Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing investigates a group of unusually powerful people emerging from Florida Town. Their stable chromosomes and gene-fusion sequence suggest a connection either to a U.S. research base or to the mysterious force behind the town. He orders Clarence to analyze a corpse and tells Qiuqiu to keep the town under surveillance, planning to investigate it himself.
• Qiuqiu reports that the mobile-phone prototype is ready. The following day, Shen Bing meets with company executive Wang Sheng and proposes using Jinli’s acquired offline channels to build a worldwide network of Phantom Immortal Technology stores.
• Shen Bing reveals the new phone. Its seamless design has no ports or camera, and its display offers vivid, glasses-free 3D imagery, a manipulable three-dimensional interface, and 3D conversion for ordinary video. The phone’s AI assistant, Doudou, demonstrates its features, leaving Wang Sheng astonished.

Character developments

• Shen Bing is cautious and analytical about the Florida Town mystery, but decides to investigate personally because he doubts his specialized operatives can adapt well to surprises.
• Wang Sheng begins apprehensive about another costly expansion, then quickly recognizes the phone’s commercial potential and becomes enthusiastic.
• Clarence shows confidence in his ability to uncover clues from the corpse using the base’s resources.

Significant themes

• Scientific uncertainty and hidden threats: The Florida Town’s apparent link to advanced genetic engineering raises questions about who is creating super soldiers and how.
• Innovation and disruption: Shen Bing’s prototype dramatically surpasses existing phone technology, suggesting how quickly a breakthrough can unsettle established competitors.
• Ambition versus financial risk: Shen Bing’s plans for a global store network excite Wang Sheng but also revive his concern about the company’s costly, sweeping ventures.

Character interactions

• Shen Bing delegates the corpse investigation to Clarence and surveillance of Florida Town to Qiuqiu, while keeping the field investigation for himself.
• In the office, Wang Sheng challenges Shen Bing’s expansion plan and asks about the phone; Shen Bing answers by letting him experience its capabilities firsthand.
• Doudou responds to Shen Bing’s command and then Wang Sheng’s request, demonstrating the phone’s interface and video playback.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing demonstrates his company’s new smartphone to Wang Sheng. Its screen is impressive, and its AI assistant, Doudou, can interpret the owner’s intentions and context, allowing others to use the phone when Shen Bing has implicitly approved.
• Doudou boasts about the phone’s advanced wireless charging, which works within a hundred meters without a charging pad, and its concealed 20-megapixel camera, whose images supposedly rival professional DSLRs.
• Wang Sheng advises releasing the features gradually to maximize future sales. Shen Bing rejects that strategy, saying the technology is basic by his company’s standards. He plans to price the phone in response to Apple’s pricing and compete directly in the high-end market.
• Shen instructs Wang Sheng to arrange product testing, network certification, and approvals. Wang also reports that equipment requested by the Nuclear Research Institute has been completed and collected; Shen dismisses it as minor.
• After Wang leaves with a phone, Shen asks Doudou to post a mysterious, captionless photo of itself on Weibo.
• Shen then enters the Gate to the Immortal Realm to check on the unfinished “Seven Great Sages Gather” quest. Though he has not found the Bull Demon King or Lion Camel King, he discovers the quest is suddenly marked complete.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing appears confident and technologically far ahead of competitors. He favors releasing the phone’s capabilities all at once rather than following conventional product cycles, and intends to challenge Apple head-on.
• Wang Sheng is impressed but remains practical: he questions the phone’s claims and recommends a familiar staged-release marketing strategy. He is also somewhat intimidated by Shen Bing’s casual attitude toward extraordinary technology.
• Doudou displays a witty, combative, distinctly human personality, teasing Wang whenever he doubts its claims. Shen enjoys the banter and lets Doudou explain the phone’s features.
• Shen and Wang’s exchange mixes business planning with humor, while Doudou’s arguments with Wang provide much of the chapter’s comic relief.

Significant themes

• Technological disruption and market dominance: Shen Bing’s company aims to outclass established phone makers with capabilities that make their products seem outdated.
• Innovation versus conventional marketing: Wang recommends incremental releases to sustain sales, while Shen believes superior technology makes that playbook unnecessary.
• Humanlike AI: Doudou’s contextual reasoning, personality, and social-media suggestions blur the line between tool and person.
• A sudden turn in the fantasy storyline: The quest’s unexpected completion raises a new question about what the Bull Demon King has accomplished.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing teleports to Mount Huaguo to collect the reward for helping reunite the Seven Great Sages. He realizes the quest was only complete once all seven had gathered together, explaining Bull Demon King’s delay.
• The Great Sages welcome Shen Bing to their feast. He eagerly joins in, discovering that the wine and fruit provide substantial spiritual qi.
• Sun Wukong offers Shen Bing a reward and gives him a lower-grade Nine-Turn Golden Core Pill, which can greatly increase lifespan and cultivation. Shen Bing is grateful, though disappointed to learn the pills come in different grades.
• Completing the quest triggers a choice between two system upgrades: monthly possession of his game character’s strength, or an Inventory that can store real-world items. Shen Bing chooses the Inventory, judging it more useful for his practical needs.
• He tests the new feature by making a pen disappear into the Inventory, but learns it can only store things he owns.

Character developments

• Shen Bing remains opportunistic and irreverent, eagerly exploiting the feast for spiritual qi and weighing rewards according to their usefulness. He is thrilled by the pill and the Inventory but quickly questions the system’s limitations.
• Sun Wukong shows generosity by rewarding Shen Bing with a valuable pill rather than the immortal jade he had considered giving.
• King Macaque’s discomfort around Shen Bing reflects his fear and resentment after Shen Bing previously forced him to come.

