Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing arrives at the Jin River Hotel to oversee Phantom Immortal Technology’s first major bidding event. The company’s departments have prepared the venue carefully, and his presence motivates the staff.
• Little Doudou detects the smell of explosives beneath the carpet in the front row. Shen Bing suspects the bomb is intended to sabotage the event and damage the company, but decides not to call the police because he fears the resulting disruption would derail the bidding.
• He quietly clears the venue, leaving only Li Xiao behind. They uncover a fist-sized C4 bomb hidden beneath a loosened floorboard.
• Li Xiao identifies the device as crudely assembled and disables it in under two minutes. Before he does, Shen Bing sends Little Doudou to track the bomb’s planter.
• The venue is readied again, and company representatives begin arriving at 9:30. Attendees trade business talk, while some discuss venture-capital firms’ efforts to seize control of Phantom Immortal Technology or, more specifically, Dream Glass. They do not know that the capitalists’ plans have been repeatedly thwarted by Little Doudou.

Character developments

• Shen Bing shows leadership by keeping the staff calm and protecting the event, but the threat exposes his anger and inexperience under pressure. He becomes more determined to deal with the attackers himself rather than rely on the police.
• Li Xiao demonstrates steady nerves and practical bomb-disposal expertise, drawing on his experience as a mercenary.
• Little Doudou proves valuable as both a threat detector and a potential tracker, while its extraordinary abilities remain familiar to Li Xiao.

Significant themes

• Corporate ambition and sabotage: Phantom Immortal Technology’s valuable Dream Glass technology makes the company a target.
• Appearance versus reality: The polished business gathering conceals a potentially lethal attack and a deeper struggle over control of the company.
• Trust and self-reliance: Shen Bing chooses secrecy and direct action, believing the authorities’ involvement would compromise the event without necessarily exposing the mastermind.
• Composure under pressure: Shen Bing’s emotional reaction contrasts with Li Xiao’s calm competence.

Character interactions

• Shen Bing directs the department heads and reassures employees after his startled outburst.
• He privately consults Little Doudou, then confides in Li Xiao and authorizes him to inspect the floor.
• Li Xiao’s confidence reassures Shen Bing, though Shen Bing pauses the disarming so Little Doudou can pursue the culprit.
• At the event, business representatives exchange pleasantries and quietly discuss the venture-capital firms’ attempted takeover.

Key plot points

• Construction companies gather for a high-stakes auction of exclusive purchasing rights to Dream Glass, each trying to conceal its intentions while sizing up the competition.
• Wang Sheng demonstrates Dream Glass with a huge desert scene that transforms the hotel venue into an immersive environment. When the display shifts to a lush jungle, the bidders become even more convinced of its commercial potential.
• Phantom Immortal Technology awards exclusive rights for ten “Dream Cities.” Huanyu Construction wins Nanchong and Sichuan Steel Construction Group wins Pan City; the other eight rights go to out-of-province firms. Every winning project commits to at least 200,000 square meters of Dream Glass, at a unit price above 2,500 yuan.
• Deposits bring the company 600 million yuan, while the contracts total 6 billion yuan in deliveries over the next year. Wang Sheng is confident the funds and upcoming payment from the Nancy Building Project will support expansion and prevent another cash crisis.
• Shen Bing is about to address the bidders when Little Doudou texts that someone has been caught. Shen leaves the event to investigate. On the way, he learns that the explosive has been dismantled and its C4 burned. Little Doudou is already at Dragon Lake Ring Island, leaving Shen puzzled about how it got there—and how the suspect did.

Character developments and interactions

• Wang Sheng confidently hosts the event despite initially not wanting the role. He is delighted by the revenue and reassured about the company’s finances, but is left to continue entertaining the guests when Shen departs.
• Shen Bing remains reluctant to appear in public and readily abandons his planned speech when the urgent message arrives. He checks on the bomb’s disposal and Little Doudou’s location.
• Little Doudou shows new initiative: after becoming more diligent, it can use a phone to send messages and has apparently reached the island ahead of Shen.
• The bidders exchange polite, strategic banter, but Dream Glass’s demonstration quickly turns their cautious competition into an aggressive scramble for the rights.

Significant themes

• Innovation and immersive technology: Dream Glass’s ability to reshape a space makes its value vivid and drives demand.
• Competition and commercial ambition: Exclusive rights, minimum project sizes, and weighted bidding push companies to raise their offers or form partnerships.
• Growth and financial security: The successful auction gives Phantom Immortal Technology the capital and confidence to scale production.
• A shift from business to suspense: The abrupt report that a suspect has been caught—and the mystery of Little Doudou’s journey—sets up a new plot thread.

Key events

• Li Xiao drives Shen Bing to Dragon Lake Ring Island, where Little Doudou reveals he followed a suspected bomber from the Jin River Hotel, knocked him unconscious, and drove him to a surveillance blind spot.
• Shen Bing and Li Xiao bring the captive back to the villa and tie him up in the basement. Li Xiao identifies him as a likely professional hitman.
• Shen Bing interrogates the man about the bomb planted at the Jinjiang Hotel. When the captive dismisses Shen’s threat that Little Doudou can read minds, Little Doudou speaks directly into his thoughts and effortlessly destroys the chair and ropes with his claws.
• Terrified, the assassin—Suola—confesses that he belongs to the organization Bird of Paradise. He knows little about who commissioned the bombing, but says the organization’s headquarters may hold records of the assignment.
• Shen orders Li Xiao to dispose of Suola and keep both his and Little Doudou’s involvement secret.

