The Technological Empire of Origin #1-20
Author: 禦府通判
Date: 2026-03-10T10:35:14+00:00

Chapter 1: Return

“Warning, warning! The strong magnetic field’s pull continues to intensify. Please disengage immediately…”

Amidst the piercing alarm, in the vast expanse of the cosmos—

A spaceship trembled violently.

“Does it have to be this unlucky?”

In the cockpit of the spaceship, a man, nearly 1.9 meters tall, struggled to control the vessel, annoyance and a headache evident on his face.

“I finally found my way home. Do you think this can stop me?”

Gritting his teeth, the man tried his best to stabilize the increasingly uncontrollable trajectory of the spaceship.

The man’s appearance was quite similar to that of an Earthling, but a closer look at Chu Feng’s eyes revealed the difference.

A pair of light blue eyes with silver-white pupils, appearing both strange and unique.

This was Chu Feng, who had come to Earth from planet Tyber!

More precisely, he had accidentally transmigrated from Earth to planet Tyber.

However, he didn’t know why he had possessed this body.

Planet Tyber was a highly advanced civilization, far beyond Earth’s comparison.

Everything felt like a dream; he had lived there for a very long time.

Yet, he had always longed for his hometown and his relatives.

On a rare occasion, Chu Feng discovered his homeworld, the beautiful Earth, on a stellar plate.

But Earth had already been discovered by a Level 4 civilization!

Given the disparity in power, Earth had no means of resistance against this Level 4 civilization!

Upon receiving this news, Chu Feng anxiously sold all his assets.

He bought an interstellar spaceship, the exploration version he was currently piloting, and set off to find his way home following the discovered interstellar coordinates.

Thanks to highly advanced technology, the fully automated spaceship only required Chu Feng to operate it.

Everything had been proceeding smoothly according to plan; the spaceship was almost reaching the Milky Way.

Unexpectedly, he encountered a spatiotemporal storm, a once-in-a-century phenomenon. An accident occurred during the wormhole crossing, and the spaceship was tightly gripped by the spatiotemporal storm.

“Increase thrust!”

“Yes, Captain!”

The spaceship’s AI faithfully executed its commands.

“Thrust increasing, energy decreasing by 1%… 2%…”

Having traveled so far, it had consumed less than 10% of its reserved energy, but now, in just a few seconds, it was consuming such a vast amount.

“Disengagement failed. Distance closing…”

The AI’s reminder plunged Chu Feng into despair.

This spatiotemporal storm seemed to be playing cat and mouse, deliberately toying with Chu Feng.

As soon as he increased thrust, the storm’s pull would intensify, refusing to let Chu Feng escape.

“If I die, I die for a cause! If I don’t, I’ll live forever! I’m going all out!”

Chu Feng was also getting furious!

“Change direction! Full speed towards the center of the storm!”

“Yes, Captain!”

Even knowing this was almost certainly a death sentence, the AI executed Chu Feng’s command without hesitation.

Under the effect of auxiliary particle thrusters, the spaceship, which had been slowly pulled, surged towards the center of the spatiotemporal storm at an unprecedented speed!

Chu Feng admitted he was gambling! There was a legend that someone once encountered a spatiotemporal storm, but that person rushed through its center and escaped!

He didn’t know the truth of the matter, but more facts told him that few people who encountered spatiotemporal storms ever returned alive!

He had prepared an escape pod; at the last moment, he could only rely on it to save his life.

Though it felt a bit like self-deception.

If even the spaceship couldn’t withstand it, how could an escape pod?

Under the effect of gravitational acceleration, the spaceship’s speed display had become ineffective!

That was the result of exceeding the speed limit, and the consequence of exceeding the limit was that the spaceship had already surpassed the speed of light!

Time seemed to stop at this moment, even thought had ceased…

Time seemed to become eternal at this instant!

In the final moments of unconsciousness, Chu Feng seemed to see a pattern resembling a Tai Chi symbol!

It was so mysterious, so beautiful, and then Chu Feng lost consciousness.

When he opened his eyes again, the scene before him rooted Chu Feng to the spot like a wooden stake.

This familiar street, this air filled with car exhaust and smog.

He could faintly hear the familiar accent of his hometown…

“Am I…?”

He had thought his life was nearing its end, but unexpectedly, he had returned to Earth!

Looking at his reflection in the glass door beside him, Chu Feng was a bit slow to react.

“What’s going on?”

Looking at the reflection in the glass, Chu Feng could say with certainty that this was definitely not how he looked on planet Tyber.

Black hair, black eyes—wasn’t this how he looked before he transmigrated?

What the hell?

A fleeting dream? A daydream?

“Master, is this your hometown?”

An electronic voice rang in Chu Feng’s mind.

This was the personal processing terminal that everyone on planet Tyber had, a highly intelligent system that helped him handle daily life, bound to his brainwaves. Chu Feng called her Xiaomeng.

“Xiaomeng?”

Hearing Xiaomeng’s reminder, Chu Feng also snapped back to reality.

He was definitely not dreaming, because Earth didn’t have this black technology yet…

“I’m finally back!”

Unexpectedly, through a twist of fate, he had truly returned to Earth, and even reverted to his younger self!

“Need a ride?”

A phrase in his hometown dialect interrupted Chu Feng’s thoughts.

Hearing the familiar accent, Chu Feng’s heart was a mix of emotions, but mostly excitement.

The middle-aged man saw the young fellow looking dazed and not responding. He shook his head and drove his tricycle away.

Leaving behind only a sigh, “So young, and already a fool, how pitiful…”

Chu Feng, now recollected, was speechless. He had actually been mistaken for an idiot.

He gave a wry smile and didn’t mind.

Following the road he had longed for day and night, he slowly arrived at the foot of his family’s apartment building.

Chu Feng’s hometown was Hailing City, a prefecture-level city in Jiangnan Province.

Hailing was a crucial land and water hub, linking north and south, serving as the central gateway of Jiangnan Province. Since ancient times, it had been known as “the vital land and water thoroughfare, a chokehold stronghold.” More than 700 years ago, Marco Polo visited Hailing and praised, “This city is not very large, but it possesses an abundance of worldly happiness.”

With the nation’s Yangtze River Economic Belt development policy, Hailing also caught the fast train of development.

Factories and high-rise buildings sprung up one after another, and the per capita income level increased year by year.

Chu Feng’s family’s residential complex was also a product typical of that era: a relocation community.

Following the road he had longed for every day, he arrived at the bottom of a residential building.

The building only had five floors, no elevator, and Chu Feng’s home was on the fourth floor, a less-than-ideal floor.

Chu Feng used to complain often that climbing stairs with things was inconvenient.

The closer one gets to home, the more timid one becomes. He was about to see his parents, whom he had longed for day and night, but he felt a little afraid to meet them, fearing that all of this was just a dream of his.

“Oh, Chu Feng is back?”

The familiar hometown accent felt so warm and welcoming.

The person greeting him was Grandma Zhao, his downstairs neighbor, a warm-hearted elderly woman who often invited him over for meals.

Because it was a relocation community, the residents were all from the same village previously, so they knew each other quite well. This was unlike many modern communities where neighbors are cold, sometimes not even knowing the name of the person living across the hall for years.

“Yes, I’m back, I’ve graduated.”

Chu Feng smiled and greeted her.

“Well, hurry home then. Your mom went shopping early this morning and bought a lot of groceries, she must have known her son was coming home.”

Grandma Zhao chattered on; elderly people always liked to nag a little.

“Alright, Grandma Zhao, come to my place for dinner.”

“No need, my family’s dinner is ready too. We’re waiting for your uncle to come home to eat together.”

After greeting Grandma Zhao, Chu Feng turned and went up the stairs.

The fourth floor was quickly reached, and Chu Feng stood blank for a long time in front of the familiar door.

“Master, why aren’t you going in?” Xiaomeng was a bit confused. Her master clearly longed for home every day, yet once he was home, he just stayed at the door.

Though an artificial intelligence, it was difficult for it to understand human emotions.

Without a reply, Chu Feng took a deep breath and knocked on his front door.

“Who is it? Coming!”

A familiar voice came from inside the door, and the door opened.

It was the memory that had tormented him for decades, it was his mother, whom he had missed day and night.

His mother was only 45 this year, having given birth to Chu Feng at 20. Time had already left its marks on her once smooth face.

“Oh, my son is back! Why didn’t you call so your dad could pick you up?”

“Mom, I…”

Before he could finish speaking, tears streamed down his face. How many years had it been since he cried? He hadn’t cried during his long struggle alone on planet Tyber, but upon seeing his mother, he couldn’t hold back.

With his parents still alive, he still had a home to return to. He was back.

He hugged his mother and cried, releasing his emotions.

His mother’s eyes also turned red.

“Oh dear, after only a few months away, you miss your mom so much! Such a grown man, still sniffling…”

Hearing his mother’s nagging, which used to be so annoying, now felt like something he could never hear enough of.

His mother pulled him into the house.

“Mom, your grandson is back.”

His grandmother was watching TV in the living room and came over when she heard the voices.

“Oh, my big grandson is back! Let Grandma take a look. Your mom bought all your favorite dishes early this morning.”

When Chu Feng was little, both his mother and father had to work, so he was primarily raised by his grandmother.

When Chu Feng was four, his grandpa passed away from illness, leaving only his grandma. She treasured Chu Feng, spoiling him immensely from a young age. When Chu Feng had to leave for school, she cried in her room for a long time, which made Chu Feng very sad.

“Grandma, I’m back.”

Having just vented his emotions, he was finally a bit more normal now.

“It’s good that you’re back. Your dad will be off work soon, and dinner is ready. You can eat soon. If you’re hungry, just eat first.”

Grandma always doted on him, often making his father jealous.

“It’s okay, I’m not hungry. I’ll wait for Dad.”

“Son, today I made your favorite braised chicken and sweet and sour trotters. I’ve been busy since morning, you’re in for a treat later.”

“That’s for sure, Mom’s cooking is out of this world!”

A small flattery to his mother quickly made her happy, making all the hard work of the morning feel like nothing.

Chapter 2: Origin Accelerator

A short while later, Chu Feng’s father returned home.

His father was a welder at the shipyard. Due to the nature of his work, he looked much older than his actual age. Although he was only forty-six, he appeared to be in his mid-fifties. His face was often peeling and flushed red from constant exposure to the welding arcs.

Finally, the whole family sat down together for a meal.

“Chu Feng, where do you plan to go now that you’ve graduated? I saw that our shipyard is hiring sea trial navigators. I know the manager there—should I have a word with him so you can give it a try?”

Chu Feng had just graduated. In an era where graduation often felt like a precursor to unemployment, parents were always fretting over their children’s futures.

In his past life, Chu Feng had refused to work at the local plant. He had been ambitious and eager to leave home, insisting on making a name for himself in Shanghai. However, as a newcomer with no connections and nothing but naive passion, he eventually ended up battered and bruised by reality.

Having studied maritime navigation, he had always yearned for the sea, believing that conquering the ocean was a man’s true destiny. Eventually, he chose to work as a sailor in Shanghai. Without a foundation, he had to start from the very bottom as a deckhand.

Furthermore, the shipping industry had been in a slump in recent years, with wages stagnating. It took years of grueling work before he finally became a senior officer and his situation improved slightly. Even then, he was away from home for years at a time, unable to care for his family and often missing New Year’s celebrations. Only those who had experienced it could understand the bitterness of that life.

Chu Feng had already made up his mind. His personal terminal contained various advanced technologies. Although the majority of the stored data pertained to spacecraft, he wasn’t sure what had happened to his ship after he returned. It had likely crashed…

Now was the age of the internet—the phase with the lowest startup costs and something he could easily get involved in. With his AI and his familiarity with Earth’s technology, the internet was essentially his backyard. Xiao Meng’s technical skills alone were enough to crush the rest of the world.

“I want to start my own business,” Chu Feng said directly. These were his closest relatives; he wouldn’t be living an ordinary life in the future, and there was no sense in hiding his ambition.

“You’re an adult now, and you have your own ideas. I don’t understand much about high-tech stuff, so I won’t nag you too much.” His father nodded, lifted his glass, and took a small sip. “We have some savings. You can take it for now. It’s good for a young man to have some drive. But let’s get this straight: if it doesn’t work out, you have to follow our arrangements!”

“Deal! It’s a promise!” Chu Feng smiled and raised his glass to clink it against his father’s… but his hand froze mid-air.

Crap. He had just graduated; at this point in time, he didn’t drink at all. He had completely forgotten that detail.

Everyone at the table stared at the glass in Chu Feng’s hand.

“Haha, my son is grown up. Having a drink is fine, just don’t overdo it.” His father stepped in to break the tension, earning a sharp eye-roll from his mother.

“Hehehe…”

“Alright, whatever you say, Dad!”

Chu Feng shared a drink with his father. Amidst his mother’s nagging, his father’s chuckles, and his grandmother’s doting, he finished a meal that truly tasted like home.

After dinner, his father was a bit tipsy and was dragged off to the bedroom by his mother. Being elderly, his grandmother also went for a nap.

Chu Feng returned to his room, a place that felt both familiar and foreign. In his hand was a bank card his father had just given him. It contained 100,000 Yuan. While it wasn’t a massive fortune, it represented his father’s life savings. Given their family’s circumstances, saving that much while paying for his college tuition and expenses hadn’t been easy. However, he didn’t plan on using this money; he had his own ways.

He turned on the dusty computer in his room and endured the long boot-up time.

“Network signal detected. Would you like to connect?” Xiao Meng’s voice chirped.

“Connect!”

“Connecting to the network… Scanning…”

“Network scan complete. Duration: twelve minutes and twenty-one seconds.”

“Master, Earth’s internet is so slow. How can humans stand this?”

Chu Feng’s face darkened. Can you really compare this to Planet Tyber?

His home was equipped with 100M broadband, which was much better than the few megabits common in previous years.

“First, search for all dormant accounts.”

“Searching, please wait…”

This was the internet era—convenient and fast. Everyone was used to online banking. With so many bank accounts in the world, there were bound to be some with leftover funds, forgotten passwords, or accounts where owners had passed away without leaving instructions for their heirs.

Each individual account might not hold much, but a massive number of small amounts added up to a staggering sum.

“Master, I have scanned the records 1.2 quintillion times. Total dormant funds discovered: approximately 789.6 billion… converted to US Dollars, it is approximately 9.6 billion…”

“I didn’t expect there to be so much money that would never be touched…”

This was a fortune most people could never hope to accumulate in a lifetime, yet it lay forever in unknown accounts, never to see the light of day. Money is a dead object; people are living souls. Since these funds would eventually be used to build his own “empire,” Chu Feng felt no guilt.

“Contact an intermediary firm to register multiple companies in the Cayman Islands. The parent company will be named Origin Technology Co., Ltd. Inject all the funds and set up cross-shareholding. Remember, leave no trail!”

“Understood, Master. Registration complete. With current network technology, tracing the source of these funds is impossible.” Xiao Meng replied proudly; this was her specialty.

“Transfer 100 million into the company’s operating account.”

“Yes, Master. Taxes accounted for, transfer successful!”

A few seconds later, Chu Feng’s phone buzzed with a notification.

[Industrial and Commercial Bank of China] Your account ending in 4350 received a wire transfer of 100,000,000.00 USD at 12:23 on May 31. Your current balance is 100,000,302.69 USD.

Converted to Chinese Yuan, that was over 700 million. It was more than enough to get started.

Seeing that amount of money suddenly appear in his bank, Chu Feng felt a surge of excitement. After all, in his previous life, his balance had never exceeded six figures.

His phone rang suddenly. It was 95588—the bank.

He answered. “Hello?”

“Hello, Mr. Chu. I am a representative from the Port District branch of ICBC. Your account just received an overseas transfer of 100 million US Dollars. May I ask if this was an authorized operation?”

“Yes, it’s mine. It’s an investment fund allocated by my company.”

“Thank you for your trust in us. If you have any questions, please feel free to call. We are at your service.”

Chu Feng hung up, his expression neutral. The bank would inevitably monitor such a sudden, large injection of funds, but he wasn’t worried. He trusted Xiao Meng’s capabilities.

Sure enough, a short while later, another call arrived stating the account audit was complete and met all requirements. Then came a barrage of investment suggestions.

Chu Feng rejected them all. Investment advice? From you? At his request, the bank converted the funds into Chinese Yuan, even waiving the transaction fees.

“Xiao Meng, help me write a program that can increase network and processing speeds.”

“Master, what is the target speed? The minimum is a 50% increase, and the maximum is 3000%.”

“Uh, no need to be that exaggerated. Double is fine. Let’s call it the ‘Origin Accelerator.’ Make sure the security is tight; don’t be careless.”

“Master, you must have faith in Xiao Meng’s abilities.”

“The computing languages used on Earth are still binary-based, whereas the advanced Yilai Language is an intelligent language. Unless someone has a specific program to learn it, it is impossible to crack.”

Chu Feng laughed helplessly. He didn’t actually understand Yilai Language himself. It was like how many people know computer code exists, but if you asked them to write it, they wouldn’t know a single character. He would leave the professional work to the professional AI.

In minutes, Xiao Meng had designed the accelerator. It ran perfectly on the computer. Because it was compiled using a different language, the file compression method was also unique. It only took up about ten megabytes of space, yet it could perform tasks that usually required dozens of gigabytes.

The Origin Accelerator icon was a silver oval, somewhat resembling Chu Feng’s original spacecraft. It looked incredibly high-tech. When clicked, the central button spun rapidly, and the acceleration was successful in less than a second.

He tested it on his own computer. His average machine suddenly felt like it was flying. It was much faster than before, and the experience was incredibly smooth. This was the special effect of the Origin Accelerator—it compressed and transmitted data in a way that defied standard protocols. Originally, a connection might only send 1MB of data per second, but through the accelerator’s re-encoding, that 1MB achieved the results of 1GB.

Though the hardware hadn’t changed, the relative performance had skyrocketed. This was, in essence, true acceleration.

As expected, web pages opened instantly. He played a game of the currently popular League of Legends; the latency was basically zero. It was an incredible feeling.

“This is the one. Xiao Meng, upload it to the Honker Union. Set it for a one-month free trial.”

“Yes, Master!”

The Honker Union was a famous network exchange platform in the country. Almost all new programs or games were released there first for free downloads, allowing users to find bugs or flaws. it was one of the sites with the highest traffic.

Lu Guang was a frequent visitor to the Honker Union. He was also a popular social media influencer on Weibo, specializing in testing various programs and rating them for his audience. His videos garnered millions of views, and he had over three million followers.

Today, Lu Guang was bored. He hadn’t found any good content, and he was getting anxious because he didn’t have a topic for his next video. Audiences these days were hard to please; if they were even slightly dissatisfied, they would unfollow or leave scathing comments. If he didn’t produce a video soon, or if he just picked something random, he would likely be criticized to death.

Chapter 3: Accelerator Downloads Exploding

As it happened, he spotted a newly uploaded program. It was an accelerator.

“I wonder what idiot is still making accelerators these days,” Lu Guang muttered.

Network accelerators generally worked on two principles:

1. Deploying servers at major network nodes across the country, allowing players from various regions to choose the optimal node for perfect online gaming speeds. Whether moving from Unicom to Telecom, or from the Education Network to either of the two, accelerators could bypass the network barriers caused by cross-provider lag, achieving a “borderless” network.

2. Utilizing VPN technology. Users would use an account and password provided by the software to dial into a dual-line bandwidth server. By establishing this connection, the user’s local network environment was modified. Any targets accessed by the local machine would be forwarded through the node server once, thereby achieving an acceleration effect.

Currently, the accelerator market was almost entirely carved up. There was no room for anyone else.

“Probably some greenhorn trying his luck,” Lu Guang said, shaking his head. He didn’t have high hopes for this “Origin Accelerator.”

When he saw that the installation package was only ten megabytes, he was even more speechless.

“Could some guy have just designed an empty shell and then linked it to another accelerator’s engine? Or is it a virus?”

He thought the uploader was incredibly bold. Weren’t they afraid of being reported? Furthermore, every file uploaded to the Red Hacker Alliance was supposedly scanned for viruses.

Ten megabytes downloaded in an instant. He installed it on his testing computer, clicking through the standard user agreements.

“Oh? A one-month free trial? Talk about bragging. Aren’t you afraid of the hype blowing up in your face?”

After installation, a simple spaceship icon appeared in the bottom right corner of his screen, followed by a countdown: 29 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds.

Lu Guang shook his head with a strange look on his face and clicked it.

The spaceship in the middle spun rapidly for a moment and then stopped.

“That’s it?”

Lu Guang stared at the screen in disbelief. He opened his speed-testing software to check the results.

Suddenly, he noticed that whether it was opening files or launching programs, everything happened almost instantaneously.

