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

After Ivan's farewell banquet ended, Katyusha dragged Chen Yang out of bed early the next morning.

"We're leaving, so we should take some local specialties back with us."

Chen Yang glanced at the time; it was eight in the morning.

-

The convoy departed from the manor, with six black bulletproof cars lined up end to end, heading towards the central business district of Mo City.

First stop, Tverskaya Street.

The most expensive street in Mo City is lined with flagship stores of top luxury brands and century-old jewelry stores.

Katyusha entered the first store, a local Russian jeweler that had been in business for 120 years.

The shop assistant's legs trembled when he saw the convoy of cars and the heavily armed Black Kite security guards at the entrance.

"Bring out that emerald set from the Tsarist era."

The store manager personally presented it, holding it above his head with both hands.

Chen Yang glanced at the label. Twelve million US dollars.

"wrap up."

Before the store manager could even say thank you, Katyusha had already moved on to the next counter.

"I want this too, I want this too, I want the whole row!"

In forty minutes, one-third of the store's inventory was sold out.

The total bill amounted to US$67 million.

Chen Yang's phone vibrated.

A line of numbers popped up on the Swiss bank's encrypted interface—$3.35 million had been deposited into your offshore account.

The system gave a fivefold return.

Chen Yang put his phone back in his pocket and followed Katyusha.

-

The second stop was the Mo City National Auction House.

There happens to be a year-end special auction today, featuring top-tier collectibles from Russia—Fabergé eggs, Tsarist court paintings, 18th-century amber carvings, and a collection of Romanov dynasty court jewelry that returned from Europe.

When Chen Yang and Katyusha took their seats in the VIP box, the auction hall was already filled with Russian oligarchs and European buyers.

The first item up for auction is a 1903 Fabergé royal Easter egg, with a starting bid of $18 million.

Someone raised a sign: 20 million.

Chen Yang didn't move.

Katyusha took the number and called out a number.

"Fifty million."

The entire room fell silent for three seconds.

The gavel falls.

The second item is an original oil painting by Repin, with a starting bid of 30 million.

"Eighty million."

The gavel falls.

The third item is a complete set of amber court tea utensils, with a starting bid of eight million.

This time, Chen Yang got the number plate.

Thirty million.

One of the Russian oligarchs in the room couldn't hold back any longer and raised his paddle, bidding 35 million.

Chen Yang didn't even turn his head.

"Sixty million."

The other party put down the number plate.

From the fourth item onwards, whenever Chen Yang or Katyusha raised their placards, no one else followed suit.

Of the fifty-two items in the entire auction, Chen Yang took thirty-one, and Katyusha took fourteen.

Total transaction amount: US$1.1 billion.

My phone vibrated again.

Swiss bank interface: $55 billion has been deposited into your offshore account.

Chen Yang dialed Chen Yue's number.

"What are you doing?"

"Watching the drone production line. Bro, what's up?"

"Please calculate the total cash flow of all my personal accounts up to this minute."

The keyboard clicked for twenty seconds.

"Brother, 496.1 billion US dollars. Including today's income—"

"How much more is needed to reach 500 billion?"

"Three billion. Bro, what are you going to do?"

Chen Yang glanced at the shopping bag Katyusha was carrying.

"We still have a few places to visit this afternoon, that should be enough."

-

In the afternoon, the handicrafts street on Tverskaya Street.

This street is full of local Russian artisan workshops, making matryoshka dolls, lacquerware, and silver wire inlay.

Katyusha spent half an hour in a silversmith's shop, selecting a complete set of handcrafted silver tableware and a samovar.

"Take this back to Harbin and display it in the restaurant."

Chen Yang paid the bill. One million two hundred thousand US dollars. Handmade, one of a kind in the world.

As she was leaving, Katyusha turned into an amber workshop.

"These amber bracelets are nice; get one for your mom."

"Buy ten skewers, and also get some for the stewards of the Snow Palace territory."

The workshop owner, a Russian man in his sixties, rubbed his hands together and asked the translator, "Sir, what kind of business do you run?"

Lei Zi stood at the door, his face expressionless, and replied, "He does everything."

The old man didn't understand, but he obediently laid out all the best items in the shop.

-

The last stop was GUM department store next to Red Square in Moor.

This century-old shopping mall houses flagship stores of all the world's top luxury brands.

Chen Yang and Katyusha strolled from the first floor to the third floor, and the process was the same for every store they entered—Katyusha pointed, the shop assistant put on a bag, and Chen Yang swiped his card.

When I got to the second floor, I encountered trouble at a high-end fur shop.

A bear-like woman was arguing with a shop assistant, demanding that she keep the one-of-a-kind sable coat in the window. Behind her stood four bodyguards, each with a sapphire the size of a pigeon's egg around their neck.

A noblewoman.

Katyusha stood at the door for two seconds, then went inside and said something to the shop assistant in Russian.

"I'll take that coat."

The lady turned her head.

"Who are you?"

"Ekaterina Ivanova".

The lady's expression changed.

This name carries more weight in the business world of Mo City than anyone else's lately.

Controlling 30% of Europe's natural gas market and owning South Africa's second-largest gold mine—everyone in the city of Mozambique knows this.

The shop assistant glanced at the lady, then at the silent Eastern man behind Katyusha.

"Ms. Ivanova, your coat will be wrapped up right away."

The lady gritted her teeth, turned around, and left with her bodyguards.

The day's shopping is over.

He called Chen Yue.

"How much is it now?"

"Five hundred and forty-seven billion US dollars. Bro, that's enough."

Chen Yue's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement.

With $500 billion in cash flow, you rank first in global personal assets. There is no second.

"Don't make a fuss. Has the flight route for the fleet been approved yet?"

"Approved. The three Gulfstream aircraft will take off from Sheremetyevo at 2 PM tomorrow, with a green channel for air traffic control throughout the flight, and will land at Harbin Taiping Airport six hours later. Everything is ready to receive them here."

"OK."

"Brother, there's one more thing. After the Howard family fund finished its acquisition, they also transferred the ownership of three office buildings in Newcastle to Snow Palace. Adding to the Madison assets acquired earlier, Snow Palace Venture Capital's assets under management have now exceeded two hundred billion US dollars. Do you want me to redo a summary asset statement?"

"Let's talk about it when we get back to Harbin. First, keep an eye on the production line."

"Got it. See you in Harbin tomorrow, bro."

Chen Yang hung up the phone and walked out of the mall.

Two more trucks followed the six armored cars, loaded with today's spoils—jewelry, oil paintings, Easter eggs, silverware, amber, furs, and a whole truckload of handmade matryoshka dolls and lacquerware.

Lei Zi opened the car door.

"Boss, there's too much stuff; the estate's storeroom might not be able to hold it all."

"No need to unload it. Just load it onto the cargo plane and fly with us to Harbin tomorrow."

Chen Yang got into the car, Lei Zi closed the door, and the convoy drove away from Red Square.

Katyusha leaned back in the back seat, flipping through the auction catalog in her hand.

"How much did you spend today?"

"Not counted."

"Chen Yang, do you treat money like paper?"

"Paper has weight. Numbers don't."

Katyusha tossed the catalog aside, took out the amber bracelet from her shopping bag, and put it on her wrist to compare.

The convoy drove through the night in Mo City, heading towards the manor.

I'm going home tomorrow, destination—Ice City.