Chapter Summaries

Plot points

• Shen Bing argues that converting a transport plane to nuclear power would require a new supersonic-capable airframe, not merely replacement engines. He claims Phantom Immortal Technology has advanced aircraft-manufacturing expertise.
• Director Zhang is skeptical, but Commander Gao vouches for Shen Bing’s capabilities, citing the company’s aircraft designs and extensive modifications to Shen Bing’s private plane.
• Gao Jingchuan reports that national leaders have approved buying five complete combat-system sets, including transport aircraft and power-transmission equipment. Shen Bing promises the first within half a month and the other four within a month, provided the government handles certain later installations.
• After the meeting, Liu Jin invites Shen Bing and Gao Jingchuan onto a luxury cruise ship bound for Japan. Shen Bing is unimpressed—until Qiuqiu calls and cryptically advises him to go because “there might be a surprise.”

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing confidently asserts Phantom Immortal Technology’s aerospace capabilities and offers an unusually fast delivery schedule, while remaining focused on securing payment. His lack of interest in luxury entertainment contrasts with his former enthusiasm for it.
• Director Zhang begins doubtful but is given reason to reconsider after Commander Gao’s endorsement.
• Commander Gao supports Shen Bing’s credibility, while Gao Jingchuan relays the government’s order and presses Shen Bing to stand by his ambitious deadlines.
• Liu Jin tries to entertain Shen Bing with the cruise, and Qiuqiu’s unexpected warning turns the invitation into a possible mystery.

Significant themes

• The chapter emphasizes technological confidence and national ambition, as Phantom Immortal Technology’s capabilities attract a major military order.
• It also highlights the gap between public skepticism and insider trust: Shen Bing’s claims sound extraordinary, but those who know his work believe them.
• The closing phone call introduces suspense, hinting that the cruise may bring an unforeseen encounter or danger.

The chapter contains only an author’s notice; no story events or character interactions are provided.

• Key events: The author attended a friend’s celebration for their baby’s first-month milestone, then tried to finish the chapter draft but ran out of time. The story update is delayed.
• Character development: None.
• Themes: Personal obligations, creative deadlines, and a humorous promise to make up for the delay.
• Interactions: The author mentions a friend back home and addresses readers, promising three updates the following day.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing agrees to join Liu Jin on a luxury cruise, avoiding Japan to prevent complications. Gao Jingchuan initially declines because his position could attract attention, but Liu Jin persuades him to come.
• Shen calls Yun Xue to say he will be delayed. She turns down the invitation to join him because she and Yuan Wei are busy. Their teasing conversation touches on Shen’s supposed work purpose and Yun Xue’s mild jealousy; he promises to take them on a proper vacation later.
• Shen then gives secretary Yan Lexuan work instructions about a major deal: Phantom Immortal Technology will invest in an aircraft assembly plant in Rongcheng. The project supports a ten-billion-dollar contract and is intended to signal the company’s ambitions.
• The plant is designed to be assembled from modular components made at the company’s existing facilities. Shen expects its basic construction to take no more than five days, though its runway and terminal will come later.
• The next morning, the company announces online that it is entering aircraft manufacturing, startling the media and drawing attention from Airbus, Boeing, and the White House.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen is willing to take a leisure trip, but his decisions remain tied to business and strategic goals. He also continues to use humor and charm in his conversation with Yun Xue.
• Liu Jin is enthusiastic and persuasive, pushing both Shen and Gao Jingchuan to join the cruise.
• Gao Jingchuan is cautious about the public implications of his role but agrees after Liu Jin argues that he can keep his profession private.
• Yun Xue playfully challenges Shen’s claim that the cruise is work-related and expresses interest in his promise of a future vacation.
• Wang Sheng is surprised by the abrupt aircraft announcement, but trusts that Shen has already planned the move carefully.

Significant themes

• Disruptive ambition: Phantom Immortal Technology moves into aircraft production with the same confidence and speed it has shown in other industries.
• Business as strategy: The aircraft plant is not only a production facility but also a way to fulfill a major contract and send a message to the outside world.
• Personal ties and teasing: Shen’s exchanges with Liu Jin and Yun Xue balance the chapter’s large-scale business developments with friendly, affectionate relationships.

