Late Bloomer

  The night has finally passed and a new day has begun.

  The sea surface is calm and peaceful, with a few seagulls flying around the container ship. The crisp calls of the gulls are carried far away by the gentle breeze, as if chasing after invisible radio waves.

  In a container, Yukihara stretched his waist, which had been sore for several days due to intense work. However, he was still in an excited state. There were many things in this world that could excite this billionaire, but only one thing could keep him excited for so long: scientific experimentation. And the experiment Yukihara was currently conducting was against human ethics and morality, a field that no other scientist had ever touched: soul transplantation.

  All this is thanks to a genius, Shi Li, who proposed the theory and devised the experiment plan, and volunteered to be the experimental subject. There was another person, Zhang Haiyang, an active bounty hunter in Iraq, occasionally also doing hit jobs in other regions, he also volunteered to be the experimental subject.

  One River Rain Down didn't understand the relationship between these two people from start to finish, but that's not important. What's important is the experiment itself, the perfect idea and the perfect experiment. Zhang Haiyang had no rejection reaction to Shi Li's memory body and soul replication, and left after passing the seven-day observation period. However, there were some flaws in the experiment on Shi Li, with a rejection phenomenon of soul fusion, causing abnormal neurons throughout his body, making even the slightest collision unbearable for him.

  After experiencing the cargo ship being blown away and Shi Li's hospital treatment, Yichuan Yu finally developed a new fusion agent, rather than a regenerative agent that causes abnormal growth of neurons.

  "It's today."

  One River's mood was good in the rain, he re-verified the data, everything was normal, and a new fusion experiment could be carried out. Just as he was about to inject the reagent into Shili's vein, Shili suddenly grabbed his hand.

  "What's so special about me? Is it ready yet?"

  It rained heavily for a moment, and then he suddenly remembered that Shi Li had made this request before.

  "You really plan on going crazy!"

  "Do you know? Geniuses and madmen are actually the same kind of people, it's just that nobody pursues the former for their madness."

  Shi Li's voice was devoid of human emotion, eerily calm. After a sudden downpour, he first put down the fusion agent and then, in front of the experimental platform, put on a specially made helmet for Shi Li, inputting the brain waves of a rough sailor that had been replicated a few days ago into Shi Li's brain.

  On the operating table, Shilei's body began to convulse violently, and several specially-made straps were broken. Yuxia was considering whether to go outside and wait for a while when Shilei suddenly stopped shaking, and his chest didn't show any signs of breathing, as if he had died.

  "So it's like this, even just brain waves can still carry memories!"

  Shi Li suddenly spoke up, and Yichuan was taken aback by the rain. He felt that Shi Li had changed again, with emotion in his tone, but it also made people feel a sense of fear.

  "Come on, give me the fusion injection already, I'm getting impatient."

  Shi Li took off his helmet, a smile on his face as he looked at Yichuan Yu, his eyes gleaming with malice.

  Yang Ming got up very early, actually he didn't sleep at all last night, so his eyes were full of bloodshot.

  There are many things to deal with today, all about Qifeng Entrepreneurship Group. It was announced yesterday that Yang Ming will take over as the chairman of the board.

  Long before the assassination of Wang Nian, Yang Ming had already arranged everything. He found a down-and-out American-Chinese businessman to invest in Qifeng Chuangye on his behalf, playing the role of a patriotic entrepreneur, with a reward of $1 million. Of course, Yang Ming did not intend to pay this $1 million. After Qifeng Chuangye Group passed its difficulties, it would be the end of this American-Chinese man.

  After Yang Ming got up, image designers and makeup artists appeared one after another. Today, they need to face a big scene, not only are there many reporters gathering, but also many provincial and municipal leaders will attend. Yang Ming's image represents the image of Qifeng Entrepreneurship, so it can't be sloppy.

  "Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, on this sunny day with warm spring breeze and blooming flowers, we are gathered here to solemnly... what is this?"

  Yang Ming snatched the manuscript during makeup and read a few lines before flying into a rage.

