Chapter 1: Devouring the Starry Sky World

Jiangnan Base City, Bright Moon Residential Area.

In the basement of a certain villa, the vast space had long since been transformed into a workshop, resembling a factory for crafting precision equipment.

A handsome young man stood before the workbench, his hands moving rapidly across the control panel.

Suddenly, a bell rang, and his movements came to a halt.

On the other side of the high-strength alloy glass, sparks erupted from a fist-sized component he was working on, and just like that, a ten-million-level optical instrument was ruined.

"You'd better have a good reason! Otherwise, I'll find another partner for the next project!" The youth answered the call with visible annoyance, his tone forceful.

The loss of such a valuable asset was secondary; what truly mattered was that he had already spent a whole month on this project, only for everything to fall apart at the most crucial step.

"Jiang Chen, you can't be like this! Our military has always offered you the best terms, and our cooperation has always been smooth!"

On the screen appeared a man in uniform, his hair streaked with gray—the supreme commander of Jiangnan Base City's military, the God of War, Li Dawei.

Apparently unwilling to linger on the topic, Li Dawei quickly shifted the conversation: "Here's the thing. Your friend Luo Feng got into a conflict with a martial artist's family member today and has been detained..."

"Luo Feng?"

Jiang Chen paused, suddenly recalling that during this period of his 'seclusion,' the events of the original story had just begun.

A glance at the calendar confirmed it was already July.

From the college entrance exams, to Luo Feng clashing with Zhang Haobai's lackeys and ending up in the detention center—indeed, much had happened during this time.

However, compared to when he had just realized he was in the world of "Swallowed Star," cautiously trying to befriend Luo Feng to secure his future, the current Jiang Chen now viewed these so-called life-changing events as mere trivialities, hardly worth his attention.

Of course, since Luo Feng was his best friend in this life, he still had to show some concern.

"If I recall correctly, in the original story, Zhang Haobai arranged for someone to teach Luo Feng a lesson in the detention center?" Jiang Chen mused aloud as he tried to remember the details. "In that case, Commander Li, do me a favor and arrange a private cell for Luo Feng."

"Just a private cell? You're not going to have him released?" Li Dawei looked surprised.

"Yes," Jiang Chen nodded, offering no further explanation.

That night in detention was the key moment when Luo Feng awakened his psychic powers, undergoing a crucial transformation—Jiang Chen had no intention of interfering.

Still, to prevent any mishaps, Jiang Chen decided to make some arrangements through his connection with Commander Li.

After all, Luo Feng wasn't even a martial artist yet—he was far too weak.

"Alright, I'll notify the relevant people," Li Dawei agreed, but made no move to terminate the call.

Jiang Chen knew well that the esteemed commander of the Southern Military District, the supreme authority of Jiangnan Base City, wouldn’t call personally just to discuss a mere high school brawl.

Given their previous collaborations, Jiang Chen didn't need to ask to know what Li Dawei was after.

"How is the last thing I gave you working out?" Jiang Chen deliberately brought up their previous project.

"Excellent, truly excellent!" Li Dawei replied enthusiastically. "The special alloy you provided—just thirty millimeters thick is enough to withstand the direct attacks of most lord-level monsters. Its defensive properties are outstanding! Although not quite on par with the very best alloys, it's got clear advantages in weight and cost, especially for mass production. We're already planning to retrofit helicopters, tanks, and other vehicles with this armor on a large scale."

After speaking, Li Dawei added cautiously, "Jiang Chen, it's been a while since we've heard from you. Do you have any new breakthroughs?"

Irritated, Jiang Chen replied, "I do have a project that's nearly finished, but your call interrupted me. The core component was damaged and now I have to start over. Once it's done, if it's suitable for military use, I'll reach out."

"My apologies, it's my fault! Once you're free, I'll treat you to a meal," Li Dawei said, not mentioning that Jiang Chen had asked him to look after Luo Feng and Wei Wen during his period of seclusion, only apologizing repeatedly.

"We'll see," Jiang Chen replied, his mind still preoccupied with the unfolding story.

Luo Feng awakening his psychic powers meant that in another three or four years, Earth would officially encounter the vast universe.

The word "universe" carried immense weight in Jiang Chen's heart.

For this was no ordinary universe.

Rather, it was an immense world with a complete cultivation system, countless powerful beings, and a sky-high ceiling for combat potential.

After a brief moment of distraction, Jiang Chen collected himself and said, "Commander Li, I'll trouble you with Luo Feng's matter. Once I've finished testing this project, if it meets expectations, I'll contact your military. But as always, the price won't be cheap."

Since awakening his system several years ago, Jiang Chen had made the Chinese military his most important partner.

Partly because he knew the peculiarities of this world, making earthly interests less significant—who received his work mattered little, so he might as well support the nation to which he felt most attached.

More importantly, their cooperation was genuinely pleasant, and the other party showed Jiang Chen, as a "researcher," ample respect and importance, never looking down on him for his youth.

"Understood. Regarding patents, we'll offer you a fair price after thorough evaluation. Whether you prefer a buyout or revenue sharing, it's entirely your choice," Li Dawei readily agreed. "I won't disturb you further. If you need anything, just contact us at any time."

In just three years, Jiang Chen had provided three technological breakthroughs for military collaboration.

Though the military had paid a steep price, the resulting surge in strength was undeniable.

Even the wealthiest and core capital, Capital Base City, having secured the largest share of new equipment, had almost completely wiped out the monsters in its vast surrounding territories and was now planning to expand into the wilderness to establish new urban districts.

Had Jiang Chen not insisted on remaining in Jiangnan, he would have been invited to the capital long ago to enjoy the very best treatment.

With all this in mind, Li Dawei, as the commander responsible for Jiangnan Base City, naturally regarded Jiang Chen with utmost importance, afraid he might leave at the slightest dissatisfaction.

Relocating to another base city might be an insurmountable challenge for ordinary people, but for a "high-level talent" like Jiang Chen, it was a trivial matter—one phone call would suffice.

After ending the call, Jiang Chen glanced at the memo on his main workstation screen, then unconsciously looked at the tightly locked door, and murmured to himself, "System!"

As soon as the words left his lips, the scene before his eyes shifted dramatically!