Plot points and events

• Phantom Immortal Technology announces plans to build large aircraft, alarming major aircraft manufacturers. Some observers doubt the company can develop a competitive plane quickly, but its reputation for rapid, disruptive R&D makes the threat credible.
• Reporters discover the company has obtained about half a square kilometer of land near its geothermal power station in Xinjing County. Because most of the station lies underground, observers speculate that the surrounding vacant land could make the project far larger than the initial allocation suggests. Jiangnan Construction quickly begins work.
• Meanwhile, company boss Shen Bing boards the enormous cruise ship Oasis with Li Xiao, Liu Jin, and Gao Jingchuan. They receive VIP treatment and are shown their presidential suites.
• Billy, the ship’s representative, boasts about its Blackwater security staff. Liu Jin questions whether the guards are truly impressive and is excited by Billy’s invitation to watch the ship’s nightly fighting tournaments.
• Shen Bing settles into his extravagant suite, skims the ship’s information, then asks Qiuqiu why he was brought aboard.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains calm and unimpressed by displays of wealth, though even he is briefly struck by the scale of his suite.
• Li Xiao quietly regards the ship’s security as insignificant, contrasting with Billy’s proud claims.
• Liu Jin is confident and eager for entertainment; he challenges Billy’s description of the guards and books both available top-deck suites for the group.
• Gao Jingchuan is surprised by the suites’ luxury but accepts that people live differently, without resentment.
• Billy is deferential toward the wealthy guests and assumes Liu Jin is the group’s main spender.

Significant themes

• Disruption and uncertainty: Phantom Immortal Technology’s track record unsettles established industries, while outsiders struggle to judge what it can accomplish.
• Wealth and status: The cruise ship’s VIP amenities highlight extravagant inequality, but Gao Jingchuan reflects that different people simply have different lives.
• Appearances versus reality: Billy’s boastful security claims and the uncertain scale of the aircraft project show that outward impressions may not reveal the full truth.

Key plot points and events

• On Qixi Festival, Shen Bing receives a call through the Gate to the Immortal Realm and finds Cowherd and Weaver Girl imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison, separated by a short but impassable distance and suffering in its bitter cold.
• Cowherd reports that the Queen Mother has released them by deactivating the prison’s seals, but ordered them to leave the Immortal Realm.
• Their reunion does not complete Shen Bing’s quest: they have nowhere safe to live, since the Immortal-Mortal Passage is severed and other possible destinations are inaccessible or dangerous.
• Shen Bing decides the remaining viable option is the Demon Realm. He offers to take the couple there, and they accept.
• After Shen Bing teleports outside the prison, Cowherd and Weaver Girl appear beside him. Shen Bing then notices a countdown at the top of his screen, ending the chapter on a cliffhanger.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing is relieved to help the couple but grows frustrated as he realizes that freeing them is not enough to satisfy the quest. He considers several risky solutions, rejects the idea of threatening the Queen Mother again, and takes responsibility for finding them a home.
• Cowherd and Weaver Girl show deep devotion: Cowherd worries most about Weaver Girl’s suffering, while she insists that they share one heart and would gladly endure hardship together. They express gratitude to Shen Bing and trust his offer to guide them.
• Shen Bing privately jokes about the couple’s affectionate exchange, then focuses on the practical problem of where they can settle.

Significant themes

• Love and sacrifice: The couple’s loyalty persists despite imprisonment, separation, and uncertainty.
• Freedom without security: Their release leaves them exiled and homeless, showing that escape alone does not resolve their predicament.
• Responsibility and risk: Shen Bing must weigh the consequences of helping them, particularly the dangers of the Demon Realm and the possible repercussions if they are harmed.
• A looming complication: The unexplained countdown suggests that Shen Bing’s plan may face an urgent new obstacle.

Plot points and events

• Facing a 48-hour deadline to find Cowherd and Weaver Girl a safe home, Shen Bing realizes they cannot reach the Demon Realm or the distant Zhou Tian Star-Dipper Formation in time.
• He offers them shelter on Illusory Void Island, his hidden Cultivation Ground. Entry requires a close connection to him, so he suggests they become his Vassal Gods.
• With nowhere else to go, Weaver Girl agrees, and Cowherd follows for her sake. The system unexpectedly registers them as Shen Bing’s two new humanoid pets.
• Shen Bing stores them in his Inventory and uses a Teleportation Talisman to reach Illusory Void Island. The deadline disappears, and the “Lovers Reunited” quest is marked complete.
• Shen Bing realizes the couple’s transformation into pets effectively served as his reward. He then meets the requirements for his next system upgrade—twenty quests and twenty thousand Immortal Jade—and begins upgrading to the Third-Level Gate to the Immortal Realm.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing improvises under pressure, turning the system’s pet mechanics into a way to protect the couple. He is pleased with the outcome, though bemused—and briefly tempted—by the idea of owning two legendary figures as pets.
• Cowherd remains trusting and devoted, agreeing to go wherever he can stay with Weaver Girl.
• Weaver Girl is resourceful and accepting of Shen Bing’s offer; she recognizes his power and willingly becomes his Vassal God after losing that status under the Queen Mother.
• The couple’s affection is clear in their mutual willingness to sacrifice for one another, which Shen Bing finds awkwardly endearing.

