Liu Hui was unaware that the US government had decided to escalate the conflict, determined to acquire Starry Sky Group’s desalination technology. After carefully sweeping the waters of the Persian Gulf using Xiao Hei from the Starry Sky Group headquarters in Hong Kong, he ordered Xiao Hei to submerge in a deep-sea trench near the desalination vessel.

By this time, it was already noon the next day in Hong Kong. Liu Hui hadn't slept all night. He sat at the Starry Sky Group headquarters, dispatching his forces, controlling Xiao Hei to travel to the Persian Gulf to eliminate the American carrier strike group and then patrol the gulf. These tasks were incredibly taxing; anyone else would have collapsed from exhaustion. However, Liu Hui had reached the Foundation Establishment stage of cultivation, his power greatly increased, rendering this level of fatigue utterly insignificant to his physical body. Only after finalizing the measures against the American military threat did Liu Hui finally breathe a long sigh of relief.

In Liu Hui’s original plan, this period was meant for the steady development of Starry Sky Group; he had no desire for a military confrontation with the United States. Although he possessed the help of the super-Xiao Hei, making him virtually invincible in any conflict with America, engaging the US too early would bring more losses than gains to Starry Sky Group, severely impacting the construction progress of "Starry Sky City" and the expansion of its global operations. Yet, faced with the aggressive stance of the US government, Liu Hui could not simply retreat. A single step back now would necessitate constant concessions later, which would gravely harm Starry Sky Group's interests. Thus, Liu Hui reluctantly chose confrontation with the US military.

Liu Hui held few decisive cards in his hand. To bolster his military strength, he had once sought out the Zerg from the Zerg race, asking for weapons used by the Protoss from their world. However, the Zerg delivered a sobering blow: they explained that the Protoss could wield the energy weapons they manufactured only because of a unique, innate ability to control energy—a racial skill that no other species possessed, much like the Zerg’s own remote command capabilities. Protoss could not possess Zerg abilities, and vice versa. Furthermore, given human genetics, no amount of modification could grant humans the Protoss’s energy control. Without this control, Protoss weaponry was useless, even if they were piled up before humans.

Knowing Liu Hui wouldn't give up, the Zerg traded him a standard energy rifle used by Protoss warriors. After countless efforts, Liu Hui discovered he couldn't even activate the simplest Protoss energy rifle. This forced him to abandon the shortcut of acquiring powerful weapons through trade, leading him to focus intensely on developing his own technology for manufacturing potent weaponry in the future.

For the past two years, Liu Hui had relentlessly sought new, viable dimensions for trade every single day. Yet, two years had passed without a single reply from any dimensional trade merchant. This gave him a profound, firsthand understanding of the difficulty the Zerg had warned him about regarding finding new dimensional traders.

It had taken the Zerg a hundred years to find Liu Hui, and Xiaoyaozi had taken several thousand years. Liu Hui’s ability to quickly contact the Zerg, Alexander, and Xiaoyaozi after obtaining the Dimensional Trading Device was purely due to extraordinary luck. Aside from proactively finding Alexander, both the Zerg and Xiaoyaozi had sought him out. Now, his good fortune seemed exhausted, making contact with new dimensional merchants extremely unlikely.

Nevertheless, even without relying on dimensional merchants, Liu Hui had ways to handle the current crisis facing Starry Sky Group—at worst, it would result in mutual destruction.

In the afternoon, as Liu Hui was in his office mapping out the potential future directions for Starry Sky Group, Li Lian entered to inform him that Director Huang from the domestic Ministry of Commerce was here and insisted on seeing him immediately regarding an urgent matter.

“Director Huang from the Ministry of Commerce wants to see me?” Liu Hui was startled. Could Director Huang already know about the conflict between Starry Sky Group and the American military? Why else would he appear at this moment?

“I understand. Please escort Director Huang to my office,” Liu Hui told Li Lian, as he began organizing his thoughts to speculate on Director Huang’s intentions.

Director Huang soon appeared in Liu Hui’s office, his expression grave, completely lacking the usual warm, welcoming demeanor.

“Director Huang, please have a seat,” Liu Hui offered.

“Boss Liu, no need for such formality,” Director Huang said, finding a sofa for himself.

