123 The China of This World

Li Daniu had never believed in the abstract concept of "killing intent" before. In his previous movie venture, he had been responsible for the deaths of many people. Although the vast majority were killed indirectly through explosives and other weaponry, quite a few had died directly by his hand. However, because he had always operated as a lone wolf, no one had ever pointed out that his temperament had undergone such a profound shift.

When Li Daniu returned from his latest journey, the first attendant to see him was so unnerved by his gaze that he knelt on the spot.

"What the hell? What's going on?"

Confused by the situation, Li Daniu was told by the attendant that his eyes looked terrifying. Thinking the journey had caused some physical mutation, he couldn't help but run to a mirror.

"I don't look any different," he mused. He felt he only looked a bit more handsome than before, with nothing else changed. In truth, he didn't realize that in the movie world, he washed up and looked in the mirror every day, so the gradual change had gone unnoticed by him. But for the attendant, who had seen Li Daniu after a four-month absence, the difference was immediately apparent.

Skeptical, Li Daniu sought out Burns, who was still working at the palace. Sure enough, Burns wasn't frightened into kneeling on the spot. Just as Li Daniu started to think it was just a problem with the attendant, Burns spoke with a tremor in his voice: "Your Majesty, why have you... suddenly..."

Burns struggled for words, and when Li Daniu grew impatient, he finally blurted out: "You seem to command respect without even being angry."

Li Daniu paused. Shouldn't that be a compliment? Little did he know, what Burns really wanted to say was, "Why do you look like a starving wolf?" But since he was the King, Burns dared not say it and had to settle for a more polite description.

Convinced of the change, Li Daniu asked the system internally, "Did this transit have any adverse effects on my body?"

"Any changes you experience are related to your experiences in the movie world. This system makes no unnecessary adjustments."

"Is it because I killed people?"

The system was silent for a moment. Just as Li Daniu expected another "no comment," it finally spoke: "Yes. In the movie world, you regarded human life as nothing, and because you possess internal energy, you have developed a killing intent."

"Damn it," Li Daniu cursed inwardly. "Do those people even count as human? Calling them scum is an insult to the word scum, isn't it?"

"Ignoring their behavior and looking strictly at the biological definition, they are indeed human."

Li Daniu was speechless; any further discussion would veer into philosophy. "System, usually you'd say 'no comment' to questions like this. Why answer me this time?"

"No comment!"

Hearing the long-awaited "no comment," Li Daniu reassured Burns and returned to his room, satisfied. He had to find a way to resolve his killing intent. In modern society, there was no one like him with so many lives on their hands; even those who carried out executions hadn't killed as many as he had in the past few months. If he scared everyone he met from now on, it would be quite awkward.

After studying in his room for a while, Li Daniu discovered that as long as he constantly circulated his Nine Suns Divine Art, he could minimize his killing intent to the level Burns described—commanding respect without anger, rather than terrifying people into a collapse. When the Nine Suns Divine Art reached the ninth level, it circulated automatically, but this automatic circulation lacked guidance. While it increased his internal energy, it was slower than when he consciously guided it.

"Is this forcing me to work harder?"

It wasn't that Li Daniu lacked drive; if he didn't have the desire to improve, he would have long since lost himself in luxury. He had money, power, and his personal strength stood at the pinnacle of humanity. But his efforts had been driven by the threat of death, lacking true initiative. It was like a man running because he was told a tiger might eat him—he'd run faster, but not with everything he had, because the tiger was only a possibility, not a certainty.

Since he didn't want to be a monster, Li Daniu began to consciously guide his internal energy at all times. It required only a sliver of focus, which had no negative impact on him at all. Besides, the "respectful" aura actually increased his authority among his subordinates day by day. He consoled himself that this was a form of "leadership charisma," which was invaluable; throughout history, every great leader had been surrounded by strategists and loyalists drawn to their personal magnetism.

Li Daniu’s return to Tuvalu wasn't just because his time was up; he needed to make decisions regarding the construction of New Tuvalu. Once the airport and harbor designs were finalized, he began establishing a construction team. Only with these two pillars could New Tuvalu truly embark on the path of rapid development.

Following his instructions, Burns found the credentials of several veteran planners and architects in the international community. Li Daniu selected an elderly German expert, known for the legendary precision of his countrymen. Since the expert was unwilling to immigrate, Li Daniu founded the New Tuvalu Construction Company and hired him to lead it. Under the name of the Tuvalu Royal Family, he signed a contract handing all construction planning over to this company. For any other nation, this would be impossible, but in Tuvalu, Li Daniu was the King, the owner of the construction company, and the one signing both contracts. Legalities? Monopolies? In Tuvalu, Li Daniu had the final say.

As for the construction team, after comparing various international options, Li Daniu had Burns formally request a state visit to China. Unlike the visit to New Zealand, where only a foreign ministry official greeted them, China responded formally, promising that a Vice Premier-level leader would receive him. Li Daniu’s international reputation and his hundred-billion-dollar investment plan were highly attractive to China.

Returning to his homeland in an official capacity felt different. Since his transits began, he had seen mostly foreigners; the thought of being surrounded by his own people made him quite excited. Moreover, he believed that if he could secure a Chinese construction team, the quality and speed would be impeccable. He had heard stories of Chinese teams building structures abroad that were so sturdy they required double the explosives to demolish during urban renewal. It wasn't that Chinese construction standards weren't high; it all depended on who was paying and who was supervising.

With Burns and the German expert in tow, Li Daniu boarded his private jet and set off for China.