Extraterrestrial demons invaded; I laid the groundwork eight years in advance.

Revitalization countdown: 13 days.

Along the Huangpu River, the evening breeze, carrying damp moisture, swept across the embankment.

Two young women dressed in revealing clothing walked side by side. The one in front, wearing a black deep-V bodycon dress, held up a selfie stick and smiled sweetly at the camera.

"Dear viewers in the live stream, did you see that? Behind us is the Shanghai trio—"

Her companion, dressed in sportswear, was elegant and beautiful, but her gaze was drawn to the opposite bank of the river: "What's that over there? It's so impressive."

"The headquarters of the Dawn Group." The girl in the black dress glanced at it. "It was just built last year. It's normal that you don't know it since you're abroad most of the time."

A few comments scrolled through the live stream chat:

"Shuguang Group? The one that's risen to prominence in recent years?"

"The girl next to me has a great figure, streamer, turn the camera over here."

The woman in the black dress smiled and flicked her hair at the camera: "Shuguang Group isn't just any ordinary company. Their biotechnology, new energy, and artificial intelligence divisions are all top-tier in their respective fields. Chairman Li Zhou, at only thirty-one years old, already has a net worth of trillions. The rockets you've been sending wouldn't even cover a second of their interest."

The chat exploded:

"Trillions? Thirty-one years old? I'm so jealous."

  

"Interest in one second, haha."

Seeing the lively discussion, the woman in the black dress slowly turned her phone to the west and introduced, "To the west of the Dawn Headquarters is a high-end commercial area, brightly lit. Further west, there is a European-style castle and thirty-six riverside villas, backed by a small green hill, naturally separated by a T-shaped bamboo park. The bamboo shadows sway gently, a tranquil oasis amidst the hustle and bustle."

"This area was developed by the Shuguang Group a few years ago. I heard that they spent a billion yuan just to acquire the land," the girl in the black dress said in a low voice.

The girl with the ponytail suddenly pointed deep into the bamboo forest: "Look, there's a villa on the hillside."

Behind the bamboo grove, on the slope of Xiaoqingshan, a rooftop is hidden among the bamboo shadows.

"There really is one." The girl in the black dress excitedly zoomed in on the camera. "The person living there must be a very wealthy person."

The screen was flooded with comments:

"The Heavenly Palace unfolded a corner, but it only intensified my inferiority complex."

"Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river; never underestimate a poor middle-aged person!"

The girl in the black dress smiled and said to the camera, "Alright, alright, stop howling. Didn't you want to see pretty girls?"

As she spoke, she turned the camera to the girl with a ponytail next to her. The girl was wearing a tight white sports vest that accentuated her full curves.

The live chat exploded instantly:

"Mommy, I'm hungry!"

"Hey girl, wanna ship? I'll give you ten rockets."

The girl in the black dress laughed and scolded, "You bunch of losers. My best friend is worth hundreds of millions, why would she care about your measly gifts?"

The live chat erupted in another round of wailing and howling.

The girl in the black dress was interacting with netizens when a young man in a white T-shirt walked past them.

The girl with the ponytail subconsciously glanced to the side.

The young man had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, with distinct facial features. He wore a white T-shirt and dark gray casual pants, a minimalist outfit, yet his face gave him an air of aloofness and detachment.

She paused for a moment, then quickened her pace to catch up with her companion, whispering, "That guy who just walked by... he was so handsome."

The girl in the black dress glanced back at the screen, then looked back at the screen, raising an eyebrow and saying, "He's really handsome, just as handsome as all the bosses in front of the screen."

The live chat smelled gossip and started spamming the screen:

"Where? Let me see!"

"Isn't that how you create a sense of immersion?"

The two girls walked away laughing and joking.

The young man, Shen Bai, continued on his way.

He overheard the conversation the woman in the black dress was having on her live stream, and a gentle smile appeared on his face, releasing some of his suppressed emotions.

He looked up at the brightly lit buildings on the opposite bank of the river.

The headquarters of Dawn, the business district, villas, castles, and the house hidden among the bamboo shadows on the bamboo-covered hillside.

They're all his.

Eight years have passed. He built all of this from scratch with his own hands, like building a tower of building blocks that no one could see.

Shen Bai walked a few steps and sat down on a bench by the river. A gentle breeze blew by, making him feel that everything was peaceful and serene.

People were coming and going on the street.

Couples strolled hand in hand, elderly people walked their dogs at a leisurely pace, and children ran around their parents with ice cream in hand.

The aroma of cooking was as strong as a pot of boiling porridge.

He recalled many years ago when his sister first learned to ride a bicycle. She wobbled and fell into his arms, smiling like a little sun.

"Hopefully, none of this will change in the future."

The wind blew across the river, scattering the second half of the sentence.

Shen Bai stared at the screen in his mind. Only one line of text appeared on the screen:

Revitalization countdown: 13 days.

Ever since he obtained the system eight years ago, which gave him foresight about the spiritual resurgence and the end of the world, he has been preparing for that day to come.

The list of Project Dawn, the training data of the Dawn Organization, the files of extraordinary potential talents selected by Xiao Cheng, and the elites of the Myth Club who have taken root in various industries...

Everything is progressing at an accelerated pace.

He silently recited in his mind, "System."

Deep within consciousness, a curtain of light swirls.

---

Host: Shen Bai

Age: 24 years old

Realm: Ninth level of Apprentice (Peak of Body Tempering Realm)

Qualification: Gold Myth

Evolution Points: 432

Cultivation Method:

Basic Body Strengthening Method (White, Excellent)

• Basic Breathing Techniques (White • Excellent)

Basic Meditation Method (White - Excellent)

Apostle Template: 2026 people have already been bound to it.

---

Shen Bai checks the data on the panel every day, not because he's afraid of forgetting, but to remind himself.

A gold-level aptitude is extremely rare, according to the system's description. This is one of the reasons why the system chose him.

Those three cultivation manuals were created by him by collecting countless materials and combining them with system information. It wasn't that he didn't want to evolve them to a higher quality, but the current version was sufficient, and evolution points were scarce. He wanted to save the remaining evolution points for more important things.

The evolution of the Eye of the Rhinoceros, the evolution of Little Orange, the expansion of the Apostle template... every single thing needs to be carefully calculated.

His gaze fell on the realm column; he was just one step away from breaking through.

But he kept suppressing it.

Before the spiritual energy recovers, the laws of this world naturally suppress extraordinary beings. Forcing a breakthrough is not only extremely difficult, but it will also leave hidden dangers for the future, so it is unnecessary.

and so on.

Wait for the countdown to reach zero.

Wait for that door to open by itself.

Xiao Cheng's voice rang in my mind:

"Master, the rift in the suburban logistics park has been dealt with. Five monsters appeared, ranging from Apprentice Level 1 to Level 3. All their corpses have been recovered. The Dawn Squad has withdrawn."

"Understood," Shen Bai said. "Notify all squads: begin Level 2 combat readiness immediately. Use the Spirit Eye to scan for abnormal energy fluctuations 24/7. Report any situation to me immediately; I will intervene if necessary."

"Also, sync tonight's battle data to the research institute."

"clear."

Shen Bai turned off the light screen and stood up.

The river breeze blew again, ruffling the hem of his clothes. He turned and walked along the riverbank.

Behind me, the lights of the Bund still shone brightly.

Before him, the night was as thick as ink.

Shen Bai walked slowly, but his steps were steady, just like every day for the past eight years.