Chapter 384: Unlocking Level 1 of the [Scepter of Momentum]

“After we have babies, you can’t just feed them and forget about me.”

Gu Heng whispered in Luo Xiwen’s ear, a smile playing on his lips.

“You…”

“Have you no shame!”

Luo Xiwen’s face flushed crimson after hearing Gu Heng’s words.

Seeing her charmingly shy expression, Gu Heng teased her once more.

Just the thought of Luo Xiwen made his heart race and his mind wander.

Jiang Ruan’s legs, Luo Xiwen’s chest, and Xu Mo’s tenderness were his irreplaceable “white moonlight”—paragons that other women could never hope to surpass, let alone match.

Faced with Gu Heng’s blatant request, Luo Xiwen’s face grew even redder. She hugged him and chided him softly in his ear.

Gu Heng raised an eyebrow and elaborated on his request.

“Whatever you say…”

Luo Xiwen rested her chin on Gu Heng’s shoulder. Gazing at the brilliant fireworks lighting up the sky, she felt an overwhelming sense of bliss, wishing time could stand still forever in this moment.

If a person’s life was lived for just a few perfect moments, then Luo Xiwen felt this one was enough to be unforgettable.

「Ten days passed in a flash.」

After the New Year holiday, Jiang Ruan and Xu Mo returned from their hometowns one after another.

During those ten days, Gu Heng mostly stayed home. He devoted all his mental energy to reading and all his physical energy to Jiang Ruan, Xu Mo, and Luo Xiwen, in turn.

After their passionate night together, Luo Xiwen accepted the villa Gu Heng had gifted her.

To thank Gu Heng for entrusting him with the massive project of establishing Zhen Cui Group’s herbal medicine cultivation base in the Changbai Region, Wang Baoshan offered to cover all the renovation costs for the townhouse.

Gu Heng didn’t stand on ceremony with Wang Baoshan.

The professional world wasn’t like school. Relationships were often built by asking favors of one another. Mutual support deepened connections; reciprocity was the key to a healthy relationship.

One day, the sky was clear and the air was crisp.

Gu Heng was reclining on a soft armchair, basking in the warm winter sun while engrossed in a copy of *Global History*.

Failure happens only after one has given up completely.

So-called enemies are merely those who force us to become stronger.

Hating another is like burning down your own house to catch a rat, but there’s no guarantee you’ll even catch the rat.

When Gu Heng finished the last page of the thick volume of *Global History*, he took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.

The complete set of *Global History* spanned 24 volumes. It was a collaborative work by history experts from top universities around the world, including Cambridge, Oxford, and others in the United States and beyond, providing a panoramic written account of major events throughout global history.

From prehistoric civilizations to the 20th century, from wars between nations to changes in family life, it covered everything: the Hundred Years’ War, the rise of the Ottoman Empire, the turmoil in Central Asia, and the golden ages of China.

The edition of *Global History* Gu Heng held was a single-volume omnibus of the complete set. It had taken him a full five days to read it thoroughly from cover to cover, and it was the most time-consuming of the fifty history books he had read so far.

*Hoooo…*

As Gu Heng let out that long breath, the system’s virtual screen, which hadn’t appeared on its own for a long time, suddenly materialized before him.

[Challenge Mission: Know Thyself Through History]

[Mission Details: Thoroughly read 50 books on history]

[Current Progress: 50/50]

[Completion Status: 100%]

[Congratulations, Host. You have successfully unlocked the first level of the “Scepter of Momentum”.]

Unlike the Golden Tower of Wealth, which Gu Heng had already unlocked twice, this was his first time unlocking the Scepter of Momentum. His heart couldn’t help but race at the thought that the Scepter’s mysteries were finally about to be unveiled.

Gu Heng stared intently at the screen. After a dozen or so seconds, the virtual screen began to fade. In its place, the shimmering, spectral image of the scepter slowly solidified for the first time.

However, the reward Gu Heng was expecting did not appear.

[Power is a blade. He who wields it must be wary of its edge.]

[It can bring fortune, but it can also draw one’s own blood.]

[You—]

[Are you prepared to walk forward, blade in hand?]

