Seeing Chen Mo jump out of the car behind her, Ruth's expression turned cold. Without waiting for him to steady himself, her right hand shifted from claws into a fist and punched straight at Chen Mo's abdomen.
Boom!
Chen Mo staggered back two steps from the force of the blow, pain flashing across his face.
The result surprised Ruth. In her mind, researchers were supposed to be powerless scholars—bespectacled types buried in labs, not fighters. She'd held back out of caution, afraid she might seriously injure him, but to her surprise, Chen Mo barely flinched.
Still, she didn't pause. Ruth's right foot whipped around in a clean arc, aiming directly at Chen Mo's waist.
A hit like this would leave any normal person incapacitated, but Chen Mo didn't dare take it lightly. Despite his hands being tied, he tensed and managed to block the incoming strike with his arms.
Ruth's face darkened. Her attacks kept being deflected. The next barrage was cleanly dodged by Chen Mo, shaking her composure entirely.
Chen Mo, known as a titan of the times, was a one-man R&D team. Because of his identity as a tech researcher, his combat ability had been completely overlooked. No one expected a world-class scientist to have such skill.
She recalled the pair of knives he had wielded earlier—if she had hesitated for even a moment, he could have ended her. And now, he was dodging her trained strikes while still restrained. Ruth was a professionally trained agent, and yet a "nerd" was matching her move for move, even with his hands bound.
From his reaction, Chen Mo clearly had combat training on par with professionals.
Chen Mo only defended, not attacking head-on.
Ever since his potential development, he had rarely needed to fight. There simply hadn't been any need. Still, he had never neglected his combat training—after all, in a real crisis, that was what could save his life. Whenever he had time, Wang Hai would spar with him.
But now, with his hands tied, he couldn't fight freely. He was limited to defending and dodging.
Boom!
Chen Mo blocked another powerful strike, face tense. This time, he saw a brief opening—Ruth had left herself exposed. He didn't back down. He twisted his body and sent a straight kick directly at her.
The sudden counterattack caught Ruth off guard. Her expression shifted, and she hastily raised her arm to block. The next instant, she felt a heavy impact crash into her forearm.
Boom!
The force of the collision made Ruth stagger back several steps. Her arm trembled slightly. She had taken a direct hit and clearly come out worse.
Her view of Chen Mo completely changed.
She had thought she was taking him seriously, but clearly, she had still underestimated him. That kick just now—it was as solid as something from a professional fighter.
Chen Mo hadn't even gone all out, and his hands were still tied.
Meanwhile, her partner still had a gun. This wasn't a movie—she wasn't about to take on two enemies singlehandedly, especially not a tech genius backed by military-level AI.
"Trying to run?"
Ruth dashed forward again, ignoring the numbness in her arm. But after just a few steps, she froze.
Two robots had climbed out of the vehicle and positioned themselves protectively in front of Chen Mo.
"These two robots… your backup?"
Vrrrmmmm…
Her words had barely landed when an engine roared. A large unmanned vehicle pulled up beside them and braked sharply.
One by one, robots began disembarking from the RV—roughly twenty of them. They quickly formed a tight perimeter around Chen Mo.
Every robot's gaze locked onto Ruth. The atmosphere turned cold and still.
"Looks like there's more than just two."
Chen Mo had one of the robots slice through his bindings. His gaze toward Ruth was ice cold.
"You thought a few housekeeper bots would be enough to stop us? Come with us quietly, or we'll be forced to kill you," Ruth said, though a flicker of fear crossed her eyes.
She suddenly remembered—Chen Mo was known as Huaxia's 'Iron Man.' He controlled the world's most advanced AI and intelligent robotics. The drone attack earlier, and now these robots… It all made sense. But seeing it up close? Still hard to accept.
The mission had nearly succeeded. They'd gotten him. And yet, at the most critical moment, he had broken free and summoned this robotic rescue force.
The artificial intelligence he commanded was now capable of autonomous decision-making and emergency response.
A chill ran down Ruth's spine.
Thankfully, these appeared to be just standard service robots. Flexible, yes—but not exactly built for combat.
"You can try," Chen Mo said coldly.
