Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Wang Sheng reports that Mianyang’s Huashen Group has agreed to use Dream Glass in a new commercial complex and accepted Phantom Immortal Technology’s pricing. The company’s production expansion is already underway.
• Shen Bing attends a company dinner to meet employees, drinks more than he intended, and is woken the next morning by news of another factory break-in. Thieves have stolen all the equipment from the old workshop and knocked out three guards, while hacking the factory’s surveillance system to conceal the crime.
• Shen suspects the attack was arranged by Lin Zijian’s side. He first checks that no one was seriously hurt, then praises Dong Qiang for keeping the factory organized and leaves the investigation to the police.
• Deputy Captain Zhao Yingliang leads the case. The police find no clear leads but believe the attackers are skilled repeat offenders; they treat the incident as a potentially serious robbery.
• Back at the company, Shen transfers ten million into his personal account and uses six immortal jade to retrieve the Eye of Gods and Demons from the Gate to the Immortal Realm.
• By looking through the device, Shen connects with it mentally and learns how to use it. Though it is only a support-type treasure, it can see through obstructions and surpasses the thousand-li range of the Over-the-Horizon Telescope. Shen nevertheless recognizes that his telescope remains extraordinary by modern standards.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen remains suspicious of Lin Zijian and sees the factory attack as likely connected to him, but responds practically rather than letting the incident disrupt the company.
• His concern for the guards and his praise of Dong Qiang show a considerate, managerial side. Dong Qiang, in turn, demonstrates composure and earns Shen’s confidence; Wang Dong has already called the police and secured the scene.
• Shen’s reaction to the Eye of Gods and Demons is comically ungrateful: he initially calls it a poor reward, overlooking how much his earlier success depended on its technology. He contrasts it with Lu Ban’s generosity and Thousand-Mile Eye’s perceived stinginess.
• Captain Zhao treats Shen professionally, explains the police’s preliminary assessment, and asks the company to provide statements.

Significant themes

• Business growth and vulnerability: Phantom Immortal Technology’s rapid expansion brings lucrative opportunities but also makes it a target.
• Technology and power: The chapter contrasts supernatural tools with modern technology, showing both the Eye’s immense capabilities and the telescope’s value in the present world.
• Leadership under pressure: Shen’s concern for employees and Dong Qiang’s calm response help prevent a crisis from throwing the factory into disorder.
• Suspicion and rivalry: The unexplained, highly professional robbery deepens the sense that Shen’s business conflict with Lin Zijian may be turning more dangerous.

Key plot points

• Shen Bing uses the Eye of Gods and Demons to watch the three foreigners who stole machinery from his Illusion Immortal Glass Factory. He suspects they are hired by a domestic rival connected to Lin Zijian and decides to record the handoff for the police.
• He discovers that the Eye is costly to operate: it consumes one immortal jade for every twenty-four hours. After wasting some energy experimenting, he recharges it and resolves to use the treasure only when necessary.
• Shen Bing shifts his view to Lin Zijian and sees him meet with the middle-aged man who previously approached Shen. The two travel toward the thieves, with a truck following them.
• Shen calls Captain Zhao, shares the parking-lot coordinates and surveillance footage, and offers suggestions for the operation.
• The middle-aged man and several accomplices transfer the stolen machinery to the truck. Police then ambush and arrest the three foreigners. Shortly afterward, they also arrest Lin Zijian and his associates, despite Lin’s demand for a lawyer.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen is resourceful and increasingly strategic: instead of confronting the thieves himself, he uses the Eye to gather evidence and coordinates with the police. His excitement is tempered by irritation at the Eye’s steep energy cost, and he jokes about resisting the temptation to spy on women.
• Lin Zijian is revealed as connected to the theft, though he keeps his distance from the actual transfer. His confidence collapses when police arrest him.
• Captain Zhao acts decisively, prioritizing evidence and arrests over Lin’s protests. Shen and Zhao cooperate by exchanging the location and information needed for the raid.
• The foreign thieves and Lin’s middleman work together to move the stolen equipment, but their careful cleanup fails to prevent the police ambush.

Significant themes

• Power and responsibility: The Eye offers extraordinary surveillance, but Shen must decide how to use it—and pay dearly for doing so.
• Evidence and justice: Shen turns private observation into actionable proof, while the police rely on securing evidence to make the case stick.
• Caution versus overconfidence: Lin’s attempt to insulate himself from the theft cannot protect him once his connection is documented; the thieves’ vigilance likewise fails against a well-planned operation.

Plot points

• After witnessing the arrest of the thieves, Shen Bing edits the video evidence and gives it to Wang Sheng to deliver to the police, attributing it to the company’s supposed “Beyond-the-Horizon Telescope Technology.”
• Wang Sheng proposes using the company’s growing cash reserves to begin planning a headquarters. Shen Bing enthusiastically demands a headquarters more impressive than Apple’s Spaceship campus and offers 500 million for design proposals. Wang Sheng worries the plan is wildly extravagant, but Shen Bing insists on starting with the designs.
• At the police station, investigators struggle to prove that Lin Zijian organized the robbery. The captured thugs provide limited information, while Lin denies involvement and his subordinate Du Zhao takes the blame.
• Police leaders face pressure from above to release Lin unless they can establish suspicion quickly. Just as the investigators consider their options, Gao Jingchuan arrives and explains that Shen Bing has ties to the Rongcheng Military District commander, potentially giving the case more time and influence.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing displays confidence and ambition, treating both the evidence handoff and the proposed headquarters as routine matters. His grand plans contrast with his willingness to use the company’s funds for his separate Immortal Realm needs.
• Wang Sheng is practical and increasingly alarmed by his boss’s spending ambitions. He tries to temper Shen Bing’s plans, then regrets having suggested a headquarters at all.
• Lin Zijian remains defiant in interrogation, relying on his status and refusing to cooperate.
• The investigators, especially Captain Zhao and Director Chang, are frustrated by the lack of evidence and political pressure. Director Chang wants to pursue the case but recognizes his limited authority.
• Gao Jingchuan uses his personal connection to Shen Bing to support the investigation, revealing that Shen Bing’s influence reaches beyond business.

