“Oh! How did you ever think of acquiring Bell Labs?” Claire, as the investment president, was naturally quite knowledgeable about investment matters.
“Just think about it. The driving force behind human inventions is actually to make life more comfortable for ourselves. You know that I cultivate Daoism. In the past, I was deeply fascinated by telephones and televisions because their functions are somewhat similar to the abilities attained at certain stages of Dao cultivation. That’s why I became interested in these technologies.
“You should know that according to ancient records, these were originally technologies mastered by elite humans—those who cultivated Dao. Now, these abilities have become widespread and accessible to ordinary people. So I want to study the connection between ancient Daoist practices and modern science. After I achieved success in my cultivation, I have yet to meet another Dao cultivator!” Mu Lin spoke softly, a look of loneliness on his face that made Claire and Fanny feel heartache.
“Mu Lin, you still have us, right?” Claire, filled with sympathy, hugged Mu Lin tightly and whispered gently in his ear. She understood that the 17-year-old Mu Lin, despite possessing extraordinary abilities, lacked a stage to display them and had no peers to communicate with. His inner loneliness and bitterness were understandable.
After a brief pause, Mu Lin realized he had lost his composure and slowly pulled away from Claire’s embrace. He offered a faint apologetic smile, calmed his emotions, and continued his narrative.
“The three years I spent traveling domestically were actually an attempt to find cultivators or Dao practitioners for deeper exchanges. I visited all the so-called sacred Daoist and Buddhist mountains. Although I found the caves and dwellings of cultivators, they had long been abandoned or their occupants had perished.
“Even though rare herbs and spiritual treasures were not scarce in these famous mountains and rivers, I couldn’t find any cultivators. With a glimmer of hope, I thought maybe they had moved overseas due to dissatisfaction with the domestic environment. But after searching thoroughly in the U country, I still found no trace of them.
“Since I can’t find them for now, I hope to use modern science to explore the true meaning of Daoist techniques. That’s why I’m interested in acquiring Bell Labs.”
Seeing everyone’s expressions shift to sudden realization, Mu Lin smiled faintly. “Actually, you’ve already stepped into the threshold of cultivation. With the help of spiritual herbs and dual cultivation techniques, Claire, Fanny, and others, although slightly older, have already transformed their physical constitutions. After some cultivation, you will officially begin your Dao cultivation journey.”
Noticing the inquiring gazes from Hong Jiani and Meizi, Mu Lin continued, “As for you younger ones, after undergoing marrow cleansing with spiritual herbs, your future cultivation progress will surpass Fanny and the others. As for Jiani, your constitution is particularly unique. Once you transform the pure Yin within you, your future achievements might be the greatest among all of you.”
“When that time comes, you’ll possess abilities far beyond ordinary humans and live much longer lives. Then you’ll understand my feelings. Just don’t cry on me, okay?” Adjusting his mindset, Mu Lin teased the group.
Everyone was momentarily speechless, ignoring him, creating an awkward atmosphere.
“No way! We still have you, big brother. As long as we have you, everything will be okay!” Meizi’s innocent tone made Mu Lin laugh heartily, causing everyone to smile involuntarily.
“Mu Lin, can our families also cultivate Dao like us?” Fanny carefully asked this question.
“I’m sorry, Fanny. I think your families cannot practice Dao cultivation!” Mu Lin replied decisively.
“The reasons are simple. First: Dao cultivation is the essence of the Chinese people. I cannot, for my own selfish desires, leak this authentic tradition and become a traitor to the Chinese nation. Second: your physical constitutions differ somewhat from ours Han Chinese. Mainly, your bodies contain more impurities, which might be related to your dietary habits. Using spiritual herbs alone cannot completely cleanse these impurities. I can’t possibly use dual cultivation techniques on all of you, can I? As for you girls, since you’re with me, of course I won’t watch helplessly as you leave me prematurely. That’s why I’ve been working so hard to purify your bodies.”
“No wonder Mom and Fanny have been getting more and more beautiful. It’s all thanks to big brother!” Daisey’s teasing remark made Claire and Fanny blush.
Mu Lin continued with the previous topic, feeling it necessary to clarify this issue thoroughly today: “Look at your people’s actions over the past century in China—how they invaded and plundered. Consider the profound suffering the Chinese people have endured. Please forgive me, but I will not allow this technique to spread through my hands.”
“What if we secretly pass it on ourselves?” Bice asked stubbornly.
“Haha! Then that would mean you willingly choose to leave me. As soon as you genuinely intend to pass cultivation techniques to outsiders, the Dao cultivation methods I implanted in your minds will be completely erased. Your cultivation abilities will vanish into thin air, and you’ll lose all memories of being with me. We would truly become complete strangers! I’m also relieved that all of you have thoroughly remembered what I told you when I first taught you cultivation techniques.” Mu Lin stated resolutely.
All the women fell silent, beginning to contemplate the meaning behind Mu Lin’s words.
“No, Mu Lin! I don’t want to leave you! I just can’t bear the feeling of watching my family members leave me one by one over time!” Fanny suddenly burst into tears.
Claire quickly hugged Fanny, whispering comforting words. The atmosphere in the room became heavy, and Mu Lin steeled himself to bear this weight. He knew this was a situation he must face after choosing to accept Claire, Fanny, and the others.
“Big brother, then what will you do in the future?” Meifang spoke first, breaking the solemn atmosphere. Everyone shifted their attention back to Mu Lin.
“In this world, I don’t intend to control it using my supernatural abilities—you girls can rest assured you won’t become my accomplices. As for what I asked Claire to do, it’s just to give you some self-defense abilities in this world. I only want to use the world’s most advanced scientific technology to resolve some questions in my mind.
