Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Chen Hao prepares to treat Commander Chu with acupuncture, despite Qiao Shan’s doubts about his medical experience and the risks. Commander Chu orders Qiao Shan out and allows Chen to proceed.
• Chen warns that the treatment will be extremely painful. Using the Heavenly Eye Art and techniques from the Yellow Emperor’s Book of Changes, he inserts silver needles to gather and shift cancer cells from Commander Chu’s lungs into a small area.
• While Commander Chu endures the pain, Chen checks the Heavenly Court Chat Group and discovers Princess Iron Fan’s red packet contains just one point of Daoist Merit. The group jokes about the stingy gift, then trades complaints about her mischievous son, Red Boy.
• Chen examines Commander Chu and confirms the acupuncture has worked. The cancer has not been eliminated, and its spread to other organs will require further treatment, but Chen believes he can keep Chu alive for years.
• After the session, Commander Chu feels dramatically stronger and is amazed by the result. Chen cautions that he is not cured yet, requests secrecy, and promises more treatments. Chu laughs, startling the people waiting outside.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao shows confidence in his extraordinary medical abilities, but also caution: he acknowledges the treatment is incomplete and asks Chu to keep his methods private. He comes to admire Chu’s endurance.
• Commander Chu trusts Chen despite the risks and suffers through intense pain without complaint, revealing the toughness of his military past. His initial caution gives way to astonishment and respect.
• Qiao Shan worries about the danger and responsibility involved, but obeys Chu’s command and guards the door, keeping others from interrupting.
• Princess Iron Fan seeks advice about disciplining Red Boy, while several immortals recount his destructive mischief.
• Sun Long and the waiting group are left confused by Chu’s sudden laughter and try to eavesdrop.

Significant themes

• The chapter contrasts traditional knowledge and modern skepticism, presenting Chen’s mystical medical techniques as capable of achieving an apparently miraculous result.
• Courage and endurance are central: Chu’s willingness to withstand severe pain reflects his soldierly resolve.
• Trust, secrecy, and responsibility shape the treatment: Chu accepts the risk, while Chen insists the cure is unfinished and asks for discretion.
• Comic scenes in the Heavenly Court Chat Group provide a humorous contrast to the high-stakes medical procedure.

Key plot points and events

• While Commander Chu and Chen Hao talk inside the ICU, Qiao Shan blocks Gong Honglin and the others from entering, following the commander’s orders.
• Gong Honglin hears laughter, learns Chen Hao is inside, and angrily forces his way in, fearing the critically ill commander is being put at risk.
• He finds Commander Chu sitting up, drinking wine with Chen Hao, looking remarkably healthy. The commander credits Chen Hao with saving his life.
• Gong Honglin arranges an MRI. The scan shows that the lung shadows and lesions associated with Commander Chu’s advanced cancer have almost entirely disappeared.
• Commander Chu keeps Chen Hao’s treatment methods secret, as promised. Chen Hao explains that further sessions will be needed for a complete cure.
• The commander wants to host a banquet for Chen Hao, but Chen Hao urges him to rest and follow Gong Honglin’s medical guidance. The celebration is postponed.

Character developments and interactions

• Gong Honglin shifts from alarm and anger to stunned disbelief at the commander’s recovery and scan results. He presses Chen Hao for an explanation, but Chen Hao refuses to reveal his secret.
• Qiao Shan initially obeys the order to guard the door, even against the attending physician. After witnessing the recovery, his doubts about Chen Hao vanish.
• Commander Chu is restored to energetic, cheerful health and expresses deep gratitude to Chen Hao. He readily agrees to continue treatment and follow advice.
• Chen Hao remains modest and guarded about his abilities. He respects Gong Honglin’s expertise, supports the MRI, and prioritizes the commander’s health over wine and celebration.
• Sun Long, Zou Jian, and the others are astonished and crowd around Chen Hao with questions, recognizing that saving the commander could transform his standing.

Significant themes

• Miraculous healing versus conventional medicine: Gong Honglin’s disbelief highlights how dramatically Chen Hao’s treatment exceeds medical expectations.
• Trust and discretion: Chen Hao honors his promise to keep the treatment secret, while the commander trusts him and follows his guidance.
• Humility and responsibility: Despite the attention and the commander’s gratitude, Chen Hao focuses on continued treatment and recovery rather than praise or celebration.

Key plot points and events

• After Chen Hao helps Chu Mengling, Commander Chu—whose real name is Chu Jinliang—exchanges contact details with him and arranges to visit her together the next day. Qiao Shan drives Chen home and offers him a job as a medical attendant at the military region, but Chen politely declines.
• Alone that night, Chen grieves the end of his five-year relationship with Sun Jiaqi, then decides to ask Matchmaker from the Heavenly Court Chat Group about his romantic fate.
• Chen sends Matchmaker an ordinary apple, which the immortal mistakes for a rare divine fruit. Chen invents an elaborate story about its powers and uses the supposed “sacred fruit” to persuade Matchmaker to help him.
• Matchmaker says Chen will form his first romantic bond with a woman whose two-character name he will encounter the next day, but refuses to reveal her identity.
• The next morning, Chen heads to Zhonghai City First People’s Hospital in the same taxi whose driver took him to the rescue scene. The taxi joins a five-car pileup involving several luxury cars. One of the drivers, an aggressive young man, abuses the taxi driver, then recognizes the woman in the Bentley as “Miss Liu.”

Character developments

• Chen Hao is still hurt by his breakup, but tries to shake off his sadness by turning to his supernatural connections. He also shows a growing knack for bluffing and exploiting opportunities.
• Qiao Shan warms up to Chen, sharing stories from his military service and offering him work. His loyalty to Commander Chu is clear.
• Matchmaker is easily impressed by Chen’s apple and his fabricated tale, though he keeps his professional caution about revealing fate’s secrets.
• The taxi driver is apologetic and intimidated after the collision, especially by the wealthy-looking drivers.
• The Bentley driver remains composed after the crash, in contrast to the other drivers’ anger.