“May I ask what brings Director Huang here today?” Liu Hui inquired cautiously.

Director Huang glanced at Liu Hui, then suddenly sighed, “Boss Liu, do you realize that Starry Sky Group is currently on the brink of disaster?”

Liu Hui chuckled, “Our Starry Sky Group is developing splendidly; all our economic indicators are excellent. How could we be facing disaster? Director Huang must be joking!”

Director Huang replied, “Boss Liu, why pretend ignorance with me? Aren't you aware of the situation you are currently in?”

“What exactly is the situation? I seem to know nothing at all. Perhaps Director Huang could enlighten me?” Liu Hui prompted.

Director Huang leaned forward slightly. “We just received intelligence suggesting that you have encountered some conflict with the US government in the Persian Gulf, angering them greatly. They have decided to dispatch the USS Stennis Carrier Strike Group to deal with you, while simultaneously mobilizing numerous combat aircraft and ground forces to join the attack.”

Liu Hui blinked; he genuinely did not know this. China possessed a comprehensive information system, allowing it to quickly obtain American military intelligence. In this area, his "Starry Sky Eye" still lagged behind the nation’s capabilities. He hadn't expected that immediately after eliminating the USS Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, the US would send the Stennis group right after.

Did the US military have no fear that this new strike group would suffer the same fate as the last one? Moreover, the USS Stennis strike group belonged to the US Fifth Fleet, which was spearheaded by the Eisenhower. Did it also wish to follow the Eisenhower into the abyss?

Because Liu Hui’s security measures were so effective, the outside world remained completely unaware of the conflict between Starry Sky Group and the US military, meaning the nation didn't know the cause of this engagement.

Liu Hui was inwardly shocked by the deployment of another carrier strike group, plus numerous aircraft and ground troops, causing a genuine look of surprise on his face. Director Huang, however, mistook this for shock induced by fear. He quickly said, “Boss Liu, there’s no need to be afraid. Starry Sky Group is a Chinese enterprise; we will certainly stand behind you.”

Liu Hui’s mind raced. Director Huang’s visit at this time was surely not just for comfort. He must have something more to say. So, Liu Hui feigned fear. “Director Huang, you must champion our cause! We have done nothing wrong; how could we provoke the US military into deploying so many forces against us?”

Director Huang suddenly sighed, “Normally, China should exert every effort to protect your company. But, as you know, our domestic policies have a certain bias in how we treat your kind of enterprise.”

This genuinely piqued Liu Hui’s curiosity. “The nation has a bias in how it treats us?”

“Precisely. Our government’s primary service targets are State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) because they belong to the state—they are our own people. Only after them do we consider your private enterprises. So, if an SOE were in trouble, we would protect it at all costs because it represents our own interests. As for your private companies, the state must weigh the pros and cons before acting on your behalf.”

Liu Hui looked at Director Huang and suddenly understood the implication of his words. He smiled, “In other words, if Starry Sky Group were an SOE, you could protect us regardless of the cost, is that correct?”

Director Huang returned the smile, “That is the logic. SOEs are our own children; how could we, as parents, not cherish our own children?”

Liu Hui adopted a look of distress. “But Starry Sky Group is currently a private enterprise, completely unrelated to state ownership! In that case, you won't prioritize us, let alone go to war with the US military over us. So, who is supposed to protect our safety?”

Director Huang stated, “This issue is easily resolved. If Starry Sky Group could sell some shares to us—say, if the government’s stake exceeded 51%—Starry Sky Group would immediately become a large state-owned enterprise, one of our own. Then, we would naturally provide full protection for your safety.”

Liu Hui’s anger began to boil. After all that circuitous talk, Director Huang’s true goal was to exploit the American military threat to seize controlling shares of Starry Sky Group. Yet, he framed it as if Liu Hui would be doing them a huge favor by handing over the shares. Director Huang represented the will of the domestic power brokers. Had those elites finally set their sights on Starry Sky Group?

Liu Hui abruptly changed tack. “Director Huang, the threat Starry Sky Group currently faces is from the USS Stennis Carrier Strike Group. You say you can protect us. Does that mean our country already has a means to counter an American carrier strike group?”

