevent Shen from acquiring researchers unlawfully, shaping his willingness to wait for others to provoke him.

Character interactions

• Shen and Gao debate whether attending the ceremony is wise. Gao warns of a trap; Shen jokes, reframes the trip as a chance to exploit American vulnerabilities, and eventually reassures him that he will not attend recklessly.
• Their exchange shows mutual familiarity: Gao knows Shen’s track record, while Shen tries to persuade him without revealing his true motive.
• Huaxia’s scientific community and the general public respond enthusiastically to Shen’s nomination, interpreting it as both personal achievement and national vindication.

Plot points and events

• Shen Bing’s identity as the owner of Phantom Immortal Technology—and his enrollment at Rongcheng University of Electronic Science and Technology—becomes public. His company’s enormous revenue and Turing Award nomination make the university a national sensation.
• Shen is overwhelmed by calls from classmates, acquaintances, and strangers. Some congratulate him; others joke with him or seek jobs at his company. He considers changing his number.
• His adviser, Liu Jin, invites him to speak at the university. Shen politely declines for now, saying he is busy, but agrees to mention his alma mater if he accepts the Turing Award.
• Shen suspects the United States leaked his university affiliation as part of a campaign to persuade him to travel there. In the following days, U.S. officials and media praise him and frame his visit as safe and warmly welcomed.
• Although public opinion increasingly argues that the United States would not risk harming him in front of the world, Shen remains wary. He believes American leaders might accept embarrassment if it served their larger interests. He ultimately decides to go anyway, hoping the Americans remain “happy a little longer.”

Character development

• Shen Bing remains practical and skeptical of publicity, motivational speeches, and political theater. He is amused by his friends’ teasing but frustrated by the sudden intrusion into his privacy.
• His experience with earlier “dirty tricks” has made him distrustful of reassuring public gestures. Despite that caution, he chooses to attend the award ceremony, suggesting confidence in his own judgment and willingness to face the risk.
• Liu Jin is supportive and familiar with Shen, approaching him warmly while also conveying the university’s interest in his prestige.

Character interactions

• Shen’s classmates and friends tease him once his identity is public; other callers congratulate him or seek employment.
• Liu Jin and Shen speak casually, revealing their comfortable relationship. Liu asks him to give a campus talk and promote the university during his Turing Award speech.
• The university, U.S. officials, journalists, and online commentators all try to shape how Shen’s possible U.S. visit is perceived—either as a source of institutional pride or as a potential security threat.

Significant themes

• Fame and privacy: Shen’s success brings attention and opportunity, but also unwanted calls and public scrutiny.
• Institutional prestige: The university hopes to benefit from Shen’s success and recognition.
• Propaganda and persuasion: The United States uses public goodwill and diplomatic messaging to make his trip seem safe and desirable.
• Power and distrust: Shen questions whether global attention would truly deter political actors, arguing that powerful governments may sacrifice reputation for strategic advantage.

Plot points and events

• Commander Gao calls Shen Bing to confirm the leadership has approved his plan, on the condition that Shen himself will not go to the United States. Their conversation turns to the Sanling Heavy Industries incident: the official perpetrators may be punished, but Japan is unlikely to prosecute the company’s chairman.
• Gao emphasizes that the country must obey the law, while indirectly signaling that unofficial action may be possible. Shen understands the hint as a request to arrange for the Godslayer Mercenary Squad to target those responsible. He agrees and heads to the underground base to make arrangements.
• Shen reviews requests from domestic and international developers hoping to buy Dream Glass. With production at 20,000 square meters per day and current projects nearly complete, he replaces open bidding with a process requiring companies to submit detailed investment proposals. Phantom Immortal Technology will choose partners at its own discretion.
• The announcement sparks worldwide excitement—and frustration—as companies realize that anyone, anywhere, may apply, but there are no clear selection criteria and the decision rests with Shen.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing recognizes Commander Gao’s personal concern and appreciates it. He also reads Gao’s careful, indirect language as tacit approval for action outside official channels.
• Commander Gao presents himself as bound by the law, but his remarks imply that he wants the Sanling perpetrators punished despite diplomatic limits.
• Yan Lexuan efficiently briefs Shen on Dream Glass demand and production. She accepts his arbitrary selection plan, privately recognizing how little leverage applicants will have.
• The Godslayer Mercenary Squad is portrayed as an exceptionally capable, wealthy force with strict rules: it will not take heinous jobs or missions paying less than $100 million.

Significant themes

• Law versus justice: Diplomatic constraints limit what governments can do, creating tension between lawful procedure and the desire to avenge the victims.
• Indirect communication and plausible deniability: Gao conveys his wishes without stating them outright, and Shen understands the implication.
• Power and scarcity: As the sole supplier of Dream Glass, Phantom Immortal Technology can dictate terms and select projects without competition.
• Profit and opportunity: The success of Dream Glass projects—especially the Nancy Group’s soaring value—fuels global demand and envy.

Character interactions

The central exchange is between Gao and Shen: Gao expresses regret over the limits of official justice, while Shen interprets his hints and agrees to pursue an unofficial solution. Later, Shen gives Yan Lexuan instructions that place the company firmly in control of Dream Glass access, leaving prospective partners to compete for his favor.