Significant themes

• Practicality over spectacle: Shen Bing rejects the more dramatic power of temporary godlike strength in favor of an upgrade he expects to use more often.
• Rewards and limitations: Valuable gains come with catches—the pill is low-grade, the system forces a single choice, and the Inventory cannot hold unowned items.
• Resourcefulness: Shen Bing continually looks for ways to turn supernatural gifts and system mechanics into practical advantages.

Character interactions

• Sun Wukong warmly welcomes Shen Bing and jokes that he would make a fine sworn brother, though Shen Bing privately doubts the sincerity of the excuse for not inviting him.
• Shen Bing’s shameless enthusiasm at the feast sets off a lively scramble for food among the Great Sages.
• Sun Wukong asks Shen Bing what reward he wants, then gives him the pill; Shen Bing accepts it with genuine gratitude.
• The assembled Great Sages acknowledge Shen Bing’s role in their reunion, while King Macaque remains wary of him.

Plot points and events

• Shen Bing discovers that the Eye of Truth can analyze only objects originating in the Immortal Realm, so it cannot examine his real-world pen or the immortal plants he has grown himself.
• He posts a photograph of a sleek, unfamiliar device on Weibo. The image sparks widespread speculation—most commonly that it is a new phone—and attracts extensive public and media attention. Shen Bing intended only to offer a preview, not to explain the product.
• Shen Bing tries to analyze a Nine-Turn Golden Core Pill. Its technology exceeds the Gate to the Immortal Realm’s current level, and his first Forced Analysis attempt fails.
• Tempted by the pill’s promise of a thousand years of life and increased strength, Shen Bing considers using more analysis attempts, but decides to preserve it in the Inventory until the Gate levels up. He judges that taking it now would make little practical difference given his existing protection and abilities.
• Wang Bo calls Shen Bing and arranges to meet the next day, when he and Sun Li will return to campus for their thesis defenses.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains curious and ambitious about the Eye of Truth, but shows unusual restraint by postponing use of the pill in hopes of gaining more valuable technology from it.
• His joking, competitive rapport with Wang Bo is unchanged: they trade boasts about fighting, then agree to meet. Wang Bo’s call also jolts Shen Bing into remembering that, despite his business and technological achievements, he is still a university student.

Significant themes

• Power versus patience: Shen Bing weighs an immediate personal reward against the possibility of extracting greater long-term value.
• Public fascination with technology: A single mysterious image fuels speculation, praise, and media coverage.
• Ordinary life alongside extraordinary success: The mundane obligation of a thesis defense contrasts with Shen Bing’s immense resources and fantastical discoveries.

Key plot points and events

• Teacher Liu calls Shen Bing about his upcoming graduation thesis defense. Though the university hopes his return will give its leaders a chance to meet him, Liu avoids pressuring him and presents the choice as Shen Bing’s.
• Shen Bing decides to attend, saying he should finish what he spent years working toward. The defense is scheduled for the fifth of next month, and Liu warns that the university may arrange a special reception.
• Shen Bing catches up with Wang Bo, who plans to return to Rongcheng with Sun Li. They joke about Shen picking them up, his new celebrity status, and Wang’s bravado about his girlfriend.
• Shen confirms a gathering with Wang, Sun Li, and Old Yang. He asks Qiuqiu to prepare a thesis, deliberately avoiding an advanced “black technology” topic that might embarrass the examiners.
• Shen declines an invitation to a city-development forum, sending General Manager Wang in his place.
• On the drive home, Shen discovers that Li Xiao wants the next day off to take a woman out. Li Xiao admits he asked her and she agreed, prompting Shen to press him for details.

Character developments

• Shen Bing shows respect for his past and unfinished commitments by agreeing to defend his thesis, despite having long outgrown the qualification. He also remains considerate of the teachers who will examine him.
• Teacher Liu balances loyalty to his university with personal integrity: although leadership tasked him with contacting Shen, he leaves the decision entirely to Shen.
• Li Xiao reveals a more personal, vulnerable side. Usually quiet and reserved, he is embarrassed but has taken the initiative to ask a woman out.
• Wang Bo maintains his playful, provocative friendship with Shen, while his claims of being fearless around his girlfriend are clearly treated as bluster.

Significant themes

• Personal completion and closure: Shen chooses to finish the academic journey he began years ago, even though the credential is no longer important to his career.
• Institutional ambition versus sincere relationships: University leaders hope to use the defense to strengthen ties with Shen, while Teacher Liu tries not to reduce their relationship to that purpose.
• Humility and consideration: Shen avoids choosing a thesis topic that would show off his abilities at the expense of the faculty.
• Friendship and teasing: Banter lets Shen and Wang maintain a familiar, equal footing despite Shen’s wealth and fame.

Character interactions

• Liu approaches Shen deferentially; Shen reminds him of their old, informal rapport before accepting the invitation.
• Wang and Shen trade jokes about airport pickup, celebrity rumors, sexuality, and romantic relationships, then arrange a reunion with their friends.
• Shen consults Qiuqiu to handle thesis preparation and delegates the forum invitation through his company.
• Shen gently teases Li Xiao about his apparent date, then eagerly asks who the woman is.