Significant themes

• Love and loyalty: Cowherd and Weaver Girl prioritize remaining together despite exile and danger.
• Improvisation and survival: Shen Bing finds an unconventional solution to an impossible deadline.
• Power and dependency: The couple trade some autonomy for safety, while Shen Bing’s system reduces that relationship to pet ownership.
• Comedy through contrast: Their legendary status clashes with Shen Bing’s casual, self-interested reactions and the system’s blunt classification.

Plot points

• While the Gate to the Immortal Realm upgrades, Shen Bing uses a spare charger and plans which recently acquired treasures to analyze. He hopes to extract a few useful technologies, especially from Erlang Shen’s Skyflying Shuttle and Luotian Jade Pendant.
• The upgrade is progressing slowly, likely to take most of the day.
• Liu Jin visits Shen Bing and suggests going to the cruise ship’s bars and casinos now that they are in international waters. Shen Bing agrees, and they prepare to leave with Li Xiao.
• Gao Jingchuan catches them before they go, objecting to being left out. He wants to conceal his identity, so Shen Bing gives him a Bionic Human-Skin Mask. Gao puts it on, impressing Liu Jin, who immediately asks Shen Bing for one too.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains pragmatic: he has prepared for the charger shortage and thinks carefully about how to use his treasures. He is initially wary of Liu Jin’s “meaningful” plans but agrees to join him.
• Liu Jin is eager to experience gambling, presenting it as rare freedom from his strict upbringing. He also shows an opportunistic, playful side when he asks for a mask.
• Gao Jingchuan reveals that he wants to join the outing despite concerns about being recognized. His familiarity with Shen Bing’s technology lets him insist on a solution rather than miss out.
• The friends tease and bargain with one another, while Shen Bing’s technology makes it possible for Gao to participate discreetly.

Significant themes

• Technological change: Wireless charging and everyday AI illustrate how rapidly new technologies are reshaping daily life.
• Innovation and anticipation: Shen Bing’s plans to analyze magical treasures connect supernatural discoveries with practical technological advancement.
• Freedom and concealment: The cruise ship offers Liu Jin a chance to try activities forbidden or inaccessible at home, while Gao uses advanced technology to enjoy them without exposing his identity.

Plot points and events

• Liu Jin asks Shen Bing for the Human Skin Mask, hoping to use it to get around his father’s restrictions. Shen Bing refuses, wary that Liu Jin might misuse it; Liu Jin’s earlier plan to visit a casino undermines his claim to be entirely law-abiding.
• The group heads to the Oasis cruise liner’s casino, where Shen Bing brings a high-capacity power bank for the phone containing the Gate to the Immortal Realm.
• Li Xiao uses Shen Bing’s American Express Centurion Black Card to exchange twenty million in chips. Shen Bing treats the amount casually, prompting Gao Jingchuan to marvel at his wealth.
• Shen Bing distributes most of the chips among his companions and wanders the casino with Li Xiao.
• A casino attendant tries to engage Shen Bing, but he declines her help. Li Xiao notices she appears to have combat training, regularly handles guns, and is left-handed.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains cautious and unimpressed by displays of wealth, refusing Liu Jin’s request and treating a huge gambling stake as an ordinary expense. He also teases Li Xiao about his upcoming marriage.
• Liu Jin is shown as impulsive and frustrated by his father’s control, yet he backs down when Shen Bing refuses the mask. He jokes about Shen Bing’s riches.
• Li Xiao acts as Shen Bing’s aide, handling the chips and keeping watch on the casino attendant. He becomes flustered when Shen Bing jokes about telling Wang Yatong what he noticed.
• Gao Jingchuan openly reacts to the scale of Shen Bing’s wealth.
• The attendant shifts her attention toward the apparent wealthy guests, but Shen Bing’s cool rejection leaves her uncertain.

