In the days that followed, Ren Kurogane had several things to prepare, and his days became increasingly busy.
But after obtaining the powers of his counterparts from other worlds, this was hardly a problem for him. A single clone was enough to handle everything.
So he continued enjoying his carefree life in the apartment, sending his clones all over the world in his place. After several months, most of the preliminary preparations were nearly complete.
After all, any obstacle seemed insignificant in the face of his illusionary suggestions.
At the same time, Ren Kurogane sent several clones to investigate the hidden secrets of this world. Yet even after several months, he still hadn't encountered anyone from the Nine Gates, nor had he even seen Wu Xie.
That made him wonder whether supernatural powers really existed in this world.
The main problem was that he hadn't been reincarnated here for just a day or two. He had already been here for more than twenty years.
If supernatural powers really existed in this world, weren't they hidden a little too well? How had he failed to discover even the slightest trace of them during all those years?
One day, something major happened in the apartment!
Zhang Wei came rushing back from outside and announced to everyone watching television on the sofa, "Brothers! I have something extremely important to announce!"
"You failed the judicial exam again?" Ren Kurogane asked.
"Or have you finally come to your senses and decided to change careers?"
Hearing everyone's teasing, Zhang Wei hurriedly waved his hands.
"No! Can't you people think of something positive for once?!"
Everyone exchanged glances.
Zhang Wei? Something good could happen to him?
Sure, ten years later, he would indeed encounter some good fortune. He would pick up a temporary girlfriend named Zhuge Dali, with Curry Sauce thrown in as a bonus.
But the current Zhang Wei practically had the God of Misfortune attached to him. There was no way he was going to encounter anything good!
"Enough with the suspense. Hurry up and tell us what happened so we can have a laugh too!" Lü Ziqiao urged.
Zhang Wei straightened up, beaming.
"Just now, at the bar, a girl asked for my contact information!"
Everyone froze for a moment.
Then they went right back to watching television.
Seeing everyone completely ignore him, Zhang Wei immediately panicked. He jumped in front of them and said anxiously, "Hey! Could you at least give me some reaction?"
"What kind of reaction do you want?" Qin Yumo looked at Zhang Wei calmly. "She only asked for your contact information. I don't even know how many times that happens to me every day."
"Exactly. You have no idea how many girls' contact information I get every day!" Lü Ziqiao said helplessly. "And could you move? You're blocking the television!"
Zhang Wei looked disappointed, but he quickly recovered.
"You're all just jealous of me!"
After receiving a collective eye-roll, Zhang Wei returned to his room and waited for the girl to call.
It wasn't until they had finished an episode of Chinese Paladin that Ren Kurogane seemed to remember something.
He turned to Lin Wanyu.
"Wanyu, did Zhang Wei say what that woman's name was?"
"I don't think so." Lin Wanyu shook her head. "I was focused on the show. I didn't really pay attention to what Zhang Wei was saying."
"Okay."
Ren Kurogane got up and stretched before walking to Zhang Wei's room. He knocked on the door, made sure Zhang Wei wasn't exercising inside, then pushed it open and walked in.
"Zhang Wei, has she called you?"
Zhang Wei shook his head and smiled.
"I think she probably hasn't gotten home yet. She'll definitely call me tonight!"
Just as Ren Kurogane was about to comfort him, Zhang Wei's phone suddenly rang.
Zhang Wei gestured at Ren Kurogane before excitedly answering.
"Hello~"
"Oh! It's me!"
"Tomorrow? Sure, sure! I'm free!"
"I don't have a job? No, that's not it. I'm a lawyer. But for you, I can make time…"
Listening to Zhang Wei's awkward pickup lines, Ren Kurogane was sure the girl on the other end would hang up soon.
But several minutes passed.
Not only did she not hang up, Zhang Wei was actually having a pleasant conversation with her.
Only after Zhang Wei ended the call did Ren Kurogane ask, "Zhang Wei, do you know her name?"
Zhang Wei, who had been grinning just moments earlier, suddenly froze.
Then he slapped his thigh.
"Oh no! How did I forget to ask her?!"
Ren Kurogane shook his head and walked away.
He had no idea what kind of person the woman was, but Zhang Wei rarely got an opportunity like this.
Let him enjoy it.
And what if this really was the answer meant for Zhang Wei?
As a good friend, Ren Kurogane naturally supported him.
The others were watching the spectacle from the doorway as well. When they learned that Zhang Wei didn't even know the woman's name, Lü Ziqiao covered his face.
He couldn't bear to watch.
Seeing Zhang Wei growing increasingly anxious, Lü Ziqiao said, "Why are you panicking? Just call her back and ask!"
"But! I don't have her number!"
Smack!
Everyone slapped their foreheads and turned around to leave.
Zhang Wei had no idea why they had suddenly walked away. He was still frantically trying to figure out how to get the woman's phone number.
Fortunately, Zhang Wei was a lawyer, after all. After panicking for a while, his sharp brain finally reminded him to check his call history.
