Building a Sci-Fi Empire: Starting with Cold Nuclear Fusion

Another week has passed.

During this period, the nuclear battery project got on track.

Chen Yuan estimates that the figure model will be available next week, at which point it can enter the testing and verification phase.

This is a work-related matter.

Privately, he's sorted out the car issue these past few days.

I just picked up the car yesterday.

Today is Saturday, and Chen Yuan started to feel nervous in the afternoon.

He was going to see Ah Yu around 5 p.m.

To prepare, he tried on several outfits and even went downstairs to the barbershop to get a trendy hairstyle.

Around 4:30 pm, Chen Yuan, dressed in a casual suit, drove off in his newly purchased car.

He got his driver's license during his first summer break in college, and he hadn't driven much since then. Plus, he picked up the car yesterday and only had one day to get used to it, so he was particularly nervous driving on the road.

Fortunately, the journey was uneventful.

Chen Yuan successfully arrived at the parking lot downstairs of the All Seasons Hotel, which A Yu's company had booked on Ganjiang West Road.

He texted him, "I'm in the parking lot downstairs at your hotel. You can come down now."

Ah Yu replied quickly, "I'm already in the lobby. Do you remember what you promised me?"

Chen Yuan said, "Remember, no matter what happens, I'll make sure you have a proper dinner with me."

Ah Yu said, "Yes, I'm wearing a white dress with little flowers. Where are you?"

Chen Yuan quickly got out of the car and looked towards the hotel entrance.

There stood a girl in a white floral dress, wearing a sun hat and carrying a small blue bag.

As expected, it's Ah Yu.

Because the other person was wearing a sun hat, Chen Yuan couldn't see their face clearly.

However, Ah Yu is quite tall, probably around 1.68 meters.

In addition, she doesn't look fat, nor is she the kind of girl who is skinny; rather, she is very well-proportioned and moderately thin.

It was a bit far away, so Chen Yuan could only see roughly this much.

Although we haven't seen much, judging from these observations, even if Ah Yu looks different from the photos, she probably isn't that ugly.

Chen Yuan waved as he walked toward the hotel entrance.

Ah Yu noticed this and quickly stepped forward.

The two seemed to be heading in opposite directions, and soon they were close together.

Upon getting closer, Chen Yuan was able to clearly see Ah Yu's appearance and clothing.

Her attire was very simple, consisting of a white floral dress, a sun hat, a pair of white New Balance sneakers, and a gold necklace with a crescent-shaped jade pendant around her neck.

As for her appearance, she was even more beautiful than the photos Chen Yuan had seen before.

Well, he had seen her bare-faced photos before, since they were taken in bed. Now that she's wearing makeup, of course she looks better.

Chen Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time, doubts arose.

Ah Yu is so beautiful, why did you have that kind of worry before?

Although he couldn't figure it out for the time being, he still greeted her with a smile, "Ah Yu."

Ah Yu looked up and stared at Chen Yuan, seemingly also sizing him up.

She looked somewhat nervous for some reason and said, "Yes, it's me. Are you Pinecone?"

Chen Yuan's online name is a bit long, and his profile picture is just a pine cone image he found online, so A Yu calls him that.

He stared intently at her and said, "Yes, you're quite pretty, so why were you so worried before?"

A hint of panic flickered in Ah Yu's eyes, but she forced a calm demeanor and said, "Maybe it's because I lack confidence. Where do we go now?"

"Let's go eat first."

Chen Yuan pointed to the car, "Let me take you to try the famous Suzhou dish, 'Squirrel Mandarin Fish'."

As he spoke, he gestured for Ah Yu and himself to walk towards the car.

Ah Yu responded, and the two walked side by side.

Chen Yuan, trying to make conversation, asked, "Where did the company take you today?"

For some reason, Ah Yu seemed not to hear her and didn't reply.

Seeing this, Chen Yuan's heart skipped a beat. He wondered if the other party didn't like him and was just going to have a meal with him and then part ways because of what they had said before.

Finished!

Dude, did you die in the light?

Chen Yuan felt extremely uneasy.

To everyone's surprise, after walking a few more steps, Ah Yu actually spoke up, saying, "Why aren't you saying anything? Is it because you have nothing to say to me?"

At this moment, Chen Yuan saw Ah Yu tilting her head to look at him.

He said, somewhat amused and exasperated, "I already said that, but you ignored me."