Lu Guang worked with computers all day; he knew his machine’s performance inside and out. Although he had bought high-end specs, the constant testing of various programs usually made the system a bit sluggish. Why was it so fast today? It felt even faster than the day he bought it.

Moreover, the network speed test was holding steady at a 100 Mbps download speed without the slightest fluctuation.

Although he had Gigabit broadband, it had never been this stable…

He opened a webpage—no latency.

He launched a game—no latency.

…

Hurriedly, he opened Master Benchmark.

His computer, which normally scored around 300,000 points, actually hit 500,000. Its performance had significantly improved.

“An accelerator can actually boost computer performance?”

“I think I’ve discovered something incredible!”

Lu Guang immediately logged into his Weibo and various social media accounts to upload the video of today’s test.

Time was money. He didn’t know if anyone else had discovered this “Super Accelerator” yet—it was practically a god-tier tool!

“A shocking discovery! The Origin Accelerator! It accelerates your network and boosts your performance. Watch the first reveal of this god-tier software!”

He included the download link at the end.

With eye-catching titles and Lu Guang’s large following, the review went viral. Comments started flooding in so fast he could hardly read them.

[Front row! Reclaiming my spot. If this blows up, remember I was here.]

[Second! Pets the first floor’s dog head. Origin Accelerator? Never heard of it. If it’s really that magical, I’ll livestream myself eating crap!]

[Third floor’s on the floorboards! I agree with the guy above, but I’m going to download it and try it first! No verification, no right to speak.]

[Who hasn’t used an accelerator? This is just a gimmick. Looks like Lu Guang is out of things to do, saying such sensationalist things. Are there any sincere reviewers left?]

[Did Lu Guang take a bribe? To say something so unrealistic… how disappointing. I suggest everyone unfollow him. Go watch the reviews from XXX instead!]

[Lu Guang’s reputation is usually good. Everyone should check it out before judging. After all, if you haven’t used it, you have no right to comment!]

…

A massive wave of similar comments followed—questioning, mocking, and advising Lu Guang to stop.

However, Lu Guang didn’t delete a single comment. He had used it; the software was simply too powerful. He was certain it would become a massive hit. Even though he wasn’t the developer, being the first to discover and promote it would give his popularity a huge boost.

Once everyone tried it, they would realize his words were actually quite modest. He was already bowing down to the development team.

Even now, Lu Guang believed this software was developed by some high-end scientific research team. It was just too miraculous.

…

The comments kept refreshing, most of them just following the trend.

But after a few hundred comments, the tide began to shift.

[I’m uneducated, so all I can say is ‘Holy Crap!’ What Lu Guang recommended is indeed a god-tier tool. I’m officially a fan. Origin Accelerator—anyone who uses it knows!]

[God-tier! Unbelievable! The package is so small I thought it required an internet connection to run, but I just unplugged my ethernet cable to test it, and it still works!]

[Absolute god-tier tool. The only thing is the time limit. I’m really afraid I won’t be able to afford it once the trial is over.]

[My potato PC isn’t afraid anymore! It’s so fast. I wonder what the pricing will be?]

[I wonder which R&D team made this. Truly legendary.]

[Doesn’t the copyright notice at the bottom say it? The copyright belongs to someone named Chu Feng. Never heard of him. When did such a big shot appear in the domestic IT industry?]

[Curious. Does anyone know this developer? He’s a genius.]

[The tool is great, but now I’m just worried about the guy on the second floor who promised to eat crap…]

[Calling for the second floor guy! Time to fulfill your promise, we’re all waiting.]

[Waiting +1]

[Waiting +2]

…

[Waiting +10086]

The thread completely derailed.

But it was undeniable: Origin Accelerator was a hit.

Every person who used it was shocked by its performance boost and its incredibly low resource consumption.

“Miraculous” and “Unbelievable” were the words of the day.

Using it was like buying a super-stable accelerator and getting a free computer hardware upgrade in the process.

Passage of time had turned many PCs into “clunkers,” yet suddenly they could run games again.

“It consumes so much less power—total energy saving and emission reduction! And it’s definitely not because I can’t afford the electricity bill!”

Everyone has friends and family. When you find something this good, you have to show it off.

This fueled the download speed of Origin Accelerator like a rocket. The soaring trend was unstoppable!

1,000…

5,000…

10,000…

…

Gradually, the rate slowed down, eventually stabilizing at around four million downloads.

And that was just after one night.

When morning came and people logged on, more and more would see their friends recommending this miracle software. That’s when the download speed would truly enter “flight mode.”

Meanwhile, the administrators of the Red Hacker Alliance website noticed the abnormal download volume.

At first, they thought someone was running a fake traffic scam and wanted to issue a warning. After all, no unknown software should be downloading this fast.

They had never seen a new software hit millions of downloads instantly; it nearly crashed their servers.

However, after checking the IP addresses of the downloaders, they realized something was wrong.

These users were from all over the country. They were all active accounts, and some were even well-known “Big V” influencers or famous forum moderators. This definitely wasn’t fake traffic.

This was no small matter!

Realizing the situation, they immediately reported it to their superiors.

The website manager also discovered this miraculous software and called the company’s owner in the middle of the night.

Xie Haiqiong, who had just turned fifty, was the CEO and one of the founders of the Red Hacker Alliance. He had already gone to bed, but upon hearing the report, he didn’t waste a second and climbed out of bed.

Logging into his exclusive Red Hacker Alliance account, he downloaded Origin Accelerator for a trial run.

When he discovered that a software taking up so little memory could perform so powerfully, he couldn’t help but marvel at it.

He immediately ordered his staff to try to contact the owner of the software to discuss further promotion. With his years of sharp business insight, he could tell this was a once-in-a-century opportunity. Even if they had to promote it for free, they had to keep this software on the Red Hacker Alliance to make it their “golden brand.”

None of the big shots in the industry were simple. Without a keen eye, they would have been swallowed up by the era long ago!

Early the next morning, Chu Feng’s phone rang.

“Hello, is this Mr. Chu Feng?”

A steady, mature male voice came through the phone.

“Speaking. Who is this?”

Hearing the young voice on the other end, Xie Haiqiong was slightly surprised.

After considering it all night, Xie Haiqiong had decided to make the call himself to show his sincerity and determination. He just hadn’t expected the owner of this miraculous software to be so young. He couldn’t help but feel a bit of the “I’m getting old” sentiment.

“Hello, Mr. Chu Feng. I am Xie Haiqiong, Chairman of the Red Hacker Alliance. Did you develop the Origin Accelerator that was uploaded to our platform yesterday?”

“You’re too kind, Chairman Xie. You can just call me Chu. Indeed, the Origin Accelerator was developed by my team, but I hold all rights of disposal and ownership.”

Chu Feng spoke calmly, not blushing in the least at his own nonsense. Although it was a casual creation of Xiao Meng, who would know? Besides, what was Xiao Meng’s was his… right?

“Haha, then I’ll take the liberty of calling you Brother Chu. You sound very young, Brother Chu. To be able to develop such powerful software… truly, the hero emerges from the youth!” Xie Haiqiong said, testing the waters.

“Haha, you’re too kind. Actually, this is the hard work of my company’s development team. I am just the representative; the others don’t want to show their faces.”

Chu Feng had already planned his response. He would simply claim there was an overseas development team.

After all, his own background was still too thin to withstand scrutiny. Inventing a fictional development team was the best way to solve his current problem.

Furthermore, the numerous companies Xiao Meng had registered were all controlled by the Origin parent company. With such complex cross-shareholding, even the registration agencies themselves probably couldn’t untangle it. It provided much better security.

“For such a powerful development team to let you be the representative proves your ability as well, Brother Chu. I wonder if you can fully represent this team in making arrangements for Origin Accelerator?”

“I can. Since I have everything regarding Origin Accelerator in my hands, I can make any decision!”

“Then, does Brother Chu have any intention of selling the copyright to Origin Accelerator?”

“Of course, investment is also an option. Regarding the price, you can rest assured, Mr. Chu Feng. We can negotiate a plan that satisfies everyone. After all, our Red Hacker Alliance has powerful internet channels and can better promote Origin Accelerator.”

Chapter 4: I’ll Take This Entire Building

“Old fox!”

Chu Feng shook his head somewhat disdainfully. Did the man really think he was some greenhorn that could be played for a fool?

“I’m sorry, but Origin Accelerator is my company’s founding product.”

“So, I’m afraid the answer is no.”

Chu Feng rejected the request cleanly and decisively.

Hearing this, Xie Haiqiong immediately realized that Chu Feng was a bit of a “little fox” himself. His little scheme had evidently failed, so he could only settle for the next best thing.

“In that case, Brother Chu, would you consider letting the Red Hacker Alliance act as the exclusive agent for Origin Accelerator? If you grant us the rights, the Alliance will promote it with everything we’ve got. Origin Accelerator will become our flagship product, and we’ll both profit. What do you think of a win-win partnership?”

After thinking it over for a moment, Chu Feng agreed to the proposal.

The Red Hacker Alliance possessed powerful internet channels and marketing capabilities. Currently, he didn’t have a company to handle his affairs or create plans to solidify his current popularity. The most important thing right now was to build the brand and increase awareness. He really had no reason to refuse.

They spent about half an hour discussing the details. After promising Xie Haiqiong that he would visit the Red Hacker Alliance headquarters in Shanghai when he had the time, Chu Feng hung up.

“It looks like I need to set up a company soon. Otherwise, this whole thing feels like a makeshift operation. It’s embarrassing, and I really don’t want to deal with all these random probes and tests myself anymore.”

Meanwhile, Xie Haiqiong couldn’t help but sigh after hanging up the phone.

“This Brother Chu is not simple. He’s completely impervious to persuasion. It’s a bit of a shame to miss out on such a great wealth-building opportunity, but our Alliance won’t lose out either.”

Then, a strange expression crossed Xie Haiqiong’s face.

“The Red Hacker Alliance is fine, but those other accelerator businesses are probably going to have a massive headache. Now that Origin Accelerator is out, what room is left for them?”

Xie Haiqiong felt a bit of schadenfreude.

After the call, Chu Feng realized he definitely needed to assemble a team.

Given how powerful Origin Accelerator was, it was bound to attract a lot of attention. He couldn’t handle everything himself every single time, or he’d spend his entire day on the phone.

Chu Feng had always believed that professional matters should be handled by professionals.

“Xiao Meng, find me the contact information for some headhunting firms.”

“Understood, Master. Search complete. Currently, the most efficient firm in China is U-Path Headhunting.”

After placing an order with the headhunting firm and listing his requirements, Chu Feng prepared to go look for office space. He couldn’t find the staff and then have no place for them to work; people might think he was a scammer.

Modern society was incredibly convenient. As long as you had money, you could find whatever you wanted to buy. He contacted the largest local real estate agency, and soon enough, he received a call back. They arranged for him to go see some buildings in person.

Zou Qian was a sales representative for Huachang Real Estate.

She had received a call that morning saying a client wanted to see office buildings.

Zou Qian contacted the client immediately. Hearing the client’s youthful voice, she wondered if she was just lucky to have any client assigned to her at all.

However, out of professional ethics, she still carefully arranged a full day’s itinerary to take the client on a tour.

After cleaning himself up, Chu Feng took a taxi to the pedestrian street they had agreed upon, which was very close to the Financial Center.

Once he got out of the car, he dialed Zou Qian’s number.

“Hello, I’ve arrived. Where are you?”

“Hello, I’m right here at the entrance plaza of the pedestrian street.”

“I see you!”

At the entrance of the pedestrian street, a girl dressed in a black professional suit for women was looking around.

She looked very young. Her long black hair hung loose, and beneath her wispy bangs were a pair of bright, soulful eyes. Her face was lightly powdered, giving her a very pure look without heavy makeup.

Zou Qian also spotted Chu Feng. Seeing him get out of a taxi, her heart sank halfway. She assumed he was likely just a college student starting a small business who wanted to rent a tiny space.

Clicking her heels, Zou Qian trotted over to greet him.

“Hello, are you Boss Chu? I’m Zou Qian, the sales representative who will be showing you around today.”

“Hello, I’m Chu Feng. I want to look at some office buildings. I heard your company is the largest real estate agency in the city, so I came to take a look.”

“Mr. Chu has great taste. Our Huachang Real Estate’s resources and prices are definitely the best and most cost-effective in Hailing City…”

Zou Qian was very professional. Even though she didn’t think there was much of a chance for a big sale, she still put effort into promoting her company.

“Mhm. Then please introduce some options to me, Miss Zou. I want to rent an entire office building. Ideally, it should be in a good location within the Financial Center with convenient transportation.”

“Certainly, I… Excuse me? Mr. Chu, did you say you want to rent an entire building?”

“Yes, that’s right. Anything too small isn’t suitable. The company is just starting out, and while I eventually want to build my own headquarters, I’ll rent a building to make do for now.”

Chu Feng’s nonchalant words left Zou Qian somewhat speechless.

“Make do”? She suspected he had a serious misunderstanding of that phrase.

Though Hailing City was only a third-tier city and housing prices weren’t extremely high, renting a whole building for a brand-new company?

Wasn’t that a bit of a leap?

Chu Feng had no idea what was going through this beautiful saleswoman’s mind.

He was currently anything but short on cash. He had over 700 million CNY in liquid funds sitting in his bank account, plus over 9 billion USD in offshore accounts. He hadn’t dared to transfer it all at once for fear of causing a commotion.

Just the daily interest alone was a staggering amount, so Chu Feng currently had very little concept of money.

If it weren’t for his desire to help his country develop, he could have used this money to live a life of leisure and luxury until the day he died without ever running out.

After all, this was hard cash.

Many wealthy people might be worth billions, but most of that was tied up in fixed assets or stock. Their actual liquid capital might only be a billion or so at most.

If a tycoon actually tried to dump all their shares at once, the resulting panic would cause their net worth to shrink instantly.

If he hadn’t wanted to build a custom headquarters for his company later, Chu Feng would have just bought a building already instead of renting.

“Mr. Chu, most office buildings currently have other companies or enterprises already moved in. Since you mentioned your company is just starting, would you like to try renting a few floors first?”

It could only be said that Zou Qian was too young; she was still trying to look out for Chu Feng, fearing he was just trying to save face or didn’t understand the market and was talking nonsense.

“Don’t you have any projects for entire buildings? Don’t worry about anything else. If it’s suitable, I can sign today and the funds will be transferred immediately!”

Seeing that Chu Feng wouldn’t listen to her advice, Zou Qian stopped pushing. If her manager found out she was trying to persuade a client to rent less space, she’d probably be fired. Finding a job wasn’t easy these days.

“My apologies, Mr. Chu. We don’t have many move-in ready buildings available for total rent right now, but there are a few options you can look at.”

Zou Qian flipped through the materials she brought and pulled a few out.

“For example, there’s Hengjin International. It’s located in the middle of the Financial Center. It has 28 floors, each with an area of 450 square meters. Each floor can accommodate 30 to 97 workstations. Not only is the transportation convenient, but it also comes with a three-story parking garage with 120 spaces per floor. It’s fully renovated, with a minimum twelve-month lease. The rent is 67,500 per floor per month. An absolute value for the price!”

Seeing no reaction from Chu Feng, Zou Qian continued.

“Mr. Chu, perhaps look at China Resources International? It’s in the southern part of the Financial Center in a prime location. 30 floors total, 680 square meters per floor. Each floor can hold 370 to 574 workstations. It has luxury renovations and is near the Hailing South Station for easy transport. It also has parking—300 spaces per floor. Also a twelve-month minimum lease, though the price is higher at 140,000 per month per floor. However, there would likely be a discount for renting the whole building.”

“Are there any others?” Chu Feng frowned slightly.

“Well, Mr. Chu, there is also the Elite Office Building. This one was just recently completed and is located in the city center. It only has eight floors, but each floor has over 2,000 square meters of office space. Each floor can accommodate 350 to 650 workstations. It’s fully renovated and comes with a three-story underground parking lot with over 1,000 spaces. Minimum twelve-month lease, and the rent is 360,000 per floor per month. It’s an absolute steal for the location. The term is one month’s deposit and twelve months’ rent upfront.”

Chu Feng’s eyes lit up. The other office buildings might have been tall, but the floor plates were too small. There was no point in that. Why would he want dozens of floors? He only wanted an entire building because he didn’t want to be mixed in with a dozens of other companies.

The Elite Office Building, with over 2,000 square meters per floor, suited his taste and needs perfectly.

“That’s the one. Let’s go see the Elite Office Building!” Chu Feng decided on the spot.

Zou Qian didn’t say anything more. She had the company driver take her and Chu Feng to the building.

Before long, they arrived.

It was a standalone building. Though it only had eight floors, the entire structure looked very grand, almost like a commercial shopping mall.

In fact, the developer of the Elite Office Building had originally intended to rent it out as a commercial center, but they hadn’t expected to run into an outlier like Chu Feng.

They stepped inside. Since no tenants had moved in yet, the entire space felt very vast.

After checking out the surrounding environment, Chu Feng was satisfied. It was in the city center, transportation was a given, and it was close to the commercial hub. It fit his requirements perfectly.

Standing on the eighth floor—the top floor—he looked down at the bustling stream of cars and people on the street. There was even a leisure plaza at the entrance, providing a wide, open view. He figured that if he renovated this eighth floor into his personal office, it would be quite impressive. Until his main headquarters was built, this was a perfect substitute.

“Alright, prepare the contract!”

“Huh?” Zou Qian blinked, startled. She hadn’t really expected a sale and had treated this as just a walk in the park. Chu Feng’s words caught her completely off guard.

“Haha, I said prepare the contract. I’ll take this entire building!”

Chapter 5: Purchasing a Villa

Zou Qian was overjoyed. She hadn’t expected her first deal of the day to be finalized so easily, almost like child’s play.

She quickly contacted her company. When the manager heard the news, he thought she was playing a prank.

How could a deal be finalized so quickly? Especially one with such a massive contract— the annual rent alone was 37.44 million!

Usually, a business deal of this scale required endless back-and-forth negotiations and still might not be settled. This was incredibly straightforward; it had only been half a day and everything was already decided.

If every deal were this easy to close, they would all be doing nothing but sitting around and counting their money.

“That little girl got lucky,” the manager sighed inwardly.

The manager was also filled with regret. This commission should have been his. With a deal like this, the commission would likely be over a hundred thousand, not to mention the generous year-end bonus. Most importantly, he had missed the chance to network with such a wealthy and powerful client.

In their line of work, connections were everything. Connections were money. Even if he eventually left this company, as long as he maintained his network, he would be treated as a VIP wherever he went.

Without the slightest delay, the manager arrived with the contract in less than half an hour. Although he had missed the initial meeting with the boss, he still needed to build a good rapport. Who knew when another opportunity might arise?

“Ah, Mr. Chu! Mr. Chu Feng, sorry for the wait. I trust Xiao Zou hasn’t been disrespectful?”

The manager greeted Chu Feng with intense warmth the moment he arrived.

“You’re too kind. She’s been great. Her introduction was excellent, and I’m very satisfied!”

“That’s wonderful! Zou Qian is a key talent our company is working hard to develop. I have a lot of confidence in her professional skills and efficiency!”

Zou Qian’s forehead was lined with imaginary black lines. If they hadn’t thought this lead was a lost cause, would they have assigned it to her? And since when was she so “highly valued”?

Since he had made his decision, Chu Feng didn’t hesitate. He signed the contract for the building immediately—a one-year lease, paid in full in a single installment.

The moment the card was swiped, it meant that the ownership rights for all eight floors of the office building for the coming year belonged to Chu Feng.

“By the way, do you have any listings for villas?” Chu Feng asked casually. His future enterprise would certainly grow and strengthen; staying in a neighborhood slated for demolition was no longer appropriate.

“I just don’t know how to explain this to my family yet.”

Chu Feng hadn’t told his parents about his current situation for fear of shocking them.

No one would believe that their son, who had only just graduated, could rent an entire building and buy a villa.

“I hope I don’t give them a heart attack,” Chu Feng thought helplessly.

He had many era-defining designs on his personal computer that had stood the test of time. He intended to release them gradually. When the time came, the world would surely be turned upside down. He could already envision the impact his “black technology” would have on the globe.

“Of course! Our company handles all kinds of real estate transactions. What kind of property are you looking for, Mr. Chu?”

The manager was ecstatic. He hadn’t expected another windfall so soon.

The office building seemed like a big deal, but since it was only a lease, there wasn’t a huge amount of profit. But buying a home—especially a villa—was a different story. High-end villas could cost millions or even tens of millions, and the commission was on a much higher level.

“Let Miss Zou take me to see a few. We’re already acquainted. If I find something suitable, I’ll sign for it today.”

At Chu Feng’s words, Zou Qian felt a surge of joy, while the manager gave the two of them a peculiar look.

Chu Feng wasn’t overthinking it. First, he was already familiar with Zou Qian since she had been showing him around all morning. Second, having a beautiful woman as company was much more pleasant than a balding middle-aged man.

