Alexander returned to China once more — this time, without hiding his itinerary. Instead, he made a high-profile appearance, deliberately allowing reporters to catch wind of his visit.
With Rothschild Bank now teetering on the edge of a crisis, the leak of their investment plan had dominated headlines across financial media. For a brief moment, this mysterious, old-money family found itself thrust back into the spotlight.
As the head of Roche's core investment bank, Alexander's every move was under the microscope. Among the leaked documents, plans for cooperation with the Marching Ant Company were front and center. Many speculated that Alexander had come to seek the help of Marching Ants in navigating the turmoil.
Though Roche's influence in the financial world had waned, Marching Ant Company's clout was rapidly growing. Their innovations had caused massive stock price fluctuations for several U.S. tech giants — enough to prove that Marching Ants were not to be underestimated.
If these two forces really did join hands, it could trigger a seismic shift in the capital world.
Alexander's vehicle pulled up in front of the Marching Ant Company headquarters — a gleaming building with futuristic architecture. He gazed calmly at the structure, his mind already racing ahead.
This visit was a gamble.
After the investment plan leak, many opponents of the Marching Ant Company had turned their sights on Roche. And inside his own family, opposition had flared — not everyone supported his decisions.
If he failed, he'd lose his claim as heir to Roche's banking group.
But if he succeeded... he could push Roche back into the global spotlight and cement himself as a legend.
This was a high-stakes game — and Alexander was betting everything on winning.
Zhao Min was already waiting for him at the entrance.
"Mr. Alexander," she greeted with a simple nod and led him straight to the company's reception lounge.
"What brings you back so soon?" she asked once they were seated.
"I didn't get to explain clearly last time," Alexander replied. "I'd like to revisit the possibility of cooperation with Rois Telecom."
Zhao Min shook her head gently. "Our company has no interest in acquiring or holding Rois. There's no need to continue that discussion."
Her tone was firm — Alexander understood immediately. She had made up her mind.
He sighed inwardly. It wasn't that they couldn't operate a telecom company on their own — but to scale rapidly, they needed financial support. Marching Ants had the resources, but clearly, they weren't interested in that route.
"In that case," Alexander said, "let's move on to the next item — mobile phone cooperation. I'm here to place an advance order: one million Butterfly Eyes and one million Butterfly Eye Generation One units."
"Approved," Zhao Min replied without hesitation.
Though the Marching Ant Company hadn't released new phones recently, the Butterfly Eye series remained wildly popular. Its unrivaled design, secure operating system, waterproof build, long battery life, and smart voice assistant made it the gold standard — even without a full-screen display.
New phones from other companies lacked innovation — just recycled specs in flashy packaging. But the Butterfly Eye was still the first choice for those looking to upgrade.
Alexander smiled. "Then I'd also like to discuss exclusive distribution rights in Europe — for your office equipment, operating systems, and other products."
"That would be wonderful," Zhao Min replied.
It was an ideal arrangement. Someone was finally helping Marching Ants expand internationally — and it happened to be the well-connected Roche family.
Their negotiation lasted nearly two hours. Alexander's intentions were clear: he wanted to become Marching Ant Company's main European agent. Zhao Min had already reviewed the plans he submitted in detail.
She understood his position and, seeing no reason to object, accepted the terms.
After everything was finalized, Alexander smiled. "By the way, where's Chen?"
"He's in the lab today. There's an important experiment, so he can't be disturbed," Zhao Min replied.
"That's a shame. Please give him my regards. I have to return home soon, but I'll be sure to invite him for drinks next time."
"I'll pass on the message."
"Pleasure doing business, Miss Zhao."
"Likewise."
As he left the Marching Ant headquarters, Alexander let out a quiet breath of relief.
Everything had gone very smoothly.
He understood better than anyone: the European market was still wide open for Marching Ants. Others were too afraid to fill that gap — but he stepped in.
Roche had grown complacent, feeding off the legacy of its ancestors without venturing into new industries. That's why Alexander made this bold decision: to become a trailblazer.
First Building, Laboratory
In front of Chen Mo sat a device the size of a laptop — the newly improved medium-sized holographic projector.
Zhao Min and Xiao Yu stood beside him. After Alexander left, Chen Mo had asked them both to come see the latest progress.
"Ink Girl, activate the projector," he said.
"Okay, Brother Mo."
The projector powered on, and a life-like projection of the Ink Girl appeared — a dainty figure in traditional Chinese dress, suspended midair like a floating fairy.
The imaging was so refined it was nearly indistinguishable from reality.
"This is the improved version," Chen Mo explained. "Its visual fidelity is close to real-life."
Zhao Min nodded in approval. "It's much better than before — not quite indistinguishable, but definitely close."
Xiao Yu reached out, her fingers passing through the light. "It's like a warm flashlight," she said.
"Little Sister, are you trying to touch me?" the Ink Girl teased, turning her face toward Xiao Yu's position.
Though the projection couldn't see her, the Ink Girl used lab cameras to track Xiao Yu's location and made the hologram appear lifelike in its reactions.
Xiao Yu grinned and stuck out her tongue. "I just wanted to try."
"I'm just light right now — no physical body," Ink Girl said. "But if you want interaction, you can try the holographic interface."
The projection shifted into a floating desktop — icons hovered in midair, glowing faintly.
"It uses light-sensing interaction and voice control. Go ahead, give it a try," Chen Mo encouraged.
Xiao Yu tapped the Ant Browser icon, and the interface shifted immediately to a search screen.
Chen Mo continued: "It also supports naked-eye 3D viewing — no glasses required."
He opened a 3D movie file, and a scene filled the space above the projector.
"This projector has eight holographic chips, each controlling the brightness, color, and angle of individual beams. It can act as a holographic display, TV screen, or even a cinema projector.
With a single unit, it can project up to 50 by 35 inches. Two units linked together can cover a 3-meter-wide screen. With ten, it rivals a full cinema setup."
Zhao Min's eyes sparkled. "How much will it cost?"
"The main cost lies in the projection chips and micro-laser array. But since I've already developed both technologies, mass production won't be too expensive. Each unit should come out to around 7,000 yuan."
"And the tech is stable?" Zhao Min asked.
"Almost fully mature."
"Then I'll begin preparations for production."
Chen Mo handed her a hard drive. "Here's the design and assembly data for the non-core components. The chip and micro-laser tech — I'll provide when it's time."
Zhao Min accepted it with a confident smile.
"How's the cooperation with Roche?" Chen Mo asked.
"Very smooth," she replied. "Now we just sit back and enjoy the show."