Chapter 120: Enlightenment Preparations

Chapter 120: Chapter 120: Enlightenment Preparations

Wei Er was truly heartbroken, so he turned his grief and indignation into an appetite, devouring more than half of the food on the table all by himself.

The more he ate, the sadder he felt, simply because the food was incredibly delicious.

He had originally resolved never to eat at Shen Yun’s house again. But after deliberating for a long time, he decided to stay for meals if the opportunity arose. Whether he had to stomach the exquisite food or their public displays of affection, it didn’t matter—he could swallow it all.

As he prepared to leave, Wei Er stood at the door with a solemn expression. "I’ll ask you one last time: are you truly confident you can resolve this?"

"Don’t worry, I naturally know the weight of my own words," Shen Yun said, nodding. He could roughly guess the situation. The other countries were probably preparing to compromise. The value of the Spiritual Energy Power Furnace was obvious even to ordinary people, and no one would easily risk losing it forever.

"That’s good, then." Wei Er let out a sigh of relief. He waved his hand and waddled toward his car, his fleshy frame jiggling with every step.

Shen Yun didn’t turn around until the car had completely driven away. A helpless expression washed over his face. "Xiaojie, next time, please don’t casually ask to throw a guest out from the dinner table."

"But! My Lord," Xiaojie replied, her face deadly serious. "Being invited to dine with you is already a supreme honor. For that man to so rudely snatch your food—I simply couldn’t ignore such insolence."

"Exactly, exactly!" Xiaojiu puffed out her cheeks slightly. "I was originally going to use the leftover shrimp shells from feeding Master to arrange a heart shape. But that guy ate so many that my final plating was missing a piece."

"MEOW! MEOW!" Erin also nodded twice in all seriousness.

Shen Yun could only smile bitterly to himself. It wasn’t that he refused to invite people over for dinner, but in a way, he was in a tough spot. He had to consider the feelings of these three companions who understood nothing about human social etiquette.

Then again, Xiaojiu should know better. Shen Yun couldn’t help but glare at her. Arranging shrimp shells into a heart shape—what kind of emotional expression was that? They would just end up in the trash anyway.

"Master, this isn’t Xiaojiu being rude," she said, placing a hand over her chest as if reading his thoughts. "From a maid’s perspective, if Master wishes to host guests, it should be in a grand hall, where you bestow food upon guests seated on your left and right. Having everyone sit at a round table like this—isn’t that just letting people recklessly ruin the dishes Xiaojiu prepared with a heart full of love for Master?"

"What country’s royal banquet is that?" Shen Yun retorted dryly. He had almost forgotten that Xiaojiu, much like the others, had a personality that completely disregarded anyone besides him. If he didn’t already have a well-established moral compass, being raised by these spirits would have absolutely spoiled him rotten.

After Wei Er’s visit that day, a certain change began quietly sweeping across the world.

First, several smaller nations within the community began placing massive orders with the Grotte Company. Batch after batch of Spiritual Energy Power Furnaces were shipped out, and vast sums of money poured into the Grotte Company’s accounts. Without a doubt, these Power Furnaces would eventually be transported to the nations that had publicly remained silent on the matter.

Buddy knew this, but he didn’t care. In fact, he felt incredibly overjoyed. This meant his threats were starting to work and the various nations were beginning to compromise. Taking this first step was all that mattered. Once they fully grasped the importance of the Spiritual Energy Power Furnace, his leverage would only grow stronger. Soon, no country would ever be able to resist the allure of the Power Furnaces again.

Then, he could start securing even greater power. For example, if they refused to let him purchase raw materials for missiles, he would restrict the factory output of the Spiritual Energy Power Furnaces. Perhaps one day, he could even openly leave this island and travel the world. After all, if he died, *BOOM*! The island would be blown to pieces, and the manufacturing methods for the Spiritual Energy Power Furnace would disappear forever. He would become a truly indispensable figure!

"How wonderful," Buddy murmured, still seated in his luxurious room. He stared at the account figures displayed on his computer screen, thoroughly intoxicated by the sight. Who else could pull off a feat like threatening the entire world?

"Ned," he called out to his butler. "I can hardly wait to tell Shen Yun about all this. Is there any way to notify him?"

"Master," the old butler said, shaking his head slightly. "The defenses around Mr. Shen’s residence have been significantly strengthened. Relying solely on the gadgets we used in the past, I’m afraid it will be difficult to slip in unnoticed again."

"Is that so?" A smirk tugged at the corners of Buddy’s mouth. "Then go notify our buyers. Tell them to find a way to set up a video call between me and Shen Yun. Otherwise, we’ll cut their quota."

"Master..." the old butler gasped in surprise.