  "Has your brain gone soft? It's autumn now, what are you thinking about?"

  The staff on the side hastily searched and handed over a speech manuscript, which was correct this time. Yang Ming only read it once and memorized it, then closed his eyes to rest, letting the makeup artist paint his face.

  At 10:00 am, a large press conference hosted by Qifeng Entrepreneurship Group began at the Qifeng Plaza.

  Yang Ming and the fake foreign businessman finished their passionate speeches, and then the provincial and municipal leaders gave their own speeches. First, they thanked this overseas Chinese who had returned from afar to donate over $100 million, calling him the savior of Tian Nan City. Then, they conveyed the latest spirit and ideology from above, emphasizing that the people's livelihoods should be the foundation, the people's interests should be the root, and the people's well-being should be the goal. The audience erupted in applause, and the employees of Qifeng Group were overjoyed. With the leaders' speeches, the group would not collapse, and their jobs were secure - this was more important than anything else.

  On the square, there was a person sneering coldly. He squeezed out of the crowd and walked into the toilet, where he fished out a sealed package from the water tank. Inside, it was a disassembled sniper rifle. The man locked the toilet door, skillfully assembled the gun, and loaded a bullet.

  He did all this with a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth.

  Yang Ming was uneasy on the rostrum, he always felt that something would go wrong, but didn't know what would happen, and just hoped that the reception would end soon. The fake foreign businessman was also sweating profusely, and didn't know whether it was his first time experiencing such a grand occasion or if he had already guessed his own outcome.

  Yang Ming called Gao Tian over and had him send out the prepared gifts first. The drivers of the leaders couldn't be left out either.

  Just then, a gunshot rang out, but no one noticed. The square was filled with the sound of people's voices, and the leader's speech was long-winded and deafening. But Yang Ming heard it clearly. His heart skipped a beat as he suddenly stood up and looked around in all directions. All the leaders were safe and sound. Then he saw Gao Tian's panicked face, and only then did he realize that he himself had been shot.

  A small cavity appeared on the right chest, and a few strands of blood were spreading out.

  "What's going on?"

  Yang Ming saw the wound and suddenly felt an uncontrollable pain. He blacked out in front of his eyes and fell backwards.

  Wang Nian watched the live broadcast of Yang Ming being shot on TV and laughed uncontrollably. But he didn't understand who this shooter was, clearly able to end Yang Ming's life with one shot, yet only fired a blank in front of Yang Ming's chest.

  "Boss, can we go out now?"

  "Stick your head out and you'll be dead. Wait until I'm a bit better before we talk about this. Hmph, he thinks it's that easy to take me down? Too naive."

  Big Brother Wang nodded in agreement, he had witnessed the ferocity of Wang Nian, who was severely injured yet managed to save Big Brother Wang, who couldn't swim, after falling into the water. Moreover, he was able to sneak back to the vicinity of the gang without being detected, everything exceeded his expectations.

  "Tonight you go get some dead people's bones, I have use for them."

  Big Brother Wang nodded in agreement, not daring to ask why. He was increasingly seeing through the old man, who seemed to have countless mysteries on him. The more it was like this, the more Big Brother Wang admired him.

  Wang Nian lay down on the bed, took out a black jade yin symbol, and a gloomy smile appeared on his face.

  "Now that we've started, I'll summon another evil spirit, let's see what you can do about it."

  In the afternoon, Liu Li watched the news in the rest room and discussed with Zhao Liming who was behind it.

  Tian Nan City is now in a state of turmoil, with negative news coming one after another. The latest incident involves the chairman of Qifeng Entrepreneurship Group being shot, which undoubtedly indicates his connection to the underworld. As a result, foreign investors may withdraw their investments. If Qifeng Entrepreneurship goes bankrupt, it will be a heavy blow to Tian Nan City's economy. However, this could also be an opportunity for Tian Nan City to break free from its reliance on selling land to make ends meet.

