Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing’s father reveals that an evil sect elder in Firmament defeated him in one blow. Shen Bing explains that the NPC is far beyond players’ current capabilities, but his father brushes off the advice after his mother gives him a warning look.
• Shen Bing, Yun Xue, and Yuan Wei go shopping for baby supplies, then visit a luxury mall in their rare Skyflying car, Old Ban. Their spending is swift and decisive: they choose expensive items they can recognize as high quality.
• At the mall, Shen Bing plays Gate to the Immortal Realm while the women shop. A young man mocks his phone and game, but Yun Xue and Yuan Wei each call Shen Bing “honey,” leaving the rival humiliated.
• On Avalon, a huge flying beast drains the base’s Protective Light Barrier. With the capturing device ready, Master Qiao transforms into a mechanical giant over ten kilometers long and restrains the creature with his mechanical arms.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains level-headed with his father, then responds to the mall heckler with dry confidence. His affectionate bond with Yun Xue and Yuan Wei is made clear through their playful public display.
• Shen’s father admits defeat but tries to hide his embarrassment; his mother teases him and keeps him in check.
• Master Qiao is calm and capable, acting decisively when asked to help capture the beast. Hua Long and Zhong Yuanchang show concern about the barrier and rely on Qiao’s strength.

Significant themes

• Power and limits: Shen Bing’s father discovers that strength gained in the game does not make every opponent manageable; Master Qiao’s overwhelming size and precision likewise establish a stark power imbalance.
• Modernization and status: Flying cars, mobile gaming, and luxury shopping show how technology is changing everyday life, while scarce Skyflying cars signal wealth and prestige.
• Affection as quiet triumph: The mall encounter turns mockery into comedy, as Shen Bing’s partners’ affection deflates the young man’s snobbery.

Key plot points

• Master Qiao carries the captured, wing-bound giant beast through the Protective Light Barrier, whose settings have been adjusted to let him pass.
• At the base, he secures the beast in a purpose-built system of adamantium cuffs anchored deep underground. A cuff also silences its deafening roars, leaving it unable to move or cry out.
• Master Qiao hands the captive over to Hua Long and Zhong Yuanchang. Zhong Yuanchang is eager to study it, while Qiao returns to report to his employer, Shen Bing.
• Shen Bing tells Yun Xue and Yuan Wei that the beast comes from Avalon Planet, an alien world reached through a wormhole. He explains that researchers suspect its wormhole may connect to the one on the Moon, though this is unconfirmed, and mentions the possibility of a future interstellar colony.

Character developments

• Master Qiao demonstrates his strength and efficiency in subduing the beast, then promptly resumes his duties.
• Zhong Yuanchang is excited to investigate the creature and uncover its secrets.
• Shen Bing shares major discoveries about Avalon Planet with Yun Xue and Yuan Wei, though he remains cautious about what is not yet known.
• Yun Xue and Yuan Wei react with astonishment to the alien-world revelation. Yun Xue also teases Shen Bing about his companions, prompting him to admit they should be less reckless.

Character interactions

• Hua Long directs staff to alter the barrier so Qiao can bring the beast inside.
• Qiao confirms the capture to Hua Long and Zhong Yuanchang, leaving the research to them.
• Shen Bing calls Qiao, congratulates him, and asks him to return to Gold Island.
• Yun Xue and Yuan Wei question Shen Bing about the alien planet, its wormhole, and whether humans can pass through wormholes safely; Shen Bing answers their questions before they decide to end their shopping trip.

Significant themes

• Control through technology: Adjustable barriers and engineered restraints turn a seemingly invincible creature into a captive.
• Discovery and uncertainty: Avalon Planet opens the prospect of interstellar exploration, while the possible connection between wormholes remains unresolved.
• Ambition versus caution: The prospect of colonization excites the imagination, but Shen Bing and his companions recognize the need to learn more first.

Plot points and events

• Shen Bing, Yun Xue, and Yuan Wei reach the rooftop parking lot and find several young men surrounding Shen Bing’s Advanced Edition Skyflying Car, hoping to buy it.
• Liu Hua offers his highly modified, flying Rolls-Royce in exchange. Shen Bing dismisses the offer and mocks Liu Hua’s assumption that the trade is worthwhile.
• Shen Bing recognizes Zhou Zhengwen, who immediately becomes terrified because of their previous encounters. Zhou insists he was only passing by, though he had come hoping to buy the car.
• The others gradually realize Shen Bing is the chairman of Phantom Immortal Technology. Liu Hua regrets boasting about his family connections, and the group watches silently as Shen Bing and the women depart.
• Afterward, Zhou warns them that Shen Bing’s opinion matters more than their wealth or status, leaving them worried about whether they have offended him.
• In the car, Yun Xue asks to visit a monster on another planet. Shen Bing cautions that traveling through a wormhole could be risky during her early pregnancy and suggests going to the moon instead. Yuan Wei joins them, and Shen Bing proposes using a fast A2 fighter from the underground base.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains confident and amused by the young men’s attempts to bargain and boast. He shows concern for Yun Xue’s pregnancy while accommodating her wish to travel.
• Zhou Zhengwen shifts from hiding nervously to regaining some composure once Shen Bing leaves. His past dealings with Shen Bing make him wary and give him authority among the other young men.
• Liu Hua begins as an entitled, boastful negotiator but becomes embarrassed and anxious after realizing who Shen Bing is.
• Yun Xue eagerly pushes for an interplanetary outing; Yuan Wei enthusiastically joins the moon trip.