Significant themes

• Extravagance versus pragmatism: Shen Bing’s lavish headquarters plan clashes with Wang Sheng’s financial caution.
• Power and justice: Lin’s apparent status and political connections obstruct the investigation, while Shen Bing’s own influential ties may help counter that pressure.
• Ambition and confidence: Shen Bing acts as though future success is assured, even when others see his plans as unrealistic.
• Technology and leverage: The mysterious company technology—and Shen Bing’s powerful relationships—serve as tools that can shape events beyond the company itself.

Plot points and events

• Gao Jingchuan visits the police station intending to ask his army friend to keep an eye on Shen Bing. Director Chang mistakenly assumes he is there to support Shen in the case; Gao lets the misunderstanding stand.
• Police explain that Lin Zijian is a major suspect in an attempt to steal equipment from Phantom Immortal Technology, using three foreign mercenaries. Gao is shocked to learn the theft concerned supposedly obsolete equipment that had helped Shen’s company land a 500-million-yuan contract.
• Gao discovers Shen’s business may have an annual output value near ten billion yuan and recalls that he helped secure the company a three-year tax exemption. He ruefully realizes the favor may cost the state a great deal.
• Phantom Immortal Technology delivers video evidence showing Lin and his associates with the truck and the foreigners, followed by the police arrest. Though silent, the footage undermines Lin’s claim that he knew nothing about the truck. Gao offers to arrange for a lip-reader to interpret the conversation and asks for a copy.
• Back home, Shen learns that Li Xiao has registered an offshore company and opened a personal account in the Virgin Islands. Shen plans to hire an agency to manage it, then receives an unexpected call from Gao.

Character developments and interactions

• Gao Jingchuan shifts from casually wanting to help Shen to being astonished by Shen’s business success—and mildly resentful that he secured such a valuable tax exemption. His curiosity about Shen and the company’s technology grows.
• Director Chang and Director Zhou see Gao’s military connections as a way to ease pressure surrounding the investigation. They accept the video as useful evidence, and Zhou agrees to Gao’s request for a copy.
• Feng Shaolong, the company’s general manager’s assistant, delivers the footage but admits he does not know how it was made. He improvises an explanation about long-range observation equipment and precision lenses.
• Shen Bing remains focused on expanding his operations, now using an offshore company to pursue new ventures. His brisk instructions to Li Xiao highlight his ambitious, hands-on approach.

Significant themes

• Shen’s rapid rise and ingenuity: His company’s success surprises even powerful outsiders.
• Technology and uncertainty: The extraordinary silent footage hints at capabilities the company itself may not fully understand.
• Power, favors, and consequences: Military connections can influence an investigation, while Gao’s earlier favor to Shen carries unexpectedly large financial implications.
• Comic contrast: Gao’s shock at Shen’s success and Feng’s confident bluffing lighten the serious criminal investigation.

Key plot points

• Shen Bing speaks with Director Gao Jingchuan, who complains that Shen’s company is far more successful than he expected. Gao also confirms that he has blocked Lin Zijian’s mother from interfering with the investigation into the mercenaries who attacked Shen’s company. Lin’s exact responsibility remains uncertain, so the case will proceed according to the evidence and the courts.
• Gao questions Shen about a video showing extraordinary long-range imaging. Shen claims it came from a phone filming through a handheld telescope, a story Gao finds absurd. Shen offers to provide a prototype in a month, but privately knows he cannot reveal the true source: the Eye of Gods and Demons.
• Shen has mastered the technology for an Over-the-Horizon Telescope and believes he can build a limited version capable of seeing clearly at roughly a hundred kilometers. He plans to buy a standard production line and modify it himself, while also inventing a plausible explanation for where the technology came from.
• At the company, Shen tells manager Wang Sheng to acquire telescope-manufacturing technology from Jibada Technology, an offshore company Li Xiao has just registered. Wang doubts the specifications, which include 180× optical zoom and several advanced imaging features, but accepts Shen’s assurance.
• Shen then tells Li Xiao to have Jibada sell the technology to his company for US$50 million. The purchase will provide cover for the technology’s origin and move funds legitimately so Shen can top up the Gate to the Immortal Realm.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains secretive, playful, and confident, using jokes and misdirection to control what others learn. He is determined to turn his hidden technical knowledge into a real product and disguises the technology’s origin through a fabricated business deal.
• Gao Jingchuan is exasperated by Shen’s evasiveness but helps him by preventing Lin’s family from obstructing the investigation. His professional curiosity about the camera technology clashes with Shen’s refusal to give a credible explanation.
• Wang Sheng questions the sudden move into telescopes and suspects the specifications are fake, but ultimately trusts Shen’s technical ability.
• Li Xiao is enlisted to make the offshore-company transaction look legitimate.

