When I went home for Chinese New Year, I spent a million times more money on my foreign wife.

Chen Yang tilted his head back and drank the red wine in one gulp, placing the wine glass on the solid wood table.

The veteran experts gathered around the military computer that had lost its network connection.

Several people kept typing on the keyboard, recording the molecular equation for the invisible coating on the screen.

"Director Li, we're going back to Harbin Institute of Technology to build a laboratory! We must race against time!" The senior expert, carrying his computer, rushed out of the office with his assistant without even saying goodbye.

Li Bu stood there, about to speak, when the office door was pushed open again.

Lei Zi strode in, his leather shoes making a dull echo on the ground.

"Boss, something's happened on the Arctic shipping route." Lei Zi placed a coded paper report on the table. "The West has discovered we're continuously supplying Mo City with provisions. They're panicking."

Chen Yue followed closely behind Lei Zi into the room, carrying a stack of neatly organized reports. "Brother, it's a joint operation by the West. They deployed their seventh interception squadron, which sailed into the Arctic Circle high seas. Thirteen of our ocean-going heavy cargo ships, loaded with core heavy industrial equipment and chip machine tools, were blocked by them. The total value of this shipment exceeds ten billion US dollars."

Chen Yang sat in the boss's chair.

"What did they shout?" Chen Yang asked.

"The enemy flagship's captain is playing a recording on the public channel, demanding that our entire fleet anchor and stop all engines to allow them to board and inspect our ships." Lei Zi pressed the control panel on his desktop.

The giant screen switches between images.

On the frigid high seas, three massive destroyers stood in a single file, completely blocking the shipping lanes. Their cannons, their covers removed, were pointed directly at the Yukimiya Zaibatsu's merchant ships.

"What if we refuse?" Chen Yang tapped the table with his finger.

"They claimed they would take coercive measures, not ruling out the option of firing and sinking it," Lei Zi replied.

Chen Yang pulled over the silver communicator on the table. "Activate the space-based satellite network."

Data streams from the Snow Palace command center sped across the screen.

The holographic projection unfolded in mid-air.

The camera zooms in rapidly from space, piercing through the clouds and precisely locking onto the Arctic Ocean.

Three bright red halos encircled the three Western warships.

"Lei Zi, report the data."

Lei Zi stood in front of the screen and read out the parameters. "The space-based satellite has locked onto the target. The left-hand destroyer is traveling at 15 knots, and its weakest point in armor is three meters below the side. The right-hand destroyer's radar system is in a semi-operational state. Our satellite has even directly hacked into their internal network and obtained the coordinates of the blind spots of their fire control radar."

Chen Yang picked up the overseas red dedicated line phone on his desk.

After the beep, the call was connected.

"Chen Yang." Old Ivan's voice came through the hands-free speaker.

"Father-in-law, our merchant ships are being blocked by Western forces in international waters." Chen Yang leaned back in his chair. "How long do the Mo City military intend to stand by and watch?"

The sound of a glass shattering came from the other end of the phone. "The military high command is in an uproar in the conference room. Those energy oligarchs who've taken bribes from the West are vehemently opposing it, claiming that sending warships to escort them would trigger a local war. They dare not order the firing!"

"They don't need to fire," Chen Yang said coldly. "I'll send you a set of top-secret coordinates. Go to the military headquarters yourself. Have the Russian Northern Fleet send a nuclear submarine to these coordinates. No need to launch torpedoes, just open the missile silos and lock the radar onto the enemy's bridge."

"Do you have real-time coordinates?" Old Ivan's tone changed drastically.

"Error is zero." Chen Yang pressed the Enter key.

The massive data packet traveled across mountains and rivers and crashed into the highest command terminal of the military in Mo City.

Twelve minutes later. Lei Zi pressed the earpiece.