Character developments and interactions

• Little Doudou demonstrates remarkable initiative, stealth, driving ability, telepathy, and strength. His audacious conduct both impresses and unnerves Shen.
• Shen Bing is angry and impatient to uncover who targeted the hotel. He uses Little Doudou’s powers as leverage, then decides to pursue the lead to Bird of Paradise.
• Li Xiao acts as Shen’s dependable enforcer, assessing the captive, securing him, and agreeing to make him disappear.
• Suola begins defiant and skeptical, but Little Doudou’s supernatural display shatters his confidence and makes him cooperate.

Significant themes

• The chapter mixes crime and supernatural power, turning an ordinary interrogation into a display of Little Doudou’s extraordinary abilities.
• Loyalty and protection drive the heroes: they pursue the bomber to prevent harm to Shen and others.
• Secrecy and escalating danger remain central, as the attack’s sponsor is still unknown and the Bird of Paradise organization offers only a possible trail.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing suspects Lin Tianxiang ordered the bombing to disrupt Phantom Immortal Technology’s bidding event, possibly in retaliation for Shen Bing’s leverage over Lin Tianxiang’s son. He sends Little Doudou to watch Lin Tianxiang, bribing it with more Immortal Realm cat food.
• Huang Tao calls to report that Shen Bing’s glass component exceeds military standards. He also says approval for mass-producing the Virtual Combat System may arrive the next day. Shen Bing is underwhelmed and ends the call quickly.
• Shen Bing finds a quest to deliver a gift from Marshal Tianpeng to Fairy Chang’e. Though the teleportation costs ten million, he accepts rather than risk losing the opportunity.
• At Tianpeng’s lavish residence, Shen Bing expects to meet the pig-like “Second Senior Brother” from legend but is astonished to find a handsome, dignified marshal instead.
• Shen Bing claims to have divined Tianpeng’s troubles. Tianpeng admits his longing for Chang’e and reveals that he built a courtyard beneath an osmanthus tree as a place to think of her. He asks Shen Bing to keep his feelings secret.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains suspicious and proactive about the bombing, while using bluff, confidence, and humor to get what he wants.
• Little Doudou is eager to help but negotiates for more cat food.
• Tianpeng’s imposing public image contrasts with his shy, lovesick nature. He trusts Shen Bing and confides in him, but Shen Bing grows impatient waiting for him to get to the point.
• Huang Tao is excited by the military’s progress, while Shen Bing treats the news as routine and prioritizes the Immortal Realm quest.

Significant themes

• Ongoing danger and uncertainty: Catching the bomber is not enough; Shen Bing fears the unseen mastermind and further attacks.
• Romance and longing: Tianpeng’s devotion to Chang’e shapes his private life despite his powerful status.
• Humor through contrast: Shen Bing’s modern, irreverent thoughts clash with his lofty immortal persona and Tianpeng’s unexpectedly handsome appearance.
• Opportunity versus cost: Shen Bing resents the teleportation expense but accepts it because quest opportunities may disappear.

Plot points and events

• Second Senior Brother (Marshal Tianpeng) asks Shen Bing to deliver Fairy Chang’e two gifts: a Netherworld Flower and an illusory rainbow immortal crystal. He admits the Jade Emperor has forbidden him from contacting Chang’e, but promises Shen Bing a generous reward.
• Shen Bing agrees, dismissing the Heavenly Laws and presenting himself as a powerful adept. Tianpeng is impressed and begins imagining Shen Bing could help him win Chang’e’s favor.
• Receiving the crystal triggers a quest-enabled teleport, sending Shen Bing directly to the Moon Palace, where Wu Gang challenges him for trespassing.
• Shen Bing’s mother calls to discuss his approaching winter break and urges him to come home and spend time with Yun Xue. She also presses him about his career and the civil service exam. Shen Bing makes an excuse about work and ends the call.
• Chang’e appears, and Shen Bing is struck by her beauty. He tries to conceal the giver’s identity, but the quest warns that she must know who sent the gift and accept it personally. Shen Bing cancels the message, realizing the delivery may be dangerous.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing is boastful and opportunistic, agreeing to help because Tianpeng’s promised reward sounds valuable. Yet he is cautious when the quest’s conditions threaten to expose the sender.
• Tianpeng is earnest and embarrassed about asking for help, but his confidence in Shen Bing quickly grows. His belief that Chang’e might return his affection reflects his self-delusion.
• Shen Bing and his mother have a familiar, affectionate but strained exchange: she worries about his future and wants him home, while he dodges her plans and career advice.
• Shen Bing, Wu Gang, and Chang’e meet at the Moon Palace. Wu Gang is suspicious of the intruder, while Chang’e is courteous and curious about the gift’s source.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: Shen Bing’s grand claims impress Tianpeng despite his motives and uncertainty; Tianpeng’s romantic hopes also ignore Chang’e’s apparent lack of interest.
• Rules, risk, and consequences: Shen Bing laughs off the Heavenly Laws, but the quest’s requirement to identify Tianpeng may create consequences he did not anticipate.
• Competing obligations: Shen Bing juggles supernatural quests with ordinary concerns—family expectations, school, exams, and work.

Plot points and events

• Shen Bing presents Fairy Chang’e with an illusory rainbow immortal crystal, claiming it came from Marshal Tianpeng as an apology. Chang’e and Wu Gang distrust the gift because Tianpeng was previously banished for harassing her.
• Shen Bing argues that past wrongdoing need not make someone irredeemable, and insists Tianpeng’s gift is innocent. Chang’e remains unconvinced, pointing out how difficult—and costly—the crystal would have been for Tianpeng to obtain.
• Shen Bing changes his story, claiming he personally brought the crystal from Iceflame Island after losing a bet to Tianpeng. Wu Gang challenges him, and Shen Bing proposes a wager: if he can obtain another crystal, Chang’e should accept the gift.
• Chang’e initially refuses, but Shen Bing persuades her to let him prove his claim. He says he previously obtained a crystal for Thousand-Mile Eye, Gao Jue, and suggests they ask him to confirm it.
• Chang’e agrees to visit Gao Jue’s abode. Shen Bing, realizing the bluff may be exposed, quickly teleports there with a talisman.

