Chapter One Hundred Fifteen

"Do you still not understand? Li Daoran, we are here to serve you. It is not that we don't want to control you, but that it is impossible to do so. Therefore, the best approach is for us to cooperate for our mutual benefit. There is no need for you to be on guard against us; no matter how we struggle, it won't affect you. Why bother with so much? As you said yourself, if you don't want to be a god, then just being yourself is enough," Natasha said, leaning against the wall.

"What do you mean?" Li Daoran sensed that there was more to Natasha's words than met the eye.

"If we give you everything you want, to what extent can you achieve your goals? Or rather, to what extent can we, as humans, achieve ours?" David asked.

"I think I understand now. You're treating me like a 'pig teammate' you're trying to carry to victory, aren't you?" Li Daoran replied.

"No, it's just that we have no other choice," Charles said.

Li Daoran shut off the live stream; what he had to say next was not for everyone to hear.

"Do you mean that I should stop worrying about everything happening on Aqua Blue Star, and you will focus all your efforts on supporting me in the Daoran World?" Li Daoran asked.

"No, it means we are shifting all our focus to the Daoran World. You saw the voting results today; everyone has different ideas, various reasons, and sometimes their views will conflict with your intentions. That is perfectly normal. You cannot please everyone. You don't have the strength for that yet. Only when you demonstrate sufficient ability and power can you silence all discordant voices. For now, what we must do is tell them that you are right—that you are always right. Before they come to accept that, don't let the turmoil on Aqua Blue Star disturb your peace of mind," David explained.

"But what if I'm wrong?" Li Daoran couldn't help but ask.

"You won't be wrong," Charles said firmly.

"If you're wrong, it's over. There won't be any right or wrong left," Tam added.

"This is the reply for Yuan Muye. Memorize it now, and you can go back. Remember, you won't be wrong." David handed the laptop to Li Daoran, urging him to look and memorize the contents.

Li Daoran flipped through the laptop and realized he couldn't understand a word of it. He recognized every individual character, but when strung together, they made no sense. It was a cutting-edge technical paper, tens of thousands of words long, filled with specialized terminology. Of course, Li Daoran couldn't understand it, let alone memorize it.

"You're making things difficult for me," Li Daoran said.

"Haha, never mind. You go back first, and I'll read it to you; just repeat after me. It'll be a good chance to see if your translation machine can flawlessly handle these academic terms. If it really can, hehehe..." David stroked his chin with a mischievous grin.

If the machine could translate even these technical terms, it would mean that the technology of Aqua Blue Star and the Daoran World shared a common origin, or at the very least, followed the exact same path. In that case, the cutting-edge technology of the Daoran World would be within reach for Aqua Blue Star.

Ignoring David’s lecherous fantasies, Li Daoran turned toward Natasha, feeling a bit hesitant. After all, having just acted very impolitely in a fit of anger to verify his own suspicions, he didn't know how to apologize.

Natasha saw right through him. After all, the title of "Master of Psychology" was not for nothing. She had long known that Li Daoran was not as simple as he appeared, which was why she had proposed long ago that the idea of controlling him was fundamentally unfeasible.

Natasha smiled and nodded, saying, "Would you like some more milk tea? Why don't you finish it before you go? I wonder if the fruits from the Daoran World taste better, or the ones here on Aqua Blue Star."

"Oh, right, let's eat first. I almost forgot. Once I get back, I should get some sleep. This day has been far too long," Li Daoran said, picking up the meal and milk tea that Charles and Natasha had brought back.

In just one day, Li Daoran had piloted a fighter jet, wiped out Okamoto Imoto's squad, rescued Yuan Muye and his group, lived through the internal strife of the Aqua Blue Star five-member team, had a long conversation with Yuan Muye, wreaked havoc on Aqua Blue Star, and finally returned to a quiet meal of food and fruit.

Li Daoran lay on his bed and shouted, "When I wake up, I want to see that my room has been repaired."

"Understood," Tam replied from outside the door.

Li Daoran closed his eyes, reaching a reconciliation with himself.

Back on Aqua Blue Star, Charles looked at Li Daoran with confusion. He didn't know that time had effectively stopped for Li Daoran; he only saw him transition from inexplicable anger to sudden calm, a shift that was jarringly abrupt.

Li Daoran leaned back naturally, closed his eyes, and said, "I'm tired. I'm going to sleep for a while. You focus on driving."

"Did you return to that world? What happened?" Yuan Muye asked curiously.

"I'll tell you when I have time. Right now, I'm exhausted," Li Daoran said.

Yuan Muye stroked his beard, fell silent, and began to ponder.

Li Daoran was jolted awake by a sudden shaking. He hadn't been sleeping deeply; in such a dangerous environment, he couldn't afford to be completely unconscious.

He opened his eyes to see Yuan Muye gripping the steering wheel tightly, his expression tense.

Looking out the window, Li Daoran’s pupils contracted, and he cursed, "Why didn't you wake me up sooner?"

It turned out that the Black Bear Cave really did have black bears—and not just ordinary ones. A massive black bear, weighing over ten tons and standing three meters tall, was blocking the path. The shaking they had just felt was caused by Yuan Muye’s emergency braking.

"I just saw it too. I didn't expect it to come out today," Yuan Muye said, his brow slick with sweat, his thinning hair plastered to his head.

"You brought us here to feed the bears? Let me tell you, the people in this vehicle aren't enough to satisfy its appetite!" Li Daoran began scrambling into his armor, preparing to suit up.

"Don't kill it, or we'll be in big trouble! This is the only place where I can find a spot to rest. Don't be impatient," Yuan Muye said.

"Then stop the car! Hey, watch out, we're about to hit it!" Li Daoran snapped.

"I can't. We have to push through, otherwise this car will just be its toy. We'll be safe once we get inside," Yuan Muye said, his expression strained. He slammed on the accelerator, and the vehicle surged forward at an even higher speed.

Li Daoran finished putting on his armor and helmet. He wasn't afraid anymore; even if they did crash, the protection of the exoskeleton armor ensured he wouldn't die from the impact.

Yuan Muye suddenly pulled the control stick up. The front of the vehicle tilted sharply, rising vertically into the air. But since it wasn't a real aircraft, it couldn't maintain the climb and soon began to descend.

"I thought this car could fly? Why are we falling?" Li Daoran asked, confused as he found himself turned upside down. In his mind, if it could fly, it should just soar into the sky; there was no reason for it to drop.

"We can't fly up! If we do, we'll be detected, and then we'll be in real trouble," Yuan Muye shouted.

"Detected?"

"Yes, any vehicle flying over the skies of Milan Star is monitored by the Sky Net."

"Then my fighter jet—"

"You know yours is a fighter jet, and not one from Milan Star. Don't ask any more questions! Get ready for the impact!" Yuan Muye roared.

"It's just a bear, is it really necessary to be this nervous?" Li Daoran curled his lip. Clad in his armor, his confidence soared. He didn't believe a black bear could be harder than his suit of steel.

At that moment, the black bear in their field of vision finally seemed to notice the steel toy descending from the sky.

It let out a low growl.

The sound was as heavy as a sledgehammer, its decibels causing leaves to rustle and fall, and the branches of the giant trees to shake violently.

Fortunately, the soundproofing of the supply vehicle was excellent, or the roar alone might have caused casualties.