Significant themes

• Wealth and status: Shen Bing’s resources are so vast that a multimillion-yuan casino stake seems trivial to him.
• Caution and responsibility: Shen Bing refuses to hand Liu Jin a disguise that could enable reckless or illegal behavior.
• Appearances and hidden motives: The attendant’s polished hospitality may conceal professional skills, while the group’s casual casino visit draws attention because of their status.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing boards a cruise ship because Qiuqiu urged him to, though he does not tell Li Xiao why. He asks Li Xiao to watch for anything unusual.
• At a dice table, Shen Bing quickly understands the game and predicts the outcomes. He and Li Xiao win five rounds in a row, building their combined wager to 320,000.
• Shen Bing notices the croupier subtly rigs the dice when the bets threaten the house. When the other players begin copying Shen Bing’s bets, he stops playing and leaves rather than expose the croupier.
• Shen Bing continues around the casino, winning at other tables without losing.
• Meanwhile, the oil spill in New York Harbor worsens, and mass protests pressure the U.S. government to act. The President orders the delegation led by Mike to accept Phantom Immortal Technology’s terms if that will secure its cleanup technology.
• Mike goes to meet Shen Bing but learns he is away and cannot be reached. Wang Sheng says only Shen Bing can handle the deal. Secretary Yan Lexuan declines to contact her boss, citing his instruction not to disturb him during his time off.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing shows sharp observation, calculation, and restraint: he exploits the casino’s patterns for profit but avoids turning the game into a confrontation. His decision to travel remains tied to Qiuqiu’s unexplained request.
• Li Xiao trusts Shen Bing completely, following his bets without hesitation. Having witnessed his extraordinary abilities before, he is no longer surprised by the wins.
• Mike shifts from negotiating with reluctance to urgent pragmatism as public pressure grows. Though frustrated by Shen Bing’s absence, he recognizes that the company’s stance is understandable after the U.S. military exercises in Singapore.
• Yan Lexuan politely but firmly upholds Shen Bing’s instructions, leaving Mike unable to speed up negotiations.

Significant themes

• Power and leverage: Public outrage forces the U.S. government to prioritize solving the spill, strengthening Shen Bing’s negotiating position.
• Observation and strategy: Shen Bing succeeds by reading both the dice and the croupier’s behavior.
• Boundaries and restraint: He chooses to walk away from the casino rather than expose or challenge the house.
• Trust and authority: Li Xiao relies on Shen Bing, while the company’s staff defer to his sole authority over the deal.

Key plot points and events

• Mike pleads with Phantom Immortal Technology’s secretary, Yan Lexuan, for urgent help with oil pollution threatening millions of Americans. She says Shen Bing will respond when human lives—not just money—are at stake.
• Yan later reports that Shen will arrange delivery of the cleanup technology once the United States transfers $30 billion. He will not return to sign a contract for several days, leaving Mike uneasy about paying without a signed agreement.
• Mike leaves to consult the President and Congress. An hour later, the White House publicly announces that the deal is settled and claims the money has been transferred, despite there being no signed contract. ExxonMobil will pay $20 billion; the U.S. government and unnamed companies will cover the rest.
• The announcement publicly links Phantom Immortal Technology to the deal and sparks worldwide debate over the fee and the technology’s effectiveness.
• Shen, informed while playing poker, is unconcerned by the publicity and calls Thorne with instructions to find Clarence, signaling that he is moving ahead with the response.

Character developments and interactions

• Mike grows increasingly desperate, then frustrated and suspicious. He recognizes that Yan is effectively insisting on advance payment while Shen remains unavailable, but lacks the leverage to resist.
• Yan Lexuan stays cheerful and composed, presenting Shen as compassionate while firmly enforcing his terms. Her manner leaves Mike doubtful about her assurances.
• Shen Bing appears relaxed and confident. Despite the hard bargaining, he has already decided that the pollution should be cleaned up.
• The chapter centers on the tense negotiation between Mike and Yan, followed by the White House’s attempt to use public pressure to bind Phantom Immortal Technology to the deal.

Significant themes

• Humanitarianism versus profit: The crisis is framed both as an urgent threat to lives and as a costly commercial transaction.
• Power and leverage: Phantom Immortal Technology’s wealth and unique technology give it control of the negotiations; the U.S. responds by announcing payment publicly.
• Publicity and reputation: The White House’s announcement seeks to make the deal appear finalized, while Shen’s indifference suggests he is not easily pressured by appearances.
• Uncertainty and trust: Mike’s reluctance to pay without a contract highlights the risks of relying on promises in a high-stakes negotiation.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing dominates the casino, winning at more than ten games without a single loss and earning over two million. His companions, Gao Jingchuan and Liu Jin, are astonished by his skill.
• Liu Jin urges Shen to bet bigger, but Shen explains that he values the experience of playing, not the money.
• A casino employee invites Shen to a more exclusive game, apparently hoping to redirect him toward wealthy players. Shen initially declines, saying he is not interested in gambling.
• When the employee addresses him by name, Shen asks how the casino knows his identity. The employee explains that the ship keeps records on guests in its Presidential Suites.
• Shen agrees to hear about the private game but insists on knowing who his opponents will be. Nearby guests recognize him as the enormously wealthy chairman of Phantom Immortal Technology.
• Recognition sparks a crowd of fans seeking photos. Li Xiao shields Shen and warns them to keep their distance; Gao and Liu remain tense about his safety.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing is shown as remarkably perceptive and self-assured, yet indifferent to the money and attention his success brings. His calm manner contrasts with the excitement and intimidation around him.
• Liu Jin admires Shen’s ability and tries to encourage riskier bets. His enthusiasm turns to anger at the casino employee, whom he blames for exposing Shen to the crowd.
• Gao Jingchuan shares Liu’s admiration but focuses on the danger, warning him that anything happening to Shen would have serious consequences.
• Li Xiao acts protectively, placing himself between Shen and the surging fans and making clear that Shen is not a celebrity available for public photos.
• The casino employee tries to manage the situation and attract Shen into a private game, but his introduction inadvertently reveals Shen’s identity.