In the end, he learned from the girl herself that her name was Xiaoli.
When he proudly announced this to everyone, Ren Kurogane immediately sensed that something wasn't quite right.
"Wasn't Zhang Wei's ex-wife also named Xiaoli?"
Ren Kurogane muttered to himself.
But that Xiaoli had only appeared once, so he didn't remember her very clearly.
"I hope Zhang Wei can keep himself in check. Otherwise, he'll just have to wait ten years for Zhuge Dali."
"But come to think of it, why didn't Zhang Wei and Xiaoli end up together back then? Didn't Xiaoli run away from the wedding? Why did she run away?"
Ren Kurogane thought about it for a long time but couldn't come up with an answer.
So he stopped thinking about it.
He would know the outcome soon enough anyway.
Outside the window, a light drizzle was falling.
Ren Kurogane curled up on the sofa while Hu Yifei sat curled up on another.
Chinese Paladin, which had been hugely popular recently, was playing on the television.
Everything was warm and comfortable.
Hu Yifei spoke up.
"Ren Kurogane, how are those two companies you've invested in doing? It's been almost half a year, and I still haven't seen any returns."
Ren Kurogane smiled.
"Don't worry. You'll see the results next September."
Ren Kurogane wasn't worried about Xiaomi and Huawei in the slightest.
Even if both companies completely failed, he still wouldn't care.
At most, he'd lose a little pocket change.
With his current abilities, he could casually create an artificial intelligence and make tens of billions.
If he completely recreated the artificial intelligence from the Zombie Brother world, he was confident he could even go head-to-head with aliens!
Of course, that depended on whether aliens were actually active on Earth.
Hu Yifei pulled her blanket tighter around herself.
"Fine. As long as you know what you're doing…"
After a brief silence, Hu Yifei spoke again.
"Um… husband…"
It was rare to see Hu Yifei acting so hesitant.
Ren Kurogane smiled.
"Go ahead. Why be shy between husband and wife?"
Hu Yifei took a deep breath, as though she had finally made up her mind.
"I'm going to pursue a doctorate."
After saying it, she nervously watched Ren Kurogane.
But he remained completely calm. He merely said, "Oh," and then continued watching television.
"That's it?" Hu Yifei froze and stared at him in disbelief.
"Huh? Oh! Congratulations! Heroine Hu can continue pursuing her academic studies!"
Ren Kurogane smiled and went back to watching television.
At the same time, he was wondering whether he should throw Hu Yifei a celebration party.
She was pursuing a doctorate, after all. And it seemed she would become a postdoctoral researcher later.
She was practically destined to become a major figure in academia!
Seeing how calm Ren Kurogane really was, Hu Yifei finally relaxed.
She had been worried that he might look down on her.
After all, female PhDs had always been mocked.
Now it seemed her judgment really had been correct!
After thinking it over, Ren Kurogane decided to invite everyone from the apartment out for a private meal tomorrow to celebrate Hu Yifei pursuing her doctorate.
"Celebrate? What's there to celebrate?"
This time, Hu Yifei was the one who was confused.
She thought studying was completely effortless. This little thing wasn't worth celebrating at all.
Ren Kurogane scratched his head.
"Fine, then. I'll just cook something at home tomorrow. The two of us can have a romantic night."
"No problem!"
After that, the two continued watching television.
No matter how much they had to talk about, none of it was more important than Chinese Paladin.
During the commercial break, Hu Yifei suddenly asked, "Why is Li Xiaoyao called Li Xiaoyao? He isn't carefree at all!"
"That's exactly what makes the name Li Xiaoyao special!"
The two discussed the plot, moving from the television series to the game, and eventually to what they would name their future children.
Hu Yifei suddenly sat upright and frowned.
"Wait. We've been trying for half a year. Why is there still no sign of anything happening?"
"Why are you in such a hurry?" Ren Kurogane said. "We're not even thirty yet. This is the perfect time to enjoy being together. Why have children?"
Ren Kurogane didn't care about having children at all.
People had children to carry on their bloodline, but he was immortal now. He could live until the end of time himself.
Why would he need children?
They would only interrupt his life with Hu Yifei.
Hu Yifei thought about it and felt Ren Kurogane had a point. She then smiled bitterly.
"But my mother keeps pressuring me… If nothing happens soon, she'll definitely come storming back and drag us to the hospital for an examination!"
Thinking of that formidable mother-in-law, the corner of Ren Kurogane's mouth twitched.
"How about we just tell her that we don't plan on having children right now?"
"Sigh. I'll try talking to her, though I don't think it'll make much difference."
After saying that, the two sighed together.
They returned to their room and fell asleep in each other's arms.
A few days later, Zhang Wei had some new developments.
"I'm telling you! Xiaoli is practically an angel sent from heaven to save me!" Zhang Wei said excitedly, waving his arms at everyone.
Ren Kurogane asked curiously, "So, you're planning to get married too?"
