Two months later, Star City launched a major offensive, officially rolling out a generation of computer chips dubbed the "Star Heart."

The moment this chip hit the market, it sent shockwaves through the international arena. What stunned observers wasn't just its performance—vastly superior to comparable American chips—but its lower energy consumption and drastically reduced price point. It became clear that Star City was now aggressively encroaching upon territories long considered American technological strongholds.

Star City adjusted its strategy, pivoting toward America’s core industries, and the release of the Star Heart was merely the opening salvo. Before the market could even fully process the impact of the Star Heart, Star City struck again, unveiling a revolutionary product: the Star Phone.

The Star Phone integrated an astounding number of functions, essentially miniaturizing a full-fledged computer into a handheld device. Star City’s marketing slogan for this product was irresistible: the safest phone, ensuring you’ll never fear eavesdropping; the most convenient phone, allowing seamless communication even deep underground, boasting stable signals with absolutely no dead zones on Earth; and the ultimate battery phone, capable of a full month of continuous talk time on a single charge.

Current market phones suffered from signal dead spots and notoriously poor battery life, leading to widespread consumer dissatisfaction. Upon hearing about Star City's new handset, interest surged dramatically.

Secretly, Star City began negotiations with major telecommunications carriers. By conceding a portion of its profits and applying carefully managed pressure, Star City successfully brokered cooperation agreements with most of the world's major telecom operators. These agreements permitted both electromagnetic and spiritual energy communication systems to coexist without either being suppressed by the other.

With these issues resolved, the two new products—the chip and the smartphone—were met with such overwhelming demand upon launch that they caused a temporary, frantic shortage. This caught Liu Hui somewhat off guard. He was used to Star City’s success stemming from its monopoly—people had to buy their offerings. But now, with numerous viable alternatives for both computer chips and smartphones available, he couldn't fathom why these new products were selling so explosively.

What Liu Hui didn't realize was that years of Star City’s unwavering commitment to producing premium-quality goods had made every single product synonymous with perfection and supreme utility. Over time, Star City’s merchandise became the gold standard for reliability. Consequently, any new product launch immediately triggered a buying frenzy—the tangible result of years of painstakingly cultivated goodwill.

When competitors obtained samples of the new chips and phones, their subsequent testing left them dumbfounded. The performance metrics of these new products utterly eclipsed their own. Under current market conditions, their existing lines faced rapid obsolescence. Their only recourse was to accelerate their own product upgrades to reclaim lost market share.

These major corporations immediately poured resources into developing next-generation products, aiming to surpass Star City’s performance metrics and win back their alienated consumer base. However, they were unaware that Star City was tracking their R&D progress closely. As soon as they achieved a breakthrough, Star City would immediately upgrade its own technology, ensuring its products always maintained the lead, thus rendering the competitors' massive investments futile until eventual bankruptcy.

Watching Star City’s triumphant development, Liu Hui felt immensely satisfied.

One day, Yue Wang arrived at his office to deliver a progress report.

Yue Wang had consistently served as Liu Hui’s mayoral assistant. In managing Star City, Liu Hui generally focused on broad strategic direction, delegating the minutiae to Yue Wang.

After a year in the role, Liu Hui observed that Yue Wang was excelling as the assistant mayor, demonstrating exceptional management skills during several joint initiatives. Star City ran like clockwork, a testament to Yue Wang's diligent efforts.

Since his family tragedy and his subsequent marriage to Pingping, Yue Wang’s personality had transformed entirely. Not only was he scrupulously responsible in his work, but his private life had also become remarkably disciplined. Unless working late, Yue Wang returned home promptly every day to be with his wife. Even when attending large social functions, he brought Pingping along, pointedly ignoring any woman who approached him, embodying the image of the perfect husband. Anyone seeing Yue Wang now would never imagine the degenerate he once was.

Pingping, having married Yue Wang, withdrew from public life to focus entirely on their home. She devoted all her energy to their domestic sphere, caring for Yue Wang's every need with meticulous attention. Not long ago, Pingping had become pregnant, bringing them immense joy. Observing the household built by Yue Wang and Pingping, Liu Hui occasionally felt a pang of envy.

"Fourth Brother, what brings you to my office today?" Liu Hui quipped warmly.

"Mayor, I have a matter to report to you," Yue Wang stated formally.

Liu Hui felt a slight frustration. Since becoming mayoral assistant, Yue Wang had reined in his demeanor around him. Outside of office hours, he maintained an entirely professional front. Liu Hui had mentioned this to him several times, but Yue Wang had countered by citing the principle of separating public and private affairs. Yue Wang believed that a lack of clear demarcation between the two in management could lead to significant problems, and he felt obligated to set an example of strict separation.

"What is it?" Liu Hui asked. Yue Wang continued, "The American Ambassador to Star City visited my office this morning and personally delivered an official communiqué from the U.S. government. In it, the government demands a reasonable explanation for the activities currently underway on Mars." Yue Wang then placed a document on Liu Hui’s desk.

Star City’s terraforming efforts on Mars were creating significant activity, and Liu Hui knew it couldn't be entirely hidden from American eyes, but he hadn't expected a formal diplomatic note.

