Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• After returning home from London, Shen Bing reassures his mother about the dangerous incident there, focusing on his unusually resilient car. The comfort of being home eases the tension he felt abroad.
• Shen Bing goes to the Underground Base to inspect the more than one thousand people captured in London. He tells them they will live there as “one family,” then has Rosa oversee their forced Subconscious Implantation. Some resist, but guards quickly suppress them.
• Phantom Vision Company, a joint venture between Phantom Immortal Technology and the Nancy Group, holds its product launch. Its bezel-free displays show images with striking depth, impressing the audience.
• The company announces it will enter the home-appliance market. A forty-two-inch Phantom Vision TV will cost 10,000 yuan—expensive compared with ordinary TVs, but still within reach for many consumers. The announcement sparks excitement online.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing appears relaxed and affectionate at home, but remains ruthless and commanding at the base. He invokes Thor Company’s actions to justify capturing the group, while offering no meaningful choice about their fate.
• Rosa, a former senior CIA agent, manages the captives and their processing, underscoring her authority and loyalty to Shen Bing’s organization.
• Yate is eager to serve Shen Bing; the Gene-Enhancement Drug has greatly increased his strength.
• Ding Miao confidently presents Phantom Vision’s products and pricing, positioning the company for mass-market sales.
• Qiu Liu, a streamer at the launch, captures the audience’s enthusiasm; viewers flood her chat with the idea of asking their parents to replace their TVs.

Significant themes

• Home and security: Shen Bing feels safe and at ease at home after the anxiety of being abroad.
• Power and coercion: Shen Bing’s “family” language masks the captives’ lack of freedom and their forced implantation.
• Technology and commercial ambition: Phantom Vision’s advanced displays are presented not merely as luxury innovations, but as products intended for ordinary households.
• Public excitement and market potential: The launch demonstrates how quickly impressive technology and accessible pricing can generate consumer enthusiasm.

Key plot points and events

• At a Phantom Vision TV launch, a skeptical attendee points out that impressive 3D television is useless if viewers have only 2D content.
• Ding Miao says every model includes a processor that converts ordinary 2D video into 3D and restores damaged images.
• The attendee challenges him to demonstrate, offering a USB drive containing nearly twenty-year-old footage of Mount Wuyi.
• The video initially appears grainy and low-quality in the TV’s normal playback mode. Ding explains that this mode preserves the original source, then switches on the enhancement feature.
• The same footage transforms into vivid, exceptionally detailed 3D scenery, astonishing the audience and the viewers watching Qiu Liu’s livestream.
• Ding attributes the effect generally to artificial intelligence and image-processing technology used in the Spirit Vision Telescope, though he admits he cannot explain the technical details.
• Representatives of rival television manufacturers realize that Phantom Vision’s technology may leave their companies unable to compete. The livestream chat ends on a joke about applying the conversion technology to censored adult videos.

Character developments

• Ding Miao stays composed when challenged and turns a potentially embarrassing demonstration into a dramatic proof of the TV’s capabilities. Privately, he suspects the attendee is trying to cause trouble.
• The attendee appears intent on testing or undermining the product, choosing especially old footage, but his challenge ultimately helps Phantom Vision impress the crowd.
• Qiu Liu enthusiastically records and narrates the event for her large livestream audience.

Significant themes

• Technology depends on practical applications: The attendee raises a real concern about whether 3D TVs have enough compatible content; the conversion feature answers it.
• Innovation and spectacle: The transformation of poor footage into striking 3D imagery makes Phantom Vision’s technology seem almost miraculous.
• Disruption and anxiety: The demonstration excites supporters but leaves established manufacturers fearful of being overtaken.
• Humor amid hype: Audience and livestream reactions, especially the final joke, puncture the event’s grand claims with comic irreverence.

Character interactions

• The attendee repeatedly challenges Ding, first questioning the TV’s usefulness and then demanding a live test.
• Ding responds politely and confidently, using the attendee’s own USB drive to prove the conversion feature.
• The audience shifts from skepticism and embarrassment during the poor-quality playback to amazement after the enhancement is activated.
• Qiu Liu’s viewers react in real time, turning the demonstration into a public spectacle and adding humorous commentary.

Plot and events

• Phantom Vision’s product launch concludes with prices of 10,000 yuan for the 42-inch TV, 48,888 yuan for the 55-inch model, and 99,999 yuan for the 60-inch model. The cheapest TV is presented as a loss leader, while the two premium models provide the company’s normal profits.
• The company announces that Nancy Trading Co. will handle domestic sales. Its nationwide retail network gives it a major advantage beyond its 20 percent stake in Phantom Vision.
• Phantom Vision also offers custom products. The giant screen shown at Sotheby’s was made by joining thirty bezel-free 60-inch TVs and using advanced image-processing technology.
• The launch sparks excitement in China and alarm in the global display industry. The company’s wholly domestic technology appears to outperform foreign high-end products, and its screens could disrupt lucrative large-scale display projects.
• With sales due to begin in three days, production ramps up. Nancy Trading rents high-speed train carriages to move TVs quickly.
• Meanwhile, Shen Bing spends two days focused on research. After receiving $6.1 billion from the Sotheby’s sale, he buys two Aperture-Opening Pills and assigns them to Charles, a chip-and-electronics researcher, and Philo, a captured high-energy physicist.
• Shen learns that Philo’s former employer, Raytheon, had been conducting nuclear-physics research in Africa. He suspects the company has greater ambitions than ordinary arms dealing, though Raytheon is unlikely to identify him as responsible for its base’s destruction.