  "A city must have its own characteristics to develop, now look at the present situation, local governments all over the country are selling land to make a living, this is very dangerous, if the real estate industry collapses, it will drag down the entire national economy."

  Zhao Liming quietly listened to Liu Li's analysis and did not express his opinion.

  Compared to Liu Li, Zhao Liming knew more inside information and thought things through more comprehensively. She guessed that this shot was just a warning or an attempt to drag Yang Ming into negative news. Although she didn't know what the purpose of doing so was, she suspected that the person who fired the shot might be their department head.

  Zhao Liming's father was the former head of the foreign affairs department. When Li, the department head, first arrived, he was deputy head and served as a transitional figure. At that time, Li often visited Zhao Liming's father at home. Neither of them were simple individuals - one was a martial arts prodigy and the other a shooting champion. They exchanged ideas for over a year, which greatly benefited Li. Zhao Liming had great admiration for Li's marksmanship skills. He had once taught Zhao Liming sniping techniques, including how to disable a suspect without killing them, by aiming at the spot below the collarbone on the chest, thereby avoiding the lungs and hitting a nerve-rich area, rendering the person unconscious with just one shot. Therefore, when Zhao Liming saw the news about Yang Ming being shot, the first person he thought of was Li.

  But Zhao Liming's confusion was soon dispersed by another matter, Shi Li had returned.

  "I'm back, I made you worry."

  Shi Li held Zhao Liming tightly and whispered in her ear, causing Zhao Liming's tears to flow endlessly.

  Colleagues in the foreign affairs department were all delighted at Shilei's return, except for Liu Li who slipped away with a melancholy expression because Shilei chose to hug Zhao Liming instead of her.

  Heartbroken, even sunlight hurts the eyes, tears fall silently.

  Shi Li turned his head to look at Liu Li's back, a faintly discernible sinister smile flashing across his eyes.

  "What have you been up to? You're just getting back now, where have you been for the past few days? Do you know how worried your comrades were about you? And this little girl, and that... Ah? You understand? If you don't explain things clearly today, don't think about leaving! Close the door, serve tea!"

  Li Kezhang came in from outside, his face flushed with excitement, as if he had encountered something good.

  "How did Gaoqin die?"

  Shi Li suddenly interrupted Director Li's words and asked. Director Li opened his mouth several times, but didn't say a word. The Foreign Affairs Department fell into an awkward atmosphere, and colleagues dispersed, leaving Director Li hanging in the center.

  "Let's go in and talk about this!"

  Li Kezhang brought Shi Li into his office, and Zhao Liming returned to his own post, work still had to continue.

  "Actually, your Aunt Tang has always wanted you to go to Liu Ke's, only there can you bring out your talents."

  After sitting down in the office, Director Li didn't mention Gao Qin's matter, but instead began to persuade Shi Li to join the Sixth Department. As he spoke, he lit a cigarette, and Shi Li also lit one, leaving Director Li stunned.

  "When did you learn how to smoke?"

  "Recently."

  With a slightly embarrassed smile, he skillfully puffed out several smoke rings, large ones enveloping smaller ones.

  "Geniuses are indeed geniuses; they can even learn how to blow smoke rings faster than others."

  Li Keqiang's heartfelt sigh.

  "I don't want to join the six departments, but I'd like to borrow their equipment, is that possible?"

  "What is it used for?"

  "I want to resurrect Gao Qiu and Gao Jin."

  Li Kezhang's eyes stared straight at Shili, and he didn't speak for a while, as if trying to see through the young man's thoughts. But he failed.

  "Well, let's talk about what you've been up to these past few days!"

  Li Ke slowly exhaled a large cloud of smoke, separating the two people.

  Dàmù Temple is closed today with a notice on the gate. All monks are doing their duties and will be in seclusion for two days.

  Incense guests and tourists gathered in front of the temple gate, reluctant to leave. The reason was that inside the Daming Temple, the sound of Buddhist chanting lingered, surprisingly it was the monks themselves who were reciting sutras, which was unusual. In the past, they would play recordings, and only played them when there were many incense guests, in order to save electricity. This time, the monks themselves were reciting sutras, the atmosphere was greatly different, people at the gate closed their eyes and seemed to see the golden Buddha radiating light, a magnificent sight.