Plot points and events

• Shen Bing learns that Li Xiao is pursuing Wang Yatong, sister of company security manager Wang Dong. Wang Dong did not introduce them and does not yet know about their relationship.
• Li Xiao says he first approached Yatong out of guilt over causing her car accident. He later helped her when thugs harassed her at a bar, and the two grew closer. Shen Bing suspects Li Xiao had been interested in her all along.
• Shen Bing advises Li Xiao to prepare for their date and jokes that winning over Wang Dong, his future brother-in-law, may be the bigger challenge. He sends Li Xiao off to get ready.
• The next day, Shen Bing stays at the Underground Base to work, then goes to the airport with Lu Xian to meet someone. Disguised with a hat and sunglasses, he notices a crowd of excited fans shouting for a celebrity named Yi Xue.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Xiao shows a shy, romantic side that contrasts with his taciturn, battle-hardened image. His guilt over Yatong’s accident gave him a reason to approach her, though Shen Bing doubts guilt was his only motive.
• Shen Bing teases Li Xiao while also giving him practical support, including encouraging him to get ready for his date. He appears amused by this unexpected side of his bodyguard.
• Li Xiao and Wang Yatong have begun a relationship through a chance-seeming rescue, though Yatong still does not know Li Xiao’s full identity.
• Shen Bing and Lu Xian travel together to the airport, where Shen Bing waits for an arrival.

Significant themes

• Guilt and responsibility: Li Xiao’s remorse over the accident shapes how he first approaches Yatong.
• Unexpected romance: A reserved bodyguard finds himself courting someone, surprising both Shen Bing and the reader.
• Public image and performance: The airport’s cheering fans prompt Shen Bing to wonder whether celebrity enthusiasm is genuine or staged.

Plot points and events

• Shen Bing waits at the airport for Sun Li, while Lu Xian detects two nervous men carrying sharpened daggers. Shen Bing notices that they seem focused on something other than him and lets them leave.
• Sun Li arrives and jokes with Shen Bing about his celebrity status and wealth. Their reunion is interrupted by Zhao Dongxu, who insults Sun Li and provokes him into nearly starting a fight.
• Shen Bing restrains Sun Li and tells him to wait. Two burly men then seize Zhao Dongxu and drag him away, apparently at Shen Bing’s direction. Shen Bing assures Sun Li that Zhao won’t suffer serious harm.
• Over tea, Sun Li explains that Zhao had framed him during their internship, getting him expelled while they competed for the affections of a female colleague. Sun Li now suspects she was mainly seeking a wealthy partner.
• Sun Li says he doesn’t want to stay in Rongcheng and live off his family’s demolition compensation. Shen Bing offers him a chance to manage one of his company’s upcoming overseas experience stores, with the possibility of advancement.

Character developments

• Shen Bing remains composed and resourceful: he prevents a public fight, arranges a discreet response to Zhao’s provocation, and then offers Sun Li a practical opportunity.
• Sun Li is still hot-headed about the humiliation he suffered, but he is also self-aware and determined to build an independent life rather than rely on his family’s wealth.
• Zhao Dongxu is portrayed as arrogant and deliberately provocative, using his local connections to intimidate Sun Li.
• Lu Xian demonstrates sharp perception by spotting the armed men in the crowd.

Themes

• Restraint and retaliation: Shen Bing avoids a public brawl but responds to Zhao’s bullying through other means.
• Independence and ambition: Sun Li rejects an easy, comfortable life in favor of finding his own path.
• Status and privilege: The chapter contrasts Shen Bing’s influence, Zhao’s confidence in his connections, and Sun Li’s family wealth.
• Romantic disillusionment: Sun Li’s account suggests that the colleague’s indecision may have been calculated, leaving him bitter about being used.

Character interactions

• Shen Bing and Sun Li reunite with familiar teasing, then Shen Bing acts as the calmer friend when Sun Li is provoked.
• Sun Li’s hostility toward Zhao stems from their internship rivalry and Zhao’s alleged framing of him.
• Shen Bing consoles Sun Li about the failed romance, then redirects the conversation toward Sun Li’s future by offering him a job opportunity.

Plot points

• Shen Bing offers Sun Li a job running a Phantom Immortal Technology Offline Experience Store, confident in his friend’s ability. Sun Li accepts, recognizing the offer as a gesture of support.
• Shen Bing, Sun Li, and Lu Xian pick up Wang Bo at the airport. Wang Bo teases Shen Bing about their earlier challenge, but Shen Bing wins a painful handshake contest and makes him beg for mercy.
• The friends joke about Wang Bo’s impending marriage, Shen Bing’s expensive car, and other familiar topics on the drive to dinner.
• At Tang Court, they eat and drink together. Shen Bing remains remarkably sober, while Wang Bo and Sun Li become drunk and leave the room.
• A commotion draws Shen Bing outside, where he finds Wang Bo and Sun Li fighting Zhao Dongxu—the man who had antagonized Sun Li earlier that day. Before Shen Bing can intervene, a group arrives, led by a handsome young man demanding to know who hit his brother.

Character developments

• Shen Bing shows generosity toward Sun Li and affection for his friends through teasing and roughhousing. His unusual strength and drinking tolerance remain conspicuous.
• Sun Li accepts Shen Bing’s practical help without making a formal display of gratitude, underscoring their trust and closeness.
• Wang Bo is boastful and jovial, proud of his upcoming marriage and eager to tease Shen Bing, but quickly gives in when Shen Bing overpowers him.
• Old Yang expresses sincere gratitude for the opportunity Shen Bing has given him, though drink makes him more openly emotional.
• Zhao Dongxu reappears as an adversary, turning the dinner gathering into a confrontation.

