Chapter Summaries

Qin Siyang battled Yamamoto Taro in the arena, matching his teleportation and striking his Tier Four armor while surviving a katana blow with the hard shell gained from the Corrosive Black Centipede. The two reached a standoff, and Yamamoto Taro threw away his katana, preparing to change tactics.

• Qin Siyang attacked Yamamoto Taro, but both fighters teleported behind each other and traded attacks across the arena.
• Qin Siyang’s Heaven-Splitting Halberd gouged Yamamoto Taro’s Tier Four visor, though Yamamoto Taro’s armor blocked the blow.
• As [Feast Domain] neared its limit, Qin Siyang and Yamamoto Taro struck at nearly the same time; Qin Siyang’s halberd deepened the visor damage, while Yamamoto Taro’s katana cut his scalp but failed to penetrate his hardened head.
• Qin Siyang and Yamamoto Taro teleported to opposite ends of the arena and held a standoff as Qin Siyang waited for [Feast Domain]’s cooldown.
• Yamamoto Taro threw away his katana.

Yamamoto Taro trapped Qin Siyang in a blood-red Sand Tornado and poisoned him with hidden attacks, but Qin Siyang countered with an ultracold hurricane. The arena cleared, and Qin Siyang hurled his halberd toward the direction of Yamamoto Taro’s voice.

• Yamamoto Taro scattered into the wind and raised a Sand Tornado that engulfed the Gladiatorial Arena, preventing Qin Siyang from escaping.
• Yamamoto Taro turned the sand scarlet and attacked Qin Siyang with poisonous Sand Blades and sand pillars, leaving him increasingly numb and sluggish.
• Yamamoto Taro taunted Qin Siyang from within the gale, claiming his Teleportation could not copy every ability or be used without limit.
• Qin Siyang took Chen Fenghe’s medicine and swallowed a piece of God Remains before activating [Deification Through Consumption] to unleash an ultracold hurricane.
• Qin Siyang’s hurricane froze and shattered the sand, weakening the tornado and revealing Yamamoto Taro’s direction by his frightened voice.
• Qin Siyang drew back and hurled the Heaven-Splitting Halberd toward Yamamoto Taro.

Qin Siyang defeated Yamamoto Taro by exploiting a weakness in his faceplate, but Yamamoto Taro wounded him before dying. After escaping the hallucination and returning to the street, Qin Siyang dragged Yamamoto Taro’s corpse toward Nanrong University and called Commander Qin.

• Qin Siyang and Yamamoto Taro resumed their battle after Qin Siyang’s Feast Domain came off cooldown, trading attacks while both were injured.
• Qin Siyang used Yamamoto Taro’s missed strike to stab the weak point in his faceplate, then sent lightning through the opening and killed him.
• Yamamoto Taro’s halberd hooked Qin Siyang’s calf, and Qin Siyang swallowed the gears from what he mistook for medicine to dispel the hallucination.
• Qin Siyang returned to the street, found the real medicine container crushed and empty, and dragged Yamamoto Taro’s corpse toward Nanrong University.
• Qin Siyang called Commander Qin and said something interesting had happened.

At Nanrong University, Qin Siyang confronted Qin Yingguang over concealing that Yamamoto Taro’s twin brother was still alive, but Qin Yingguang defended his deception by claiming he had saved Qin Siyang’s life. The two began haggling over a reward in Crimson Crystal, and Qin Yingguang asked Qin Siyang how much he was willing to pay.

• Qin Siyang brought Yamamoto Taro’s corpse to Qin Yingguang and accused him of hiding that Yamamoto’s twin brother had survived.
• Qin Yingguang admitted he had known about the twin and argued that killing one brother had still saved Qin Siyang’s life.
• Qin Siyang turned Qin Yingguang’s claim into a dispute over the size of a reward, while Zhao Longfei watched without intervening.
• Qin Yingguang demanded thirty grams of Crimson Crystal, and Qin Siyang refused to negotiate with someone he called a robber or bandit.
• Zhao Longfei dropped an ashtray to warn Qin Yingguang not to push matters too far, and Qin Yingguang asked Qin Siyang how much he would offer.

Qin Siyang secured six grams of Crimson Crystal for Qin Yingguang’s help, then learned that Xiao Zhigang had sent two veteran assassins to kill him. Zhao Longfei arranged a warning for Xiao Zhigang, who grew terrified that Qin Siyang might retaliate when a cake delivery arrived addressed to him.

• Qin Yingguang argued with Zhao Longfei over the six grams of Crimson Crystal he would receive for saving Qin Siyang, then left Zhao Longfei’s office.
• Qin Siyang told Zhao Longfei that Yamamoto Taro had ambushed him near campus and identified Xiao Zhigang as the person behind the attack.
• Zhao Longfei called his older brother and arranged to warn Xiao Zhigang against targeting Qin Siyang again.
• Xiao Zhigang learned that the two veteran Sequence Level five assassins he had hired had died, and he feared Qin Siyang might retaliate.
• A cake delivery arrived at Xiao Zhigang’s door asking for Mr. Qin Siyang, startling him.

