Chapter Sixty-One: Your Boy Made the News!

“Perhaps you don’t quite realize it yet, but I can say with certainty that once the virtual network is truly launched, its impact on the entire world will be profound. It’s no exaggeration to say that the virtual network will spread across the globe at a terrifying speed and everyone will become its user. Do you really think that any country or organization on Earth would allow such a network empire to be controlled by a single individual?” At this point, Blue Sky smiled and shook his head. “Forget about other countries—even our own nation probably wouldn’t permit someone like me to exist.”

“Then… are you really sure your trump card is enough to withstand all that?” Wang Lin’s father was shaken to his core. In truth, he knew that what he’d asked was pointless; if Blue Sky weren’t absolutely certain of his defenses, how could he dare to bring something so dangerous into the open?

But that was precisely the most frightening part…

He truly could not imagine just how powerful a person would have to be to feel confident in facing the combined might of the whole world.

As expected, Blue Sky nodded, his tone turning solemn. “You may not believe it, but this is for the future of Earth as well. In fact… have you ever considered that the universe is so vast, and Earth is not nearly as safe as people imagine?”

In truth, ever since the advent of the virtual network, Blue Sky had conceived a daring plan. If this plan could succeed, the future of the planet might be forever changed.

But all of that would have to wait until the virtual network platform had become widespread—anything said now would be premature.

...

In a small city in the northern part of Su Province, Xing City, at Blue Sky’s family home.

“Wife, how long has it been since that boy Blue Sky called us? Now that his wings have hardened, he doesn’t even think to call home! Hand me the phone—I’m going to call and give him a piece of my mind!” Blue Sky’s father was in his pajamas, one hand holding a teacup, the other a tablet, watching his favorite wartime drama.

“He’s grown up now, working so hard in the big city. He must be exhausted after work. Just let him be,” Blue Sky’s mother replied, sipping her flower tea as she watched TV, paying no mind to her husband’s grumbling.

“How is that causing trouble? I just want to check in on him! He’s a grown man now, but he hasn’t even brought a girlfriend home to meet us.” Blue Sky’s father glared and reached for the phone on the nightstand, ready to call his son.

But before he could dial, the phone rang.

“Huh? Blue Jian? Why would he be calling me at this hour?” Blue Sky’s father wondered aloud. Blue Jian was Blue Sky’s second uncle, a minor section chief at the Xing City Bureau of Industry and Commerce. He’d always lent their little family supermarket some help, but his overbearing manner often left people uneasy.

“Hello? Second Brother, it’s so late—what’s up?” Despite any discomfort, Blue Jian’s help over the years had always been appreciated, so Blue Sky’s father, Blue Hua, quickly answered.

“Haha, Blue Hua! Such a big event and you didn’t say a word? That’s just not right! Haha, congratulations—what a joyous occasion! In the future, you’ll have to ask Blue Sky to look out for all of us!” Blue Jian’s laughter rang out over the phone, and whether it was an illusion or not, Blue Hua thought he caught a hint of flattery in his voice that he’d never heard before.

But Blue Hua was completely confused. What did Blue Jian mean? What big event? What joyous news? He couldn’t make heads or tails of it.

“Second Brother, what happy event? I don’t know anything about it,” Blue Hua said, motioning for his wife to turn down the TV.

“Oh, still keeping secrets from me? Blue Sky made the news! He’s the richest man in Ning City now! Our family finally has a big shot! Haha!” Blue Jian was over the moon. At work, he’d never done especially well or badly—his credentials were good enough for promotion, but he’d never had a powerful relative or friend to help him up.

There were actually quite a few families surnamed Blue in Xing City—a big clan, really—but only a handful kept close ties, and none of them were particularly wealthy or powerful. Of the closer relatives, Blue Jian had done decently, and there was an older brother who was deputy director of the finance bureau, but even he wasn’t quite influential enough to give Blue Jian the boost he needed.

But now, with his nephew becoming the richest man in Ning City, he suddenly had a massive backer.

Ning City was the provincial capital—the title of its wealthiest citizen carried great weight, involving dealings with high officials and tycoons. Blue Jian could hardly believe that his nephew had quietly become the city’s new richest man. He’d nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw the news! If he hadn’t triple-checked, he wouldn’t have believed it was Blue Sky standing there on stage, speaking so confidently.

“Wait, Second Brother, have you been drinking? What are you talking about? The richest man in Ning City? I don’t understand a word of this,” Blue Hua said, speechless at his brother’s nonsense.

“Blue Hua! That’s not right! Your son’s all over the news—soon the whole country will know him, and you’re still keeping secrets from me?” Blue Jian sounded both emotional and envious. “I never thought Blue Sky would amount to so much! Old Third, you’ve finally made it...”

“No, really, I have no idea what you’re talking about. You mean Blue Sky’s the richest man in Ning City? How could that be?!” Blue Hua finally caught on to a hint of the story and burst out laughing. He was sure his brother had had too much to drink. Didn’t he know his own son’s circumstances? Forget being the richest man in Ning City—Blue Sky was lucky to make just over four thousand yuan a month, enough to barely support himself there.

“Are you really in the dark, or are you just pretending? Blue Sky didn’t tell you? Go look it up online—your son’s everywhere in the news! Not only is he the richest man in Ning City, he’s also developed something called the virtual network. The internet’s gone wild!” Blue Jian was so excited he wished he could swap places with Blue Hua and claim Blue Sky as his own son.

“All right, all right, I’ll look it up.” Blue Hua felt his heart skip a beat. After hanging up, he turned to his wife in disbelief. “Blue Jian says our son’s become the richest man in Ning City!”

“Hmph, I heard him—he’s got the loudest voice around. Clearly he’s had too much to drink,” Blue Sky’s mother snorted dismissively, not even bothering to glance away from the TV.

“But he sounded so convincing. Whatever, I’ll check online myself—it’s probably just someone with the same name.” Blue Hua decided to look it up, thinking it was nothing, but if it really turned out to be his son… that would be unbelievable!

He picked up his tablet, closed his video app, and typed Blue Sky’s name into the search engine.