CIA Headquarters, United States.
Linna stared at the video of Chen Mo's press conference. Her eyes gleamed with an unreadable light, clearly deep in thought.
After a long silence, she picked up a satellite phone and dialed a number.
Ever since the clown organization breached the CIA's computer systems, the intelligence networks of several key countries had taken a devastating hit. As the Director, Linna had suffered the greatest blow to her career, bringing public embarrassment and internal scrutiny.
Although she had captured a member of the clown organization from an island nation, even that had been a stroke of luck.
Someone had impersonated the clown organization to launch that attack. The true hacker's identity remained a mystery, and they had left no digital trail behind. Linna had no way of tracking them, no matter how hard she tried.
Since then, the CIA had slowly regained some stability. Their espionage networks were being rebuilt across several countries, but the process was painstakingly slow. Without a major accomplishment, Linna risked being labeled incompetent.
The failed attempt to kidnap Chen Mo had been her personal decision, executed off the books. No one knew about it.
But now, perhaps, a new opportunity had arrived.
Chen Mo's extraordinary research and development capabilities were no secret. The Chinese government clearly placed immense trust in him and was actively cooperating with the Marching Ant Company.
If Chen Mo's new research succeeded, obtaining the results would be a major breakthrough for the CIA—and a personal redemption for Linna.
After a while, the line connected, and a lazy voice came through the receiver:"Hey, Chief. I'm sunbathing at the beach, checking out the scenery. Can we talk later?"
"There's a mission. Get back here," Linna said, her voice cold and direct.
Meanwhile, at British MI6 headquarters, a bald man in sunglasses handed a slip of paper to a man with yellow skin and black hair.
"You're going back to China. Head to the coastal city and keep an eye on the Marching Ant Company's high-temperature plasma research. If the opportunity arises, retrieve the data."
"Understood, sir." The man nodded, then pulled out a lighter and burned the note.
The Russian Security Service issued similar instructions.
"Deploy to the coastal city. Your target is the Marching Ant Company's nuclear fusion research data. Do whatever it takes to get it."
In addition, Israel, the island nation, South Korea, France, and other national intelligence agencies also issued covert orders.
Binhai City had become the focus of the global intelligence network. A dark undercurrent was gathering, tension brewing silently beneath the surface.
Inside Chen Mo's laboratory, Zhao Min walked in holding a file. She was already used to seeing Chen Mo immersed in experiments every day. As usual, she brought the daily reports directly to the lab.
Looking at the striking device at the center of the lab, Zhao Min couldn't help but let out a soft sigh. The tech was beyond her understanding, but the magenta-colored plasma ring floating in the center was beautiful in its own way.
"There are a lot of reports about you online. The public doesn't seem very optimistic about this research," she said.
"When I was developing the seismograph, I was already a laughingstock," Chen Mo replied, glancing up from his equipment and shrugging.
With the theoretical knowledge from the Technology Library, the processing speed of his super brain, and Mo Nu's support, he was confident in successfully developing controlled nuclear fusion technology.
Once the technology succeeded, it would silence all doubters and serve as the perfect rebuttal.
"You're not affected by it, huh?" Zhao Min handed over an official document. "Here's the approval letter. The authorities have granted us permission to use the island as the research site for high-temperature plasma."
"That was fast," Chen Mo said with some surprise.
"I thought so too. We only submitted the application a few days ago. It all went unusually smoothly. I guess your experimental materials caught the higher-ups' attention."
"What about the Nuclear Industry Group?" Chen Mo asked.
"I spoke with them yesterday. They said as long as we provide the design plans and the funding, they'll start construction immediately. But right now, we're missing the institute's design. Should I reach out to a design firm?"
"No need."
Chen Mo shook his head, pulled a USB drive from his pocket, and handed it to Zhao Min.
"The design blueprints are on this. Contact the Nuclear Industry Group and give them the project. The sooner construction starts on the island, the better."
"Where did you get this from?" Zhao Min asked, surprised.
Designing a research institute typically required thousands of drawings, not to mention mechanical calculations, load-bearing assessments, and other complex planning. The workload was enormous.
"Mo Nu designed it," Chen Mo replied with a smile.
"Figures," Zhao Min said, no longer surprised. Chen Mo had previously mentioned that their mansion on Incense Burner Beach was also designed by Mo Nu. Another advanced building wouldn't be unusual.
Once Zhao Min left, Chen Mo returned to his experiment.
Mo Nu's holographic projection suddenly appeared beside him.
"Brother Mo, I've intercepted intelligence communications from multiple agencies. They've sent spies to Binhai City to monitor our high-temperature plasma research."
"Oh?"
Chen Mo raised an eyebrow and turned to look at her.
"Which agencies?"
"So far, I've confirmed France, South Korea, the island nation, and India. They issued orders via phone or internet. I haven't detected anything from other countries yet, but it's likely they're using offline channels," Mo Nu explained.
Chen Mo fell silent.
Controlled nuclear fusion research was crucial to every major country. Knowing that he was involved meant that success could trigger a worldwide energy revolution. Of course these nations were watching closely.
And no doubt, more agencies were involved—some just hadn't been caught yet due to their covert communication methods.
"Can you identify the infiltrating agents?" Chen Mo asked.
"I've pinpointed the ones from India and France. The other two remain unidentified," Mo Nu replied.
"Starting today, monitor all foreign residents in Binhai City, including returnee students. If anyone shows suspicious behavior, notify me immediately."
"Understood."
"You handle the simulation and data collection for the experiment. I'm going back to rest."
"Okay."
Leaving the lab, Chen Mo returned straight to his office.
After the last attack, he realized the importance of self-defense. If he ever fell into enemy hands again, he couldn't always count on robots to arrive in time. Last time, the CIA had purposely left a path for escape. But if another country decided to simply kill him, he might not be so lucky.
He needed a way to protect himself. And technology was the answer.
Back in his office, Chen Mo lay down in the lounge and entered the Technology Library.
In this place, quiet as always, the towering shelves made even a full-grown man feel small.
Chen Mo walked over to the central desk and opened the dark red book lying on top.
His current authority level was [Technology Apprentice]. Until he completed the assigned task for this stage—mastering one of eight technology fields—he couldn't access all technologies within the apprentice level. He could only browse the technologies related to the field he had already progressed in.
Unfortunately, that field didn't contain weaponry.
So he navigated to the [Trainee] authority level, where some basic self-defense equipment could be found.
Electric SpiderField: Robotics / WeaponryLevel: TraineeDescription: A compact, anti-personnel robot. Size: 1.5 x 3 x 1 cm. Agile movement. Equipped with high-voltage discharge.Note: No intelligent core. Must be manually programmed.
Tracking BombField: WeaponryLevel: TraineeDescription: Egg-shaped explosive with basic tracking. Activates after 4 seconds, scans a 10-meter radius, and moves toward the nearest animal before detonating.
Super Body ArmorField: Chemical MaterialsLevel: ApprenticeDescription: Made of olefinic synthetic fibers. White in color. Ultra-high strength, lightweight, impact-resistant, knife-proof.
Seeing the long list of unfamiliar and sometimes dazzling technologies, Chen Mo's eyes lit up.
Most of the names were unfamiliar. There were multiple technologies within the same category, each with different nuances. He would need to sift through them carefully.
After searching for a while, Chen Mo finally selected a few self-defense technologies suitable for his current needs.