Qin Siyang learned that Zhao Longteng’s warning had frightened Xiao Zhigang into taking a week off, while the five grams of Crimson Crystal he supplied helped Tang Wangong strengthen his position in the Administration Department. Tang Wangong offered Qin a larger reward for future material exchange missions, but Qin insisted their agreement had been for twenty grams of Crimson Crystal.

• Xiao Zhigang opened Qin Siyang’s cake and discovered a pair of human eyes hidden inside, leaving him too shaken to sleep.
• Tang Wangong told Qin Siyang that Xiao Zhigang had taken a week off, and Qin realized Zhao Longteng had effectively warned him.
• Tang Wangong explained that the Research Hall had developed Tier Four Armor using Qin’s materials, earning government support and strengthening Tang’s influence.
• Tang Wangong recruited Chu Zhongxiong as an ally and brought Yang Tengqiu in as the Administration Department’s new deputy head.
• Tang Wangong offered Qin a twenty-percent increase in points and Sequence Potion rewards, then asked for the remaining Crimson Crystal.
• Qin Siyang claimed that their agreement had been for twenty grams of Crimson Crystal, not ten.

Qin Siyang learned that Han Shuo had used the Information Security Department to remove forum posts about Zhang Yingrui, revealing Han Shuo’s considerable influence. After exchanging Crimson Crystal with Han Shuo for Zhang Yingrui’s corpse and weathered poison meteorite, Qin Siyang realized Han Shuo’s sudden coldness might stem from his earlier claim that he was acting on someone else’s behalf.

• Tang Wangong told Qin Siyang that the Information Security Department had removed the forum posts about Zhang Yingrui after someone used its resources, and Qin Siyang wondered how much influence Han Shuo held.
• Han Shuo arrived at Nanrong University and treated Qin Siyang coldly, a sharp change from their earlier meeting.
• Qin Siyang and Han Shuo established a sharing contract for thirty grams of Crimson Crystal, while Han Shuo handed over Zhang Yingrui’s corpse.
• Qin Siyang asked Han Shuo for Zhang Yingrui’s weathered poison meteorite, and Han Shuo offered the ninety-kilogram rock for seven grams of Crimson Crystal.
• Han Shuo refused Qin Siyang’s offer of ten grams and insisted on seven, making clear he wanted no future entanglements.
• Qin Siyang suspected Han Shuo’s distance came from Qin Siyang’s earlier remark that he was acting on someone else’s behalf.

Qin Siyang returned to the Miracle Building with a weathered poison meteorite for the professors and learned that the bluewater glass star ore he had supplied was a perfect substitute for Lu Daoxing’s research. After giving Lu Daoxing some of the ore, Qin Siyang hinted that he had brought the professors something else.

• Qin Siyang gave Han Shuo the weathered poison meteorite and left Nanrong University without meeting Zhao Longfei.
• Qin Siyang returned to the Miracle Building, where the professors eagerly welcomed him before realizing he had never left the Safe Zone.
• Lu Daoxing returned Qin Siyang’s repaired Drill Pod Ring and confirmed that bluewater glass star ore could replace bluewater glass ore in his research.
• The professors discussed possible uses for bluewater glass star ore, and Qin Siyang gave Lu Daoxing about fifty kilograms for his work.
• Wu Yu asked whether Qin Siyang had brought something else, and Hao Liang began guessing that it was a Multi-Headed Weasel.

Qin Siyang gave Chang Tianxiang weathered poison meteorite and avoided Lu Daoxing’s attempt to get more, then called Wen Shu to ask about her Gaokao preparations. Wen Shu reassured him about the exam and said she would ask around about his recent activities when she reached Area No. 7.

• Qin Siyang gave Chang Tianxiang fifty kilograms of weathered poison meteorite for his research into gods and sequences.
• Lu Daoxing asked Qin Siyang for a hundred kilograms, but Wu Yu and Hao Liang criticized his hoarding, and Lu Daoxing left.
• The professors praised Qin Siyang’s ability to gather materials, while Hao Liang begged him to hunt a Multi-Headed Weasel.
• Qin Siyang returned to his Guesthouse room, saw that it was June 2, and called Wen Shu about her Gaokao preparations.
• Wen Shu said she felt prepared for the Gaokao and planned to ask around about Qin Siyang’s exploits after she arrived in Area No. 7.

Qin Siyang reviewed what Wen Shu had done for him and convinced himself that she was the one with a crush on him. After several idle days at the Guesthouse, he went to the Miracle Building and found Li Tianming returned with a frightened boy named Li Pengfei and a strangely transformed Zhang Kuang.