Significant themes

• Heartbreak and recovery: Chen wrestles with the loss of his relationship and questions love’s power without financial security.
• Fortune and fate: Matchmaker’s prediction gives Chen hope—and curiosity—about a new romantic connection.
• Improvisation and opportunity: Chen turns an ordinary apple into leverage through confident deception.
• Status and power: The crash highlights how wealth and perceived influence shape the way people treat one another.

Character interactions

• Commander Chu and Chen part on friendly terms and plan a hospital visit; Qiao Shan acts as Chen’s driver and offers him a position.
• Chen bargains with Matchmaker using the apple, then supplies his birth details to obtain a romantic prediction.
• Chen and the taxi driver recognize each other and chat before the accident.
• After the pileup, the young man berates the taxi driver, while the Bentley driver stays calm. The chapter ends as the young man addresses her as “Miss Liu,” setting up their connection.

Key plot points and events

• On an elevated road, Chen Hao encounters Liu Yan being harassed by Lou Haocheng, who proposes himself as an alternative to her rumored arranged marriage with a man from Dihao Group.
• When Lou tries to grab Liu Yan, Chen intervenes. Lou attacks Chen with a club, but Chen catches it, knocks Lou down, and inadvertently sends the club flying into Lou’s forehead.
• A traffic officer arrives to handle the car accident. Chen jokes that Lou is having a seizure, while Liu Yan quietly laughs at Lou’s bruised, swollen forehead.
• Lou summons help and threatens Chen after the officer clears the scene. Liu offers to settle matters, but Chen refuses to pay and tells her he can handle Lou.
• Liu insists on staying because Chen was drawn into the dispute while helping her. Chen wonders whether she might be the future wife foretold by the Matchmaker, but doubts they could be compatible because of their different social positions.
• Chen receives a call from General Qiao and explains that trouble may prevent him from arriving. Qiao says Commander Chu has been waiting for him. When Qiao reports the situation, Chu orders him to ensure Chen reaches him safely and authorizes him to deal firmly with anyone obstructing them.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao is calm, physically formidable, and quick-witted. He protects Liu Yan, refuses to be intimidated by Lou, and remains considerate of Liu’s offer to help. His thoughts reveal insecurity about the gap between their wealth and status.
• Liu Yan is proud and openly hostile to Lou’s unwanted advances, but shows gratitude and concern toward Chen. Despite being able to leave safely, she chooses to stand by him.
• Lou Haocheng is entitled, persistent, and quick to violence. His attempted intimidation backfires, leaving him injured and humiliated, though he still threatens revenge.
• General Qiao and Commander Chu demonstrate Chen’s importance to powerful people. Chu’s gratitude for Chen saving his life makes him determined to protect Chen and ensure he arrives.

Significant themes

• Protecting others and repaying kindness: Chen steps in for Liu Yan, and Liu refuses to abandon him afterward.
• Power versus character: Lou relies on wealth and connections, while Chen’s composure and strength undermine his threats.
• Social distance and fate: Chen considers whether Liu Yan is his destined partner but doubts a romance is plausible because of their class difference.
• Consequences of arrogance: Lou’s aggression turns into public embarrassment and leaves him facing a stronger opponent.

Key plot points and events

• Liu Yan leaves after exchanging phone numbers with Chen Hao, believing he can manage the situation himself. Lou Haocheng takes her departure as a chance to retaliate.
• Lou summons more than a dozen armed bikers to attack Chen. Chen scares them by bending a utility pole with a kick, but his lack of fighting experience leaves him overwhelmed by the group and beaten down.
• Qiao Shan arrives in a jeep, crashes through the bikers’ parked motorcycles, and subdues the group by drawing his gun. After hearing what happened, he quietly tells Chen something that prompts Chen to beat the unconscious Lou Haocheng. Chen warns Lou to find him if he wants revenge, then leaves with Qiao.
• At the hospital, Chu Jinliang warmly asks Chen to call him “Grandpa Chu,” and Chen agrees. Their cheerful reunion is interrupted by cries from a ward: Chu’s granddaughter, Ling’er, refuses her medicine and rejects everyone trying to help her.
• Chu explains that Ling’er’s personality changed after her face was burned. He asks Chen to help her, and Chen agrees to try, without promising success.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao shows impressive physical strength but discovers that strength alone cannot overcome a group when he lacks combat training. After Qiao’s intervention, he takes revenge on Lou and asserts his willingness to face future retaliation. At the hospital, he responds to Chu’s request with measured compassion.
• Lou Haocheng reveals his habitual entitlement and reliance on family influence, ordering an attack despite the bikers’ doubts. Once Qiao draws his gun, Lou’s bravado collapses; Chen’s beating leaves him unconscious.
• Qiao Shan acts decisively to rescue Chen and uses his authority—and a firearm—to end the fight. His teasing helps Chen accept Chu’s affectionate offer.
• Chu Jinliang shifts from joyful gratitude toward Chen to deep sorrow and concern for his granddaughter.
• Ling’er, though not seen directly, is established as angry, distressed, and resistant to care after her disfigurement. Her parents’ helplessness underscores the strain within the family.

Significant themes

• Power and vulnerability: Chen’s strength is formidable but not invincible; group violence and inexperience can still put him at risk.
• Arrogance and consequences: Lou’s privilege encourages reckless cruelty, while the arrival of Qiao and Chen’s retaliation strips away his sense of control.
• Gratitude and family bonds: Chu’s invitation to call him Grandpa signals a close, affectionate bond forming between the two men.
• Trauma and healing: Ling’er’s injuries have affected her emotional life as well as her appearance, setting up Chen’s effort to help her recover.

