Li Chengzhi sat calmly in the reception room of the Marching Ant Company. It wasn't his first time visiting, so he felt perfectly at ease.
The testing phase for the potential-enhancing drug had officially resumed.
In fact, just five days after Chen Mo left the capital, the investigation concluded and clinical trials restarted.
It turned out Shen Chongxin's sabotage stemmed from jealousy. He had a secret crush on Wu Bing and Chen Chen. Believing Chen Mo's strength came from using the potential drug, Shen Chongxin tried altering the formula and injecting himself. He nearly succeeded.
After the incident, security at the institute was upgraded. Access to the potential drug was strictly controlled, and everyone handling it underwent re-vetting.
Now, extracting the drug required authorization from three senior researchers, and anyone administering it had to be under strict supervision.
The restarted trials—combined with close observation—confirmed that the drug was safe, with no side effects. It enhanced cellular activity and significantly accelerated wound healing.
Once the first batch of volunteers had fully adapted, a new round of combat tests began. Members were selected from elite special forces units for comparison training.
The results were shocking.
The drug-enhanced soldiers completely overpowered their counterparts. Whether in speed, strength, reflexes, vision, or hearing, they were leagues ahead. The difference was like night and day.
This conclusion quickly reached the upper echelons of national defense.
The "Super Soldier" program was officially greenlit. Only handpicked elite special forces would be admitted to the new team.
Unlike gene-editing treatments, the potential drug was safe and non-invasive, which made it viable for long-term use in special operations personnel.
That's why Li Chengzhi had come to visit Chen Mo today.
The drug's impact was strategic—its value immense.
Chen Mo's role was complicated. In the past, most major breakthroughs came from research teams inside the national system. Chen Mo, however, operated entirely outside of it. This was a completely unprecedented situation.
Yet despite not being bound to the system, Chen Mo's behavior was beyond reproach.
The earthquake early warning network had essentially been a free gift from the Marching Ant Company. Now, the potential drug's technology was being handed over the same way.
Chen Mo's actions had earned tremendous goodwill from above.
And because he was still so young, the future held limitless possibilities. Naturally, policies would be crafted to favor and protect the Marching Ant Company.
As Li Chengzhi sipped his tea, a robot entered the room.
"Mr. Li," it said, "Mr. Chen is ready. Please follow me to his office."
"Alright."
After passing through the usual identity checks, Li Chengzhi followed the robot straight into Chen Mo's office.
The moment he saw him, Li Chengzhi smiled and quickened his pace. "Brother Chen, long time no see!"
"It hasn't been that long. Take a seat," Chen Mo replied with a friendly smile.
Their relationship was familiar enough that they could skip the formalities and head straight to the sofa.
Chen Mo wasn't surprised to see Li Chengzhi again so soon.
Last time, the clinical trial had been cut short due to the sabotage incident. Li Chengzhi had likely come to discuss the progress now that things were back on track.
"I've got good news," Li Chengzhi said. "The earlier issue's been resolved, and Phase Three of the trial has resumed. The potential drug is now considered a preliminary success."
"That's great," Chen Mo said with a slight nod, as if the outcome had been expected all along.
Li Chengzhi found himself smiling again. Since meeting Chen Mo, he'd noticed one thing: the young man rarely showed strong emotional reactions. Always calm, always composed—far more mature than his age would suggest.
Even the success of such a game-changing drug didn't stir much excitement from him.
Most researchers would've been ecstatic, celebrating like they'd just won the lottery. Chen Mo, though, treated it like an everyday matter.
But what Li Chengzhi didn't know was that Chen Mo genuinely didn't care.
He'd heard countless stories from Shu Lao about the vast corners of the universe. Compared to the marvels within the Science and Technology Library, this was just a stepping stone.
The more he learned, the less attached he became to things like money and fame.
"There's something else," Li Chengzhi continued, pulling out a thick document pouch from his briefcase. "According to our prior agreement, the price per unit of the potential drug is 10,000 yuan."
Chen Mo glanced at the pouch. "Is this the trial report?"
"No. The actual production quantity is classified," Li Chengzhi explained. "We've documented everything, but the records can't be taken out of the facility. If you'd like, I can escort you to view them—but they stay on site."
"Then what's this?"
"This is the formal authorization agreement. It includes the exclusive license and confidentiality terms. We've already signed and stamped our side. Once you sign, it'll take effect—this just finalizes the paperwork."
"Hmm, you guys came well-prepared."
Chen Mo flipped through the documents. After confirming there were no issues, he picked up a pen, signed his name, and handed back a copy.
"The payment will be settled annually, every December 31," Li Chengzhi added. "We'll transfer it directly to your account—10,000 yuan per dose, tax-free."
"No problem." Chen Mo chuckled.
Truthfully, he had no idea how much money was in his account. He'd never bothered to calculate. His daily needs were simple—clothing and essentials were all handled automatically.
His only real expenses came when he was out shopping with Xiao Yu or buying her gifts. Even then, he just tapped his phone or swiped a card—he didn't keep track of the balance.
Now he understood what "Old Ma" once said: when you reach a certain level, money becomes just a number.
"There's one more thing," Li Chengzhi said once the agreement was settled. "It's about the usage of the potential drug—specifically what you mentioned last time about administering it to Wang Hai and others."
"Oh? What about it?" Chen Mo asked.
"They've approved it," Li Chengzhi said. "However, going forward, if you plan to use the drug on anyone, we need you to notify us first. If necessary, we'll send someone to administer the injection ourselves. I hope you understand."
"No problem," Chen Mo replied with a nod.
He didn't plan to use the drug on many people anyway—probably just Xiao Yu and a few close friends or key personnel. The formula improved immunity and overall vitality, with no harmful side effects.
"Then please finalize the list of intended recipients," Li Chengzhi said. "Once it's ready, contact me. We'll ensure they sign confidentiality agreements before proceeding."
With that, their conversation wrapped up. Li Chengzhi stood and took his leave.
After he left, Chen Mo sat in quiet thought for a moment.
Then he spoke: "Mo Nu, notify Wang Hai, White Pearl, Black Hawk, and Anan to come to my office."