I built an armada.

Qin Baichuan didn't put on any airs of being an elder or a high-and-mighty tycoon, and Su Dingping showed none of the initial awkwardness or so-called "looking up to him." Guo Xueyun sat quietly beside Su Dingping, occasionally adding some soup to his bowl, her eyes filled with reassurance and a touch of pride.

After the meal, I moved to the study.

Antique mahogany furniture, walls lined with floor-to-ceiling dark bookshelves, books and files like a silent sea. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows lies a quiet and secluded courtyard.

The air was filled with the warm, mellow aroma of fine ink, aged tea, and wood, which soothed the lingering palpitations in my heart.

Qin Mingzhu was sent away to brew tea.

Qin Baichuan dismissed his assistant, leaving only three people in the study—himself, Su Dingping, and Guo Xueyun. The heavy solid wood door quietly closed.

Qin Baichuan's smile slowly faded, the gentleness of an elder receding like the tide, revealing the deep gaze of a true helmsman who had dealt with steel, numbers, and the torrent of power for decades—calm, profound, and incomparably sharp.

It's a sharp glint that can see through the myriad mysteries behind the blueprints and discern the core problems deep within the project.

He didn't beat around the bush at all; his voice was deep and calm, yet it went straight to the heart of the matter.

“Young friend Dingping, Mingzhu called before the meal and only gave a rough outline. This old man is not a hermit who is unaware of outside news.”

His hawk-like gaze swept over the small bandage on Su Dingping's forehead again, his tone filled with an unquestionable inquiry.

"You're in trouble, big trouble."

They even dared to define a vacuum cavity tolerance of one ten-thousandth of a meter as the line between life and death…

He leaned back into the large armchair, his hand unconsciously resting on the table.

"This is heading down the path of the tokamak."

He didn't use a question, but a judgment he knew perfectly well.

Su Dingping straightened his back even more instantly.

The study was extremely quiet.

Looking at the piercing gaze of the old man before him, he knew that any embellishment or roundabout approach would be a desecration of that look.

"Yes."

His answer was equally concise and straightforward, without any attempt to conceal anything.

"Astronomical device, 'Dragon Star'."

boom……

It was as if a silent thunderclap had exploded in the quiet of the study.

Even Guo Xueyun, who was standing next to her, could feel the sudden tension!
Qin Baichuan showed no surprise, only a deeper solemnity gathering between his brows, which were etched with the marks of wisdom.

He nodded slightly, his gaze growing increasingly solemn.

"No wonder...no wonder those hungry wolves pounced on the smell of blood!"

This scheme was set up quickly, and it's incredibly dangerous..."

He spoke slowly, each word like a piece of iron that had been forged through countless hammer blows.

"Vacuum chamber, one ten-thousandth of a meter... The old man saw similar standard parameters on the last batch of blueprints that were shipped back to China when the Soviet Union was dismantled!"
That level of precision can't be achieved by hammering, filing, or piling up people.

That's a crown made with industrial precision! Even the diamond on the throne!

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze piercing Su Dingping like two precise measuring rulers.

"The path of 'forging the heart'... is it over?"

Su Ding calmly met this scrutiny that could pierce through steel.

"Absolutely amazing."

"What about the road?"

Qin Baichuan pressed on, his sharp edge radiating intensity.

"Mingzhu was vague on the phone. She just said you came up with some kind of revolutionary idea?"

"The road is being 'printed'."

Su Dingping's voice was clear, steady, and firm, without a trace of boasting; it was purely the candid statement of a technical expert.

"The entire blank is printed, and the final error of one ten-thousandth of a meter is ground using ultra-precision CNC grinding."

He paused, then added.

“We need an industrial-grade 3D metal printer and a top-of-the-line CNC machining center capable of performing atomic-level grinding.”

"Printing metal? Grinding atomic layers?"

Qin Baichuan's eyes flashed with a sharp light! After a brief moment of astonishment, instead of doubt, he felt a burning excitement and desire for challenge, as if he had met his match!
"What a brilliant move to undermine the enemy's strength! What a brilliant way to build a skyscraper from scratch!"
That kind of spirit, the old man is impressed!

He slammed his hand on the table with a heavy thud, causing fine dust to fall from the bookshelf!

"Mingzhu mentioned it to me. Leave the matter with the Germans to my Qin family! As long as those bastards' research institutes really have a golden goose hidden there."

A glint of greed and decisiveness, characteristic of a businessman and "tech glutton," flashed in his cloudy eyes.