Character developments and interactions

• Ding Miao confidently handles the launch, explaining the pricing strategy, sales arrangement, and custom-screen capabilities despite audience shock at the premium prices.
• Nancy Trading emerges as a central beneficiary of the partnership, taking on the national sales role and committing substantial resources to distribution.
• Shen Bing recognizes that research talent is essential to his goal of directing projects rather than doing the work himself. His selective distribution of the pills reflects that priority.
• Philo, once Shen Bing’s challenger, is now completely compliant after his capture. Shen sees promise in pairing him with aerospace researcher Rox, especially given Philo’s expertise in high-energy physics.
• Shen’s reaction to Philo’s background shifts from excitement about the research potential to caution about Raytheon’s possible extremism.

Significant themes

• Domestic technological strength: Phantom Vision’s all-local production challenges the dominance of Japanese and Korean firms in premium displays.
• Commercial strategy and ambition: Affordable entry-level pricing, expensive premium models, and nationwide distribution are designed to capture multiple market segments.
• Innovation beyond consumer goods: Custom giant screens point toward high-margin government and corporate projects.
• Talent as a strategic resource: Shen believes scientific breakthroughs and delegation depend on cultivating capable researchers.
• Power and hidden motives: Raytheon’s covert nuclear research suggests that ambitious organizations may pursue dangerous goals behind their public image.

Summary

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing continues prioritizing the design of a new baseband chip, part of his broader plan to enter the mobile-phone and handheld-computer market.
• Wang Sheng calls to discuss Phantom Vision Company’s successful television launch. Shen Bing approves Ding Miao’s decision to price the 42-inch Phantom Vision TV at 10,000 yuan—far below what its advanced technology could command—because he wants to challenge Japanese and Korean competitors.
• Wang reports that several manufacturers want custom Phantom Vision phone screens within six months. Shen refuses: the display is intended to become a selling point for Shen Bing’s own future phones.
• Wang worries that Shen Bing is juggling too many projects: operating systems, the Rongcheng Smart City project, and mobile devices. Shen assures him that these plans complement one another, reveals that the smart-city platform and its chips are already designed, and says a new photolithography machine is the remaining step before production can proceed.
• The chapter then shifts to a Nancy Supermarket in Kyoto. Before opening, a large crowd—mostly young people—lines up to buy Phantom Vision TVs. Only 1,000 units are available, and customers fear they may sell out before their turn.
• The supermarket staff, impressed by the TV after seeing it the previous night, are enthusiastic about its 10,000-yuan price and appreciate being guaranteed an opportunity to buy one. At opening, the manager urges the crowd to queue orderly.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains confident and strategically focused, revealing how the display technology fits into his larger plan to build a phone business. He is also content to let Wang manage the company while he pursues technical projects.
• Wang Sheng acts as the practical, cautious manager, pressing Shen about priorities and execution. Though concerned he cannot keep up with Shen’s pace, he accepts the explanations and agrees to turn down the phone-screen requests.
• Ding Miao is shown as a capable executive who faithfully carries out Shen’s low-pricing strategy.
• Customers and supermarket employees demonstrate the product’s growing appeal: the customers are eager but uncertain, while staff enthusiasm reflects firsthand experience with the TV’s quality.

Significant themes

• Long-term strategy over immediate profit: Shen prices the TV aggressively to weaken foreign competitors and establish his company’s position.
• Technology as part of a larger ecosystem: Displays, chips, operating systems, phones, and smart-city infrastructure are presented as interconnected ventures.
• The gap between hype and firsthand experience: Online videos cannot convey the screen’s full effect, so customers queue to judge it in person.
• The strain of ambitious expansion: Wang’s concern highlights the challenge of managing many projects at once, even as Shen’s confidence and access to automated technical support let him move unusually quickly.

Summary

Phantom Vision TVs launch to extraordinary demand across China, selling out quickly in major cities. Their unusually strong picture quality also makes consumers reluctant to buy other televisions, causing sales of competing brands—especially Japanese and Korean models—to collapse.
Electronics enthusiast Li Junze believes the company’s pricing is foolish: four inexpensive, bezel-free S-Type TVs should make a giant screen for less than one large model. He hires people to buy four and tries to combine them with a video-wall controller. The images prove slightly out of sync, and the seams remain visible, so the setup fails. Customer service explains that ordinary household models are not designed for video walls; the company offers custom solutions instead. Li realizes he underestimated the technology involved—and that the real fool was himself. Rather than warn others, he keeps the mistake quiet and puts the TVs in separate rooms. Similar failed attempts soon circulate online, discouraging others from trying the same workaround.
Meanwhile, Phantom Vision’s limited supply intensifies public frustration. Only about 60,000 sets are available nationwide, far below normal daily television sales, but competing televisions sell even worse: many consumers would rather wait than settle for another brand.
In Korea, Samsung Electronics president Li Yourong receives the grim figures. Samsung’s Huaxia sales have plunged, and on launch day fewer than a thousand sets sell nationwide. He sees Phantom Vision as a threat to Samsung’s global leadership and asks his executives how to respond. Lee Jae-hee, who previously visited Phantom Immortal Technology with confidence, now appears diminished among the senior figures.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Junze shifts from smug confidence in his workaround to embarrassed self-recognition. His exchange with customer service clarifies the distinction between ordinary televisions and purpose-built video-wall systems; afterward, he selfishly hides his failure.
• Customers and online commenters turn scarcity into a nationwide phenomenon, demanding higher production while rejecting rival products.
• Li Yourong reacts with anger and alarm to Samsung’s collapsing sales and seeks advice from his executives.
• Lee Jae-hee has lost the confidence he once displayed, reflecting how the new competition has changed the balance of power.