  Outside the Qingguang Hall, three high incense sticks were inserted into the censer. At both ends of the courtyard, a Song Dynasty porcelain lion was placed beside the corridor, worn out but still showing its majesty. The sunlight shone down at an angle, and the shadow of the Merit Stele stretched straight into the main hall.

  With a flourish, the monk's hands formed a mudra seal, and he sat down amidst the assembled monks in a circular formation. The high chanting of Buddhist scriptures filled the air. Suddenly, a wooden beam fell from above, landing upright at the center of the formation, its single end stuck into the ground. The monk's face contorted, his eyes bulging out, no longer resembling his usual dignified appearance.

  Bai Mu was injured yesterday and sent to the hospital, where the doctor was shocked by his injury. Half of his arm had been burned by electric shock, while other parts were unharmed, which was beyond medical understanding. For this kind of external injury, the doctor could only amputate. After surgery, Bai Mu recovered well, but he remained unconscious. According to the doctor's advice, he should stay in the hospital for a week, but Bai Guang disagreed and took Bai Mu back to Da Mu Temple directly after the operation.

  "Never thought you'd still be bewitched by love."

  Bikō returned to Daibutsu-ji Temple that evening and woke up, after waking up Bikō was crazy, scolding people at the sight of them, wanting to beat anyone who displeased him slightly, and upon seeing or hearing anything related to women, he would become extremely happy. Bikō had no choice but to lock Bikō up and assign a monk to guard him, but in the middle of the night, Bikō still managed to escape, not being found until dawn, it turned out that Bikō had run to Wishing Star Cliff, where he buried his lover's photo.

  To prevent outsiders from seeing the appearance of the birch trees, Daimonji Temple closed its doors and started working on its merits.

  The results of this lesson are astonishing to everyone.

  Bai Guang set up the Vajra Demon-Subduing Array, causing all the monks in the temple to enter the array and recite scriptures, in order to calm down the increasingly uncontrollable evil energy of Bai Mu. Although Bai Guang didn't quite believe in any arrays, this Vajra Demon-Subduing Array still had some effect, at least keeping Bai Mu inside the array and preventing him from speaking profanities.

  "Big brother, I miss Xiaolan, I miss those days from before."

  Bai Mu suddenly stopped struggling and sat up. The monk was overjoyed, stopped chanting scriptures, and Bai Mu immediately fell back down.

  "Don't stop, let's keep going!"

  Bai Guang saw that Bai Mu had not overcome his heart demon, and the clarity earlier was only a temporary suppression of the evil intentions in his heart. Sure enough, after the chanting sound started again, Bai Mu returned to normal and sat up cross-legged.

  "Big Brother, although you and I also have a slight understanding of Buddhist teachings and are in charge here, in reality we can't be considered true monks. Every month we still receive salaries from the government. My cultivation isn't entirely for nothing either, but it's only Hinayana, and after obtaining some magical powers, I thought I was close to becoming an immortal Buddha. Only today do I realize that it was all fake, empty and without substance!"

  Bai Mu's face suddenly contorted, and he supported himself with one hand on the ground. After a while, he slowly lifted his head again, but his face had already changed beyond recognition. His facial features were almost rearranged, and his eyes gleamed with a fierce light as they swept back and forth across the monks' necks.

  "Haha, you stinky monks, do you think this can trap me? Wait till I get out, I'll definitely help you turn your heads around to the back, that's when it gets interesting."

  He secretly sighed in his heart, and the evil spirit had already invaded deeply. He didn't know if he could still use the Vajra Mantra to wake him up.

  Wake up!

  With a flash of light, the iron rod shook, and the Buddhist beads made a ringing sound. The fierce light in Mu's eyes contracted, his expression turned heavy again, then relaxed. He sat down cross-legged once more, holding the Earth Concealment Spell with one hand.