"What, is that a problem? Hahaha!" Buddy laughed wildly. "Don’t worry, China definitely has a share in those quotas. I can’t wait, Ned! Driven by capital, his beloved country will force him to do this just to get what I hold in my hands. The mere thought of it makes me eager to see the look on the face of the world’s strongest expert. Go, hurry!"

"Yes, sir!" The old butler bowed respectfully and took his leave, a hint of admiration in his eyes. Only Buddy, the man he had watched grow up, could exude such high-spirited confidence.

After Ned left, Buddy reached a hand into his shirt. Over his chest lay a scar—a surgical scar. That was right; he had embedded his greatest secret inside his own body.

The human body was the best shield against Divine Thought detection. Even a Golden Core Cultivator couldn’t force their Divine Thought into the body of someone at the Divine Thought Stage to search for a chip that was only three or four centimeters long. He, however, could use his own Divine Thought to read the technical knowledge stored within the chip.

It wasn’t much, and most of the data was severely damaged. So far, only two technologies had been truly restored. One was a single-use device that granted temporary invisibility, though the duration was extremely short. It was an excellent tool for thievery, but it held little capital value.

The second technology was the Spiritual Energy Power Furnace.

Now, Buddy wanted to select a third, less-damaged technology to attempt to repair. Once he amassed more capital, he could mobilize an even larger scientific research force. This was one of the reasons he was so full of confidence about the future.

A moment later, the old butler returned, and Buddy ceased his probing.

"Master, the clients said... they are powerless to help," the old butler reported, a trace of concern on his face. "Because among the factions commissioning them to purchase the Spiritual Energy Power Furnaces, China is not included..."

"What?" Buddy shot straight up in his seat, his face plastered with disbelief. "That’s impossible! Can they not see the strategic value of the Spiritual Energy Power Furnace?"

If all the other countries were buying them, and only China abstained, it was obvious that within a short time, the nations utilizing this superior new energy would surpass China in various crucial scientific fields. This was, quite clearly, an industrial revolution.

"Master, this is exactly what I was worried about," the old butler said, his voice laced with anxiety. "That place is simply too mysterious and full of wisdom. Especially after the resurgence of Spiritual Qi, we have no idea what methods they might employ."

"No, that’s impossible. I made sure my preparations were foolproof," Buddy muttered, his gaze shifting uncertainly as he took a massive gulp of fine wine. A truly smart person never engaged in baseless worrying; they simply prepared for the best. He had already made every preparation he could. Nothing could possibly go wrong. Buddy could only comfort himself like this, his face stiffening.

Some time later, the one thing Buddy least wanted to see finally happened.

In China, a two-hour special program was broadcast. The title was: *The Sin and Darkness Behind the Product That Changed the Era*.

The program progressed from superficial details to in-depth analysis, laying out an incredibly broad accusation of the crimes the Grotte Company had committed over the past three years. This included kidnapping scientists, violently seizing the intellectual and physical property of others, and even selling weapons to Cultivator Organizations that illegally oppressed civilians. Nearly every accusation was backed by corresponding video footage and written evidence, all narrated by a voice brimming with solemn emotion. It was an appalling revelation.

In the shortest possible time, this video blanketed the global internet. Previously, people only knew the Grotte Company as a stateless arms corporation that had invented the Spiritual Energy Power Furnace through its own research capabilities, thereby sending shockwaves across the globe. They had never known that this company was so... sinister.

Even their so-called invention was merely the result of violently coercing scientists and plundering their achievements. Buddy was not the father of Spiritual Energy power at all; he was just a criminal—a major criminal whose hands were stained with the blood of countless people.

In the final moments of the video, the narrator spoke with emotional, dignified resolve.

"Human civilization endured eras of barbarism, chaos, and darkness to earn the light of today. We will absolutely not allow anyone to turn back the wheel of history, vainly attempting to reap profits through sinister methods, only to transform themselves into a towering figure in the light. This is a blasphemy against civilization and a destruction of order. It is a regression that no amount of development can conceal. We will fight this to the very end."

The moment this statement was issued, it essentially meant that everything related to the Grotte Company would be deemed illegal in China. And with such irrefutable evidence laid bare, the Grotte Company transformed in the minds of most ordinary people from a great enterprise into a filthy, villainous corporation, much like the Umbrella Corporation from the movies.

People could only imagine what the world would turn into if such a company truly took control of—or even monopolized—the future energy industry. If it really came to that, the final words of the video would ring absolutely true: no matter how advanced the technology, it would be a regression of civilization.

On this very same day, Shen Yun was getting ready to depart.

Actually, he could have Enlightened the fighter jet over a month ago. However, Vierlia had suddenly sent a letter saying she would be visiting the Ibi Empire and would be extremely busy, so the two dates they had scheduled for last month were rolled over to the following month. Shen Yun had ultimately let it go—delaying it was fine. Once he finished Enlightening the jet, he could come right back to finally deal with Buddy, who had been jumping around making trouble for far too long.