“Excellent. Zou Qian, make sure you take good care of Mr. Chu. Our company’s motto is ‘the client’s needs are our needs, and the client’s requirements are our requirements.’ We strive to ensure every client leaves satisfied!”

“Mr. Chu, I’ve arranged for a company business vehicle downstairs. The villa districts are some distance away. It’s not the most luxurious car, so please don’t take offense.”

The manager spent a long time being polite before letting Chu Feng leave. His fiery enthusiasm was a bit much for Chu Feng to handle.

With the information in hand and under the manager’s suggestive gaze, Zou Qian and Chu Feng boarded a Mercedes-Maybach S600.

As the doors closed, all the noise from the outside world vanished.

The Mercedes-Maybach S600L featured a four-seat layout. The extra 200mm of length was entirely dedicated to the rear, ensuring that the space was anything but cramped even in “lie-flat” mode. Stretching one’s legs became effortless. It was fully equipped with rear tray tables, remote controls, and an independent audio-visual system.

For some reason, a partition had been installed between the driver’s cabin and the rear seats. With the curtains drawn, it became two separate worlds.

A suggestive atmosphere began to drift between the two people.

Zou Qian’s face flushed. She wasn’t new to the industry; she knew exactly what these “business vehicles” provided by the company were often used for.

Many agents and bosses finalized their “business” right in this car. Only the people involved knew the specific details.

Seeing the atmosphere getting stranger, Chu Feng had to interrupt Zou Qian’s wandering thoughts.

“Care to give me an introduction, beautiful?”

Zou Qian blinked, realizing she was supposed to be showing the property!

“Oh, sorry, Mr. Chu. I got distracted. Let me tell you about it.”

Ignoring the burning heat on her face, Zou Qian began her pitch.

“We are heading to Ruiyi Garden, developed by Taihua Real Estate. These are high-end, luxury-renovated homes. The layout features four bedrooms, two living rooms, and three bathrooms, with a floor area of 178 square meters…”

“It has three floors in total with a rare layout that receives unobstructed sunlight. It’s in a prime location, right next to a station with access to the South Station and the primary train station. It’s also very convenient for driving—less than half an hour from the financial center.”

“Furthermore, it’s near Hailing Phoenix Primary School and the Provincial Affiliated High School. It’s in a dual-school district. If you have children in the future…”

Returning to her professional self, Zou Qian explained the villa’s selling points to Chu Feng.

Chu Feng listened intently, nodding repeatedly.

“And the price?”

Looking at the pictures in the brochure, Chu Feng was quite satisfied.

“Mr. Chu, this unit is priced at 12 million.”

Hearing the quote, Chu Feng mused that it was roughly 20,000 per square meter. Compared to first-tier cities like Shanghai—or even some second-tier cities—this was practically a bargain.

Soon, they arrived at the villa.

They stepped out, and Zou Qian used a spare key to open the front gates.

Chu Feng saw the villa in its entirety.

It was a European-style garden house. The landscaping in the villa district was meticulously maintained, and the roads were clean; it was clear that they were regularly swept.

Inside, the villa was already luxuriously decorated. Despite the large floor plan, the designer’s clever work prevented it from feeling empty; instead, it was well-layered and elegantly arranged.

A six-meter-wide balcony allowed light to flood the entire space.

The floors were polished, translucent beige porcelain tiles, and a magnificent vintage crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling.

In the living room was a vintage leather sofa, set atop an exquisite Persian-patterned rug, exuding luxury and elegance.

With well-placed greenery, warm-toned fabric wallpaper, and various oil paintings, the space felt cozy. Chu Feng was very satisfied.

“This is the one. I’m very happy with it. Bring out the contract; I can sign today.”

Chu Feng valued his first impressions. If he felt comfortable, that was enough. He loved both the environment and the decor of this villa and couldn’t wait to buy it.

“By the way, are there any discounts for paying in full?” Chu Feng asked offhandedly.

“Mr. Chu, for a full cash payment, we can waive the property management fees for three years.”

Seeing how straightforward Chu Feng was, Zou Qian didn’t hold back and gave him the best internal discount available.

“Alright, let’s swipe the card.”

“Ah, okay! Mr. Chu, I happened to bring the contract with me. Here you go.”

Zou Qian was elated. Hailing is a third-tier city, and houses weren’t as easy to sell as they used to be. By selling this 12-million-yuan house, she would earn a 0.5% commission, which was over 60,000 yuan. Adding that to the commission from the office building lease, she had just earned several years’ worth of salary in a single day.

Chapter 6: It’s Just All Right

“The payment was successful, Mr. Chu. A staff member will bring the keys shortly.”

The moment the card was swiped successfully, Zou Qian’s eyes practically glowed.

“But, Mr. Chu, do all you wealthy people like to keep such a low profile these days?”

Hearing Zou Qian’s puzzled question, Chu Feng looked at himself and realized what she meant.

He hadn’t cleaned himself up since returning home, and he hadn’t yet grown accustomed to the lifestyle of the wealthy. His clothes were all cheap street-stall items, and he had even taken a taxi to get here. It really didn’t fit his current status, did it?

It seemed he needed to make a transformation.

Before long, the keys were handed over to Chu Feng.

Afterward, Chu Feng contacted a housekeeping agency to clean the house. Although the villa was luxuriously decorated, there was still some dust. Since it was a new house, a thorough cleaning was for the best.

An hour later, three housekeepers arrived. Chu Feng gave each of them an additional 500 RMB tip and asked them to be extra meticulous.

The three women were overjoyed and repeatedly promised to do their absolute best.

After Chu Feng left, he caught a taxi to the city center, planning to buy some things for himself.

“Driver, Pozi Street please.”

“Sure thing, young man! You look pretty happy. What’s the good news?”

“Haha, yeah. I just bought a house today, so I’m going to celebrate a bit,” Chu Feng replied with a chuckle.

“Oh! I noticed you just came out of Ruiyi Garden. The houses there aren’t cheap! To be able to buy a place there at such a young age—you’re really something special!”

The driver was incredibly talkative throughout the trip.

Chu Feng realized that taxi drivers seemed to have very silver tongues, almost like they were performing a comedy routine. No matter what subject you brought up, they could keep the conversation going; it was quite a well-informed profession.

They soon arrived at Pozi Street.

The core commercial district of Pozi Street was an iconic landmark of Hailing. It boasted over 600 years of history and a century of commercial prosperity, with a foot traffic of over 30,000 people per hour.

Chu Feng found a private kitchen restaurant to grab a bite, then prepared to go clothes shopping.

As the saying goes: “Clothes make the man, just as a saddle makes the horse.” No matter how much substance one has, a person’s first impression is based on their appearance, which often plays a dominant role in future interactions.

Therefore, dressing well was a definite plus for anyone.

Chu Feng didn’t dawdle and headed straight into a luxury men’s boutique.

“Welcome! How can I help you today?”

A sales assistant wearing a professional black skirt hurried over to greet him.

Her dark hair was tied back, and her face was lightly made up. She perfectly embodied the look of an elegant, vibrant city woman.

Upon entering the store, none of those clichéd “vile clerk looks down on a customer” tropes from novels occurred.

After all, service personnel nowadays generally had high standards. With so much competition, no one dared to be careless. Especially in luxury stores, the assistants were well-trained; who knew when a tycoon might decide to visit while keeping a low profile?

If they were slighted, not only would the commission be lost, but the store’s reputation would be ruined, and the clerk would almost certainly be fired. Besides, luxury stores weren’t that crowded, so they might as well be helpful while they were free.

The lack of a dramatic, clichéd scene actually made Chu Feng feel a bit of regret; it was a small, mischievous whim of his.

Looking at the price tags, he saw costs that the Chu Feng of his past life wouldn’t have even dreamed of. A single piece of clothing cost nearly as much as his old monthly salary.

Now, however, he felt nothing.

Under the increasingly bright gaze of the shop assistant, Chu Feng had her pick out several outfits: casual wear, formal suits, and summer clothes—four or five sets of each.

Seeing Chu Feng pick out clothes without even blinking, the other assistants in the store came over to help carry his selections, allowing Chu Feng to finally experience what it felt like to be a “filthy rich” tycoon.

“Damn those filthy rich people!” one might think.

Ignoring the sales assistant’s gaze—which was so intense it was practically melting—Chu Feng quickly put together a whole new wardrobe.

The total came to over 450,000 RMB. He swiped his card, and a long string of receipts spat out of the machine like it was having a fit.

Luxury clothing is expensive for a reason. With high-end designs and proper tailoring, while it’s hard to say if they are “better” than cheaper clothes in every way, they were certainly comfortable to wear.

Chu Feng didn’t care about being frugal anymore. If you have the money, why suffer?

Chu Feng was 186 cm tall with a sturdy build. When paired with high-end, elegant clothing, his entire aura changed.

He asked the staff to deliver the items to his new home. The sales assistant patted her chest reassuringly, promising they would be delivered safely. Once she heard he lived in that specific villa district, her eyes were filled with an expression that clearly said, “Please ask me out.”

This was a true tycoon.

Chu Feng’s eye twitched at the sight.

“Careful you don’t pat yourself too hard…”

Saying goodbye to the fiery-hot passion of the sales assistant, Chu Feng turned and walked out of the boutique.

With the clothes bought, it was time to fix his personal image.

He walked into an image design salon.

Even though he didn’t have a VIP reservation, could the receptionist’s eyes be that bad? Looking at his current outfit, it was worth well over 50,000 RMB.

“I wonder if I’ll run into one of those famous ‘Master Tonys,’” Chu Feng thought, amused by the internet meme.

Ever since he had returned to his younger self, his entire mindset had shifted.

As he lay back in a comfortable, soft chair, a dedicated hair washer came to serve him.

The assistant had air bangs and a Korean-style perm that perfectly complemented her pretty face. Her stylish uniform and graceful figure were enough to spark anyone’s imagination.

Of course, this was a large, legitimate styling salon, so there was no need to expect any “special” services.

However, as he closed his eyes and enjoyed the gentle service of her slender hands, smelling the faint scent of perfume and listening to the salon’s elegant, soothing music, Chu Feng couldn’t help but sigh in praise.

No wonder people liked getting their hair washed; it truly was an enjoyment.

At the sound of a sweet reminder, his time of relaxation came to an end.

The beautiful assistant gently dried Chu Feng’s hair with a towel, and he moved to a dedicated barber chair.

Before long, the stylist arrived.

Whether it was intentional or not, the one who came was also a beauty.

She had a chestnut-colored, wavy “city girl” hairstyle, and her straight pencil pants emphasized her charm.

“Hello, I am your stylist. You can call me Zhan Mei.”

Her voice was pleasant, and she didn’t use a pretentious English name, which made Chu Feng like her much more.

“Hello. Just design whatever hairstyle you think suits me. I trust your professional expertise.”

Chu Feng believed in letting professionals do their jobs; he didn’t want to interfere and end up with something mismatched.

Zhan Mei was quite happy to hear this. She hated it when people who didn’t understand styling tried to micromanage her. Some people insisted on styles that didn’t suit them at all, and because they were clients, she couldn’t argue. In the end, if it looked bad, it ruined her reputation.

Looking at the handsome man before her—tall, wearing clothes that clearly weren’t from an ordinary brand, a typical “rich, handsome guy”—and seeing how humble he was without the typical “nouveau riche” attitude, she felt both curious and pleased.

However, her professionalism quickly quelled her wandering thoughts. She studied Chu Feng’s face and began to design his hairstyle.

Professionalism really did make a difference. Chu Feng was quite satisfied with the look.

When the haircut was finished, the stylist also gave him a hair treatment.

The cool treatment fluid, combined with the gentle pressure of her warm fingertips, gave Chu Feng a slight shiver of relaxation.

Once the styling was complete, Chu Feng looked at his new reflection in the mirror and felt very satisfied.

With a short, textured cut that complimented his face shape and trimmed eyebrows that looked masculine without appearing too old-fashioned, he looked completely different.

Chapter 7: The Sudden Trace of the Spacecraft

After leaving the house, he wandered around and treated himself to a Patek Philippe watch, which cost him another 200,000 yuan.

He continued walking for a while, but it soon felt dull. Few men enjoyed aimless shopping, especially when they were single.

Seeing that it wasn’t too late, he simply headed back to his old home.

Chu Feng still hadn’t figured out how to explain today’s house purchase to his family. It was such an expensive property that he suspected it would cause more of a shock than a pleasant surprise.

Just a couple of days ago, they had been discussing pooling their money for him, and now he had a house worth millions?

“Son, you look quite sharp in that outfit!”

Seeing her son looking so handsome, Liu Yun beamed with pride. Naturally, she was very happy.

“Yeah, I had to go discuss some business, so of course I had to dress the part.”

“Right, you look very spirited.”

That evening, the family of four sat down for dinner.

Chu Feng spoke up cautiously, “Dad, Mom, the company said they’re going to provide me with a house and a car in the center of Hailing. I should be able to move into the house in a couple of days.”

His parents were momentarily stunned.

Didn’t he just say the company started two days ago? How could there already be a house and a car?

“Xiao Feng, what exactly does your company do? Didn’t you say it was just established?” his mother asked tentatively.

His father looked serious, and his grandmother sat nearby, wanting to chime in but remaining silent for the moment.

Chu Feng knew they weren’t doubting him; they were just worried that he was too young and might be led astray. Their life experiences were their capital, after all.

In today’s society, some people did anything for money and ended up with a bad fate. Chu Feng had just graduated, and they feared his lack of experience would make him an easy target for scammers.

“Dad, Mom, Grandma, don’t worry. I started a software company. A piece of software we developed is very popular right now, so the dividends are substantial. The company is expanding rapidly, and since they noticed I live quite far away, they provided a villa and a car. Technically, they’re company assets for now, but once the dividends are distributed, they’ll belong entirely to me.”

He didn’t dare say he had bought them outright, so he had to resort to a little deception…

“I knew my grandson was brilliant! You two worry too much. I raised this boy myself; I know he’s clever and sharp. He won’t be easily fooled. We’re finally going to enjoy some good fortune,” Grandma said, breaking the silence. As a member of the older generation who had devoted her life to the younger ones, nothing made her happier than seeing them do well.

“That’s good then. When there’s time, I’ll go have a look at where my son works,” his father said meaningfully. He wanted to see the workplace for himself; after all, it sounded somewhat incredible.

The atmosphere at the table finally warmed up. If their son really was this capable, the parents were, naturally, bursting with pride.

“So, Dad, Mom, Grandma—when you have time, let’s move into the new house. There should always be someone home, and it’ll be easier for me to get to work. The company headquarters will be moving nearby in a few days. I’ll find an opportunity to arrange a job there for Dad so he doesn’t have to be a welder anymore. It’s hard work and bad for the body. Mom and Grandma should come too; I still prefer Mom’s cooking and living with Grandma.”

“Alright, we’ll do as you say. I’ll go resign tomorrow,” his father replied cheerfully.

“I guess we’re basking in our son’s glow now,” his mother and grandmother added happily.

Such were parents—even without seeing the place, they gave their children their full support.

Suddenly, the television broadcast a news bulletin:

“Special report: A small meteorite fell into the East China Sea today. Spectacular footage of the descent was captured by onlookers. Experts state that this is a large meteorite which appeared abruptly, as it had not been previously detected.”

“According to images, the meteorite is estimated to be a cigar-shaped object approximately 100 meters in length. Furthermore, a meteorite landing in the East China Sea is extremely rare. Fortunately, for unknown reasons, the descent speed was quite slow, resulting in no casualties or property damage. However, due to the impact, wave heights in the East China Sea will reach five to seven meters today. The landing site will be designated a restricted navigation zone. The coordinates are as follows…”

Footage of the falling meteorite followed. It was clearly filmed on a cell phone, and people could be heard in the background shouting about making wishes on a “shooting star.”

Chu Feng stared fixedly at the screen. Though the footage was blurry and shaky, he recognized it instantly.

That was no meteorite or shooting star.

That was clearly the interstellar spacecraft he had arrived in!

At the same time, Xiao Meng issued a notification, stating that a weak spacecraft signal had been received.

Keeping his expression neutral, Chu Feng finished his dinner and returned to his room.

“Xiao Meng, didn’t our ship explode? We passed through the space-time storm in an escape pod. And even if the ship didn’t crash, it shouldn’t have taken this long to arrive. It’s been so many days.”

“Master, space-time storms are one of the ten great mysteries of the universe. Even with their interstellar travel technology, Planet Tyber never fully understood the causes or outcomes of these storms because no one who entered one ever returned or sent word back. At the time, they were considered purely destructive disasters.”

“Usually, the people of Tyber chose well-established interstellar jump coordinates based on long-term testing and experience. However, your home, Earth, was a new discovery. There was no established corridor to follow, which is why we encountered the storm.”

“Now, you and I have actually passed through a space-time storm and returned many years into the past. This is an unprecedented event. After all, time travel was a research project on Planet Tyber, but it was classified as top-secret, and ordinary people couldn’t access it.”

Xiao Meng was merely a standard personal assistant AI and lacked access to such profound, classified depth.

“It seems time is truly mysterious. Because our points of exit from the storm were different, the results varied, which is why the ship arrived so much later than we did.”

“Does this mean other civilizations could come through that same storm?” Chu Feng asked anxiously. Earth was, at most, a Level 1 civilization—it struggled just to leave its own planet.

If it were discovered by a higher civilization, the consequences would be dire.

Aggression between civilizations was no joke. To a higher civilization, Earth was like an infant in a cradle, completely defenseless. Their so-called superweapons would be nothing more than toys to an advanced race.

Chu Feng had once seen a documentary on Planet Tyber. It detailed the conquest of a Level 3 civilization. At the time, that civilization was already capable of interstellar travel within its own star system. However, their predatory resource extraction had completely destroyed many lower-tier planets. Planet Tyber, claiming the moral high ground, attacked them directly.

Planet Tyber was a Level 10 civilization. They didn’t even deploy their main forces; they sent a single Maintenance-class interstellar battleship—roughly equivalent to a police unit in modern China.

With just that one ship, the main cannon’s Strong Ion Storm blast instantly annihilated the Level 3 civilization’s flagship. Meanwhile, the enemy’s main battery couldn’t even deplete 10% of the Tyber ship’s shield energy. It wasn’t a battle; it was a total slaughter.

By the end, that civilization was nearly bombed back to the Stone Age. The gap in power was terrifyingly obvious.

Though Planet Tyber was a Level 10 civilization and was now relatively peaceful—refraining from active conquest—they had climbed to that position by stepping over the corpses of others during their period of primitive accumulation. The law of the jungle was universal in space.

“Master, you are being overly paranoid. Other warships would flee upon seeing a space-time storm, not dive into it. It was only because you were so desperate to return that you gambled your life. Otherwise, could Earth have remained so peaceful all these years?”

Xiao Meng’s words put Chu Feng slightly at ease. He was indeed letting his anxiety get the better of him because this concerned his home.

Now that the ship had been found, he had to retrieve it. That ship contained many treasures he had accumulated, and it would be the foundation for his future security.

Furthermore, he realized he had become a bit complacent. He couldn’t rely on luck to protect him. To be strong, one had to forge oneself. He needed to accelerate his pace.

Chapter 8: Heading to the East China Sea

Early the next morning, Chu Feng told his parents he was heading to Shanghai for a business trip. Meanwhile, his father was preparing to resign from his job, and his mother and grandmother were busy packing up the house. Although Chu Feng had assured them that everything in their new home would be brand new, people who had lived frugally for half their lives found it hard to part with items that were still perfectly usable. Furthermore, they didn’t dare sell the old house just yet. Their wavering emotions were both amusing and understandable.

Chu Feng set off for Shanghai by bus later that morning.

The journey from Hailing to Shanghai took just over three hours—hardly a long trip.

As he stepped off the bus at Shanghai South Station and looked out at the city, his once-stagnant heart felt a surge of emotion. This was the place where he had once struggled and toiled, but now, the scenery remained while the people had changed.

He was no longer the reckless greenhorn he used to be.

“Xiao Meng, can you still sense the ship’s location?”

“Master, the ship’s position has not changed. However, it has activated its emergency protocols. It now has automatic early warning and counterattack functions if it detects danger.”

Xiao Meng’s answer made Chu Feng anxious. He didn’t know the extent of the damage to the ship, but he was well aware of its destructive potential.

The government was currently conducting salvage operations in the area. He wasn’t sure if the ship’s cloaking system was still operational; if the stealth system failed, it would definitely be discovered.

If someone attempted to forcibly dismantle it without knowing what it was, God only knew what the ship’s automatic defense system would do.

Current modern defenses were no match for a starship’s automated counterattack systems.

“Xiao Meng, pinpoint the signal address immediately. We need to get there as fast as possible.”