Character developments

• Shen Bing is resourceful and manipulative, repeatedly changing tactics to complete his mission. He hides his true motives and uses persuasion, a wager, and a carefully chosen claim about Gao Jue.
• Chang’e remains cautious and principled, reluctant to accept a gift that could imply encouragement of Tianpeng’s advances. She nevertheless agrees to verify Shen Bing’s story rather than simply dismiss him.
• Wu Gang is openly hostile toward Tianpeng and suspicious of Shen Bing. He briefly falls silent when Shen Bing compares Tianpeng’s offense with the Great Sage’s past misdeeds, but later challenges Shen Bing’s claims.
• Tianpeng does not appear, but his history with Chang’e shapes everyone’s interpretation of the gift.

Significant themes

• Trust, reputation, and redemption: Shen Bing argues that past mistakes should not condemn someone forever, while Chang’e’s distrust reflects the lasting consequences of Tianpeng’s behavior.
• Intentions versus appearances: The crystal may be an apology or an attempt to pursue Chang’e; its value and the effort required to obtain it make its meaning ambiguous.
• Persuasion and truth: Shen Bing’s shifting explanations expose the tension between genuine proof and strategic deception.
• Honor and obligation: Chang’e feels bound by her agreement to hear Shen Bing out, even as she regrets accepting the wager.

Character interactions

• Shen Bing clashes with Wu Gang over whether Tianpeng deserves another chance, then turns Wu Gang’s skepticism into an opportunity to propose a wager.
• Chang’e calmly challenges Shen Bing’s account and makes clear that accepting the crystal could entangle her in unwanted consequences.
• Shen Bing appeals to Chang’e’s sense of fairness and uses her own willingness to honor her word to move the discussion toward verification.
• The chapter ends with Shen Bing and Chang’e set to confront Gao Jue, while Shen Bing races ahead alone by teleportation.

Plot points and events

• After delivering the illusory rainbow immortal crystal to Chang’e, Shen Bing discovers that the Gate to the Immortal Realm’s built-in return teleportation only works if he stays at the quest’s designated location. Since he went to Thousand-Mile Eye’s residence first, he has to use a Teleportation Talisman to get back.
• Thousand-Mile Eye asks him to fetch another crystal from Iceflame Island, but no quest appears. Shen Bing declines, and the system returns him to Marshal Tianpeng’s residence.
• Tianpeng thanks Shen Bing for delivering the crystal and gives him a mysterious, pitch-black item he found on an Ancient Battlefield. It contains a consciousness resembling an artifact spirit, but neither of them knows what it does.
• Accepting the gift completes another quest. Shen Bing refuses the system’s suggested teleport to Illusory Void Island, then later spends another Teleportation Talisman to leave.
• Shen Bing learns that the Heavenly Court’s influence over the Mortal Realm apparently ended in the late Tang dynasty. The reason for the Immortal-Mortal Separation is a taboo even Tianpeng cannot explain.
• Back in his own world, Shen Bing tries to analyze the black item with the Eye of Truth. The analysis fails twice, and a third attempt could destroy it. He decides to wait until the Gate to the Immortal Realm levels up before risking another attempt.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains practical and irreverent, judging rewards by their usefulness and treating the Immortal Realm like a game. He is frustrated by wasted teleportation costs, the lack of a second quest, and the unknown value of Tianpeng’s gift, but chooses caution over destroying it.
• Thousand-Mile Eye feels guilty that his earlier reward was too small, accepts Chang’e’s crystal after Gao Jue explains the situation, and hopes Shen Bing will make another trip for him.
• Chang’e accepts the crystal without complaint and remembers Shen Bing as a powerful cultivator whose karmic connection might prove useful.
• Tianpeng (Second Senior Brother) is grateful and eager to hear whether Chang’e said anything. He rewards Shen Bing with the mysterious item, showing trust and generosity despite knowing little about it.

Significant themes

• Uncertainty and unreliable systems: Quest rules and teleportation conditions are narrower than Shen Bing expects, making progress unpredictable.
• Value versus appearance: Shen Bing cares less about an item’s impressive origin than whether it can help him; the black artifact’s true worth remains unknown.
• Karma and future alliances: Chang’e sees her connection with Shen Bing as potentially valuable in a future crisis.
• Humor and frustration: Shen Bing’s sarcastic reactions contrast with the grandeur of the Immortal Realm and its treasures.

Plot points and events

• After completing a task in the Immortal Realm, Shen Bing returns to Craftsman God Island, finds nothing new, and logs out.
• He tours his newly purchased luxury villa on Dragon Lake Ring Island, admiring its extensive amenities and privacy. He is especially intrigued by the heavily fortified underground room, which he plans to use for storing unusual items brought back from the Immortal Realm.
• Li Xiao reports that the immediate target has been dealt with. Shen Bing asks about the Bird of Paradise, an elusive international assassin organization. Li Xiao confirms its fearsome reputation but cannot explain how it avoids detection. Shen Bing suspects it may have powerful backing and decides to wait for Little Doudou’s update.
• News coverage of Phantom Immortal Technology’s glass-bidding results sparks a major sensation. The ten orders total more than six billion yuan, drawing national and overseas attention despite the company’s limited production capacity.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing enjoys the rewards of his success but remains practical: he values the villa’s privacy and security, and considers the underground chamber useful for safeguarding Immortal Realm objects. He is also suspicious of the forces behind Bird of Paradise.
• Li Xiao shows his operational competence by handling the assigned target, while acknowledging the limits of his knowledge and influence in international affairs.
• Little Doudou is absent and has not sent Shen Bing an update, prompting Shen Bing to complain about his laziness.
• The media recasts Shen Bing as a young business prodigy and eligible bachelor, though his university identity remains unknown.