Plot points and events

• Chen Hao enters Chu Mengling’s room despite her parents’ concern. Chu Jinliang—recently restored to health by Chen Hao—vouches for him and believes he may be able to help her.
• Mengling, badly burned on the right side of her face, is devastated and says she wishes Chen Hao had not saved her. He listens, then asks whether she would trust him if he could restore her face.
• Chen Hao offers a bet: if he succeeds, Mengling will return to her cheerful self; if he fails, she can decide what happens to him. A small spark of hope makes her receptive.
• He asks for clean gauze and announces that he will treat her. Chu Jinliang orders his soldiers to assist, while Qiao Shan guards the room to prevent interruptions.
• Meanwhile, a group of prominent doctors are still unable to explain how Chu Jinliang’s terminal cancer disappeared. When they learn that Chen Hao is at the hospital, they rush to see him.
• Chen Hao removes Mengling’s bandages and examines her burns. The chapter ends before he begins treatment.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao shows confidence and compassion, balancing blunt humor with patience as he encourages Mengling and prepares to treat her.
• Chu Mengling shifts from anger and despair toward cautious hope. Though ashamed of her appearance, she eventually lets Chen Hao examine her.
• Chu Jinliang has strong faith in Chen Hao after being saved and actively supports his attempt to help Mengling.
• Chu Huasheng and his wife remain anxious and doubtful, but defer to Chu Jinliang’s judgment.
• Gong Honglin and the other doctors are frustrated by the unexplained cancer cure and eager to meet Chen Hao, whom they see as a possible key to the mystery.

Significant themes

• Hope amid despair: Chen Hao gives Mengling a reason to consider a future beyond her injuries.
• Appearance and self-worth: Mengling’s anguish reflects how deeply the burns have affected her sense of identity and prospects.
• Faith versus conventional knowledge: The doctors’ inability to explain Chu Jinliang’s recovery contrasts with the confidence placed in Chen Hao’s extraordinary abilities.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Hao applies ash from the Eight Trigrams Furnace beneath the gauze covering Chu Mengling’s burned face, then waits for it to work.
• Hospital director Gong Honglin arrives with a crowd of specialists, eager to meet Chen Hao after hearing he cured Chu Jinliang’s cancer. They gather outside Mengling’s room while Chen treats her.
• When Chen removes the gauze, Mengling sees her face coated in black ash and, thinking he has made things worse, slaps him. Chen explains that the black material is residue and wipes it away.
• The ash-covered skin is revealed to be completely healed, astonishing Mengling’s family and the medical staff.
• Gong accidentally reveals that Chu Jinliang had advanced lung cancer. His family learns that he kept the diagnosis secret, but also learns Chen has already cured him.
• Chu Jinliang warmly declares Chen part of the family. Gong, overwhelmed by Chen’s extraordinary results, presses him to explain how he did it.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao remains confident in his treatment but is caught off guard by Mengling’s reaction to the frightening-looking ash. He accepts the Chu family’s gratitude modestly, emphasizing that they are family.
• Chu Mengling moves from anxious hope to alarm when she sees her blackened face, then to astonishment and relief when the residue is cleaned away and her scars are gone.
• Chu Jinliang is deeply grateful to Chen and formally embraces him as a grandson, while his family’s discovery of his concealed cancer creates a brief moment of reproach.
• Chu Huasheng and his wife initially fear Chen has harmed Mengling, then rush to celebrate her recovery. Huasheng is shocked and upset to learn his father hid his illness.
• Gong Honglin shifts from cautious medical authority to intense admiration, struggling to reconcile Chen’s achievements with what he considers medically impossible.
• Qiao Shan protects Chen’s privacy and keeps the crowd out until Mengling’s screams prompt them to enter.

Significant themes

• Miraculous healing versus conventional medicine: Chen’s cures challenge the specialists’ expectations and confidence.
• Trust and family: Mengling relies on Chen despite doubts, while Chen and Jinliang frame their bond as familial rather than transactional.
• Secrecy and concern: Jinliang hid his cancer to spare his family worry, but their reaction shows the emotional cost of that choice.
• Appearance versus reality: The black ash looks like a disastrous treatment, but beneath it Mengling’s face has healed completely.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Gong Honglin pushes Chen Hao toward a crowd of medical specialists, who eagerly question him about curing Commander Chu’s cancer and try to recruit him as a disciple. Gong then attempts to hire him for Zhonghai City First People’s Hospital, prompting other doctors to compete for him.
• Chu Jinliang ends the commotion by sending the specialists away so Chen Hao can rest. Shortly afterward, Chu nearly collapses; Chen explains that his cancer is controlled but not fully cured and that Chu needs further treatment and time to recover.
• Chu insists on spending time with Chen and arranges a banquet. He also asks for more of Chen’s special medicinal wine, which seems to restore his strength. Chen and Chu joke about the wine’s effects, easing the mood in the room.
• Chu Mengling drives Chen away from the hospital in her Porsche. She apologizes for having misunderstood and struck him earlier, and admits she dreams of becoming a professional racing driver. Chen briefly wonders whether her earlier Audi accident was really accidental.
• In a separate car, Chu Jinliang learns that evidence points to a mysterious organization being behind the incident involving Mengling. Fearing for his family, he orders Qiao Shan to send Mengling and the others to the capital, while deciding to stay behind and confront the threat himself.
• At the luxury Ancient Sovereign Hotel, Mengling introduces Chen to the lobby manager as a “very good friend.” The manager recognizes her status and treats Chen with respect. The chapter ends as he asks which private dining room they have booked.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao remains modest and somewhat overwhelmed by the specialists’ attention. He shows concern for Chu’s health, shares a warm, playful rapport with him, and grows closer to Mengling after accepting her apology.
• Chu Jinliang is grateful to Chen and treats him affectionately, while his private conversation with Qiao Shan reveals a courageous, protective side: he plans to face the danger rather than flee.
• Chu Mengling is recovering, cheerful, and eager to drive. Her apology marks a shift in her relationship with Chen, though her past car accident remains suspicious.
• Qiao Shan serves as Chu’s trusted aide, investigating the threat and responding firmly to Chu’s instructions.
• Gong Honglin and the specialists recognize Chen’s extraordinary medical ability, competing to recruit him or learn from him.