“First, I want to expand the emerging mobile phone industry. This is a new industry that will certainly have long-term development. I just want to use this technology to accumulate substantial wealth. Then, using our medical techniques, I plan to enter the traditional energy industry, which we must strive to control. It’s also an industry that accumulates wealth. In the future, I want to focus on aviation and aerospace industries, which are capital-intensive fields. Now you understand why I say I don’t have enough money!
“Oh! How did you come up with the idea to acquire Bell Labs?” As the investment president, Claire was quite knowledgeable about investment strategies.
“Think about it—the driving force behind human inventions is essentially to make life more comfortable. You know I practice Taoism, and I’ve always been fascinated by telephones and televisions. These technologies resemble the abilities one gains after reaching a certain level in Taoist cultivation, which is why I’m so intrigued by them.
According to ancient records, these were once techniques mastered only by elite humans—Taoist practitioners. Now, they’ve been popularized and applied to ordinary people. I want to explore the connection between the two. The thing is, since I’ve achieved some success in my cultivation, I haven’t met a single fellow practitioner!” Mu Lin said wistfully, his lonely expression tugging at Claire and Fanny’s hearts.
“Come on, Mu Lin! You still have us, don’t you?” Claire hugged him gently, whispering in his ear. She understood that despite his extraordinary abilities, the 17-year-old Mu Lin had no stage to showcase them and no peers to share his journey with. His loneliness and frustration were palpable.
After a moment, Mu Lin composed himself and slowly pulled away from Claire’s embrace. With an apologetic smile, he steadied his emotions and continued.
“My three-year journey across the country was actually a search for fellow cultivators—Taoists or spiritual practitioners—to engage in deep discussions. I visited all the so-called sacred lands of Taoism and Buddhism. Though I found abandoned meditation caves, they had long been deserted or their occupants had passed away.
In those famous mountains and rivers, spiritual herbs and treasures weren’t scarce, yet I couldn’t find a single cultivator. Holding onto a sliver of hope, I thought perhaps they had left the country due to unfavorable conditions. But even after scouring the entire U.S., I found no trace of them.
Since I can’t find them for now, I want to use modern science to study the true essence of Taoist arts. That’s why I’m interested in acquiring Bell Labs!”
Seeing the dawning realization on everyone’s faces, Mu Lin smiled faintly. “Actually, you’ve already stepped onto the threshold of cultivation. With the help of spiritual herbs and dual cultivation, Claire, Fanny, and a few others—despite being slightly older—have already transformed their physiques. After some training, you’ll truly begin your cultivation journey.”
Noticing Hong Jiani and Meizi’s questioning looks, he added, “As for you younger ones, after the spiritual herbs cleanse your marrow, your progress will far surpass Fanny’s group. Jiani, your constitution is special. Once you refine the pure yin within you, your achievements might be the greatest among them all.”
“By then, you’ll possess abilities far beyond ordinary people and enjoy much longer lifespans. You’ll understand my feelings—just don’t cry to me about it!” Mu Lin teased, lightening the mood.
The room fell silent, the atmosphere slightly awkward as no one responded.
“Of course not! We have you, brother. With you around, anything is possible!” Meizi’s sweet, earnest tone made Mu Lin laugh, easing the tension.
“Mu Lin, can our families also cultivate like us?” Fanny asked cautiously.
“I’m sorry, Fanny, but no,” Mu Lin replied firmly.
“The reasons are simple. First, cultivation is the essence of my Chinese heritage. I can’t betray that legacy for personal reasons and become a traitor to my people. Second, your physiques differ from ours, primarily due to more impurities—likely tied to dietary habits. Spiritual herbs alone can’t cleanse those impurities, and I can’t possibly use dual cultivation for everyone. As for you all, since you’re with me, I won’t stand by and watch you leave this world prematurely. That’s why I’ve gone to such lengths to purify your bodies.”
“No wonder Mom and Fanny have been getting more and more beautiful—it’s all thanks to you, brother!” Daisy’s playful remark made Claire and Fanny blush.
Mu Lin pressed on, feeling it necessary to clarify things today. “Look at how your people have invaded and plundered China over the past century. The suffering my people endured was immense. So please understand—I cannot allow this knowledge to spread through me.”
“What if we secretly teach others?” Bessie challenged.
“Then you’d be choosing to leave me,” Mu Lin said coldly. “The moment you genuinely intend to pass on these teachings, the cultivation techniques imprinted in your minds will vanish. Your skills will disappear, and all memories of me will be erased. We’d become complete strangers. I’m glad, though, that all of you have kept the oath you made when I first taught you.”
The women fell silent, absorbing his words.
“No, Mu Lin! I don’t want to leave you! I just can’t bear the thought of watching my family pass away one by one!” Fanny burst into tears.
Claire quickly embraced her, murmuring comfort. The room grew heavy with emotion as Mu Lin steeled himself against the weight of his choices.
“Brother, what’s your next step?” Meifang broke the silence, shifting the focus back to Mu Lin.
“In this world, I don’t intend to use my powers to dominate it. Rest assured, you won’t be my accomplices. What I’ve asked Claire to do is simply ensure you have the means to protect yourselves. My goal is to use the world’s most advanced science to answer some of my questions.
First, I want to expand the emerging mobile phone industry—it’s a field with long-term potential. I’ll use this technology to amass wealth. Then, leveraging our medical expertise, we’ll transition into the traditional energy sector, which is crucial for financial accumulation. Eventually, I’ll shift focus to aerospace—a costly but necessary venture. Now you see why I said my funds are insufficient!
Ancient cultivators, once accomplished, could soar through the skies on flying swords and artifacts. Since I haven’t reached that level yet, I want to explore aerospace technology to uncover any possible connections between the two.”
Mu Lin left one thought unspoken.
Actually, Mu Lin had another unspoken thought.
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