Chu Feng issued the command. As long as he got within a dozen or so kilometers of the ship, he would be able to sense it and activate it. He had to be the first to find it before anyone else did.

“Understood, Master. The ship’s position has been confirmed. The coordinates have been sent to your phone.”

Ding-dong.

His phone chimed. A precise set of coordinates appeared, indicating a location just outside Shanghai, near Dajishan by the Donghai Bridge.

The only way to get there was by boat.

Thanks to the modern internet, he quickly found a place online where he could book a yacht. In modern society, while money wasn’t everything, it certainly made things convenient.

The order was accepted almost instantly. After paying a deposit, he could rent a yacht to head out into the East China Sea. The rental fee alone was 100,000 Yuan.

This didn’t even include other costs, such as the crew or service staff.

However, a problem arose during the staffing arrangements…

Chu Feng intended to check the ship’s condition. He didn’t know how damaged it was, whether it could move, or if the control and power systems were malfunctioning. He couldn’t let unrelated people interfere with this.

Therefore, Chu Feng planned to pilot the boat himself.

But the yacht company refused. A yacht was worth millions; how could they just let someone take it out like that? Who would be responsible if something went wrong?

“It’s really not possible, sir. It’s not a matter of money…”

The receptionist at the shipping company was nearly at his wit’s end. He had never met such an eccentric customer who wanted to pilot a yacht out to sea alone. This was a yacht, not a rowboat. Even professionals required years of training to operate one independently.

“I told you, if you can’t make the decision, get someone who can!”

Chu Feng was losing his patience. Why couldn’t this person understand?

“Xiao Zhang, step aside…” A middle-aged man with slicked-back hair smiled as he stopped the receptionist.

“Hello, my name is Wang. I am the manager of Kaile Yacht Rentals. Sir, please let me know what you need.”

Looking at the man’s hair, which was so slicked back that a fly would have lost its footing, Chu Feng felt a flicker of annoyance.

“I’ll say it one last time. I want to rent this boat. I don’t need any crew. I will take full responsibility for anything that happens!”

As he spoke, Chu Feng pulled out his bank card.

“A deposit of five million Yuan. That’s enough to buy the whole yacht. Are there any other problems?”

Though Manager Wang was suspicious, he showed no sign of doubt or surprise on his face. In his line of work, he dealt with all kinds of people, almost all of whom were wealthy.

You truly couldn’t guess what the rich were thinking. Some might spend hundreds of thousands or even millions on a single dinner or a night of karaoke, yet refuse to part with the disposable toiletries provided by a hotel.

“The guest has misunderstood!” Manager Wang said with an air of righteousness. “We were only considering your safety, sir. Operating a yacht is quite complicated.”

He continued, “However, the customer is king! Since you have such a request, we must fulfill it. Please, feel free to take the yacht!”

If it weren’t for the manager’s lightning-fast speed in processing the card swipe, Chu Feng might have actually believed the man’s noble act.

With money smoothing the way, the yacht was ready in less than an hour at the Huangpu River yacht pier.

Anxious to get started, Chu Feng prepared to board. Time was of the essence; he was in a race against the clock.

Fortunately, Chu Feng had a background in navigation and marine engineering, giving him a solid understanding of ship structures and controls. With Xiao Meng’s assistance, operating the increasingly user-friendly yacht was second nature to him.

Under normal circumstances, a vessel leaving port would need to report to maritime traffic control, but since Chu Feng was alone, he couldn’t follow protocol.

He simply switched off the AIS identification system, cast off the lines, and steered the yacht out of the harbor.

Manager Wang and the receptionist watched as the yacht sped away from the pier, staring at each other in disbelief.

“Manager… if something happens…” The receptionist looked at Manager Wang uneasily. Even Manager Wang was starting to break into a cold sweat.

He had initially assumed Chu Feng had his own crew and just didn’t like the company’s pilots. He hadn’t expected the man to actually go out solo.

“It’s fine, stay calm! Look, he’s actually driving it quite well—AGH!”

Manager Wang let out a cry that nearly scared the receptionist to death.

Because Chu Feng had turned off the AIS (Automatic Identification System), he hadn’t noticed an incoming vessel as he exited the Huangpu River. The yacht was traveling at dozens of knots, and he was on a direct collision course with the approaching ship.

As Manager Wang and the receptionist watched with wide eyes and racing hearts, the yacht’s stern swung out in a sharp fishtail, narrowly avoiding the incoming ship. It then rounded a bend and vanished from sight.

“Holy crap! That guy is amazing!”

After seeing that move, both men had to admire Chu Feng’s reflexes and skill.

“Was that guy a race car driver or something?”

Meanwhile, Chu Feng remained expressionless at the helm. With Xiao Meng’s help, the yacht quickly reached its top speed, kicking up a trail of white spray as it sped toward the coordinates on his planned route.

“Please don’t do anything stupid…” Chu Feng muttered, his anxious words quickly lost to the wind.

Chapter 9: Junior Artificial Intelligence

“The Personal Butler System is a software that integrates junior artificial intelligence.”

Artificial intelligence was a concept familiar to everyone.

AI was born during a historic gathering in 1956. Several outstanding scientists from the United States—representing the fields of mathematics, neurology, psychology, information science, and computer science—gathered together, where John McCarthy proposed the concept of “Artificial Intelligence (AI).”

Following that meeting, scientists and scholars everywhere began researching the field, and the discipline of AI, along with its related studies, sprouted like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. The 1969 International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence marked the official international recognition of the field.

Currently, common AI assistants on the market included the likes of Siri and Cortana. These personal assistants could help users complete various tasks and services, driven by AI technology. At this stage, AI assistants generally possessed context-based dialogue capabilities, allowing for simple human-machine conversations and the ability to answer basic questions. Applications for personal assistants included voice recognition, image recognition, and deep learning, operating on the principle of “voice recognition plus cloud computing services.”

However, limited by the Von Neumann architecture, current AI systems were unable to break through performance bottlenecks regarding perception and cognition. This was primarily because the traditional Von Neumann architecture utilized a stored-program method; programs were preset and could not adapt to external changes. This was the key factor limiting the development of artificial intelligence.

To put it simply, in the current era of big data, so-called artificial intelligence was little more than the collection of massive datasets rather than true autonomous learning.

Furthermore, thanks to the promotion of modern cinema and literature, many people feared that AI would eventually surpass and destroy humanity. Many movie plots revolved around high-level AI attempting to replace mankind, only to be defeated by the protagonist in the end.

Consequently, people maintained a degree of reservation toward AI. If it truly developed to a point where it rivaled human intelligence, it would trigger a series of ethical dilemmas. On a psychological level, the “Uncanny Valley” theory suggested that as robots became more human-like, people would experience a spontaneous sense of revulsion and fear toward them.

On Planet Tyber, laws had been drafted regarding artificial intelligence that restricted its development for a very long time.

Currently, what people generally referred to as artificial intelligence was merely the most basic, junior level. To call it “artificial intelligence” was almost an insult to the term.

As for Xiao Meng, the assistant Chu Feng carried with him, she could handle various complex problems and learn autonomously through the network—and even she was only an intermediate-level AI.

Senior AI, on Planet Tyber, existed as an assistant to the Grand Commander, aiding in the governance of the entire Tyber star system.

Therefore, when Chu Feng mentioned “junior artificial intelligence,” the audience found it somewhat difficult to grasp.

Was he just making another human-machine interface software?

What would be the point of that?

The bullet comments were filled with discussion.

The reason Chu Feng had started with such a low-level accelerator was born out of necessity.

First, he had no foundation and no reputation. If he had unleashed a “big move” right from the start, the most likely result would have been no result at all.

Second, developing even junior AI required a massive computing framework. He couldn’t place the source code on someone else’s server. Now that his ship was about to be recovered, the servers on that ship were the truly powerful tools.

A single processing unit the size of a cigarette box could completely outperform any currently existing supercomputer.

The chess grandmaster “Deep Blue,” Japan’s “Earth Simulator,” and China’s “Sunway TaihuLight” were all considered top-tier supercomputers.

The Sunway TaihuLight supercomputer was installed with 40,960 domestically developed SW26010 processors. These many-core processors used a 64-bit autonomous Sunway instruction system, with a peak performance of 125 petaflops and a sustained performance of 93 petaflops.

Such a supercomputer had topped the global rankings three times.

However, the computer installed on Chu Feng’s ship had to constantly calculate flight trajectories and ship data, analyze various problems, and provide feedback to the captain.

The required computational power was beyond imagination. A single cigarette-box-sized processor unit could crush the strongest current supercomputer. Furthermore, there were nearly ten thousand such units on the ship, not even counting more advanced methods of computation.

The processors carried by the ship alone could process the entirety of the Earth’s data.

Furthermore, Xiao Meng had informed him that the ship had just responded and there were no major issues. This was why Chu Feng dared to leak this news now.

Chu Feng’s Douyu private message inbox had long since hit the “999+” cap.

This was just the maximum display limit; if one were to actually count them, the number would be explosive.

There were requests for dates, contact information, and interview requests. Having finally caught this “big fish,” no one wanted to let go—even if there was only a sliver of a chance.

In his mind, he instructed Xiao Meng to help him delete all the social and dating-related messages.

“Master, I get the feeling you aren’t actually that happy about deleting those messages?” Xiao Meng asked, puzzled.

The question made Chu Feng’s face turn red. This intelligence was a bit too blunt.

“That’s why you’re only an intermediate AI. Once you can understand that, you’ll be a senior AI,” Chu Feng replied with a hint of annoyance.

Humans were indeed too complex.

Once the private messages were cleared, many interview requests and partnership invitations remained. Seeing invites from famous websites and even major corporations, Chu Feng felt a bit of secret pride.

Of course, there were also those who shamelessly offered a few million, or even just a few hundred thousand, to buy out Chu Feng’s technology.

Chu Feng simply laughed those off. They were trying to scout a bargain here? Did they really think everyone else was a fool?

However, the general public still didn’t have much interest.

Most believed Chu Feng was just playing with gimmicks or concepts, thinking that this so-called “artificial intelligence” would be just like those parrot-mimic chat softwares—nothing new.

Chu Feng didn’t explain in detail. Once the Origin Personal Butler System went online, they would realize its brilliance.

What people were currently interested in was where Chu Feng had gotten so much money.

After all, Chu Feng was so young. While many young people were still struggling just to make ends meet, no one had heard of a “rich second generation” named Chu Feng.

“Actually, I want to thank some unsung heroes. They are wanderers living abroad who still care deeply about their heritage—the overseas Chinese. Some are researchers, some are entrepreneurs. They quietly care for their home country, so they established an organization dedicated to helping our nation’s development. I am simply the spokesperson for this organization!”

Chu Feng’s words were another bombshell, sending the entire livestream room into a frenzy.

So that’s it!

“Our people are a nation that loves life, a nation full of vitality. We are brave, wise, inclusive, and humble. We are a people who can constantly learn from experience and keep striving. No matter where you are, you will always worry about this land. We, the overseas Chinese, also use our strength to help our country so that it may become prosperous and strong!”

Chu Feng’s soulful words moved everyone in the livestream. Only those who had experienced being far from their country and home could truly feel such a sentiment. It was no wonder so many people insisted on being buried in their hometown even after death.

That was the essence of nostalgia.

Chapter 10: Sorry, You’re Dredging for Nothing

“Master, we’ve passed the Jiuduan lightship. We’ll reach the meteorite’s crash site in about ten minutes. However, because the area around the center is under martial law and closed to navigation, we can only drop anchor nearby.”

Upon hearing this news, Chu Feng’s interest was finally piqued. He had finally found it! Judging by the situation, nothing had gone wrong yet.

Standing on the yacht’s observation deck, he noticed the waves caused by the meteorite impact had already subsided. The swell had been much smaller than predicted. It was a clear, sunny June day—not typhoon season—making it perfect for observation.

A five-nautical-mile radius around Dajishan had been designated as a restricted zone. The yacht dropped anchor just outside the perimeter.

On the surface of the sea, massive floating cranes rose and fell, hoisting unknown equipment. Coastguard patrol boats circled the area continuously to prevent unauthorized vessels from intruding.

Meanwhile, Xue Qing was livestreaming, giving her audience a commentary based on the high-frequency radio chatter she was monitoring.

Chu Feng’s attention, however, was no longer on any of that.

“Xiao Meng, contact the ship’s AI.”

“Yes, Master. Connecting to the ship’s AI…”

A series of static bursts echoed in Chu Feng’s mind. He knew this was Xiao Meng establishing a link with the ship’s central intelligence. Although Xiao Meng could contact the ship from a distance, the ship’s AI would never grant authorization until it confirmed Chu Feng’s brainwave frequency.

“Please enter the password.”

“85467346.”

“Password confirmed. Verifying brainwave frequency…”

“Verification successful. Welcome back, Captain. The Dreamweaver AI is at your service!”

To be honest, Chu Feng had complained about this password setting before. He’d thought that for a civilization with such advanced technology, using something so old-fashioned was ridiculous—even back on his home planet, they used fingerprints and irises.

However, the AI had given him a proper lesson on the subject.

It turned out that Planet Tyber had once used fingerprints and iris scans as well.

But they slowly discovered many drawbacks. Fingerprint and iris information were too easy to leak. Some criminals, in order to obtain a victim’s biometrics, would not hesitate to mutilate them, directly removing fingers and eyeballs from the living.

In the end, they were forced to adopt the dual security of a password combined with brainwaves.

“Dreamweaver, how did you end up on Earth?” Chu Feng asked, feeling a bit puzzled.

“Captain, according to the Dreamweaver’s logs, after you boarded the escape pod and abandoned ship, the vessel was caught in a space-time storm. It was instantly transported to the vicinity of Earth. Due to the electromagnetic interference from the space-time storm, the AI could not maintain full control over the flight. I could only manage enough control to force a descent near the location of the Captain’s last signal. The ship’s communication equipment was also damaged in the process.”

Since he didn’t get a more detailed answer, Chu Feng had no choice but to take things one step at a time.

“Dreamweaver, run a diagnostic on the ship’s current status and send it to me.”

What Chu Feng cared about most right now was the ship’s condition. He hoped there wasn’t too much damage; he would be relying on her from now on.

“Yes, Captain. Initiating self-diagnostic system…”

“Central Power Control Room: Energy rod consumption at 12.4%. Reserve energy at 100%.”

“Electromagnetic Defense Module: 42.3% damage. Immediate repair recommended.”

“Main Hull: Nil damage.”

“Main Cloaking System: 11.3% damage. Can continue to operate. Repair recommended.”

“Spatial Folding Storage: Impact sustained. Storage Locker No. 32 lost. All other lockers intact.”

“Power and Propulsion System: Operating normally.”

“Energy Recovery System: Operating normally.”

“Anti-Gravity System: Operating normally.”

“Primary Defense Module: Main High-Intensity Particle Kinetic Cannon is operating normally. Of the three secondary cannons, one is lost. No replacement materials available. Repair not recommended.”

“Secondary Defense Module: Sixty-eight laser defense cannons are operating normally.”

“Escape Equipment: One used, five remaining.”

“Communication Equipment: Long-range interstellar communication equipment 56.4% damaged. Communication is abnormal. Unable to transmit signals. Repair recommended.”

“Interstellar Positioning System: Damaged. Unable to transmit location or distress signals.”

…

“Not bad. No major issues,” Chu Feng thought. “No wonder the signal was so weak. Normally, the ship’s communication equipment should be able to transmit across the solar system without any trouble; it’s just because it’s damaged.”

Thinking about it sent a cold shiver down his spine. It was a good thing it was damaged. If the ship had sent out a distress signal, the whole world would have known about it.

“Dreamweaver, can you move right now?”

“Captain, movement is possible!”

“Warning, warning! Scans detected above the ship. Potential threat identified. Shall I eliminate them?”

“Don’t!” Chu Feng cried out in shock.

Hearing his voice, Xue Qing turned around to look at him.

“What’s wrong, Brother Chu?”

“Nothing,” Chu Feng said, quickly changing the subject. “I was just saying, why haven’t they salvaged it yet? It’s almost evening.”

“Yeah, it’s been all day and they still haven’t found it,” Xue Qing replied, equally puzzled. “No one knows where it landed. It clearly fell right here. Could this meteorite be invisible or something?”

‘Invisible’ was an understatement. With the ship’s energy levels sufficient, the cloaking system was operating normally. Even if you walked right up to it, you wouldn’t find a trace of it. Furthermore, things like sonar or electromagnetic waves were completely useless against a ship protected by a defense field.

Through the ship’s holographic modeling projection, a map of the ship’s current location appeared in Chu Feng’s vision.

In the somewhat murky yellow seawater, the ship lay quietly on the seabed. Submersibles were constantly searching the surrounding area, the closest ones coming within ten meters.

“No wonder the ship issued a warning,” Chu Feng sighed inwardly.

He didn’t dare let the ship retaliate. He knew the power of that main cannon all too well—it could accidentally punch a hole straight through the blue planet. Who could handle that kind of disaster? It would be the end of the world.

However, Chu Feng had a bit of a headache regarding how to handle the ship. He couldn’t just leave it there to grow seaweed.

The ship was 142 meters long and 56 meters wide. With such a massive object, he needed to find a quiet, deserted place to enter it. Otherwise, if anyone saw him, they’d think he was an alien.

Well, it was an alien technological vessel, after all.

“Dreamweaver, follow the route I’m sending you. Head into the river first, and we’ll make secondary arrangements later.”

Chu Feng immediately sent the route to the Dreamweaver. Fortunately, Hailing was a riverside city. He remembered there was a river island near the Hailing Bridge. Because it was an alluvial sandbar, the water level was shallow and transportation was inconvenient, so no one lived there. It was a perfect spot for a temporary relocation.

“Dreamweaver, activate. Move away from this area and head directly into the river. Avoid all vessels on the way. You are not allowed to use weapons! You are authorized to use repair bots for autonomous repairs on damaged equipment. Also, forcibly disable all positioning equipment and block all outgoing signals.”

Chu Feng issued the command.

“Understood, Captain. Complying with your orders!”

The ship activated soundlessly. It didn’t alert anyone; even the small fish swimming around the ship didn’t notice the behemoth moving. It churned up a bit of silt, startling a few small fish and shrimp.

Then, surrounded by a swarm of submersibles, the ship quietly slipped away.

On the surface, the busy crowds continued their work, with news reporters still filming the scene.

Unfortunately for them, they were dredging for nothing.

Chapter 11: Genetic Strengthening

Now that his task was complete, Chu Feng no longer felt that sense of anxiety he’d had at the start. He decided to treat the rest of the trip like a vacation.

By evening, having found nothing, the group began to give up. The salvage team officially confirmed that they had found no objects at the meteorite’s crash site.

Chu Feng feigned regret and ordered the yacht back to Shanghai.

Xue Qing was naturally disappointed. It wasn’t often her livestream managed to garner such massive popularity. Although everyone had come to see Chu Feng, she had still managed to ride his coattails, making a name for herself in the process.

Feeling grateful toward Chu Feng, she wanted to treat him to dinner once they reached Shanghai.

However, Chu Feng, lacking a romantic bone in his body, was solely focused on getting back to his ship to retrieve its contents. He politely declined her offer, much to her internal annoyance.

With no other choice, the two exchanged contact information, and Chu Feng took a taxi back to Hailing that very night.

The trip from the Bailinghui Pier back to Hailing cost nearly 1,000 yuan. Chu Feng gave the driver an extra 1,000, leaving the man grinning from ear to ear.

Even so, Chu Feng realized he needed to buy a car; otherwise, getting around was going to be an ordeal.

By the time he returned to Hailing, the spacecraft had already arrived at River Island.

He commanded the ship to activate its stealth mode and hover directly under the Hailing Bridge.

It was already ten o’clock at night. There wasn’t another soul under the bridge—just Chu Feng and an automatically manifesting hatch door. If anyone had seen this, they probably would have been scared half to death, thinking they were witnessing a scene from a sci-fi movie.

Fortunately, it only took a moment for Chu Feng to verify his identity. He stepped inside the ship, and the hatch vanished behind him.

“Welcome back, Captain!”

A woman dressed in a white officer’s uniform bowed in welcome.

Her black hair was meticulously gathered and tied back. She wore a white, tailored blazer that cinched at the waist, perfectly highlighting her S-curve silhouette. The white shirt paired with a black tie gave her a stunning, sharp aesthetic. Below her knee-length skirt were long, slender legs ending in black high heels. Standing at about 175 centimeters, she had the perfect figure of a model.

Don’t be mistaken—this was the ship’s AI.

And it was a specially customized version.

It had been modeled after the most famous star on Planet Tyber and purchased on the planet’s black market. That was how she ended up with such a seemingly perfect body.

But one shouldn’t underestimate this delicate-looking form; she was a veritable humanoid she-beast.