Significant themes

• Status and power: Wealth and family connections mean little beside Shen Bing’s influence.
• Voluntary ownership: Skyflying Cars are difficult to steal or seize, so would-be buyers must persuade owners to sell.
• Comedy and intimidation: The young men’s confidence collapses when they recognize Shen Bing.
• Care and compromise: Shen Bing balances Yun Xue’s adventurous wishes with concern for her and the pregnancy, offering a safer alternative.

Plot points and events

• Shen Bing takes Yun Xue and Yuan Wei to the Phantom Immortal Aircraft Manufacturing Plant, where they board an A2 fighter built at the Underground Base.
• The aircraft reaches the Moon in under an hour, giving the women their first close view of its surface and the settlement protected by a large, artificial light barrier.
• Shen Bing explains that the barrier currently provides Earthlike air, gravity, and protection from cosmic rays across a hundred-square-kilometer area. A future Weather Control System is intended to make the Moon habitable more broadly.
• Yun Xue asks about visiting the wormhole to the Corgi Empire. Shen Bing warns that the empire may have fallen and another civilization could be guarding the passage. He recounts capturing Corgi Empire inhabitants but has no desire to investigate the danger himself.
• At the Moon Base, Lu Shijiu reports that its basic facilities are mostly built, including robot production, helium-3 extraction, smelting, and machinery plants. Weather-control equipment production is expected to begin in half a month.
• Security includes twenty Earth-brought Ghost No. 1 robots, five Charged Particle Cannons, and five Ion Cannons, with the weapons positioned to guard the wormhole.

Character developments and interactions

• Yun Xue and Yuan Wei are thrilled by space travel. Yun imagines a destinationless journey among the stars, while Shen Bing dismisses the idea as likely to become tedious.
• Yuan Wei praises Phantom Immortal Technology and Shen Bing, joking that the company has moved beyond the ordinary goal of making money. Yun agrees with her admiration of her husband.
• Shen Bing comes across as capable but cautious: although he has powerful resources, he sees no reason to risk himself exploring the wormhole.
• At the base, Shen Bing teases Lu Shijiu about welcoming his wives, then turns to practical questions about construction and defense. Lu responds respectfully and gives a detailed progress report.

Significant themes

• Technological transformation: Skyflying Cars are undermining conventional passenger aviation, while Phantom Immortal Technology thrives through nuclear-powered cargo aircraft.
• Human expansion into space: The Moon Base’s infrastructure marks a shift from visiting space to making it habitable.
• Wonder versus caution: Yun and Yuan are drawn to the unknown, whereas Shen Bing favors security and practical priorities.
• Ambition beyond profit: The company’s activities are framed as advancing humanity, not merely earning money.

Plot points and events

• Shen Bing tours the expanding Moon Base with Lu Shijiu, Yun Xue, and Yuan Wei. Though only part of its hundred-square-kilometer area is occupied, the base already has factories, paved roads, and a central laboratory.
• At the robot complex, Shen watches a formation of newly built, silver-armored robots salute him. The facility can manufacture nearly all robot components, though chips still come from Earth; robots are needed for labor elsewhere on the base.
• He visits the helium-3 extraction center, where lunar soil is heated in vast electric arc furnaces. Two controlled-fusion reactors supply the enormous energy required.
• In the main control center, Shen finds Naga intensely working to decode the Corgi Empire’s technical database. Naga directs several AI systems by voice while they manipulate unfamiliar Corgi-language code across dozens of screens.
• Naga explains that the encryption is manageable because the Corgi did not expect humans to understand their language. Shen cautions him not to rush and risk damaging the data, then suggests that speaking with the imprisoned aliens might help inspire him.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing is impressed by the base’s industrial capabilities but remains pragmatic. He treats the robots with casual humor, protects Naga’s concentration, and emphasizes caution over speed.
• Naga is revealed as an exceptionally focused and capable programmer, coordinating multiple AI systems at once. He is excited by the task because the recovered technology could accelerate Earth’s progress.
• Lu Shijiu, Yun Xue, and Yuan Wei accompany Shen on the tour; Yun Xue and Yuan Wei share his interest in the alien technical data.
• Shen’s relationship with Naga is supportive but managerial: he recognizes Naga’s progress, reassures him, and directs him to make use of the Corgi prisoners as potential sources of insight.

Significant themes

• Technological progress and infrastructure: The Moon Base combines robotics, advanced manufacturing, and fusion power to make large-scale lunar industry possible.
• Human–AI collaboration: Naga provides strategic direction while AI performs the detailed coding work, greatly increasing efficiency.
• Knowledge as a source of power: Decoding the Corgi database may enable a rapid technological leap for Earth.
• Caution and curiosity: Shen balances urgency with care for the data, while encouraging conversation with alien prisoners as a way to gain new perspectives.