Significant themes

• Disruption and technological advantage: Phantom Vision revitalizes a mature product category through superior image quality.
• Limits of surface-level innovation: Bezel-free screens alone cannot create a seamless video wall; advanced processing and customization matter.
• Scarcity and consumer desire: Limited supply magnifies the product’s appeal and makes waiting preferable to buying substitutes.
• Hubris and unintended consequences: Li Junze’s attempt to outsmart the company exposes his own misunderstanding, while established competitors face a far greater strategic threat.

Key plot points and events

• Samsung executives debate how to respond to Phantom Vision TVs, whose advanced technology threatens the television industry. They consider seeking a license for Phantom Immortal Technology’s video-to-3D conversion technology.
• Vice Chairman Quan Linxian argues the company may have to license the technology to avoid an international monopoly and possible antitrust scrutiny. Li Chengxi warns that Phantom Immortal Technology may refuse because of hostility toward Korean companies, but Chairman Li Yourong sends Quan to negotiate.
• The threat extends beyond Samsung: LG, Sharp, Sony, and other television makers fear Phantom Vision’s technological advantage could drive competitors—especially TV-only manufacturers—out of business.
• Meanwhile, Dragon Scale Security Software reaches three billion users worldwide. With its free trial ending, Shen Bing orders the company to begin charging under its second pricing plan, despite Wang Sheng’s concern about its international reputation.
• Phantom Immortal Technology makes no effort to promote Phantom Vision TVs to new audiences. Instead, it announces Dragon Scale’s paid model—and surprises users by requiring payment in Chinese yuan worldwide.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Yourong is skeptical that Phantom Immortal Technology will cooperate, noting that Phantom Vision can use existing video resources and that the relevant technology may not belong to the TV company.
• Quan Linxian takes a pragmatic, strategic view: licensing could help avert monopoly concerns. He accepts responsibility for negotiations.
• Li Chengxi shares his doubts based on prior dealings, suggesting personal and political attitudes may outweigh profit in Wang Sheng’s decisions.
• Shen Bing remains confident and inscrutable. He chooses the more controversial payment plan without hesitation, while Wang Sheng raises concerns but follows his decision.
• Chen Wanhua is thrilled by Dragon Scale’s extraordinary reach and credits Shen Bing’s technology for its success.

Significant themes

• Disruptive technology and market upheaval: Phantom Vision’s advantage threatens established companies and could reshape the television industry.
• Monopoly, regulation, and competition: Samsung sees antitrust rules as a possible constraint on Phantom Immortal Technology’s global expansion.
• Power and unpredictability: Shen Bing’s company makes decisions that defy conventional business expectations, including avoiding TV publicity and demanding yuan payments internationally.
• Technology versus business convention: Dragon Scale’s success and its unusual payment requirement challenge established assumptions about global markets and currency.

Key plot points and events

• Phantom Immortal Technology requires Dragon Scale Security Software users to pay in Chinese yuan, prompting criticism that the company is abandoning its two billion overseas users.
• Shen Bing tells Secretary Jiang that the policy is part of a deliberate effort to weaken the U.S. dollar’s dominance. He brushes off warnings that the plan is unrealistic and says further measures are coming.
• Secretary Jiang later reports that the national leadership supports Shen Bing and offers state assistance if needed. Shen thanks them but says he does not need help yet.
• Phantom Immortal Technology announces Fairy Beans, a transferable virtual currency. Soon, top-up companies appear worldwide, letting users pay in local currencies. The companies convert those funds into yuan to buy Fairy Beans and credit users’ accounts.
• This creates a sudden, if initially small, increase in international demand for yuan and a corresponding weakening in demand for dollars. Analysts debate the implications, while the Federal Reserve warns the White House that the system could eventually challenge U.S. influence and urges action.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains confident and secretive. He reveals his anti-dollar objective to Secretary Jiang but withholds the details of his broader strategy.
• Secretary Jiang initially challenges Shen’s reasoning, then conveys the leadership’s support, showing that officials take the potential national benefits seriously.
• U.S. financial officials move from watching the currency shift to treating it as a possible threat, despite its modest immediate scale.

Significant themes

• The chapter explores how technology and digital payment systems can influence international currency demand.
• It contrasts the established dominance of the U.S. dollar with the possibility of the yuan gaining a foothold through everyday transactions.
• It also highlights the gap between public skepticism and Shen Bing’s confidence in a long-term strategy.

Key plot points

• The U.S. President dismisses warnings that Dragon Scale Security Software could influence China’s currency, but uses the upcoming meeting with Phantom Immortal Technology as leverage. The U.S. announces that Dragon Scale will be suspended domestically on cybersecurity grounds and opens an antitrust investigation into Dream Glass, threatening a 50% tariff.
• The announcements are widely viewed as retaliation against Phantom Immortal Technology. Meanwhile, Shen Bing wins the Turing Award, a historic first for Huaxia. The contrast between the award and the government’s restrictions on his software exposes a lack of coordination—or a gap between American officials and the computing community.
• Americans protest after Dragon Scale’s communication ports are blocked; nearly 400 million had adopted it, and many feel attached to its virtual companion.
• Dragon Scale’s paid subscription retains 95% of its users. At 18 yuan per month from over 2.8 billion users, it generates enormous revenue, putting Shen Bing on course to become one of the world’s richest people.
• Shen Bing is unmoved by wealth or status: he prioritizes keeping control of his company and developing the Gate to the Immortal Realm, which he sees as the source of wealth, power, and longevity.
• He accepts the invitation to travel to the United States in three days to receive the Turing Award. He also intends to learn from American technology and pursue objectives such as acquiring F135 engine technology. His planned visit keeps both countries’ senior leaders busy.