Significant themes

• Secrecy and misdirection: Shen conceals both the source of his inventions and the true extent of his company’s capabilities.
• Technology and credibility: Shen’s breakthroughs are so far beyond existing standards that even experts assume his claims must be false.
• Power, money, and preparation: He uses business structures and ambitious product plans not only to expand the company but also to support his connection to the Gate to the Immortal Realm.
• Humor through contrast: Shen’s casual jokes and implausible explanations repeatedly frustrate the more serious Gao and Wang.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing orders Wang Dong to discreetly monitor Wang Gang, including after he goes home. Shen has long known Wang Gang betrayed Phantom Immortal Technology but has kept him in place as a possible way to expose whoever is behind the theft.
• After learning that the mercenaries who targeted the company may have been hired by Young Master Yu rather than Lin Zijian, Shen sees Yu as the likely culprit. With no proof and Yu’s influence, Shen avoids alerting him and hopes surveillance of Wang Gang will uncover evidence.
• Lin Zijian is sent to Rongcheng Detention Center after his arrest, far sooner than he expected. His parents work their connections to free him, while Young Master Yu distances himself from the case, confident that he erased the evidence linking him to the mercenaries.
• Dream Glass installation begins at the Nancy Building. Its starry-sky effect astonishes the Nancy Group’s chairman, Fang Yuanming, and Shen’s own colleague Wang Sheng. Fang suggests entering the display-screen business and offers a partnership, but Shen politely declines.
• After completing the Over-the-Horizon Telescope manufacturing design, Shen decides to find a better home and hire help. Little Doudou reports that Li Xiao has been loyal and brings back the documents for Shen’s offshore company, account, and security arrangements.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains cautious and strategic: he uses surveillance rather than making an accusation without evidence, politely resists Fang’s business overture, and stays focused on his next product.
• Wang Dong quickly understands why Wang Gang is suspicious and agrees to watch him.
• Lin Zijian is shocked by his detention and angry that his family’s local connections failed to protect him. Young Master Yu proves more calculating, choosing self-protection while privately blaming Shen.
• Fang Yuanming is impressed by Dream Glass but also sees a chance to expand his business interests; Shen maintains a courteous but firm distance.
• Little Doudou returns from monitoring Li Xiao and humorously demands extra Immortal Fish. Li Xiao delivers the documents and boasts about his fighting ability, then immediately qualifies his claim when Doudou reminds him who is stronger.

Significant themes

• Strategic patience and evidence: Shen delays acting against Wang Gang and Young Master Yu until he can uncover proof.
• Power and influence: Lin Zijian’s detention reveals that wealth and connections do not guarantee protection, while Yu’s status complicates any investigation.
• Innovation and ambition: Dream Glass demonstrates its commercial impact, but Shen prioritizes his own research over a tempting industry expansion.
• Loyalty and hierarchy: Li Xiao’s deference and fear of Doudou, alongside Shen’s reliance on both, establish a comic but clear chain of trust and authority.

Plot points and events

• After Lin Zijian’s attempted theft, Shen Bing hires Li Xiao as his driver and bodyguard, recognizing that Dream Glass’s value could make him a target.
• Shen Bing’s company spends $50 million to buy the complete Beyond-the-Horizon Telescope technology from Jibada Technology. He then tells Wang Sheng to find a chip manufacturer and buy equipment for producing binoculars and precision glass lenses.
• Shen Bing transfers company funds to his personal account and uses the Gate to the Immortal Realm to buy 300 units of immortal jade, while leaving funds available for the Custody Team.
• Unable to find a suitable quest, he returns to the Plague God Hall and claims to be the “Mist-Ethereal Adept” from “Void Island.” He asks to become the Plague God’s Immortal Friend and requests fish or similar food for Little Doudou.
• The Plague God explains that he has only vegetarian cat food. Fish are reserved for Golden Immortals, and increasingly strict protections prevent killing even small creatures in the Immortal Realm.
• Meanwhile, at the car dealership, another driver aggressively steals the parking space Li Xiao was aiming for and insults him. Shen Bing tells Li Xiao to deal with the confrontation himself while he stays focused on the game.
• The chapter ends with Shen Bing wondering whether an immortal beast could safely eat food from the Mortal Realm.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing becomes more cautious about personal security but remains chiefly motivated by business opportunities, quests, and building connections in the Immortal Realm. He confidently invents an immortal identity, though he is privately uncertain about his prospects for cultivation.
• Li Xiao shifts from having a short temper to acting under Shen Bing’s authority as bodyguard and driver. He seeks permission before responding to the parking-space provocation.
• The Plague God is intimidated by Shen Bing’s claimed status and responds deferentially, though he suspects Shen Bing’s story is fabricated. He explains the Immortal Realm’s rules and offers only vegetarian food.
• Wang Sheng remains skeptical of the telescope technology but follows Shen Bing’s instructions and grows intrigued by its unusual chip-based design.
• Shen Bing’s concern for Little Doudou drives his request for fish, but he leaves without obtaining any.

Significant themes

• Security and wealth: Success and valuable technology can expose people to danger, prompting Shen Bing to take precautions.
• Ambition and pragmatism: Shen Bing pursues immediate wealth, technology, and quests while doubting whether cultivation will ever be possible.
• Deception and status: Shen Bing’s invented title lets him influence a nervous deity, but the Plague God recognizes that the explanation does not quite add up.
• Contrasting worlds: The story humorously contrasts ordinary concerns—business transfers and parking disputes—with the Immortal Realm’s elaborate hierarchy and rules about protecting creatures.

Key plot points and events

• While traveling with Shen Bing, Li Xiao fights Young Master Zhou over a parking space. Zhou refuses to apologize, so Li Xiao beats him and drives off.
• Zhou summons a group of men to retaliate and later finds Li Xiao at Fengxing Auto Dealership. He avoids starting a fight inside, but waits outside with his men.
• At the dealership, Shen Bing stays absorbed in his phone while Li Xiao searches for a suitable SUV. He dismisses several cheaper options, including a Mercedes G-Class, as inadequate.
• Li Xiao approves a Bentley Bentayga special edition costing 7.23 million yuan. After Zhou’s interruption and Shen Bing’s complaints about the game, Shen Bing finally looks up and agrees to buy it.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Xiao is calm, physically formidable, and fiercely loyal to Shen Bing. He handles Zhou without hesitation, then follows his boss’s instructions while shopping—even though cars are not his area of expertise.
• Shen Bing remains preoccupied with his game and his attempt to befriend the Plague God, prioritizing the in-game relationship over the real-life confrontation. Despite his distracted manner, he casually authorizes a multimillion-yuan purchase.
• Young Master Zhou is entitled and vengeful. After being humiliated by Li Xiao, he gathers reinforcements, but backs down from fighting inside the dealership because he fears its owner.
• Li Fangfang, the sales representative, initially judges the pair by their appearance and doubts they can afford an expensive car. Shen Bing’s decision to buy the Bentley leaves her stunned.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: The saleswoman assumes the men are posing because of their looks and behavior, while Shen Bing’s wealth—and willingness to spend—far exceeds her expectations.
• Power and entitlement: Zhou relies on status and intimidation, but Li Xiao answers his threats with physical strength.
• Absurd contrast and comedy: Li Xiao treats a luxury-car purchase as a practical task, while Shen Bing ignores both the conflict and the shopping process to focus on his game.