Significant themes

• The value and recognition of talent: Chen’s healing skills quickly attract intense professional attention.
• Family warmth and gratitude: The Chus’ affection for Chen creates a brief, joyful, family-like atmosphere.
• Hidden danger beneath ordinary life: The suspected organization’s involvement turns Mengling’s accident into a broader threat.
• Courage and protection: Chu is prepared to risk himself to shield his family, even as he sends them away for safety.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Hao receives a concerned call from Liu Yan. They discover they are both having lunch at the Ancient Sovereign, though in different private rooms, and agree he may visit her later.
• In the restroom, Chen Hao runs into Zhang Liang, his former boss, and Liu Neng, his former supervisor. They mock him, assuming he is still poor and now works as a cleaner. Chen Hao trades insults with Zhang Liang but otherwise ignores them.
• Chen Hao joins the Chu family in the exclusive room VV888. Chu Jinliang insists he take the honored seat beside him, signaling how highly he values him.
• Mayor Jia Zhengyi arrives. Chu Jinliang introduces Chen Hao as the man who saved his life. Jia is impressed and promises to help protect Chen Hao in Zhonghai, at Chu’s request.
• Chen Hao gives Chu Jinliang some Peach Blossom Wine, limiting him to a small glass and explaining that the supply is meant to last until his next treatment. The wine visibly restores Chu’s energy, and Chu Mengling jokingly claims she will keep it.
• Seeing the wine’s effects, Chen Hao recognizes its potential value and considers deepening his relationship with the Old Immortal of the South Pole so he can eventually develop a market for it.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao remains calm and self-assured when taunted by his former workplace superiors. His position has changed dramatically: he is now welcomed as an honored guest and has powerful allies. He also shows caution by managing Chu Jinliang’s wine intake and concealing how he obtains it.
• Chu Jinliang openly treats Chen Hao as family and a valued benefactor, using his influence to secure him protection. His playful excitement over the wine contrasts with his recent near-death condition.
• Chu Mengling is warm toward Chen Hao and eager to sit beside him; she also playfully takes possession of the wine.
• Mayor Jia initially wonders why Chen Hao has the seat of honor, but quickly changes his attitude after learning Chen Hao saved Chu Jinliang.
• Zhang Liang and Liu Neng continue their old pattern of contempt, unaware that Chen Hao’s circumstances have greatly improved.
• Liu Yan shows concern for Chen Hao, and their brief conversation hints at growing closeness.

Significant themes

• Reversal of status: Former tormentors still judge Chen Hao by his past, while influential people recognize his present worth.
• Power, loyalty, and protection: Chu Jinliang uses his standing to ensure Chen Hao will have support even when he is away.
• Healing and hidden value: Chen Hao’s medical skills and Peach Blossom Wine have extraordinary effects, suggesting both deeper supernatural possibilities and future opportunity.
• Humility and discretion: Despite gaining powerful connections, Chen Hao avoids boasting and keeps the wine’s origins vague.

Plot points and events

• Zhang Liang and Liu Neng try to secure a government procurement contract by bribing Director Yu, offering him a bank card and a 10% kickback. Yu hints that he will help, though he insists the project is officially open to bidders.
• Learning that Mayor Jia is dining at the Ancient Sovereign restaurant, Yu rushes to greet him. Zhang and Liu persuade him to bring them along, hoping to gain access to influential people.
• In the private room, restaurant manager Wang Kaixuan presents Commander Chu Jinliang with a rare Supreme VIP Card. Mayor Jia notes that he had tried unsuccessfully to obtain one, emphasizing Chu’s importance. Chu gives the card to Chen Hao, who learns from Chu Mengling that it may be worth at least ten million.
• Yu and his companions are stopped by soldiers guarding the room. When they make a commotion, Chen Hao recognizes Zhang and Liu and suggests letting the visitors in. Chu agrees, and Jia reluctantly invites them inside.
• Yu mistakes Jia’s invitation for a personal triumph and smugly looks down on the soldier who had refused him entry.

Character developments and interactions

• Director Yu presents himself as a public official but is willing to accept a bribe. His deference to the mayor contrasts with his petty, self-satisfied behavior once admitted.
• Zhang Liang and Liu Neng use flattery and promises of money to influence Yu, then seize the chance to approach the mayor.
• Chu Jinliang remains unimpressed by status symbols and gifts; he passes the valuable card to Chen Hao.
• Chen Hao is surprised by the card’s worth and shows quiet awareness of Yu’s group, using his standing with Chu to let them in.
• Mayor Jia subtly reinforces Chu’s high status, while carefully managing his own irritation at Yu’s intrusion.
• Wang Kaixuan uses the VIP card to honor Chu and leaves promptly when Chu signals impatience.

Significant themes

• Corruption and influence: Yu’s willingness to take a kickback exposes how business interests seek to manipulate public procurement.
• Hierarchy and access: The guarded room and the characters’ attempts to reach Jia show how power determines who can approach influential figures.
• Status versus character: The VIP card has immense material value, but Chu treats it casually; meanwhile, Yu’s brief access to the room only feeds his vanity.
• Generosity and social obligation: Chu gives Chen the card, while Chen’s suggestion to admit Yu’s group reflects his willingness to extend an opportunity to others.

Key plot points and events

• Director Yu arrives at a banquet with Zhang Liang and Liu Neng, expecting to impress Mayor Jia. He is surprised to find Chen Hao in the seat of honor, with Jia and Commander Chu treating him with deference.
• Recognizing Chen Hao, Zhang and Liu try to leave, but Chen orders them to stay. They pretend to be old friends, despite having recently insulted him.
• Chen reminds Zhang that he called him a toilet cleaner and refused to pay his wages. When Zhang dismisses it as a joke, Chen splashes wine in his face, then asks Mayor Jia to address the unpaid wages.
• Jia promises a serious resolution, and Commander Chu supports him. Zhang, realizing the situation is against him, offers to pay immediately.
• Director Yu tries to usher Zhang and Liu away, but Jia calls in Ancient Sovereign manager Wang Kaixuan and orders the three men blacklisted. Security throws them out.
• Outside the banquet, Director Yu blames Zhang and Liu, throws their bank card at Zhang, and threatens to block them from district procurement contracts. Zhang and Liu realize they have lost the contract and may face further trouble.