Character developments and interactions

• The U.S. President treats the restrictions as tools of pressure, while American media, the computing association, and ordinary users respond differently—revealing divisions within the United States.
• Shen Bing’s historic recognition brings national celebration, but he remains focused on his larger ambitions rather than fame or fortune.
• Shen’s decision to go to the United States is shaped partly by his promise to Commander Gao and others; he does not want to appear unreliable. His visit becomes a point of strategic concern for both governments.

Significant themes

• Political and technological power: The U.S. uses regulation and trade threats to pressure a powerful foreign company.
• Contradictory institutions: Shen is honored for Dragon Scale even as the U.S. government restricts it.
• Technology’s commercial scale: A modest subscription price produces unprecedented revenue because of mass adoption.
• Ambition beyond wealth: Shen views money as secondary to control and the Gate’s greater potential.
• National prestige and shifting influence: Shen’s award symbolizes Huaxia’s growing standing in global technology.

Key plot points

• Phantom Immortal Technology issues a defiant statement condemning the U.S. crackdown on its products. It denies that Dragon Scale Security Software contains a backdoor and says that if the United States objects to Dream Glass—or any future product—the company simply will not sell there.
• The U.S. President is surprised that Shen Bing has agreed to visit America. He and CIA Director Darnell debate whether Shen knows the United States was behind his attempted kidnapping, and whether he feels safe because of his advanced equipment. The President decides to try persuasion before coercion.
• Unaware of the U.S. government’s uncertainty, Shen Bing tours Phantom Immortal Technology’s rapidly developing industrial park with Wang Sheng. He proposes adding schools and a hospital for employees and their families; Wang agrees to begin making arrangements.
• Shen then visits the geothermal power station in Xinjing County, where Secretary Lin accompanies him. During the tour, Secretary Jiang calls to say that the Chief wants to meet before Shen leaves.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains confident and independent, willing to defy the United States and prepared to escape if threatened. He also shows concern for employees’ long-term welfare by expanding his plans beyond housing to education and healthcare.
• Wang Sheng acts as a practical adviser, pointing out obstacles such as land, permits, staffing, and medical access. Shen answers each concern with an ambitious plan, and Wang commits to following up.
• The U.S. President shifts from surprise to strategic optimism, reasoning that Shen may have no personal grudge against the administration. He believes everyone has a weakness that can be appealed to.
• Darnell is more skeptical, stressing how difficult Shen will be to influence and how little the CIA knows about him.

Significant themes

• Defiance and national market power: Phantom Immortal Technology refuses to accommodate U.S. pressure, treating withdrawal from the market as a stronger response than negotiation.
• Uncertainty and misjudgment: The U.S. government does not know what Shen knows or why he accepted the invitation, while Shen himself misreads the situation as a potential physical confrontation.
• Ambition and social responsibility: Shen’s plans for schools and a hospital show how the company’s growth may extend into public services and benefit the wider community.
• Confidence in technological progress: The industrial park’s rapid construction and the environmentally unobtrusive geothermal station reflect the company’s scale and technical sophistication.

Plot points and events

• Shen Bing arrives in Kyoto with Li Xiao and is collected at the airport in a Hongqi L5, drawing attention because both the car and Shen Bing have become symbols of national importance.
• He meets the Chief, who scolds him for taking risks in London and asks whether he really intends to travel to the United States.
• Shen Bing reveals that Phantom Immortal Technology has developed controllable stealth material capable of keeping aircraft and warships invisible for extended periods. An invisibility cloak is possible, but short-lived and of limited military value.
• The Chief asks about production and cost, and initially imagines equipping an entire aircraft-carrier strike group. Shen Bing explains that rhodium is scarce and costly: coating one square meter requires 500 grams, making even the raw material prohibitively expensive.
• Shen Bing proposes licensing the technology to a state-designated company for military use only. The Chief is astonished and accepts that civilian use would be unwise.
• The Chief suspects Shen Bing may be offering the technology because he has been threatened or fears his upcoming U.S. trip. Shen Bing denies it, saying the trip carries risks but none that could threaten his life.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains confident and pragmatic, balancing impressive technological achievements with practical limits. He offers the state access to the stealth technology because large-scale production is costly and restricted to military customers.
• The Chief’s stern concern for Shen Bing comes through in their informal, almost familial exchange. He is excited by the breakthrough but prioritizes Shen Bing’s safety and company security.
• Their trust is reinforced: the Chief respects Shen Bing’s judgment and recognizes that he likely has private safeguards, while Shen Bing reassures him and offers cooperation without surrendering the technology outright.

Significant themes

• Innovation and national security: Invisibility technology could transform military power, so its production and use must be tightly controlled.
• Practical limits of breakthroughs: Strategic value is tempered by scarce, expensive materials and difficult manufacturing.
• Trust and cooperation: Shen Bing’s licensing offer strengthens ties between his company and the state while preserving his independence.
• Risk and responsibility: Shen Bing intends to travel to the United States despite danger, while the Chief urges caution and protection.