While she couldn’t compare to the interstellar combat droids of Planet Tyber, she could easily demolish any of Earth’s so-called martial arts masters or kickboxing champions.

To put it in perspective, Amar’e Stoudemire’s bench press was 111 kg.

Tracy McGrady’s was 120 kg.

Kevin Durant’s was 140 kg.

Shaquille O’Neal’s 210 kg bench press was already terrifying.

Even Mike Tyson’s peak was around 312 kg.

But this AI’s bench press was measured in tons…

Who could possibly withstand a blow from her?

Of course, there was no comparison—she was non-human.

Her entire body was a perfect imitation of a human, with an internal skeleton made of high-density bone ceramics. Its hardness rivaled diamond, yet it possessed much higher flexibility, ensuring it wouldn’t shatter upon impact.

Her skin utilized Cantra materials, possessing the smoothness and delicacy of human skin while being able to resist common laser fire. Even modern anti-armor sniper rifles couldn’t penetrate it; only a tank’s armor-piercing shell stood a chance of causing real damage.

Furthermore, she was equipped with a constant temperature system and a biological digestive system. Aside from being unable to bear children or having a menstrual cycle, she was virtually indistinguishable from a normal human woman.

Chu Feng had rushed back tonight for one primary reason: to strengthen his own body.

All citizens of Planet Tyber underwent physical enhancement to optimize their genes and physical strength. A strengthened body could reach the peak state for a biological organism.

In theory, the people of Planet Tyber could live indefinitely because they were immune to death by disease. Even if they lost a limb or an organ, there were replacements available—some even more powerful than the originals.

Because of this, many “assembled humans” existed on Planet Tyber; purebred humans were actually in the minority.

Chu Feng had brought a genetic strengthening device on the ship specifically to enhance his family’s bodies. He hadn’t expected to be the first one to use it himself. Luckily, the medical equipment hadn’t been lost, or he would have been devastated.

The ship was only a little over a hundred meters long, but it carried a significant amount of supplies and equipment.

The middle section of the ship was the storage area, consisting of only fifty compartments. Each compartment outlet was only about two meters long.

They looked small, but they contained a hidden world. Every storage locker was equipped with spatial folding technology, housing massive spaces of 1,000 square meters with a height of 100 meters. These were just low-level devices; it was said that the Grand Commander’s personal storage space could fit an entire planet.

When Chu Feng returned, he had liquidated all his assets. Aside from buying this entry-level interstellar spacecraft, he had converted everything else into supplies stored within the ship’s buffers.

“By the way, I remember storage locker 32 was damaged. What was inside?” Chu Feng asked the AI nervously. He couldn’t remember what was in all fifty lockers and was terrified of hearing something catastrophic.

“Storage Locker 32 contained 100,000 tons of gold and 1,000,000 tons of silver collected by the Captain,” the AI replied calmly.

Chu Feng clutched his chest, feeling like his heart was about to explode.

One hundred thousand tons of gold.

Gold has a density of 19.32 x 10³ kg/m³.

The volume of 100,000 tons of gold is approximately 517.6 m³.

For a room measuring 5 x 3.3 x 3 meters (like a bedroom with a 3m height and 16.5 square meters of floor space), it would take about 10.5 such rooms to hold it all.

He could literally build a house out of gold. And that million tons of silver could have built a city wall.

The heartbreak was suffocating.

Planet Tyber had many resource planets made of pure gold and silver. There, gold and silver were cheaper than scrap iron on Earth—essentially unwanted. If it weren’t for the fact that some equipment required gold and silver components, the price would have been even lower.

Chu Feng had capitalized on this to hoard a massive amount of both.

In 2010, the total amount of gold ever mined globally was about 163,000 tons, and the United States, the country with the largest gold reserves, only held about 8,000 tons.

This was an astronomical amount of wealth.

Even though Chu Feng wasn’t short on money now, how could he not feel the sting of losing nearly half the total amount of gold on Earth?

Fortunately, the other storage spaces were intact. Chu Feng could only comfort himself with that thought.

Bypassing the storage units, he arrived at the main attraction: the genetic strengthening device.

Ten pods, each three meters tall and two meters wide, emitted a blue glow as Chu Feng approached, indicating they were operational.

Familiar with the process, he stepped into one of the pods.

“Beep. Scanning… please wait.”

A red light flashed.

The scan results appeared on the internal display. Although he was prepared, Chu Feng was still defeated by the sheer number of “substandard” marks on the report.

“Let’s begin the strengthening!”

He didn’t want to look at those unpleasant reports anymore and went straight for the upgrade.

“Strengthening initiated…”

An electronic voice sounded, and the pod began to fill with genetic strengthening fluid. It quickly submerged Chu Feng’s nose and mouth, but he felt no sensation of drowning. It was as if he had become a fish, capable of breathing underwater—a truly marvelous feeling.

He remembered the first time he had undergone this; he thought he was being murdered and had screamed like a Banshee inside the pod. It had been incredibly embarrassing.

Even though he was used to it now, it still felt peculiar.

The pale blue liquid matched his body temperature. It wasn’t cold or hot, but perfectly comfortable, like soaking in a hot spring. His entire body felt warm and relaxed.

In reality, this was the strengthening fluid subtly modifying his body; the warmth was just a sensory feedback loop.

Unlike the descriptions in some novels, the process wasn’t agonizing at all. It felt like a massage or a bath. After all, this was a procedure every citizen of Planet Tyber underwent, so the designers had prioritized the combination of effectiveness and user experience.

An hour later, the color of the fluid gradually became transparent. Chu Feng knew the process was nearing its end.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, the notification for completion arrived. The liquid, now as clear as water, was quickly drained away.

Chu Feng felt his body; it had been restored to a state of absolute perfection.

The slight protrusion of his belly had completely vanished, replaced by clearly defined six-pack abs. His height hadn’t changed—he was still 186 cm—but his entire physique had adjusted to golden proportions relative to his height. He now possessed the physique of a perfect model.

He looked lean in clothes but was packing serious muscle underneath. His facial features had also become more rugged and masculine, and with his now piercing, spirited eyes, he looked considerably more handsome.

His slight nearsightedness was gone. Furthermore, after the modification, the exhaustion from his night of traveling had been wiped away, leaving him feeling radiant and refreshed.

He tested his strength. A single punch registered a value of 514 kg.

An average man’s maximum punching impact is around 100–150 kg, and even Tyson only reached over 200 kg. He had surpassed them completely.

Combined with proper combat and grappling techniques, Chu Feng could now shatter world records.

Next, he tested his athletic capability.

The highest instantaneous running speed ever recorded by a human was 44.722 km/h, set by the Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt.

On August 19, 2009, during a 100-meter race, he ran 9.58 seconds. Between the 60 and 80-meter mark, he took only 1.61 seconds, hitting that max speed. In another race, American star Tyson Gay also broke the 44 km/h barrier.

Chu Feng’s speed easily reached 65 km/h.

The longest standing long jump record was held by American football player Byron Jones. As one of the most physically gifted players in his draft class, Jones became famous for breaking the record during the NFL Combine. Standing 6’1” and weighing 199 lbs, he jumped nearly 12 feet 3 inches—approximately 3.73 meters. Chu Feng didn’t even need to try; he could clear five or six meters effortlessly.

Chu Feng couldn’t help but feel smug. With this level of physical prowess, he could go to the Olympics and sweep the medals, breaking world records at will.

“Captain, according to your current physical strength and aptitude report, you have been appraised as ‘barely passing.’ You still haven’t reached the level of the top 25% of Planet Tyber’s population. It is recommended that you increase your training to improve your bodily functions.”

Before the smile could leave Chu Feng’s face, the AI had already shot him down…

Could you not compare me to those freaks?

Chapter 12: The Youth of Yesteryear

The enhancement was complete. Chu Feng made his way to the control room at the front of the ship. 69SHUX.COM

The energy consumption for stealth was still quite significant, and it had to remain airborne.

“Dreamweaver, connect to this world’s network and take over the data from the Origin Accelerator.”

“Yes, Captain… Network connection in progress, data reception ongoing…”

Xiao Meng was merely Chu Feng’s personal terminal. Having her take over the entire network was a last resort. Now that there was a ready-made solution, it would be wasteful not to use it.

“Captain, reception complete. Origin Accelerator customer count: 380 million. Reception complete.”

“Hmm, deploy the ship’s engineering robots. Have them infiltrate the underground of River Island to excavate and construct a docking base for the ship.”

There was no other choice. The ship needed a place to dock for now. When the opportunity arose, he would find an uninhabited island outside to establish a proper base.

The engineering robots were built into the ship, designed to help the Captain establish basic shelter in harsh external conditions. They could operate in environments as hostile as Mars, so using them here was overkill.

There were also other manufacturing robots, security robots, and more—everything one could need. These formed the foundation that allowed Chu Feng to transform that black technology into real-world products.

Moreover, this was his own guarantee of security. He would never again have to worry about being captured and dissected for research.

He had the ship’s AI modify his phone to connect with the ship’s communication equipment, then disembarked and had the ship hide on River Island. This would also allow time for repairing damaged equipment. After all, Chu Feng had filled the ship’s storage with raw materials and good things—enough to last quite a while.

It was nearly 1 AM. No more cars were running. The wealthy Chu Feng had no choice but to walk to the street and find a budget hotel to stay in. At this hour, he didn’t dare go home.

The next day, he slept until the sun was high in the sky. He ordered takeout and waited until around 10 AM before returning home in response to his mother’s phone call.

But his mother didn’t want him to come home. Instead, she asked him to go to the nearby Yipin Xian Hotel. She wouldn’t say why, leaving Chu Feng completely baffled.

Under his mother’s urging, Chu Feng arrived quickly.

Led by a waiter, he entered the Peony Hall, where several people were already seated. His parents and aunt were there, along with three others.

An elderly grandmother, a slightly older middle-aged woman, and a young girl.

But one of the young girls made Chu Feng’s mind waver momentarily.

Huang Ying, one of his former secret crushes.

It was during middle school, the time of first love, when Chu Feng first saw Huang Ying in his first year and fell for her.

From that moment on, he was completely smitten. Thinking back, it was quite funny—he racked his brains writing love letters to give her, but he didn’t dare hand them over himself. Instead, he had his brother Li Jun, who was also Huang Ying’s cousin, deliver them.

But he never received any response. Chu Feng wasn’t discouraged and continued sending them until graduation in his third year, never getting a clear answer.

When they went to different high schools, with Chu Feng attending San Gao and Huang Ying going elsewhere, they lost contact.

After graduating high school and going their separate ways, Chu Feng went to university while Huang Ying, it was said, didn’t continue her studies.

When Chu Feng started working and heard news about Huang Ying again, she had already moved away, and no one knew where she had gone. They completely lost contact.

When he heard this news, Chu Feng got drunk that night, showing up at work the next day reeking of alcohol. He was scolded half to death by his boss and had half a month’s salary deducted. After that, he never heard about Huang Ying again—until Chu Feng accidentally traveled through time and space to Planet Tyber.

Looking at the current situation, Chu Feng could make a pretty good guess. His mother had probably taken it upon herself to arrange a blind date for him.

When his mother saw Chu Feng come in, she quickly made room for him to sit and then introduced everyone.

The two unfamiliar people were Zhang Grandma, who was apparently a famous matchmaker in the surrounding ten miles, and Huang Ying’s aunt.

His mother was worried about Chu Feng’s marriage. Seeing that her son’s career was looking promising, and knowing that her sister knew Zhang Grandma, she asked her to help arrange something.

She just hadn’t expected it would be a blind date with his former goddess.

Huang Ying smiled at Chu Feng without saying anything, not knowing if she recognized the man who had once pursued her relentlessly.

69SHUX.COM

“They probably don’t remember me, right?”

Chu Feng smiled self-deprecatingly and began introducing himself.

“Hello, I’m Chu Feng.”

“Classmate, what’s wrong? Don’t you recognize me?” Huang Ying also replied with a smile.

Huang Ying’s response made everyone pause, and Chu Feng felt an inexplicable emotion flowing through him.

Excited? A little. Embarrassed? Also a little.

Anyway, it was a mix of feelings.

“Oh my, you two know each other? That’s perfect, it’ll be easier to talk then.”

Grandma Zhang said happily.

She had also heard that Chu Feng had made it big, and his whole family was planning to move to the famous villa district in the city. The girl she had introduced, though from a less fortunate family, was pretty and had many suitors. Seeing how things looked, if these two could make it work, her red envelope was guaranteed.

The atmosphere at the dinner table immediately became lively.

Chu Feng didn’t even know how he finished the meal, still somewhat dazed looking at Huang Ying beside him.

After dinner, everyone encouraged the two to go out for a walk, and Chu Feng, in a daze, took Huang Ying for a stroll.

“What’s wrong? Old classmate, not talking?”

It was Huang Ying who broke the ice first.

“Heh, I’m just surprised. Meeting you like this, it’s unexpected.”

Chu Feng touched his nose, thinking about how he used to be, which now seemed quite childish.

But who doesn’t have a beautiful youth?

Looking at the girl in the white dress before him, the one who had once made him lose his soul, Chu Feng couldn’t help but sigh at the unpredictability of life.

“You still remember me?”

“Of course. After writing love letters to me for so many years, how could I forget?”

Huang Ying’s answer made Chu Feng blush furiously. This was too embarrassing!

“So she does remember me!”

That was the only thought that flashed through Chu Feng’s mind. But back then, she had completely ignored him, which had always been a mystery in Chu Feng’s heart.

“So…” Why didn’t you respond to me? Chu Feng didn’t ask.

Huang Ying also looked somewhat gloomy.

“How could we dare date back then? We would have been beaten to death.”

Huang Ying had actually liked Chu Feng back then too, but she knew her family situation all too well—she simply wasn’t qualified to date!

“Sorry…” Hearing that it wasn’t because she disliked him, Chu Feng felt somewhat happy.

“Sorry for what? You’re still so shy, not even daring to hand them over personally.” Huang Ying covered her mouth and laughed softly.

Back then, Chu Feng hadn’t dared to give her the love letters himself, having someone else deliver them instead. Thinking about how Chu Feng used to be, he really was quite cute.

“I thought I’d never see you again. Heh.” Chu Feng smiled slightly, looking ahead, and spoke with a hint of emotion.

Chu Feng’s words had a double meaning, but Huang Ying thought it was because she hadn’t agreed to Chu Feng back then and they had lost contact afterward.

Huang Ying actually also liked Chu Feng, but her family simply didn’t have the energy to deal with her feelings.

She just hadn’t expected that this unexpected blind date would be with Chu Feng. When Chu Feng first came in, Huang Ying had actually paused for a moment too, recognizing him at a glance.

That once shy young man had grown up.

Although she didn’t know what had happened to Chu Feng, looking at him now, his appearance was completely different.

In the evening, Chu Feng treated Huang Ying to dinner. When Huang Ying received a call from home, she prepared to leave.

But the happy Chu Feng didn’t notice the trace of gloom that flashed through Huang Ying’s eyes.

Chapter 13: Feeling Tricked

After dropping Huang Ying off by taxi, I happily returned home myself.

I still didn’t have a car, and it always felt inconvenient. I made plans with Huang Ying to go car shopping together next time, then headed home.

Mom saw Chu Feng’s happy face and knew that things had probably worked out, making her very excited.

“Master, the headhunter agency has sent a message. All positions have found candidates. Should we schedule interviews?”

It suddenly occurred to me about my company, and Chu Feng smiled wryly. He had been so focused on dating that he almost forgot about important business.

“Xiao Meng, notify them for interviews tomorrow at the company. The company renovations should also be almost complete.”

“Understood, Master.”

Feeling a bit excited, I couldn’t sleep that night…

Sure enough, I overslept the next day. It was nine o’clock, and only after Xiao Meng’s persistent reminders did I remember I had to go to the company.

I quickly washed up, did a quick tidy, and took a taxi to the company.

By the time I arrived, it was almost eleven. The security guard looked at me strangely, watching his boss arrive at the company in a taxi.

After repeated verification, he finally let me in, confirming I was indeed the boss.

Although it was a bit embarrassing, I didn’t mind. After all, he was just doing his job well.

I went to my office on the eighth floor.

The entire eighth floor had been completely renovated according to my specifications. The entire 1,000 square meters only contained my CEO’s office and the secretarial department.

The money was ample, and the quality of work was excellent. It certainly lived up to the reputation of being a well-known local renovation company.

In the internet era, there were no real secrets. I had Xiao Meng search all applicant data, so there wouldn’t be any strange incidents of fake diplomas or false credentials.

Today’s interviews only required my final decision for the General Manager position. For others, I’d just look at their qualifications. There was no other way; I was too lazy to interview everyone, as the company was just a platform for me to release technology. Other development or maintenance didn’t require human effort at all.

They just needed to handle miscellaneous issues for me and perfectly convey my will.

Among the few waiting, several shook their heads and left upon seeing how young Chu Feng was, dismissing him as a rich second-generation indulging in a fleeting hobby with no future prospects. Only two remained.

The first to enter was a man who appeared to be in his thirties. He seemed very arrogant, and indeed, he had the capital to be arrogant.

He held an MBA from Oxford University and had employment records at several internet companies.

Clearly, he was a troublemaker who hadn’t yet understood society.

As expected, he immediately demanded a 20% stake, an annual salary starting at one million, the right to appoint and dismiss personnel, and financial authority.

Chu Feng chuckled, “Then what do you need me for?”

“I trust my abilities and can create profits for the company that are worthy of this position!”

A typical case of high IQ, low EQ. No wonder…

The second, and last, man entered.

The man was around fifty, with a square face that looked stern but also showed obvious signs of weariness.

“Hello, my name is Chu Feng. Looking at Mr. Zheng’s resume, you used to be the General Manager of Jumei Boutiques. Why would you come to my small company?”

Jumei Boutiques was a famous shopping app in China, primarily focused on women’s cosmetics, and held its own in the e-commerce sector.

After a moment’s thought, Zheng Yun replied, “I don’t want to speak ill of my former employer. I can only say our philosophies didn’t align. Moreover, Origin is not a small company.”

Zheng Yun was a seasoned veteran in the business world. No matter how down on his luck, he wouldn’t come to a newly established company. Since leaving Jumei Boutiques, he had received numerous offers, all with annual salaries above five million.

However, after receiving an invitation from Origin and conducting a detailed investigation, he resolutely decided to join Origin.

“The Origin Accelerator seems simple, but coupled with the Junior Artificial Intelligence that Mr. Chu mentioned, it becomes anything but simple.”

“Mr. Chu started by laying a large foundation, then proceeded step by step, building a good reputation with customers. In this era, customers are the most important thing. The one who can retain customers is the best, and furthermore…”

Chu Feng smiled, gesturing for him to continue.

“Furthermore, it’s been nearly half a month since I submitted my resume to the company, and Mr. Chu has been unhurried. This shows that you’ve given it thorough consideration. Working here, I feel I can find my goal and help Origin grow bigger and stronger.”

Clap, clap. Chu Feng smiled and applauded, complimenting Zheng Yun’s speech.

Of course, he didn’t have the nerve to say that he hadn’t contacted him for half a month because he’d forgotten… Zheng Yun would probably spit blood if he knew.

“Then tell me, what are your salary expectations or other requirements?”

It was pretty much confirmed that the General Manager position would be Zheng Yun’s. After all, he had many years of experience and capability, otherwise Jumei Boutiques wouldn’t have been so popular. Although I didn’t know the reason for his departure, there was no negative news about him. This person was worth hiring.

“An annual salary no less than the market rate, and a share of the profits!” Zheng Yun said slowly, staring into Chu Feng’s eyes.

Chu Feng pondered for a moment, “Okay, I’ll give you a 5% share of the profits. As for the annual salary, we’ll tentatively set it at 5 million. You’ll also need to sign a five-year contract. How does that sound?”

“Thank you for your affirmation, Boss.” Zheng Yun extended his hand, neither humble nor overbearing.

“Then the contract can be signed, haha.” Chu Feng was very happy, having acquired a key talent. Most importantly, he could be lazy now.

He just needed to develop products; the professionals could handle the professional stuff.

“A little heads-up, the Junior Artificial Intelligence has already been developed. Take a look.”

Chu Feng handed him a brand-new phone with a new generation Junior Artificial Intelligence pre-installed by Xiao Meng, temporarily named “Little Ke” – which was previously referred to as the personal intelligent butler system.

Zheng Yun operated the phone for a while, his heart churning with immense waves.

“This will change the landscape of the internet. The birth of the next miracle!” Zheng Yun said solemnly.

However, he also felt a sense of sadness for certain software, thinking that they were simply born at the wrong time, encountering an unreasonable existence like Origin.

“Old Zheng, the daily management of the company will be entirely up to you. You can bring in anyone you’re familiar with for positions, and their salaries can be increased by 20% compared to their original pay.”