Significant themes

• Rapid success and public image: A startup less than six months old becomes a business sensation, and media attention turns Shen Bing into a celebrity.
• Wealth, privacy, and security: The villa represents luxury, but its secluded setting and fortified chamber matter to Shen Bing for practical reasons.
• Power and uncertainty: Bird of Paradise’s reach—and the possibility of hidden state backing—shows how little ordinary players know about international power structures.
• The gap between demand and capacity: The huge order total promises enormous success, but the factory’s limited output means growth will be constrained by production.

Plot points and events

• Shen Bing and Li Xiao head out to eat because Shen’s home has no housekeeper. Shen asks Li to hire a hardworking cook and carefully check the candidate’s character.
• On Riverside Avenue, Shen spots a Ferrari 488 driven by Lin Zijian, a man currently out on bail. Shen casually orders Li to ram it, claiming they can test which car is safer.
• Li accelerates the Bentley into the Ferrari. The impact sends the Ferrari into a flower bed and badly damages its rear; both drivers survive, though Lin is shaken and bruised.
• Shen pretends the collision was an accident caused by Li panicking and hitting the accelerator. He taunts Lin by reminding him that assault could send him back to detention, then leaves to find food.
• Shen tells Li to arrange repairs, buy a replacement car, and have insurance cover Lin’s Ferrari—while declining to use insurance for his own Bentley. Li orders a Spyker worth more than eight million yuan, leaving Lin furious and humiliated.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing is shown as reckless, wealthy, and deliberately provocative. He uses a calm, joking manner to conceal his hostility and enjoys needling Lin while avoiding direct consequences.
• Li Xiao remains dutiful despite being startled by Shen’s order. He carries it out, handles the practical arrangements, and privately regards Shen as a “closet show-off.”
• Lin Zijian is furious but constrained by his bail conditions and fear of renewed detention. He recognizes that Shen’s explanation is false but cannot safely retaliate.
• Shen and Li’s easy, deadpan exchanges contrast with Lin’s growing anger; Li’s pitying view of Lin adds a comic edge to the encounter.

Significant themes

• Wealth and power: The characters treat million-yuan cars and major repair costs as routine.
• Provocation and restraint: Shen deliberately escalates the conflict, while Lin’s legal vulnerability prevents him from responding physically.
• Public scrutiny and accountability: Lin’s family fears online outrage and scandal, showing that public opinion can limit even wealthy people’s freedom.
• Comedic irony: Shen claims responsibility and offers insurance for Lin’s car while behaving as though the collision was intentional, making his “reasonable” response part of the taunt.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing waits in a private room at the upscale Ginkgo Hotel for Li Xiao, ordering tea and several house specialties.
• While browsing the ever-changing quests in the Gate to the Immortal Realm, he sees absurd challenges involving Lord Lao’s runaway Azure Ox and a fight between the Great Sage Equal to Heaven and Erlang Shen.
• Wang Sheng calls with company updates. Shen Bing declines an exclusive newspaper interview, partly because he fears his mother would be angry to learn of his success from the press.
• The ten companies awarded projects have paid their deposits. Shen Bing directs Wang Sheng to allocate the funds by priority and keep pursuing an international design for the company headquarters, though a finished design by month’s end seems unlikely.
• Shen Bing stresses the need to expand production for twelve active projects. Wang Sheng reports that the glass factory’s second phase is nearly complete and should raise output to 400 tons per day, enabling the orders to be completed in roughly six or seven months.
• The Nancy Group has chosen Xiadao City for its project, a predictable but inconvenient outcome for Shen Bing. It won only the Handan project in the latest bidding round because its available capital is limited.
• Shen Bing is pleased that the telescope production line has been purchased and outsourced chips delivered. He plans to use Phantom Immortal Technology’s telescope expertise as a stepping stone into the camera-lens market.
• Li Xiao arrives; Shen Bing’s pleased expression suggests he expects trouble for Lin Zijian.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing is growing into his role as a wealthy company chairman, balancing ambition with practical concerns. He resists publicity, worries about his mother’s reaction, and focuses on production, funding, and expansion. He also reveals confidence in the company’s technical advantage and appetite for entering a major new market.
• Wang Sheng acts as a reliable, pragmatic adviser. He reports operational progress, explains the limits of the headquarters-design timeline, and offers business reasoning for Nancy Group’s choice of Xiadao.
• Shen Bing and Li Xiao are about to meet, with the final hint implying that their conversation may involve Lin Zijian.

Significant themes

• Business growth and execution: Winning projects matters only if the company can fund and fulfill them; Shen Bing prioritizes capacity and delivery.
• Ambition built on technology: The company’s telescope capabilities—especially a 38-element optical system—could support expansion into camera lenses, a vast market spanning cameras and smartphones.
• Public success versus private life: Shen Bing enjoys the prospect of recognition but avoids an interview because he expects family conflict if his mother learns about his achievements through the news.
• Chance and unpredictability: The shifting supernatural quests contrast with the more calculable, though still challenging, decisions of business.

