Lu Chenyuan stepped out of Yuanlong Lab and settled into his car.
He secured Lu Shi'an in the rear child seat, then drove off, watching the streets blur past the window.
Yet his mind was a tempest of thoughts.
Lu Ruoxi's breakthrough had arrived faster and more profound than he'd ever anticipated.
He had initially believed quantum AI would be Expedition Technology's trump card for conquering deep space.
Now he realized this card carried far greater weight than imagined.
It wouldn't merely empower unmanned probes with superior autonomous decision-making—
It could fundamentally alter humanity's approach to exploring the cosmos.
When detectors gained the ability to "think," they ceased being simple tool extensions.
They became true emissaries of human civilization, dispatched into the cosmic depths.
Lu Chenyuan closed his eyes.
He needed to reconsider everything—Expedition's future, Yuanlong Tech's trajectory,
even humanity's destiny...
The commercial empire he'd built now seemed almost trivial against Lu Ruoxi's purely theoretical breakthrough, devoid of any profit motive.
Just then, the car's terminal pinged with a message from Ren Qian:
A single image and one line of text.
The photo showed a chip encased in transparent housing, stamped with Qiankun's logo and the number "9."
Beneath it read:
"Old Lu, starting today, not a single American chip remains in any core member's servers within the Xia Nation Technology Health Alliance."
This moment belonged in Xia's tech history archives.
It meant liberation from foreign constraints at the most fundamental hardware level.
Lu Chenyuan glanced at it calmly before closing the message.
Soon, Ren Qian followed up:
"Old Lu, one more thing."
"Several humanoid robotics startups have emerged in Jingzhou these past six months. All founded by obscure young talents."
"Not cutting-edge tech, but wildly ambitious. One called 'Kaiwu' already secured Qin Ya's angel investment."
"The whole circle's buzzing about whether we've entered the 'post-AI era.'"
Her words carried a faint undercurrent of concern.
Yuanlong Tech reigned supreme in artificial intelligence.
Yet these humanoid robotics companies resembled agile, predatory tiger sharks suddenly circling the leviathan.
Small but representing an entirely new evolutionary direction.
Lu Chenyuan smiled at the message and replied:
"Isn't this ideal?"
"A single flower doesn't make spring; a hundred blossoms bring the garden to life."
"Enrich the soil, and diverse flowers will grow naturally."
"Tell our robotics team: No rush. Observe. Learn."
This was precisely the landscape he'd envisioned.
He never sought to be a monopolistic overlord—
but a godfather ushering in an era, a sower cultivating Xia's thriving tech ecosystem.
Now seeds were sprouting, and spring's riot of blooms approached.
Perhaps he could truly retire soon.
Returning to Cloud Peak Residence #1,
he found Mo Qingli had just arrived home.
Slipping off her heels into comfortable house slippers, the sharp edge of Mo Group's leader softened instantly.
She took the sleeping Lu Shi'an from Lu Chenyuan's arms, nestling him gently into the crib.
"Visited Ruoxi?" she asked casually while tucking in their son.
"Yeah."
"Breakthrough?"
"Yeah."
Mo Qingli didn't press for details.
Instead, she poured two glasses of red wine, handing one to Lu Chenyuan.
They stood side by side before the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at Jingzhou's neon-lit nightscape.
"Stella's been unusually quiet lately," Mo Qingli swirled her wine.
"Quiet is what's most dangerous," Lu Chenyuan took a sip.
"With the 'Smaug' engine tested successfully, they could place an actual rocket on the launchpad anytime."
"They're waiting for us to misstep."
Mo Qingli studied her husband's profile—the sharp angles and fathomless eyes still captivating after years of marriage.
"Expedition's two team proposals are finalized," she said.
"Lin Yuan briefed me," Lu Chenyuan nodded.
"Both are excellent."
"So how will you choose?" Mo Qingli asked.
A dilemma—selecting one meant rejecting the other, potentially reigniting tensions.
Lu Chenyuan chuckled.
"Why choose?"
He turned with a fox-like glint in his eyes.
"Children pick options."
"Adults take..."
Mo Qingli was amused by him, her eyes sparkling with mirth.
"Of course what?"
"Of course, integration."
Lu Chenyuan's tone grew serious.
"Professor Zhou's proposal is the 'bones'—stable and reliable. Li Mo's plan is the 'flesh'—representing efficiency and the future."
"What I want is a dragon with both flesh and blood, not just one part of it."
Mo Qingli understood immediately.
"You want them to merge, to turn from rivals into allies."
Lu Chenyuan nodded, his gaze filled with approval.
"Conflict only leads to internal strife. Integration is what creates greatness."
He set down his wine glass and gently wrapped his arms around Mo Qingli's waist from behind.
Resting his chin on the curve of her shoulder, he breathed in the faint fragrance of her hair.
"Qingli."
"Hmm?"
"The rocket for the expedition will be ready soon."