Plot points and events

• Shen Bing buys a luxury car outright, transferring more than seven million yuan—including taxes and fees—within minutes. Dealership manager Li Fangfang is stunned by his wealth and unusual devotion to gaming.
• Outside the dealership, Li Xiao wants to confront the men who insulted his mother. Shen Bing insists on joining him despite Li Fangfang’s warning about their leader, Zhou Zhengwen, and his powerful connections.
• When Li Fangfang goes outside, she finds the fight already over: Li Xiao has defeated the group, including Zhou, in a one-against-many brawl. Bystanders marvel at his strength.
• Shen Bing enjoys driving the new Bentley briefly, then resumes playing on his phone to raise the Plague God’s affection and complete a mission. The Plague God must genuinely accept him as an Immortal Friend; coercion will not work.
• While Li Xiao drives, the pair search for a secluded, secure villa. Shen Bing chooses a castle-style property at Dragon Lake Ring Island, priced at more than a hundred million yuan.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains cool and decisive, spending lavishly on both a car and a home, yet thinking of money as worthwhile only when spent. His priorities also reflect concern for privacy and the strange items he may bring from the Immortal Realm.
• Li Xiao is fiercely loyal and protective, especially when someone insults his mother. He confidently takes on Zhou Zhengwen’s group and later reacts with disbelief at Shen Bing’s costly villa purchase.
• Li Fangfang shifts from suspicion to astonishment at Shen Bing’s genuine wealth. Though she warns the men and tries to protect them, she ultimately follows them outside, troubled by both their risk-taking and her own commission.
• The banter between Shen Bing and Li Xiao shows their familiar, teasing rapport: Li Xiao jokes about Fangfang’s interest in Shen, while Shen coolly deflects him and then refuses to let him face the confrontation alone.

Significant themes

• Wealth and spending: Shen Bing’s extraordinary purchases contrast with Li Xiao’s more cautious sense of money.
• Loyalty and honor: Li Xiao’s response to the insult reflects his strong personal code and devotion to family.
• Power and reputation: Zhou Zhengwen’s connections prove less important than Li Xiao’s physical strength.
• Genuine connection: Shen Bing cannot complete his mission by force; the Plague God must sincerely accept him, making trust and rapport essential.

Plot points and events

• Shen Bing takes possession of Longhu Island No. 2 Villa and moves in. He examines the Immortal Realm cat food he obtained from the Plague God.
• Opening the bag releases a refreshing sensation that Shen Bing identifies as spiritual qi. Little Doudou recognizes the food, eagerly explains its benefits, and eats it after Shen Bing decides not to risk trying it himself.
• Hoping to learn more about spiritual qi, Shen Bing uses his analysis system on the remaining cat food. After failures, he extracts two technologies: Preservation Bag Production Technology and a Basic Animal Enhancement Potion Formula. He suspects the system cannot analyze spiritual qi directly because its level is too low.
• Wang Sheng calls to say that Lin Tianxiang and Secretary Yao, who represents Qingliu District’s district chief, have come to meet Shen Bing. Concerned that officials could disrupt his factory, Shen Bing agrees to meet them.
• The chapter ends before the meeting begins: Lin Tianxiang, Lin Zijian, and Secretary Yao wait outside the upscale Tan Family Old Residence. Lin Tianxiang scolds his son for escalating business rivalry into a criminal attempt to steal factory equipment, and hopes Shen Bing can be persuaded to settle the matter.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing is curious and opportunistic, but cautious: he gives Little Doudou the cat food rather than eat it himself, then experiments with the analysis system. He also recognizes the practical risks of antagonizing local officials, despite not being personally intimidated by them.
• Little Doudou shows strong enthusiasm and specialized knowledge about cat food, revealing itself as a self-described “foodie” with a keen sense of smell.
• Lin Tianxiang appears more calculating and responsible than his son. He is angry at Lin Zijian’s recklessness and understands that Shen Bing’s wealth and connections make the incident difficult to resolve quietly.
• Lin Zijian remains arrogant enough to question why they must wait, but quickly backs down when his father reprimands him.
• Secretary Yao presents himself as dutiful, staying outside because he is responsible for carrying out the district chief’s assignment.

Significant themes

• The limits of technology and knowledge: Shen Bing’s system can extract useful formulas from supernatural objects but cannot yet fully comprehend spiritual qi.
• Practicality versus curiosity: Shen Bing is tempted by the cat food’s properties but chooses caution.
• Power and accountability: The attempted theft becomes a criminal matter, and Lin Tianxiang realizes that money and influence may not be enough to resolve it.
• Business ambition and official influence: Shen Bing’s success draws the attention of both competitors and local government representatives, complicating his effort to run his company independently.

