Chapter 15

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Chapter 15: The Shadow of the Mind – Late Stage Cancer

Although it was not openly said, Bai Qige still had some expectations for Ye Daxiong. From that Noble Phantasm, Bai Qige caught a glimpse of a possible future for Ye Daxiong.

The father of robots and artificial intelligence programs, Bai Qige did not think this was a title just anyone could hold. No matter what hardships and transformations Ye Daxiong went through to achieve this, it did not matter. What mattered was that Daxiong already had this potential and possibility. Perhaps with practice, this underachiever could become a talent.

After closing a physics textbook, Bai Qige was sure that the Eyeglass Noble Phantasm with its attribute of enhancing robots and artificial intelligence research ability +100 must have hidden attributes to improve memory and comprehension. Daxiong had probably not read these textbooks, but in his hurried reading, he completely memorized them. When Bai Qige asked him questions after closing the book, Daxiong was able to answer everything word for word.

It is hard to tell how much of this was due to Bai Qige’s pressure causing Daxiong to burst out in desperation, and how much was due to the effects of the Noble Phantasm. However, Bai Qige did not care to distinguish. He just needed to know that Daxiong was performing like this now.

Next came endless cramming. Bai Qige wished he could stuff all the knowledge of the world into Daxiong’s head. The latter passively endured it all until Bai Qige finally showed mercy and allowed him and Yuan Jingxiang to go home. Daxiong’s expression was still like a salted fish, mumbling incomprehensible phrases like B2 and the Alpha Law.

For three consecutive days, it was the same. Practicing the Heart Sutra at the cold bottom of the river, studying language, math, English, politics, physics, chemistry, business management, legal knowledge, art, animation production, essential knowledge for pregnant women, and the Forty-Eight Techniques of Great Edo—all these overwhelming subjects drove him to the edge. Finally, on the fourth day, Daxiong could not take it anymore. He erupted; he rose up.

On the way to the Blue Raccoon Demon King’s teaching location, Daxiong knelt on the ground, hugging Jingxiang’s legs and crying bitterly.

"Jingxiang, let’s run away together! If this goes on, I will surely die!"

"Okay, stop crying. If you don’t go over soon, the Blue Civet Cat Demon Emperor will throw you into the river and only pull you out when you are close to drowning!"

For Daxiong, who was usually useless, this level of wailing was all his courage, while Jingxiang, who was much smarter and understood people better, started to notice that the crazy person seemed to care a lot about Ye Daxiong and was training him on purpose. Although the crazy person’s methods were a bit extreme, they were very effective.

Daxiong’s growth in just a few days seemed almost unbelievable to Yue Jingxiang, the onlooker. Just yesterday, she went to watch him out of worry, and found Daxiong was actually reciting Chinese poetry in French and then reciting the Declaration of Independence in German. Yue Jingxiang also noticed that although that crazy person acted like he was checking Ye Daxiong’s learning progress, in reality, he didn’t understand anything Ye Daxiong was saying. In the end, the crazy person got angry and deliberately found fault, throwing Daxiong into the river to reflect.

But no matter what, Daxiong’s change was clearly visible. His spirit had improved a lot, and after days of crazy cramming, he started to have an unexplained air of scholarly refinement. Although he still had a way to go to become handsome, he looked much more pleasing than before.

Watching the gradually transforming Ye Daxiong, Jingxiang’s smile became much sweeter, and her grip on his hand grew gentler. Deep down, she even hoped Daxiong would continue to receive training from that crazy person. Being a woman, she always wanted her boyfriend to become more capable.

After some coaxing, Daxiong managed to gather his crumbling emotions, and as they were about to leave together, Jingxiang’s phone rang, and it was Bai Qige’s voice.

"I have something to do today, so you both get a day off! Rest well, and we will have training as usual tomorrow!"

When Daxiong heard this news, he couldn’t help but kneel on the ground, crying tears of joy. However, Jingxiang frowned slightly; she felt Bai Qige’s tone was a bit serious, as if it meant something else. But this doubt didn’t last long, as Ye Daxiong’s phone rang too. It was his parents calling, saying there was a family gathering today and asked Daxiong to come. Then Daxiong’s parents also asked if Jingxiang was with Daxiong, and if so, to let her come along, saying her parents would join later.

"Huh, why is there a family gathering at this time?" The two were confused, but since their parents were attending, they had no choice but to go. Once they arrived, they realized this gathering seemed a bit special; many parents were present, and they were all the parents of the students from Bai Qige’s last adventure game about true love.

After Daxiong and Jingxiang arrived, Daxiong’s parents waved to them. When they walked over, Daxiong’s father, Ye Dazhu, greeted Jingxiang with a smile, saying, "My daughter-in-law, are you going on another date with Daxiong today?"

Jingxiang’s face turned slightly red, but she remained graceful and sweetly called out "Uncle" with a smile. Their relationship was no secret from their parents; everyone knew they were dating.