The two approached the car, and Ayu tilted her head again, saying, "I might have been thinking about something and didn't notice. What did you say?"

Chen Yuan opened the car door. "So, where did the company take you guys on a trip?"

With that, he got into the driver's seat.

The sound of a car door opening came from the back seat, and then Ah Yu got in and said, "We went to the Humble Administrator's Garden. There were so many people there."

As Chen Yuan fastened his seatbelt, he turned his head and asked, "Aren't you going to sit in the passenger seat? It'll be easier for us to talk that way."

Ah Yu still tilted her head to the side and waved her hand, saying, "No need, no need, I'm used to sitting in the back."

Do you usually sit in the back?

Do you have a driver on a regular basis?

Chen Yuan didn't know what was wrong with the other party, but he felt that A Yu's behavior was a bit strange.

He wondered to himself if the other person really didn't like him.

Otherwise, why wouldn't he even sit in the passenger seat?

Chen Yuan felt a little helpless, but still said, "Okay, buckle up your seatbelt too. I just picked up this car yesterday, and my driving skills are pretty average."

Ah Yu suddenly suggested, "How about I drive and you sit in the passenger seat?"

Chen Yuan wasn't a very good driver, but he didn't refuse. "Okay, you drive. It'll be easier for us to talk if we sit closer."

After saying that, he got out of the car and got into the passenger seat from the other side.

Ah Yu did the same, getting out of the back seat and into the driver's seat.

A short while later, the car started.

Chen Yuan first pointed out the way, then asked with concern, "What was your first impression of me?"

Ah Yu looked at the road ahead and smiled, saying, "It's great! It looks even better than in the photos, and it's basically the same as I imagined. So, what's your impression of me?"

The car entered the main road.

Chen Yuan looked at the other person's profile and said, "I can only describe it with two words."

Ah Yu asked, "What?"

Chen Yuan said, "Stunning."

Ah Yu smiled, "Really? Is your impression of me really that good?"

Chen Yuan sincerely replied, "Yes, I think you are much prettier than Gao Yuanyuan."

Perhaps because the two had already spent about 150 days together, they didn't feel any sense of unfamiliarity.

Ah Yu naturally followed up, even cracking a little joke, "If Gao Yuanyuan and I were both here, who would you choose to have dinner with?"

Chen Yuan was amused. "Don't even mention Gao Yuanyuan, even if the King of Heaven himself came, I would only have dinner with you today."

The two continued chatting, and they seemed to be having a very pleasant conversation, almost as if they were online.

This made Chen Yuan's previous thought that A Yu didn't like him much.

He thought he had misjudged the situation, but what happened next plunged him into self-doubt once again.

……

Deyuelou is a famous Suzhou cuisine restaurant.

Chen Yuan had made a reservation beforehand, so as soon as the two arrived, they were quickly led to a relatively secluded corner by the waiter.

Yes, this was something he specifically requested, so that he could communicate with Ayu without being disturbed by others.

The two sat down facing each other.

Ah Yu is putting her small bag down by turning her head.

Chen Yuan then used his phone to scan a QR code to order food. "What would you like to eat?"

Ah Yu on the other side seemed to ignore him completely, offering no response whatsoever.

Chen Yuan looked up in confusion, "Ayu?"

Whether she heard her name called or had put her bag down, Ah Yu looked up at her and said with a smile, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Chen Yuan was speechless again. "I asked you what you wanted to eat, but you didn't even answer me."

Ah Yu tilted her head slightly and said, "Oh, I was distracted and didn't notice. I'm not picky about food, just keep an eye on it."

Chen Yuan looked down at the dishes and said, "Okay, let's order a squirrel-shaped mandarin fish first, and then..."

He ordered four or five dishes in a row before looking up to ask for the other person's opinion: "Is this alright?"

Ah Yu seemed distracted. "What?"

Chen Yuan: "..."

He was completely dumbfounded. How could this happen one after another?

Was I really that distracted while we were eating together?

He felt a bitter taste in his mouth. He was now pretty sure that Ayu probably didn't like him, otherwise she wouldn't have acted this way.

Just when Chen Yuan was feeling extremely helpless.

Ah Yu suddenly said, "How about... you sit next to me?"

Ok?

Does that mean I'll sit next to you?

Chen Yuan was very surprised. All of A Yu's previous behavior seemed to indicate that she didn't like him. Why was she now taking the initiative to suggest that he sit with her?