• Qin Siyang listed his and Wen Shu’s favors to each other, crossed out everything he had done for her, and concluded that Wen Shu was the one simping for him.
• Qin Siyang spent several days resting at the Guesthouse while Hu Chan, Chris, and Jin Shengyu prepared to bless church followers taking the Gaokao.
• Li Tianming returned and went to the Miracle Building, where Qin Siyang found him with the professors and a frightened child.
• Li Pengfei asked whether the group knew where his father was, while Li Tianming silently watched him and Zhang Kuang.
• Qin Siyang noticed that Zhang Kuang’s hair and eyes had changed dramatically.

Zhang Kuang discovered that Li Pengfei’s memories had been altered years ago and warned Li Tianming that restoring them could cause severe mental illness. As Li Tianming left with the boy, Zhang Kuang revealed that Li Pengfei remembered Zhang Kuang’s face as his father.

• Zhang Kuang examined Li Pengfei’s memories and told Li Tianming they had been altered soon after Li Tianming left Central Glory.
• Zhang Kuang said he could not safely restore Li Pengfei’s memories and warned that forcing new memories could leave him mentally ill.
• Li Tianming took Li Pengfei to buy toys and promised he would see his mother and father in a few days.
• Wu Yu and the others concluded that Guo Jiuxiao had altered Li Pengfei’s memories to psychologically break Li Tianming.
• Zhang Kuang explained that Li Pengfei remembered his father as Li Tianming by name, but with someone else’s appearance, then removed his mask and revealed that the face was his own.

Qin Siyang learned that Guo Jiuxiao had altered Li Pengfei’s memories to make Li Tianming look like his father, leaving Li focused on restoring his son’s memories. Qin began considering how to retaliate against Guo, while Guo returned home to his mother and concealed the truth about Li Tianming.

• Zhang Kuang explained that Guo Jiuxiao had made Li Pengfei mistake Zhang Kuang for his father, devastating Li Tianming and distracting him from the fight against Guo.
• Qin Siyang and the professors agreed that Li would likely prioritize his son, while Qin asked whether they could exploit one of Guo Jiuxiao’s vulnerabilities.
• Chang Tianxiang revealed that Guo’s mother lived in the Safe Zone, and Qin resolved to make Guo suffer someday.
• Qin said Li Pengfei was the key to helping Li Tianming and began outlining a possible plan.
• Guo Jiuxiao visited his elderly mother, who complained he rarely came home and asked how Li was doing.
• Guo Jiuxiao told his mother that Li had a wife, child, and happy home, hiding his dark feelings.

Chen Fenghe asked Qin Siyang to persuade Li Tianming not to end their relationship, explaining her love for him and her willingness to accept his son. Qin Siyang agreed to speak with Li, then called and confronted him about his son wanting to see his parents.

• Chen Fenghe told Qin Siyang that Li Tianming planned to cut ties with her because he feared his troubled situation would drag her down.
• Chen Fenghe revealed that Li Tianming had saved her life three times and that she loved him, while Qin Siyang learned Zhang Kuang had declined to approach Li because Li Pengfei thought Zhang was his father.
• Chen Fenghe said she was willing to live with Li Tianming and his son even if Li Pengfei rejected or mistreated her, and Qin Siyang promised to speak with Li.
• Qin Siyang called Li Tianming, who said he was building a toy-car track for Xiaofei and invited Qin to join them at Nanrong University.
• Qin Siyang asked whether Li Tianming's son was still demanding to see his mother and father, and Li fell silent before accusing Qin of striking a painful nerve.

Qin Siyang challenged Li Tianming’s plans for protecting Li Pengfei and resolving his relationship with Chen Fenghe. Li Tianming remained focused on helping his son recover his memories, but Qin Siyang urged him to stop putting his life with Chen Fenghe on hold.

• Li Tianming told Qin Siyang that he had taken Li Pengfei in and was trying to help him recover his memories, even if that meant staying away from the Laboratory.
• Qin Siyang warned Li Tianming that he could not protect his son if he stopped growing stronger, and questioned his trust that Guo Jiuxiao would leave Li Pengfei alone.
• Li Tianming said he would compensate Chen Fenghe and could not keep holding her back, but refused to let her raise the son he had with Ye Hongqing.
• Li Tianming revealed that Chen Fenghe had once agreed to raise Li Pengfei as her own son if Ye Hongqing died.
• Qin Siyang urged Li Tianming to pursue a life with Chen Fenghe while Li Pengfei still thought of him as Uncle Li, and said future problems with his son would be his responsibility to handle.

Qin Siyang looked after Li Pengfei while Li Tianming spoke privately with Chen Fenghe. Li Pengfei revealed that he had reasoned his parents were dead, but kept his grief to himself so he would not trouble Uncle Li.