Plot points and events

• Li Xiao reports that he left Lin Zijian at the scene of the car incident with the dealership and insurance representatives. Shen Bing is pleased that the encounter likely irritated Lin, though he doubts he can provoke him into another arrest.
• Shen Bing considers trading the Basic Animal-Enhancement Potion Formula to build a stronger relationship with the military. He has tested it on two dogs at his glass factory and found it effective, but thinks it would be more valuable as a bargaining chip than for his own limited use.
• At lunch, Shen Bing recognizes the woman at the next table as Yuan Wei, a university librarian. He overhears her urgently demanding 10,000 yuan from someone, then hears her mother tell the restaurant server that Yuan Wei is struggling financially and that she herself is seriously ill.
• Moved by the mother’s concern for her daughter, Shen Bing pays both his own bill and the neighboring table’s meal. He leaves without identifying himself. Yuan Wei learns that someone paid, but sees only two men departing in a luxury car and cannot place Shen Bing.
• The next morning, Shen Bing arrives at Yongxin Plaza in his new Spyker C8. Its price and his youth draw attention from nearby onlookers, who speculate about his wealth and status.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains calculating and mischievous toward Lin Zijian, but his response to Yuan Wei’s family situation reveals a more compassionate side. He helps anonymously rather than seeking recognition.
• Yuan Wei appears confident when reassuring her mother about her salary, but Shen Bing senses her insecurity. Her private phone call suggests serious financial pressure, while her care for her mother is clear.
• Yuan Wei’s mother is gravely ill and tries to protect her daughter from the cost of the meal, even offering money she has saved from Yuan Wei.
• Li Xiao acts as Shen Bing’s trusted aide, reporting the aftermath of the earlier incident and accompanying him to the restaurant and office.
• At the plaza, two young women admire Shen Bing’s car; one jokes that she might marry its wealthy owner, while her friend is embarrassed by her enthusiasm.

Significant themes

• Power and strategy: Shen Bing treats the potion formula as leverage for strengthening ties with the military.
• Hidden hardship and appearances: Yuan Wei presents herself as financially secure, yet her call and her mother’s comments reveal a difficult reality.
• Quiet generosity: Shen Bing’s anonymous payment contrasts with his otherwise pragmatic, status-conscious world.
• Wealth and social perception: The Spyker’s arrival prompts assumptions about Shen Bing’s background and highlights how conspicuous luxury shapes people’s judgments.

Key events

• At Phantom Immortal Technology, Shen Bing reviews interim department heads’ evaluations with HR manager Zhang Zi’an. Gong Xiaolan is confirmed as a strong choice to lead Legal, and Dong Qiang is considered capable of running the glass factory.
• The Administration Department’s acting manager, Qiu Ziyun, is judged poorly suited to a company growing rapidly, so Shen approves seeking an outside candidate. Chen Wanhua will become deputy manager of the Network Department while the company keeps its future internet ambitions in view.
• Shen approves creating a company Security Department to protect employees and separate factory security from factory administration, appointing Wang Dong as its manager. He also asks HR to find a housekeeper.
• Little Doudou reports that Lin Tianxiang hired someone to plant the bomb. Enraged, Shen contacts Gao Jingchuan and pressures him to help get Lin Zijian imprisoned, dangling a potentially valuable animal-enhancing formula in return.
• Shen tells Gao the formula could let a black-backed shepherd dog stand up to a lion. Gao abruptly ends the call, leaving Shen confused.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing shows confident, sometimes impulsive leadership: he delegates staffing decisions but pushes ambitious plans for the company’s future. Once he learns Lin Tianxiang was behind the bombing, his anger drives him to use leverage rather than wait patiently for legal processes.
• Zhang Zi’an demonstrates practical judgment and familiarity with the company’s needs. He supports recruitment, security reforms, and the proposed housekeeper arrangement, while privately doubting Shen’s far-reaching internet plans.
• Gao Jingchuan recognizes Shen’s manipulation but is tempted by the promised formula. His sudden disconnection suggests shock at its implications.
• Li Xiao is accommodated with a break room at work and prompts Shen to arrange household help.

Significant themes

• Rapid growth and organizational change: The company needs capable leaders, clearer responsibilities, and stronger security as it expands.
• Vision versus practicality: Shen thinks beyond the company’s current glass business, while Zhang doubts how readily it can enter the internet sector.
• Power, loyalty, and leverage: Shen uses his friendship with Gao and the promise of a rare formula to influence the handling of Lin Zijian.
• Anger and retaliation: The bombing revelation shifts Shen from seeking a quiet resolution to pursuing forceful action.

Key events

• After Shen Bing tells Gao Jingchuan that a Black-Backed Shepherd can fight a lion, Gao challenges him to prove it. Shen confirms the claim and offers a formula in exchange for Lin Zijian, who allegedly tried to steal Phantom Immortal Technology’s confidential technology.
• Gao consults his superiors. They insist Lin will face the law, while indicating the country will fairly compensate Shen if the formula proves valuable.
• Gao arrives at Shen’s office in uniform with four armed soldiers and two lockboxes. Shen gives him the formula and a sample, jokingly threatening to take the formula back when Gao hesitates.
• Gao says a senior official wants to meet Shen. Shen agrees, postponing a planned visit to the Glass Factory, and travels with Gao to a military compound.
• Inside, Gao leads Shen down an elevator to a brightly lit underground corridor lined with offices. The meeting itself has not yet begun.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains quick-witted, irreverent, and confident, repeatedly teasing Gao and treating the high-stakes exchange casually. He also recognizes that publicly displaying Phantom Immortal Technology’s military ties could attract unwanted attention.
• Gao Jingchuan is exasperated by Shen’s jokes but takes the formula seriously, prioritizing caution and verification. He also serves as the practical intermediary between Shen and the military leadership.
• Their banter reflects a familiar, competitive relationship: Shen needles Gao, while Gao complains but continues working with him.
• Shen’s nervousness at the military compound offers a brief contrast to his usual composure, though he readily follows Gao inside.