Plot points and events

• Naga suddenly realizes how to approach the Corgi Empire’s database and throws himself into the work. Shen Bing, Yun Xue, and Yuan Wei wait; the women become absorbed in deciphering the Corgi symbols.
• Naga breaks through the database’s external security. The team quickly creates a searchable index of its 38,000 document categories: 37,000 about technology and 1,000 about the Corgi Empire and its space exploration.
• A search for immediately useful information uncovers the Corgi Empire’s enemy, the Azure Empire. Its people reportedly wield extraordinary physical strength and can consciously control a form of dark energy.
• Shen Bing orders Naga to package and send the findings—including historical records—to Earth. He also tells Naga to return to Earth once the transfer is complete.
• An alarm signals an unexpected development at the wormhole. Though Lu Shijiu urges him to return to Earth for safety, Shen Bing decides to investigate. Yun Xue and Yuan Wei refuse to leave him, so the group heads out together while Naga stays to finish his orders.

Character developments and interactions

• Naga’s breakthrough comes from applying Shen Bing’s suggestion to think in the Corgians’ own way. He is excited by the challenge of cracking the database and apologizes for neglecting his boss; Shen Bing reassures and praises him.
• Shen Bing responds pragmatically to the discovery of the Azure Empire, recognizing both the potential danger and the value of the dark-energy research lead for Bunier’s team on Earth.
• Lu Shijiu shows concern for Shen Bing’s safety by recommending he withdraw. Shen Bing rejects the advice, while Yun Xue and Yuan Wei’s firm choice to stay beside him touches him and prompts a wry reflection on his own reactions.
• Shen Bing firmly directs Naga to obey orders and return to Earth, cutting off the possibility of Naga joining the others.

Significant themes

• Curiosity and discovery: Naga’s persistence unlocks information that may reshape the group’s understanding of the galaxy.
• Knowledge as strategic advantage: The database’s intelligence about the Azure Empire could prepare Earth for a powerful potential threat.
• Loyalty and mutual concern: Naga follows Shen Bing’s commands, while Lu Shijiu, Yun Xue, and Yuan Wei show their concern through their actions.
• Uncertainty and danger: The alarm interrupts the research and shifts the chapter from discovery to an unresolved crisis at the wormhole.

Key plot points and events

• Aliens begin pouring through the wormhole onto the Moon, hovering briefly after emerging. Ten Charged Particle Cannons quickly kill them in large numbers, while twenty Intelligent Robots remain unused.
• Shen Bing is surprised by how easily the invaders are defeated. Since the Azure Empire once fought the Corgi Empire, he suspects the apparent weakness of its troops does not explain the empire’s past victories.
• The aliens have watermelon-like heads, green-and-white skin, and mostly carry long spears and shields.
• As the aliens die, an unfamiliar kind of dark energy gathers around their corpses. Shen Bing’s cannon cannot affect it, and Yuan Wei senses that some force is drawing it together, though it seems to have no consciousness.
• Shen Bing suspects the energy may be intended for a powerful being emerging from the wormhole. The portal begins fluctuating more strongly, signaling a much higher-energy arrival.
• He orders the cannons to target whatever comes through. A bronze, spherical alien head and a massive weapon emerge; a cannon fires at it, but the chapter ends before the result is revealed.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing shifts from confidence in his defenses to wary suspicion. He reads the battlefield, investigates the strange energy, and orders the cannons to prepare for a stronger threat.
• Yun Xue questions whether contact between civilizations must be violent. Shen Bing argues that power imbalance usually leads to conquest, and warns that humanity must become strong enough to avoid enslavement.
• Yuan Wei demonstrates an ability to sense the gathering dark energy, adding evidence to Shen Bing’s theory.
• Shen Bing wishes he had brought Master Qiao, who might have helped interpret the phenomenon, but recognizes that help on Earth cannot resolve the immediate danger.

Significant themes

• Power and survival: Civilizations often dominate weaker species; peace tends to depend on balance and mutual deterrence.
• Preparedness and uncertainty: The apparent ease of victory may conceal a more dangerous threat.
• Escalation: The accumulating energy and increasingly turbulent wormhole suggest that the initial attackers may be only a prelude to a stronger enemy.

Plot points and events

• A Bronze Alien from the Azure Empire emerges from the wormhole and attacks Shen Bing’s group with a sharp energy ray. Shen Bing counters with a Charged Particle Cannon.
• The cannon overwhelms the alien’s defenses, but the Bronze Alien manages to absorb dark energy and form a protective cocoon. The blast knocks him back into the wormhole rather than killing him.
• Shen Bing concludes that the Azure Empire may have stronger forces and more elaborate tactics than the small group they just repelled. Rather than wait for an attack, he decides to act first.
• At the underground base, Shen Bing recruits Thorne and Bernie for a dangerous scouting mission through the wormhole on the moon—the portal linked to the hostile civilization behind the alien warship that once attacked Earth.
• He gives them two high-grade Invisibility Talismans, which conceal their users from detection for three hours. Their task is to take Master Qiao through the wormhole, find a safe place to release him, and help him finish his work.