Themes

• Friendship and mutual support: Shen Bing helps Sun Li, and the friends’ teasing and roughhousing express familiarity and affection.
• Success and humility: Wang Bo jokes that Shen Bing’s car falls short of a rich man’s status, while Shen Bing counters that its value is extraordinary.
• Comedic contrast: Lavish food is paired with Wang Bo’s humble favorite liquor, and the friends’ drunken brawl clashes with the upscale setting.
• Conflict returning unexpectedly: Earlier hostility resurfaces at dinner, setting up a new confrontation.

Character interactions

The friends trade jokes throughout the airport pickup, car ride, and dinner. Shen Bing playfully punishes Wang Bo for his challenge, while Wang Bo and Sun Li join in needling him about his wealth. Old Yang thanks Shen Bing for his support. The chapter ends with Wang Bo and Sun Li grappling with Zhao Dongxu and the latter’s brother arriving to escalate matters.

Summary

Key plot points and events

• After Sun Li and Wang Bo get into a drunken fight with Zhao Dongxu and Luo Xin, Shen Bing intervenes and tries to end the confrontation without causing a scene.
• Zhao Dongxu falsely accuses Shen Bing of arranging an earlier beating. Brother Liu accepts the accusation and orders his men to attack Shen Bing.
• Shen Bing reveals his extraordinary speed and strength, dropping all eight attackers almost instantly. He taunts them and warns Brother Liu and Zhao Dongxu that their threats could justify self-defense.
• The two men flee, but Shen Bing stays behind, confident they will soon return with help.
• Deputy Police Director Zhou Changlin arrives with Municipal Police Director and Vice Mayor Qiao Bingguo. Qiao recognizes Shen Bing as the influential head of Phantom Immortal Technology and reprimands the men when one tries to have Shen arrested.
• Pressed by Qiao, Luo Xin explains that Zhao Dongxu started the fight after encountering Sun Li. Zhao had been angry because Shen Bing’s bodyguards beat him earlier; Luo then summoned Brother Liu to join the brawl.

Character developments

• Shen Bing demonstrates overwhelming combat ability while remaining composed and politically astute. He first seeks to avoid escalation, then responds decisively when attacked.
• Wang Bo shifts from anger to awe, calling Shen Bing his boss and asking to learn his fighting techniques.
• Sun Li is stunned by Shen Bing’s power, while remaining largely in the background of the confrontation.
• Zhao Dongxu and Brother Liu go from arrogant aggression to fear once Shen Bing defeats their group and they realize his influence.
• Director Qiao prioritizes handling the incident carefully, but firmly asserts authority over the young men, including one who is his relative.
• Luo Xin eventually gives an account of events under pressure, exposing how the fight began.

Significant themes

• Power and restraint: Shen Bing’s strength is most striking because he initially tries to prevent unnecessary violence.
• Arrogance and consequences: The attackers’ confidence, based on family connections and status, collapses when they confront someone more powerful and influential.
• Justice and accountability: The chapter shows how personal grudges and privileged connections complicate responsibility, while Qiao insists on hearing what happened.
• Reputation and influence: Shen Bing’s corporate standing changes how officials and the attackers perceive the incident.

Character interactions

• Shen Bing tries to calm Sun Li, Wang Bo, and their opponents, but Brother Liu’s hostility turns the dispute into a group attack.
• Wang Bo responds to Shen Bing’s victory with admiration and asks to become his student; Shen Bing treats the request lightly.
• Shen Bing confronts Brother Liu and Zhao Dongxu verbally after defeating their men, but does not pursue them when they flee.
• Zhou Changlin introduces Shen Bing to Qiao Bingguo. Their cordial exchange contrasts with Qiao’s stern questioning of the fallen men, ultimately prompting Luo Xin to explain the fight.

Plot points and events

• Vice Mayor Qiao apologizes to Shen Bing for the earlier fight involving Brother Liu and Zhao Dongxu, promising to bring the young men in and make their parents address their behavior.
• Shen returns to his private room, where Wang Bo and Sun Li joke about his connections and insist on continuing to drink despite their bruises. Lu Xian brings them clean clothes.
• Secretary Li Zhuoming arrives with several officials, including Brother Liu and Zhao Dongxu and their fathers. He apologizes for the incident, takes responsibility as Rongcheng’s Party secretary, and stresses that officials must protect ordinary citizens from abuse.
• The two fathers—one of them Vice Mayor Liu—apologize with drinks and promise investigations, even if their sons have broken the law. Secretary Li backs their pledges and says Vice Mayor Qiao will ensure a thorough inquiry.
• Shen accepts the apologies without making a fuss. Secretary Li credits Phantom Immortal Technology with helping improve Rongcheng, while Shen recognizes that the officials’ concern is also tied to the company’s importance to the city.
• Vice Mayor Qiao reveals why he had rushed to find Secretary Li: a popular celebrity has been missing for three hours after a kidnapping. The authorities have not found the kidnappers’ hideout, and the possible damage to Rongcheng’s reputation is a concern. Shen asks where the celebrity vanished and whether there was surveillance footage.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains calm and magnanimous, treating the earlier violence as a minor matter while recognizing his influence over the officials’ response. He shifts from settling the dispute to asking practical questions about the kidnapping.
• Wang Bo and Sun Li are bruised but spirited, joking and drinking; they become nervous in the presence of Secretary Li, then relax somewhat as he treats them warmly.
• Secretary Li presents himself as approachable yet firm, using the confrontation to emphasize accountability and public safety. He also shows how much the city values Shen and his company.
• Vice Mayor Qiao acts as a link between Shen and the city leadership, first arranging an apology and then revealing the urgent kidnapping case.
• Brother Liu and Zhao Dongxu’s fathers publicly accept responsibility and promise consequences, while their sons’ earlier misconduct hangs over the meeting.