Character developments

• Chen Hao remains composed and authoritative, using his influence to confront past mistreatment and secure action over his unpaid wages.
• Zhang Liang and Liu Neng shift from arrogant bullies to frightened, conciliatory men. Their attempt to escape and then feign friendship fails, leaving them humiliated and facing serious consequences.
• Director Yu goes from hoping to use the gathering to advance his interests to panicking and disowning his companions; afterward, he retaliates by ending their business relationship.
• Jia Zhengyi and Commander Chu show clear respect for Chen and support his demand for accountability.
• Wang Kaixuan acts decisively on Jia’s instruction, while Chen becomes curious about the Ancient Sovereign’s influence.

Significant themes

• Power and status: The seating arrangement and the officials’ respect for Chen reveal that he holds more influence than the newcomers realize.
• Accountability and justice: Chen turns a past wage dispute into a matter Jia promises to resolve.
• Consequences of cruelty and arrogance: Zhang and Liu’s earlier contempt for Chen comes back to harm them.
• Opportunism and self-preservation: Director Yu quickly tries to distance himself from the men once he sees their conflict with Chen.

Character interactions

Chen confronts Zhang and Liu directly, rejecting their false friendliness and forcing them to face their previous treatment of him. He then appeals to Jia, who backs him alongside Chu. Jia’s order puts Wang Kaixuan and the hotel’s security into action. Once expelled, Director Yu turns on Zhang and Liu, showing how quickly their supposed alliance collapses under pressure.

Key plot points and events

• After dinner, Chen Hao visits Liu Yan’s room. They flirt gently, and she thanks him for helping her earlier. She invites him to join her for a late-night snack.
• When Chen Hao discovers Liu Yan is dining with five men, including the rude chairman Wang, he enters the room and sits beside her. Wang’s men challenge him, so Chen Hao turns the confrontation into a drinking contest.
• Chen Hao downs two half-liter glasses of baijiu, while most of Wang’s party struggle to finish even one. He rebukes Wang for looking down on others and tries to leave with Liu Yan.
• Wang blocks their exit and boasts about his influence. Chen Hao appears to back down, offering compensation; Wang demands one million, which Chen Hao readily agrees to pay.
• Chen Hao calls Mayor Jia Zhengyi. When the mayor arrives, Wang realizes the supposedly timid Chen Hao has summoned a powerful official.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao is playful and openly attracted to Liu Yan. He becomes protective when he sees her surrounded by men who treat her poorly. His apparent cowardice and willingness to pay Wang are deliberate acts to draw out Wang’s arrogance; the mayor’s arrival reveals Chen Hao’s confidence and connections.
• Liu Yan is charmed by Chen Hao at first and invites him out, but worries when he escalates the drinking contest. She follows him when he takes her hand, despite the risk to her business negotiations. His later performance makes her mistakenly lose faith in him.
• Wang is dismissive, domineering, and physically disrespectful toward Liu Yan. He tries to humiliate Chen Hao through drinking and intimidation, then demands money when he thinks Chen Hao is powerless.
• Xiao Li and Wang’s other companions initially help bully and obstruct Chen Hao, but the drinking contest leaves them impressed, incapacitated, or wary.
• The chapter’s central interaction shifts from flirtation between Chen Hao and Liu Yan to a power struggle between Chen Hao and Wang, ending on the revelation of Chen Hao’s leverage.

Significant themes

• Appearances and deception: Chen Hao’s feigned submission conceals his real position and intentions.
• Power and arrogance: Wang relies on status and intimidation, while Chen Hao exposes his greed and bluster.
• Protection and loyalty: Chen Hao intervenes because he feels responsible for Liu Yan, though she does not yet understand his motives.
• Misjudgment: Liu Yan and Wang both misread Chen Hao, setting up the mayor’s arrival as a reversal.

Chapter Summary: “Liu Yan’s Predicament”

Key plot points and events

• Mayor Jia Zhengyi arrives at the restaurant and greets businessman Wang Xuemin, who assumes their connection will protect him. Jia instead calls Chen Hao his friend.
• Chen tells Jia how Wang tried to intimidate him, demand a million in compensation, and claim the restaurant as his territory. Chen plays a secret recording, confirming Wang’s threats.
• Jia rebukes Wang and threatens to reassess his company’s standing in the city. At Chen’s insistence, Jia agrees to pay Wang the million, terrifying Wang, who ends up pleading on his knees.
• Chen introduces Liu Yan to Jia, giving her a rare chance to connect with the mayor. He and Liu then leave the private room.
• On a terrace, Liu reveals that her family’s once-prominent pharmaceutical company, Blue Light Pharmaceuticals, has declined badly. She has two months left to fulfill her promise to restore its profitability; otherwise, she may be forced into a marriage arranged for business reasons.
• Chen realizes his magical treasures—the Eight Trigrams Furnace ashes and the Old Immortal’s Peach Blossom Wine—could become successful products. He suggests they might turn Liu’s company around, but leaves before explaining because Chu Mengling calls him back.
• Liu follows Chen, frustrated that he has left her in suspense. The lobby manager witnesses the exchange and jokes that Chen has already charmed both Liu and Chu.

Character developments

• Chen Hao uses his recording and his friendship with Jia to expose Wang’s bullying. Though he enjoys making Wang suffer, he eventually signals that the punishment should stop, mindful of Liu’s business ties to him. He also begins considering a legitimate way to commercialize his treasures through Liu’s company.
• Liu Yan shifts from amused observer of Wang’s humiliation to sharing the serious pressure behind her composed exterior. She remains determined to save Blue Light Pharmaceuticals rather than accept her father’s plan for her future.
• Wang Xuemin loses his confidence and authority once his threats are exposed. He changes from boastful intimidator to desperate supplicant.
• Mayor Jia Zhengyi demonstrates his loyalty to Chen, swiftly using his influence against Wang and helping Chen’s request.
• Wang Xuankai, the lobby manager, interprets Chen’s interactions with women as evidence of his charm.