Plot points

• Shen Bing goes to the Tan Family Old Residence to meet Lin Tianxiang, but finds Lin Tianxiang and his son, Lin Zijian, waiting outside.
• Lin Zijian threatens Shen Bing and complains that he has interfered with his attempts to pursue Wang Yanxi. Lin Tianxiang joins in, suggesting Shen Bing should “choose the right target.”
• Shen Bing warns Lin Tianxiang that he has chosen the wrong person to mock. Wang Sheng and Li Xiao arrive, and Wang Sheng’s casual remarks reveal that Shen Bing is the wealthy chairman of Phantom Immortal Technology.
• Realizing whom he has insulted, Lin Tianxiang slaps Lin Zijian and demands an apology. Lin Zijian reluctantly apologizes, while Lin Tianxiang tries to smooth things over and invite Shen Bing to dinner.
• Shen Bing refuses to overlook Lin Zijian’s threat to kill him or to intervene in the criminal case against Lin Zijian. When Secretary Yao appeals for “harmony,” Shen Bing rejects the pressure and leaves.
• Lin Tianxiang, still resentful, turns to Secretary Yao for help, and Yao promises to report the incident to District Chief Feng.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains calm and self-assured, but becomes openly firm when the group insults and pressures him. His wealth and influence are revealed, yet he refuses to use them to excuse or erase Lin Zijian’s alleged crime.
• Lin Zijian shifts from aggressive confidence to shock and fear once he learns Shen Bing’s identity. He apologizes only under his father’s pressure and continues to resent him.
• Lin Tianxiang initially treats Shen Bing condescendingly, then abruptly grovels after discovering his status. His apology is driven by self-interest, and his anger resurfaces when Shen Bing refuses to cooperate.
• Wang Sheng arrives as Shen Bing’s colleague and inadvertently exposes Shen Bing’s position while voicing worries about the company’s spending. Li Xiao accompanies them as Shen Bing’s driver and security guard.
• Secretary Yao sides with Lin Tianxiang, framing the dispute as a matter of business harmony and later offering to involve District Chief Feng.

Significant themes

• Status and mistaken assumptions: Lin Tianxiang and Lin Zijian judge Shen Bing as insignificant, then change their behavior when they learn his real position.
• Power and accountability: Shen Bing rejects the idea that influence or money should override the judicial process.
• Hypocrisy and self-interest: Lin Tianxiang’s sudden apology contrasts with his earlier contempt, while his talk of “rules” gives way to resentment when Shen Bing refuses his request.
• Refusing intimidation: Shen Bing makes clear that wealth has not made him more willing to tolerate threats or disrespect.

Key plot points and events

• Wang Sheng explains the unwritten rules of business: rivals may scheme against one another, but criminal prosecution is uncommon unless someone becomes an irreconcilable enemy. Lin Zijian’s failed attempt to steal Phantom Immortal Technology’s equipment caused no actual loss, so the Lin family might avoid serious consequences.
• Shen Bing decides not to settle for modest compensation and is prepared to make the Lin family “bleed.” He reviews progress on the new factory, glass-production equipment, telescope line, and chip-manufacturing contract.
• Back at his villa, Shen learns from Gao Jingchuan that Lin Zijian has been released on bail because there is no direct evidence linking him to the theft. Shen remains determined to get him imprisoned. Gao invites Shen to the Rongcheng Optoelectronic Machinery Research Institute to help with an unspecified matter.
• Shen checks on Wang Gang, hoping he might connect Lin Zijian and Young Master Yu to the theft, but Wang Gang has shown no suspicious behavior. Shen decides to wait for an opportunity.
• Shen confronts the company’s cash shortage. Factory expansion and headquarters construction will require substantial funds, while he regrets having spent so much money in the Gate to the Immortal Realm.
• Although he believes Dream Glass will be far more valuable after it transforms Nancy Building’s exterior, Phantom Immortal Technology cannot wait for construction to finish before raising money. Shen directs Wang Sheng to pursue a new sales strategy.
• The company launches its official website, featuring strong cybersecurity, high-end presentation, and a section for future product announcements.
• The website announces that, because Dream Glass production is limited, the company will choose one exclusive partner per city through competitive bidding. The first round is restricted to ten third-tier cities, and no further third-tier-city partners will be selected for three years. Real-estate companies react with shock at the announcement’s confidence and exclusivity.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing is assertive and calculating: he refuses to accept a small settlement from the Lin family, remains focused on exposing Lin Zijian, and turns the company’s cash shortage into a deliberate sales tactic. He also shows regret over his impulsive in-game spending.
• Wang Sheng serves as Shen’s pragmatic adviser, explaining the Lin family’s financial limits and reporting on construction, equipment, and contracts. He carries out Shen’s instructions for attracting buyers.
• Gao Jingchuan gives Shen a candid account of the weak evidence against Lin Zijian and summons him to the research institute for help.
• Wang Dong reports that Wang Gang has not yet provided a useful lead, leaving Shen’s investigation stalled.
• Lin Zijian and his father benefit from legal representation and influence, securing bail despite the ongoing case. Shen views the release as temporary rather than exoneration.

Significant themes

• Business as warfare: Powerful companies manipulate and compete aggressively, while criminal accountability depends partly on influence and the scale of harm.
• Power, evidence, and justice: Lin Zijian’s release illustrates how difficult it is to prosecute without direct proof, even when suspicion remains.
• Ambition and financial pressure: Shen’s grand plans require immense capital, forcing him to balance long-term product value against immediate funding needs.
• Scarcity as leverage: By limiting supply and using competitive bidding, Phantom Immortal Technology turns Dream Glass’s constrained production into a marketing advantage.