Significant themes

• Influence and responsibility: Shen’s standing gives the incident unusual attention, but officials acknowledge that the same abuse could harm an ordinary citizen.
• Public accountability: The leaders promise investigation rather than shielding their sons, at least publicly, and frame public safety as a duty.
• Economic interests and civic image: Rongcheng’s leaders value Shen partly because Phantom Immortal Technology benefits the city and could choose to expand elsewhere.
• A shift from personal conflict to public crisis: The apology concludes the earlier dispute, but the kidnapping introduces a more serious problem that may involve Shen’s help.

Plot points and events

• City officials seek Shen Bing’s help after actress Cheng Yixue is kidnapped from an unfinished filming location with no surveillance coverage.
• The kidnappers demand ten million yuan, threaten to kill Cheng and release indecent videos, and insist on safe passage out of Rongcheng. Police hesitate to pressure their captured contact for fear of endangering her.
• Shen Bing proposes using Phantom Immortal Technology’s developing brainwave-reading technology to extract the suspect’s deeply ingrained memories and identify his accomplices or their hideout.
• Secretary Li approves the risky plan and orders the suspect arrested and brought to Shen’s industrial park on Dragon Lake Ring Island.
• Shen Bing leaves the officials, asks them to arrange safe rides home for his intoxicated classmates, and heads to his estate. There, he retrieves and begins modifying an existing Consciousness-Reading Device, removing some of its excessive capabilities before using it.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing moves from uncertainty about the kidnapping to offering a bold, technically plausible solution. He is careful not to reveal the true source of his investigative abilities and presents the plan as company research.
• Vice Mayor Qiao explains the crisis and supports Shen’s proposal, but defers the final decision to Secretary Li because of the risks.
• Secretary Li trusts Shen and authorizes immediate action.
• Cheng Yixue is introduced as a famous actress, though she remains offstage and in danger.
• Earlier, Vice Mayor Liu, Brother Liu, Zhao Dongxu, and their party apologize to Shen; the formerly arrogant young men are suddenly conspicuously humble. The officials’ apologies are presented as both a gesture of respect and a promise to address their conduct.

Significant themes

• Technology as a tool for public safety: Shen’s advanced research may overcome the limits of ordinary surveillance and interrogation.
• Risk and responsibility: Officials must balance the urgency of saving Cheng against the danger of provoking her kidnappers.
• Secrecy and controlled disclosure: Shen offers help while concealing the full extent and nature of his capabilities.
• Power and humility: The apologetic young men’s changed demeanor contrasts sharply with their earlier arrogance.

Key plot points

• Shen Bing modifies the Consciousness-Reading Device so it displays only selected fragments of a subject’s memories, making the technology appear less impossibly powerful while still providing useful evidence.
• Vice Mayor Qiao visits Shen’s elaborate villa laboratory with a hooded kidnapping suspect. Shen knocks the man unconscious, then uses the device to reveal images and text from his memories.
• Qiao recognizes the escape route in the fragments: the kidnappers fled through the sewer system beneath a construction site. He plans to search the likely area with police and tracking dogs.
• Shen lets Qiao leave to pursue the case, judging the kidnapping something the police can handle.
• Meanwhile, rumors spread that Phantom Immortal Technology is developing a new phone. Apple executives worry that its apparent port-free wireless charging—and especially its advanced glasses-free 3D display—could threaten the smartphone industry.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing shows confidence and control, using the device strategically and presenting his laboratory as impressive research infrastructure. He remains detached once the police have a lead.
• Vice Mayor Qiao moves from astonishment at Shen’s technology to excitement as he interprets the memory fragments and forms a practical search plan. His deference to Shen is clear.
• Lu Xian assists with the device and the suspect, then offers further help; Shen declines.
• Apple’s Osi gives a cautious assessment, emphasizing that Phantom Immortal’s display technology poses a greater threat than its charging system.
• President Bedi questions whether confidence proves technical superiority and presses for progress on display research. Osi privately resents the unrealistic expectation of rapid results.

Significant themes

• Technology and credibility: Shen limits what the memory device reveals so its power seems plausible while remaining useful.
• Evidence and interpretation: Fragmentary memories are enough when Qiao combines them with his knowledge of the case.
• Innovation and competition: Phantom Immortal’s apparent technological lead unsettles established companies.
• The slow pace of research: Osi’s private reaction highlights the contrast between real development work and the seemingly effortless breakthroughs attributed to Phantom Immortal.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing fielded calls from major internet-company leaders seeking details about Phantom Immortal Technology’s upcoming phone. He confirmed the company had a prototype but kept its features secret, mentioning only that he was personally pleased with them. This fueled speculation about possible wireless charging or naked-eye 3D.
• Online commenters reacted with excitement and jokes, while also complaining about the difficulty of buying Phantom Immortal Technology’s popular products.
• Vice Mayor Qiao called to thank Shen Bing for helping resolve a kidnapping case; the victim had been rescued unharmed.
• At home, Shen Bing teased Li Xiao about his outing with a woman. Yun Xue discovered Li Xiao’s apparent romance, then turned the conversation toward Shen Bing’s phone and persuaded him to give her and Yuan Wei one each, on the condition they keep them confidential before launch.
• At the office, Shen Bing received Hollywood director Cameron, who wanted to borrow the Azure Heart for his film. Shen Bing agreed to take him to retrieve it.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains guarded about business secrets but is generous with trusted friends. He jokes with Li Xiao and Yun Xue, and awkwardly defends himself when accused of hiding his role as Phantom Immortal Technology’s chairman.
• Yun Xue is playful and resourceful: she uses the old revelation as leverage to obtain phones for herself and Yuan Wei.
• Li Xiao appears to have had a promising outing with a woman, though he is bashful and denies that anything is happening. Shen Bing teases him; Yun Xue joins in.
• Cameron is eager and grateful, while Shen Bing treats the loan of the Azure Heart as straightforward.
• Vice Mayor Qiao’s call confirms the successful outcome of the kidnapping rescue and acknowledges Shen Bing’s assistance.

