"Richard and Paul are collectors. Why did Alexander bring them to you?"
After returning to the company from the top club, Zhao Min couldn't help asking.
"To sell me something—and to make introductions. We've become friends along the way," Chen Mo replied.
"Is the weather crazy today or what? Since when are you into collectibles?" Zhao Min was genuinely surprised.
She had never heard of Chen Mo having an interest in luxury or collectibles. This guy was a total tech fanatic. Even his house looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. Famous paintings? Rare antiques? Nope. Just futuristic robots and cutting-edge gadgets.
"I don't recall ever saying I wasn't interested," Chen Mo said, smiling.
"So what did you buy this time? I want to see what kind of thing could actually tempt a hardcore science geek like you."
"The wedding's not far off, and while I'm working on the cooperation deal with the government, I'm also preparing for it. I bought some wedding jewelry for Xiao Yu. Since the Roche family are shareholders in De Beers, they had connections. So I went through Alexander."
Chen Mo walked to the safe, pulled out several elegant boxes, and placed them on the coffee table.
Zhao Min eagerly opened the first box, her eyes widening in shock. Inside were dozens of white diamonds—each about the size of a fingernail. A larger, egg-sized oval diamond sat at the center. They weren't unusual in shape, but the sheer quantity was staggering.
"Why so many loose diamonds? A ring, a necklace, even earrings—this is way too much." Zhao Min laughed. "Aren't diamonds just carbon to someone like you?"
"These are for Xiao Yu's bracelet," Chen Mo said.
"A bracelet? With this many diamonds?"
"Yep."
"Pervert. Rich, over-the-top, diamond-flinging pervert. You're the reason poor people can't imagine wealth properly. Someone drag him out and beat him," Zhao Min muttered.
"You're a billionaire yourself. Don't act like you're poor."
"Still not as bad as you."
She opened the second box and gasped. Two large red diamonds lay inside, perfectly cut and glowing under the light.
It was her first time seeing such big red diamonds—let alone two at once. Each of these was likely worth more than all the white diamonds combined.
They were olive-shaped, vibrant but not gaudy, almost like phoenix eyes—noble, striking, and captivating. If not for her pride, she would've snatched them immediately.
"These are... for earrings or a necklace?" Zhao Min asked, practically drooling.
"They're called 'Angel's Eyes.' I bought them to make a pair of earrings for Xiao Yu," Chen Mo said.
Zhao Min couldn't believe it. "You madman. Such rare red diamonds—for earrings? What about a necklace?"
Chen Mo smiled and opened another box.
"Here. This is 'Tears of the Mermaid.'"
Wow...
The moment Zhao Min laid eyes on the sea-blue diamond necklace, she couldn't help but exclaim.
The diamond was slightly larger than a pigeon egg—clear, flawless, nearly 40 carats. The rich, translucent blue shimmered under the light. It was definitely top-tier, among the finest in the world.
The only stone that might surpass it was the legendary "Hope Diamond," with its ominous history.
Zhao Min, president of the Marching Ant Group or not, couldn't resist its charm. In front of Chen Mo, she dropped all pretense and let her inner girl loose.
Seeing all three rare diamonds at once was overwhelming. Her hands trembled slightly as she lifted the mermaid necklace.
"And they just agreed to sell you this?" she asked in disbelief.
"Money talks," Chen Mo said, grinning.
"How much for the 'Tears of the Mermaid'?"
"$160 million."
"You're nuts. That's insane. You can't just casually drop that kind of money. But... it's gorgeous. Still, that's steep."
"It's fine. He wasn't really willing to part with it, either. But I liked it, and he came around. It's acceptable. And it'll only appreciate after the wedding."
The last intelligence data Chen Mo had sold to the CIA netted him nearly $200 million. Dropping some of that for Xiao Yu's wedding jewelry was no big deal.
Zhao Min could only sigh. If Chen Mo dared to unveil this diamond during his wedding, it really would skyrocket in value. Rare gems always do.
After calming down, she glanced sideways at Chen Mo and said, "You know... my sisterly instincts are kicking in. I kinda want to marry you too."
"But I already have Xiao Yu."
"Hmph, heartless man. We're both your women, yet the treatment is so different," Zhao Min said with mock resentment, reluctantly placing the necklace back in its box. Her envy was impossible to hide.
"Uh..."
Chen Mo scratched his head, unsure how to respond.
Over the next two days, Chen Mo buried himself in the lab. He ran several nuclear fusion simulations, constantly refining the [Star Ring] design.
When he had the chance, he also worked on synthesizing new materials for the [Star Ring] device.
It was a complex machine. Preparing materials in advance would save lots of time later. But some of the rare metals and alloys needed special sourcing channels—and they weren't available yet. For now, he was stuck synthesizing what he could from raw elements.
While Chen Mo was deep in research, a call came in from Li Chengzhi.
"Brother, any news?"
"Yes. Just got word—they've agreed to cooperate. I'll come with the official delegation tomorrow to discuss the details of the partnership. Be ready."
"Got it. I'll be waiting at the company."
After hanging up, Chen Mo called Zhao Min to meet him in the lab. With the delegation arriving tomorrow, they had to get everything ready.
If the deal went through, building the [Star Ring] would be much easier, and completing the nuclear fusion tech project would become a reality.
"What happened?" Zhao Min asked, entering the lab.
"Brother Li just called. There's a response about the nuclear fusion project," Chen Mo said, handing her a cup of tea.
"And?"
"Cooperation."
Zhao Min let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Those two words were the best possible outcome. Chen Mo was treading in extremely sensitive territory. If it were up to her, she wouldn't have touched it at all.
For ordinary people, this was a no-go zone—one mistake, and there'd be no way back. The fact that they were willing to even discuss cooperation instead of outright seizing or banning the research was already a huge win.
"How's your prep coming along?" Chen Mo asked.
"Take a look."
Zhao Min pulled out a USB drive and opened a document on the screen.
"These are the cooperation terms I've been drafting. Let me know what needs changing."
Chen Mo reviewed it carefully and nodded. Zhao Min had anticipated more than he expected—her attention to detail was impressive.
"Looks good. But no need to finalize anything yet. They won't agree to these terms immediately anyway. We'll use this as a basis and adapt during negotiations."
"What do you think our chances are?" Zhao Min asked.
"Hard to say. But the fact they're open to discussion gives us hope."
"And if it doesn't work out?"
"Then we don't build the project yet. It's not like we've committed resources. Besides, we hold a pretty strong card—this is controlled nuclear fusion. That's not something they can ignore."