Significant themes

• Law versus strategic value: The authorities affirm that Lin Zijian must be punished legally, even as they consider the formula’s potential importance.
• Trust and verification: Gao’s earlier experience with Shen makes him wary, so he insists on seeing the formula and sample in person.
• Power, security, and visibility: The military escort signals the formula’s perceived value, while Shen worries that openly advertising the company’s military connections could create new risks.
• Humor amid high stakes: Shen’s teasing keeps the negotiations informal despite the serious military context.

Plot points

• While waiting in an underground base for a chief to finish a meeting, Shen Bing checks the Gate to the Immortal Realm and finds Lu Ban beside his character.
• Lu Ban reports that Shen Bing’s advice greatly improved his Divine Puppet Artisan’s efficiency, allowing him to finish the Jade Emperor’s assignment much sooner. The completed quest earns Shen Bing a powerful one-use Eye of Truth permission that can analyze items of any level.
• Shen Bing considers what to analyze, especially the expensive Aperture-Opening Pill, but recalls the mysterious Pitch-Black Bead as another possibility.
• Lu Ban gives Shen Bing a Demon Puppet Artisan as thanks. Though less precise than a Divine Puppet Artisan, it can change size and shape and help with manufacturing and smelting.
• Shen Bing asks Lu Ban to visit the Plague God, presenting the introduction as part of his vow to help hundreds of millions of people and earn merit. Lu Ban readily agrees.
• Shen Bing teleports to Plague God Hall; Lu Ban travels there on a giant Mechanism Bird. The Plague God is thrilled to meet him, but the two Gods quickly become engrossed in conversation, leaving Shen Bing ignored.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains opportunistic and irreverent: he is excited by the system reward and Lu Ban’s gift, and readily invents a grand spiritual justification for arranging the meeting. He also thinks of Lu Ban as unusually straightforward and easy to persuade.
• Lu Ban shows deep respect for Shen Bing, crediting his advice with transforming his work. He repays the favor with a valuable gift and willingly helps the Plague God.
• The Plague God is delighted to gain a companion, having long wished to make an Immortal friend.
• Shen Bing first coaches Lu Ban, then negotiates the gift and arranges his meeting with the Plague God. Once the two Gods meet, their enthusiasm sidelines him—ironically, since he set the encounter up.

Significant themes

• Rewards and reciprocity: The quest system grants Shen Bing a formal reward, while Lu Ban’s gift reflects personal gratitude and the story’s idea of karmic return.
• Ingenuity and practical limits: Powerful knowledge is not automatically useful; Shen Bing worries that analyzing advanced technology could yield discoveries he cannot build.
• Loneliness and friendship: The Plague God’s isolation gives Shen Bing’s matchmaking plan emotional weight, even as the resulting friendship leaves him comically excluded.
• Comic contrast: Shen Bing’s lofty “Reverend” image contrasts with his cynical inner monologue and self-serving calculations.

Key plot points

• After helping the Plague God befriend Immortal Ban Shu, Shen Bing receives a precious pill as his quest reward. He declines the system’s offer to teleport him back to Illusory Void Island.
• He then learns that the system upgrade can only happen on the island. Forced to return, he spends ten immortal jade on a teleportation talisman.
• The upgrade begins, but it must remain in the foreground for hours. With only 12% battery and no power bank, Shen Bing panics that his phone will die and the upgrade might fail.
• He seeks a charger from Gao Jingchuan, just as Gao arrives with a lieutenant general referred to as the Chief and another officer. Shen Bing awkwardly asks the Chief to borrow a charger, explaining that he has been playing a phone game.
• The Chief asks about the physique-enhancing potion Shen Bing supplied. His real concern is whether its effects are reliable and whether it can work on humans, suggesting possible military applications.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains powerful but comically preoccupied with his phone and the system. His frustration at the system’s restrictions turns into anxiety over the upgrade, making him appear embarrassingly childish during a serious meeting.
• Gao Jingchuan tries to steer Shen Bing away from asking the Chief for a charger, but ultimately goes to find one at the Chief’s request. Shen Bing’s reminder about the ten-minute battery limit nearly makes him stumble.
• The Chief is impressed by Shen Bing’s achievements and initially greets him warmly, but is taken aback by his gaming and charger request. He nevertheless accommodates Shen Bing and turns to business.
• The officers’ reactions contrast with Shen Bing’s casual behavior, creating humor and awkwardness. The Chief’s questions also show his interest in Shen Bing’s technology and openness to exploring its potential.

Significant themes

• Technology and dependence: Even a supernatural system is constrained by an ordinary phone’s battery and upgrade rules.
• Comedy through mismatched priorities: Shen Bing’s urgent concern about charging his phone clashes with the gravity of a military visit.
• Power and responsibility: The potion’s possible use on humans raises the prospect of greatly strengthening soldiers, along with unanswered questions about its safety and consistency.
• System unreliability: The system imposes costly, poorly timed conditions, leaving Shen Bing frustrated and wary of its consequences.