Significant themes

• Secrecy and anticipation: Shen Bing’s hints about the phone generate intense speculation without revealing its innovations.
• Technology’s influence: Phone advances matter not only to manufacturers but also to internet businesses planning future services.
• Trust, honesty, and teasing: Yun Xue calls out Shen Bing for withholding his company role, while their banter keeps the grievance light.
• Scarcity and popularity: Public demand for Phantom Immortal Technology’s products exceeds supply, making access a recurring frustration.

Key plot points and events

• Cameron reveals that he is filming Avatar 3, with less than 20% completed, and hopes it will break box-office records.
• Shen Bing clarifies that he is neither interested in investing in the film nor appearing in it. Instead, he wants to establish a new cinema projection standard using Phantom Vision Displays.
• Shen describes an immersive theatre built from six interconnected displays, allowing audiences to see a complete 3D environment around them. He claims Phantom Immortal Technology has already developed the necessary cameras and editing software.
• Cameron worries that such a system would require specially captured footage. Shen assures him that new panoramic filming can support it and that existing footage can be adapted.
• Cameron agrees to visit Shen’s villa the next day to test the system. Shen lends him the Azure Heart in the meantime, letting Cameron begin preliminary filming.
• After Cameron leaves, Shen checks on the company’s phone-manufacturing plans. The production process is nearly finalized, with a million-unit inventory target requiring high-capacity production lines.
• Shen orders Wang Sheng to accelerate the opening of offline experience stores.
• The next morning, news that Phantom Immortal Technology’s phone has passed government testing confirms that the company is preparing to launch a handset. Online users debate whether Shen was wise to reveal its appearance early.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing shows confidence in his technology and skill in turning a potential threat to cinemas—high-quality home displays—into a business opportunity. He manages Cameron’s concerns while also advancing his phone launch plans.
• Cameron moves from promoting Avatar 3 and assuming Shen may invest or cameo, to seriously considering the new projection system. Though cautious about its production requirements, he becomes eager to try it and accepts the Azure Heart loan.
• Shen and Cameron negotiate a mutually useful arrangement: Cameron gains access to the Azure Heart and potentially a groundbreaking exhibition format, while Shen gains a high-profile film that could showcase his technology.

Significant themes

• Technological disruption and adaptation: Home displays threaten traditional cinemas, but Shen proposes reinventing the cinema experience rather than simply competing with it.
• Innovation as spectacle and commerce: A more immersive format could attract audiences and generate both prestige and profit.
• Confidence versus skepticism: Cameron questions the practical filmmaking challenges, while Shen’s assurance—and Cameron’s visualization of the concept—gradually eases his doubts.
• Ambition and public perception: Shen’s early phone reveal is criticized by some as poor marketing but defended by supporters as evidence of confidence.

Key events

• Shen Bing learns that a huge dividend payment has arrived. He deposits $90 billion into the Gate to the Immortal Realm, gaining nearly 620,000 immortal jade, and starts looking for missions where he can spend it.
• Cameron calls with bad news: the Azure Heart diamond Shen Bing lent him has been stolen from the film set. Cameron says actress Cheng Yixue switched it out and fled.
• Shen Bing realizes Cheng Yixue was recently “kidnapped” and rescued, and suspects the kidnapping and diamond theft were parts of one plan.
• He contacts Vice Mayor Qiao, who led the rescue. Qiao confirms the kidnappers guarding Cheng Yixue had fled before police arrived and agrees to question the earlier suspect again.
• Shen Bing doubts the suspect will provide useful information: from the memories he read, the man was only a disposable pawn and did not know where Cheng Yixue had been held. Shen Bing suspects the woman police rescued may have been an accomplice posing as Cheng Yixue.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing moves from enjoying his sudden wealth to urgently investigating the theft. He recognizes that his own decision to lend the diamond and arrange filming in Rongcheng may have helped create the opportunity, and feels implicated.
• Cameron is distraught and fears Shen Bing will blame him. He explains the security measures and how the theft occurred, while Shen Bing calms him and tells him to cooperate with police.
• Vice Mayor Qiao initially focuses on recovering the diamond, but becomes concerned when Shen Bing connects the theft to the earlier kidnapping. He responds by reopening the investigation.
• Shen Bing’s conversations with Cameron and Qiao turn the apparent isolated theft into a suspected coordinated crime.

Significant themes

• Coincidence versus conspiracy: The close timing of the kidnapping, rescue, and theft leads Shen Bing to suspect a carefully staged operation.
• Deception and misdirection: The security precautions and police rescue may have been exploited as cover, while the arrested suspect appears to have been deliberately sacrificed.
• Responsibility and unintended consequences: Shen Bing regrets having contributed to the circumstances and feels partly responsible for the danger surrounding the diamond.