Significant themes

• Skill versus luck: Shen’s repeated wins and selective folding make other players suspect he can read their hands.
• Money and perspective: Shen treats winnings as insignificant compared with the experience of play, underscoring how wealth has changed his relationship to money.
• Fame and privacy: A private casino visit becomes chaotic once Shen is recognized, highlighting the risks of being a globally prominent figure.
• Power and status: Shen’s wealth and reputation give weight to his demands, while his companions’ protective reactions reveal the responsibilities and dangers that accompany his stature.

Plot points and events

• Shen Bing observes the casino guests’ reactions to the revelation of his identity, noticing that a few seem excited in a way that suggests ulterior motives.
• A casino manager escorts Shen Bing and his companions toward a high-stakes game. Liu Jin mocks the other players as unworthy of comparison with Shen Bing, and Shen tells him to stop acting foolishly.
• The manager explains that only players and verified bodyguards may enter. Liu Jin and Gao Jingchuan pretend to be Shen’s bodyguards, and Shen backs them up.
• To verify their claim, the manager proposes that they spar with casino fighters. Shen dislikes the demand, but Liu eagerly accepts. The group stays in the corridor rather than going to the gym.
• Two formidable-looking guards arrive. One taunts Liu, who instantly seizes him by the throat and lifts him off the ground in a single move, stunning the manager and the other guard.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing stays observant and composed, but is irritated by the casino’s attempt to impose extra conditions. He nevertheless supports his companions’ claim that they are his bodyguards.
• Liu Jin is brash and eager to prove himself, but his confidence is backed by exceptional skill. Shen recognizes that his training in the Body-Strengthening Exercise has strengthened his already impressive martial arts ability.
• Gao Jingchuan is cautious about joining the high-stakes game, yet wants to remain with Shen and readily plays along with Liu’s bodyguard claim.
• The casino manager tries to enforce the rules while keeping Shen satisfied, but is repeatedly caught off guard by the group’s behavior and Liu’s strength.
• The manager’s fighters initially look down on Liu and Gao; Liu’s swift victory immediately overturns their assumptions.

Significant themes

• Appearances versus ability: Liu’s smaller stature contrasts sharply with his overwhelming strength.
• Power and confidence: Shen’s status shapes how others treat him, while Liu’s decisive action demonstrates physical power directly.
• Loyalty and camaraderie: Liu and Gao insist on staying with Shen, and Shen accepts them as his companions.
• Training and improvement: Liu’s progress shows the benefits of the Body-Strengthening Exercise when combined with existing talent.

Plot points and events

• Booker challenges Shen Bing’s companions to prove their strength. Liu Jin swiftly defeats one bodyguard, and Gao Jingchuan breaks another’s wrist in a direct punch exchange.
• Impressed and unable to dispute the results, Booker accepts the test and escorts Shen Bing and his three companions to a private gambling room.
• Inside, Booker introduces Shen Bing to three prominent guests: Singaporean real-estate tycoon Huang Xiang, businesswoman Lin He, and Toyota shareholder and director Toyota Zexi.

Character developments

• Liu Jin is shown to be formidable and audacious, openly offering to fight both remaining men after dispatching his first opponent.
• Gao Jingchuan appears relaxed and unassuming, but demonstrates extraordinary physical power.
• Booker shifts from testing Shen Bing’s group to respecting their abilities, while remaining conscious of Shen Bing’s influence and status.
• Shen Bing stays composed and self-assured. He does not react strongly to praise or to Lin He’s teasing observation about his supposed reclusive, research-focused image.

Character interactions

• Booker questions whether Liu Jin’s victory was fair; Liu Jin rejects the “sneak attack” accusation and challenges the others to face him.
• Shen Bing’s companions’ victories settle the matter, and Shen Bing’s party proceeds to the private room.
• Huang Xiang warmly welcomes Shen Bing, Lin He compliments him while joking about his unexpected interest in gambling, and Toyota Zexi watches him silently with an unreadable expression.