"Even if it means stealing, robbing, cheating, or using real money to smash it! Even if it means sacrificing Mingzhu Heavy Machinery's profits for the next ten years, I will make sure it travels across the ocean and lands in your 'Dragon Heart II'!"

……

Inside the modified bulletproof car on their way home late at night, the neon lights of the city outside the window were filtered into hazy spots of light by the one-way glass. Guo Xueyun nestled quietly beside Su Dingping, her warm palms pressed tightly against his arm, as if trying to dispel the last trace of chill from the failed assassination attempt.

Su Dingping gazed calmly at the dark night that was being torn apart, the only sounds in the car being the low roar of the engine and the faint hum of the air conditioning.

"Old Qin is a man."

Su Dingping suddenly spoke, his voice exceptionally clear in the silence, carrying a thoughtful certainty that broke the stillness.

"It's not simple at all."

Guo Xueyun turned her head to look at him, her soft hair brushing against his shoulder.

"Not a businessman in the ordinary sense."

Su Dingping continued, his gaze still fixed on the unseen darkness ahead, the image of the white-haired elder's eyes clearly replaying in his mind—sharp, insightful, yet concealing a boundless heart.

"He has the keen eye of a businessman, knows how to seize opportunities, and is willing to bet big."

But hidden beneath this business acumen lies the fervent passion and unwavering dedication to cutting-edge technology that only engineers possess.

He paused, a rare, respectful smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"It is no accident that the Qin family has been able to take the lead in the fields of microelectronics and precision machining."

He wasn't looking at the immediate future, but at the next ten or even twenty years. His vision, perspective, and ambition far surpassed those of many so-called entrepreneurs who only cared about counting their money. Guo Xueyun nodded gently; she could sense the heartfelt approval and rare admiration of finding a kindred spirit in Su Dingping's words.

"So, you trust his promise?"

"I trust him as a person, and I also trust the 'Dragon Star' that he values."

Su Dingping gripped her hand tightly; it was an invisible force that conveyed determination and confidence.

"More importantly, his resources and connections are currently the key that allows us to quickly open the 'technological black box' of Germany. Zhongchuang Technology... no, the entire Qin family's resources in high-end equipment import and technology transfer can be deeply cooperated with in the future, with aligned goals and intertwined interests!"

Inside the Jingyi Garden study, behind the heavy wooden doors that isolate it from the outside world's hustle and bustle, the warm scent of ink and the aroma of red tea mingled together, yet could not dispel the subdued, heavy atmosphere.

Su Dingping and Guo Xueyun had long since disappeared into the night outside the door.

Qin Baichuan didn't move, still leaning back in the large mahogany armchair, his deep gaze fixed on the somewhat cold purple clay cup on the desk, as if savoring the short but weighty conversation he had just had through the lingering warmth.

After a long pause, he raised his hand, etched with the marks of time, and very slowly and gently patted the heavy wooden tabletop, which bore the weight of generations of accumulated history.

"The younger generation is truly formidable..."

A deep, hoarse sigh echoed softly in the quiet study.

The tone wasn't one of an elder praising a young person; it was more like the heartfelt sigh of a top player of the same generation after a fierce battle.

"A single 'printing' and a 'grinding of atomic layers' are enough to be used as the blade to cut through the predicament!"
This drive, this spirit... even when the old man was young, during the most difficult period of developing 'Taihang Heavy Machinery,' it wasn't anything like this!

The light that ignited deep within his cloudy eyes was not the faint glow of ordinary old age, but the burning brilliance of a top predator finding its true prey, or a founder seeing the beginnings of a grand blueprint.

"Astralizer... 'Dragon Star'!"

He silently pondered the weight of those two words, as if he could feel the turbulent waves behind them and the immense power to rewrite the future.

"Mingzhu!"

Qin Mingzhu, who had been standing in the shadow of the carved lattice window in the study, trying to calm herself down, immediately stepped forward and called out softly, her face pale with the aftermath of a disaster and still feeling guilty.

"dad?"

Qin Baichuan raised his eyes, his gaze falling on his daughter like two precise searchlights. His eyes were complex and deep, containing lingering fear after the shock, dissatisfaction with his daughter's trouble that brought danger, but more than anything, it was an almost cold scrutiny, as if he were weighing an incredibly valuable rare treasure, or assessing an enormous opportunity.

He remained silent for a good five or six seconds, and the air seemed to grow heavy under his silent scrutiny.

Finally, he leaned forward slightly, lowered his voice to a very low hue, and spoke with a clarity and directness that was almost ruthless and only found between relatives.

