After the family banquet at Lu Chenyuan's residence, everyone's lives seemed to return to normal.
Yet, the rhythm of the world was quietly accelerating.
Within Yuanlong Technology, the atmosphere was unprecedentedly tense.
"Feng Mang," the artificial intelligence model jointly developed by Huangfu Chengshi and Qin Ya, had proven its exceptional performance in the market, now standing toe-to-toe with "Kaitian."
As a result, "Feng Mang" began its aggressive expansion, capturing market share.
Almost simultaneously, the international giant Stella's "Prometheus" model completed its final optimization and launched in the Xia market.
The tripartite dominance of Xia's AI industry was now firmly established.
The market was the cruelest battlefield.
Once, during the era of deglobalization, Xia's tech companies had united against external threats.
But now, as the global market entered Deglobalization 2.0, the fiercest battles erupted among themselves.
"Kaitian" had just announced a new round of computing power subsidies for small and medium-sized enterprises.
"Feng Mang" immediately countered with even larger subsidies, even declaring a "permanently free" basic-tier service.
This was a brutal price war, burning through mountains of cash.
Meanwhile, the battlefield of public opinion was equally chaotic.
Online debates about the merits of the major AI models spread from tech forums to every social platform.
Paid trolls joined the fray, and smear campaigns ran rampant.
Accusations of intellectual property theft and attacks on business ethics flew back and forth.
The tech industry was shrouded in toxicity.
In the new energy vehicle sector, the flames of competition reignited.
"Wuju" unveiled a new model, pushing the boundaries of range and performance once again.
Qin's "Fengchi" and Stella's "Vanguard" promptly announced price cuts for their existing models.
The three brands' offline stores often stood side by side on the same street.
And as more players entered the market, segmentation grew finer.
Clashes between sales teams became frequent—first verbal, then physical.
The drama of the tech world seemed no different from street brawls.
One day, Ren Qian arrived at Cloud Peak One, her expression grave as she carried a thick stack of reports.
"Old Lu, this can't go on," she said bluntly.
"Nearly 30% of our budget is being wasted on meaningless marketing and price wars."
"Qin Ya's side is even worse off."
"We're caught in internal strife. Precious resources are being squandered."
"The marketing and PR teams are bloodthirsty. If we don’t stop this, disaster will strike."
Lu Chenyuan was on the living room carpet, building blocks with Lu Shi'an.
After listening, he calmly placed a square block atop another.
"I know," he said.
"Let the bullets fly a little longer."
Ren Qian stared at him, puzzled.
This Lu Chenyuan felt unfamiliar—indifferent to a war that could shake Yuanlong’s foundations.
"Our opponent isn’t Qin Ya," Lu Chenyuan said, looking up at her.
"And it was never Stella."
"Our real opponent is the boundary of our own cognition—our own limitations."
He paused, then continued.
"A pond can’t sustain two true dragons."
"But what if we turn the pond into an ocean?"
Ren Qian was stunned.
She almost understood—yet not quite.
Before she left, Lu Chenyuan asked her to compile the latest research findings from Hanqing Technology for him.
Ren Qian departed with lingering unease.
Lu Chenyuan’s life appeared unchanged.
He still made breakfast for Mo Qingli and their son every morning.
Experimenting with new recipes had become his greatest joy lately.
On weekend afternoons, he would push the stroller and stroll with Mo Qingli across the neighborhood lawn, watching Lu Shi'an toddle after butterflies.
The upheavals of the trillion-dollar market seemed like a story from another world.
Mo Qingli finished handling a few critical emails for the Mo Group and sat beside him.
"You don’t seem worried at all," she remarked.
"Why should I be?" Lu Chenyuan smiled.
"Having rivals is good. A stagnant pond is far more dangerous."
"You allowed this situation, didn’t you?" Mo Qingli cut to the heart of it.
"Yes," Lu Chenyuan admitted.
"Xia’s tech industry has moved too fast. So fast that many forgot why they started."
"This chaos will force them to cool down. To reconsider their place."
He gazed at the clear sky in the distance.
"When they’re exhausted and bruised, they’ll sit down and talk properly."
"That’s when we’ll show them the wider path."
Mo Qingli took his hand.
She understood her husband’s intent now.
He wasn’t being passive—he was waiting.
Waiting for the perfect moment when everyone would realize: "No breakthrough comes without destruction."
While the outside world remained noisy, Lu Chenyuan’s footsteps carried him toward a silent, distant horizon.
Western Suburbs, Jingzhou.
Headquarters of Xia Aerospace Group.
An unremarkable building with formidable security.
Lu Chenyuan’s "Wuju" car glided soundlessly through the gates.
No registration was needed—the guards saluted and let him pass upon seeing his license plate.
He carried a pass from the highest authority.
This was his second visit.
Deputy Chief Engineer Zhang Weiguo received him.
"Chenyuan, I reported what you mentioned last time," Zhang Weiguo said without preamble.
"The higher-ups have agreed in principle."
He handed Lu Chenyuan a sealed dossier.
"Here’s the list you requested."
Lu Chenyuan opened it.
Inside were over a dozen personnel files marked "Top Secret."
A materials expert specializing in ultra-high-strength alloys.
A chemical engineer responsible for rocket fuel.
A scientist mastering aerospace remote sensing.
These were once the nation’s most treasured assets.
Yet due to various reasons—retirement, reassignment, marginalization—they had faded into obscurity.
Each name represented a buried genius, a forgotten seed of brilliance.
"These people are national treasures," Zhang Weiguo said solemnly.
"The country can ‘lend’ them to you."
"But you must ensure they shine where it matters most."
"I understand," Lu Chenyuan nodded.
He closed the dossier.
He knew its weight.
This wasn’t just permission.
It was trust—and a mandate—from the highest level.
"Thank you," Lu Chenyuan said earnestly as he stood.
"I should be thanking you," Zhang Weiguo replied, rising as well.
"Chenyuan, the national team’s pond can get too crowded."
"We need disruptors like you to carve out a new ocean."
With the list in hand, Lu Chenyuan left Xia Aerospace Group.
In the following months, similar scenes played out in universities and research institutes across Hazhou, Shenzhou, and beyond.
Through Lu Chenyuan’s efforts, the first crew of the "Expedition" gradually took shape.
They were just waiting for the day when Lu Chenyuan would bring them back, one by one.
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