Significant themes

• Strength earns respect: Physical demonstrations quickly change Booker’s attitude toward Shen Bing’s party.
• Status and reputation shape social encounters: The guests react to Shen Bing not only as a newcomer but as a powerful public figure.
• Composure and concealed intentions: Shen Bing remains controlled, while the guests’ politeness and Toyota Zexi’s silence leave their genuine views uncertain.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing dominates a stud-poker game by using his extraordinary eyesight and memory to identify the cards. His three opponents lose nearly 200 million, and no one can discover how he is winning.
• After the game, Li Xiao remarks that Toyota Zexi seemed unusually unmoved by his losses. Shen Bing suggests Zexi may not feel personally responsible for money inherited through his father’s position.
• Qiuqiu tells Shen Bing that the Americans’ 30-billion-dollar payment has arrived in an offshore account. She warns that U.S. observers are tracking the money. Shen Bing plans to deposit it into the Gate to the Immortal Realm once its upgrade is complete and asks Qiuqiu to watch who follows the funds.
• Shen Bing tells Bernie to send the Americans’ microorganism in an ordinary glass bottle rather than the costly Azure Heart container. He justifies this by claiming the improved microorganism no longer needs special containment, though Bernie recognizes the excuse as nonsense.
• The next morning, Shen Bing watches the system upgrade finish. The Gate reaches its third level, unlocking Universal Item Adaptation and access to new Online Mall purchases, and awards an upgrade gift pack.

Character developments

• Shen Bing displays confidence and cunning: he uses his natural abilities to win at poker, brushes off scrutiny of the payment, and casually misleads the Americans about their delivery.
• Li Xiao remains perceptive and suspicious, noticing Toyota Zexi’s unusual reaction even though he cannot explain it.
• Qiuqiu serves as a sharp-tongued adviser, warning Shen Bing about financial surveillance while openly criticizing his characterization of the deal.
• Bernie recognizes Shen Bing’s dubious reasoning but accepts the assignment.

Significant themes

• Power and advantage: Shen Bing’s enhanced perception makes an apparently fair game one-sided.
• Money and ownership: The chapter questions whether inherited wealth feels like one’s own.
• Deception and rationalization: Shen Bing presents self-serving decisions as reasonable business choices.
• Technological progress: The system upgrade promises broader capabilities and new items, while its enormous power consumption highlights its cost.

Character interactions

• Shen Bing and Li Xiao discuss Toyota Zexi’s composure after the gambling session.
• Shen Bing and Qiuqiu spar over whether the American payment was a fair transaction and how to handle the money under surveillance.
• Shen Bing’s instructions to Bernie reveal the gap between his confident explanations and Bernie’s awareness that he is being dishonest.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing checks the reward from the system’s latest upgrade. Instead of a clearly identified prize, he receives a mysterious box marked with an asterisk and a question mark.
• Trying to open it produces a vague message saying he has not met the prerequisites, leaving him frustrated and without any clue how to proceed.
• The upgrade has added two items to the Treasure Pavilion: a costly Voice Transmission Talisman and the cheaper Myriad-Spirit Talisman, which may adapt Pavilion items for use by ordinary people.
• Shen Bing considers the Voice Transmission Talisman’s possible value for long-distance communication but postpones buying it.
• He buys the Myriad-Spirit Talisman and discovers its use through the Inventory. He applies it to his Nine Heavens Divine Talisman, hoping to make the powerful item usable by ordinary immortals.
• The adaptation process engulfs the divine talisman in light, then the interface shatters, leaving Shen Bing unsure whether the attempt succeeded or whether he has wasted his money.

Character developments

• Shen Bing remains curious and ambitious, especially about extracting useful technology from system items, but his optimism is tempered by repeated frustration with the system’s cryptic rewards and instructions.
• His experience with the Immortal Realm has broadened his ambitions: he evaluates communication technology in terms of interstellar distances, not merely Earth-based needs.
• He sees the Myriad-Spirit Talisman as a potential route to wealth and influence, though its uncertain success rate makes him wary.

Significant themes

• Opaque systems and uncertainty: The system offers valuable possibilities but withholds key information, leaving Shen Bing to experiment blindly.
• Technology and scale: Shen Bing measures inventions against the demands of spacefaring civilization, far beyond humanity’s current capabilities.
• Risk and reward: The adaptation function could make rare treasures broadly useful, but its chance of success puts Shen Bing’s investment at risk.
• Comedic frustration: Shen Bing’s furious reactions contrast with the fantastical stakes and his extravagant spending.

Character interactions

• Shen Bing’s main interaction is with the system, which he curses for its unclear rewards, hidden prerequisites, and inconveniently concealed functions.
• He has no direct interaction with other characters in the chapter, but recalls keeping the Nine Heavens Divine Talisman after using it to threaten the Queen Mother.