Key plot points and events

• The Chief asks Shen Bing whether the Animal Enhancement Serum might work on humans. Shen admits he does not know, saying he found the formula in an ancient book, though he suspects it could work. The Chief is cautious after an earlier Intelligence Potion trial turned two death-row inmates into idiots.
• The discussion shifts to Phantom Immortal Technology’s new telescope, which can reportedly identify faces from twenty kilometers away. A military officer scoffs at Shen’s claim, citing the limits of human steadiness and atmospheric distortion.
• Shen fires back by naming advanced image-processing technologies and challenges the officer to livestream himself eating excrement if the telescope cannot perform as claimed. The officer backs down. The Chief confirms that the company’s demonstration video supports Shen’s claims.
• The Chief explains the telescope’s potential security risks: hostile forces could surveil military bases, identify sensitive personnel, or endanger senior leaders.
• Shen recognizes the Chief is seeking limits on civilian sales. He assures him the telescope cannot be copied because it uses Dream Glass. The Chief agrees that a reduced-performance civilian version, capped at a two-kilometer range, can be sold.
• The Chief then reveals that the military may buy full-performance models and offers to recommend a large order if Shen can persuade him.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains confident, sharp-tongued, and focused on the Gate to the Immortal Realm as his true path to power. He is willing to let others handle scientific research once he has trained them. He also shows commercial confidence, believing the Chief’s estimate of the company’s future tax contribution is far too low.
• The Chief balances national security with support for innovation. He respects Shen’s abilities, honors the government’s tax agreement, and negotiates restrictions rather than simply blocking the telescope’s release.
• The middle-aged officer challenges Shen dismissively but loses confidence when confronted with Shen’s technical claims and public wager.
• The exchange between Shen and the officer is combative, while the Chief acts as mediator and redirects their argument toward practical security and procurement concerns.

Significant themes

• Innovation versus established standards: Shen rejects assumptions based on existing Western limits and presents his company as capable of surpassing them.
• Technology and national security: A product with major civilian uses can also create serious surveillance risks.
• Ambition and leverage: Shen treats his extraordinary inventions—and Dream Glass’s uniqueness—as sources of both commercial and strategic power.
• Trust and negotiation: The Chief seeks safeguards, while Shen’s confidence in his technology enables a deal involving restricted civilian sales and possible military procurement.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing agrees to provide the military with a sample of the Animal Enhancement Serum, while jokingly focusing on getting his nearly dead phone charged.
• He tells Gao Jingchuan to collect the Telescope from Illusion Immortal Technology in three days, then leaves the military facility.
• In private, Commander Gao asks his son, Gao Jingchuan, about Shen Bing’s character and patriotism. Gao describes him as a former nationalist-minded student.
• Gao explains that Lin Zijian sought to steal Shen Bing’s Dream Glass technology, ultimately hiring foreign mercenaries to rob the factory. Though Lin was released on bail after local political pressure, the evidence strongly links him to the crime.
• Shen has made providing the serum conditional on Lin being returned to custody and properly punished. Commander Gao promises to act and calls provincial official Secretary Jiang, framing the case as a national-security issue.
• The call reaches Rongcheng’s top official, Li Zhuoming, who is furious that a district official interfered in the case without his knowledge. He orders an investigation.

Character developments

• Shen Bing remains irreverent and self-assured, treating his phone battery as an urgent concern even amid high-stakes military discussions. He also uses the serum as leverage to seek justice for the factory’s workers and protect his company.
• Gao Jingchuan is revealed to be Commander Gao’s son and a rising military officer, recently promoted to colonel. He understands the political significance of his father’s intervention.
• Commander Gao shifts from assessing Shen’s trustworthiness to taking forceful action on his behalf, using his authority to make clear that the case will be pursued.
• Li Zhuoming is driven by ambition to make Rongcheng a genuine technology hub, but the news exposes a serious failure within his administration and provokes his anger.

Significant themes

• Justice versus political influence: Lin’s release illustrates how local officials can obstruct accountability, while higher-level intervention aims to reverse that outcome.
• Patriotism and national security: Shen’s company and technology are treated as matters of strategic importance, raising the stakes of the theft.
• Power and political ambition: Officials act both to defend national interests and to protect their reputations, authority, and career prospects.
• Humor amid tension: Shen’s teasing and fixation on his phone contrast with the serious political and security consequences unfolding around him.

Character interactions

• Shen needles Gao Jingchuan about his anger and offers to buy him an expensive game subscription; Gao ignores the provocation.
• Commander Gao presses Gao Jingchuan for an assessment of Shen, then corrects him for addressing him as “Dad” while on duty.
• Gao Jingchuan alerts his father to Lin Zijian’s role and Shen’s condition for supplying the serum.
• Commander Gao’s call to Secretary Jiang triggers a rapid chain of political action, culminating in Li Zhuoming’s order for a disciplinary investigation.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing leaves the military base with Li Xiao and returns to company headquarters. On the way, his phone announces that the Gate to the Immortal Realm has upgraded to Level Two, unlocking a technology-rating system and new shop access.
• He names the newly acquired Demon Puppet Artisan Lu Xian. The device is a highly advanced, energy-sustained manufacturing machine capable of nanometer-precision work and processing materials and objects of any size, though it is nearly useless in combat. Shen Bing believes it could eliminate manufacturing bottlenecks at Phantom Immortal Technology and outperform the world’s leading machine tools.
• At the elevator, Yuan Wei accidentally runs into Shen Bing, knocking his phone from his hand. Shen Bing catches it—but inadvertently gropes her in the process. After an awkward accusation and explanation, Yuan accepts that it was an accident.
• Yuan says she quit her library job because the pay was too low and has come to interview for a new position. Shen Bing offers to help, but she assumes he is only an intern. She gets off on the ninth floor while he works on the nineteenth.
• Back in his office, Shen Bing uses the upgraded Eye of Truth to analyze Lu Xian. Two forced analyses yield Full-Fidelity Visual Sensing Technology and Geothermal Power Generation Technology; a third fails. His super-privilege analysis warns that the machine contains more technology categories than the system can analyze at once, so it will randomly examine only three.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing is increasingly confident that Lu Xian can transform his company’s industrial capabilities. He remains impulsive and lecherous in his private thoughts, though he recognizes that his encounter with Yuan Wei needs an explanation. He also considers finding a girlfriend but admits he tends to procrastinate.
• Yuan Wei is embarrassed and angry after the collision but proves reasonable once Shen Bing explains what happened. Her job search hints at financial pressure, and Shen Bing suspects she may have family medical expenses but does not know how to offer help tactfully.
• Li Xiao remains Shen Bing’s easygoing assistant, teasing him about leaving the military base without lunch and then driving him back to the company.
• The encounter between Shen Bing and Yuan Wei shifts quickly from a near-accusation to an awkward, civil exchange. Shen Bing’s offer of help is sincere, though Yuan Wei doubts he has much influence.