Ye Dazhu cleared his throat and said, "Today’s gathering is started by the Chu family. The aim is to resolve the little disputes between you children. Although I think it’s unnecessary, the one to blame is that crazy person. It has nothing to do with you kids; children can have little squabbles, and they’ll forget about it as they grow up. But the Chu family thinks it’s necessary, so we responded, and it’s a good chance for you kids to have some fun and let go of some stress! Speaking of which, Daxiong, I really can’t see what kind of stress you have! You always look so happy with Jingxiang, staying out so late!"

My mental stress has now spread all over my body and reached the last stage of mental stress cancer because that crazy person has been tormenting me every day…

However, Daxiong couldn’t say this to his parents because he knew that when that crazy person goes wild, they would be ruthless and heartless.

Daxiong and Jingxiang looked around and saw their old clubmates. Since that day, the club had naturally disbanded, and many of them were from different classes, so they hadn’t seen each other. Now that they met again, they all felt awkward.

During that day’s game, everyone showed the worst side of humanity—betrayal, abandonment, seeing someone in trouble and doing nothing, and even intentionally hurting one another. Under Bai Qige’s control, they became clowns, just to highlight Daxiong stepping up heroically to rescue a beauty, completing the task of breaking up Jingxiang and Chu Mushan, and helping Daxiong win Yuan Jingxiang’s heart.

They felt awkward and even grew hostile toward each other. Most of their parents knew what had actually happened in that game, but as adults, they viewed things differently from the children. All of them were wealthy, with most having connections in Deep City, and many were business partners. Their children were their successors, and now there was a rift, awkwardness, and even hatred among the successors due to a crazy person’s game. Naturally, the parents didn’t want to see their children continue like this.

This led to a big family gathering, trying to help the children mend their broken relationships and, at the very least, to let go of their hatred.

In fact, this was not a very difficult task. The parents talked happily with each other, finalizing some business partnerships that deepened their cooperation. They even planned to invest in a company together, giving their children a chance to manage it. As the adults made deals, the young ones nearby were soon drawn into it as well.

They were, after all, rich kids, and they understood the importance of prioritizing benefits. With their parents present, they couldn’t act out. Being young, they chatted a bit, and the atmosphere began to lighten.

Even Daxiong and Jingxiang started to chat pleasantly after talking with some old friends. They even agreed to rebuild their group in the future. It seemed like their rift was mending, but then Chu Mushan appeared, and everyone fell silent.

He was the one who got hurt the most in that game. Not only was he covered in wounds, but he also lost his girlfriend and had a terrible showdown with Daxiong, feeling utterly humiliated and nearly going insane.

After some time apart, Chu Mushan’s injuries had healed, but he looked frighteningly angry. When Daxiong saw him, his expression was equally dark. Setting aside their previous game-related grudge, just the fact that Chu Mushan was Jingxiang’s ex-boyfriend was enough for Daxiong to give him a cold stare. After all, even Jingxiang didn’t know that Daxiong was quite possessive. Moreover, Chu Mushan had colluded with Bloody Earth to kidnap and attack them. If it weren’t for Bai Qige’s timely intervention, both he and Jingxiang would surely have been tortured to death.

"It’s been a few days since we last met, and you all look pretty good!"

"Yes, yes! After all, our wounds were lighter, so we didn’t stay in the hospital for long. Naturally, we look good!"

Chu Mushan approached Daxiong and Jingxiang, greeting them in a tone that seemed to have let go of his hatred. However, his cold, serpent-like gaze revealed his true feelings. Several parents watching this scene frowned slightly.

At this moment, Daxiong was no longer dumbfounded. He reacted quite quickly, and his expression was not good. As soon as he opened his mouth, he made a sarcastic remark. Before he could say a second sentence, Ye Dazhu tapped him on the forehead and said, "You’re already so grown up and still don’t know how to speak! You need to be polite if you want to make money, understand?"

"Is he just a child? Not understanding things is normal, haha!" Chu Mushan’s father, Chu Xiong, also arrived in the scene. As soon as he spoke, his tone was somewhat unpredictable.

"Yes, it’s normal for children not to understand things. Moreover, this time is different from when we were young. Today’s children treat emotions like a game, rebel against everything, and call it youth. As an old man, I can’t be bothered to manage the kids’ affairs; they have their own fortune!"

"However, I still believe that children should be guided properly. After all, strict family lessons reflect family values. Look at our children; under my guidance, they are excellent! They are knowledgeable and sensible, excelling in many areas!"

During the conversation between Ye Dazhu and Chu Xiong, onlookers sensed a hint of tension. This was normal, as it would be unrealistic for the wealthy in Deep City to always be at peace. They could not always be partners; there was also competition and animosity, and the Ye family and Chu family found themselves in this delicate situation.