I built an armada.

"That's a revolutionary idea! But..."

A glint of shrewdness, typical of businesspeople, flashed in her eyes, but her red lips curved into a smile, and her tone became light and cheerful.

"What a perfect match, Mom and Dad!"

"skillful?"

Su Dingping looked at her sudden change in expression and was somewhat puzzled.

Qin Mingzhu leaned forward, her face beaming, and whispered with a hint of smugness.

"Our Mingzhu Heavy Machinery just landed a big order recently, and we're going to visit several of the German tribes' core precision machining bases! The trip is scheduled to start no later than next week!"

She paused, then emphasized her words.

"Moreover, the top research institute we're going to has several of the latest generation industrial-grade 3D metal printers!"

Su Dingping's pupils suddenly contracted!
"real?!

Are they... willing to export? Or will they show us the specifications?

"Oh, Director, this isn't as easy as it sounds."

Qin Mingzhu's eyes sparkled, carrying a hint of "you're so naive" in her smile.

"The technological barriers are incredibly tight; they treat the blueprints like sacred artifacts! But don't worry, you're in a hurry."

She changed the subject abruptly, gracefully tapping her fingertips on the table.

"Since this is an inspection, we should have some 'in-depth exchanges.' With the Qin family's 'old friends' relationship with several long-established German conglomerates, plus the significance of this order, figuring out the key parameters might not be easy, but it's not impossible to find a way to bring back a set... or even a few sets of core component samples to China!"

A sly glint flashed in her eyes.

"If we can reach an agreement... consider it a donation and support for the in-depth development of the 'Dragon Heart II' laboratory from Mingzhu Heavy Machinery!"

She pronounced the word "donation" very clearly.

A surge of surprise instantly pierced Su Dingping's nerves, which had been taut for days! The industrial foundation of the Germanic tribes truly placed them at the very top of the pyramid!
Their 3D printing technology represents the pinnacle of the world! If we could acquire even just a machine, or even just the core blueprints and key technologies... most of the problems that have been troubling them would be easily solved!

But he immediately suppressed his excitement and seized another key point.

CNC machine tools!
Their top-of-the-line ultra-precision CNC machining center!

That thing that can achieve repeatability of 0.1 micrometers or even higher! If only we could get our hands on one…

This is the real killer move! Upgrading their own lab is like replacing old guns with new sights and patching up the frame.

If we could acquire top-tier equipment from the Germanic tribes—equipment representing the absolute cutting edge of the world—it would be like getting a complete "exoskeleton armor"! By using this as a benchmark to absorb and then modify and upgrade it, the efficiency improvement would be exponential!

Su Dingping stared at Qin Mingzhu with burning and urgent eyes.

"Manager Qin, if possible, please be sure to..."

"Stop!"

Qin Mingzhu raised her slender fingers, making a pause gesture, and a bright smile bloomed on her face, carrying a hint of "I knew it would be like this," and a meaningful languor.

"Director Su, we've had quite a bit of dealings with each other. While Mingzhu Heavy Machinery is happy to offer our full support, it requires manpower, connections, and a huge amount of foreign exchange to smooth things over... This is too complicated and too costly. You can't just keep offering empty promises and feeding me pie in the sky, can you?"

Su Dingping paused slightly.

"what do you mean?"

"It's very simple."

Qin Mingzhu stood up, placed her hands on the edge of the table behind her, and looked down slightly at Su Dingping, who was still sitting in the chair. The smile on her lips was bright and irresistible.

"Come to my place for dinner tonight! I'll cook myself! It'll be a simple meal, we can chat about anything, or talk about projects... Consider it an advance on my hard work, and let the great scientist Su relax a bit, stop being such a workaholic in the lab all the time, or his girlfriend will start complaining!"

Her second half of the sentence was a joke with a hint of unspoken probing.

The words had barely left his mouth—

"Peace be restored!"

A cool, slightly hurried voice came from the doorway.

Su Dingping turned around and saw Guo Xueyun standing there, holding a thermal lunchbox.

She wore a light lake-blue thin sweater today, which made her skin look even clearer. However, her pretty face didn't show much expression. Her gaze calmly shifted between Su Dingping and Qin Mingzhu, especially pausing slightly on Qin Mingzhu's intimate and slightly coquettish posture.

There seemed to be a subtle tension in the air that was instantly tightened.

"Xueyun?"

Su Dingping was somewhat surprised that she came at this time.

Guo Xueyun didn't say anything, walked straight over, placed the insulated lunchbox next to Su Dingping, and then nodded to Qin Mingzhu.

"Manager Qin is here too."