The young man who had just climbed out of the car stared at the scene—Chen Mo surrounded by a robotic vanguard. He gulped.
Smart robots.
Everyone who followed tech news knew Marching Ant Company made the most advanced intelligent robots in the world. But this scene—it looked straight out of a sci-fi movie. And now it was happening in real life.
Those cold, glowing eyes, devoid of emotion, fixed on him. The sheer presence of over twenty robots was overwhelming.
Humans instinctively fear the unknown. Even the bravest feel unease in the face of machines that don't flinch, don't feel pain, don't hesitate.
Ruth's eyes flickered.
They'd seen Marching Ant's robots before—even interacted with them. They cooked, cleaned, chatted, gave massages… Encyclopedic, gentle, helpful.
But these? They looked different. Similar frame, but with modified colors and builds. Likely not heavily armed, but…
She lunged forward.
They had to capture Chen Mo. They might never get another chance like this.
But as soon as she moved, two robots detached from the group around Chen Mo and intercepted her. Their movements were slow—but deliberate.
Ruth sneered and shifted her hand into a claw shape, aiming to grab one robot's arm.
The moment she made contact, her face changed dramatically.
A powerful current surged from the robot's hand into her body, making half her body go numb. Her muscles seized up.
She had no time to process what was happening. She shoved the robot away and staggered back—just as another robot lunged at her.
She suddenly recalled scenes from a video game—fighting robots as the protagonist. But now? She wasn't the protagonist. These robots weren't just obstacles. They didn't feel pain. They didn't fear death. And if one caught her—the high-voltage shock would instantly disable her.
Just as Chen Mo had expected.
These robots were modified versions of the second-generation Enchantress model. A basic discharge system had been installed in their hands. They weren't as agile or skilled as humans, and their combat prowess wasn't elite—but they didn't feel pain or fear. A single touch could disable an opponent through electrical shock.
He'd originally designed them as security assistants for his incense burner beach villa. He hadn't expected their first real fight to be here.
Seeing Ruth and the young man start to flee, Chen Mo's gaze turned cold.
"Block them."
Three vehicle engines roared to life. The two agents' expressions shifted—they dove to the side, barely avoiding getting run over.
The young man tried to scramble to his feet—only for five robots to tackle him.
Crack—AHHH—!
Gunshots and screams echoed through the air.
Ruth turned toward the sound. Her eyes widened in horror. The young man was pinned beneath several robots, twitching uncontrollably from repeated electrical shocks, then going completely limp.
Three vehicles sealed off all escape routes. Dozens of robots stood between her and freedom.
Cold sweat dripped down Ruth's forehead. Her previous calm had completely vanished.
She had underestimated Chen Mo.
The man who controlled artificial intelligence and advanced robotics was far more dangerous than she had ever imagined.
"What do you want?" Ruth asked, trying to hold her composure as Chen Mo walked toward her.
"What do I want?" Chen Mo's voice was like ice. "You set fire to my staff dorms. You ambushed me in broad daylight. You hurt my wife. And now you ask me what I want?"
As he thought of Xiao Yu bleeding, his rage surged.
"Tell me who is the mastermind behind all this and maybe I'll spare you—for now."
"Impossible," Ruth said, shaking her head.
"Impossible?" Chen Mo ordered the robot to pick up the gun the young man had dropped. Without hesitation, he pointed it at Ruth's thigh and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
"Who's the one behind all this?" His voice was cold, sending a chill down her spine even through the pain.
"You'll never get anything from me," Ruth gritted out.
"You think I can't find them without your help? I only asked because I thought you might save me some time."
Chen Mo raised the gun again and aimed.
"This is your last chance. Who is the one behind all of this?"
"I don't know," Ruth snapped.
"Then this bullet is for Xiao Yu," Chen Mo said. He fired again—this time into her arm.
Bang!
"Ugh—!"
Ruth cried out, collapsing. She realized then—this mission had completely failed. They had misjudged Chen Mo. Completely.
Expressionless, Chen Mo leveled the gun to her forehead.
"This is my first kill," he said, "but it's also the price of touching what I hold dear. And your master behind the scenes… will answer to me."
Boom!
The gunshot marked the end of the ambush.
But it was only the beginning of a storm.