Character developments

• Shen Bing shifts from reacting to threats toward planning an offensive intelligence-gathering operation. He is cautious about the risks to his men but confident in his preparations.
• Thorne demonstrates discipline and loyalty. He considers the mission’s strategic value, not just his own safety, and is awed by Shen Bing’s increasingly mysterious resources.
• Bernie is eager for danger and combat, but initially misunderstands the mission as a chance to fight aliens.
• Yun Xue raises the question of whether the Azure Empire has even stronger warriors, prompting Shen Bing to consider the scale of the threat.

Significant themes

• Escalating danger: Defeating one powerful alien does not mean Earth is safe; the enemy may have stronger fighters and larger forces.
• Proactive strategy: Shen Bing decides that gathering intelligence and taking initiative are safer than waiting passively for an invasion.
• Loyalty and sacrifice: Thorne and Bernie accept a potentially fatal assignment out of trust in Shen Bing and commitment to the mission.
• Technology and the supernatural: Advanced weapons coexist with magical talismans, deepening the mystery surrounding Shen Bing’s capabilities.

Character interactions

• Yun Xue questions Shen Bing about the alien’s origin and whether stronger enemies exist; his answer reveals his growing concern.
• Shen Bing carefully explains the mission’s danger to Thorne and Bernie, while Thorne focuses on the possibility of an ambush and Bernie welcomes the challenge.
• Shen Bing’s Invisibility Talismans impress Thorne, who privately wonders whether his boss is a god.
• Bernie’s eagerness to fight clashes with the actual mission: supporting Master Qiao’s work rather than simply killing aliens.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing prepares Thorne and Bernie for a mission to the Azure Empire. He gives them Dragon-Tiger Pills to strengthen them and Invisibility Talismans for the journey. Master Qiao, who can shrink to nearly microscopic size, is also preparing to accompany them and remains the mission’s key figure; Thorne and Bernie will mainly serve as guides.
• Shen Bing begins studying a vast archive of knowledge from the Corgi Empire, though its sheer scale makes it impossible to absorb every detail at once.
• The spacecraft Hope, stationed inside Jupiter’s atmosphere, has lost contact with two unmanned A2 fighters after seven days. Captain Chen Bing resists abandoning the exploration, unwilling to report failure.
• Qiuqiu, the super-AI, sends the crew a plan: manufacture small aircraft to serve as signal relays and expand their survey of Jupiter. She stresses that Shen Bing is particularly interested in the planet’s metallic hydrogen. Chen Bing pledges to complete the mission.
• After three days of intensive information transfer, Shen Bing learns that the Corgi Empire has a history of more than 100,000 years. Despite being a level-two cosmic civilization, it considers its rapid rise from primitive society to an interstellar empire a sign of unusual diligence. By comparison, Earthlings seem exceptionally industrious.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing acts as a decisive leader, supplying his subordinates with powerful tools and personally taking responsibility for understanding the Corgi Empire’s knowledge.
• Thorne and Bernie accept Shen Bing’s assessment of their strength and trust the pills he gives them, despite their own confidence in their physical abilities.
• Chen Bing shows strong loyalty and determination: he keeps the Jupiter mission going partly because he refuses to let his company—or its boss—fail.
• Qiuqiu efficiently supports the mission with technical instructions while reinforcing Shen Bing’s priorities.
• Master Qiao is established as essential to the Azure Empire mission, while the others’ roles are secondary.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and ambition: Chen Bing’s commitment to Shen Bing’s approval drives him to persevere.
• Knowledge as power: The Corgi Empire’s vast technological archive could benefit humanity, but mastering it is a major undertaking.
• Civilizational perspective: The chapter contrasts Earth’s short recorded history with the Corgi Empire’s immense past, suggesting that humanity’s rapid progress may be unusual—and perhaps excessively diligent.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing learns that civilizations across the universe often advance far more slowly than Earth did. His initial pride in humanity quickly turns to alarm: Earth’s rapid development and expansion could make it a future threat, prompting other civilizations to attack preemptively.
• He decides the Azure Empire must be kept out of the Solar System and plans to enlist Earth’s governments, since defending the planet cannot be left to his company alone. He asks Qiuqiu to arrange a meeting with the Chief; the meeting is set for the next morning at ten.
• Shen Bing directs Chen Bing’s team to investigate Jupiter, with metallic hydrogen extraction as a possible later project. Corgi Empire records reveal that Azure Empire citizens draw strength from SR dark energy, which metallic hydrogen can absorb. Shen Bing suspects this is the same energy he recently observed on the Moon and sees a way to weaken the Azure Empire if conflict comes.
• The chapter then shifts to Earth’s changing economy. Firmament has not reduced demand for real-world goods; wealth redistribution has even boosted retail spending. Some industries are struggling, while flying cars—especially Phantom Immortal Technology’s Skyflying Cars—are in enormous demand.
• Phantom Immortal Technology keeps Skyflying Car prices and production unchanged, so buyers turn to other manufacturers’ flying cars. These are generally slower and less safe than Skyflying Cars, but offer different comforts and features. Meanwhile, Firmament’s in-game economy creates abundant opportunities for players to earn and spend money.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing moves from pride in Earth’s unusual progress to strategic anxiety about attracting alien attention. He becomes more focused on planetary defense and considers metallic hydrogen a potential countermeasure rather than simply a resource.
• Qiuqiu serves as Shen Bing’s assistant: it relays his instructions to Chen Bing, contacts Secretary Jiang, and confirms the meeting with the Chief.
• Chen Bing and his team are tasked with assessing Jupiter, laying groundwork for possible cooperation with the government on metallic hydrogen.
• Shen Bing and the government are preparing to coordinate: he recognizes that Earth’s defense is a public responsibility, not something he should shoulder alone.