His tone was polite but distant, lacking any warmth.

Qin Mingzhu's smile remained unchanged, and even became a few degrees brighter.

"Hey, Engineer Guo, what a perfect time! I was just 'kidnapping' your workaholic Director Su to my place for a treat! Look how thin and emaciated he's become. Could you put in a good word for him?"

Guo Xueyun turned her gaze to Su Dingping, her clear eyes carrying a hint of inquiry. There wasn't much emotion in her eyes, but it made Su Dingping feel a little pressured for no apparent reason.

"They helped us solve a major problem."

Su Dingping looked at her and explained.

"It would be appropriate to express my gratitude."

Qin Mingzhu immediately responded, her tone even more cheerful.

"That's right! And it's more fun with more people! Why don't you come along, Mr. Guo? I just bought a lot of fresh salmon, so you can try my cooking!"

She extended a warm invitation, seemingly genuinely wanting the three of them to travel together.

Guo Xueyun quietly looked into Qin Mingzhu's bright, meaningful eyes.

The intuition between two women with similarly sensitive minds is remarkably accurate.

Qin Mingzhu's words about "hardship fee" might be true, but how could Guo Xueyun not know the overflowing admiration and secret adoration in her eyes when she looked at Su Dingping, which seemed to be filled with moisture and focused intently?
"Thank you for your kind offer, Mr. Qin."

Guo Xueyun's voice was steady, and a faint smile even appeared on her face. She reached out and gently took Su Dingping's arm, which was resting on the armrest of the chair. The action was natural and carried a silent declaration.

"However, the project is currently in a critical phase, and the Ministry of Security has repeatedly instructed relevant personnel to maintain their readiness as much as possible and reduce 'unnecessary' external contact. Given Dingping's sensitive status, it is indeed inappropriate for him to stay outside for too long."

She looked at Su Dingping, her voice softening slightly, yet carrying a barely perceptible insistence.

"Dingping, it is only right that you thank President Qin on behalf of our laboratory."

However, I'll go with you.

She paused, then added a resolute decision.

"I'm going too." These three words are either a suggestion or a notification.

Su Dingping felt the grip of the slightly cool hand on his arm tighten, and he also saw a fleeting, almost imperceptible determination and a hint of indescribable emotion in Guo Xueyun's eyes.

He immediately understood. If Xueyun wanted to go, then they would go together.

He turned to Qin Mingzhu.

"Xueyun is right. We'll go pay a visit and be back soon; it won't take up too much of President Qin's time."

Qin Mingzhu's smile froze for a moment, so quickly it was almost imperceptible. Guo Xueyun's seemingly gentle yet powerful declaration and possessive posture were like an invisible layer of ice crystal covering the previous ambiguous atmosphere.

She quickly regained that business-like radiance.

"Hehe, great! It's even better with Engineer Guo protecting us."

"It's a deal then, 7 PM, no lateness!"

She suppressed her disappointment and slight displeasure, maintaining her composure.

evening.

In dormitory building number seven.

Su Dingping changed into the clean shirt and casual pants that Guo Xueyun had prepared for him in advance. Guo Xueyun, on the other hand, chose a beige fitted knitted long dress and paired it with a simple silver chain, which was neither deliberately ostentatious nor overly revealing, but perfectly accentuated her exquisite figure.

As the two walked side by side out of the dormitory building, which was partially surrounded by a restricted area, even the young soldier on guard at the entrance felt his eyes dazzled.

One was tall and composed, with deep-set brows and sharp eyes that softened with the presence of the girl beside him; the other was delicate and pretty, with a gentle and refined air, and the subtle light in her eyes softened her aloofness when she looked at the man beside her. The afterglow of the setting sun spread out behind them, like the most fitting backdrop.

Wanlong, who had been waiting beside the modified bulletproof off-road vehicle, was slightly taken aback by the scene.

"Director Su, Engineer Guo."

He quickly composed himself, strode forward, and opened the unusually heavy car door.

"Thank you for your hard work, Lao Wan."

Su Dingping nodded.

"It's my duty."

Wanlong responded in a deep voice, then lowered his voice and quickly reported back.

"Safety measures have been implemented in accordance with the emergency plan."

A reinforced platoon, combining plainclothes and overt sentries, conducted a thorough search and cross-surveillance of the Qin residence route and the surrounding one-kilometer radius four hours in advance. The target location was confirmed safe, and observation posts and sniper positions were set up on the opposite high ground. Electronic communication jamming and anti-eavesdropping measures were maintained at the highest level throughout the entire operation.

All vehicles have had their glass replaced with bulletproof glass and their chassis reinforced, and each vehicle is equipped with two escort teams. Additionally...