Key plot points and events

• The Chief privately presents Shen Bing with the Supreme Science Advancement Award and its one-million-yuan prize, acknowledging that the public ceremony was skipped because Shen Bing dislikes attention.
• They discuss Phantom Immortal Technology’s future. Shen Bing says its ambitions should extend beyond Earth to the stars, suggesting that its advanced materials could be vital for space exploration.
• Shen Bing agrees to provide the state-designated company with stealth-material manufacturing processes and specialized equipment for five billion yuan. In return, his company will receive government authorizations allowing it into additional, previously restricted industries.
• After returning home, Shen Bing finds a Gate to the Immortal Realm mission asking him to rescue Erlang Shen, who is trapped in the Demon Realm with his powers suppressed and powerful demons hunting him.
• Shen Bing enters the Demon Realm and finds Erlang Shen battered and exhausted. He teases him, then pretends to leave rather than rescue him. When a Kunpeng descendant attacks, Erlang Shen flees, and Shen Bing watches through the map before teleporting after him.

Character developments

• Shen Bing remains confident and irreverent. He treats the award as a formality, thinks on a grand scale about space, and accepts the rescue mission out of guilt for having helped send Erlang Shen into danger. His teasing briefly takes precedence over urgency, but he does follow Erlang.
• The Chief shows respect for Shen Bing’s contributions and accommodates his dislike of publicity. He also seeks practical benefits for the country while maintaining a personal, friendly rapport with him.
• Erlang Shen is revealed to be vulnerable when cut off from his usual power. Though still proud and quick to anger, he is frightened enough by the Demon Realm’s threats to prioritize survival.

Significant themes

• Ambition beyond Earth: Shen Bing’s vision of space exploration contrasts with the country’s more limited current plans.
• Innovation and national cooperation: Phantom Immortal Technology trades access to advanced technology for payment and expanded market opportunities.
• Power and vulnerability: Erlang Shen’s formidable reputation cannot protect him when the Demon Realm suppresses his abilities.
• Responsibility mixed with humor: Shen Bing feels responsible for Erlang Shen’s predicament, yet cannot resist mocking him before acting.

Character interactions

• The Chief and Shen Bing exchange respectful but candid views on the company’s future; the Chief privately asks Shen Bing to obtain a Phantom Vision television, promising to pay.
• Shen Bing and Erlang Shen resume their antagonistic banter: Erlang is bewildered by Shen Bing’s presence, while Shen Bing mocks his battered condition and leaves him momentarily.
• When danger arrives, the exchange gives way to action: Erlang flees the attacking demon, and Shen Bing tracks him and teleports to continue the rescue.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing appears just as Erlang Shen is fleeing a giant Kunpeng Descendant. He summons Taibai Jinxing’s Skyflying Shuttle, rescues Erlang Shen, and escapes at tremendous speed.
• Once they are safe, Shen Bing asks Erlang Shen for a reward. Erlang Shen avoids paying, arguing that neither of them is safe until they leave the Demon Realm.
• Erlang Shen explains that the Zhou Tian Star-Dipper Formation is the only passage back to the Immortal Realm, but it is heavily guarded by the Monster Race. Shen Bing infers that Erlang Shen’s arrival alerted them to the danger.
• Shen Bing offers Erlang Shen a Teleportation Talisman, hoping it will provide an easy escape. Erlang Shen cannot operate it, and Shen Bing concludes that the talismans may only work for him.
• With no shortcut available, they set off toward the formation in the shuttle. It will take about two days to reach, so they stop in a secluded cave to rest.
• Shen Bing logs off, but Erlang Shen calls him back and warns that the cave is not truly safe: Erlang Shen cannot conceal himself in the Demon Realm, and the Monster Race’s senses will eventually expose them.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing is resourceful and confident, quickly rescuing Erlang Shen and seeking ways to complete his mission. He is also comically mercenary, impatient, and frustrated when his clever escape plan fails.
• Erlang Shen is grateful at first but reluctant to acknowledge a debt. His pride keeps him from asking Shen Bing how to use the talisman, even as he remains dependent on Shen Bing’s help.
• Their relationship is marked by mutual reliance and irritation: Shen Bing mocks Erlang Shen’s ignorance, while Erlang Shen counters his demands with practical warnings and refuses to be rushed.

Significant themes

• Survival through cooperation: Both need the other to escape the Demon Realm, despite their bickering.
• Limits of power and technology: Erlang Shen’s divine abilities are suppressed, and Shen Bing’s talismans do not work for him, forcing them to seek a slower, riskier route.
• Pride and self-interest: Shen Bing expects payment for his help, while Erlang Shen resists admitting dependence or asking for assistance.
• Humor amid danger: Their petty arguments and Shen Bing’s gaming metaphors contrast with the lethal threat surrounding them.

Summary

• Shen Bing and Erlang Shen resume their journey toward the Zhou Tian Star-Dipper Formation aboard the Skyflying Shuttle, with Erlang piloting. Shen Bing agrees to this because the shuttle has already recognized him as its master, making it impossible for Erlang to steal it by killing him. Shen Bing then logs off.
• Preparing for his upcoming trip to the United States, Shen Bing reflects that he will need to be cautious: the Americans are likely to have planned for his arrival, and their home territory gives them more opportunities to act against him. His goals include accepting the Turing Award and having Lu Xian investigate American military bases to obtain the F135 engine technology, as promised to the military. He is less interested in the B-2 bomber, since he can already develop aircraft with true invisibility.
• Shen Bing visits the Underground Base and inspects a new protective suit made by Lu Xian. Constructed from adamantium alloy, it is highly flexible and exceptionally resistant to damage. It also has stealth coating that can be switched on and off with electrical triggers, and a consciousness-reading module that responds to simple mental commands—such as deploying armor around the wearer’s head and neck. Shen Bing plans to wear one in the United States and orders another for Li Xiao.
• Shen Bing and Lu Xian discuss the suit’s limits and its potential as the first step toward a mecha. Unlike Iron Man’s armor, it has no powerful energy source or propulsion system, but Shen Bing believes that future research—especially newly authorized nuclear-fusion work—could eventually make a true humanoid weapon possible. He also considers purchasing more Demon Puppet Artisans, though doing so requires scarce immortal jade.
• After checking other projects, Shen Bing heads to Phantom Immortal Technology with Li Xiao. The company is preparing for a significant signing ceremony and its first dedicated product launch.