"This… hehe~ If Xiaoli is willing, I wouldn't have a problem with it~"
Seeing Zhang Wei still acting so timidly, the other men could only shake their heads.
"Oh? Then things must be going really well!" Guan Gu laughed. "I didn't expect you two to reach the stage of discussing marriage in only a few days. That's much faster than Ren Kurogane and Yifei!"
Guan Gu was too innocent to realize that the relationship between Zhang Wei and Xiaoli wasn't as simple as it appeared.
After investigating Xiaoli over the past few days, Ren Kurogane discovered that she was actually a wealthy local girl from Shanghai.
She was only moderately wealthy and nowhere near Ren Kurogane's level, but after looking into her, Ren Kurogane finally understood why Zhang Wei had been abandoned at the altar in the original story.
Although, technically speaking, it seemed Zhang Wei had been the one to run away from the wedding first…
Forget it.
That wasn't important.
In any case, while investigating out of curiosity, Ren Kurogane discovered that Xiaoli had a male best friend. If nothing unexpected happened, she would eventually end up with that man.
As for why she had approached Zhang Wei now, honestly, Ren Kurogane thought Xiaoli simply hadn't realized her own feelings yet, which was why she was looking for a boyfriend elsewhere.
Looking at Zhang Wei, whose face was full of anticipation, Ren Kurogane didn't tell him.
Let's wait a little longer.
What if, with everyone pushing things along, the two of them never made it to the altar?
Or what if, with everyone's help, Xiaoli really did end up with Zhang Wei?
Beijing
One of Ren Kurogane's clones had been lying low here for several months.
During that time, the clone had disguised himself as a tourist and searched Beijing from top to bottom. Even places that weren't convenient to investigate openly couldn't escape his mental scanning.
At present, he was staying in a small hotel.
After organizing the information in his mind, he thought, "I can basically confirm that there's no one in Beijing stronger than me. As for aliens, I haven't detected a trace of them either. Could this world really be as simple as it appears?"
For the first time, he genuinely began to wonder whether aliens even existed in this world.
There were certainly some individuals with considerable strength, such as Hu Yifei, but most people were ordinary and had little combat ability.
Even the technological level was only average. There wasn't even a decent artificial intelligence.
Of course, he still didn't have any definite information about artificial intelligence. He would only be able to determine the true technological level of this world after creating his own AI.
For now, the only thing he could confirm was that this world contained no power stronger than his own.
"I need to hurry up with the Dark Plane system."
…
One month later.
After receiving the information sent back by all his clones, Ren Kurogane became completely confident.
"Since I'm the only law here, I can afford to make my move a little bigger, right?"
The thought had barely crossed his mind when Ren Kurogane appeared on the other side of the Earth.
Blue light flashed through his eyes, and his consciousness instantly entered the Dark Plane system.
During this period, his clones had been working outside while his main body hadn't been idle either. Every day, he carefully constructed his own Dark Plane system.
With the support of his enormous supernatural energy, the system had finally taken shape.
Rumble!
Purple qi spread across the sky, enveloping Ren Kurogane until he was barely visible.
At the same time, the magnetic field of the entire planet seemed to be affected, appearing to freeze for an instant.
Then, in the next second, everything returned to normal.
The world in Ren Kurogane's eyes had completely changed.
"Hello. The Dark Plane system has been established. Please give it a name."
"Prime Minister."
"Prime Minister System at your service."
After exiting the Dark Plane, Ren Kurogane eagerly used his system to obtain information from the entire Earth's Dark Plane.
The newly created system immediately began to lag.
Beep, beep, beep~
Several seconds later, Ren Kurogane received a massive amount of information.
After digesting it all, Ren Kurogane finally understood the secrets of this world.
Two hundred years ago, this world had been nothing more than an ordinary low-martial world.
There were martial arts and internal energy, but even the strongest person could do little more than smash a stone.
That way of life continued until the end of the eighteenth century, when it was shattered by a spaceship that crashed down from outer space.
This was the alien who existed in this world—a very unlucky Mivillean.
He had encountered a random wormhole in space and been thrown onto Earth from another galaxy whose location was unknown.
After discovering that he couldn't return home, this alien used the knowledge he possessed to lord it over Earth for more than a hundred years.
It wasn't until the end of World War II that he finally died of old age.
After his death, the technology he left behind was divided among the Western countries.
That was why they had developed so rapidly.
"Another case of technology left behind by aliens…" Ren Kurogane muttered. "Still, it fits the setting."
After obtaining the information he wanted and confirming that he was the strongest being in this world, Ren Kurogane didn't immediately unleash his full power and sweep everything aside.
Instead, he returned to the apartment and continued living his life.
He had once worried that some alien technology might suddenly appear and crush him.
Now that he knew there was no danger, Ren Kurogane decided to enjoy himself for ten years and make the most of the opportunities this era had to offer.
"Hmm. Next step, build an empire of my own~"