Key plot points and events

• After losing two billion Immortal Jade on Myriad-Spirit Talismans, Shen Bing decides not to spend more testing their uncertain success rate. He would rather invest in Aperture-Opening and Dragon-Tiger Pills.
• Now that the Gate to the Immortal Realm has reached level 3, Shen Bing can reanalyze previously analyzed items, potentially uncovering new black technology. He tests two valuable Immortal Realm artifacts:
  • Analyzing the Luotian Jade Pendant succeeds through Forced Analysis, yielding Single-Layer Dark Matter Shield Technology, a major breakthrough as his first ongoing access to three-star technology.
  • Forced Analysis of the Skyflying Shuttle fails, which Shen Bing accepts as normal.
• Shen Bing then analyzes the Flight Supernatural Art, which reliably produces technology corresponding to a supernatural ability. It yields Gravity Control Technology, also three-star.
• After transferring the data, Shen Bing spends an hour grasping its basic structure. He learns that anti-gravity is only one part of the technology: gravity can be adjusted from ten times normal to negative ten times normal.

Character development

• Shen Bing remains ambitious but becomes more pragmatic after the talisman loss, choosing not to chase uncertain results.
• His expectations for the upgraded Gate pay off, renewing his excitement about exploring advanced technology.
• He shows both scientific curiosity and caution, taking time to understand Gravity Control Technology’s implications rather than immediately acting on it.

Character interactions

• No other characters appear directly. Shen Bing’s interaction with the Gate’s analysis system drives the chapter, while his earlier acquisitions from Erlang Shen—the pendant and the Flight Supernatural Art—provide the artifacts behind the discoveries.

Significant themes

• Risk and reward: A costly failure contrasts with the valuable technologies Shen Bing gains from successful analysis.
• Technological advancement: Dark matter and gravity control represent major steps toward powerful future applications, especially in space development.
• Limits and uncertainty: Even an upgraded system cannot analyze every high-level artifact, and success remains partly dependent on chance.
• Power with consequences: Gravity manipulation is presented as potentially devastating, hinting at the danger of the technology as well as its usefulness.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing reviews the newly acquired gravity-control technology and begins planning the company’s next flagship product and broader future.
• He tries to analyze the Queen Mother’s Rain-Prayer Talisman with the Gate to the Immortal Realm. Though the system warns that it exceeds its level, forced analysis succeeds, yielding three-star Small-Planet Climate Control Technology.
• Shen initially imagines technology capable of controlling Earth’s climate, but the documentation shows its practical limit is a system covering the Moon. He is still pleased: lunar climate control could support future planetary development and human expansion into space.
• After spending nearly nine hundred immortal jade to extract the technology, Shen rests, satisfied with the day’s gains: both gravity control and climate control.
• Meanwhile, New York remains engulfed by persistent oil pollution. Residents crowd City Hall, and Mayor Kirk anxiously awaits promised cleanup materials from Illusion Immortal Technology Company.
• Kirk is told that a visitor sent by Shen Bing has arrived. Surprised and hopeful, he orders the visitor brought in immediately.

Character developments

• Shen Bing shows growing ambition, thinking beyond individual inventions toward the company’s future and humanity’s expansion into space. He is excited by climate-control technology but remains cautious about giving anyone access to a powerful Earth-scale system.
• Mayor Kirk is under mounting pressure from the crisis and the public. His anxiety shifts to urgent hope when he learns Shen Bing’s representative has arrived.

Significant themes

• Technology as both promise and threat: Climate control could enable terraforming, but a system that controls Earth’s weather could be exploited by dangerous actors.
• Ambition tempered by caution: Shen sees the potential for interstellar development while recognizing the risks of powerful technology.
• Crisis and dependence: New York’s worsening pollution leaves its government and residents relying on outside help.

Character interactions

• Shen’s dealings with the system are central to the chapter: he pushes past its warning and obtains a valuable, if more limited than expected, technology.
• At City Hall, Kirk responds impatiently to his secretary’s update, then eagerly welcomes the envoy associated with Shen and Illusion Immortal Technology Company.

Key plot points and events

• New York City Mayor Kirk, under pressure from the oil spill, eagerly receives Thorne, a representative of Phantom Immortal Technology.
• Thorne delivers the oil-eating microorganisms in a small, ordinary glass vial—not the Azure Heart diamond container Kirk expected.
• Kirk argues that using glass violates their agreement and demands a refund of the extra $10 billion paid for the diamond vessel.
• Thorne insists the contract never required the Azure Heart, claiming it was only an example. He says improved technology now allows ordinary storage, but offers only to waive the transport fee—and warns that the upgraded product costs 50% more.
• Kirk realizes that rejecting the deal is unrealistic: the microorganisms originally cost $20 billion, and the added charge effectively leaves the disputed $10 billion unrecoverable.
• Thorne guarantees the microbes will clean the harbor. Kirk decides to proceed and asks Thorne to release them himself, keeping the city clear of responsibility if anything goes wrong.