Key plot points and events

• Phantom Immortal Technology’s public offer to develop a real-estate project attracts widespread online ridicule. Although inquiries arrive, no company has signed up yet, and Wang Sheng worries the three-day deadline will pass without a deal. Shen Bing remains calm and asks him to keep pressing the supplier about a batch of chips.
• Shen Bing visits the Optical Machinery Institute with Gao Jingchuan, who introduces his army friend Huang Tao, a senior engineer.
• Huang explains that his project needs a curved glass lens only three centimeters wide and 0.1 millimeters thick, with strict requirements for hardness and light transmission. Researchers and manufacturers have told him it cannot be made with current technology.
• Shen Bing says Phantom Immortal Technology can make it, though he downplays how easy it would be and raises the question of cost and material.
• Academician Jin, a respected optical-engineering authority, overhears and dismisses Shen Bing’s claim. He also belittles Dream Glass as a flashy gimmick.
• Shen Bing argues that Jin’s logic would reduce great art to mere decoration, then challenges him to a wager: if Shen Bing produces the required glass, Jin must retract his remarks; if Shen Bing fails, Jin may choose the terms.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains confident and unruffled by public mockery, but is also strategic: he conceals how readily he can make the lens. When Academician Jin insults his work, Shen Bing stands up for both his invention and his principles.
• Wang Sheng is anxious about the lack of sign-ups, while Shen Bing takes a longer view and urges patience.
• Gao Jingchuan provides the connection to Huang Tao and is teased by Shen Bing and Huang for his comparatively modest career.
• Huang Tao is skeptical at first but hopeful about Shen Bing’s capabilities. He supports Shen Bing discreetly during the confrontation with Jin.
• Academician Jin is established as an exacting, old-school authority who distrusts bold claims and dismisses work he sees as lacking technical value. His status gives the wager serious stakes.

Significant themes

• Innovation versus established limits: Experts believe the lens is impossible with current processes, while Shen Bing’s confidence challenges accepted boundaries.
• Status versus merit: Shen Bing refuses to defer automatically to Jin’s reputation, insisting that arguments and evidence matter more than rank.
• Art and technology: Their dispute over Dream Glass raises the question of whether beauty and popular appeal can themselves have value.
• Reputation and risk: The wager could either vindicate Shen Bing’s claims or expose them, with the institute’s experts watching closely.

Key events

• Shen Bing accepts Elder Jin’s wager: if he fails, he must donate 10 million yuan to the Huaxia Optical Engineering Society within three years.
• He promises to deliver the requested glass component by the next morning, then heads to his factory and installs precision grinding and polishing equipment.
• Using technology from the Beyond-the-Horizon Telescope designs, Shen Bing produces a high-performance optical lens that exceeds the specifications Huang Tao sent him. He deliberately makes it an especially attractive “bait” for Elder Jin. By late evening, the lens is complete.
• Meanwhile, the Nancy Group’s executives discuss Phantom Immortal Technology’s upcoming bidding plan. Some believe the company’s cash-flow problems could make it vulnerable to investment or acquisition.
• Chairman Fang Yuanming argues that the bidding may still draw competitors despite public claims to the contrary. The group decides it should approach Phantom Immortal Technology early and propose buying a stake, using the apparent risk of a failed bidding round as leverage.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing is confident and ambitious, quickly turning his promise into a finished product. His plan to exceed the requested specifications suggests he is strategically setting a trap rather than merely meeting the challenge.
• Elder Jin shows principled judgment by directing the wager’s penalty toward scientific research rather than personal gain, softening Shen Bing’s resentment.
• Li Xiao stays with Shen Bing through the late-night work and reminds him of the time, while Dong Qiang and the factory technicians help install equipment and obtain materials.
• Fang Yuanming demonstrates caution and business insight, tempering the executives’ eagerness to exploit Phantom Immortal Technology’s possible financial weakness.
• Zhao Jiating identifies the potential opportunity in the bidding and argues for buying a stake; Fang redirects the discussion toward the possibility that the apparent boycott is a smokescreen.

Significant themes

• Technical ambition and confidence: Shen Bing’s rapid, superior-quality lens production showcases his exceptional skill and willingness to take risks.
• Strategy and deception: Shen Bing uses an overqualified product as bait, while the Nancy Group considers how public signals and hidden intentions shape business competition.
• Ethics versus profit: Elder Jin’s research-focused wager contrasts with the executives’ interest in acquiring a profitable company at a vulnerable moment.
• Uncertainty in business: The Nancy Group must decide whether the bidding boycott is genuine or a tactic by rival financial powers.

Plot and key events

• Property developers across the country delay registering for Dream Glass, hoping to wait until the deadline and secure a better deal. Smaller firms accept venture-capital demands because they lack the means to compete.
• Shen Bing, unaware that Phantom Immortal Technology is being targeted, remains unconcerned.
• He brings a custom optical lens to the Optical Machinery Institute, where Huang Tao is eager to see it. Academician Jin and the other researchers had not expected Shen Bing to succeed.
• At Jin’s lab, Shen Bing sees a neodymium-glass experiment powerful enough to melt iron and recognizes its potential danger.
• Jin’s team tests Shen Bing’s lens and finds that it meets—and exceeds—the specifications, including light transmittance more than two percentage points above the requested minimum.
• Jin apologizes for doubting Shen and praises his company’s capabilities. Huang Tao thanks Shen and offers to seek funding for the lens.
• Shen quotes a price of 3,000 yuan per lens, expecting it may seem high. Instead, Huang calls it remarkably generous.
• Huang reveals that the lens is for a military institute’s Virtual Combat System headset. It was the project’s remaining technical obstacle, and Shen’s work helps keep it on track.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing is confident and irreverent, teasing Jin about the wager and treating his advanced lens casually. He is also commercially minded, though surprised to learn his price is considered a bargain.
• Academician Jin shifts quickly from skepticism to admiration once he sees the results. His apology and willingness to praise Shen show that his bluntness stems more from intense research focus than personal hostility.
• Huang Tao moves from anxious anticipation to excitement and gratitude. His disbelief at the test results reflects how extraordinary they are.
• The exchange between Shen and the researchers balances professional respect with comic banter: Shen needles Jin, Jin snaps at Huang’s doubts, and Shen’s modest price prompts an unexpected reaction.

Significant themes

• Profit and business pragmatism: Developers and companies make decisions according to opportunity and advantage.
• Technological achievement and national projects: Shen’s innovation solves a difficult problem for a military research program.
• Recognition through results: Jin’s doubts give way to respect once the lens is tested.
• Comic contrast: Shen’s casual attitude toward a sophisticated invention contrasts with the researchers’ excitement and the lens’s real value.