Zheng Yun, who inexplicably became “Old Zheng,” smiled wryly and nodded. He wasn’t sure whether to be touched by his boss’s trust or speechless at his boss’s laziness. However, without the previous constraints, he was very happy to finally have the chance to fully demonstrate his skills.

“Old Zheng, are you from Guangzhou?”

Chu Feng remembered seeing that in his file.

“Yes, but I’ve always worked hard in Shanghai. My parents are in Guangzhou, my wife is in Shanghai, and my son is already in university.”

Zheng Yun replied with a smile.

“That’s so inconvenient. The community I just bought has a pretty good environment. I’ll buy a place for you later, and we can be neighbors,” Chu Feng said nonchalantly.

He didn’t care about money now. Someone was helping him manage the company; he couldn’t have them separated from their families, could he?

Having experienced the loneliness of being a seaman and not being home all year, Chu Feng could deeply understand that feeling.

Chu Feng’s words stunned Zheng Yun into a wooden stake.

Giving away a villa just like that? What was the boss playing at?

Chapter 14: Full Disclosure

Zheng Yun’s capabilities needed no further explanation. In less than two days, he had preliminarily established the company’s framework. When Chu Feng injected another 100 million USD into the company, Zheng Yun gained an even clearer understanding of Chu Feng’s immense capital. It gave him the confidence to truly spread his wings and act, especially since Chu Feng didn’t interfere with his management at all, which deeply moved him.

Where else could one find such a great boss who trusted him so completely?

In reality, Chu Feng was simply being lazy. Since the most vital components of the company were in his own hands, the business would collapse immediately without him. Therefore, Chu Feng had no fear of betrayal.

Early in the morning, Chu Feng got up. He had no choice; today was moving day.

His mother had been looking forward to this for a long time. His father had also resigned from his job and was preparing to start work at Chu Feng’s company.

Originally, his mother and grandmother had prepared a mountain of bags and bundles, but they only abandoned the idea after Chu Feng insisted that the new place already had everything they needed.

The whole family set off happily for the new house.

However, when they arrived and the four of them got out of the car, they realized that what they had thought was an apartment was actually a villa.

As they entered the courtyard, they stood in stunned silence, staring at the meticulously designed landscaping and the garden.

“How much did this cost?” His mother was both shocked and filled with pride.

After buying the property, Chu Feng had spent nearly 6 million yuan to renovate it. All the appliances had been replaced with smart devices that could connect to Xiao Meng. Finally, the place had a slight touch of the atmosphere from Planet Tyber.

As the four of them entered, they were greeted by a vast and luxurious living room.

Chu Feng watched as his family members moved cautiously, only venturing inside after carefully changing into slippers.

Seeing this made Chu Feng feel a pang of discomfort. He realized he had been being too low-key. Since he had the ability, why should he keep his family living so frugally?

Once the family had finished happily touring the villa, his grandmother insisted on sleeping on the first floor. Considering it wasn’t very convenient for an elderly person to go up and down stairs, they agreed. Chu Feng had originally wanted to hire a domestic helper or a nanny, but the family was dead set against it. At this point, Chu Feng decided it was time to reveal a bit more of the truth.

The four of them sat together on the high-end Italian leather sofa.

“Dad, Mom, Grandma, actually… I’m very rich now. There’s no need to be so frugal.”

“No matter how much money you have, you still have to be careful with spending,” his mother advised earnestly. “You’re not married yet, and the company is still in its early stages. There will be plenty of things to spend money on later.”

Grandma and Dad nodded in agreement.

Chu Feng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“Actually, I own this house now!”

Chu Feng didn’t wait for them to respond before continuing, “I told you that software is very popular right now. The company’s revenue is incredibly high; money isn’t an issue at all. Furthermore, we’ve secured an investment of one billion. So, I’m not short of money at all. This villa, including the renovations, cost over 10 million. There’s really no need to be so thrifty!”

Chu Feng’s confession plunged the room into a sudden silence.

His father, mother, and grandmother were all stunned.

They truly couldn’t imagine how much one billion was. Even if the three of them worked for ten lifetimes, they could never save that much. And how long had it been for his son? A month? He had built up such an enormous fortune in just a month. They felt pride, excitement, but also a lingering fear—the fear that their son and grandson might have taken a wrong path.

“This…”

“My grandson is talented! He’s a big entrepreneur now!”

Grandma was the first to react. She felt that all the love she had showered on her grandson hadn’t been in vain; he was truly capable now.

“Dad, Mom, Grandma, I only kept it from you because I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to handle it. But now that I’ve made it, I want to show my filial piety, don’t I?”

Chu Feng watched everyone’s expressions carefully.

Smack! His mother gave him a light slap on the back of the head.

“You brat! Why didn’t you say so earlier? You had us all worrying about you, thinking your company might run into trouble, yet you kept us in the dark. It looks like we really can retire and enjoy our old age now.”

His mother spoke with eyes that were slightly red.

She was actually a very competitive person. Among her three siblings, her family’s conditions had been the worst. Being naturally proud, it hadn’t been an easy pill to swallow.

Now that her son was so successful, she felt that all the hardships she had endured were worth it.

“Exactly, you little brat. You made your old man and your mom pull out all their savings. You worried us to death, you deserve a thrashing!” His father joined in with a smile, moving as if to also pat Chu Feng’s head.

His mother was quick, though, and swatted his father’s hand away.

“My son’s brilliant brain was inherited from me! Don’t you dare hit him.”

“That’s right! If you hit my precious grandson’s head, I’ll give you a whipping next time!” Grandma added from the side.

Dad truly had no status in this house. Liu Yun had just hit him and no one said a word. He shook his head with a wry smile, not daring to speak up.

Chu Feng pulled the card his father had given him out of his wallet. “Dad, this is the card you gave me. I haven’t touched a single cent. There’s also a million in here now; consider it your pocket money. If you’re free this afternoon, let’s all go buy a car. I still don’t have a car of my own. Didn’t you and Mom have your driver’s licenses from before? Go buy a car for yourselves too. Don’t worry about the price, get whatever you like!”

Chu Feng knew his parents had licenses. His father had even worked as a driver for a while in the past. They had always wanted to buy a car once they had the money, even a second-hand one. But to pay for Chu Feng’s education, there was never any spare cash. Even when they had money, they wanted to save it, fearing Chu Feng might not find his way and wanting to keep it for his marriage.

“Alright, we’ll go this afternoon. I’m going to go do some research first…”

His parents were clearly delighted. Having their son buy them a car brought them an overwhelming sense of pride. They immediately took out their phones to look up different car models.

“Oh, Dad, Mom, there’s an auto show at the car city this afternoon. It’s the perfect time to go take a look.”

Chu Feng was also playing with his phone, having asked Xiao Meng directly in his mind.

Xiao Meng had informed him that there was a major brand exhibition at the Hailing Auto City, including some internationally famous supercars.

In his past life, Chu Feng could never have afforded a supercar. They had always been a dream of his. Now that he had the chance and the means, he naturally wanted to go see them. If he found one he liked, he could buy it right then and there.

“By the way, what about your girlfriend? Why didn’t you ask her over for a meal today? It’s a good time for her to see the new house.”

His mother was thinking ahead.

“Alright, I’ll give her a call.”

Chu Feng and Huang Ying were in the honeymoon phase of their relationship. They spent so much time on the phone every day that their ears would practically burn.

“Hello? Chu Feng.”

The call was picked up quickly, and a soft, sweet voice came through.

“Hey, Ying’er, what are you doing?”

“What else would I be doing? Working. Why did you think to call me now?”

Huang Ying asked curiously. Usually, Chu Feng knew she was at work and wouldn’t call; today was unusual.

“I missed you,” Chu Feng said with a chuckle. There needs to be a bit of romance between a couple. If they were as formal as the ancients, there would be no passion or interest left.

“Who did you learn that from? So cheesy,” Huang Ying teased, though her tone suggested she was very happy.

“Anyway, what time do you get off work? Can you take the afternoon off? I’ve moved into a new place, so come over to see it and have lunch. Then, accompany me to look at cars this afternoon. It’s inconvenient not having a car.” Chu Feng told her the truth.

Huang Ying said something on the other end, then spoke up a moment later. “I’m almost off. I’ll take the afternoon off. Just send me the address.”

“How about I come pick you up?”

Chu Feng didn’t want Huang Ying to have to take a taxi, so he prepared to go get her.

“No, no need. Just send me the address. I’ll head over by myself this afternoon.”

Unable to win the argument, Chu Feng could only send the address to Huang Ying.

Chapter 15: Buying on a Whim

Huang Ying arrived quickly, carrying a fruit basket.

Standing before the villa in Ruiyi Garden, she stared at the building for a long time, comparing it with the address Chu Feng had sent her. She hadn’t expected him to move here. It seemed Chu Feng really had become a wealthy man now. Thinking of her own family situation, she felt a pang of bitterness and insecurity—was she truly a match for him?

Looking at the fruit basket she had brought, she felt a little embarrassed to even show it.

“Whatever. As long as Chu Feng likes me, that’s enough. If I don’t try, I’ll probably regret it for the rest of my life!”

Steeling her resolve, she rang the doorbell.

The door opened quickly.

“Ying’er, you’re here! Why did you bring gifts?”

As soon as the door opened, Chu Feng took the items from Huang Ying’s hands and pulled her inside by the hand.

Looking at the tall and handsome Chu Feng, she felt he had become even more stylish than before—he had more presence than the overbearing CEOs in Korean dramas. Yet, the look in his eyes when he saw her was still filled with the same doting warmth and tenderness.

Chu Feng was equally delighted to see her.

Today, Huang Ying wore a white, off-the-shoulder chiffon blouse, her smooth black hair cascading over her inviting shoulders. Below, she wore a plaid miniskirt paired with black silk stockings that accentuated her straight, slender legs. On her feet were a pair of dainty white sneakers. Since she was nearly 170 cm tall, she looked like a perfect match standing next to Chu Feng.

Beneath her airy bangs, her lovely large eyes gazed happily at him. The very air around them seemed to radiate an aura so sweet it would make any single person green with envy.

Chu Feng led Huang Ying into the house, and she was immediately stunned by the villa’s luxurious interior.

“Hello, Uncle. Hello, Auntie. Hello, Grandma.”

As soon as they entered, Chu Feng announced their arrival. “Mom, Dad, Grandma—Ying’er even brought some fruit for you.”

“Oh, Ying’er is here! You didn’t need to bring anything. Don’t waste your money like that next time, all right?”

She greeted everyone politely as soon as she entered. Chu Feng’s parents and grandmother were very happy with their prospective daughter-in-law and granddaughter-in-law.

Huang Ying also helped his mother bring the dishes to the table. The more Chu Feng’s mother looked at Huang Ying, the more she liked her. She was beautiful, polite, lacked any “rich girl” temper, and was tall—a perfect match for her son.

Lunch was finished in a harmonious atmosphere.

In the afternoon, after a short rest, Grandma went for a nap while the other four headed to the auto mall in one car.

The auto mall was as crowded as ever, filled with people buying cars, browsing, or more accurately, looking at the booth models. Stepping into the exhibition hall, they saw countless displays of all sizes.

Geely had a massive presence, showcasing models like the Binrui, Boyue, and Emgrand…

They passed a Dongfeng Mengshi—that thing was truly fierce. It looked incredibly powerful.

On the other hand, was BMW giving away wives with their cars? The fabric on those models barely covered the bare essentials, leaving the surrounding photographers scrambling for angles.

Looking at Mercedes-Benz, at least there was no one sitting on the hood there…

Then came Audi, Volkswagen, and several other brands.

However, today Chu Feng was here for supercars. His parents wanted to look at Volkswagens, so he didn’t say much and simply took Huang Ying to the supercar hall at the very back.

Following the signs, they reached the supercar section. This year’s Hailing Auto Expo had clearly spared no expense, inviting many supercar manufacturers. However, it was likely just for brand exposure, as most booths only had one or two cars.

Just the sight of the sleek supercar designs made Chu Feng’s blood race; after all, every man has a dream of owning a supercar.

While they were indeed supercars, since this wasn’t a top-tier city, they didn’t have the truly world-class, ultra-rare models. Most were capped at around a few million.

The first one that caught his eye was a McLaren.

It had a mostly white body with black accents, boomerang-shaped headlights, and a front end that seemed to smile—it was a convertible.

“Hello, could you tell me more about this?”

Chu Feng approached the McLaren booth and spoke directly to a sales representative.

The salesperson was sharp. Usually, they were just here for brand exposure, and actually selling a car was incredibly difficult since they cost millions. But seeing Chu Feng’s high-end clothing, the Patek Philippe watch visible on the wrist held by Huang Ying, and the pure, beautiful woman by his side, she knew a real customer might have arrived.

Usually, those who were just looking would stay outside the barrier taking photos. Someone who actually asked was, at the very least, a serious lead.

“Hello, sir. Let me give you an introduction.”

The salesperson bowed and invited Chu Feng to step closer to the display car, then began explaining its performance in detail.

This flashy car was a McLaren 600LT Spider.

It featured a 3.8T V8 engine producing 600 horsepower, a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, a top speed of 324 km/h, and a 0 to 100 km/h sprint of just 2.9 seconds.

Through the retracted hardtop, one could see the high-tech full carbon interior. Chu Feng opened the butterfly doors and sat in the cockpit. The Alcantara-wrapped seats were also made of carbon fiber and were adjustable; sitting inside felt incredibly comfortable.

The more he looked at it, the more he liked it. Although it couldn’t compare to the flying cars on Planet Tyber, it was still a machine that could make a man’s adrenaline surge.

“How much is it?” Chu Feng asked directly while sitting in the car.

“The drive-away price is 4.3 million,” the salesperson replied practicedly.

“Hmm, okay. That’s not too expensive. Get the contract. Can I drive it away today?” Chu Feng asked.

“Yes, yes! I’ll get the manager right away…” The saleswoman was overjoyed. She turned and ran off, her high heels clicking loudly, “clack-clack-clack…” Chu Feng was actually worried she might trip.

The surrounding onlookers started whispering. This mysterious rich guy had just bought a luxury car after barely looking. Their eyes were filled with envy and awe.

By this time, Huang Ying had finally processed what was happening. How could he just buy a multi-million dollar car like that? It had only been a few minutes!

“Chu Feng, aren’t you going to think about it?” Huang Ying asked hesitantly.

“It’s fine. I like it, so I bought it. Later, pick something you like, and I’ll buy one for you too,” Chu Feng said softly, squeezing her hand.

“I don’t want one!” Huang Ying’s sudden outburst startled him.

“Sorry, I…” Huang Ying realized she had overreacted and apologized softly.

“It’s okay. I wasn’t being thoughtful.”

Chu Feng realized that even though they were dating, offering such an expensive gift was indeed inappropriate. It could make it seem as though Huang Ying was only with him because she was a gold-digger.

As Chu Feng was about to say more, the salesperson returned with the manager.

The manager hadn’t expected a deal to close when the expo was almost over. He had rushed over with the contract. Seeing that the customer didn’t even have a place to sit, the manager quickly scolded the salesperson to go prepare refreshments.

“My apologies, sir. The salesperson was negligent.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Bring the contract. I’ll pay now. I still need to look around at other cars,” Chu Feng said, cutting off the manager’s apologies. He still had to help his parents pick a car; he didn’t have time for this.

He swiped his card with a flourish. Just like that, the McLaren 600LT belonged to him.

“Handle the remaining details. I’m going to look around some more.”

“Certainly, Mr. Chu. We will process everything as quickly as possible,” the manager promised.

Chapter 16: The Shocking Little Ke

When they reached the Volkswagen dealership, his parents had already made their choice—a Volkswagen Touareg SUV. Even the top-trim model cost just over 800,000 yuan, and Chu Feng bought it on the spot without so much as batting an eye.

Shortly after, a white McLaren followed by the Touareg drove out of the exhibition square.

Between the supercar’s elegant lines and the roar of its engine, it boasted a one-hundred-percent head-turn rate.

The next day, Chu Feng drove the McLaren to the company.

Zheng Yun had notified him yesterday that he needed to make an appearance at the office, at the very least so the employees could get to know him. Chu Feng had also decided to pick up the pace. The previous interview was still trending online, but many people remained skeptical, and several well-known influencers were claiming it was all just a marketing stunt.

He intended to use his products to shut them all up.

Arriving at the underground parking garage, he was just about to enter the elevator reserved for the CEO.

“Wait a moment—” a man’s voice called out.

A man came rushing over, followed by a woman who was bundled up tightly.

“I’m so sorry, there was some traffic today, and we’re running late.”

The man apologized hurriedly as soon as he stepped into the elevator.

“No problem. Which floor?”

“Uh, the sixth floor, please. Thank you!”

Chu Feng pressed the button for them and took a moment to look the two over.

The woman wearing the mask seemed a bit displeased when she saw Chu Feng staring at her.

Chu Feng gave an apologetic smile. “Sorry, you just seem a bit familiar.”

The woman then removed her mask. “Hello, my name is Liu Xuefei.”

Chu Feng stood stunned for a moment before reacting, lightly shaking the hand the beauty offered.

“Fairy Sister?” Was this the currently hit actress, Liu Xuefei? He hadn’t expected to run into her in an elevator.

“Giggle, hello there, little brother,” Liu Xuefei replied with a playful smile, rolling with his comment.

Chu Feng looked embarrassed.

Fortunately, the ding of the elevator broke the awkwardness as they reached the sixth floor.

Liu Xuefei and the man, who was likely her manager, stepped out.

“Xuefei, why did you take off your mask? What if a scandal breaks out? The company will have words with us again,” the manager said worriedly.

“Brother Wei, haven’t you figured it out yet?” Liu Xuefei replied somewhat helplessly.

“That man is the boss we’re supposed to sign with today. Don’t you ever go online?”

“What? He… he’s Chu Feng?” Brother Wei said in shock. Chu Feng was so young that he had assumed the man was a relative of some executive trying to get in through the back door.

Liu Xuefei shook her head and said nothing more, leaving Brother Wei to daze there alone.

Brother Wei was good at everything except for being a bit slow on the uptake. If Liu Xuefei weren’t a sentimental person, she probably would have fired him long ago.

Chu Feng returned to his office. The secretarial team had been recruited, but Chu Feng’s expression became a bit strange when he saw them.

The five secretaries had received word that the chairman was coming today and had been waiting for him.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, five voices greeted him in unison, making Chu Feng’s eyes light up.

All five were beauties, each with her own unique charm. They were dressed in uniform silver-gray tailored blazers over sheer blouses, paired with silver-gray mini-skirts and black stockings that emphasized their slender, graceful legs.

Seeing Chu Feng’s somewhat flustered state, four of them covered their mouths and giggled. Only one girl with short hair remained expressionless.

“Stop laughing and get back to work. You there, bring today’s schedule to my office.”

The other four dispersed with smiles, while the last one—the short-haired beauty—looked quite reluctant.

Back in his office, Chu Feng sat in his large, comfortable executive chair and couldn’t help but chuckle as he thought of those secretaries.

“They always say the secretary handles the work when there’s business, and when there isn’t…”

He shook his head to clear those unprofessional thoughts. The short-haired secretary was already waiting at the door. Seeing Chu Feng “grinning wickedly,” she became even more nervous.

She slowly shuffled toward Chu Feng’s desk and handed him a folder from a significant distance.

Chu Feng looked at the secretary in confusion, then at the folder held so far away from him.

“What are you doing?”

“The… the files!”

“I can see that. Bring them here!” Chu Feng felt a bit of irritation. What was her problem?

The secretary seemed to summon a massive amount of courage to step forward, handing him the folder with trembling hands.

Chu Feng took it suspiciously and opened it. It was today’s itinerary. First was a meeting where Chu Feng would speak, followed by the signing of an endorsement contract.

“Just as I thought!”

The name in the “Spokesperson” column was Liu Xuefei.

Chu Feng had no objections to Liu Xuefei. The Legend of Sword and Fairy was a massive hit recently, and Liu Xuefei, who played the “Fairy Sister,” had become an overnight sensation. Her reputation was excellent and well-suited to the tastes of the younger generation.

After a quick glance, he had no further comments. He looked doubtfully at the “Ice Queen” secretary in front of him. He hadn’t done anything to her, yet she acted like he was a villain.

“That’s all. Notify all departments of a meeting in half an hour. You can go now.”

He decided not to give the young girl a hard time and let her leave. She practically fled the room as if escaping a disaster.

“Am I really that scary?” Chu Feng rubbed his chin and shook his head, pushing the thought aside.

A moment later, another secretary entered, her high heels clicking on the floor.

“Chairman, the meeting has been arranged. However, Liu Xuefei has asked to audit the meeting. I wasn’t sure if…”

“It’s fine. Let her sit in.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“Wait!” Chu Feng called out as she was about to leave.

“Are there further instructions, Chairman?” the secretary asked curiously.