"Boss, the Russian Northern Fleet has been deployed. Five attack submarines have broken through the ice and surfaced, appearing directly in the radar blind spot of the western interception formation. They are only eighty nautical miles away. All missile launch silo hatches are open, and the fire control system has locked on."

The large screen displayed real-time monitoring footage.

The Western fleet was thrown into complete disarray. Three destroyers made a forced turn on the sea, their full displacement creating towering waves. Radar alarms blared across the entire public airwaves.

"They've withdrawn. The other side is disengaging from the contact zone at full speed and is fleeing in disarray," Lei Zi reported. "Our cargo ship has sounded its horn and continues sailing westward."

Chen Yang hung up the phone.

Li Bu watched the entire process.

He stepped forward and took out a letter of appointment framed in gold from his black briefcase. The edge of the letter of appointment was printed with the national emblem.

Li Bu held the letter of appointment in both hands and handed it to Chen Yang.

"Mr. Chen, this is a document issued by the highest levels of government in Yanjing." Li Bu straightened up and adjusted his collar. "From this moment on, you are not only the controller of the Snow Palace Zaibatsu, but also the authorized representative of China's foreign trade."

Chen Yang looked at the document.

Li continued, "Every sum of money you mobilize overseas, every acquisition contract you secure, is no longer a personal act. You represent the highest commercial will of China. The West wants to play a game of 'King of Kings' at the poker table; the higher-ups have asked you to overturn their table."

Chen Yang pushed the letter of appointment to Chen Yue.

"Put it into the underground vault of Snow Palace No. 1," Chen Yang ordered.

"Understood." Chen Yue hugged the documents tightly. "Brother, I've stabilized the base of operations back home. All heavy industrial production lines around Ice City are running at full capacity. Snow Palace Venture Capital has an enormous amount of cash flow in its accounts. No matter how big the battle you fight outside, there will be enough ammunition back home."

"Defend the home front. Guard against attacks from Wall Street speculative capital." Chen Yang stood up.

Lei Zi stepped forward and handed over a pure black cashmere trench coat, made by a century-old workshop in Milan, without any markings.

Chen Yang put on his trench coat.

"Is the private jet arranged?" Chen Yang straightened his cuffs.

"Private jets are on standby at the airport. Two hundred top combat specialists from Black Kite International Defense Group are fully armed and ready to board." Lei Zi put on his pristine white tactical gloves.

Chen Yang walked out of the office. A fierce wind howled on the rooftop helipad. The rotors of two Black Kite attack helicopters spun rapidly.

Chen Yang boarded the helicopter. The helicopter took off and flew towards Harbin International Airport.

On the airport's top-secret runway, ten Gulfstream private jets stood in a row. The massive fleet gleamed dazzlingly in the sunlight.

Two hundred mercenaries dressed in pure black combat uniforms and wearing tactical communicators stood in formation on both sides of the red carpet.

Chen Yang stepped off the helicopter. The Black Kite mercenaries marched in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized.

Lei Zi opened the main engine compartment door and stood to the side.

Chen Yang stepped onto the gangway, his leather shoes making a crisp sound as they stomped on the metal steps.

"Boss," Lei Zi reported from behind, "Our intelligence network in Mo City just sent back news. Those oligarchs who have been bought off by the West have joined forces to hold a charity gala tonight. They've forcibly invited Miss Katyusha to attend. Old Ivan doesn't have enough leverage to stop them."

"They colluded with old-money families in Europe, planning to freeze some of the Snow Palace zaibatsu's European accounts at the dinner party," Rai Zi added.

Chen Yang stopped. He turned his head and looked at the horizon at the end of the track.

"Katyusha is my wife." Chen Yang straightened his collar, which had been ruffled by the wind. "Anyone who dares to force her to bow down at the banquet, I'll uproot their business empire."

Chen Yang entered the cabin. Lei Zi slammed the cabin door shut from the outside.

With engines roaring, the planes took off one after another and soared into the sky.

A massive steel formation pierced the sky and flew into the distance.