Liu Hui resumed his busy life. One day, as he exited the office building, he suddenly noticed Li Zhi walking ahead of him in a rather furtive manner; she kept looking around as if afraid of being seen, her movements highly suspicious.

A flicker of realization crossed Liu Hui’s mind. He couldn't fathom why Li Zhi, usually so straightforward, was acting so strangely, so he silently followed close behind, determined to see what the matter was. Li Zhi proceeded cautiously, then slipped into the patch of woods inside the Starfall Group premises. Liu Hui, meanwhile, vaulted silently onto the branches of a tall tree, observing Li Zhi’s progress from the canopy above.

Li Zhi stopped carefully behind a large tree trunk, then suddenly snatched a person from behind it, gripping their ear tightly. The person immediately cried out in pain, “Little Zhi Zhi, that hurts! Let go quickly!”

Li Zhi squeezed the person’s ear tighter in anger, refusing to release her hold, and even gave it a sharp tug before spitting out resentfully, “I told you repeatedly not to contact me anymore. I will never fall for you, why won’t you listen?”

The person struggled desperately, finally wrenching free from Li Zhi’s grasp. Rubbing his slightly elongated ear, he backed away from her and pleaded, “Little Zhi Zhi, you can refuse my affection, but you cannot stop me from loving you!”

Liu Hui was momentarily stunned. Only then did he realize that the speaker was that rather eccentric researcher, Yang Hua. Liu Hui had met Yang Hua at a reception hosted by the Bashan Municipal Government. Later, Yang Hua had come to Hong Kong, applied, and joined the Starfall Science Academy as a researcher for the Starfall Group. He had made significant contributions while researching the issue of manned deep-sea submarines operating underwater, inventing the deep-sea generator. This invention not only brought the research on deep-sea submarines to a successful conclusion but also allowed humanity to harness the immense hydraulic energy found in the deep ocean.

Liu Hui recalled that the first time Yang Hua saw Li Zhi, he had declared he was instantly smitten and intended to pursue her. Liu Hui had dismissed it then as bragging, but now he saw Yang Hua was genuinely making a move, having successfully contacted Li Zhi and confessed his love. Although Yang Hua’s courtship didn't seem smooth, there was a palpable intimacy in their verbal exchange—otherwise, Li Zhi wouldn’t have twisted his ear. Liu Hui mused that if Yang Hua persisted, he might actually win the beautiful woman over.

Hearing Yang Hua’s words, Li Zhi snapped back angrily, “I don’t love you, and I don’t want you to love me. Do you understand?”

Yang Hua chuckled, “I don’t understand. I only know that loving someone is not a crime. If you could feel my love, I’m sure you’d be incredibly happy.”

Li Zhi was momentarily speechless. She sighed, “You still don’t get it. We are simply two different kinds of people. You are completely unworthy of me; the gap between us is just too wide. Do you know, I crept here secretly just to meet you, terrified that someone would see me with you and laugh at me?”

Yang Hua said earnestly, “Little Zhi Zhi, we are indeed two different kinds of people. You are a woman, and I am a man. Therefore, it is perfectly natural for a man to love a woman!”

Li Zhi hopped with irritation, but then suddenly calmed down and said, “Yang Hua, let me be honest with you: I will never love you. You need to give up this idea completely!”

Yang Hua pressed, “Why not? Perhaps later you will realize how wonderful I am and fall in love with me?”

Li Zhi gritted her teeth and stated firmly, “I cannot fall in love with you, because I am a lesbian. I only like women, not men.”

Yang Hua was aghast. He pointed at Li Zhi, his hand trembling uncontrollably, and stammered, “You’re lying! You are deceiving me!”

Li Zhi smiled lightly, “Why would I lie to you? It’s not something one brags about, being a lesbian, is it?”

Yang Hua seemed deeply struck. He let out a long sigh and said, “How could this be? The first woman I ever loved turns out to be a lesbian?”

Liu Hui, perched on the treetop, was equally startled. He hadn't expected Li Zhi to be a lesbian. He immediately prepared to leave; eavesdropping on someone’s private conversation was hardly right. Just as he was about to slip away, Yang Hua suddenly burst into laughter. He declared, “Little Zhi Zhi, you’re trying to fool me, I know it. If you were truly a lesbian, how could you be meeting up with that pretty boy Donnie so frequently?”

Li Zhi’s face instantly changed color. “How do you know about Donnie? Are you spying on me?”