Director Huang’s tone faltered; he seemed embarrassed. “We wouldn't need to face them directly. As Sun Tzu taught, the highest achievement is to subdue the enemy without fighting. So you can rest assured; we have a way to resolve the crisis you are facing.”

Liu Hui countered, “But if we transfer controlling interest of Starry Sky Group to you now, even if you manage to repel the Stennis strike group temporarily, what happens when you leave? The Stennis group will simply return and cause trouble again. Will you then abandon us? If you step back then, won’t we be forced to hand over the remaining shares of Starry Sky Group to the US government?”

Liu Hui’s logic momentarily tangled Director Huang. “Naturally, that situation will not arise. We will certainly help you resolve this crisis; you must trust our government and our Party.”

Liu Hui suddenly laughed. “I’m just thinking, if you possess the ability to subdue the enemy without fighting, then perhaps there is a master within Starry Sky Group who can also find a way to repel the American threat?”

Director Huang chuckled. “Boss Liu, you must understand, we have the entire nation behind us. We possess immense power and naturally do not fear an American carrier strike group. But you are just one company, too weak. What do you have to repel a military threat of that scale?”

Liu Hui smiled faintly. “But I would very much like to try and see if we can settle this ourselves. If we truly cannot manage it in the end, we will certainly appeal to you for help.”

Director Huang became agitated. When he left, the domestic elites had assured him that Starry Sky Group must be desperate, guaranteeing that national forces could easily acquire equity. Yet, Liu Hui remained completely unmoved, seemingly unafraid of the American threat, causing Director Huang’s plan to deviate significantly and jeopardizing his entire mission.

Director Huang also considered another possibility: what if Starry Sky Group simply surrendered to the US military and moved its operations to America? That would solve the problem permanently. The thought sent a jolt of panic through him. “Boss Liu, we can still negotiate this matter! If you are dissatisfied with the proposed equity arrangement…”

Liu Hui raised a hand to stop him. “Director Huang, I’m feeling tired and would like to rest. We can discuss anything else at a later date!”

Director Huang stared, dumbfounded, that Liu Hui had simply dismissed him. Not only had his mission failed completely, but he had also carved a massive chasm between himself and Liu Hui domestically, a gulf that would likely prevent their relationship from ever returning to its former closeness.

After seeing the resentful Director Huang out, Liu Hui felt deeply unsettled. His Starry Sky Group contributed so much in taxes and generated so many jobs for the nation over the past year, significantly boosting its international image. Yet, in the eyes of the state, he was still a second-class citizen, less important than those monopolistic SOEs. Instead of offering substantial support during a crisis, the state attempted to seize control of the company using external pressure. These actions left Liu Hui disheartened. Seeing Director Huang’s true colors today finally severed the last thread of emotional connection Liu Hui held with the mainland.

“Li Lian, if Director Huang comes looking for me again in the future, just tell him I’m unavailable,” Liu Hui instructed Li Lian.

Li Lian acknowledged the order, wondering why her boss had suddenly decided he no longer wished to meet Director Huang.

The USS Stennis Carrier Strike Group was currently patrolling the Gulf of Aden. Upon receiving orders from the US Department of Defense, it rapidly recovered its carrier-borne aircraft and began altering course, heading east toward the Arabian Sea.

The Stennis strike group was still 1,500 kilometers from the Persian Gulf. If it maintained maximum speed day and night, it could reach the Strait of Hormuz in approximately thirty hours. Meanwhile, members of the investigation team established by the US DoD to look into the accident involving the USS Eisenhower strike group boarded the Stennis, awaiting the opportunity to conduct a thorough investigation at Hormuz.

Not only was the Stennis strike group being redeployed to the Persian Gulf, but US military bases in Middle Eastern countries were also buzzing with troop movements. Countless US aircraft and operational units were rapidly shuttling between various bases, all targeting Starry Sky Group’s desalination vessel in the Persian Gulf. Furthermore, US spy satellites were redirected to the Middle East, maintaining constant surveillance over Starry Sky Group's few desalination ships.