Character developments and interactions

Shen Bing remains ambitious but cautious: he prioritizes personal security while pursuing technology that could shift global power. His exchange with Lu Xian shows both their trust and their complementary styles—Shen Bing imagines ambitious possibilities, while Lu Xian bluntly emphasizes practical limitations. Shen Bing also extends his concern for his allies by ordering protective equipment for Li Xiao. Erlang’s role as pilot marks a small shift in Shen Bing’s possessiveness, enabled by his confidence in the shuttle’s bond to him.

Significant themes

The chapter explores the collision of technological and supernatural power, the strategic value of advanced technology, and the tension between innovation and security. It also frames the protective suit as more than armor: it is the first stage of Shen Bing’s long-term ambition to build a mecha capable of reshaping the world.

Plot points and events

• Phantom Immortal Technology holds a product launch alongside a contract-signing ceremony with Haiwei Company. The event takes place in a greatly expanded conference room while the company’s permanent headquarters is still under construction.
• Haiwei chairman Chen Denián arrives and waits for Shen Bing, eager to formalize the partnership and build a closer connection with Phantom Immortal Technology.
• Reporters press Chen and company general manager Wang Sheng for details about the collaboration, but Wang keeps the project secret until the launch.
• Shen Bing arrives, followed unexpectedly by Rongcheng officials Li Zhuoming and Qiao Weimin. Shen welcomes them and arranges seats at the front.
• Wang opens the event, then Shen takes the stage. He asks the audience what industry is most important today. After discussing electronic information and the internet, he asks what matters most in that industry. Someone answers, “Electricity,” and Shen privately admits the answer is hard to argue with. The excerpt ends before the product is revealed.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing appears composed and confident before a large public audience, despite rarely attending company events. He greets Chen and the local officials courteously and uses questions to build suspense around the launch.
• Wang Sheng manages the event and deflects reporters’ questions to preserve the announcement’s surprise. He is concerned about whether Shen will arrive on time.
• Chen Denián is enthusiastic about the partnership and openly admires Shen’s achievements. His deference reflects the value he places on forming ties with Phantom Immortal Technology.
• Li Zhuoming and Qiao Weimin make an unexpected appearance. Li presents himself as an ordinary audience member, while Shen treats both officials with formal hospitality.
• The reporters and audience are curious about the product and partnership; their guesses help establish the launch’s suspense.

Significant themes

• Electricity as the foundation of technology: The audience’s answer captures the practical dependence of the electronic information industry on power.
• Innovation and anticipation: Phantom Immortal Technology’s history of surprises has made even routine announcements feel potentially groundbreaking.
• Influence and institutional relationships: The attention from a major state-owned company and local officials shows the company’s growing importance.
• Public image and mystery: Shen’s rarity at company events makes his appearance—and the undisclosed product—all the more newsworthy.

Plot points and events

• At a discussion about what would matter most as geothermal power became widespread, Shen Bing argues that abundant electricity would become as fundamental as breathable air.
• Secretary Li identifies semiconductors—especially chips—as the key industry. Shen Bing agrees and highlights Huaxia’s dependence on imported chips, emphasizing that annual chip imports cost more than twice as much as imported oil.
• The audience recognizes that chip design alone is not enough: advanced manufacturing depends on high-end photolithography equipment, which Huaxia has struggled to obtain.
• Shen announces that Phantom Immortal Technology has developed and built a 10 nm photolithography machine after six months of research and is preparing to mass-produce it for sale.
• The announcement shocks the audience. Secretary Li, who understands the industry’s obstacles firsthand, asks Shen to confirm it. Shen stands by the claim, and Li praises the company as Rongcheng’s pride.
• Reporters realize the news could dominate headlines and potentially transform Huaxia’s semiconductor industry. The chapter ends as Shen prepares to make another announcement.

Character development and interactions

• Shen Bing presents himself as confident and deliberately provocative, using the scale of chip imports to show why domestic technology matters. He calmly answers skepticism by invoking Phantom Immortal’s record.
• Secretary Li shifts from offering an industry opinion to openly hoping Phantom Immortal can solve the manufacturing-equipment bottleneck. His past efforts to build Rongcheng’s semiconductor industry make the announcement especially significant to him.
• Chen Denián remains composed because he already learned of the company’s plans during earlier negotiations.
• The reporters and audience move from curiosity and disbelief to excitement as they grasp the potential importance of the claim.

Significant themes

• Technological independence: Control over chips and manufacturing equipment is portrayed as essential to escaping reliance on foreign suppliers.
• Core technology and economic power: The chapter argues that high-end innovation—not simply production volume—captures the greatest profits and influence.
• Ambition versus skepticism: Shen’s extraordinary claim initially seems implausible, but the audience’s doubts are set against Phantom Immortal’s reputation for delivering surprising advances.
• Industrial spillover: A photolithography breakthrough is presented not merely as a semiconductor achievement, but as evidence of broader industrial capability.

