"Mo Ge, the synthesis of the dream fiber is complete."
"Oh?"Chen Mo raised his brows in pleasant surprise and immediately set aside his current work, heading straight to the New Materials Laboratory.
Dream fiber—a highly unique material he had taken from the Technology Library—was the key ingredient for the wedding dress he promised Xiao Yu. From the beginning, he had vowed to make her the happiest bride in the world, personally designing her wedding dress. Now, with the large holographic projector nearing completion, the timing for the wedding was finally right. And now, with dream fiber successfully synthesized, everything was falling into place.
The New Materials Laboratory was located on the lowest floor of the research center. As soon as Chen Mo stepped in, he was greeted by a flurry of robotic activity—automated machines working with mechanical precision.
The dream fiber synthesis had been conducted under Mo Nu's supervision. She had handled the entire intelligent control system, with Chen Mo only checking in occasionally. Thanks to the simulations run by the superconducting computer, the support of holographic tech, and the detailed documentation from the Technology Library, the fiber had been developed far more efficiently than any traditional research method could allow.
Soon, a robot led Chen Mo to a testing bench where the sample of the dream fiber was placed.
The unprocessed dream fiber appeared as irregular milky-white granules—unremarkable at first glance. But under the laboratory's white light, they shimmered faintly, reflecting an ethereal glow that looked almost liquid.
"Can it be produced at scale?" Chen Mo asked, gently picking up a pinch of the material and observing it.
"If you want mass production, you'll need to develop custom manufacturing equipment," Mo Nu answered. "But if it's just for making Xiao Yu's wedding dress, our current lab output—15 kilograms a day—is more than enough. The only issue is cost."
"Cost isn't a concern," Chen Mo said. "This doesn't need to go into mass production. Just enough for a single dress is fine."
He placed the powder under a microscope. Through the lens, he could see the particles glowing with shifting hues—like a dream rendered in fiber. The name was more than appropriate.
"Mo Ge, Zhao Min wants to speak with you," Mo Nu said softly. "She asked if you're available."
"Have her come to the lab," Chen Mo replied, still focused on the microscope.
Zhao Min was puzzled when she received the reply. Chen Mo rarely came to the New Materials Laboratory—it was one of the company's most restricted zones. If he was here, it could only mean something important.
This lab was where the company's room-temperature superconductors were developed. If Chen Mo was working on new materials again, it could mean another breakthrough.
When the robot guided her in, she saw Chen Mo peering intently into the microscope.
A few minutes later, he turned to face her. "Is it urgent?"
"Not quite," Zhao Min replied. "It's about the Artificial Intelligence+ plan and the holographic ecosystem project."
She then recapped the content of the brainstorming meeting—the promising ideas presented by Wang Sijia, Lin Zhiyuan, and especially Lin Shu.
Chen Mo listened quietly, nodding as she spoke.
The Artificial Intelligence+ initiative had originally been a half-serious thought on his part, a little joke about beating the Americans to their next tech slogan. But hearing how seriously Zhao Min had taken it—and how far the team had developed the concept—he was pleasantly surprised.
What impressed him even more was Lin Shu's growth. He'd invited her into the company personally, recognizing her raw potential and passion despite a difficult past. Seeing her blossom into a capable contributor so quickly made him genuinely happy.
"The ideas sound great," Chen Mo said. "Let them run with it. Holographic tech is mature now. They shouldn't limit their imagination."
Zhao Min smiled wryly. "It's not that we want to limit our thinking—it's just that without you, we are limited. The smart assistant outlined in the AI+ plan needs intelligence and flexibility that go far beyond Xiaodie's capabilities. Honestly, even our best AI researchers can barely keep up with Xiaodie's framework. If we want something more advanced, we'll probably need years. Or... you."
She didn't want to pressure him, but the truth was the truth.
Chen Mo exhaled softly. "That is a problem."
To him, writing a smarter AI was easy—he could have Mo Nu handle it in no time. But if he kept doing everything himself, the company's entire research capacity would stagnate. Everyone would become dependent on him, and that would only bottleneck progress.
"I can't do everything," he said aloud, half to himself. "But here's what we'll do. Choose a few trusted people—your top picks. I'll teach them a deeper intelligent algorithm. They'll be the ones to develop the new personal smart assistant."
Zhao Min's eyes lit up. She knew Chen Mo's offer meant a rare chance to touch technology light-years beyond anything in the market. Even she didn't know what "deeper algorithm" really meant—but if Chen Mo said it, it would be revolutionary.
"Do you have candidates in mind?" she asked quickly.
"I don't know everyone well," Chen Mo admitted. "But Wang Sijia is solid. Lin Shu and Wei Zhe have a lot of potential too. Start with those three. If you come across others who might be a good fit, send them to me. I'll evaluate them."
Zhao Min nodded, her expression solemn.
Chen Mo had personally invited Lin Shu and Wei Zhe into the company. Wang Sijia, being Zhao Min's cousin, was also someone she deeply trusted. These three could very well become the future pillars of Marching Ant's AI division.
After they finished discussing Artificial Intelligence+, Zhao Min's gaze drifted toward the strange shimmering material on the table.
"Are you working on new materials again?"
"Yeah. This one's called dream fiber."
Even though she was used to Chen Mo's miracles, Zhao Min was still curious. "What's it for?"
Chen Mo smiled. "Want to know?"
"Of course."
"Keep it secret."
"Obviously."
Chen Mo gently tapped the shimmering powder. "It's for Xiao Yu's wedding dress."
"…You're what?"
Zhao Min blinked in disbelief. "You're developing a new material just to make her a wedding dress?"
"Yep." He smiled faintly. "I promised her I'd give her the most beautiful wedding. I'm not a fashion designer, so I'm making up for it with tech."
Zhao Min stared at him, unable to hide the complicated emotions swirling inside her.
A custom-engineered fiber… just for love.
She looked at the dream fiber, and something stirred in her chest—bittersweet admiration.
"She's really lucky," Zhao Min murmured, her tone low.
She didn't know how to define the feeling—maybe envy, maybe regret, or maybe just awe.
In the whole world, who else could do something like this?Who else would?
"If someone were willing to develop a new material just to design a wedding dress for me… I'd probably fall for him too," she said, half-joking.
"But unfortunately, I don't think anyone but you could ever afford that kind of romance."
Chen Mo looked up from his work, smirking as he glanced at her.
"Well, if you ever do want a wedding dress," he said, "I'll design one for you too—just remember to let Xiao Yu pick the bridesmaid dress."