Significant themes

• Technological ambition: Lu Xian represents a potential leap in industrial capability, and Shen Bing sees its value not only in manufacturing but also in the technologies hidden within it.
• Uneven progress and limits: The new system expands Shen Bing’s options, but its analysis restrictions keep the machine’s secrets from being unlocked all at once.
• Awkward attraction and responsibility: The accidental grope blends comedy with Shen Bing’s self-serving thoughts, while Yuan Wei’s reaction and his explanation foreground the need to take responsibility for an uncomfortable interaction.
• Money and personal hardship: Yuan Wei’s low-paying work and possible family troubles introduce a quieter concern that Shen Bing wants to address but cannot yet resolve.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing reconsiders using his super privilege to analyze the Demon Puppet Artisan. He realizes its technologies may span several different systems, making the results less useful than a complete, practical package. He cancels the analysis, reasoning that teleporting the artisan itself into the real world would already be valuable.
• He opens a gift pack and finds an Any-Location Teleportation Talisman, which only works within the Immortal Realm and seems dangerous rather than helpful. He also examines the Invisibility Pill, a two-hour, single-use concealment item, but sets it aside.
• Curious about a dark sphere said to come from the Ancient Battlefield, Shen Bing uses his super privilege to analyze it. The result is three-star Super Artificial Intelligence Technology and four-star Consciousness Transmission Technology.
• He discovers that removing the sphere would cost 3,000 Immortal Jade, while transferring the technologies also costs far more than he can afford. Even teleporting the Demon Puppet Artisan requires 2,000 Immortal Jade. He can only contemplate extracting the artificial-intelligence technology later.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing shows more strategic judgment: he prioritizes practical, usable technology over impressive but potentially fragmented discoveries.
• His excitement at acquiring advanced technology quickly gives way to frustration when the system’s prices expose how limited his resources are.
• His resentment toward the Plague God is misplaced—the god is blamed for the disappointing gift pack and bad luck, though the Plague God plays no direct role in the events.
• Shen Bing interacts mainly with the system, testing its analysis, transfer, and teleportation functions; its unaffordable prices repeatedly thwart him.

Significant themes

• Practicality versus potential: Powerful discoveries matter only if Shen Bing can use or obtain them.
• Wealth and limitation: His ambitions are constrained less by access to technology than by the Immortal Jade required to retrieve it.
• Humor through anticlimax: Remarkable breakthroughs are undercut by mundane costs, Shen Bing’s profanity, and his final admission: “Turns out I really am poor.”

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing needs three billion yuan to acquire Super Artificial Intelligence Technology and Puppet Artisan Lu Xian, but he is wary of transferring Phantom Immortal Technology’s earnings into his personal account without a legitimate business reason.
• Zhang Zi’an brings in Yuan Wei, an applicant for a housekeeper position. Shen Bing and Yuan Wei recognize each other from an earlier meeting.
• Yuan explains that she needs at least a million yuan urgently. Shen agrees immediately to lend it to her, asking her to repay him by working as his housekeeper. He tells her to collect the money and report to Dragon Lake Ring Island the next morning.
• On the way to the glass factory, Shen learns the job advertisement specified a young, attractive, educated woman with cooking skills, and offered a salary of 20,000 yuan a month with no upper limit for exceptional candidates. He realizes the ad may have made the position sound like an invitation to satisfy a wealthy employer’s personal desires.
• At the Illusion Immortal Glass Factory, Shen sees that security has been substantially upgraded after a prior burglary. The factory now has a 60-person team, including twelve former special-forces soldiers, as well as cameras, infrared sensors, and barbed wire.
• Two enhanced black-backed shepherds greet Shen. Their strength and intelligence have made them formidable members of the security force. Shen then asks Wang Dong to walk with him so they can discuss several matters.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing acts generously toward Yuan, confident she will not disappear with the money. His joking remark about wanting a beautiful housekeeper reveals both his attraction to the idea and some embarrassment about how it might look.
• Yuan Wei appears desperate enough to consider exchanging personal services for financial help, but Shen’s unexpected willingness to lend her the money leaves her surprised and uncertain.
• Zhang Zi’an and Li Xiao show initiative in arranging the hire, though their unusually specific requirements and generous salary amuse and embarrass Shen.
• Wang Dong is proud of the factory’s improved defenses and protective security team, but is briefly flustered when Shen challenges his overly deferential welcome.
• The enhanced dogs display loyalty and obedience to Shen, while their prowess has earned them respect—and fear—among the guards.

Significant themes

• Wealth, trust, and responsibility: Shen’s willingness to lend Yuan a large sum contrasts with his caution about moving company money.
• Power and technological change: Enhanced animals, advanced manufacturing, and stronger security show how technology is reshaping everyday life.
• Humor and self-image: Shen’s thoughts about the housekeeper advertisement playfully expose his vanity, embarrassment, and enjoyment of wealth.
• Security and vulnerability: The factory’s defenses reflect the consequences of the earlier burglary and the growing importance of protecting valuable assets.