Yang Hua scoffed dismissively, “Why would I need to spy on you? You two meet so often that anyone with an eye for it could see it. Little Zhi Zhi, honestly, how could you be so taken by him? Donnie might be better looking, sweeter talking, and possess more masculine charm, but I suspect his head is full of straw—he’s naturally cut out to live off women. Not like me, a truly promising young man.”

Li Zhi paused, a little taken aback. “I didn’t realize you knew about Donnie. But in my eyes, he is far more capable than you are. How can you compare yourself to him?”

Yang Hua instantly puffed out his chest proudly, “Of course, I’m much better than Donnie. I have real knowledge and ability; I’ve made significant contributions to the company. Did you know that even though I’m just a minor researcher, my rank is much higher than yours? That means my income and benefits are better than yours. Can I not compare to Donnie then? All he knows is how to spend money he got from who-knows-where and how to charm women; otherwise, he’s utterly useless, just a handsome freeloader. And I just helped the company solve another massive problem, so I’ll be earning a huge amount of experience points soon, and my rank will jump up again. Then, hehe…”

Li Zhi looked dubious. “Yang Hua, are you lying? How could your rank possibly be higher than mine? I’m the General Manager of Starfall Sales Company; I get a huge bonus for experience points, and I joined the company a year before you. Besides, what major contribution did you make to the company?”

Yang Hua smiled mysteriously, “What I contributed to the company is confidential; we have non-disclosure agreements. But you can ask the boss! If he tells you, you’ll know just how formidable your future husband is.”

Li Zhi spat, “Who is your future husband? Even if your rank is higher than mine, I have no interest in you. Give up on the idea! If I had to choose, I’d rather be a genuine lesbian than be with you.”

Yang Hua seemed not to have heard Li Zhi’s words. A look of sudden terror crossed his face as he pointed behind her. “Little Zhi Zhi, run! There’s a snake behind you!”

Li Zhi screamed in shock. Snakes were her greatest fear. Without a second thought, she threw herself into Yang Hua’s arms, clinging to him tightly, trembling all over.

Yang Hua held her close and laughed, “Little Zhi Zhi, look! Deep down, you really do like me, don’t you? The moment trouble hits, you dive right into my arms and refuse to let go!”

Li Zhi finally looked back. She peered behind her—there was no snake. But before she could start raging, Yang Hua leaned in and pressed his lips fiercely against hers. Li Zhi froze for a moment, and then Yang Hua’s tongue slipped inside, swirling through her mouth. For a fleeting moment, Li Zhi was completely swept away and began passionately kissing Yang Hua back.

Watching the scene unfold, Liu Hui felt caught between laughter and tears. He had followed Li Zhi secretly only to stumble upon a romantic rendezvous. Yang Hua, it seemed, was not so simple after all. Liu Hui had assumed the man spent all his time buried in research and had no time for romance. He hadn’t expected him to have such moves. It appeared Li Zhi might not escape Yang Hua’s clutches after all.

With that thought, Liu Hui quietly retreated from the woods. As he left, however, he heard Li Zhi’s soft, flustered complaint, “Yang Hua, you’re terrible, always bullying me… Mm-hmm… Mm-hmm…”

On his way out, Liu Hui recalled Yang Hua mentioning that he had solved another huge problem for the company. Curiosity piqued, he changed course midway and headed toward the Starfall Science Academy, wanting to see if Yang Hua had indeed been boasting.

Having learned from previous experiences, Liu Hui bypassed Chen Changsheng’s office and went directly to Anqi’s laboratory, where he indeed found Chen Changsheng present.

Chen Changsheng’s face lit up when he saw Liu Hui. “Boss! We were just about to come find you; I didn’t expect you to drop by yourself.”

Liu Hui asked, “Have you cooked up something new again?”

Chen Changsheng smiled broadly, “The Boss is the Boss, able to foresee things! Indeed, we have something new. How about this: let the hero of this endeavor—Miss Anqi—explain the specifics to you!”

Anqi poured Liu Hui a cup of tea and brought it to him, her eyes lingering on him with a strange intensity. Liu Hui cleared his throat and urged, “Anqi, please explain your new development to me! I’m practically bursting with anticipation.”

Anqi finally shifted her gaze from Liu Hui and announced, “Liu Hui, our research into constructing a factory cluster on the seabed for deep-sea mining, smelting, and transportation has finally succeeded.”

Liu Hui was overjoyed. “You mean we can now utilize the mineral deposits buried deep beneath the ocean floor?”

Anqi nodded. “Yes, our technology has achieved a massive breakthrough. We can now mine, smelt, and transport resources from the deep sea.”