Significant themes

• Power and accountability: Wang’s wealth and connections cannot shield him once his misconduct is documented and challenged by more powerful authority.
• Loyalty and influence: Jia’s personal bond with Chen determines how quickly he intervenes, while Chen uses that access to help Liu.
• Ambition and self-determination: Liu resists being treated as a bargaining chip and takes responsibility for her family’s failing business.
• Opportunity and risk: Chen sees his rare treasures as a possible solution to Liu’s crisis, but knows publicizing them recklessly could make him a target.

Character interactions

• Chen directly confronts Wang, rejects his attempt to pretend they are friends, and uses the recording to support his account to Jia.
• Jia backs Chen decisively, while Wang repeatedly pleads first with Jia and then with Chen.
• Chen teases Liu after seeing her laugh at Wang; she playfully reacts with embarrassment and irritation.
• Away from the others, Liu confides in Chen about her company and personal predicament. Chen offers hope, but his sudden departure leaves her eager—and annoyed—to hear his plan.

Chapter Summary: “Hunted Down”

Key plot points and events

• After dinner, Chen Hao reminds Chu Jinliang to follow his treatment schedule and return in a month. Chu Jinliang and Chu Huasheng privately approve of the idea of Chen Hao and Chu Mengling becoming a couple.
• Chu Mengling drives Chen Hao home and invites him to visit her at Zhonghai Normal University. Shortly after she leaves, a dozen armed men ambush him.
• Chen Hao breaks through the attackers’ initial encirclement but runs into a dead-end alley. Trapped, he uses a magical Monkey Hair given by Sun Wukong to create several duplicates of himself. The attackers are thrown into confusion, allowing the real Chen Hao to escape.
• Chen Hao hides in a hotel rather than return home. He suspects Liang Hong or Lou Haocheng arranged the attack.
• Long Guangsheng calls to warn him that the Black Tiger Society is searching for him. He explains that the gang has roughly two hundred members and far greater power than his own small crew.
• Seeking protection, Chen Hao buys cigarettes for Sun Wukong and liquor for the Old Immortal of the South Pole. After sending the gifts, he asks Sun Wukong for help.

Character developments

• Chen Hao shows quick thinking under pressure, using the Monkey Hair’s illusionary power to escape despite being outnumbered. The ambush also makes him recognize that his enhanced strength alone cannot protect him from a large armed gang.
• Chu Mengling seems increasingly attached to Chen Hao and is reluctant to part from him.
• Chu Jinliang and Chu Huasheng warmly consider Chen Hao as a potential match for Chu Mengling.
• Long Guangsheng is willing to warn Chen Hao but admits he lacks the strength to confront the Black Tiger Society.
• Sun Wukong responds enthusiastically to Chen Hao’s cigarettes and promises to help him if asked.

Significant themes

• Resourcefulness over brute strength: Chen Hao survives by exploiting a magical advantage rather than trying to overpower a superior force.
• Reciprocity and relationships: Chen Hao cultivates connections through gifts, especially with the immortals, hoping those ties will become practical support.
• Vulnerability amid growing power: Although Chen Hao’s abilities have improved, the threat of organized violence exposes the limits of his strength.
• Romantic possibility: The Chu family’s approval and Mengling’s attention hint at a developing relationship.

Character interactions

• Chen Hao and Mengling share a polite but slightly awkward farewell, with her expressing gratitude and inviting him to visit.
• Chu Jinliang and Chu Huasheng discuss Chen Hao as a possible partner for Mengling.
• Chen Hao’s exchange with Long Guangsheng establishes the Black Tiger Society as a powerful new threat.
• Chen Hao flatters Sun Wukong after sending him cigarettes, then asks the Great Sage for a favor, setting up his attempt to secure help.

Key plot points and events

• Sun Wukong initially refuses to teach Chen Hao any of his own techniques, since he learned them secretly and would be breaking the rules by passing them on. He promises to find another option.
• In the Heavenly Court chat, Tiger-Subduing Arhat accuses Sun Wukong of beating him up to obtain his fist manual. Erlang Shen defends the Arhat, and his argument with Sun Wukong escalates. During the commotion, Sun Wukong sends Chen Hao the Tiger-Subduing Arhat Fist manual.
• Chen Hao absorbs the manual’s teachings and learns that the second-grade immortal technique has four increasingly powerful stages. His current strength only allows him to begin the first, but even that could greatly improve his self-defense.
• Chen Hao meets Ghost Officer Horse Face, who is selling a painting said to be by Tang Yin (Tang Bohu). Horse Face explains that Tang Yin has remained in the Underworld for centuries rather than reincarnating. Chen Hao bargains the asking price down from 1,000 Daoist Merit points to 50—but Horse Face accepts so quickly that Chen Hao suspects he has been cheated.
• The scroll’s ink is still wet, so Chen Hao takes it to an exhibition of ancient paintings to have it authenticated.
• On the way, he once again rides with the accident-prone taxi driver, Hao Chen. The car loses power and its brakes fail on an elevated road. Chen Hao accidentally tears off the passenger door and bumper while trying to stop it; the car rolls into a parked SUV.
• Chen Hao finally reaches the exhibition and presents the scroll to a respected elderly expert, who reacts with surprise at the claim that it is a Tang Bohu work. The chapter ends before he gives his verdict.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao gains a powerful new fighting technique, though he is still a beginner. He also shows curiosity and initiative by pursuing the painting’s authenticity, while his confidence as a negotiator is punctured when Horse Face accepts his low offer immediately.
• Sun Wukong is reluctant to pass on forbidden skills, but ultimately helps Chen Hao indirectly by sending the Arhat’s manual amid his quarrel with Erlang Shen.
• Horse Face comes across as a blunt, comically pushy seller who complains about his job and readily completes the sale.
• Erlang Shen and Sun Wukong revive their antagonistic rivalry, trading insults and threats.
• Chen Hao and taxi driver Hao Chen share another disastrous ride. Their matching names become a source of Chen Hao’s joke that they are inherently ill-matched.