Significant themes

• Human exceptionalism and danger: Earth’s rapid progress inspires pride but may also make humanity a target.
• Preparation and cooperation: Shen Bing seeks to involve government and pursue research before an alien threat becomes immediate.
• Technological and economic change: Virtual worlds and flying cars reshape work, leisure, consumer demand, and established industries.
• Supply, demand, and value: The booming market for flying cars and Firmament items shows how scarcity and new opportunities alter prices and behavior.

Key plot points

• At a meeting with the Chief and all seven national leaders, Shen Bing reveals that the Corgi Empire was destroyed by a still more powerful civilization called the Azure Empire.
• The news alarms the leaders: the Azure Empire may eventually discover Earth and the wormhole connecting it to the wider universe.
• Shen explains that Earth is advancing unusually quickly compared with other civilizations, making it a potential future threat—and therefore a likely target if discovered.
• He argues that Earth cannot rely on staying hidden. Instead, it should divert the Azure Empire’s attention by establishing a covert base in its territory and provoking trouble there.
• Shen proposes that his company build the base and supply a small number of elite fighters, while Earth’s military provides the main force. He presents the mission both as a distraction and as preparation for interstellar warfare.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing is candid about Earth’s danger but reveals only what is necessary: he does not tell the leaders that the Azure Empire has already found the wormhole and sent scouts through. Though he portrays the plan confidently, he privately feels pushed into taking responsibility.
• The Chief and the other leaders move from relaxed curiosity to serious concern as they grasp the scale of the threat. The Chief listens closely and asks what support Shen needs; Elder Chen presses him impatiently for details.
• The meeting becomes a negotiation: Shen makes clear that his company cannot shoulder the operation alone and persuades the government to commit military personnel.

Significant themes

• Progress as both advantage and danger: Earth’s rapid development gives it technological strengths but also makes it conspicuous and potentially threatening to established powers.
• Preparation over wishful thinking: The leaders hope the Azure Empire has not learned about the wormhole, but Shen urges them to act rather than depend on secrecy.
• Shared responsibility: Shen’s plan requires cooperation between private technology and national military forces.
• The cost of survival: Earth must prepare for conflict by gaining experience, even before it fully understands its much stronger adversary.

Chapter summary

• Old Chen questions why Shen Bing’s company, rather than the military’s engineering troops, should build a secret military base. Shen Bing argues that the base depends on technologies the troops cannot provide: Charged Particle Cannons, quantum teleportation capable of transporting living organisms, and a Dark Matter Shield. Old Chen concedes that buying the equipment would not amount to building the base.
• The Chief is astonished by Phantom Immortal Technology’s latest breakthroughs. Shen Bing explains that living-organism teleportation has passed animal testing, but its high energy use and demanding maintenance make it practical only for a limited installation such as the secret base.
• The Chief asks how far the teleportation technology can reach. Shen Bing cautiously says projections indicate up to a million light-years without obstruction, potentially twice that range with signal amplification. He adds that a star map recovered from the Corgi Empire suggests it is located somewhere in the Milky Way.
• This news makes the group more anxious: the Corgi Empire seems unexpectedly close, and the Azure Empire could pose a threat. Shen Bing reassures them that neither civilization appears capable of crossing the galaxy directly; the Azure Empire’s likely route to Earth is the wormhole on the Moon.
• Accepting that the teleportation technology seems viable, the Chief turns to the next concern: how well the Dark Matter Shield can defend the base.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing confidently defends his company’s role while revealing remarkable capabilities, though his tentative “probably” about teleportation’s range briefly frustrates the Chief.
• Old Chen moves from skepticism about private construction to reluctant acceptance after learning that the base requires specialized technology.
• The Chief shifts from surprise and admiration at Shen Bing’s achievements to concern about alien proximity, then relies on Shen Bing’s assessment to gauge the danger. His teasing remark about Shen Bing being “a little more reliable” keeps the exchange warm despite the high stakes.

Significant themes

• Technology outpacing institutions: Traditional military engineering cannot build a base dependent on advanced private-sector inventions.
• Wonder and uncertainty: Scientific breakthroughs inspire excitement but also raise unsettling questions about humanity’s place in the galaxy.
• Security amid progress: The group weighs advanced defenses and teleportation against the danger posed by alien civilizations and the lunar wormhole.