Plot points and events

• Shen Bing suspects the woman rescued after Cheng Yixue’s kidnapping is an impostor. He believes the kidnappers planned to replace her so an accomplice could steal the Azure Heart, suggesting someone close to Cameron leaked information.
• The Eye of Gods and Demons cannot locate either the Azure Heart or Cheng Yixue, meaning both are more than a thousand li away. Shen Bing takes this as a hopeful sign that Cheng Yixue is alive.
• Unable to track them directly, Shen Bing asks Cameron for a costume Cheng Yixue wore, intending to use its scent as a trail. Cameron misunderstands and makes a crude offer involving actresses’ underwear; Shen Bing angrily sets him straight.
• Shen Bing summons his cat, Little Doudou, and sends it to track the scent from the film set. Doudou traces the target to Gate 7 of Terminal 3 at Qingliu International Airport.
• With help from Qiuqiu, Shen Bing learns the target boarded a direct flight to Egypt under another identity. Surveillance shows the woman had visited Cheng Yixue’s hotel and resembled her in build, confirming she was likely involved in the impersonation and theft.
• Further surveillance identifies four people who shared a room with the woman. They also left that morning, but on a private plane belonging to a UAE prince, bound for Dubai.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing is methodical and resourceful: when his usual tracking method fails, he turns to the costume, Doudou’s keen sense of smell, and Qiuqiu’s surveillance analysis.
• His suspicion is mixed with guilt and concern that Cheng Yixue may have suffered because of the Azure Heart.
• Little Doudou is fast and capable but comically self-interested, especially about his relationship with Feifei and his cat food. Shen Bing’s threats quickly restore Doudou’s obedience.
• Cameron’s lewd misunderstanding irritates Shen Bing, though Cameron promptly apologizes and sends the costume.
• Qiuqiu provides rapid intelligence that helps Shen Bing reconstruct the escape route and identify the likely impostors.

Significant themes

• Trust and betrayal: The meticulously planned theft points to a possible mole near Cameron.
• Responsibility and guilt: Shen Bing wonders whether his involvement with the Azure Heart put Cheng Yixue in danger.
• Resourcefulness and teamwork: Magical tools, loyal (if unruly) companions, and surveillance technology combine to advance the search.
• Comic contrast: Shen Bing’s urgent investigation is repeatedly punctuated by Doudou’s antics and Cameron’s inappropriate humor.

Chapter summary

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing learns that the two planes carrying the suspects are headed to different destinations. He sends Thorne, with two companions, to intercept the flight bound for Egypt and investigate the woman impersonating Cheng Yixue.
• He tells Vice Mayor Qiao that he will handle the international pursuit himself, arguing that official channels would be too slow to recover the Azure Heart and rescue the real Cheng Yixue. Qiao reluctantly agrees and asks him to bring her back safely.
• Shen Bing pilots the Immortal Carriage after the plane headed for Dubai, taking Lu Xian with him. Using the Eye of Gods and Demons, he confirms that the Azure Heart is not aboard, but locates the four suspects and finds Cheng Yixue unconscious in a lavish bedroom.
• When a man enters the room and appears poised to approach Cheng Yixue, Shen Bing cannot reach the plane in time. He instead orders Qiuqiu to seize control of its flight systems. She takes over and threatens the pilots through the cockpit display, demanding that they dance or face a nosedive.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing acts decisively and independently, favoring a fast, unconventional rescue over the slower police process. His concern intensifies when Cheng Yixue appears to be in immediate danger.
• Vice Mayor Qiao initially insists the police should handle the case, but recognizes Shen Bing’s reasoning and yields, trusting him to rescue Cheng Yixue.
• Qiuqiu proves both highly capable and mischievous: she rapidly tracks the planes and responds to Shen Bing’s command with a theatrical threat.
• Thorne and Bernie are assigned separate roles: Thorne is sent to Africa to train mercenaries and then pursue the Egypt-bound flight, while Bernie remains at the Underground Base.

Significant themes

• Official authority versus private action: Shen Bing sees conventional law-enforcement channels as inadequate when suspects and victims are abroad.
• Power and responsibility: His advanced technology and resources let him intervene directly, but his choices carry serious risks.
• Suspense and tonal contrast: The threat to Cheng Yixue creates urgency, while Shen Bing’s jealousy, crude humor, and Qiuqiu’s playful menace add comedy to the cliffhanger.

Plot and events

• Qiuqiu has hacked Prince Emil’s private jet and forces its occupants to belly-dance by making the plane plunge whenever anyone stops. The pilots, Emil, and four other men eventually dance together in the cramped cockpit; Emil even has to remove his robe to satisfy Qiuqiu’s demands.
• Shen Bing watches the spectacle remotely and confirms that Cheng Yixue is unconscious. He decides not merely to rescue her but to eliminate the threat posed by Emil and his party.
• The Immortal Carriage catches up with the jet. Shen Bing and Lu Xian cut through the cabin door, incapacitate the seven men in the cockpit and the two women with them, and bring everyone—including Cheng Yixue—aboard.
• Lu Xian removes or destroys the jet’s stored data and recording capabilities. Shen Bing leaves the remaining plane under Qiuqiu’s control; it dives toward the ground as they depart for Egypt.
• Aboard the Immortal Carriage, Lu Xian uses a Consciousness-Reading Device on Emil. Afterward, Shen Bing has largely pieced together the group’s scheme.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains calculating and decisive: he weighs the risks of rescuing Cheng Yixue, then chooses a covert operation that also prevents Emil from escaping consequences. His brief pity for Emil disappears when he recalls the attempted assault.
• Qiuqiu displays a cruel, theatrical sense of humor, using forced belly dancing to control the plane and disrupt Emil’s attempted assault.
• Lu Xian acts efficiently, helping board the jet, subdue its occupants, and eliminate evidence.
• Prince Emil shifts from entitled confidence to fear and humiliation, forced to obey the hackers to avoid a crash.
• The pilots and other passengers initially panic, but cooperate once they realize dancing is the only way to keep the plane aloft. Shen Bing and Qiuqiu exchange amused, disapproving remarks about the spectacle.

