Yu Xian held his phone and stared at the string of chaotic symbols on the screen.
Percent signs, hash marks, random English letters all mixed together.
He sighed.
“2003 mobile networks really are trash. Even spam messages can’t form a proper sentence anymore.”
He skillfully switched to a T9 keypad and tapped quickly with his thumb.
【Unsubscribe, reply T】
Send.
He long-pressed the power button and shut the phone off directly.
Stuffing it into his pocket, he grabbed the heavy “magnetic-fluid spiritual amplification device” metal rod and shuffled toward the living room in slippers.
Tokyo, 50 meters underground intelligence center.
The main screen glowed with a faint green light.
More than a dozen senior intelligence officers held their breath, staring at the newly received feedback signal.
Sō Takamarufu pressed both hands on the console, the bandage on his forehead seeping blood.
This was a high-frequency quantum probing signal they had launched toward Jinshui Bay in Jiangcheng via spy satellites.
If Yu Xian was dead—or brain-dead—the signal would vanish without a trace.
Beep!
A bold English letter appeared on the screen.
【T】
The command room fell into a ten-second silence.
The chief analyst’s facial muscles twitched violently as his fingers blurred across the keyboard, pulling up a flood of data charts.
“Sir!”
His voice cracked completely.
“He’s not dead! Not only is he alive—he intercepted our quantum probe and replied with just one letter!”
Sō Takamarufu’s eyelid twitched.
“T? What does it mean?”
“In international military cryptography, T stands for Target—locking onto a target!”
The analyst was drenched in sweat, pointing at the blood-red letter.
“Or it stands for Time—countdown! Even worse, in mathematics, T represents the absolute dimension of time!”
He turned around in despair.
“He’s warning us! He has already seen through the follow-up kill chain of Operation ‘Jade Destruction’! He has locked onto the exact coordinates and timing of our sonar bait deployment in the East Sea!”
Sō Takamarufu slumped into his chair as if all strength had been drained.
“A monster…”
He slammed the armrest.
“Since we’ve already been locked onto, there’s no need to hide anymore! Notify the ‘Deep Sea’ submarines in the East Sea—release all sonar decoys immediately! Even if it means mutual destruction, we will drag the Chinese East Sea Fleet into the Mariana Trench!”
Jinshui Bay Villa, living room.
Wang Fei walked out of the bathroom carrying a basin of freshly changed hot water.
She looked up—and saw Yu Xian wearing his old, pilled undershirt, holding a bare black rod, putting on shoes at the entrance.
Clang!
The stainless-steel basin fell to the floor, water spilling everywhere.
“Mr. Yu!”
Her eyes reddened instantly, and she rushed forward without even noticing her wet slippers.
At the same time, Su Xi, who was doing homework, dropped her pen and shot forward like a little cannonball, hugging his leg and crying loudly.
“Uncle Yu! You’re finally awake! I thought you didn’t want us anymore!”
Yu Xian was startled by the chaos.
“What are you doing?”
He scratched his messy hair.
“I just stayed up too many nights and slept for two days. Is it really necessary to act like a funeral scene?”
Chen Jie rushed in from outside, clutching a thick stack of breach-of-contract notices.
Seeing Yu Xian alive and kicking, her knees went weak and she collapsed onto the Persian carpet at the entrance.
“Mr. Yu is blessed by heaven! You forcibly endured the backlash of the dragon vein and still returned unharmed—you are truly the stabilizing pillar of Huaxia!”
Yu Xian’s eye twitched.
These people’s imagination was getting more and more serious.
“Enough, stop kneeling. Do your work.”
He pointed at the stack of papers.
“What are those?”
Chen Jie wiped her tears and stood up.
“These are breach notices from sponsors and venues. During your three-day coma, Sister Fei canceled 99 nationwide concerts. She said she won’t return until you wake up.”
Yu Xian froze.
He blinked.
“Ninety-nine shows? How much is the penalty?”
His voice turned slightly dry.
“Not much. According to the contracts… only 400 million yuan.”
Chen Jie spoke very sincerely.
“Compared to your safety, what’s a mere 400 million worth!”
Yu Xian’s vision darkened.
Four hundred million.
“Mere”?
He used to manage billions in investments in his past life—but now he was just a lazy bum!
“Wang Fei!”
He suddenly raised his voice.
Wang Fei looked up, her expression serene and almost enlightened.
“Mr. Yu, I understand.”
Her tone was gentle.
“You want me to not be attached to worldly money. Wealth is external. You are using these 400 million yuan to temper my Dao heart.”
“I temper your head!”
Yu Xian completely snapped, pointing at the door.
“I’m perfectly fine! Eating well, sleeping well! You go book flights RIGHT NOW! Go finish all 99 concerts!”
“Not a single cent of compensation is allowed! Sing, dance, rap, do the iron-mountain lean—use everything you’ve got!”
“Lose even one yuan and don’t come back!”
Wang Fei froze.
She stared at Yu Xian’s furious face, tears welling up again.
“I understand.”
She nodded heavily.
Then turned to Chen Jie.
“Immediately contact all venues! Mr. Yu is reminding me—these 99 concerts are 99 formation nodes! I will spread this military calisthenics-style performance across every inch of Huaxia land!”
Yu Xian covered his face with both hands.
Completely defeated.
This life… is beyond saving.
Discussion
Comments
0 comments so far.
Sign in to join the conversation and keep your activity tied to this account.
No comments yet. Start the conversation.