Key plot points and events

• Phantom Immortal Technology completes a cooperation agreement with Haiwei Company. Haiwei will receive its first batch of 10 nm photolithography machines and access to the Intelligent Core, enabling it to develop its own chips and advance its smart-security technology.
• The announcement sparks excitement because the Intelligent Core is already familiar to the public through Dragon Scale Security Software, and its use in Haiwei’s products suggests much wider commercial applications ahead. Rongcheng’s officials are also pleased, since the technology is planned for the city’s smart-city project.
• At the press event, reporters focus more on Shen Bing’s personal life and the Azure Heart diamond than on the machines. After the event, media coverage celebrates the potential significance of domestic photolithography technology for the semiconductor industry.
• Influencer Ren Qiang dismisses the achievement as boastful nationalism. Leaders from Strange Fox, Nancy Group, and Haiwei publicly back Phantom Immortal Technology, with Zhou Hong telling Ren to wait for the facts to prove him wrong.
• The following day, Haiwei receives the equipment. Chen Denián personally oversees the handover and posts about it online, teasing rival technology companies and signaling Haiwei’s determination to build its own chips.
• Meanwhile, Shen Bing travels to the United States with other Chinese internet-industry leaders to attend the annual China-U.S. Internet Forum, held alongside the Turing Award ceremony.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains composed amid the attention, declining to answer intrusive questions. His company’s cooperation with Haiwei shows an expanding ambition to apply the Intelligent Core beyond security software.
• Chen Denián demonstrates personal commitment to Haiwei’s new direction by attending the equipment handover himself. His playful online taunt toward competitors contrasts with the seriousness of the company’s move toward chip independence.
• Zhou Hong, Fang Yuanming, and Chen Denián unite publicly in support of Shen Bing’s company, lending the claim credibility through their business reputations.
• Ren Qiang becomes the target of public criticism after questioning the breakthrough without firsthand evidence. The chapter contrasts his skepticism with the confidence of established business leaders.

Significant themes

• Technological independence: Haiwei’s move toward in-house chip production represents a way to reduce reliance on outside suppliers.
• National pride and skepticism: The public celebrates a possible domestic breakthrough, while critics dismiss it; the chapter sets up future proof as the answer to doubt.
• The growing reach of AI: The Intelligent Core is presented as technology with applications across industries and city management, not merely as a software feature.
• Credibility and evidence: Reputable industry figures’ support carries more weight than an influencer’s unsupported claims, while the true quality of the machines remains to be demonstrated in practice.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing travels to Seattle for the China-U.S. Internet Forum with two bodyguards, standing out as the youngest attendee among China’s major internet executives.
• Zhou Hong praises Shen Bing’s photolithography breakthrough and explains that Phantom Immortal Technology’s Intelligent Core has helped Strange Fox win major telecom cybersecurity work.
• Taobao chairman Niu Yu asks about using the Intelligent Core. He sees it as more than a conversational assistant: it could act independently and perform useful tasks.
• Shen Bing hints at why Phantom Immortal has not made the Intelligent Core an all-purpose system. Niu Yu realizes that such a product could overwhelm the entire internet industry, displacing companies in payments, messaging, and other fields.
• Hua Teng explains that the forum is both a public exchange and a strategic contest between Chinese and American companies. The executives discuss likely American pressure for software licensing and market access, as well as the U.S. decision to block Dragon Scale Security Software.
• Shen Bing listens as the group discusses the industry’s dependence on American technology. He resolves that someone must disrupt the status quo. After a day’s flight, the delegation arrives in Seattle.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains confident in technological breakthroughs but is also aware of their potential consequences. Unlike the other executives, he relies less on business maneuvering and more on superior technology; he is already considering how to challenge America’s entrenched influence.
• Zhou Hong acts as an ally and intermediary, describing the benefits his company has gained from the Intelligent Core and prompting discussion of the forum’s competitive realities.
• Niu Yu shows curiosity and strategic insight. His exchange with Shen Bing reveals that he understands the risks of one company controlling too many functions—and interprets Shen Bing’s “cold at the top” remark as a warning about that danger.
• Hua Teng offers a pragmatic view of the forum as a contest for information and advantage. The executives’ shared discussion suggests both cooperation among Chinese companies and concern about American competition.

Significant themes

• Technological power and responsibility: A technology capable of doing everything could make its creator dominant, but could also destroy the wider industry.
• Disruption and dependence: Chinese internet companies operate within systems and standards long shaped by American firms, creating pressure for a major challenge to the status quo.
• Cooperation amid competition: Domestic rivals exchange ideas and consider presenting a united front against American pressure, even as each company has its own interests.
• Strength through innovation: Shen Bing trusts technological superiority more than conventional business tactics, setting up his ambition to transform the competitive landscape.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing arrives in Seattle with the Huaxia delegation for a China–U.S. internet forum. American hosts, including Microsoft executive Rick and city official Shirley, arrange a luxury hotel stay for him.
• Suspicious that the forum is a pretext to control his itinerary, Shen asks Qiuqiu to investigate. Qiuqiu finds that at least a third of the hotel staff were hired that month, suggesting the hotel may have been prepared for surveillance or other covert activity. Shen suspects Microsoft and the U.S. government are connected, but believes his layered security makes a direct attack unlikely.
• Shen then checks on the Skyflying Shuttle through the Gate to the Immortal Realm. Erlang Shen is piloting it near the Zhou Tian Star-Dipper Formation, pursued by three powerful demons who have detected them.
• The shuttle’s invisibility cannot fool the demons, and its energy is dwindling. Shen proposes charging into the formation rather than waiting to be caught. Invoking the principle “No investigation, no right to speak,” he argues they should test the idea instead of assuming it will fail.
• Shen takes the controls and steers directly toward the pursuers, while Erlang Shen watches in alarm.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing is cautious and strategic about the possible U.S. threat, but also bold and pragmatic when the shuttle’s situation becomes desperate. He offers Erlang Shen the chance to escape, showing concern for another’s safety.
• Erlang Shen is initially irritable and dismissive of Shen’s questions. Once Shen offers to stay behind, Erlang is moved and refuses to abandon him, taking responsibility for the danger he caused.
• Their exchange shifts from mutual friction to respect, though Shen keeps control of the plan and the shuttle.