Liu Hui was beside himself with joy. The matter that had weighed so heavily on his mind was now perfectly resolved. With the capability for deep-sea mining, the Starfall Group would no longer suffer from resource scarcity or fear material blockades and embargoes from world powers. He now had access to countless underwater resources. His dream of the “City of Stars” was no longer just a concept; it could realistically appear before the world within a few years.

After hearing Anqi’s words, Liu Hui was ecstatic. He jumped up, first embracing Chen Changsheng, and then throwing his arms around Anqi. Overwhelmed by euphoria, as he pulled Anqi into his embrace, his body moved instinctively, and he naturally kissed her on the lips. Anqi’s body reacted in kind, returning the passionate kiss without hesitation.

Watching them kiss passionately right there in front of him, Chen Changsheng suddenly felt awkward and deliberately coughed a few times. Those few coughs jolted Liu Hui back from his dazed state. When he regained his senses, he realized he was still kissing Anqi. His face immediately flushed crimson. He pulled away from Anqi and took a few steps back, saying with embarrassment, “Anqi, I’m sorry…”

Anqi’s face was also flushed; she kept her head down, unsure of what to say. Chen Changsheng, being more experienced, stepped in. “Boss, perhaps you should listen to Miss Anqi’s detailed presentation first?”

Liu Hui managed a silly chuckle, then agreed, “Yes, please have Anqi explain the details to me!”

Anqi whispered, “Wait for me a moment,” and hurried out, leaving Liu Hui and Chen Changsheng alone. Chen Changsheng looked at Liu Hui with an expression full of hidden meaning, making Liu Hui feel quite uneasy.

About ten minutes later, Anqi returned to the room, traces of water visible on her face—she must have gone to the restroom. After the ten-minute buffer, Anqi seemed much calmer, though she still avoided Liu Hui’s eyes.

“Anqi, please explain it to me,” Liu Hui offered, trying to ease the awkwardness between them. He couldn't understand why these incidents of inexplicable intimacy kept happening around Anqi, which made him increasingly uneasy and raised a huge question in his mind. Fortunately, Anqi didn't seem to hold this time against him.

Once she began discussing her research, Anqi immediately reverted to her professional demeanor. She stated, “After this period of focused effort—covering everything from deep-sea mining, building smelting facilities on the seabed, to the final transportation issues—we have completely solved all the technical challenges we encountered.”

Liu Hui asked curiously, “What is the specific process?”

Anqi explained, “We will construct this deep-sea factory cluster based on the principle of segmented production followed by final assembly on the seabed. This means that first, the manufacturing plant in the ‘City of Stars’ will produce the construction modules required for the factory cluster. Once these modules are built, they will be individually transported to the location of the deep-sea mineral lode, where they will undergo final assembly, ultimately forming a complete subaquatic architectural complex.”

Liu Hui inquired, “So this deep-sea factory cluster will be pieced together slowly, module by module, just like the construction method for our City of Stars?”

Anqi confirmed, “That’s right. The production methods are fundamentally the same. The difference is that the construction footprint for this deep-sea factory cluster won’t be vast, so it won’t reach the colossal scale of the ‘City of Stars.’ Based on our calculations, building a cluster at that massive undersea iron ore deposit, sufficient for smelting steel and providing space for the workers’ living and working quarters, requires a surprisingly small area—about one square kilometer of constructed space in total.”

Liu Hui was taken aback. “Only one square kilometer of construction area is needed?” He recalled seeing footage of massive steel mills on television, sprawling over dozens of square kilometers. He hadn't expected his smelting facility to require only one square kilometer.

Anqi replied, “In our smelting factory, due to the extensive use of advanced formations and specialized materials, combined with the highly efficient utilization of interior space, this factory cluster only requires one square kilometer. We have broken this one square kilometer of construction area down into fifty sections. Each section will have a circular base and a hemispherical top, resembling an inverted bowl. Their specifications are an 80-meter radius and a maximum height of 50 meters at the apex of the hemisphere. The entire factory cluster will be composed of fifty such hemispherical structures combined together. These hemispheres will be fabricated separately in the secret factory within the ‘City of Stars.’ Then, they will be towed in batches by large deep-sea submarines to the iron ore vein, where the submarines will assemble them. Since we already have extensive experience in component assembly, provided the material supply holds up, our deep-sea factory cluster will be officially completed in six months, ready to start producing steel immediately.”

Liu Hui questioned, “Anqi, you make it sound very simple. Is this deep-sea factory cluster really that straightforward?”