[If you are certain, you will officially activate the first-level reward of the “Scepter of Momentum”.]

[The process of obtaining this reward is extremely dangerous and carries the risk of death.]

[If you refuse, you will permanently lose the opportunity to activate the “Scepter of Momentum”.]

[As compensation, the third level of the “Golden Tower of Wealth” will be unlocked automatically, and you will immediately receive all its rewards.]

[Please consider carefully, Host…]

[Please consider carefully, Host…]

[Please consider carefully, Host…]

A series of prompts appeared on the virtual screen, sending colossal waves crashing through Gu Heng’s mind.

He had never imagined that successfully unlocking the first level of the Scepter of Momentum would lead to this.

Extremely dangerous!

Risk of death!

It was as if Father Tongzi, fearing Gu Heng wouldn’t take it seriously or see it clearly, had deliberately colored these two lines red, made them bold, and enlarged them to emphasize the severity of the situation.

At that moment, the joy of unlocking the first level of the Scepter of Momentum receded like a tide. Even though the warm winter sun was shining on him and the mountaintop villa was filled with ample heating, Gu Heng felt as if he were enveloped by a bone-chilling cold.

Half a year ago, back when he was just a poor kid stuck in the mud with no future in sight, he wouldn’t have hesitated for a second to make such a choice.

But now…

Gu Heng was worth billions and was surrounded by beautiful women.

Gamble with his life?

He didn’t seem to have that kind of courage anymore.

Accepting the first-level reward of the Scepter of Momentum meant facing the risk of death for an unknown prize.

Refusing it meant immediately unlocking the third level of the Golden Tower of Wealth, but at the cost of the Scepter of Momentum being sealed forever.

‘The reward for the second level of the Golden Tower of Wealth alone was several billion. The third level must be worth at least tens of billions, maybe even hundreds of billions.’

‘That’s more money than I could spend in several lifetimes. Is it really worth risking my life for some unknown reward?’

Gu Heng’s mind was a tangled mess. He stood up and paced back and forth in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, his thoughts wavering between risk and reward.

Suddenly, Gu Heng’s mind flashed back to that night at the Platinum Association.

Gao Zhengyang, a man with tens of millions in assets, had been reduced to a stray dog waiting to be slaughtered, kneeling before Chu Zhengxiong, wagging his tail and begging pathetically for forgiveness.

In the end, not only was he forced to personally chop off his own son Gao Hailong’s right hand, but afterward, Chu Zhengxiong used various means to destroy his family and ruin his life.

Gao Hailong’s bloody right hand, Gao Zhengyang’s desperate, hoarse screams.

That night, Gu Heng understood that in the face of absolute power, wealth was as fragile as an empty eggshell. No matter how smooth and perfect the shell appeared on the outside, a small hammer named “Power” needed only a slight tap to shatter it into dust.

To have wealth without power was to be nothing more than a fat pig in the eyes of the elite.

Ready to be slaughtered whenever they pleased.

Right now, Gu Heng had the protection of the Jun Cheng Law Firm. As long as he didn’t do anything to give someone leverage over him, he feared no one within the rules.

But what if…

What if someone stepped outside the rules?

At this thought, Gu Heng slowly stopped pacing, his expression growing somber.

If he chose to back down this time, it might seem like he was avoiding risk, but in reality, he would only be creating a breeding ground for even greater risks in the future.

Why did the Golden Tower of Wealth and the Scepter of Momentum exist at the same time?

The system was mysterious and unfathomable. If it allowed both to exist, there had to be a reason. It was obvious they were meant to be complementary, mutually dependent.

One pillar alone is unstable; it takes two to stand firm.

Shun the immediate risk and choose temporary comfort.

When a future risk arrived, it would likely be a point of no return.

“One thrives in adversity…”

“And perishes in comfort…”

“Haven’t our ancestors already taught us this truth?”

Gu Heng murmured to himself, his eyes fixed on the rising sun.

The glaring sunlight made him squint, but behind his narrowed eyes, his gaze quietly grew firm and sharp.

“Father Tongzi, I choose…”

“To activate the first-level reward of the Scepter of Momentum!”