At the end of the weekend, Chen Mo and Xiao Yu had just arrived at the company when Zhao Min brought him unexpected news.
"The Deputy Chief Technology Officer of the U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy, Michael Sios, is visiting China. Officials have informed us that his itinerary includes a stop in Binhai City—and he's requesting a visit to our company to meet with you."
Chen Mo was momentarily surprised.
Given the U.S. government's restrictions and the capital blockade, the Marching Ant Company had very little interaction with the United States. Now, suddenly, a top-level official wanted to pay a visit. It was hard not to feel that something unusual was at play—especially given the historically unfriendly stance between both sides.
"What do they want?" Chen Mo asked.
Zhao Min shrugged. "No idea. But someone like him doesn't visit for no reason. This isn't a casual drop-in—they've got a motive. Sios personally wants to meet you. What's your take?"
Chen Mo thought for a moment, then nodded. "If they've already come all this way, refusing would be poor hospitality. Besides, I'm a bit curious myself—maybe they're here to try and negotiate entry into the U.S. market?"
"Could be. But it's too early to guess. Honestly, whether they let us in or not doesn't really affect us much anymore," Zhao Min said coolly. "We're still growing just fine without the U.S. market—less profit maybe, but not a big loss."
None of their company's products were officially sold in the U.S.
The U.S. government had blocked them repeatedly under the excuse of "national security." Add to that the domestic capital lockout and media campaigns, and their path into the U.S. had been completely shut off.
Though some of their tech had made its way into the States—like intelligent robots—it was only through indirect means. Cooperating with companies tied to the Rockefeller Consortium, Marching Ant products were entering the U.S. market via Canada and Mexico. The internal logistics of that were handled by Rockefeller's subsidiaries.
Chen Mo didn't concern himself with the specific channels. The domestic market alone was already enormous, and profits were more than satisfactory.
"They're definitely here for you," Zhao Min continued. "If it's not for the holographic tech, then it's likely about the AI or some other future tech. They're not flying halfway across the world for tourism."
Chen Mo chuckled. "Maybe they're here to learn from us."
Leaving the matter of the U.S. delegation aside, the two turned their attention to company updates.
There was some good news from Europe. After suffering backlash from the leak of their investment strategy, Roche was finally recovering. The successful sales of two Starfish-developed drugs had earned Alexander renewed support from the family. With Roche's extensive networks, they were now well-positioned to open up the European market smoothly.
Meanwhile, Marching Ant was also expanding into Southeast Asia and India. Paired with its dominant presence in the Chinese market, the company's international expansion was gaining serious momentum.
After Zhao Min left, Chen Mo leaned back on the office sofa and closed his eyes—then seamlessly transitioned into the Science and Technology Library.
With the spare parts for the holographic smartphone already matched with suppliers, including chips and 3D projection modules, the only thing left was finalizing the automated production line in Building 2.
All of this was already being handled—robots under Mo Nu's command were modifying equipment in real-time to meet production specs. It didn't need his direct oversight.
What did need his attention now was a promise he made to Xiao Yu.
Once the large-scale holographic projector was complete, he would hold a proper wedding ceremony.
And he had told her he would personally design her wedding dress.
Chen Mo wasn't the sentimental type—but he also wasn't someone who broke promises. Designing that dress wasn't just a gesture—it was a mission.
Inside the familiar confines of the Science and Technology Library, Chen Mo stood among towering bookshelves, momentarily overwhelmed by nostalgia.
Since advancing to the [Technical Apprentice] stage, and with Shu Lao in dormancy, he rarely entered the library unless it was to retrieve essential tech. Without Shu Lao to chat with, the space felt more vast and silent than usual.
Every time he entered this place, standing before the endless rows of floating books hundreds of meters tall, he was reminded of his own insignificance—like a speck of dust, a little ant wandering through a galactic museum of knowledge.
To the outside world, his accomplishments already seemed legendary. But Chen Mo knew the truth: most of his breakthroughs came from the knowledge in this library.
Yes, the product designs were his—but the core theories and advanced tech? They were all gifts from this mysterious archive.
And knowing how much more existed here—how much further he had to go—he couldn't help but feel humbled.
Sometimes he wondered: what kind of advanced beings had built this place? What civilization left behind such vast knowledge? The diversity of languages and technologies in the library hinted at civilizations far beyond Earth.
After quietly standing beneath the shelves for a while, Chen Mo finally turned toward the central desk. He opened the glowing red book resting atop it.
"Wedding." he said aloud.
In response, the book flickered, and an entire catalog of wedding dress-related technology appeared in the air. Dozens of books floated into view—each filled with futuristic styles and function descriptions.
This wasn't a collection of normal wedding gowns.
Each one was packed with advanced technology—stretchable smart fabrics that adapted to the wearer's body, ultralightweight materials with a silk-like feel, even temperature-regulating and self-cleaning features. There were some bizarre shapes, too—clearly not all were designed for human figures.
Chen Mo wasn't in a rush. He flipped through them slowly, letting his imagination build.
About ten minutes later, one material caught his eye.
Chen Mo smiled.
Fantasy Fiber.
That was it.
He didn't need to choose a finished dress design—he could handle that part himself with Mo Nu's help. What he needed now was the raw material.
The completion of the room-temperature superconductor had unlocked a new section of chemical materials technology within the apprenticeship stage. With that, he now had access to Fantasy Fiber synthesis technology.
Satisfied, he exited the library.
"Ink Girl."
"Yes, Brother, I'm here," Mo Nu's projection appeared instantly on his computer screen, dressed in a flowing hanfu like a tiny digital elf.
"I need your help organizing the tech for a new type of fiber."
"Okay, tell me the details," she said, beaming.
Chen Mo began dictating the chemical formula, synthesis procedures, and theoretical principles behind Fantasy Fiber. It took nearly two hours to fully transcribe and format the complete documentation.
"Next, run simulations with the superconducting computer. See if we can meet the expected material properties. If the results check out, begin creating samples in the lab."
"Got it, Brother," Mo Nu nodded.
With the materials handled, Chen Mo turned his attention to the next task—designing the large-scale holographic projector.
With his previous experience designing two models of holographic projectors and the support of Mo Nu, completing the large-scale version wasn't too difficult. As long as he solved a few core problems, the design would be finished soon.
And once it was complete—Xiao Yu's wedding dress, the ceremony, the next phase of Marching Ant's expansion… everything would fall into place.