Plot points and events

• Shen Bing explains that the Dark Matter Shield can withstand one full-power Charged Particle Cannon shot, but not two in quick succession. The leaders approve Phantom Immortal Technology’s plan to build a secret base.
• Shen asks for the rights to extract metallic hydrogen from all of Jupiter. The Chief agrees readily, even offering Saturn’s resources as well, since they seem distant and largely hypothetical to him.
• Shen requests a temporary lease of the government’s completed spaceship for Jupiter operations. The government agrees to lend it for up to a year; Shen says his company will need it for no more than three months, implying it can build another ship quickly.
• When the leaders ask about future spaceship orders, Shen quotes a reduced price of 50 billion yuan, down from 200 billion for the first ship. The government orders four more, payable on delivery.
• Asked about weapons and defenses, Shen says each new ship will include one Charged Particle Cannon. Additional cannons will cost 8 billion yuan each, and each Dark Matter Shield will cost 10 billion.
• Shen makes a second request: Phantom Immortal Technology should supply and periodically replace the weapons used in combat at the secret base, anticipating conflict with the Azure Empire.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing is confident in negotiations and uses his company’s technological advantage to secure major resource, equipment, and supply agreements. He briefly considers charging more, but reins in his greed, presenting himself as fair-minded.
• The Chief and other leaders are impressed by Shen’s capabilities and eager to acquire spaceships and defensive technology. The Chief agrees to Shen’s proposals and places a sizable order, while the leaders recognize that ordinary expectations do not apply to Shen’s company.
• Their relationship is cooperative and commercially pragmatic: Shen offers valuable technology and lower prices, while the government provides access to its spaceship and backs his operations.

Significant themes

• Technology and power: Advanced ships, weapons, and shields promise to reshape military balance and deter rivals.
• Commercial bargaining and trust: The chapter blends enormous strategic stakes with negotiations over prices, leases, and supply contracts.
• Resource ownership and expansion: The leaders’ easy acceptance of Jupiter’s resources reflects how distant space exploitation still feels to them, while Shen treats it as an immediate business opportunity.
• Conscience versus profit: Shen’s hesitation over whether to “fleece” the government reveals a modest moral conflict beneath his business success.

Key plot points

• Shen Bing asks to use metallic hydrogen in the interworld conflict. It can absorb the Azure Empire’s dark energy, weakening their advantage on the battlefield while letting Phantom Immortal Technology collect the energy for research.
• The leaders approve, trusting Shen Bing to use any discoveries for humanity’s benefit.
• Chief Zhou then raises a much larger issue: Flying Cars and the prospect of space travel have made national borders seem increasingly outdated and difficult to manage.
• The leaders ask Shen Bing for his view because his technology has helped bring about these changes. He replies that, as a Huaxia citizen, he will support the government’s decision unconditionally.
• The Chief takes him at his word, leaving Shen Bing worried that he has agreed to more than he intended.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing is candid about his scientific motives, though his request also conveniently gives his company access to dark energy for research.
• The leaders balance national interests with confidence in Shen Bing, believing he poses no threat and will share useful breakthroughs with society.
• Chief Zhou presses Shen Bing to accept responsibility for the social consequences of technological change. Shen Bing tries to distance himself from the political issue, prompting the leaders’ silent frustration and the Chief’s pointed insistence.
• The Chief’s final remark turns Shen Bing’s pledge into a commitment, while Shen Bing’s unease provides the scene’s comic ending.

Significant themes

• Technology reshapes society: Flying Cars and spaceflight challenge political structures built around borders.
• Trust and responsibility: The leaders rely on Shen Bing’s character, while also expecting him to engage with the consequences of his inventions.
• Science for public benefit: Shen Bing’s research ambitions are accepted because the leaders believe its results will ultimately help humanity.
• Unintended commitments: A casual assurance of support may carry far-reaching political implications.

Plot points and events

• Huaxia’s leaders explain their plan for an Earth Federation: preserve national autonomy while coordinating currency, finance, taxation, and population movement, rather than immediately merging the world into one country.
• Shen Bing argues that the threat of the Azure Empire makes military integration urgent. Humanity would need unified forces to resist an alien attack, especially since the Empire will eventually discover the wormhole.
• The Chief proposes giving Phantom Immortal Technology seats in the federation’s parliament to help protect Huaxia’s influence. Shen Bing considers this unnecessary but accepts that the leaders will pursue it.
• Shen Bing announces that he will donate all the technology recovered from the captured Corgi Empire warship. The leaders are thrilled, seeing the technology as a major boost to the federation project.
• Shen Bing leaves Kyoto for Gold Island, where a spaceship handover ceremony will be broadcast worldwide. He checks on the ship’s assembly and the island’s facilities, which are nearly ready.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing offers strategic advice on military unity but remains detached from the political negotiations. He also shows generosity by donating the alien technology, partly because he feels he has already profited greatly from the world.
• The Chief and other leaders are ambitious but pragmatic: they seek a federation that can preserve national interests while enabling global coordination. The Chief also tries to bring Shen Bing’s company directly into the new political structure.
• Shen Bing and the Chief negotiate bluntly: the Chief presses him for useful advice and proposes a parliamentary role; Shen Bing challenges the proposal but ultimately lets it stand.
• Shen Bing and Difu discuss preparations on Gold Island. Difu assures him that robotic assembly is on schedule and that facilities will soon be ready.