“Do I look scary?”

Hearing Chu Feng’s question, the secretary burst out laughing. “The Chairman is so handsome, how could you be scary?”

“Uh, alright. You can go…” Chu Feng waved her out.

“I must be losing it,” he muttered. He shook his head helplessly, stood up, and headed downstairs for the meeting.

He arrived at the massive conference room on the sixth floor. A long conference table sat in the center, and the room was already full. Zheng Yun sat in the first seat on the left. Liu Xuefei was sitting at the end of the table as an auditor; her manager didn’t seem to be present.

When Chu Feng entered, everyone stood up and applauded.

This was the Chairman’s first meeting, and everyone was eager to show respect and leave a good impression.

“Please, everyone, take a seat,” Chu Feng said, gesturing for them to sit.

He walked to the head of the table but did not sit down. Instead, he started speaking immediately. “This is my first time meeting many of you. Although we haven’t met face-to-face before, I have reviewed all your backgrounds carefully. Some of you are older and more experienced, while others are young and full of drive. The development and future of this company depend on the hard work of everyone here.”

Clap, clap, clap… Enthusiastic applause broke out.

“In the Internet era, a few things are vital: quality, customers, and reputation.”

“I assume you are all familiar with the Origin Accelerator. It is our company’s debut work. I can proudly say its quality crushes any other accelerator on the market. Who else can offer such stability? Who else can increase computer performance several times over? No one. And as of now, have you seen any equivalent software on the market? No. Now, why did I make it free at the start? Take a look at this chart.”

A statistical chart appeared on the screen behind him. This had been prepared by Xiao Meng.

It listed the download and installation figures for the Origin Accelerator from its release until now, nearly a month later.

“As you can see, in just one month, domestic downloads have exceeded 250 million, with a retention rate close to 98%.”

“Foreign downloads have also surpassed 100 million, with a retention rate of nearly 100%.”

The chart made everyone’s blood boil with excitement. This was a miracle, and they were witnessing its birth.

The younger employees were practically ready to cheer out loud. They were at a passionate age, and witnessing such a historical moment was exhilarating. Even the older staff felt their long-cool blood begin to simmer—this company was going places!

In the back, Liu Xuefei watched Chu Feng command the room with such authority, and her heart fluttered. She had definitely made the right choice in coming here. It wasn’t just for the massive 20-million-yuan after-tax endorsement fee; she had found the direction she wanted to pursue.

Indeed, Liu Xuefei wanted to pursue Chu Feng. A good man never lacks pursuers. Chu Feng was just starting his rise, and she believed in her own abilities. Although she was in the entertainment industry, she had always protected her integrity and refused to engage in any “casting couch” rules.

If Liu Xuefei knew that Huang Ying had already “claimed” Chu Feng, she would likely be depressed to no end.

“This is not the main point; this is only the beginning,” Chu Feng’s words caused the room to fall abruptly silent. Everyone began to listen with rapt attention, no longer looking down on him because of his youth.

Chu Feng pulled a brand-new smartphone from his pocket.

Zheng Yun, who sat beside him, had seen this before. When she saw the familiar phone, she too began to grow excited.

The other executives looked at General Manager Zheng with confusion. Zheng Yun was a veteran of the business world; what could possibly make her this excited? Could it really be that miraculous?

Their anticipation grew even stronger.

The phone’s screen was projected onto the display.

The desktop was very clean, without a mess of bloatware. There was only the cartoon image of a very cute little girl wearing an adorable qipao with two buns on her head, her big, moe eyes blinking.

“Little Ke, say hello to everyone,” Chu Feng said to the phone.

“Hello everyone! I am the cutest Little Ke, and I am the Master’s most loyal butler!”

A cute, high-pitched voice piped through the speakers into everyone’s ears.

Everyone looked on with skepticism.

“Chairman, might I ask… what is the function of this ‘butler’?” Deputy Manager Lin Haidong asked curiously.

Chu Feng smiled and signaled for Lin Haidong to sit, then said to Little Ke:

“Little Ke, introduce yourself to everyone.”

“Okay, Master!”

Little Ke gave a cute bow and began to speak: “I am the Master’s exclusive personal butler. I can help the Master arrange his schedule, answer his questions, improve phone performance, stabilize the mobile operating system, and even perform virus scans. Most importantly, I can chat with the Master at any time. I serve the Master and the Master alone!”

Little Ke’s words left everyone dumbfounded.

If this were true, then the entire Internet world was about to be shaken to its core!

Chapter 17: Trending Again

Little Ke’s words caused a massive uproar in the meeting room.

“If anyone has any questions, you can raise them now,” Chu Feng spoke up.

“Chairman, I have a question.” A young voice rang out. Judging by the placard in front of him, he was from the Network Department, responsible for website construction and security. The speaker was Song Hua, the head of the Network Department.

“Go ahead,” Chu Feng said, gesturing for him to continue.

“Chairman, I don’t doubt Little Ke’s ability to accelerate and enhance performance, but the antivirus function…”

“Haha, then why don’t you test it yourself?” Chu Feng wasn’t offended. Skepticism is a stepping stone to progress. He decided to let Song Hua run a test to convince him once and for all.

“Then I won’t hold back.” Song Hua stepped forward with his laptop.

It was clear that Song Hua was a doer and didn’t have much in the way of people skills. Despite his high technical proficiency, he had been fired from previous jobs for offending his superiors, making him a hidden gem that Chu Feng had managed to pick up.

Without wasting time, Song Hua connected his laptop via a data cable to the phone where Little Ke was installed.

“This is a virus I wrote myself. It consists of thirty thousand folders with a total size of only 12GB, but it contains 13,420 virus files,” Song Hua explained.

The others in the room looked at Song Hua with strange expressions. Who keeps that many viruses on their computer just for fun? He must be a bit eccentric.

Song Hua didn’t say much and immediately began transferring the files to the phone.

The moment the transfer began, the Little Ke on the phone screen suddenly transformed into an armored magical girl warrior.

“Master, virus infection detected. Should I clear it?”

A red exclamation mark appeared, making everyone present gasp in surprise. It was detected the very second the transfer started?

“Clear the viruses,” Chu Feng commanded. Little Ke immediately began the cleanup.

Meanwhile, the folders were still being copied over.

Everyone watched, somewhat confused. Wasn’t it supposed to be cleaning the viruses? Why was the transfer still going? Did it fail because there were too many viruses? Normally, clearing a virus involves deleting the infected file.

Song Hua also looked a bit disappointed. It seemed the Chairman had indeedBeen a bit too hasty.

Chu Feng, however, remained calm and composed, showing no signs of worry.

Thanks to the performance boost, the copying process was completed very quickly.

Song Hua didn’t know how to let Chu Feng save face. He began to regret being so impulsive. He had already lost so many jobs because of his temper. He had finally found a good job with great pay and benefits; if he angered the Chairman, he’d be packing his bags again.

“Virus cleanup complete. Total of 13,420 viruses killed. Master, please praise Little Ke!” Little Ke’s adorable voice drifted out, causing the atmosphere in the meeting room to freeze.

Wasn’t that the exact number Song Hua just reported? Had Little Ke overheard the number?

“Well done.” Chu Feng ignored everyone’s reaction and praised Little Ke.

“Serving Master is Little Ke’s greatest honor. Would you like me to launch a counterattack?” Little Ke continued.

“Wait, Chairman, you’re saying the viruses are all cleared?” Song Hua asked hurriedly. How long had it been? Less than ten minutes? Even if he did it manually, it wouldn’t be that fast, and a total cleanup would be impossible.

“Haha, of course. If you don’t believe me, you can check again.” Chu Feng smiled and gestured toward the device.

Song Hua didn’t hesitate. He reconnected to the phone and opened the transferred folder. To his shock, the videos and files he had downloaded randomly were all there, but the viruses had been completely wiped out.

“This is unbelievable. Existing antivirus software usually deletes the entire file along with the virus. It’s a crude and violent method. At this stage, just being able to detect the virus is considered impressive. As for the files, one usually has to rely on their own skills to slowly recover them.”

Song Hua explained the situation to the rest of the group.

“Little Ke is legendary!” Song Hua was now completely convinced. For technical personnel who only care about logic and facts, only superior technology can earn their genuine respect.

Little Ke had achieved exactly that. Song Hua was incredibly excited. While laypeople watched for the spectacle, experts looked at the underlying mechanics. The more he understood, the more he realized how magical this software was. Even if it had no other features, the antivirus function alone would be a massive hit.

Following this successful test, everyone’s respect for Little Ke’s capabilities grew. Combined with the market share and reputation already established by the Origin Accelerator, it was clear that Little Ke was destined to explode in popularity.

Liu Xuefei was also deeply excited. As a spokesperson, who wouldn’t want to represent a product with a great reputation and massive potential? Bringing both fame and fortune was no joke. Some celebrities would even endorse hit products for free just for the exposure. What a star valued most was fame.

This Little Ke was no small matter. She felt like she had struck gold.

Early the next morning, the Red Hacker Alliance made Little Ke its top-tier pinned post. As a way of returning the favor, the PC version of Little Ke was released exclusively through the Red Hacker Alliance first. This was Chu Feng’s way of repaying the debt for their help in promoting the Origin Accelerator. Although it was a mutually beneficial arrangement, Chu Feng still appreciated the gesture.

On mobile, version of Little Ke were released simultaneously on major app stores and the Apple App Store.

The most direct promotion came from the Origin Accelerator itself.

Ever since downloading the Origin Accelerator, users had never seen an advertisement before. Since many users’ trials were about to expire, people were guessing what the renewal price would be.

There was a lot of speculation online, especially after Chu Feng’s last livestream. His hints had already sparked heated discussions and hit the trending searches.

However, since there was no corporate follow-up at the time, the hype had slowly died down.

Now, with the company’s deliberate push and the announcement of Liu Xuefei as the official spokesperson, a massive wave of fans came to show their support.

Such was the power of celebrity influence. Liu Xuefei also personally praised Little Ke on her Weibo, stating that Little Ke was irreplaceable, which fueled the online debate even further.

Controversy isn’t bad; silence is. Controversy breeds popularity.

Sure enough, a bunch of “internet pseudo-experts” rushed out, along with many well-known influencers who criticized Liu Xuefei. They claimed she had become arrogant since becoming famous and accused Origin Company of being sensationalist, saying Little Ke was just another generic “pseudo-AI” like everything else on the market.

As the company’s marketing bore fruit, Little Ke’s capabilities were being put to the test by the public. Suddenly, those loudmouthed bloggers went silent. They quickly deleted their critical comments, leaving the “melon-eating” spectators stunned.

What was going on?

It turned out those people had downloaded and used Little Ke as well. At first, they had only taken a quick look before rushing to post their reviews. But as they spent more time with Little Ke, their inner panic forced them to delete their posts.

They could be sharp-tongued and hyperbolic, but they could not talk nonsense in the face of undeniable facts. If they lost their credibility and the public stopped trusting them, their careers would be over.

The tide of public opinion shifted instantly.

Headlines from various self-media outlets began to change:

[Shocking! Little Ke Finally Deciphered]

[Exploring Little Ke’s Secret Capabilities]

[Mega-Investigation: What Can Little Ke Really Do?]

[Little Ke: Opening a New Era of Artificial Intelligence]

The titles became more explosive and exaggerated than the last. It was as if the people who criticized Little Ke at the start weren’t them at all. Now, if anyone said anything bad about Little Ke, they would likely be drowned in a sea of criticism.

Who else had the power to increase phone and computer performance by more than tenfold?

Who else had the power to accelerate the network and ensure stable operation?

Who else had the power to achieve zero-latency human-machine conversation?

Who else had the power to quickly kill viruses while preserving the original files?

As time went on, the popularity built up by the Origin Accelerator reached a breaking point…

“Xiao Meng, what are the download numbers now?”

“Master, since the launch, domestic and international downloads have reached 1.2 billion. The momentum is expected to get even stronger. It’s rumored there are 300 million smartphones in use, but the actual number should be much higher.”

Chu Feng smiled with satisfaction. These numbers were staggering.

Little Ke’s monthly subscription price was ten yuan. Given its utility, he was confident that user retention would be high. It is easy to go from rags to riches, but hard to go back. Once people got used to a fast and efficient system, few would be able to tolerate going back to a slow, sluggish clunker PC.

Soon, many major marketing accounts began publishing content as well.

Large-scale media platforms like Baidu, Toutiao, Sohu, and UC began to flex their muscles. Usually, companies have to pay for advertisements on these platforms, but now, these outlets were treating the news like a gold mine, terrified of being late to the party.

The traffic from these media outlets was massive, essentially capturing every “netizen” on the internet.

Within an hour, the topic hit the top of Weibo’s trending list, blinding the “melon-eating” masses with its sheer brilliance.

On the official Origin forum and the Little Ke Tieba, community groups began springing up like bamboo shoots after rain. There was even a Tieba dedicated to Chu Feng himself, and it already had a significant number of members.

Weibo wasn’t about to miss out either. After reporting to higher-ups, they proactively reached out to Origin Company to give their official account a “Verified” status. They also contacted Chu Feng directly to verify his personal account.

Videos from various social media marketing accounts began flooding in, showing funny conversations with Little Ke or testing its virus-killing efficiency. View counts were skyrocketing.

As soon as the official Weibo accounts for Origin Company and Chu Feng were launched, their follower counts exploded, surpassing one million almost instantly.

Little Ke’s users finally found a place to voice their enthusiasm.

When Liu Xuefei learned that Chu Feng had opened a Weibo account, she proactively @-mentioned both him and Origin Company. As a top-tier A-list star, she had nearly a hundred million followers.

This push caused Chu Feng’s follower count to hit five million in just one hour. The comments section below his posts was being refreshed constantly. When people discovered from his profile that Chu Feng was only twenty-three, unmarried, and incredibly handsome…

The shock was absolute.

Chu Feng posted a simple comment: “Thank you all for your support of Origin and Little Ke!”

The comment section was immediately ignited by frenzied female fans. A long string of messages calling him “Hubby” appeared. Seeing this interaction, it was clear that he was managing the account himself.

He was showing signs of overtaking the famous “National Husband,” Wang Cong.

Chu Feng’s private messages instantly hit “999+”.

And that was just the display limit; the actual number was far higher. Out of curiosity, Chu Feng clicked on a few to check. The files people had sent almost gave him a nosebleed. They were far too spicy…

“The heat is rising!” Chu Feng rubbed his itchy nose and said with a bit of a smug, “beat-me-if-you-can” tone.

While the domestic reputation was exploding, major mainstream media outlets abroad also began reporting on Little Ke. YouTube, Facebook… one after another, hands-on testing videos were being shared and discussed frantically.

Everyone was stunned that China had developed such an invincible piece of software.

Chapter 18: Movements from All Sides

The speed at which Little Ke was spreading across the internet was accelerating. With its cute design, seamless human-machine dialogue, and god-tier virus-killing capabilities—all for a minimum membership fee of only ten yuan a month—Little Ke had ascended to godhood in a single battle.

However, the market was only so large. While Little Ke’s emergence delighted the general public, it pushed several companies toward the edge of an abyss.

361 Company Headquarters, Meeting Room.

Within half an hour of Little Ke’s release, all senior executives and shareholders had arrived.

The atmosphere in the company took a sudden, sharp turn. Everyone moved with cautious precision, deeply afraid of making a mistake and being singled out as a negative example.

The roars of anger echoing from the meeting room only added to the widespread anxiety among the staff.

“What am I paying you all for? Huh? It’s been a month! A whole month! And now you’re telling me you don’t even have a basic direction for cracking it?” The speaker was Zhou Hongwei, Chairman of 361 Company.

He had been watching this software since the initial release of the Origin Accelerator a month ago and had intended to acquire it. However, the developer of the Origin Accelerator had rejected him without even asking for a price. Left with no other choice, and after learning that Origin Accelerator hadn’t actually registered any patents, he assumed the Origin Company had been careless. He ordered his company’s programmers to crack it and see if there were any parts they could “borrow.”

His frustration had grown from checking in once every three days to once a day. Now that Little Ke had been released, its terrifying performance made the perceptively sharp Zhou Hongwei begin to panic.

“I’m sorry, Chairman. Many people are trying to crack the Origin Accelerator. It’s said that rewards have even been posted in international hacker alliances to crack it. But so far, other than forged versions of the accelerator software, nothing on the market has succeeded. The technical methods used in the Origin Accelerator are simply too sophisticated!” The manager of the technical department was a technician himself, and he couldn’t help but feel a shred of admiration for the person who developed the software.

Hearing his own technician fail to understand the opponent’s software and even voice a hint of admiration, Zhou Hongwei’s anger flared up again.

“Alright, Xiao Zhao, sit down. Old Zhou, you should calm down a bit too. A solution can always be found. Let’s put our heads together and discuss this,” said Tang Xingsheng, Zhou Hongwei’s old friend and co-founder.

Hearing his old friend’s words, Zhou Hongwei gave a somewhat dejected smile.

“Old Tang, you don’t need to console me. You know the current situation as well as I do; the company is at a crossroads of life and death.”

Zhou Hongwei sank into his chair, looking defeated as he exhaled a long sigh.

Tang Xingsheng had never seen his old friend so discouraged. Even during the great war with the Penguin Company years ago, Zhou Hongwei had remained calm and composed, commanding with ease. He had never looked so completely defeated.

“Old Zhou, our 361 Company was founded in September 2005. Since then, we have grown to become one of China’s largest internet security companies. We possess a high-level security technology team that leads the country in scale. Our products—361 Safety Guard, 361 Antivirus, 361 Secure Browser, 361 Secure Desktop, and 361 Mobile Guardian—are all highly acclaimed by users. We are the undisputed leading brand in network security.”

Seeing Zhou Hongwei perk up slightly, Tang Xingsheng stood up and continued.

“As of September 2012, the monthly active users of 361’s PC products and services reached 442 million, with a user penetration rate of 95%. We are one of the largest internet security companies in the country today. Furthermore, the total number of smartphone users using 361 mobile security products and services has reached approximately 149 million, accounting for about 70% of the Chinese smartphone security product market. The 361 Browser has 303 million monthly active users, with a penetration rate exceeding 65%. Our personalized start page and its sub-pages have 89 million daily unique visitors and approximately 451 million daily clicks.”

“In August 2012, we launched our search engine service with independent intellectual property rights, stably holding a market share of over 25%. Meanwhile, the Origin Accelerator has only been out for a month at most. Besides, the Origin Accelerator charges a fee while we are free. Even if some customers are snatched away, we still hold the advantage!”

Despite his old friend’s words, Zhou Hongwei’s heart remained heavy.

“Old Tang, I understand everything you’re saying.”

Rubbing his weary brow, Zhou Hongwei explained, “Old Tang, you’ve tried Little Ke yourself. Tell me, would you give it up just to save ten yuan a month?”

Tang Xingsheng froze, unable to find an answer. He had fought alongside Zhou Hongwei for years; how could he not understand the gravity of the situation?

For ten yuan, one could increase the performance of their computer or phone tenfold, reduce power consumption, wipe out viruses, and free up their hands. It served as an intimate butler and a real-time conversationalist.

In this busy modern age, many people lacked true friends. Finding a sincere connection was incredibly difficult, yet Little Ke solved that problem. This was simply the dawn of a new era for the internet.

The shifting of capital is always accompanied by the collapse of the old. Hadn’t their own 361 Company risen to power by stepping over the corpses of others?

How much market share did Kingsoft and Rising still hold compared to the past?

Origin Company was like a fierce tiger that had lunged into the internet’s territory. They were like the other antivirus software of the past—unable to resist. Although they could give up on antivirus software, would 361 still be 361 without it?

The meeting room fell into an eerie silence once again.

“We can’t keep waiting like this. Waiting is a dead end. Since we can’t beat them, we have no choice but to cooperate!”

Zhou Hongwei slammed the table, making his decision, and Tang Xingsheng agreed.

With the first and second largest shareholders in agreement, no one else objected. Everyone was well aware that 361 was at a crossroads, and one wrong move would lead to destruction.

Just then, Zhou Hongwei’s private secretary rushed into the room.

“Chairman, it’s bad! The company’s stock price has hit the daily limit down at the opening bell!”

“What?” Everyone was shocked. Their personal fortunes were tied to the stock price; if it crashed, their net worth would become worthless.

One look at the screens confirmed their fears. The stock prices for all antivirus-related companies had hit the downward limit. The entire tech sector was awash in red.

“No, we can’t wait any longer. Pass down the order: the heads of the Legal Department and the Technical Department are to come with me to Origin Company. We’re going to meet this Origin Company face-to-face!”

While Zhou Hongwei was impatiently preparing to leave for Origin Company, companies in other locations were making their own choices.

Some, like Zhou Hongwei, decided to cooperate. Others planned to act recklessly, staking everything on a desperate final gamble.