• Li Tianming left Li Pengfei with Qin Siyang at the Guesthouse while he talked with Chen Fenghe in another room.
• Qin Siyang spoke with Li Pengfei about his handmade toy car and admitted he knew Li Pengfei’s father, Zhang Kuang.
• Li Pengfei asked whether his parents were dead and explained that their long absence made him believe they were gone.
• Li Pengfei reasoned that his parents could not have gone away together because they had been separated and argued, and Qin Siyang could not refute him.
• Li Pengfei said he missed his parents and wanted to cry, but held back because he did not want to trouble Uncle Li.

After Li Tianming and Chen Fenghe took Li Pengfei home, Qin Siyang reserved rooms in case trouble arose. During the Gaokao, Wen Shu spotted that the exam papers were unsealed and demanded a properly sealed replacement, then noticed an invigilator leave and return as she continued writing.

• Li Tianming and Chen Fenghe thanked Qin Siyang, and Chen Fenghe gave him more medicine.
• Li Pengfei welcomed Chen Fenghe as someone who would help care for him, and the three left together.
• Qin Siyang asked the front desk to keep any of seven rooms on his floor vacant if a guest checked out.
• On the first day of the Gaokao, Wen Shu noticed the exam-paper bag was unsealed and challenged the invigilators.
• The invigilators brought a sealed replacement set, which they opened and distributed under the examinees’ scrutiny.
• Wen Shu worked through the exam and noticed an invigilator leave and return, suspecting she was being targeted again.

Wen Shu discovered that someone planned to replace her exam paper and called Qin Siyang for help. He alerted Chen Zhongming, who sent Education Bureau chief He Kui to secure the exam site, where the suspected examiners panicked as the first exam ended.

• Wen Shu handed in her paper early, left the crowd outside the exam site, and told Qin Siyang that someone intended to swap out her exam paper.
• Qin Siyang reported the threat to Chen Zhongming, who made the matter a priority and ordered He Kui to secure the exam papers.
• He Kui locked down the exam site and instructed staff to collect the papers and remain in place while the Education Bureau investigated.
• A person outside the site spotted He Kui, slipped away, and made a phone call.
• After the first exam ended, He Kui reassured the students that the lockdown concerned examiner cheating, while the two examiners in Wen Shu's room turned pale and broke into a cold sweat.

He Kui sealed the Gaokao exam site after suspecting examiners had switched papers, then refused District Chief Pan Youguang’s demand to end the investigation. He trapped the officials in an office and waited for investigators to search the examiners and their belongings.

• He Kui ordered the examiners and exam papers in Classroom 39 inspected under surveillance after noticing the examiners acting guiltily.
• Pan Youguang arrived and demanded that He Kui lift the lockdown, arguing that he had no evidence to justify it.
• He Kui refused to stop the investigation and accused Pan Youguang of trying to shield the examiners.
• When Education Bureau staff prepared to leave, He Kui blocked the office door and jammed its lock with his strength.
• He Kui called the investigators to ensure they documented their search, then told Pan Youguang to wait for their findings.

He Kui uncovered forged examination papers and tried to keep the suspected teachers out of Pan Youguang’s control while Chen Zhongming rushed to the examination site. The chapter ended with He Kui stalling Cui Zhonghua’s officers until the mayor arrived.

• Pan Youguang realized He Kui’s appointment was obstructing his attempt to control the examination scandal, while Chen Zhongming hurried toward the 14121 Region to protect the examinees and advance his own prospects.
• He Kui learned that a teacher had been caught with a forged answer sheet, ordered the evidence preserved and the examination papers sealed, and rejected Pan Youguang’s apology.
• He Kui tried to send the two suspected teachers to the city authorities, but Pan Youguang invoked his authority and someone used a Sequence Ability to disable He Kui’s phone.
• Cui Zhonghua arrived with Police Bureau officers to take the teachers away, and He Kui blocked them, asking where they would be taken so he could buy time for Chen Zhongming.

Cui Zhonghua refused Pan Youguang's attempt to take the two examiners away, joining He Kui in resisting him. Mayor Chen Zhongming arrived, heard He Kui's account, and ordered the examiners sent to the municipal Police General Bureau for a special investigation.

• Cui Zhonghua suspected that Pan Youguang was involved in the Gaokao cheating case and stood beside He Kui instead of following Pan's orders.
• Pan Youguang insisted the case should stay within his region, but He Kui and Cui Zhonghua continued to oppose him.
• Chen Zhongming arrived and asked He Kui to explain how the examiners had planned to replace the test paper.
• He Kui confirmed that the examiners had a completed exam paper and intended to swap it in.
• Chen Zhongming ordered Cui Zhonghua to take the examiners to the municipal Police General Bureau, where a special task force would investigate.
• The examiners panicked and protested as officers handcuffed them and prepared to take them away.