Chen Changsheng chimed in with a smile, “Boss, the reality is far more complex! Miss Anqi is merely explaining the factory cluster in terms you can easily grasp. To go into detail, there are issues like comprehensive seawater decompression across the entire structure, establishing a complete ecological cycle system within the cluster, emergency escape protocols for personnel, handling toxic gases and waste emissions, the actual methods for mineral extraction, and transporting the finished steel products. Each one of these problems was extremely difficult to solve. Fortunately, after Miss Anqi arrived, she helped us overcome all these hurdles, otherwise, we would still be stuck on them!”

Liu Hui finally grasped the true value and rarity of this technology, grateful that these issues had been successfully resolved. If they moved quickly, he could be using self-produced steel in six months. He said earnestly, “Anqi, thank you. You have solved a monumental problem for me!”

Anqi smiled, “Liu Hui, don’t just thank me alone. These challenges were solved through the collective effort of the entire team; it’s not just my achievement. For instance, the problem of shielding against the surrounding deep-sea hydrostatic pressure was solved by a researcher named Yang Hua.”

Liu Hui froze, immediately recalling Yang Hua’s earlier conversation with Li Zhi. It seemed Yang Hua hadn't been exaggerating; he truly had capability. Perhaps, as a gesture of reciprocity, Liu Hui should help Yang Hua win over his lady.

“Anqi, how much steel can our deep-sea factory cluster produce annually?” Liu Hui asked the most crucial question, slightly worried about a facility covering only one square kilometer.

Anqi replied, “If the factory cluster reaches peak production capacity, it can produce approximately ten billion tons of steel per year.”

“What? Ten billion tons?” Liu Hui exclaimed, fearing he had misheard, and asked again. It wasn't that Liu Hui was overly cautious; the output figure was simply astronomical. The combined annual steel production of all nations worldwide was only about 1.5 billion tons. Could his one-square-kilometer facility produce ten billion tons?

Anqi confirmed, “Yes, ten billion tons annually. However, this one-square-kilometer cluster is only Phase One. Once Phases Two, Three, Four, and Five are completed, the total area of the deep-sea factory cluster will reach six square kilometers, and its annual output will climb to one hundred billion tons. Given the reserves of that super large iron ore deposit, it should last us over a century of mining; you don’t need to worry about that.”

After his initial shock, Liu Hui grew delighted again. In any case, the higher the output of the deep-sea cluster, the happier he would be! After all, the construction of the “City of Stars” required an almost unimaginable amount of steel, and with such immense production capacity, the construction of the City of Stars was no longer an issue.

Previously, the Starfall Group’s massive global orders for steel components had caused worldwide steel prices to surge, continuously escalating the construction costs for the “City of Stars.” Now, with this deep-sea factory cluster online, he was safe from steel price volatility. Yet, Liu Hui still harbored some doubt. “Anqi, why is our deep-sea factory cluster so incredibly efficient? It’s only one square kilometer.”

Anqi explained, “Liu Hui, I mentioned earlier that our deep-sea factory cluster utilizes many new technologies, coupled with the etching of numerous high-level formations, which greatly accelerates and enhances their production capabilities. Furthermore, steel production is energy-intensive. Other nations’ steel enterprises must calculate costs, so they cannot operate at full capacity. But the Starfall Group doesn’t need to worry about cost, because we have an abundance of electrical energy. Directing this vast power supply into steel refinement immediately causes our output to skyrocket.”

Liu Hui seemed to grasp the situation slightly better. He said, "Indeed, we possess numerous high-grade energy stones, and the immense electrical energy contained within them could certainly be utilized for these purposes."

Anqi, however, shook her head. "Liu Hui, you should conserve those high-grade energy stones; they might prove to have far greater utility later on. When I speak of vast amounts of electrical energy, I'm not referring to those stones, but rather the deep-sea generator clusters situated above the subsea factory complex. While they shield against the crushing deep-sea pressure, they also supply the factories with enormous amounts of power."

Liu Hui paused, then inquired, "Are you suggesting that our subsea factory complex can actually be self-sustaining? They excavate the subterranean ores, then use the electricity generated by the deep-sea pressure above them as energy to massively smelt steel. Is that the case?"

Anqi nodded. "Precisely, that is the situation. It is thanks to this support from an almost limitless supply of low-cost electrical resources that we can produce prodigious quantities of steel without constraint."

Liu Hui exclaimed, "This is utterly miraculous. I finally comprehend the profound meaning behind the phrase, 'Science and technology are the primary productive force.' So, can we begin construction of this subsea factory complex immediately?"

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