Wanlong's voice turned cold and hard, like a steel bar being quenched.

"Confirmed. The clues that Tang Ping, that bastard, spilled out point to an abnormally high level of activity from the Eagle Tribe's 'Abyss' group within our territory recently. Preliminary assessment: You have been placed on the 'S-level Obstruction Target' list of high-priority targets. Traveling now... the risk level has been raised to the red threshold."

These words struck the cool evening air with the force of steel. The atmosphere instantly became tense. Guo Xueyun's hand, which was holding Su Dingping's arm, tightened unconsciously, her knuckles turning slightly white. A hint of barely concealed worry and lingering fear flashed in her clear eyes—if last time, Su Dingping had really gone to the appointment alone…

Su Dingping's face remained expressionless; he simply nodded.

"Understood, proceed according to the plan."

He gripped Guo Xueyun's slightly cool hand tightly, with an undeniable composure, and turned to shield her from the car door.

"It's alright, let's go."

The convoy started smoothly, led by a heavy armored off-road vehicle, followed by the one carrying Su Dingping and Guo Xueyun, and finally a similarly heavily armored cover vehicle.

The car windows were made of specially tinted one-way glass, making the view inside hazy. Wanlong sat in the passenger seat, his eyes scanning the buildings and pedestrians rushing past the window like a hawk's.

The car quieted down; the engine's deep rumble was muffled by the double-paned windows, leaving only a buzzing background sound. Guo Xueyun sat next to Su Dingping, turning her head to look out the window at the dazzling yet somewhat hazy cityscape at night, the neon lights shifting and changing on her face.

"Snow Clouds".

Su Dingping spoke in a low voice, breaking the silence.

Guo Xueyun turned around and looked at him.

Su Dingping's gaze was calm and gentle, looking straight into the depths of her eyes.

"Manager Qin has indeed helped us a lot, both professionally and personally. If we can get the equipment this time and solve the problem of the vacuum chamber, it will be like untying the tightest knot in the 'Longxing' final assembly. It is a necessary courtesy to visit him and express our gratitude."

He didn't explain Qin Mingzhu's invitation earlier, he simply stated the facts.

Looking into his open and clear eyes, Guo Xueyun saw no trace of evasion or impatience, only sincere understanding and reassurance.

The subtle bitterness in her eyes suddenly dissipated, like ink dissolved in clear water.

She gave a soft "hmm," lowered her head, and muttered almost inaudibly.

"I know...it's because seeing her sticking so close to you...it's uncomfortable..."

Her voice was soft, carrying a hint of girlish grievance and coquettishness.

A rare smile flashed in Su Dingping's eyes. He placed his palm on the back of her tightly clasped, icy hand, squeezed it firmly, and conveyed silent strength and warmth.

He didn't say anything more.

The warm yellow light from the car's ceiling illuminated Guo Xueyun's slightly rosy cheeks, and the tightly held hand conveyed a reassuring warmth.

The low rumble of the wheels rolling on the asphalt road became the only background noise, while the colorful neon lights outside the car window, like a distorted galaxy, cast long tassels of light and shadow on the one-way dark glass.

The convoy discreetly stopped at the side entrance of a brightly lit large commercial complex.

This is "Golden World," the top shopping center in Jiangdong City, where the glass curtain wall reflects the city's shimmering lights at night.

"director."

Wan Long, sitting in the front passenger seat, frowned and turned around. A detailed 3D model of the mall's interior was emitting a faint blue light on the tablet screen.

"For safety reasons, I suggest you give me twenty minutes. Clearing the area, checking, and taking over key monitoring points will take time. Temporary checkpoints and sniper positions should be set up at all passageways..."

"Old Wan."

Su Dingping interrupted him, his tone calm but not open to discussion.

"It's just buying some souvenirs for visiting guests, a small matter. It won't take more than fifteen minutes. Why clear the area? It's not only disturbing the neighbors, but they're also taking themselves too seriously."

He pushed open the car door, and the evening breeze, carrying the unique hustle and bustle of the city, immediately rushed in.

"Come with me, the two of us are enough."

The others remained in place, on alert.

Wanlong's lips pressed into a hard line. A soldier's duty is to absolutely obey orders, but protecting this "national treasure" is an ironclad rule etched into his very bones.

He wanted to argue, the red alert for "S-level obstruction target" still ringing in his ears, but in the end he only sighed heavily, his right hand quickly making several concealed gestures at his side. Several barely perceptible shadows outside the car immediately seeped into the shadows of the shopping mall buildings in the night. (End of Chapter)