"Mingzhu" (明珠).

"Su Dingping is no ordinary man!"

The 'Dragon Star' he is involved in and so persistent in today, once successfully ignited..."

Qin Baichuan didn't finish speaking. He simply looked at his daughter with those eyes that pierced through the vicissitudes of life, the meaning in them self-evident—"It truly ignites a new star! Enough to illuminate a brand new starry sky!"

He paused, then emphasized his words, almost enunciating each one carefully.

"Find a way...to get as close to him as possible."

Qin Mingzhu felt an indescribable surge of emotion rush to her nose and eyes! Her vision blurred for a moment, as if she had returned to the dazzling yet terrifying shopping mall!

Su Dingping was insisted on leaving, and there was a small but striking bloodstain on his forehead! What pierced her mind even more clearly was the figure beside him, beautiful and resilient, holding his arm tightly, who had declared without hesitation at the crucial moment that she would accompany him—Guo Xueyun!

Her heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by a cold, rough hand, a dull pain spreading through every nerve.

"dad……"

Her voice was choked with a barely perceptible tremor.

"It's not that I don't want to... it's just... there's someone else in his heart."

The last two words were uttered with immense difficulty, carrying an undisguised sense of loss and grievance. Under her father's seemingly all-seeing gaze, these pretenses appeared pale and powerless.

Qin Baichuan's deep gaze lingered for a moment on her suddenly dimmed face. He didn't say anything to comfort her, but a barely perceptible understanding and an almost indistinguishable sigh flashed deep in his eyes.

He waved his hand gently.

"Go. Prepare for the German journey."

What he needs... bring it back to me, no matter the cost!

Late at night.

The convoy silently drove through the heavily guarded iron gate of the Longxing Military Factory, finally stopping in front of the "Longxin No. 2" experimental building. Blinding searchlights swept across the wheel hubs, reflecting a cold, metallic gleam. Wan Long's security team, as if facing a formidable enemy, immediately erected a new defensive perimeter.

The lights in the laboratory building were still on in large numbers, like stars that never sleep.

Su Dingping stepped onto the cold stairs, each step slightly easing his tense nerves, but the heavy stone in his heart—the vacuum chamber—still pressed down firmly.

He watched Guo Xueyun walk towards her rest area. Their eyes met, and without a word, there was a sense of relief at surviving the ordeal and a silent support between them.

Without a moment's hesitation, Su Dingping stepped straight into the brightly lit core preparation room, where instruments hummed incessantly.

A huge three-dimensional projection screen floated in mid-air.

The heart-shaped structure of the "Dragon Star" stellarator, resembling the skeleton of a giant beast, was clearly visible, with each component marked with parameters accurate to the micrometer and a tight assembly schedule.

The only exception was the central region, where the most complex, precise, and powerfully confined plasma energy core component of the core vacuum chamber was located—a blinding, suffocatingly large red void! It was like a thriving heart whose most vital chamber had been forcibly hollowed out!
Jiang Tianzheng had two heavy dark circles under his eyes and deep forehead wrinkles that could trap mosquitoes. He was arguing with several equally tired core members around the blueprints, spittle flying everywhere.

Seeing Su Dingping return was like grasping at a lifeline.

"Director! You're finally back!"

Jiang Tianzheng's voice was hoarse.

"Twisted magnetic confinement coils! Magnetohydrodynamic bearing support subsystems! Circular field coil brackets! The main cabinet of the core control system... These behemoths are all progressing according to plan, assembling them as quickly as possible! But... this very central, most important cavity!"

He used his large, bony fingers to fiercely poke at the huge red void on the blueprint, as if he wanted to pierce through it.

"Without it! The 'heart' we've built is just an empty shell! All the subsequent assembly is a waste of time! Now the entire system integration timeline is completely blocked by this 'vacuum bomb'!"

His voice carried a sense of desperation, as if he had been driven to the brink of desperation.

"What did Elder Qin say? How confident are you about the 3D printer and the top-of-the-line grinding machine? Can they be delivered in time? How long will it take to get them in and get them ready for testing?"

A barrage of questions came crashing down on me, like a barrage of artillery shells.

Su Dingping walked to the light screen, rested his hands on the edge of the cold control panel, and sharply scanned the core blueprint that was affecting everyone's nerves.

"During the trip to Germany, Mr. Qin personally promised to go all out."

But the equipment went through negotiations, dismantling, and overcoming numerous barriers to get in, and then it was debugged to adapt to our process flow…” (End of Chapter)