The Rothschild family, once shrouded in mystique and myth thanks to books like Currency Wars and countless online novels, had long since lost its former glory.
At its peak, the Rothschilds' financial power could genuinely shake a nation's economy. But over the years, their influence had waned. Strategic missteps in the late 19th century, the devastation of two world wars, and the Soviet-era confiscation of assets had all taken a toll.
Today, they were a shadow of their former selves.
Though still prominent, only one Rothschild bank remained among the world's top 20. The once-mighty lion had aged, and its roar no longer echoed as it once did.
Still, even a skinny camel is larger than a horse.
The family's wealth, accumulated over generations, remained vast. Their backing could still tilt the scales—just not as easily as before. A perfect example? Geely's acquisition of Volvo. That "snake swallows elephant" deal wouldn't have happened without quiet backing from the Rothschilds.
Their formal presence in China came through the Rothschild Financial Group.
Despite their decline, they hadn't given up on reclaiming their past prestige. In fact, Marching Ant's first cooperation with the Rothschilds was through European distribution of intelligent robots—the European agency handling sales was one of their companies.
However, Marching Ant's mobile phones still hadn't cracked into the European market—mainly due to a coordinated blockade by major European telecom giants. No doubt, many feared Marching Ant disrupting their entrenched interests.
Now, the Rothschilds wanted to collaborate on the mobile phone business.
It reeked of ambition.
"They really want in on the phone business?" Chen Mo asked.
"Yes." Zhao Min nodded. "The proposal came straight from Alexander Rothschild."
She added, "He inherited Rothschild Bank from his father at just 37. That kind of young takeover would've sounded ridiculous in the past. But times have changed. He's considered a genius investor and the family's best chance at a comeback. The robotics deal was his doing. This mobile push is his idea too."
"High risk, high reward." Chen Mo said casually. "In today's world, age doesn't equal wisdom. If they want to cooperate, that's fine. The mobile phone business isn't our core anyway—but money is money. Especially if it's foreign money."
Zhao Min grinned. "He may come over in the next few days. Should I schedule a meeting?"
"Sure," Chen Mo nodded. "Let me know when he's here."
"Alright. I'll leave you to your research then," Zhao Min said, glancing once more at the holographic projector on the lab bench before turning to leave.
Once Zhao Min was gone, Chen Mo turned to the screen. "Mo Nu, let's optimize the color blur issue. Pull up the image processing formula."
"Right away, Brother Mo," Mo Nu responded. "The most effective method to enhance image clarity is to combine two projectors, projecting from different angles to reinforce the visuals."
"That's a good solution," Chen Mo mused, scanning the complex formula that popped up. "But even if it's just one projector, we need to optimize quality as much as possible."
Most so-called holograms—like virtual concerts of Hatsune Miku or Luo Tianyi—were just pseudo-holography. They relied on forced perspective and carefully angled displays.
What Chen Mo was working on was true volumetric projection—360 degrees, no blind spots. Real holography in mid-air.
But the current issue was color bleeding and blurriness. Fixing that would take the quality from impressive to impeccable.
"Mo Nu," Chen Mo asked, "what kind of products could this medium-sized holographic projector be used in?"
"It could be used in holographic TVs, holographic computers, or even redesigned laboratory environments," Mo Nu replied. "You know the one—like Tony Stark's lab in Iron Man, where he controls 3D models in mid-air."
"You read my mind," Chen Mo chuckled. "I've actually been thinking of transforming the lab like that."
"Brother Mo," Mo Nu replied cheerfully, "you've watched too many movies."
Chen Mo's face twitched. "...What do you mean?"
"I mean that kind of flashy interface might look cool, but it's not practical. Imagine flinging around dozens of formula modules in mid-air like Stark. Biologically, it's inefficient and tiring. Why toss files by hand when you could just speak or tap a screen?"
She continued, "Unless you're working on 3D modeling or spatial data, it's excessive. Most formulas and parameters don't benefit from real holography. In most lab work, pseudo-holography is sufficient."
"Also," she added cheekily, "what you're talking about is just 'showing off'. Cool looking, yes. Practical? Not really."
Chen Mo raised a hand. "Okay, okay, stop."
Mo Nu had learned the phrase "showing off" and was using it against him. If Zhao Min had heard that exchange, she'd probably be laughing on the floor.
Chen Mo sighed. "I was just thinking out loud, alright?"
"Then," he continued, trying to save face, "what would you recommend for a cool, high-end lab display?"
"A glass screen, paired with the holographic module," Mo Nu replied smoothly. "Transparent surfaces—like purified water panels or treated glass—make great projection mediums. They're cheaper, consume less energy, and offer excellent clarity."
"And when you really need true holography, like for detailed modeling or presentations, you can still bring it in."
Chen Mo exhaled in defeat. "You're… too smart sometimes."
"Thank you for the compliment," Mo Nu chirped.
The projector glowed, and her avatar materialized above the disc, bowing with a playful smile.
"All right, no more backtalk," Chen Mo chuckled. "Let's focus on optimizing the image clarity first. We'll revisit the lab upgrade once that's done."
Turning back to the formula on screen, Chen Mo began immersing himself in the calculations, the data flowing across his mind like a stream of numbers—and somewhere in the background, Mo Nu continued to quietly assist, her algorithms already crunching away.