Without looking at the document, he said, "Fourth Brother, Mars is our paramount focus for the next phase; it will eventually be our new home. We are investing an enormous cost to transform Mars. Given this context, how do you think we should address the American inquiry?" Yue Wang replied, "The scale of activity on Mars is too vast. Once the U.S. knows, it means the entire world will know we are terraforming Mars, and we could face global pressure. With Earth’s population steadily ballooning, a habitable, developed Mars will incite intense desire in everyone. Under these circumstances, we must strike decisively to shatter any illusions of easy gains. We should declare Mars our private territory, forbidding any person or organization from infringing upon Martian interests, or they will face direct military retaliation." Liu Hui pondered this. "Your thinking is sound. We are not the weak entity we once were; we hold significant leverage. If we declare Mars our private property, they will have little recourse beyond protest. Furthermore, since we control outer space—any vessel wishing to leave Earth requires our clearance—we have no fear of nations making trouble."

"Mayor, are you instructing me to relay this as our response?" Yue Wang inquired. Liu Hui shook his head. "Don't reply formally to the U.S. government. Go immediately and convene a press conference. At that conference, announce that Star City has begun terraforming Mars and plans to migrate the population there in the future. Formally declare Mars our private property. Any individual or organization that dares to infringe upon our private assets will be deemed our enemy and completely eliminated."

Yue Wang paused, surprised. "Mayor, aren't you going to preside over the press conference?" Liu Hui smiled. "I will not. You are my assistant mayor; your words represent my stance. Besides, after toiling hard for so many years, shouldn't I take some time to relax?"

A week later, Yue Wang, the Assistant Mayor of Star City, formally held the press conference. Yue Wang informed the global media that Star City had commenced terraforming Mars, briefly outlining the progress, and then declared Mars to be the private possession of Star City. He issued a stark warning that any person or organization coveting Mars would face Star City’s devastating military retaliation.

News that Star City was terraforming Mars astonished the world. While humanity hadn't even established a base on the Moon, how could Star City be transforming Mars? Before their shock could subside, Star City announced Mars's privatization, backed by the forceful warning.

This declaration from Star City instantly ignited global public opinion. Certain organizations expressed outrage, arguing that Mars belonged to all humanity, not just Star City alone. They called upon people worldwide to protest, demanding that Star City turn Mars into a home for everyone, not a private playground.

Some radical groups began organizing marches and demonstrations. They protested Star City reaping massive profits from their nations only to use that wealth for Martian development, culminating in Star City claiming that terraformed Mars as its private domain—an outcome they absolutely refused to tolerate. They urged a worldwide boycott of Star City merchandise and firmly resisted the corporation's rapid expansion, labeling Star City's actions as neo-hegemony.

Fueled by these radical elements, anti-Star City demonstrations erupted across the globe, appearing outwardly powerful and widespread. Despite the threat of a boycott against its products, Liu Hui remained completely unconcerned. He knew Star City’s goods were so deeply integrated into every facet of global infrastructure that the world simply could not function without them, rendering any boycott ineffective.

Star City supplied the world with astronomical quantities of cheap electricity daily, capturing over 50% of the global power market. By utilizing Star City's low-cost energy, most nations had shut down their highly polluting fossil fuel plants and the riskier nuclear facilities. This reduced domestic environmental damage and significantly lowered their manufacturing costs, considering Star City’s cheap power cost less than one-fifth of their own generation expense.

If any nation foolishly declared a boycott against Star City’s goods, Star City could simply halt the supply of cheap electricity, a single measure capable of triggering rapid economic collapse in those countries.

Star City possessed more than just the cheap electricity trump card. In coastal and severely arid nations, Star City provided massive volumes of freshwater annually. This supply was the primary assurance for those countries escaping drought crises, making their domestic desalination projects obsolete; they were entirely dependent on Star City's water purification technology. From this perspective, Star City effectively held these nations by the throat; any misstep would invite immense suffering simply by cutting off the water supply.

Star City’s electric vehicles were hot sellers worldwide, replacing vast numbers of gasoline cars. People had already experienced the convenience and speed electric vehicles offered. Not only were they environmentally clean, but their operational costs were negligible, making them the preferred automotive choice. From a standpoint of personal enjoyment and utility, no one would willingly revert to the heavily polluting era of petroleum-fueled cars.

Furthermore, Star City had achieved a near-total monopoly over the global pharmaceutical market; virtually all medicinal products were manufactured by Star City. If Star City ceased production, the world would instantly face a catastrophic lack of medicine.

Holding so many critical assets, Liu Hui knew that even if easily replaceable goods like cosmetics, health supplements, or hosiery faced boycotts, the core of his product line remained irreplaceable. Any nation recognizing this reality would make calculated, cautious decisions. The situation was no longer one where Star City feared a global boycott; rather, the world feared Star City ceasing production, which would instantly upend their daily lives.

As expected, the protest marches were little more than shouting slogans to vent frustration. After the rallies concluded, participants immediately returned to their factories to continue manufacturing equipment and instruments destined for export to Star City.