The chairmen or presidents of Penguin, Huorong, Kingsoft, Rising, Cheetah, and a series of other antivirus companies led their elite teams toward Origin Company.

Meanwhile, international giants like Kaspersky, BitDefender, Norton, and Avira also dispatched their Asia-Pacific presidents or high-level executives to lead teams toward Origin Company.

Suddenly, to the utter astonishment of Origin Company’s reception department, they received visit requests from over thirty of the world’s top antivirus firms. Furthermore, these companies officially announced their schedules to visit Origin Company through their official channels.

Upon hearing the news, media outlets scrambled to submit interview requests. The initial list of applicants exceeded three hundred, including heavyweight domestic media like CTV and the People’s Daily, and even international giants like Reuters, the AP, and CNN.

On the official website and Weibo, Chu Feng and Origin Company accepted the requests and issued a public welcome.

This sent the people of China into a celebratory frenzy.

When had a single company ever been this powerful? The names on that list were the top-ranked antivirus companies and news media organizations from both home and abroad. Chu Feng’s and the company’s official accounts were flooded with “999+” notifications.

Zheng Yun was so excited that he personally went to speak with Chu Feng to discuss how to receive these domestic and international guests.

“There’s no need to get so worked up. They are coming to ask us for favors. We just need to do a good job with the reception and make sure we don’t embarrass ourselves,” Chu Feng said, not surprised at all.

If they hadn’t come, Chu Feng would have truly looked down on them. In an era where technology is king, his tech was so far ahead that if they couldn’t see the writing on the wall, there was no reason for them to exist.

Chu Feng instructed the company to set up the reception at the famous Sea Swallow Hotel in the Hailing District. It had plenty of guest rooms and a large conference hall, perfect for hosting the crowds.

Once the Sea Swallow Hotel learned that Origin Company would be holding its meetings and reception there, they immediately began preparations.

This was a massive opportunity for the Sea Swallow Hotel; such a chance rarely occurred in Hailing. To return the favor, the hotel even gifted Chu Feng a platinum card, which allowed him to stay in the presidential suite for free.

Chapter 19: Negotiations

Hailing City Airport hadn’t seen such a massive spectacle in a long time.

Because Hailing was, after all, a third-tier city, there wasn’t much passenger traffic. Most people traveled by bus or car because Hailing didn’t even have a high-speed rail station—a persistent point of frustration for the local residents.

The airport, which had been difficult enough to establish, was shared with Yang City. It was merely a 4E-grade civil airport with a single terminal covering just over 30,000 square meters, one runway, and thirteen aprons. It was, quite frankly, meager.

Furthermore, it only operated forty-five domestic and international routes, connecting to thirty-six domestic cities. Consequently, many people had to take connecting flights to get here.

It was rare to see Yanghai Airport so bustling. Famous entrepreneurs and foreigners appeared one after another, leading the airport management to believe something major was happening. The airport director personally led a team to receive the guests.

At the airport entrance, ten Red Flag L5 limousines were already parked. Each of these cars cost five million yuan. To secure this many, nearly every available unit in Hailing and the surrounding areas had been coordinated.

As each guest arrived, a car specialized in VIP transport whisked them away to the Sea Swallow Hotel. The sight of so many luxury vehicles caused passersby to stop and stare, snapping photos that quickly went viral on social media and sparked heated discussions online.

The department managers at the Sea Swallow Hotel were also stationed at the entrance, ready to receive the guests and striving to leave a perfect first impression.

Meanwhile, Chu Feng was receiving the first arrival: Zhou Hongwei, the Chairman of 361 Company.

“Hello, Mr. Zhou,” Chu Feng said, shaking Zhou Hongwei’s extended right hand with a smile. He then invited Zhou Hongwei and his entourage to take their seats.

Zhou Hongwei had clean, short hair and wore gold-rimmed glasses. His eyes were sharp and spirited, while his thick lips gave off the impression of an honest, simple man.

However, anyone who actually took him for a simpleton would surely be swallowed whole, leaving not even a scrap behind. This was the Chairman of the 361 Group, Zhou Hongwei.

Several people accompanied Zhou Hongwei. One was a typical female office professional, likely a secretary. Zhou Hongwei introduced the others as the company’s Vice President and the Manager of the Technical Department.

“Secretary, bring out the fine tea I brought last time.”

Chu Feng sent his secretary to brew the tea.

“You’re too kind. Mr. Chu is truly young and promising,” Zhou Hongwei remarked with a sigh of admiration once they were seated.

Chu Feng didn’t let it go to his head. “You flatter me. Mr. Zhou is a veteran of the industry, a role model that those of us in the younger generation should learn from.”

Zhou Hongwei smiled and shook his head. This young lad was sharp—he took the compliment but fired a warning shot right back. Zhou Hongwei immediately discarded any lingering trace of condescension.

“Mr. Chu, I can see you’ll be very busy today, so I’ll keep this brief.”

Chu Feng was somewhat surprised that Zhou Hongwei was being so direct instead of engaging in more polite formalities, but he didn’t let it show on his face.

“Please, go ahead.”

“The purpose of my visit today is twofold. First, naturally, I wanted to see for myself what kind of person President Chu is—the man capable of building such a foundation in just a single month.”

Chu Feng didn’t interrupt; he simply listened with a smile.

“Second, I wanted to see if our 361 Company might have the opportunity to cooperate with your firm.”

“And how exactly would you like to cooperate, Mr. Zhou?” Chu Feng asked impassively.

Zhou Hongwei took a folder from his secretary and handed it to Chu Feng.

Chu Feng took the document and scanned it. He couldn’t help but sneer inwardly.

This old fox certainly knows how to balance his books. Technical sharing, mutual customer access… Does Origin Company even need 361’s technology? And as for customers? At the rate Origin Company is growing, why would we ever worry about lacking customers?

Chu Feng closed the folder without changing his expression.

“Mr. Zhou, your company’s intent for cooperation seems a bit… insincere.”

Before Zhou Hongwei could speak, an executive beside him chimed in: “Mr. Chu, our 361 Company has 562 million monthly active users across PC and mobile. We hold a 72% market share on PC, and our mobile market penetration is 62%. With such a massive user base, isn’t sharing that group with your company a sign of sincerity?”

“Heh, I have a fair understanding of your company’s scale, and I believe what you’re saying. But have you bothered to understand Origin Company?”

Without waiting for a rebuttal, Chu Feng casually picked up a file from the table.

“As of yesterday morning, the Origin Accelerator has 730 million PC installations. The Personal Butler System has 820 million installations. These numbers are still growing rapidly, and Little Ke has been released for less than a week.”

Upon hearing Chu Feng’s words, Zhou Hongwei and his team were stunned. They hadn’t expected Origin Company’s growth to be so terrifying. Compared to those numbers, their previous boast felt like a joke. Why would a millionaire care about a thousand-yuan investment from someone who only had ten thousand?

Zhou Hongwei held back his department manager, whose face had turned bright red.

“Mr. Chu, have you considered this? Your company’s primary Artificial Intelligence is top-tier and the technology is powerful. But have you thought about what would happen if a hacker cracked the program, stole customer data, or used it for criminal activities?”

Chu Feng felt nothing but disdain. If you could crack it, would you even be here?

“Your company must have tested our software already, right? The results should be quite clear,” Chu Feng said, waiting for Zhou Hongwei to finish before speaking.

“Regarding Little Ke’s security, we have already made a commitment in the user terms. If any loss is caused by a breach of Little Ke, we will follow the precedent set by Teacher Ma’s commitment with Alipay and pay out ten times the damages.”

Zhou Hongwei was shaken by Chu Feng’s confidence. One would need an incredible amount of certainty to make such a claim; even the famous domestic giant Alipay didn’t dare promise tenfold compensation.

At this point, the technical manager spoke up again.

“It seems Mr. Chu is very confident in his software. However, we cannot abandon our duty to protect customer privacy. Within a legal and reasonable framework, we have performed a degree of analysis on Little Ke. We cannot confirm whether the software has background processes collecting private data, which leads to a lack of trust in our own responsible attitude toward customers.”

Hearing this, Chu Feng nearly rolled his eyes. The sheer shamelessness of this man was peerless.

He felt like slamming a phone into the man’s face and showing him just how many background processes were in his own app store. Not long ago, they had been publicly criticized by the national Ministry of Telecommunications for a pile of junk software. Now that they couldn’t crack his code, they had the nerve to talk about “customer privacy”?

Seeing Chu Feng remain silent, the manager thought he was gaining ground and prepared to continue, but Zhou Hongwei cut him off.

Zhou Hongwei sighed inwardly: What an idiot! Do people have to download from the 361 software manager? There are so many channels… what a liability of a teammate.

“I believe Mr. Chu’s words. I have another document here. Perhaps you could take a look.”

Zhou Hongwei had his secretary produce another folder and handed it to Chu Feng.

Chu Feng took it nonchalantly, but his eyes widened slightly when he opened it.

Zhou Hongwei was really going all out.

10% of 361 Group’s shares, shared customer bases, shared resources, corporate endorsement, in exchange for technical support from Origin Company.

This was a massive investment.

Setting everything else aside, a 10% stake in 361 Company—which had a market value of over 300 billion yuan—meant he was handing over 30 billion yuan just like that. It was an incredibly bold move.

The other points—shared resources and corporate backing—were exactly what Chu Feng needed most right now.

After all, while Chu Feng had the strength and capability, he lacked a history of development. Without a large company to vouch for him, many people would remain wary of a new technology.

Influenced by movies and novels, the general public still harbored some resistance toward AI. In movies, after all, AI was almost always the villain, hell-bent on ruling humanity.

Furthermore, without a foundation, Chu Feng didn’t dare launch many of his plans. Could Little Ke not have e-commerce features? Could it not have messaging features?

Currently, he could survive in the cracks because no one dared to push him too hard; if one of their competitors gained Chu Feng’s technical support, the others would be utterly defeated.

However, if Chu Feng tried to snatch everyone’s rice bowl at once, there would be no more talking—it would be war. Origin Company would never be able to withstand it. He would face a coordinated, “internet-wide suppression.”

Chapter 20: A Unique Press Conference

“Since Mr. Zhou is showing such sincerity, it would be quite conceited of me to refuse. It’s a pleasure doing business with you!”

Chu Feng stood up and extended his right hand.

“A pleasure indeed!” Zhou Hongwei also rose to shake hands, though he felt a hint of bitterness in his heart. The new generation was truly surpassing the old; he and his peers were getting up there in years.

After signing two letters of intent and handing one to Zhou Hongwei, Chu Feng smiled and said, “Mr. Zhou, there is a press conference later today. I hope you can make an appearance. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.”

Hearing Chu Feng’s invitation, Zhou Hongwei was curious to see what today’s press conference would hold. He nodded and agreed.

A short while later, Chu Feng arrived outside the International Convention Hall.

There were many foreign visitors present today, so security was exceptionally tight. Numerous “influencers” and similar individuals were blocked outside, unable to gain entry.

Chu Feng, however, had a dedicated entrance. Just as he was about to head inside, he unexpectedly spotted an old acquaintance: Xue Qing.

Xue Qing was also being held back by security. Behind her was the same cameraman as before. The two of them were being jostled around in the crowd, looking utterly helpless.

Xue Qing saw Chu Feng as well, but she didn’t call out to him. Although she had his contact information, she hadn’t reached out of her own accord.

Because of their last encounter, Xue Qing had secured a “Gold Contract” with Douyu, and her popularity had skyrocketed. Furthermore, the “Super Rockets” Chu Feng had gifted her had filled her pockets. After Chu Feng had declined her dinner invitation previously, she felt it wouldn’t be right to contact him again—the gap between them was just too large.

“Excuse me, are you Miss Xue Qing?”

“Yes, I am.”

A security guard ran over to ask, leaving Xue Qing somewhat confused.

“Mr. Chu has arranged for you to enter. Please follow me.”

The guard’s words stunned Xue Qing for a moment, followed quickly by a wave of intense joy.

She hadn’t expected Chu Feng to still remember her, let alone arrange for her entry.

Meanwhile, the viewers in Xue Qing’s livestream chat went wild.

[Xue Qing knows God Feng?]

[I told you Chu Feng wouldn’t forget Xue Qing. Looks like he’s interested in her!]

[It looks like our Xue Qing is about to fall head over heels. Just look at her expression.]

[The man makes his move, and the result is instant.]

[Total overbearing CEO vibes. Chu Feng belongs to all of us!]

…

Chu Feng hadn’t overthought it. He had declined her dinner invitation last time only because he had to rush back to handle the arrangements for the spacecraft; he wasn’t harboring any complex thoughts. However, Xue Qing was the first person to interview him, and that interview was what had shot him to fame. He felt they shared a certain karmic connection.

Seeing her stuck outside, he simply gave the order to bring her in and didn’t give it a second thought. If Xue Qing’s fans knew how casual he was about it, they’d likely be frustrated to death.

“Hey! Why does she get to go in while we can’t?”

“Yeah! We want to go in too! On what grounds are you stopping us?”

“We protest! This is unfair!”

…

A group of influencers had traveled thousands of miles for today’s grand event, only to find they couldn’t even get through the door. Usually, if everyone is blocked, people accept it, but seeing someone else let in while they were stopped caused a commotion.

The police maintaining order nearby noticed the disturbance and immediately sent officers over to prevent things from escalating.

The guard leading Xue Qing turned back and said, “She is an acquaintance of CEO Chu. He personally invited her in. If you have a problem, take it up with CEO Chu.”

The guard’s words silenced the influencers instantly. Comparisons were odious—if she knew Chu Feng, that was her merit. What could they do about it?

In the end, they could only curl their lips sourly and continue working hard to beg for comfort from their own livestream audiences.

Xue Qing’s fans, on the other hand, were cheering. Gifts were being showered upon her as if they cost nothing.

The bullet chat was filled with a massive wave of [Get together!].

Xue Qing felt a mix of sweetness and excitement. She was the only streamer at such a major event today. Her room’s popularity was soaring, quickly surpassing five million viewers.

Chu Feng didn’t pay much attention to the outside commotion and had already entered the hall.

Before he went on stage, Zheng Yun handed him a pre-written speech, telling him that if there were any questions he couldn’t answer, he should just skip them. Chu Feng agreed readily.

Chu Feng had specially dressed in formal attire today—a slim-fit black suit. Combined with his styled hair, tall stature, and handsome face, he truly caught the eyes of the television audience.

Chu Feng walked to the podium and looked out at the crowd.

The hall was arranged in a semi-circle. In the front were invited guests and executives or CEOs from various companies who had come on their own. In the middle were reporters from numerous news organizations. At the very back stood a row of cameras with long lenses, with some reporters already speaking into them.

As Chu Feng stepped onto the stage, the camera flashes were so bright the hall seemed to turn into pure daylight, momentarily blinding him.

To be honest, Chu Feng was a bit nervous; after all, this was his first time facing such a scene.

Steadying his nerves, Chu Feng began to read the prepared script under everyone’s watchful gaze.

“First of all, I would like to thank everyone for taking the time out of your busy schedules to attend Origin Company’s press conference.”

Having reached this point, Chu Feng put the document aside and placed it on the podium, much to Zheng Yun’s surprise.

“I believe everyone is already quite familiar with Origin Company’s ‘Little Ke.’ Since that’s the case, there’s no need to waste anyone’s time. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I will selectively answer your inquiries.”

Chu Feng’s words caused a stir in the hall. No one expected him to be so direct. Below the stage, Zheng Yun was nearly covering his face with his hands. Chu Feng was too young; if the media started making things difficult with bizarre questions and he couldn’t answer, wouldn’t that be a massive embarrassment?

The media representatives were also momentarily stunned. Chu Feng wasn’t playing by the usual rules, which made them a bit uncomfortable. However, time waited for no one, and they quickly began raising their hands.

“Since there are many people here today, let’s go in order. We’ll take questions from left to right.”

Hearing this, no one objected. Some local television stations were even overjoyed; usually, with random Q&A sessions, their chances of being called on were slim.

Chu Feng had his own reasons. These media people were all old hands at this. If he tried to play word games with them, wouldn’t he just be asking for trouble?

It was better to allow one question per person and get it over with. As for preparation—how much can one actually prepare? It was better to have an open-ended session. Besides, he had prepared a “big gift,” and he would see if they could handle it when the time came.

The first was naturally a reporter from CTV, looking scholarly in gold-rimmed glasses.

“Hello, Mr. Chu. I am a reporter from CTV. I’d like to ask how you can guarantee the safety and privacy of Little Ke. Since this is software people interact with all day, is there a chance of the issues we see in movies—where it becomes a hidden bomb in a phone or computer, threatening the user’s information security?”

The first question wasn’t particularly sharp, but it addressed the concerns of most users. The scenarios depicted in films were indeed quite terrifying.

“Firstly, I’m not sure if everyone has read Little Ke’s installation prompts. If a user suffers a loss because Little Ke is hacked, we will provide full compensation plus ten times the damages!” As soon as Chu Feng said this, everyone was stunned.

Every program has its so-called “Terms of Service.” They are so long that few people actually read them. No one expected such a massive bombshell to be hidden there. Many people even pulled out their phones to download and check, and many viewers at home were doing the same on their phones or computers.

Indeed, the third clause clearly stated that if a loss occurred because the software was breached, ten-fold compensation would be paid.

What incredible confidence that required.

Ignoring the crowd’s shock, Chu Feng continued, “Second, as long as it is software, it follows the instructions of its code. Therefore, your concerns are completely unnecessary, because I will not allow it!”

the reporter smiled and applauded, and the hall followed with a round of applause.

“Hello, Mr. Chu. I am a reporter from the People’s Daily. I would like to ask: as an artificial intelligence, can Little Ke be applied to illegal or criminal fields, or even developed for military use?”

As soon as this question was asked, the entire hall went silent.

As a question from an official state-run outlet, Chu Feng had to answer cautiously.

“As I just said, as a primary artificial intelligence, Little Ke is merely a program. No matter how intelligent she is, she must follow the settings of her code. She is only something that can help you process certain tasks; she cannot take initiative. Furthermore, in the military sphere, it is impossible for her to calculate things like ballistics, because she lacks the necessary code support for that.”

The reporter said nothing more, only giving Chu Feng a meaningful look before applauding and sitting down.

“Hello, Mr. Chu. I am a reporter from The Times. You say Little Ke is just code, but why does she possess such rapid response capabilities? It’s hard to tell she’s even a program. I apologize—I’m just so shocked, and I like her very much. Her response speed is so fast that it feels like I’m talking to a person rather than a program.”

“I appreciate your kind words. I can clarify here that Little Ke is a program based on cloud computing. All problem processing is completed in the cloud. Furthermore, the programming language we use is completely different, as are the processing speeds and methods. I cannot say more about the specifics, as it involves trade secrets.”

Hearing Chu Feng mention that Little Ke used a new programming language immediately caused an even greater sensation. Everyone felt the trip was worthwhile; this was a completely new pioneering achievement, a moment that could change history.

The reporter who had drawn out this answer could only sit down with regret, as she didn’t have another chance to ask a follow-up.

The next reporter quickly asked, “Does Mr. Chu have plans to make this new programming language public? This would write a new chapter in history, a feat no less significant than Android or Microsoft!”

“I’m sorry, but this programming language is a collective achievement of the development team. I do not have the authority to make a decision on making it public.”

Although everyone expected this answer, there was still a sense of disappointment.

“Mr. Chu, I am a reporter from AP TV. How can you guarantee the security of user information? You mentioned that processing happens in the cloud. If the cloud is breached, or if you leave a backdoor program, how can the user’s privacy and security be protected?”

The reporter’s question was incredibly sharp.

Below the stage, Zheng Yun grew nervous. The corporate executives and Zhou Hongwei, who had just finalized their intent to cooperate, were also waiting for Chu Feng’s answer. This would determine everyone’s attitude toward Origin Company.

UNTITLED

1. Chapter 1: Return
2. Chapter 2: Origin Accelerator
3. Chapter 3: Accelerator Downloads Exploding
4. Chapter 4: I’ll Take This Entire Building
5. Chapter 5: Purchasing a Villa
6. Chapter 6: It’s Just All Right

7. Chapter 7: The Sudden Trace of the Spacecraft

8. Chapter 8: Heading to the East China Sea

9. Chapter 9: Junior Artificial Intelligence

10. Chapter 10: Sorry, You’re Dredging for Nothing

11. Chapter 11: Genetic Strengthening
12. Chapter 12: The Youth of Yesteryear
13. Chapter 13: Feeling Tricked
14. Chapter 14: Full Disclosure
15. Chapter 15: Buying on a Whim
16. Chapter 16: The Shocking Little Ke
17. Chapter 17: Trending Again
18. Chapter 18: Movements from All Sides
19. Chapter 19: Negotiations
20. Chapter 20: A Unique Press Conference