Significant themes

• Connection across isolated realms: Chen Hao’s chats with Heaven and the Underworld raise questions about how the Three Realms, supposedly cut off from one another for millennia, can still communicate through him.
• Power and limits: The manual offers enormous potential, but Chen Hao’s current abilities restrict what he can use.
• Humor amid danger: Bickering immortals, Chen Hao’s disastrous bargain, and his absurdly destructive attempts to stop the taxi give the chapter a comic tone.
• Authenticity and trust: Chen Hao must determine whether Horse Face’s “ancient masterpiece” is genuine, leaving the scroll’s value—and Horse Face’s honesty—uncertain.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Hao presents a newly painted landscape, claiming it is a Tang Bohu. Onlookers initially mock him because the ink appears wet, but President Gu and other experts recognize the work’s extraordinary resemblance to Tang Yin’s style and conclude it may be authentic.
• Chen explains that it is a family heirloom, using the dampness of his home to excuse the wet ink. He asks about selling it. President Gu offers ten million immediately, with another five million if experts authenticate it. Chen accepts and receives the ten million.
• At Dragon Soaring Trading, Zhang Liang and Liu Neng lament that losing their connection to Director Yu will badly damage the company. Officials then arrive to investigate allegations of withheld wages and conduct broad inspections. Zhang blames Chen Hao.
• Chen goes to Blue Light Pharmaceuticals to see general manager Liu Yan. A dismissive security guard refuses to let him in, so Chen calls Liu, who says she will come down.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao remains practical and uninterested in art itself; he sees the painting as a way to make money. His surprise at the offer reveals how little he expected it to be worth. He also stays composed when the guard insults him, choosing to call Liu rather than argue.
• President Gu and the other experts shift from skepticism to reverence as they inspect the painting. Gu is eager to buy it, while still acknowledging that formal authentication is needed.
• Zhang Liang and Liu Neng are anxious and resentful over their company’s lost business connection. The investigation intensifies their fear and turns their anger toward Chen.
• The security guard judges Chen by his inexpensive clothes and treats him contemptuously, while Chen’s call to Liu suggests the guard has misjudged his standing.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: Chen’s modest clothing and the painting’s wet surface lead people to underestimate both him and the artwork.
• Sudden shifts in fortune and power: Chen gains a large sum, while Zhang and Liu face business losses and official scrutiny.
• Greed and practical ambition: The experts’ interest in the painting and Chen’s eagerness to sell highlight its financial value, while the company’s troubles reveal how much its success depended on influential connections.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Hao checks the Heavenly Court group chat, where Sun Wukong and Erlang Shen are fighting again. Princess Iron Fan learns that Red Boy has joined the brawl and complains about her unruly son.
• Chen Hao arrives at Blue Light Pharmaceuticals to meet Liu Yan. After he criticizes the arrogant security guard, Liu Yan promptly fires him.
• Liu Yan explains that the company is in serious financial trouble and that she sold her Bentley to help cover its cash-flow problems.
• Chen Hao proposes investing in the company. He first mentions one million, then offers ten million for a ten-percent stake. Liu Yan doubts both his means and his judgment, given the company’s decline.
• To convince her that he can help, Chen Hao demonstrates the healing power of mysterious furnace ash: it instantly closes a cut on his finger, then heals a cut he makes on Liu Yan’s hand. Shocked, she tests the claim by cutting his thigh herself.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao is impulsive, confident, and eager to help Liu Yan, whom he thinks of as his future wife. He tries to turn his supernatural ability into proof that his investment could save the company, though his dramatic demonstration frightens her.
• Liu Yan is practical and business-minded. She initially treats Chen Hao’s proposal with skepticism and disappointment, but the healing demonstration forces her to reconsider what he can offer. Her curiosity ultimately outweighs her caution—though she tests the power at Chen Hao’s expense.
• The security guard is dismissed after Chen Hao points out how his contemptuous attitude damages the company’s public image; Liu Yan backs Chen Hao’s criticism with decisive action.
• The exchange between Chen Hao and Liu Yan shifts from business negotiation to a tense, comic encounter: he seeks to impress her, while she responds to the impossible spectacle by demanding proof.

Significant themes

• Trust and proof: Liu Yan will not accept Chen Hao’s extraordinary claims without seeing evidence herself.
• Risk and investment: Chen Hao is willing to invest in a struggling company, while Liu Yan weighs the offer against its dire financial condition.
• Power and responsibility: Chen Hao’s healing ability may be a valuable asset, but his reckless demonstration shows that possessing a remarkable power does not guarantee good judgment.
• Comedy through contrast: The mundane problems of a failing business collide with supernatural events—and with Chen Hao and Liu Yan’s very different reactions to them.

Plot points

• Liu Yan becomes convinced that Chen Hao’s mysterious black powder can heal injuries almost instantly. Determined to secure it for Blue Light Pharmaceuticals, she calls an urgent board meeting to arrange Chen’s investment.
• Chen refuses to reveal the powder’s formula, describing it as a secret traditional remedy inherited by his family.
• At the meeting, Liu Yan offers Chen a 10% stake for ten million. When no directors volunteer to sell, she unexpectedly offers the shares from her own holdings.
• Chen accepts and signs the transfer agreement, becoming a board member. The move surprises the room and could jeopardize the Liu Family’s control if he sides with its opponents.
• Uncle Ming attacks Liu Yan’s management, citing the company’s continuing losses. Chen defends her by proposing a wager: within two months, Blue Light will repay all external debts and make a profit.
• The stakes are the two sides’ shares: if Chen and Liu Yan succeed, Uncle Ming must sell his entire stake to the Liu Family at market price; if they fail, Chen’s and the Liu Family’s shares go to him. Liu Yan confirms she has authority over her father’s shares, and Uncle Ming accepts.

Character developments and interactions

• Liu Yan shifts from cautious negotiation to bold commitment, staking her own shares because she believes Chen’s product can transform the company. She remains composed under Uncle Ming’s provocation.
• Chen Hao protects the secret of his formula, uses teasing banter that embarrasses Liu Yan, and later shows loyalty by publicly defending her. His confidence in the wager suggests he has a plan or resource behind his promise.
• Uncle Ming emerges as a powerful, opportunistic rival who previously profited from Blue Light’s decline and now seeks to oust the Liu Family. He eagerly accepts Chen’s high-risk challenge.
• Zhang Jing helps prepare the meeting and provides Chen with replacement pants, briefly misreading the situation between him and Liu Yan.