Plot points

• Shen Bing confirms to Huang Tao that the precision lenses can be mass-produced, though each will cost about 3,000 yuan. The military considers the price reasonable and may eventually need 100,000 VR headsets. They reach a preliminary deal for the Virtual Combat System.
• Phantom Immortal Technology faces a cash-flow crisis. Liushi Machinery unexpectedly demands a 10-million-yuan deposit before delivering two Float Glass Production Lines, despite their earlier agreement to collect payment after inspection. Wang Sheng suspects outside interference.
• Jiangnan Construction warns Phantom Immortal that Pangda Finance has urged it to demand payment or delay construction. The company refuses, honoring its contract. Shen Bing decides to seek another machinery supplier and intends to reward Jiangnan Construction with future work.
• Shen Bing expects the military lens contract to bring in at least 300 million yuan and advises Wang Sheng to request an advance payment.
• Fang Yuanming warns Shen Bing that property developers are coordinating a boycott of Dream Glass, threatening turnout at an upcoming bidding event. He offers to bring projects from his company’s subsidiary in exchange for exclusive Dream Glass rights in a major city.
• Shen Bing refuses to grant exclusivity in a major or first-tier city, despite Fang’s proposed project potentially requiring millions of square meters of glass. Instead, he offers Fang a slot in any second-tier city. Fang accepts.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains composed under pressure, quickly identifying likely sabotage and refusing to trade valuable city rights for short-term relief. His confidence in Dream Glass’s future market value shapes his negotiations.
• Wang Sheng is anxious about the company’s finances but trusts Shen Bing’s judgment. The expected military contract renews his confidence in the chairman’s earlier investment in telescope technology.
• Fang Yuanming acts as both a warning ally and a shrewd negotiator: he alerts Shen Bing to the boycott while seeking valuable commercial rights. He accepts a second-tier city slot when Shen Bing holds firm.
• Jiangnan Construction contrasts with Liushi Machinery by honoring its agreement and warning Phantom Immortal of Pangda Finance’s pressure.

Significant themes

• Integrity and loyalty in business: Jiangnan Construction honors its contract, while Liushi Machinery appears willing to change terms under pressure.
• Cash flow and corporate vulnerability: Even a promising company can be threatened when funds are tied up and production depends on timely deliveries.
• Strategic patience: Shen Bing prioritizes Dream Glass’s long-term value over immediate revenue, refusing to concede major markets cheaply.
• Technology as economic leverage: A costly acquisition—the telescope technology—quickly produces a major military opportunity, demonstrating the potential payoff of bold investment.

Plot points and events

• At Nancy Group, Fang Yuanming tells his wife, Lan Xi, that Shen Bing has offered the company exclusive Dream Glass rights only in a second-tier city. Lan Xi believes Shen himself—not Dream Glass—is Phantom Immortal Technology’s most valuable asset, and warns that buying into the company would be risky because Shen would resist losing control.
• With the registration deadline approaching, no companies have signed up to bid for Dream Glass. Real-estate firms are weighing the investment companies’ pressure against the risk that Phantom Immortal Technology will survive and retaliate by restricting access to its monopoly product.
• Online commenters mock Shen and his company for holding a quota-based bidding process that appears to have attracted no bidders. Shen’s university roommates offer jokes and dubious help, while general manager Wang Sheng anxiously wonders whether Nancy Group will follow through.
• Shen remains calm, trusting that Fang Yuanming is waiting until the last moment. He acknowledges that Phantom Immortal’s cash shortage has delayed contracts for new equipment, then tells Wang to buy nearby land, confident the coming bid will provide enough funds.
• Shen explains that the company must reduce its dependence on outside suppliers by expanding its products and moving up the industrial chain: first into metal processing and smelting, then toward mechanical manufacturing. Wang raises concerns about the company’s lack of experience and the environmental hurdles.
• Asked what he sees outside, Wang lists buildings, people, and traffic. Shen clarifies that he is thinking about the automotive industry, leaving Wang stunned.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing shows composure under pressure and long-term ambition. The funding crisis prompts him to pursue greater industrial independence and plan eventual entry into automobile manufacturing.
• Wang Sheng is conscientious but worried about the company’s finances and the practicality of Shen’s plans. He questions the scale and environmental impact of the proposed expansion, then realizes where Shen’s ambitions are leading.
• Fang Yuanming seeks business advantages without taking control of Phantom Immortal Technology, recognizing Shen’s strong need for autonomy.
• Lan Xi reinforces her father’s assessment of Shen’s exceptional technical abilities and argues that his talent is more valuable than any single product.
• Shen’s roommates use humor to express support, contrasting with Wang’s genuine anxiety.

Significant themes

• Talent versus assets: Shen’s capabilities may matter more than the company’s current flagship product.
• Control and dependence: The crisis exposes the danger of relying on investors and outside equipment suppliers.
• Ambition and industrial expansion: Shen wants to build a vertically integrated business and ultimately enter automotive manufacturing.
• Risk and uncertainty: Companies must choose between investor pressure and the possibility that Phantom Immortal Technology will endure—and remember who refused to cooperate.