Significant themes

• Global cooperation versus national sovereignty: The proposed federation aims to coordinate essential systems without immediately abolishing countries.
• Unity in the face of existential danger: The alien threat gives military integration urgency and offers a powerful rationale for international cooperation.
• Technology as leverage and shared resource: The recovered alien technology could strengthen humanity and make the federation more achievable.
• Power and political influence: Huaxia seeks a leading role, while Shen Bing is drawn into political plans despite preferring to stay out of them.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing approves expanding Gold Island to four times its current usable area, with Difu instructed to follow new plans that Qiuqiu will provide.
• Gold Island’s infrastructure and factory production lines are nearly complete. Its enormous manufacturing capacity already supports the shipment of millions of robots and game pods daily, alongside products such as flying cars, weapons, and spaceships.
• Shen Bing invites Wang Sheng to the island and proposes moving Phantom Immortal Technology’s headquarters there. He says employees may choose whether to relocate, with housing for their families and world-class schools, hospitals, and other facilities provided.
• Shen Bing explains that the move would bring management closer to the island’s factories and planned research operations. He also reveals that the secret team behind the company’s advanced technology will be integrated with the official R&D Center, where its experienced members can guide newer researchers.
• Wang Sheng raises concerns about disrupting employees’ lives and making international travel difficult. Shen Bing reassures him that the authorities are working on the travel issue and will not object to the move. The chapter ends with Wang Sheng accepting this explanation, though the larger political plans remain undisclosed.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing continues making ambitious, long-term plans for Gold Island. He is confident about relocating the headquarters and bringing the hidden R&D team into the company’s formal structure.
• Wang Sheng begins skeptical of the move, especially because the Rongcheng headquarters is new and employees are settled there. He becomes more receptive after hearing about family housing and services, while carefully raising practical and political concerns.
• Difu acts as Shen Bing’s operational aide, confirming the island’s readiness and receiving instructions for its expansion.
• Shen Bing and Wang Sheng have a familiar, teasing rapport, but their conversation shifts quickly into serious strategic planning.

Significant themes

• Expansion and technological power: Gold Island’s scale and production capacity reveal how far Phantom Immortal Technology has grown.
• Centralization and integration: Moving management and R&D closer to production is presented as a way to improve coordination and accelerate innovation.
• Personal choice versus corporate ambition: Employees will be invited—not forced—to relocate, though the company’s growth may reshape their lives.
• Globalization and political change: Travel restrictions and the proposed Earth Federation hint that major geopolitical reforms may soon alter the company’s relationship with national borders.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing convinces Wang Sheng that Phantom Immortal Technology’s headquarters can move to Gold Island, where the company’s most advanced facilities are already based.
• Wang tours the island and sees technologies far beyond those the company has sold publicly. His doubts about those sales disappear, though he realizes that running and commercializing the newer inventions will bring major responsibilities.
• Wang recognizes that Shen is preparing to hand him much of the company’s management. He begins considering how to organize staff, restructure operations, and relocate the headquarters.
• The following day, Huaxia’s official television channel broadcasts the unveiling of the Auspicious Cloud, a spaceship built for the country by Phantom Immortal Technology. The report suggests Huaxia plans to acquire four more vessels and arm them.
• The announcement sparks international debate. Some commentators accuse Huaxia of preparing to dominate Earth, while the leaders of many countries understand that this interpretation is badly mistaken.

Character developments and interactions

• Wang Sheng moves from being an executive helping with planning to recognizing that he may soon oversee the company’s future. The scale of the task makes him anxious, but he is already thinking strategically about involving trusted managers and subsidiary heads.
• Shen Bing remains an ambitious but calculating businessman: he keeps the most advanced technologies in-house while selling older ones, and appears ready to step back from day-to-day management.
• Wang and Shen agree on moving the headquarters, with Shen encouraging Wang to explore Gold Island before returning to arrange the transition.
• The television report indirectly communicates Huaxia’s growing space capability, while private commentators and foreign leaders react in sharply different ways.

Significant themes

• Technological advantage and strategic restraint: Shen’s company holds capabilities far beyond those it sells, while Huaxia’s space program changes the global balance of power.
• Leadership and responsibility: Wang must prepare to manage unprecedented technology and a rapidly expanding company.
• Public perception versus reality: Some observers interpret Huaxia’s spacecraft as a bid for terrestrial domination, but the chapter’s closing line signals that they misunderstand the real situation.
• The challenge of progress: Advanced inventions promise enormous benefits, but introducing them responsibly—and managing their social and organizational consequences—is difficult.

