Liu Hui ran with Hu Xianer across the city's surface. His intimate knowledge of Star City's surveillance system, combined with their formidable skills, allowed them to slip out undetected and arrive at the seashore.

Standing side by side on the beach, they gazed at the moonlit waves shimmering under the night sky, a romantic atmosphere enveloping them.

Hu Xianer asked, "Water Buffalo, what are you showing me?" Liu Hui smiled mysteriously, "Sweetheart, don't worry. It'll arrive any second now."

Suddenly, Hu Xianer sensed an overwhelming aura in their vicinity. The power was so intense it made her heart race. With a swift hand movement, the white light sword materialized in her grasp as she stepped forward to shield Liu Hui.

Liu Hui watched his partner's protective stance with warmth surging through him. "Xianer," he said gently, "put your sword away—it's one of us."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the sea surface erupted like boiling water. A colossal black dragonhead slowly surfaced before ascending to reveal its massive draconic body and claws—an authentic Chinese Black Dragon.

The beast ascended until it hovered three hundred meters above them, its tail still submerged in seawater while its head gazed down at the two humans on the ground from such height that they seemed like ants in its presence.

"Water Buffalo," Hu Xianer's voice trembled as she gripped her sword tighter. The dragon had shaken her to her core.

Liu Hui laughed, "Don't be nervous—it has no ill intentions and follows my commands completely. Watch..."

At his directive, the black dragon began descending into the ocean until only its massive head remained above water.

Liu Hui took Hu Xianer's hand and leapt onto the draconic cranium, gripping its horns with a grin. "My dear," he said, "let's experience what it feels like to ride dragons together as divine partners!" Hu Xianer stood dazed on the dragon's head, still struggling to accept the reality of such an ancient creature existing in their world.

With Liu Hui nearby, miracles were inevitable, and this dragon was surely linked to his previous mysterious encounters. As she leaned her head against his shoulder, the black dragon suddenly accelerated eastward through violent gales, its speed terrifyingly fast—two times the speed of sound.

Hu Xianer's light sword flared abruptly, forming a protective barrier between them as they rode past the stormy winds. By now, they'd traveled five hundred kilometers beyond Star City when Liu Hui ordered the dragon to halt completely at sea level.

Examining their new companion up close, they saw the beast had grown to an astonishing five-hundred meters long—its draconic features unmistakably Chinese in style. The head bore regal majesty while its claws emitted icy white light, promising destructive power. Its thirty-meter-thick body rippled with raw strength beneath impenetrable black scales.

Liu Hui had calculated the dragon's speed during their journey—an incredible two times the speed of sound underwater. The creature's sensory range extended five kilometers now, allowing Liu Hui to detect threats instantly without slow movements.

Though he hadn't tested its maximum control distance yet, Liu Hui was satisfied with Xiao Hei's current capabilities—especially since even Hu Xianer feared it. Now Star City could dominate Earth effortlessly through the dragon alone, and with their own city's power backing them, they'd be invincible anywhere.

Hu Xianer gazed down at the mighty beast below her feet, awestruck that an ancient Chinese dragon truly existed on this world.

"This one is named Xiao Hei," Liu Hui explained as he stroked its horns. "The dragon has helped us discover massive underwater mineral deposits through its sensing abilities, accelerating Star City's development immeasurably."

"Does it have independent thoughts?" Hu Xianer asked.

Liu Hui chuckled, "Think of it as my extension—obedient to every command without question or betrayal. When the US aircraft carrier fleet threatened us in the Persian Gulf, Xiao Hei destroyed two carriers for us, securing our victories in the Middle East."

Hu Xianer understood their relationship after this analogy but still felt amazed at Liu Hui's control. Though she asked about using it against Sky City's attackers if not for her intervention, Liu Hui admitted that year's Xiao Hei wasn't fully evolved yet and he'd been desperate until she stepped in.

The moonlight danced across the calm sea surface while they stood atop their draconic companion like celestial beings. "Water Buffalo," Hu Xianer laughed excitedly as gales whipped through her hair, "I've heard immortal couples ride dragons to explore worlds. Let's emulate them with our Xiao Hei!"

With that, Liu Hui and his partner rode the dragon into the silver night sky.

***

Time moved like lightning, and before they knew it, 2019 had passed. The new year brought remarkable developments for Star City.

In 2019 alone, Star City's GDP reached unprecedented heights—surpassing combined figures of both the United States and China. With breakthroughs in construction materials accelerating building speeds, by December their city spanned an astonishing six thousand five hundred square kilometers, on track to complete its massive project by year's end.

Technological advancements allowed them to begin transforming Mars while expanding lunar colonies through orbital space stations that monitored Earth completely. Their growing influence made the world acknowledge Star City as a superpower—so much so that despite global protests over Mars' privatization, no nation dared formally oppose it.

More than twenty thousand people migrated there in 2019, most being ethnic Chinese. Population growth surged further through Liu Hui's policies offering full government support for childrearing and financial incentives to families, creating an unexpected baby boom among the city's predominantly young population.

Yet Liu Hui knew they needed at least twenty million residents before large-scale interstellar migration began. He refused to dilute Star City's ideals by relaxing immigration standards, even if it meant facing demographic challenges.

By year-end, Anqi delivered another breakthrough: connecting their massive illusion array with supercomputers for virtual reality management. Liu Hui had already established the Star Game Department months earlier, staffing it with top talent to design an expansive VR game world containing five million words of background lore and two billion words across character classes, skills, economies and factions.

With enhanced computing power accelerating development, their pioneering virtual online game was set for public testing in late 2020. Related projects like gaming headsets, pricing models and promotional campaigns were also underway.

Early 2020 found Liu Hui once again working alongside Anqi to transport ten billion tons of supplies to Mars. Xiao Hei's maximum control distance remained undetermined until this mission revealed it extended up to ten million kilometers—far beyond Earth but still within operational limits during his journey there.

Mars had transformed dramatically in a year, its red terrain now half blue oceans and green patches from thriving algae and moss colonies. Atmospheric changes reduced violent storms, allowing clearer skies over the once-barren surface.

When Liu Hui reached Mars Base again, he found it no longer a red wasteland but lush greenery with trees and plants flourishing. Oxygen emissions had altered local conditions first, enabling plant survival while most of the planet's surface remained inhospitable.

He oversaw massive equipment transfers to establish self-sustaining Martian industries capable of producing rare goods for Star City without Earthly dependence.

His return to Earth was cut short by a shocking encounter at home—Lin Lin confronted him angrily at his doorstep, demanding justice for his adopted daughter Yuxin. The situation revealed how far Liu Hui's world had expanded beyond even his family's understanding...

Liu Lin said, "Zhou Lao San has always thought of Yuxin as his own flesh and blood daughter. No matter how hectic his schedule gets each year, he always carves out a few days to visit her."

A cold unease prickled at Liu Hui's spine. He asked, "And then?"

Liu Lin slammed the table with such force that teacups rattled. "That's when things got completely out of hand! Or else why would I be dragging you into this mess?!"