After Star City proclaimed its ownership of Mars, the world experienced some turbulence, but ultimately, calm returned. For the majority of Earth’s inhabitants, their immediate work responsibilities took precedence; Mars remained too distant a concern.

Though the world settled temporarily, some nations remained unconvinced. They secretly launched several satellites, hoping to land them on Mars to place some markers, thereby staking a territorial claim. To their surprise, every satellite launched vanished just as it was about to clear Earth's orbit, and they could find no explanation for the disappearance.

After repeated failures, these nations finally understood: the fact that Star City had begun terraforming implied their space technology was exceptionally advanced. They must have deployed an impenetrable defense grid around Earth, preventing any craft intending to reach Mars from ever leaving orbital proximity. They realized their efforts were futile. Since they couldn't breach Star City’s space blockade in the short term, they had no choice but to retreat temporarily and plan for the long haul.

At this juncture, utilizing the vast supplies Liu Hui had transported, the Mars base completed construction of specialized mixed-gas production facilities at the two hundred pre-selected strategic outposts.

After meticulous calibration, these two hundred massive gas factories commenced operation, continuously pumping specialized mixed gases into the Martian atmosphere.

Once released into the atmosphere, these unique gases triggered intense chemical reactions, causing the ambient temperature to rise. As the gases were steadily emitted, the temperature around these facilities began to climb noticeably, quickly surpassing the zero-degree Celsius threshold.

At this point, the permafrost beneath these strategic locations began to thaw, melting ice that was then forced by gravity to the surface, flowing toward lower elevations, slowly coalescing into small streams.

Subsequently, countless such streams appeared, gradually merging into small rivers. These either flowed directly into depressions to form lakes or emptied into the nascent global ocean, replenishing its water supply.

With the influx of this fresh water, the primitive ocean’s volume increased substantially. This, in turn, accelerated the evaporation of water vapor, causing the moisture content in the atmosphere to rise continuously. Through wind and rain cycles, this water vapor returned as precipitation to the Martian surface, initiating a new cycle.

Meanwhile, the Mars Base began electrolyzing vast amounts of seawater, separating astronomical quantities of oxygen and hydrogen. The hydrogen was stored, while the oxygen was directly vented into the atmosphere to regulate the gaseous composition.

Thus, the Mars Base diligently continued to modify the Martian environment. Gradually, the surface temperature sustained its climb; ice reserves within the Martian permafrost continuously melted, and the massive ice caps at the Martian poles began to recede. The resulting surface runoff increased exponentially, leading to a greater flow into the primitive ocean. From orbit, the distinct outlines of a nascent ocean were now visible.

Within the atmospheric gas composition, the levels of oxygen and nitrogen were steadily rising, while the concentration of toxic gases continued to drop. Work on artificially manufacturing an ozone layer was proceeding successfully, having already achieved 10% of the required total mass.

The Martian environment had achieved initial improvement, allowing for the introduction of genetically modified algae, fungi, and mosses, which were planted across the Martian oceans and landmasses.

Initially, the survival rate for these pioneer organisms was extremely low, with fewer than 2% taking root. However, as the terraforming process advanced, the viability of these plants increased, now exceeding 5%. From space, small patches of blue were visible across the Martian oceans, indicating areas where algal survival rates were highest. On the land surface, the survival rate for fungi and mosses remained stubbornly low, yet to break 2%. Nevertheless, around the Mars Base and the two hundred strategic outposts, areas rich in oxygen and water sources were completely carpeted with fungi and mosses, presenting a vibrant, thriving panorama.

Feedback from the supercomputer, the "Solar System Simulator," indicated that the Mars plan was progressing smoothly without major setbacks. However, as the terraforming deepened, the construction of large-scale factories on Mars would necessitate another massive influx of materials transported from Earth—a task reserved for Liu Hui, though this was slated for the following year and was currently in the planning stages.

One night, Liu Hui was fast asleep at home when a mysterious wave of energy pulsed through his mind, instantly jolting him awake. He immediately recognized the familiar signature of Xiao Hei.

A wave of ecstatic joy washed over Liu Hui; Xiao Hei, long dormant, had finally awakened. It had completed its ultimate evolution and reached its final form. Liu Hui could sense an incomparably potent power emanating from Xiao Hei.

Liu Hui’s sudden awakening roused Hu Xian’er. Seeing his expression of pure delight, she asked, "Water Buffalo, did you have a pleasant dream? Why are you so overjoyed in the middle of the night?"

Liu Hui swiftly pulled on his clothes and said, "Xian'er, come with me. Today, I’m going to show you a miracle."

Hu Xian'er paused, but quickly finished dressing. Little Hei had completed its evolution, and Liu Hui felt it necessary for Hu Xian'er to witness Little Hei's power. That way, should anything happen in the future, they could look out for one another. Hu Xian'er already possessed Liu Hui's absolute trust, so while some things, like Liu Hui’s Planar Trading Device, remained secret, it was time for her to know about other matters.

Liu Hui opened the window of the room and said, "Xian'er, follow me."

With that, Liu Hui launched himself through the window. Hu Xian'er, however, drifted lightly through the air, following closely behind him.