That afternoon, people noticed a new app called Douying trending in the mobile app stores. While most dismissed it as routine bloatware, a few curious souls clicked download. After all, it was officially recommended by the mainstream stores, so it likely wasn't a virus.
To their surprise, upon entering, they were greeted by a flood of high-quality content.
"Holy crap, these videos are top-tier!"
While Ren Kurogane was busy building his digital empire, things were moving fast for Bai Xiaofei.
After returning home with Xiaowei, the first thing they did was head to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get their marriage certificate. The sudden catastrophe had taught them a harsh lesson: some things shouldn't be put off, or the chance might vanish forever.
Both sets of parents were more than happy with the union. With no obstacles in their path, the two officially became husband and wife in the eyes of the law.
However, Xiaofei barely had time to celebrate before Uncle Tu tracked him down.
"Young comrade! Your strength is obvious to everyone, but it seems you lack a proper cultivation technique. Here—consider this a gift from me. Practice hard and strive to reach the Earth-level soon. Our nation needs more powerhouses like you!"
Xiaofei was stunned as the man shoved a manual into his hands and hurried off with his team, appearing to be in quite a rush.
"Wait! Uncle! What's your name? Where do I find you?!" Xiaofei shouted, but the man had already hopped into a vehicle and sped away, leaving his questions unanswered.
Returning home, Xiaofei described the encounter to Xiaowei. She suggested he call Ren; after all, Ren was the scientist and might have a clue. Xiaofei agreed and dialed the number.
Ren had just finished sourcing the necessary hardware and left Mu Tiancai to the installation while he personally took on the role of HR to recruit fresh blood.
"A graduate from a top-tier tech university? Any notable achievements during your studies?"
"I've written some game cheats and developed a few indie titles."
"You can write cheats? Good. Report for work tomorrow!"
The applicant was taken aback. The interview was so brief that the entire rehearsed speech he'd prepared was rendered useless.
Ren didn't overthink it. The company was in its infancy and needed everyone it could get. As long as someone wasn't a total slacker, he wasn't going to be picky.
Just then, his phone rang. It was his cousin.
"Yo, Xiaofei! I heard you just got hitched. Shouldn't you be on your honeymoon instead of calling me?" Ren teased.
On the other end, Xiaofei explained the encounter with Uncle Tu. The manual he held was the Nine Styles of the Killing God. It seemed the higher-ups knew quite a bit about Xiaofei's bloodline inheritance.
After hearing the description, Ren said casually, "Uncle Tu is a veteran of the First Special Ops Team. If he gave it to you, just train. Nine Styles of the Killing God sounds badass anyway. Look, come visit when you have time; I'm swamped. Talk later."
Ren hung up and returned to his recruitment. However, by the next day, he noticed something strange. The resumes he was receiving were suddenly packed with industry veterans with incredibly "clean" backgrounds.
Seems the top brass is sending me some help, Ren realized with a nod. He picked out several applicants wearing the classic "programmer's plaid" shirts and moved them to the next stage.
That evening, after a grueling day, Ren returned home and collapsed onto his simple wooden bed, slowly closing his eyes.
The Brotherhood Space.
Ninja Ren often dropped by during the downtime between exam phases to ensure he didn't miss out on any absurdly powerful "brothers."
As White Coat Ren manifested, Ninja Ren happened to appear at the same time.
"Yo! Long time no see!"
The two didn't hesitate, meeting in a direct fist-bump.
In an instant, Ninja Ren absorbed everything that had transpired in the other world. As they pulled apart, Ninja Ren looked at his counterpart with awe. "I can't believe it. You've already reached God-level in such a short time!"
"I owe most of it to Mu Tiancai," White Coat Ren said with a sigh of relief. "If I were on my own, I'd probably still be a background character following Bai Xiaofei around."
"Don't be so modest," Ninja Ren countered. "With the effort you put in over the years, you would have cracked the God Gene eventually, even without him. It just would have taken a bit longer."
Having shared memories, Ninja Ren had a solid grasp of his counterpart's academic depth. Just by accessing those memories, he felt confident enough to begin researching how to genetically transition himself into a pure Otsutsuki—let alone what the scientist could achieve.
White Coat Ren was also briefed on Ninja Ren's situation. The timeline in the Naruto world was still in its early stages. Minato was just a kid, and the "Era of Gods" (the Boruto era) was still nearly fifty years away.
That was plenty of time for Ninja Ren to develop.
After the exchange, Ninja Ren left the space immediately to familiarize himself with his new power. The third phase of the Chunin Exams was coming up, and he really didn't want to accidentally vaporize his opponent because he couldn't control his strength.
The Naruto World: Forest of Death, Central Tower.
Ren opened his eyes to see Minato and the others still deep in their respective training. He slipped away to the stairwell to quietly test his new capabilities.
First, his body could now shapeshift into various animals—land, sea, or air. Terrain would never be an obstacle again.
Secondly, his physical durability had skyrocketed, causing the chakra within him to evolve into massive "Chakra-ton" levels. He felt as though he had an inexhaustible well of energy.
Then there was the Killing Aura and the other exotic powers...
After running through the checklist and ensuring he had perfect control over these new variables, Ren returned to his teammates.
There was one hour left before the second stage officially concluded. As it turned out, in this era, there was no month-long wait for the finals.
As the clock hit zero, only four teams had passed the culling. However, due to Ren's influence, thirteen individuals had qualified for the third round. To keep the brackets even, the Third Hokage decided to use a lottery to grant one person a "bye," promoting them to Chunin automatically.
Luck, as they say, is also a form of strength.
Ren and his peers stood before a light-screen, watching names flicker past, each hoping to see their own. Well, most of them. Tsume Inuzuka of the Inuzuka clan looked eager for a fight; her clan was naturally combative, and she didn't want to miss a chance to prove her mettle.
Under the collective gaze of the Genin, the flickering names finally slowed to a stop.
"It's... me?" Shibi Aburame adjusted his glasses. Despite his stoic exterior, he felt a small prickle of pride.
"Whoa, Shibi? Lucky guy!" Ren said with a look of mock envy. But logically, it made sense. Their team had essentially speed-run the first two stages thanks to Shibi's utility. Hiruzen promoting him directly was entirely reasonable.
Standing before the group, the Third Hokage smiled. "Congratulations to Shibi Aburame. I hereby announce that Shibi Aburame is now a Chunin of Konoha!"