Plot points and events

• Shen Bing reveals that Phantom Immortal Technology intends to enter the automotive industry, arguing that its strengths in materials could give it an advantage. He says he has studied titanium-alloy smelting and processing, though Wang Sheng doubts how that could lead to making cars.
• As the deadline for registering for Phantom Immortal Technology’s Dream Glass bidding approaches, no companies have signed up. Then, in the final ten minutes, registrations surge past a hundred.
• The surge was orchestrated by Nancy Group, which quietly encouraged ten companies to register and helped break the boycott. The auction is set for December 20, while investors who want control of Phantom Immortal Technology consider other strategies.
• With the bidding matter left to Wang Sheng and the company’s departments, Shen Bing turns his attention to completing a quest involving the Plague God. He realizes the quest may require helping the god make a friend who is an actual immortal, not merely befriending him himself, and decides to play matchmaker.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains ambitious and self-assured, proposing a leap into cars through titanium-alloy research despite the company’s limited apparent expertise. He also shows humor and frustration over the Plague God quest, which he has tried and failed to complete through friendship alone.
• Wang Sheng is skeptical of Shen Bing’s automotive plans, especially the practicality and cost of titanium-alloy engines, but trusts his boss’s extraordinary talent. His anxiety over the registration boycott turns to excitement when the late rush begins.
• Wei Changjia, from Sales, first reports that no companies have registered and that the company is being mocked online, then urgently informs Wang Sheng of the sudden influx.
• Fang Yuanming and Nancy Group quietly support Shen Bing by initiating the registration wave, though the chapter notes that business loyalties ultimately depend on self-interest.
• Shen Bing believes he and the Plague God have grown close, but his need to fulfill the quest leads him to reconsider what “friend” means and seek another solution.

Significant themes

• Ambition and technological disruption: Shen Bing plans to challenge a major industry by exploiting materials research, even when the connection seems implausible to others.
• Commercial self-interest and shifting alliances: The boycott collapses when companies reconsider the opportunity, and even allies may act differently when profits change.
• Appearances versus reality: The public sees a spontaneous rush of bidders, while only a few insiders know Nancy Group engineered it.
• Friendship and belonging: The Plague God’s isolation and the quest’s wording raise the question of whether personal affection is enough—or whether he needs acceptance from someone recognized as an immortal.

Plot points

• Shen Bing travels to Craftsman God Island to ask Lu Ban about the Great Luo Golden Immortal remnant soul.
• Lu Ban teases him with a hint about the remnant soul, then refuses to explain, calling it a “heavenly secret.” He says Shen Bing should ask Lord Lao instead.
• Lu Ban reveals that the Jade Emperor has ordered him to produce 100,000 Immortal Carriages within a year, far beyond the Divine Puppet Artisans’ capacity.
• A random quest appears, and Shen Bing accepts it. He proposes an assembly line: artisans handle precision components while Mechanism Arms automate simpler parts.
• Lu Ban recognizes the idea’s potential and immediately leaves to put it into practice, leaving Shen Bing behind without a chance to discuss his original matchmaking plan.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing arrives feeling newly wealthy and confident, but Lu Ban’s evasiveness frustrates him. He uses Lu Ban’s own “heavenly secrets” line to tease him back, then draws on real-world production knowledge to help.
• Lu Ban is initially secretive and focused on a mysterious object, but becomes eager and grateful when Shen Bing offers a practical solution. He treats Shen Bing’s advice as valuable and acts on it at once.
• Their exchange shifts from Shen Bing’s attempt to extract information into a productive collaboration—though the remnant-soul mystery remains unresolved.

Significant themes

• Knowledge across worlds: Shen Bing’s ordinary-world understanding of industrial production becomes a powerful solution in the Immortal Realm.
• Cause, effect, and reciprocity: Shen Bing reflects that rewards in the Immortal Realm come through useful contributions rather than simply taking what he wants.
• Mystery and comic frustration: “Heavenly secrets” keep information just out of reach, while Shen Bing’s joking retaliation adds humor.
• Unexpected outcomes: A visit intended to pursue a clue and play matchmaker instead leads to a major production breakthrough.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing reviews his quest progress: completing the Plague God’s quest would leave him only one quest away from upgrading the Gate to the Immortal Realm. With no suitable quest available, he heads to work.
• At Phantom Immortal Technology, Shen checks preparations for the next day’s Dream Glass bidding. More than 300 company representatives are expected, so the event has been moved to a large hotel conference room. He approves the bidding rules and agrees with hiring 20 guards, mindful of earlier attempts to sabotage registration.
• Shen reflects that fully analyzing the Immortal Carriage might one day let him create flying cars—but recognizes that this goal is still far off.
• At Tianxiang Special Glass, chairman Lin Tianxiang meets with Mr. Chen of Pangda Finance. Chen proposes pursuing an equity investment in Phantom Immortal Technology, relying on his firm’s extensive network of investors and connections. Lin doubts Shen Bing would accept, especially since another investor, Nancy Group, was already rejected.
• Lin, driven by resentment and his desire to hurt Shen, suggests that trouble at the bidding venue could derail Phantom Immortal Technology’s plans. Chen understands the implication but warns Lin to avoid getting himself exposed. Lin realizes Chen is effectively permitting him to act while keeping Pangda Finance’s hands clean.

Character developments

• Shen Bing is becoming more strategic and business-minded: he checks the auction’s logistics, considers security risks, and continues to focus on advancing his quest progress.
• Lin Tianxiang is consumed by hostility toward Shen Bing and prioritizes revenge, even at the risk of provoking serious trouble.
• Mr. Chen is calculating and politically connected. He wants a stake in Phantom Immortal Technology but prefers to use influence and pressure without making his methods public.
• Wang Sheng and the staff show their growing competence by organizing a large event, drafting rules, and arranging security.

Significant themes

• Ambition and power: Shen’s supernatural progression and the company’s commercial rise both depend on reaching the next level.
• Influence versus merit: Pangda Finance’s strength comes not only from money but from its network of powerful investors.
• Corporate success invites conflict: Phantom Immortal Technology’s promising Dream Glass auction draws both legitimate investment interest and sabotage.
• Responsibility and risk: Shen’s security precautions contrast with Lin’s willingness to endanger others for revenge.

Character interactions

• Shen gives Wang Sheng and the team clear direction, reviews their preparations, and approves their plan.
• Lin tries to persuade Chen to help undermine Shen, while Chen explains Pangda Finance’s leverage and the value of Dream Glass.
• Chen avoids openly endorsing sabotage, but his warning leaves Lin convinced he has tacit permission to proceed.