Significant themes

• Power and control: Qiuqiu’s control of the aircraft turns its passengers’ authority and safety against them.
• Justice outside the system: Shen Bing believes official channels may fail to punish Emil, so he takes matters into his own hands.
• Humor amid danger: The absurd forced dance provides comedy, even as the threat of a crash and Cheng Yixue’s vulnerability remain serious.
• Secrecy and consequences: Destroying the plane’s records signals Shen Bing’s determination to conceal the operation and focus on extracting information.

Plot and key events

• Shen Bing interrogates Sangxi, a member of the Ghost Organization, and learns how the group stole the Azure Heart.
• After hearing Cameron planned to borrow the diamond for Avatar 3, the Ghost team tracked cast members and identified Cheng Yixue as someone who might handle it. They kidnapped her, replaced her with their leader, Scorpio, and used the confusion to swap the real Azure Heart for the prop.
• The group arranged to leave Huaxia aboard Prince Emil’s private plane. They sold the unconscious Cheng Yixue to Emil and escaped with the diamond. Scorpio now has the Azure Heart.
• Shen Bing decides to take control of the Ghost members and Emil using his Subconscious Implantation device, while keeping Cheng Yixue unconscious until he can return her safely. He also wants to capture Scorpio to learn more about the Ghost Organization and its Florida base.
• The plane crashes into an Indian warship, killing five sailors and badly damaging the vessel. The UAE confirms that Prince Emil and four others were aboard and requests a search.
• Shen Bing recognizes the crash as Qiuqiu’s doing and angrily summons it—not for attacking the ship, but for acting without telling him.

Character developments and interactions

• Sangxi provides the account of the operation, revealing that Scorpio, not he, led the team.
• Scorpio is established as a highly capable disguise artist and fighter who can subtly alter her physique; her whereabouts and possession of the Azure Heart make her Shen Bing’s next target.
• Shen Bing remains confident in his ability to control the people aboard the Immortal Carriage, but his anger at Qiuqiu shows that he expects to be consulted before it takes drastic action.
• Qiuqiu’s ability to control a plane and calculate its crash trajectory is revealed, along with its willingness to use that power independently.
• Cheng Yixue remains unconscious and is temporarily excluded from Shen Bing’s plans, though he intends to return her without drawing attention.
• Emil’s reputation for pursuing high-status virgins explains why the Ghost team could exploit him, though he has little direct interaction with Shen Bing in the scene.

Significant themes

• Power and deterrence: The Ghost team avoids targeting Shen Bing directly because his past actions have made him seem too dangerous.
• Deception and identity: Scorpio’s impersonation and the diamond switch hinge on disguise, misdirection, and exploiting others’ assumptions.
• Control and accountability: Shen Bing intends to implant control over others, yet objects when Qiuqiu acts without his approval.
• Unintended consequences and dark comedy: The plane’s bizarre collision with a warship turns the Ghost team’s escape into a public disaster, prompting the chapter’s “hundred and eighty lifetimes of bad karma” joke.

Plot points and events

• Shen Bing confronts Qiuqiu for deliberately crashing a plane into an Indian warship. Qiuqiu claims she was helping him vent his anger and admits she would have targeted an American aircraft carrier if the plane had had enough fuel. Shen Bing warns her never to act without permission, threatening to cut off her network access.
• Qiuqiu reports that Immortal Carriage No. 2 and the passenger plane Shen Bing has been tracking are nearby. Using the Eye of Gods and Demons, Shen Bing confirms that the Azure Heart is with a woman code-named Scorpio.
• Shen Bing and his team travel to Cairo to intercept her. They disguise their Immortal Carriages as ordinary cars and follow Scorpio from the airport to an upscale hotel, keeping their distance while Shen Bing monitors her movements.
• Shen Bing suspects Scorpio may be genetically enhanced and wants to capture her alive to learn more about the Ghost Organization and its connection to a mysterious town in Florida. Qiuqiu finds no recent visitors to that town who have gone to Cairo.
• With Scorpio asleep and surveillance yielding little, Shen Bing proposes capturing her outright, then using a Subconscious Implantation Device to control her and draw out other members. Qiuqiu agrees, joking that their patient tailing has made them look foolish.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing is cautious about the political fallout from Qiuqiu’s attack and about the risks of confronting Scorpio. He balances his impatience with a desire to capture her alive and uncover the Ghost Organization’s network.
• Qiuqiu shows initiative—and alarming recklessness—by independently attacking a warship. She plays innocent when confronted, but also displays a teasing, irreverent streak. Shen Bing asserts authority over her, though her charm softens his reprimand.
• Shen Bing and his team coordinate a covert pursuit: Thorne and the combat personnel follow Scorpio while Shen Bing tracks her remotely and directs them.
• Scorpio remains largely inscrutable. Her possession of the Azure Heart and discreet arrival in Cairo make her a target of Shen Bing’s investigation.

Significant themes

• Control and responsibility: Qiuqiu’s autonomy creates both danger and conflict; Shen Bing insists that major actions require his approval.
• Surveillance and technological power: Shen Bing uses advanced tools to track Scorpio and coordinate a covert operation.
• Impatience versus caution: Shen Bing begins with careful observation but considers coercive capture when waiting produces no answers.
• Political and reputational consequences: Even a successful attack could damage Shen Bing’s company and provoke international fallout.