A small motorcade slowly rolled into the Marching Ant Company's headquarters. A few minutes later, over a dozen figures emerged, led by two notable individuals.
At the front of the delegation was Michael Sios, the Deputy Chief Technology Officer from the U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy. Beside him was Yao Yi, the Party Secretary of Binhai City. Trailing behind them were several journalists, quietly filming and documenting the visit.
Sios's attention, however, was locked on the building ahead—the heart of the Marching Ant empire.
He had seen countless photos and reports about this place, but witnessing it up close gave it a different gravity. Despite the company's youth, its scale and technological dominance were deeply impressive. Even a seasoned official like Sios couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. It was no wonder this was the final stop on his tour of China's tech powerhouses.
After visiting major tech firms across Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, Binhai City, and more specifically Marching Ant, was the keystone of his itinerary.
The delegation was escorted to the front of the Ant Colony headquarters by staff members. Standing at the entrance, waiting to receive them, was none other than Xiao Yu.
"Secretary Yao, welcome," Xiao Yu greeted politely, shaking hands with Yao Yi.
"Assistant He, it's been a while—you've become even more elegant," Yao Yi replied with a warm smile. He knew very well who Xiao Yu was. With her status in the company and personal relationship with Chen Mo, he naturally didn't dare to put on airs.
"Thank you for the compliment, Secretary Yao." Xiao Yu smiled gracefully, then turned to the foreign guest. "Hello, Mr. Sios, I'm He Xiaoyu, assistant to the president."
"Nice to meet you, Ms. He," Sios returned the handshake with a polite nod, offering a diplomatic smile.
"The chairman is waiting for you in the reception room. Please follow me," Xiao Yu said, leading the way inside.
A few minutes later, the delegation was ushered into the main reception room.
"Secretary Yao, long time no see," Chen Mo greeted casually as they entered, shaking hands with the city official. Then, he turned to Sios and his team. Including Sios, there were six members in the visiting group—two assistants and three technical experts with backgrounds in AI and systems engineering.
"Mr. Sios, welcome to Marching Ant," Chen Mo extended his hand.
"Mr. Chen, it's a pleasure," Sios replied, shaking his hand firmly. "I've heard so much about you."
The formalities done, both sides took their seats. The reception room had been prepared in advance. Chen Mo sat beside Yao Yi and a pair of city officials, while the U.S. delegation took the opposite side of the long table.
Chen Mo put on the translation headset provided and got straight to the point.
"So, Mr. Sios—what brings you to see me personally?"
Sios offered a friendly smile.
"Your company is leading the world in several high-tech fields. During this visit, I've had the chance to learn from many impressive firms in China. But I'll admit, this stop is the one I've been looking forward to most—like your Journey to the West, I'm here seeking wisdom."
"Oh?" Chen Mo raised an eyebrow, smiling faintly at the comparison. His expression hinted at some unspoken amusement, though few noticed.
"In the first industrial revolution, the world entered the steam age. The second brought electricity and mass production. After World War II, the information age began. And now, in the 21st century, we stand on the edge of the biotech and AI revolutions," Chen Mo said.
He paused a beat before continuing.
"The next wave… is Artificial Intelligence Plus. That's the direction the future is heading."
"Artificial Intelligence Plus?" Sios echoed, visibly intrigued.
The phrase drew everyone's attention. While the tech world had been buzzing about 'Internet+' for years, Chen Mo was now introducing a new concept.
Chen Mo explained, "Take our own company for example. Our internal financial system uses an AI-based automation platform. Its performance is comparable to that of a senior accountant. It can assist with ledgers, real-time reports, and intelligent analysis—cutting down an entire day's workload to just one hour."
"Efficiency increases. Error rates decrease."
He continued, "Our AI isn't just limited to finance. Our office management, personal assistants, and even our product R&D pipelines are now all powered by intelligent systems."
"Look at Alibaba's AI design platform, Luban. In just two years, its design output reached the level of a P6 senior designer. While AI can't fully replicate creative work, it can handle repetitive tasks—reducing load and increasing design speed. This is AI+. The same way 'Internet+' revolutionized economic models, AI+ is revolutionizing life and labor."
"Man-machine synergy—combining the speed of machines with the judgment of humans. That's where we're heading."
When Chen Mo finished, the room fell into thoughtful silence.
Coming from anyone else, this speech might be dismissed as theory. But coming from Chen Mo—one of the foremost minds in artificial intelligence—it struck a chord.
If Marching Ant was pioneering this AI+ model… that meant the next wave of global transformation might already be underway.
Even Zhao Min, sitting nearby, was caught off guard. As she mentally parsed the implications of AI+, her business instincts told her Chen Mo might've just outlined the company's next strategic move.
"Fascinating," Sios finally said. "The world worries about AI taking over. But Mr. Chen, your perspective is… uniquely optimistic."
Chen Mo nodded modestly. "Thank you."
With the ice broken, the conversation deepened. Sios shifted from polite small talk to more technical questions. The two spoke at length—Sios asking sharp, informed questions about AI applications, and Chen Mo responding with measured insight.
The atmosphere remained cordial and professional, but Zhao Min could feel that this was no ordinary academic discussion. There was something more layered underneath.
After over an hour of discussion, Sios leaned forward slightly, his tone shifting.
"Mr. Chen, I have a special request."
Chen Mo and Zhao Min exchanged a glance. The real reason for the visit was finally emerging.
"Please," Chen Mo said calmly.
"I found your explanation of Artificial Intelligence+ deeply inspiring," Sios said. "I'd like the opportunity to speak with you privately—to explore it further in more depth."
Yao Yi, seated to the side, raised an eyebrow.
He had accompanied the delegation in a supervisory role, but he wasn't naïve. It was obvious now—this entire visit had been arranged with Marching Ant as the true objective.
And now, they were requesting a private conversation with Chen Mo?
But this wasn't something he could interfere with.
"Just the two of us?" Chen Mo asked.
"Yes," Sios replied sincerely.
Chen Mo thought for a second, then smiled. "Of course."
Zhao Min caught the cue and stood up.
"Secretary Yao, why don't we step out for a chat as well?" she suggested, helping ease the tension.
Yao Yi nodded, and the two left the room. The other assistants and reporters followed, leaving the reception room empty—save for Chen Mo and Sios.
The real talk was about to begin.