Chen Mo looked at the neatly stacked boxes on the floor and couldn't help but grin.
Inside them were dozens of parts—each precision-machined by the company's workshop fitters using high-grade CNC tools. After several days of effort, they'd finally finished and delivered everything.
These were the full internal components needed for his prototype assistant robot.
Off to the side of the lab bench, all kinds of device parts were carefully laid out. Just this one robot had nearly a thousand individual components, from servo motors to flexible joints.
The skeleton was made of carbon-aluminum alloy and high-strength plastics. Light yet durable—perfect for maximizing battery life.
Every design choice had been intentional.
Since the robot ran on battery power, energy efficiency was critical. Weight was a core factor. That's why, in addition to the joints, Chen Mo had minimized the load on core modules—like sensors, motors, and joints.
Right now, the table was littered with micro-motors, servo drivers, and sensor boards, each one wired for a specific joint or movement system.
Chen Mo picked up a small servo actuator, examined it briefly, then set it aside.
He had already decided where to begin: the hands.
The most difficult and delicate part of any humanoid robot.
Unlike the limbs or torso, the hands needed fine motor control, flexibility, and grip sensitivity. They had to be precise enough to interact with delicate lab equipment, yet strong enough to hold tools.
And in robotics, mimicking the human hand was notoriously difficult.
But Chen Mo liked a challenge.
He worked in focused silence, eyes flicking from the wall-mounted design to the pieces laid out in front of him. He lost track of time, deep in flow, until a familiar voice cut through the quiet.
"Still at it? You planning to work through the night again?" Xiao Yu's voice came from the entrance to the lab.
Chen Mo blinked, looked up, and rubbed his eyes.
"Didn't realize it was that late," he said sheepishly. "Wait for me. Let me finish the fingers on this hand and we'll leave together. Just five more minutes."
"Building the assistant robot?" she asked, stepping inside.
"Yeah, finally got the parts. This is just the beginning." He smiled, tightening a micro-screw with his specialized driver. "Still a long way from finished."
Xiao Yu walked over and glanced at the schematics on the wall, then at the delicate pieces on the bench.
She knew there wasn't much she could help with—at least not with the physical assembly. So she just sat nearby and watched quietly, not wanting to break his rhythm.
Fifteen minutes later, Chen Mo finally exhaled and put the screwdriver down.
"Alright. Done with the hand skeleton. We can head back now—the rest will take a few more days anyway."
"Okay." Xiao Yu helped him tidy the lab before the two left for the villa.
Kaili International Hotel – Binhai City.
Jack stood by the window, glowering at the street below.
Three days in this city, and his patience was wearing thin.
And Bor—his partner—wasn't helping.
"Jack, I'm starting to like China," Bor said cheerfully from across the room. "It's peaceful, food's great, and women are—"
"Shut. Up." Jack growled.
"If you talk one more time, I'm going to cut out your tongue and feed it to your backside."
Bor laughed, completely unfazed. "Don't be like that. Just saying—it's rare to get a job this smooth. Shouldn't we enjoy the view a bit?"
Jack ignored him, checking the villa district's blueprint again.
They had slipped into Binhai two days ago, disguised as part of a tour group. The last 48 hours had been spent scouting security patrols, timing the guards, and studying camera blind spots.
This wasn't the Middle East or Eastern Europe. China's surveillance and response capabilities were on another level.
And that's exactly why this op was limited to just the two of them.
Too many mercs would get noticed instantly.
Jack pulled out his sidearm, checked the mag, and holstered it at the back of his waist.
"Action starts tonight. Be ready."
Bor finally sat up from the bed, stretching. "Took you long enough. I've already picked out the escape route and soft points in the wall."
Jack didn't reply.
He studied the district map once more, then stepped out of the hotel room with Bor in tow.
Outside Chen Mo's villa district...
The two crouched in a shaded alley, watching from a distance.
Bor squinted through the darkness. "You see that car? That's a limited-edition Lambo. You think our target owns it?"
Jack's glare could've turned him to ash.
"Keep talking and I'll make you swallow that car piece by piece."
Bor snorted. "Jeez. All this tiptoeing is a waste of time. If it were up to me, I'd just storm the place, shove a gun in his face, and ask for the goods."
Jack turned his head slowly.
"You're alive today because of your stupidity-resistant luck. If this mission fails, I'll feed you your tongue like I promised."
Bor raised his hands in mock surrender.
Their objective wasn't assassination.
It was data theft. Specifically, the source code of Marching Ant's Smart Assistant.
Killing Chen Mo would alert the entire Chinese system. It would become a political scandal. And they'd be stuck halfway across the globe, labeled as terrorists.
"Remember," Jack said coldly. "One shot fired and we're done. This isn't a sandbox country. This is China. You cause a stir here, we won't even make it to the airport."
Bor rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. You've said it a hundred times. Still think you're paranoid. It's just a tech nerd we're dealing with."
"Then you go in alone," Jack replied.
That shut Bor up.
After a few more minutes of silent prep, Jack glanced at the cameras. "Blind spot. Now."
He slipped into the alley and hopped the fence like a shadow.
Bor followed with a sigh. "Always so dramatic, Timid Jack."
They landed inside the villa district.
Silent. Swift. Professional.
Like two ghosts in the night, they crept toward their target—Chen Mo's villa—completely unaware that the man inside was about to finish assembling one of the world's most advanced robots.