Liu Hui’s earlier warning had taken effect. Saudi Arabia, in coordination with major oil-exporting nations like the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait, had effectively sealed off ground routes for the US military advancing toward the Persian Gulf, believing this would safeguard the desalination vessel. However, these nations were unaware that the US had decided to elevate the conflict level; this time, they were determined to obtain Starry Sky Group’s desalination technology by any means necessary. To ensure success, the US attack routes were not limited to the Middle East.

For a time, both the US military and Starry Sky Group were maneuvering their reinforcements, all of whom were still en route. As a result, the intense standoff temporarily stabilized. If one didn't see the US carrier strike group and combat aircraft aggressively steaming toward the Persian Gulf, one might assume the era was one of profound peace.

After two days and two nights of non-stop, high-speed transit, the Starry Sky II, utilizing a maximum speed of seventy knots, finally reached the Strait of Hormuz and entered the waters of the Persian Gulf. As it passed the Strait, the Starry Sky II discovered numerous sunken US warships. Due to strict radio silence maintained for secrecy, they had been completely unaware that the US carrier strike group had lost one of its vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Despite their curiosity about the submerged wreckage, they kept their primary mission in mind, proceeding without delay until they finally reached the vicinity of the desalination vessel near Dammam Port.

At this moment, the Stennis Carrier Strike Group was only just entering the Strait of Hormuz, where the accident investigators began their probe. It was only then that the senior commanders aboard the Stennis learned that their flagship, the USS Eisenhower, had been completely annihilated right there.

The US Department of Defense ordered the Stennis strike group to hold position in the Strait of Hormuz, awaiting the completion of troop movements elsewhere before commencing an attack on Starry Sky Group's desalination vessel. They were also cautioned to prioritize safety, lest they repeat the fate of the Eisenhower strike group.

The Starry Sky II established contact with the Starry Sky Group desalination vessel via a dedicated frequency. As complete darkness fell, they surfaced—this five-thousand-ton-class super-submarine finally revealed its colossal hull to the world. The employees on the desalination ship preparing for cargo transfer gasped in amazement, immensely proud of the massive submarine owned by Starry Sky Group.

Desheng, accompanied by a few of his most capable subordinates, climbed out of the Starry Sky II and met with A’Huo. After conveying some of Liu Hui’s arrangements to A’Huo, he began directing personnel to unload the various equipment and supplies the Starry Sky II had brought specifically for the desalination vessel. After a busy night of unloading, they finally transferred all the supplies and equipment onto the desalination ship, and the Starry Sky II submerged back into the sea.

Just then, another guest arrived at the desalination vessel: Zhou Tengyun. After receiving a call from Liu Hui at the African base, Zhou Tengyun immediately gathered several highly skilled subordinates and raced day and night from Africa to the Persian Gulf, finally arriving at the desalination vessel that same evening.

Upon meeting Zhou Tengyun, Desheng immediately ushered him into a room. After a discussion, they brought out the two captured US soldiers who had previously been taken prisoner by the desalination vessel.

The injuries sustained by the two captured American soldiers were far from severe; rather, the sheer experience of being captured had terrified them, leaving them utterly uncertain of their fate, which rendered their spirits visibly subdued. Yet, over these past two days, beyond the provision of wound treatment and timely food rations, absolutely no one had come to interrogate them. This very silence only amplified their growing apprehension regarding what lay ahead.

When Zhou Tengyun and Desheng finally brought the two soldiers forward, the realization dawned on them: the moment that would decide their destiny had arrived.

Lately, Zhou Tengyun had projected an increasingly murderous aura; his very appearance inspired immediate fear. Desheng, long accustomed to intelligence work, carried an equally somber and grim countenance. The moment the two men sat down before the table, their mere presence was enough to make the American soldiers tremble violently, their hearts hammering against their ribs.

As soon as Zhou Tengyun and Desheng were settled, attendants immediately positioned two video cameras in front of the captured soldiers. These cameras were fixed firmly in place, pointing directly at the two men. Desheng then waved his hand, and a man wearing a mask entered, carrying two syringes. Under the horrified, desperate gaze of the American soldiers, the masked man injected the contents of the two syringes into their respective bodies.

"God, what have you injected us with?" one soldier screamed, while the other, more timid, kept his head bowed, daring not to utter a sound.

Thanks to the reader: Ye Ming for the 200 coin reward! A