"I know."
"But completing it is just the first step."
Lu Chenyuan's voice carried a distant note.
"We’ve built the road, but who will travel on it? If it’s just us, how many vehicles will ever run on it?"
Mo Qingli listened quietly.
She knew his thoughts had already drifted far beyond the present.
"A highway with only one car running on it is the most expensive ornament in the world."
"It only holds real value when thousands of vehicles race across it."
"Yuanlong, the expedition—we’re just the ones who built the road."
"What we still need are more people to build the cars, drive them, and ride in them."
Mo Qingli’s heart stirred faintly.
She seemed to grasp something.
"So, you’re going to gather the old friends again?"
Lu Chenyuan smiled.
"Yes, it’s time to bring the old comrades from the alliance back together—to talk about what lies beyond the stars."
His voice was soft, yet it felt like a stone cast into the future.
Mo Qingli turned around, wrapping her arms around his neck as she looked up at him.
Her eyes reflected the city lights outside the window, and within them, an even more dazzling future.
"Chenyuan."
"Hmm?"
"No matter what you decide, I’ll support you."
Lu Chenyuan lowered his head and kissed her lips.
Outside, the night deepened.
Inside, warmth grew.
and couldn't return to the real world. Finally, I gave up and decided to go with the flow, only to discover that writing a diary could make me stronger. Since no one could read it, Su Luo wrote freely, daring to pen anything and everything. Female Lead #1: "Not bad. This diary helped me steal all the protagonist's opportunities. I just want to get stronger." Female Lead #2: "I don’t care about reaching the peak of the cultivation world. Right now, I just want to enjoy the chaos." Female Lead #3: "What? Everyone around me is a spy? I’m the Joker Demon Lord?" ... It’s so strange. Why is the plot completely off track, yet the ending remains the same? Are you all just messing with me?!
【Prologue: The Beginning of It All – Use holy water to heal the saintess tainted by demonic energy, then converse with her.】 Shen Nian stared at his older sister sipping yogurt, lost in thought. So you’re telling me my sister is the saintess, and yogurt is the holy water? 【Main Quest 1: Brave Youth, Become an Adventurer! Reward: Rookie Adventurer Title.】 【Side Quest 1: Find the Adorable Kitty! Reward: 1000 Gold Coins.】 Shen Nian: "Wait, I’m a high school senior here—did some guy who got isekai’d accidentally bind his system to me?" Hold on, completing quests gives gold rewards? Titles even boost stats? Is this for real? (A lighthearted, absurd campus comedy—not a revenge power fantasy.)
orn and Humiliation】【Forced Love】 In his past life, Lin Ran was betrayed and murdered by his girlfriend and family, while the yandere female aristocrat, who had treated him as a mere plaything, avenged him by doing in his enemies. Upon seeing the yandere female aristocrat lying in the same coffin, ready to die with him, Lin Ran realized how profoundly mistaken he had been. Reborn, he abandoned the fickle campus beauty and wholeheartedly embraced the yandere female aristocrat's arms. "Ran! If I dig out your eyes and turn them into a specimen, you'll only be able to look at me!" Lin Ran: "Darling, kiss me!" "Ran! If I break your legs, you won't run away anymore, right?" Lin Ran: "Love, hold me tight!" "Ran! If..." Lin Ran: "Hush now! Love me more!" Luo Yao: ... Seeing his scumbag dad: "Take him out!" Seeing his stepmother: "Get rid of her!" Seeing his brother: "Eliminate him!" Seeing his white moonlight: "Send that to Southeast Asia!"
Explosive Plot Song Gua crossed over into another world, bringing along a whole crew of his doppelgangers—all of them mischief-makers. This was a world where everyone could choose a class. Song Gua became a "Bondweaver," capable of borrowing power, while his doppelgangers took on a wide variety of classes, covering just about everything. The number of doppelgangers grew day by day, each one a talented individual with a charming way of speaking. Under Song Gua's brilliant leadership, they would "greet" each other daily and engage in friendly "sparring," pulling off one major scheme after another on Earth. Sometimes they were bandits—stealing bosses, plundering mines, snatching resources. Sometimes they were saviors—descending like divine warriors to face world bosses threatening to massacre cities. Sometimes they even went undercover, infiltrating various major factions to stir up trouble from within, keeping their enemies constantly on edge. To prevent their doppelganger abilities from being exposed, Song Gua made them wear masks with mahjong tile patterns and don Taoist robes in various colors. "Remember, in front of outsiders, call me 'The Dice.'" "Got it! Boss!" "Not 'Boss'—it's 'The Dice.' Think about the vibe, pay attention to the vibe." "Yes! Boss!" "For crying out loud..." From then on, whenever they appeared, they would have their own theme song playing: ~Hey~ paying respects at the mountain stronghold at night~ whose arm is draped over whose shoulder~ gather your courage and follow along...
