The Way of Restraint

Chapter 63: The Tip of the Iceberg

The website, account, and password that Odell left behind were most likely meant to connect to the d@rk web.

No wonder Su Jie couldn’t access or search it through regular means.

According to Odell, that site offered access to many things not available on the open market—items that could enhance physical abilities. That sounded plausible.

“Big Sis, just how advanced do you think modern technology is? I read some reports and theories saying that certain laboratories have tech that’s thirty to forty years ahead of what’s publicly available. Do you think that’s true?” Su Jie suddenly raised a question.

He’d seen videos online of robots doing martial arts moves and backflips, robot dogs that could open doors on their own, and AI bots that could communicate with each other and talk to people.

But logically, anything released to the public definitely wasn’t the cutting-edge stuff.

“Of course it’s true. A lot of that tech is monopolized by oligarchs and is never made available to the general public. But on the d@rk web, you can sometimes get your hands on it,” Su Muchen replied. “For example, if you’re training in combat, you can buy dr*gs on the d@rk web used by top international agents and fighting champions. They can dramatically enhance your physical abilities.”

“I figured as much.” Su Jie now understood why Odell had given him that account and password.

“Little bro, promise me you won’t log in and then sneak off to do it anyway,” Su Muchen warned him again, still uneasy.

“Don’t worry.” Su Jie already had a plan in mind.

Right now, he was focused on training and honing his mental resilience. He was determined to reach the state of a “Living Dead.”

As his training grew more profound, he began to understand that the highest level of martial arts wasn’t just about physical enhancement—it was about spiritual cultivation.

Otherwise, with Odell’s status as a “Godmaker” and the top coach at the Typhon Training Camp, wouldn’t he have had access to all kinds of drugs and technology? Yet he still chose to leave it all behind to pursue the ultimate spiritual state.

If not for Odell’s example, Su Jie might have focused too heavily on external things.

But now, his priority was on elevating his mental state.

“That’s good. You’ve always been true to your word. You’ve never told a lie, even now when you’re already so grown up,” Su Muchen said, still trusting her little brother. She handed him a tablet as thick as a brick. “This is the training device I mentioned last time. You can upload your usual training videos and sparring sessions into it. The AI in here will build a model, automatically generate animations, and simulate fights against current professional fighters—even world-class champions. The analysis has an 80% accuracy rate.”

“Really?” Su Jie remembered he had quite a few training videos stored on his phone.

He had a habit of recording every training session and sparring match. Afterward, he’d watch them closely to analyze and reflect.

It was the best way to grasp key points and understand what worked and what didn’t.

That was one of the reasons why modern training could advance so much faster than in ancient times.

In the heat of combat, many people felt they performed well, but after watching the footage, they’d find their techniques full of flaws. That’s the difference between being in it and observing from the outside.

In the past four months, Su Jie had already fought over 300 times.

At Minglun Martial Arts Academy alone, he had participated in over a hundred fights. And at the Starshine Combat Fitness Club, he fought even more frequently. But even after hundreds of sparring sessions, none had as much impact on him as that one street fight against the “Gray Wolf.”

He copied the videos from his computer and phone onto the tablet, letting its AI system create modules and run analysis.

That process would take several hours.

“This is already the best hardware on the market,” Su Muchen said. “Right now, this is the smallest it can get. Any smaller and the program wouldn’t be able to run.”

“With this kind of hardness and weight, there’s no way it could circulate commercially,” Su Jie nodded. “The hardware tech still needs to level up.”

“This is where AI and humans differ. A lot of people think that if AI gains consciousness, it could threaten humanity’s position. But that’s not really the case,” Su Muchen said. “Setting aside whether AI can even become self-aware—AI is just software. No matter how powerful a computer’s software is, it can’t physically improve its own hardware. But humans, on the other hand, can undergo massive transformation as their mental resilience grows.”

“That makes sense.” When Su Jie heard that offhand remark, it reminded him of the thoughts he had earlier that morning in the park. A new insight began to form.

In truth, computers and humans were very much alike.

The hardware, monitors, and case were like a person’s physical body. The operating system and various software were the soul—that is, the heart and mind in martial arts.

The heart was the operating system, and the mind was the software.

“Big Sis, so what are you trying to say now?” Su Jie asked.

“What do you mean?” Su Muchen was a little stunned.

“Of course it’s about changing jobs,” Su Jie said while fiddling with his brick-thick tablet. “If we don’t jump ship to Lu Shu’s company, we can go elsewhere. There are plenty of strong companies out there now. Haoyu Group is seriously underpaying you guys. But that’s not even the worst part—Feng Yuxuan openly said he wants to bind you guys to him for life, said you’re his slaves, that even your bodies belong to him. I personally saw him taking two C-list actresses into a hotel for some ‘business meeting’. 