Significant themes

• Trust and risk: Liu Yan stakes her influence on Chen’s mysterious remedy, while Chen turns belief into a high-stakes public wager.
• Corporate power and loyalty: Share ownership determines control of Blue Light, and the transfer to Chen may alter the balance between the Liu Family and Uncle Ming.
• Secrecy and potential: Chen guards the formula, while the company’s future—and the wager’s outcome—depends on its promise.

Plot points and events

• Liu Yan, Chen Hao, and Uncle Ming sign a performance-based wager that could either transform Blue Light Pharmaceuticals or ruin the Liu family. Liu begins planning a launch for a new product, using furnace ash supplied by Chen Hao.
• Liu offers Chen Hao a well-paid management position, hoping to keep him close. He refuses, insisting that he wants no public connection to the company or its products.
• As they leave work, Liu invites Chen Hao to dinner. On their walk, he hints that he is looking for a romantic partner, flustering her.
• Chen buys all of a struggling fruit seller’s grapes for far more than their value, then takes the woman’s son’s game console. He secretly sends the console to Princess Iron Fan for Red Boy, believing it may be useful.
• At a food stall, Liu thanks Chen for helping her and Blue Light. Their meal is interrupted by Long Guangsheng, who warns Chen that the Black Tiger Society is looking for him. Long also calls Liu “sister-in-law,” embarrassing her.
• Chen downplays his connection to Long in front of Liu. As Chen and Liu leave, the stall owner tells Long that Chen has left him with the bill; the chapter ends before Long responds.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao is generous and resourceful, but also carefree and mischievous. He avoids business responsibilities and secrecy around Blue Light, flirts with Liu, and remains unconcerned about the Black Tiger Society.
• Liu Yan shows both professional ambition and personal warmth. She is willing to risk everything on Chen’s product, wants him close to the business, and appears shy but receptive to his romantic teasing.
• Long Guangsheng is deferential toward Chen and eager to impress him, but his bluntness creates awkwardness. He warns Chen about danger, then is left to pay for the group’s meal.
• The fruit seller is portrayed as struggling but hardworking; Chen’s generosity brings her visible relief and gratitude.

Significant themes

• Risk and ambition: Liu’s wager places the company and her family’s future on the line.
• Secrecy and independence: Chen helps Blue Light while refusing to be publicly associated with it.
• Generosity and cleverness: His costly purchase helps the seller, while the game console serves a separate, mysterious purpose.
• Romance and misunderstanding: Chen’s teasing suggests affection, while both he and Liu avoid directly defining their relationship.
• Power and confidence: Chen’s dismissive attitude toward the Black Tiger Society contrasts with Long’s concern.

Plot points and events

• After taking Liu Yan home, Chen Hao is followed by Long Guangsheng, who begs to become his student because he believes Chen Hao knows the Golden Bell Shield. Chen Hao denies it and tries to shake him off.
• The group is ambushed by more than a dozen Black Tiger Society thugs armed with steel pipes. Long Guangsheng, Fatty, and Blondie charge in to defend Chen Hao but are quickly beaten.
• Chen Hao defeats the attackers with ease, using the Tiger-Subduing Arhat Fist and his strength. During the fight, he senses qi for the first time and realizes that learning to harness it is the next step in improving his martial arts. The surviving thugs flee.
• Awed by Chen Hao, Long Guangsheng and his companions again ask to be his disciples. Chen Hao refuses, but warms to them. Determined to stop the Black Tiger Society from harassing him, he later asks Long Guangsheng to investigate its businesses.
• Worried that his supply of furnace ash will run out once Liu Yan’s new product enters mass production, Chen Hao asks the Alchemy Boy when the Eight Trigrams Furnace will next be cleaned. Learning that it may be years away, he proposes a workaround: provide ordinary medicinal herbs in exchange for regular furnace ash. The Alchemy Boy agrees to keep the deal secret and test a batch.
• Liu Yan urgently summons Chen Hao to the company. In a meeting, her brother Liu Qi insults Chen Hao and accuses him of cheating Liu Yan out of a share of the company. Liu Yan identifies Chen Hao as a new shareholder and orders Liu Qi to behave. An authoritative older man then asks Chen Hao if he is indeed Chen Hao; the chapter ends before the reason for the meeting is revealed.

Character developments

• Chen Hao becomes markedly more formidable after learning the Tiger-Subduing Arhat Fist. His first experience sensing qi hints at further martial-arts growth. He also shifts from merely fending off the Black Tiger Society to planning to dismantle its influence.
• Long Guangsheng, Fatty, and Blondie show loyalty by rushing into a fight they cannot win. Their admiration for Chen Hao deepens after seeing him defeat the attackers.
• Liu Yan acts decisively in the meeting, defending Chen Hao’s position and asserting control over her brother.
• The Alchemy Boy is initially unwilling to waste scarce pills but agrees to cooperate when Chen Hao offers a practical source of ingredients.

Significant themes

• Strength and loyalty: Chen Hao’s power is contrasted with the companions’ weaker but sincere attempt to protect him.
• Growth through discipline: The new martial technique multiplies Chen Hao’s existing physical strength, while sensing qi opens a path to further development.
• Resourcefulness and mutual benefit: Chen Hao turns Earth’s supply of common herbs into a solution to his furnace-ash shortage.
• Conflict and ambition: The Black Tiger Society’s repeated attacks push Chen Hao toward retaliation, while the company meeting signals a new challenge to his growing business role.

Character interactions

• Chen Hao repeatedly brushes off Long Guangsheng’s shameless pleas for training, but his attitude softens after Long and his men risk themselves for him.
• Chen Hao and the Black Tiger Society move from harassment to open confrontation, ending in Chen Hao’s overwhelming victory.
• Chen Hao negotiates privately with the Alchemy Boy, offering herbs for furnace ash and asking him to conceal their arrangement.
• At the company, Liu Qi challenges Chen Hao’s legitimacy, while Liu Yan openly backs him and reprimands her brother.