  "Thank you, senior brother. The time for parting is near. Alas, this life has been fleeting and busy, leaving nothing behind but a stinking skin bag that ruins the beautiful mountains and rivers. In the past, I always laughed at senior brother for not understanding cause and effect. Now I finally understand what cause and effect mean - the previous life was not the cause, this life is not the result, and the so-called cause and effect exist within one thought. Unfortunately, I understood too late, and there are too many things that cannot be let go of, so I can only reincarnate again. Otherwise, I fear I would become a demon on the spot. Sigh... If I had known today, why would I have bothered to cultivate Buddhist Dharma back then? These two words 'Buddhist Dharma' are not something that an ordinary person like me could ever attain. In the clear water and green mountains, accompanied by white clouds, I will depart. Little Orchid, it's still..."

  The sound of the wood gradually weakened and finally fell silent.

  The chanting in the Qingguang Hall stopped unknowingly, and the monks stared blankly at the already deceased Bi Mu in the Vajra Fow magic array, as if they couldn't think through something. It wasn't until after a long time that someone started chanting again, with an even more majestic momentum than before, shaking the mountains and dispersing into the sky with the gradually rising mountain wind, without joy or sorrow.

  In the evening, Yang Ming suddenly woke up in the VIP ward of the hospital. He cautiously pricked up his ears and listened intently to the low conversation outside the door.

  "What's going on?"

  Anna pushed open the door and came in, several company security guards stood outside the door, a strange figure was leaving.

  "Is it you? How come you have time to visit me?"

  Manna is a relatively well-known singer in Tiannan City, who was brought to fame by the Qifeng Group and has always been the group's image spokesperson. In private, she is the mistress of a certain leader in the city, and Wang Nian uses her to understand and influence the development plans of the city.

  "Why didn't you call me for something so big today?"

  "This little injury is nothing, I'm telling you..."

  "Don't pretend to be stupid, I'm talking about the press conference! Is it because I'm Wang Nian's person that you're afraid I'll say something?"

  Anna had a fierce look on her face, and her angry expression made Yang Ming somewhat amused.

  "Ah, I see. Well, in that case, let's get straight to the point. It's precisely because of this reason. The company is currently going through a sensitive period and can't afford any more negative publicity, which is why I didn't have anyone inform you."

  "Hum, you're being shot at and that's not negative news? Actually, you think too much, I'm just a singer, whoever pays me, I'll sing for them. Wang Nian is down now, but since it's you who's paying, of course I'll stand on your side."

  Yang Ming made a look of sudden realization, with a hint of teasing in his tone.

  "Oh dear, I didn't realize it before, but your temper really suits my taste!"

  Her eyes were like silk, and she walked over to the bedside with a charming smile, half of her body leaning against Yang Ming's arms. Yang Ming leaned down and sniffed her body intensely, his expression was in a state of intoxication.

  Mona has a special place, she doesn't use perfume, but her body always has a faint fragrance, as if it's captivating like a young girl. It's this unique fragrance that earns Mona the reputation of "Modern Xiang Fei" among leaders. Back then, Wang Nian insisted on making Mona the first place winner in the university beauty pageant, despite her average looks, just because he was captivated by the fragrance on her body. Beautiful women are everywhere, but there's only one Xiang Fei, and that's Mona. Later, when Mona became famous and influential, it proved Wang Nian's foresight, leaders all especially like having this fragrant woman sit with them, and with her around, project approvals become much easier to pass.

  What Yang Ming did not expect was that Nana not only had a charming and alluring scent, but also only recognized money and not people, being extremely ruthless.

  "What's this?"

  Yang Ming's hand moved up and down when he touched a card, Han Na panted and moved her body, taking out the card.

  "Oh, just now outside there was someone who insisted on coming in, looked like a monk, said it's for you."

  "Ghost Association? It's finally starting!"

  Yang Ming's eyes lit up and he sat up abruptly, almost squeezing Hana who was leaning against him to the ground.