And the worst part? Back when you guys were starting your business, the reason your company went bankrupt was because Feng Yuxuan was messing around behind the scenes. He wanted to buy out your tech and take it all. Whatever, I’m done talking about it.” 

Su Jie waved his hand at the end, clearly having said this many times before. 

“Right now, our team is at a crucial breakthrough point. Once I’ve finalized this phase of our research, I’ll take the girls and we’ll jump ship,” Su Muchen said. “Even though our current pay isn’t great, you have to admit Feng Yuxuan invested in us when we were just fresh grads starting up.” 

“Pay isn’t the main issue. I just have a bad feeling about the Feng family. I’m afraid something might happen.” 

Su Jie remembered how Feng Hengyi blatantly sent someone nicknamed ‘Grey Wolf’ to threaten him. They were totally unscrupulous. And Feng Yuxuan himself wasn’t just no gentleman—he was complete scum. 

What made Su Jie even more uneasy was that this scumbag was pursuing his sister. 

And not just her—he was also chasing after her best friend from the same team. 

Su Jie had even overheard that himself. 

Unfortunately, the evidence had been snatched away. 

Su Jie knew his sister’s situation well. She and her dorm mates in college were all top students—high achievers with good looks, all holding PhDs at a young age. They were true winners in life. 

But after graduation, when they started a business together, they hit roadblocks everywhere. In the end, the company went bankrupt and fell into debt, only to be bought out by Feng Yuxuan at a dirt-cheap price. 

Feng Yuxuan wasn’t just after their technology. He wanted them—the women—as well. 

‘This b*stard thinks he’s the main character in some domineering CEO novel!’ Su Jie cursed in his heart. 

“Oh right! Sis, you better be careful. I suspect the Feng family is connected to the d@rk web!” Su Jie suddenly remembered something. 

“I suspect that too,” Su Muchen said seriously. “A lot of the equipment in our lab clearly didn’t come through normal channels.” 

Just then, Su Muchen’s phone rang. 

“I have to head to the company. Feng Yuxuan said he’s coming to pick me up personally. He wants to treat our team to a meal and discuss a pay raise. Looks like he already caught wind of Lu Shu trying to poach us. I’m heading down now,” she said as she hurriedly packed her things. 

“I’ll go down with you,” Su Jie stood up. 

“No, don’t get into a fight with him,” Su Muchen quickly stopped him. 

“What, you still don’t trust your own little brother? Do I seem like the impulsive type?” Su Jie replied. 

“Alright then.” Unable to argue with him, Su Muchen had no choice but to head downstairs with him. 

Sure enough, a car was parked downstairs. Next to it stood a young man who truly looked “impressive and dignified.” He was extraordinarily striking—1.9 meters tall, even taller than Su Jie. His body was well-proportioned, dressed in a casual yet stylish suit that gave off a professional vibe. His face carried a playful arrogance, but his eyes were piercingly sharp. Hidden deep in his pupils, though, was a trace of cold indifference that only someone skilled in reading people could spot. 

This was the classic type—warm on the outside, cold on the inside. The kind of ambitious leader who could rally followers in business or politics, but also rule them with an iron fist. 

This was Feng Yuxuan. 

His name matched his aura. 

The term “dignified and impressive” could have been coined just for him. 

Seeing Su Jie come down, Feng Yuxuan nodded slightly, as if he had expected it. He warmly took Su Muchen’s bag and helped her into the car. 

“Your brother probably wants to talk to me. You wait in the car. I’ll join you after we’re done. Don’t worry, I’ll clear up all his misunderstandings about me today.” 

“Alright, you two talk.” Su Muchen had no choice. She was great at research, but when it came to dealing with people, she was not only unskilled—she was actually terrible at it. 

“Let’s go talk somewhere else,” Feng Yuxuan said, walking over and looking down at Su Jie. “I know what you want to say, but let’s keep our distance.” 

“Exactly what I was thinking.” 

Back in the day, Su Jie might have felt intimidated by Feng Yuxuan. But now, he couldn’t care less. His eyes were sharp, staring straight into Feng Yuxuan’s. 

The tension between them was thick as they walked over to a narrow hallway on the side of the complex. Once they were out of sight from the car and Su Muchen, they stopped. 

“You know why I came to see you personally?” Feng Yuxuan didn’t bother with small talk or sugarcoating. His tone was cold and straight to the point. 

“Because I met with Lu Shu’s people?” Su Jie looked at that handsome face, feeling a deep sense of disgust. He wished he could just punch it flat. 

But he was no longer the impulsive guy from a few months ago. That rashness of youth was gone. 

His martial arts training had taught him that the best way to deal with an enemy was not through impulsiveness, but by biding his time, finding their weakness, and striking with a single, decisive blow.