The notification arrived at 2:17 a.m.
[Bank Alert]
Account credited: 30,000,000 Dragon Coins.
Balance updated.
Lu Xingye stared at the numbers for a full three seconds.
Then he exhaled slowly.
"So this," he murmured, "is the sound of the world bending."
No fireworks.
No system prompts.
Just cold, silent digits.
But those digits meant something very real.
They meant freedom.
They meant that from this moment on, he was no longer just a student renting a cramped apartment near Yanjing University.
He was capital.
And capital, when combined with knowledge, became power.
"Boss," Jarvis said, "funds confirmed. Would you like me to draft an asset allocation plan?"
"Not yet," Lu Xingye replied. "First, I want to be sure something else."
He stood up, walked to the bathroom, and turned on the light.
The mirror reflected a young man with calm eyes and an ordinary face—nothing godlike, nothing extraordinary.
Except—
Lu Xingye turned slightly and raised his left hand.
On the back of his hand, beneath the skin, the circular tattoo was faintly visible.
A dull, ashen gray.
No longer pitch black.
He frowned slightly.
"So it really did drain…"
When he had taken Jarvis out of the Iron Man world, the tattoo had been fully black—dense, deep, like a small black hole pressed into his flesh.
After that night, after hours of continuous use, it had faded.
Not gone.
But exhausted.
"Jarvis," Lu Xingye said softly, "estimate my current charge level."
"Visual estimation only," Jarvis replied. "Approximately seventeen percent of maximum density."
Lu Xingye nodded.
Low.
Very low.
Which meant one thing.
If he tried to reach into another world now, the power would not respond.
No exceptions.
No miracles.
Rules were rules.
And his power was never free.
Lu Xingye walked back into the living room and sat down, opening the refrigerator.
Instant noodles.
Eggs.
Milk.
Leftover takeout.
He stared at the contents for a moment, then smiled helplessly.
"So even godhood starts with eating properly."
He cooked a simple meal—rice, eggs, meat—nothing fancy, but heavy and filling.
As he ate, a faint warmth spread from his stomach, through his chest, and down his arm.
It was subtle.
Almost imperceptible.
But when he placed his left hand under the light again—
The dull gray tattoo darkened just a little.
Not black.
But no longer lifeless.
"So food really is energy," he muttered. "Primitive… but fair."
Jarvis added, "Boss, based on current observations, higher-density energy sources would significantly increase charging efficiency."
Lu Xingye raised an eyebrow.
"Such as?"
"High-calorie nutrition, refined bio-energy, electrical conversion, or—" Jarvis paused for 0.2 seconds, "—future technological alternatives."
Lu Xingye chuckled.
"Future problems for a future me."
At that moment, his phone vibrated again.
This time, it wasn't Tongtong.
Unknown number.
Lu Xingye stared at the screen for a second before answering.
"Hello?"
A deep, steady male voice came through.
"Mr. Lu Xingye."
No hesitation.
No uncertainty.
Lu Xingye's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Yes."
"This is Zhang Jianjun, CTO of 360 Security."
"I know," Lu Xingye replied calmly.
There was a brief pause on the other end.
Then Zhang spoke again, tone heavier.
"Your software has been deployed."
"Infected machines nationwide have dropped by eighty-seven percent."
"The remaining variants are attempting mutation."
Lu Xingye leaned back against the sofa.
"And?"
"And," Zhang said slowly, "the attacker noticed."
There it was.
The part he had been waiting for.
"They're probing our servers," Zhang continued. "Not attacking yet. Just… observing."
"Like a predator," Lu Xingye said lightly.
"Yes," Zhang admitted. "Which is why I'm calling."
Silence stretched.
Then Zhang asked, "Are you prepared for retaliation?"
Lu Xingye looked at his left hand again.
At the tattoo.
At the city lights outside his window.
Then he smiled.
"No," he said honestly.
"But I will be."
Zhang laughed once, low and tense.
"Young people these days…"
"Mr. Lu," he said seriously, "360 Security will honor its agreement. Your identity will remain sealed."
"But if things escalate—"
"Then you'll come back to me," Lu Xingye interrupted calmly.
Just like he had said before.
Zhang Jianjun went silent.
Finally, he said, "Understood."
The call ended.
Lu Xingye placed the phone down.
Outside, the city slept.
Inside, something vast had already begun to move.
A ransomware storm.
A hidden enemy.
Thirty million Dragon Coins.
A fading but recharging tattoo.
And somewhere beyond reality—
Entire worlds were waiting to be watched.
"Jarvis," Lu Xingye said quietly.
"Yes, Boss."
"Find me the highest-quality documentaries, films, and full-world visual records."
"Science fiction. Complete perspectives only."
Jarvis paused.
Then replied:
"Boss… are you planning your next extraction?"
Lu Xingye smiled, eyes deep and calm.
"No."
"I'm planning my next step."
The tattoo on the back of his left hand pulsed faintly.
Not black.
But no longer dull.
And the night grew heavier.