Character developments and interactions

• Kirk shifts from hopeful and eager to frustrated and suspicious, but ultimately chooses pragmatic cooperation over a futile dispute. He is careful to protect the city by having Thorne handle the release.
• Thorne remains calm and self-assured throughout, openly acknowledging the vial is glass while using technical and contractual arguments to defend the company’s position.
• Their exchange is a battle of indignation and composure: Kirk presses for accountability, while Thorne reframes the apparent breach as a costly technological improvement.

Significant themes

• Power imbalance and exploitation: Phantom Immortal Technology controls a solution the city urgently needs and uses that leverage to dictate terms.
• Contracts and ambiguity: The dispute turns on the difference between what Kirk believed was promised and what the company claims it formally agreed to.
• Pragmatism under pressure: Kirk accepts an unsatisfactory deal because the cleanup is more important than pursuing an unlikely refund.
• Satire and absurdity: The contrast between a supposedly priceless diamond container and a glass vial highlights the company’s audacity and Kirk’s helpless frustration.

Key plot points and events

• Mayor Kirk agrees to take Thorne to the oil-contaminated New York Harbor. He invites corporate representatives to watch, including ExxonMobil’s Rex and executives from other major companies.
• The companies are helping fund the cleanup, but their deeper goal is to obtain and reverse-engineer Phantom Immortal Technology’s oil-consuming microorganism.
• Thorne refuses to let them take a sample from the bottle, explaining that it contains exactly the amount needed for the polluted area. He then smashes it, sending its contents into the harbor.
• The microorganism rapidly clears the oil, beginning with a small patch and expanding at an accelerating rate.
• Rex realizes that a microorganism that consumes oil and reproduces indefinitely could spread to undersea oil fields—and potentially threaten petroleum supplies worldwide. The observers begin to suspect that Phantom Immortal Technology has drawn them into a trap.

Character developments and interactions

• Thorne remains calm and self-assured despite the stink, the officials’ hostility, and the corporate executives’ scrutiny. He openly allows the demonstration to be filmed, then firmly prevents the companies from obtaining a sample.
• Mayor Kirk tries to unsettle Thorne by inviting observers without asking first, but Thorne’s composure leaves Kirk uncomfortable instead.
• Rex and the corporate executives shift from eager curiosity and hopes of acquiring the microorganism to alarm over its possible global consequences.
• The executives’ polite request to test the substance exposes their scientific interest, while their private plan to copy it reveals their commercial motives.

Significant themes

• Scientific power and unintended consequences: A tool for cleaning pollution may become a threat if it spreads beyond its intended use.
• Corporate self-interest: The companies’ involvement is driven less by environmental concern than by profit and control of the technology.
• Power and uncertainty: Thorne’s confidence and the microorganism’s dramatic effect leave the observers unsure whether they are witnessing a solution or the start of a much larger crisis.

Key plot points and events

• Phantom Immortal Technology explains that its engineered oil-eating microorganisms die quickly if they leave an environment containing crude oil. Once the surface slick is gone, they will die too, easing fears that they might threaten seabed oil reserves.
• The cleanup continues rapidly: within minutes, the microorganisms eliminate an oil slick hundreds of meters across. Workers record the astonishing result on their phones.
• Images spread online, making the cleanup—and Phantom Immortal Technology—an international sensation. Many Americans question whether the White House’s $30 billion payment was justified, since the company used no visible equipment.
• Huaxia’s reaction is largely celebratory, treating the cleanup as a major achievement for its environmental technology. Worldwide coverage also renews criticism of fossil fuels and calls for investment in clean energy and batteries.
• Shen Bing posts a photograph of the harbor’s pollution with the message: “The energy revolution is coming!”

Character developments and interactions

• Thorne reassures Rex and the others by explaining the microorganisms’ limits. The group shifts from fearing their spread to realizing the organisms will be difficult to preserve or study.
• The workers respond with uncomplicated amazement, filming the cleanup rather than speculating about its risks or cost.
• Shen Bing remains calm and confident, treating the company’s success and resulting attention as expected. His post turns the cleanup into a public call for an energy transition.

Significant themes

• Technological power and risk: The microorganisms are remarkably effective, but their dependence on crude oil limits their danger—and makes them hard to maintain.
• Public memory and political scrutiny: While people demand action during a crisis, they may question its cost once the danger has passed.
• Environmental responsibility: The disaster prompts renewed condemnation of fossil fuels and their links to pollution, resource depletion, and war.
• Energy transition: The cleanup becomes a catalyst for imagining a shift toward clean energy and advanced batteries.