Significant themes

• Suspicion, surveillance, and control: Shen interprets the hotel’s newly hired staff as evidence that his movements may be monitored.
• Evidence over assumption: Shen’s “No investigation, no right to speak” maxim underpins his willingness to test the formation rather than accept Erlang’s unverified certainty.
• Responsibility and loyalty: Shen’s offer to face danger alone, and Erlang’s refusal to flee, reveal their growing respect and sense of duty.
• Different perspectives: Shen’s zoomed-out view lets him read the demons’ movements more clearly than Erlang can, turning apparent recklessness into a calculated maneuver.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing pilots the Skyflying Shuttle through the pursuing demons with daring, highly precise maneuvers, earning Erlang Shen’s respect.
• As they turn back toward the Zhou Tian Star-Dipper Formation, a giant Demon Emperor Avatar appears and blocks their path. It can pursue them wherever Shen Bing steers, while the surrounding demons freeze in fear.
• Shen Bing uses a single-use Nine Heavens Divine Talisman, unleashing divine thunder that destroys the avatar. He then vanishes from the shuttle, apparently to break into the formation.
• Erlang Shen takes control of the shuttle and races toward the formation. A brief distortion in space allows the shuttle and Shen Bing to enter before the formation resumes operating.
• Safely inside, Erlang Shen explains that the thunder destroyed the avatar, though a Sage’s true body could withstand it at least in part. Shen Bing reveals nothing about how he summoned it—and privately mourns the costly, one-use talisman.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing proves far more capable than Erlang Shen assumed. His strengths lie in piloting, timing, and rapid coordination rather than conventional combat. He remains bold around powerful beings and guards the source of his abilities as a secret.
• Erlang Shen shifts from viewing Shen Bing as a weakling to treating him as an equal and trusting his judgment. The thunder’s power leaves him shocked and curious, but Shen Bing refuses to answer his questions.
• Their partnership becomes more reciprocal: Shen Bing creates the opening, and Erlang Shen reacts quickly to get them through the formation.

Significant themes

• Unconventional strength: Skill, ingenuity, and precise execution can matter as much as direct fighting power.
• Trust and secrecy: Erlang Shen relies on Shen Bing, but Shen Bing maintains firm boundaries around his unexplained abilities.
• Power and its cost: The divine thunder defeats a formidable enemy, yet its use consumes a valuable one-time resource.
• Appearance versus reality: Shen Bing seems weak by conventional standards, while the Demon Emperor’s avatar, despite its fearsome presence, proves vulnerable to heavenly power.

Key plot points

• Inside the incomplete Zhou Tian Star-Dipper Formation, Shen Bing abruptly teleports back to the Immortal Realm, leaving Perfected Lord Erlang stunned. Shen Bing insists that Erlang have his payment ready, since he helped save his life and did more than on their previous mission.
• Erlang struggles to decide what would be worthy compensation. He refuses to part with his signature weapon or his dog, and considers letting Shen Bing choose among several treasures.
• Shen Bing briefly returns to ask how long Erlang will need to escape the formation. Told it may take a day, he leaves again to wait outside. Erlang resents Shen Bing’s effortless use of the Teleportation Talisman, then smashes an enormous meteorite sent by the formation.
• Shen Bing checks his mission schedule, worries that he is still one mission short for the month, and rests before attending Microsoft’s informal dinner for Chinese and American internet-industry leaders.
• At the dinner, Mo Ban warns Shen Bing that a doorman carries a concealed ceramic gun. Shen Bing is unsurprised, recognizing that the event’s staff may be prepared to target him.
• Shen Bing settles in to eat, ordering more steak because he is hungry. Niu Yu joins him and discusses Shen Bing’s bodyguards and heavily protected car. Shen Bing refuses to sell the vehicle, though he says a future move into the automotive industry is possible.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains confident, blunt, and irreverent. His ability to enter and leave the formation at will contrasts sharply with Erlang’s difficult escape. He also prioritizes practical needs—food and personal security—over networking or etiquette.
• Perfected Lord Erlang is proud and reluctant to ask for help, but increasingly impressed and frustrated by Shen Bing’s unusual powers. He recognizes the scale of Shen Bing’s contribution and worries about repaying him fairly.
• Mo Ban acts as Shen Bing’s vigilant, unemotional bodyguard, detecting the concealed weapon and declining food.
• Niu Yu approaches Shen Bing to make business conversation and expresses interest in acquiring a similar car. Shen Bing’s refusal leaves open only the possibility of future cooperation if his company enters the automotive market.

Significant themes

• Power and pride: Shen Bing’s effortless teleportation exposes the limits of Erlang’s strength, while Erlang’s pride keeps him from directly seeking answers.
• Debt and reciprocity: Erlang sees Shen Bing’s rescue as a serious karmic obligation and struggles to find compensation worthy of it.
• Security and suspicion: Shen Bing assumes someone may be plotting against him, and the concealed gun confirms the danger surrounding the gathering.
• Practicality amid grand events: Despite immortal mysteries and an elite international dinner, Shen Bing focuses on payment, missions, food, and safety.