Key plot points and events

• Huaxia proposes an Earth Federation to the world’s ten leading powers. Though their leaders dislike giving up authority, they largely accept that unity is necessary in the face of the alien threat—and recognize that Huaxia’s proposal is effectively unavoidable.
• At a ceremony attended by a senior military general, Huaxia receives its first government-owned spaceship, the Auspicious Cloud, commissioned from Phantom Immortal Technology. The general explains that it will join the Hope at Jupiter to extract metallic hydrogen, presenting the launch as humanity’s first step toward using space resources.
• The Auspicious Cloud launches successfully, carrying a trained crew who will study its systems and capabilities.
• Shen Bing announces that Phantom Immortal Technology will expand Gold Island into a major spaceport and begin recruiting talented people worldwide. Applicants will submit résumés and interview remotely; successful candidates will work on Gold Island.
• In an interview, Shen defends the company’s ability to protect its technology and argues that talent and potential matter alongside hard work. He clarifies that effort still counts, but should be directed toward a person’s strengths.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing presents himself as confident and forward-looking, using the ceremony to announce a global recruitment drive. He downplays security concerns publicly, though his real confidence comes from Gold Island’s strict control and secrecy.
• The senior general lends the launch military significance through his presence, but emphasizes peaceful resource development and humanity’s future in space.
• Reporter Wang Xin is surprised by the worldwide hiring plan and probes Shen about security, applications, and the company’s standards. Their exchange culminates in Shen’s memorable, if potentially discouraging, argument about talent and inspiration.

Significant themes

• Global unity versus national power: The alien threat pushes countries toward federation despite their reluctance to surrender autonomy.
• Humanity’s shared future: Space exploration and resource extraction are framed as endeavors that could benefit all people.
• Talent and effort: Shen argues that hard work matters, but must be paired with aptitude and directed appropriately.
• Technology, secrecy, and control: Phantom Immortal Technology invites global participation while keeping its most important research and security arrangements tightly protected.

Key plot points and events

• During an interview at the Auspicious Cloud handover ceremony, Shen Bing outlines Phantom Immortal Technology’s future priorities: advancing human evolution and bringing its existing advanced technologies into everyday life.
• He announces plans to help develop the smart-home industry by supplying concepts and technical solutions rather than manufacturing products.
• The main reveal is a “Third-Generation Phone,” defined by its ability to replace a computer while remaining portable. Shen says holographic imaging can solve the screen-size limitation, and hints that the device may take the form of a watch.
• Though no prototype or release date is shown, the announcement attracts widespread excitement because Phantom Immortal Technology has a record of turning ambitious promises into polished, real products.
• The company’s decision to recruit globally causes upheaval at major research institutions. Researchers consider leaving for Phantom Immortal, while governments see both a chance to gain access to its technology and a danger of losing their own scientific talent.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing presents himself as confident and ambitious, describing long-term goals without promising a specific release date. He uses the interview to build anticipation for the company’s next product.
• Wang Xin, initially skeptical about science-fiction-like technology and unsure what makes the proposed phone new, becomes increasingly convinced and eager to own it. Shen explains his ideas patiently, turning her interview into a lively exchange.
• Researchers and laboratory directors are portrayed as drawn to Phantom Immortal’s opportunities, while government officials are divided between hopes of infiltration and fears of a worsening technological gap.

Significant themes

• Innovation becoming ordinary: Technologies once considered science fiction are already entering work and daily life.
• Expectation backed by results: Phantom Immortal’s reputation makes even a concept announcement credible and exciting.
• Talent and competition: A leading company can attract researchers from around the world, unsettling institutions and governments that cannot match its progress.
• Progress versus dependence: Governments worry that losing their scientific workforce will leave their countries unable to develop independently.

Key plot points

• Phantom Immortal Technology opens recruitment to applicants worldwide, overwhelming its Human Resources Department. The company is also relocating its headquarters, forcing employees to consider moving their families.
• Leaders of major powers hesitate to oppose the recruitment, suspecting it may be connected to Huaxia’s proposal for an Earth Federation. Phantom Immortal Technology’s influence—and countries’ dependence on Cancer Cure No. 1—makes resistance risky.
• Twelve major powers hold a brief summit and announce that the Earth Federation has officially been established, with all twelve joining.
• The public reacts first with confusion, then with relief that a federation including every nuclear-armed country could reduce the danger of nuclear war.
• Some commentators spread conspiracy theories portraying the federation as Huaxia’s plot or the result of coercion. Shen Bing publishes a public statement supporting the federation and describing it as a major step for humanity. His enormous following helps turn public opinion sharply against its critics.
• Smaller and medium-sized countries are left bewildered, unsure what the new arrangement means for them.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing uses his public influence to endorse the Earth Federation, helping legitimize it in the eyes of the public.
• National leaders act cautiously, weighing political objections against Phantom Immortal Technology’s power and the practical value of its medical supplies.
• Phantom Immortal Technology’s staff are shown as capable under pressure, though Human Resources faces the additional challenge of managing the headquarters move.
• Internet users quickly rally around Shen Bing’s position and collectively attack those criticizing the federation.
• Smaller-country leaders watch the major powers unite and feel excluded and confused.

Significant themes

• Power and leverage: Phantom Immortal Technology can influence governments through its technology, employment opportunities, and medical treatments.
• Rapid global change: The federation’s sudden creation leaves ordinary people struggling to catch up.
• Unity versus suspicion: The federation offers hope of reduced nuclear danger, while conspiracy theories frame it as coercion.
• Celebrity and public opinion: Shen Bing’s fame makes his endorsement a powerful force in shaping the public response.