At the forum hosted by the Swedish Academy, over two thousand people were in attendance. Among them were celebrities, business elites, experts, and outstanding students from the academy.
Everyone was full of anticipation. Two Nobel Prize winners were scheduled to speak at the event.
To the average person, their speeches might just seem like words. But to those in elite circles, these talks often held cutting-edge insights into their respective fields.
Chen Mo's speech, in particular, was regarded as a compass for technological development among top-tier professionals.
The last time he gave a lecture at his alma mater, he laid out a detailed blueprint for the city of the future. Soon after, Binhai City announced its holographic city project, bringing enormous benefits to the region.
Other cities were envious, but since the March Ant Group headquarters was located there, all they could do was watch from afar. Proximity had its perks.
Now, with Chen Mo scheduled to speak again, many elite attendees were hoping to catch even a hint of what was coming. If they could act early, prepare their companies ahead of time, the potential profits would be massive.
Events like this also served as prime networking opportunities.
The forum had already started. On stage, the head of the Swedish Academy, S. Lee Young, was delivering the opening keynote. The audience fell silent.
…
Wang Hai stood quietly at the side of the venue, positioned near the perimeter. His gaze calmly scanned the crowd, paying special attention to those seated near Chen Mo. From where he stood, he had a full view of the room without drawing attention. Surrounded by staff, his position was ideal for observation.
Back in the army, Wang Hai had served as a special forces scout—trained in vigilance, rapid response, and heightened situational awareness. As the captain of Chen Mo's personal security team, he was always on alert, especially in unfamiliar environments.
The incident back in Binhai—when Chen Mo was put in danger—still weighed heavily on him. He had sworn it would never happen again.
Events like this one attracted a mix of people, which made security even more important.
Fortunately, the forum had tight protocols in place. Bringing a weapon inside was nearly impossible, which eased the burden somewhat. Still, his team took no chances.
Chen Mo was seated in the first row, far-left corner among the guest seats.
Taishan and Zhong Lei were both nearby. One sat in the aisle seat of the third row, while the other was directly behind Chen Mo, separated by one person. From these positions, they could react instantly in case of an incident.
Black Hawk was stationed outside with the vehicle on standby, Zhu He was seated beside Chen Mo, and Luo Yu was in the backstage area.
Every member of the team was top-tier. In addition to Zhu He's squad, many of the bodyguards were former guards regiment veterans who had undergone physical enhancement using the potential agent. They were without question an elite security force.
With security this tight, they were confident in their ability to protect Chen Mo. Unless someone was prepared to die, no one would dare cause trouble in this environment.
Still, Wang Hai kept scanning the crowd.
The main speakers today were Dolivitz, the winner of the medical award, and Chen Mo. The forum had just begun. After S. Lee Young's opening remarks, Dolivitz was the first to take the stage. Chen Mo would be the final speaker—reserved as the highlight of the event.
Suddenly, Wang Hai's brows furrowed. While scanning the room, he caught a glimpse of something... familiar.
His expression tensed.
He narrowed his eyes, scanning again for the source of the unease.
"Taishan, A'Lei—stay alert," Wang Hai said into his headset.
At his words, Taishan and A'Lei immediately straightened, their focus sharpening. The same went for Zhu He beside Chen Mo, and Black Hawk and Luo Yu outside. All of them became alert.
"What's going on?" Zhong Lei whispered.
"I'm not sure yet. Just a hunch. I thought I noticed something familiar in the crowd," Wang Hai said quietly. "I'm trying to confirm it."
The rest of the team remained on high alert, subtly surveying the area around Chen Mo.
As a former reconnaissance soldier, Wang Hai's instincts were razor-sharp. He'd survived countless firefights and knew how to read a room like no one else. His physical and mental acuity had only improved after using the potential enhancement.
He started from those closest to Chen Mo and worked outward, scanning one person at a time.
That sense of familiarity didn't seem to be near Chen Mo. It came from somewhere farther back.
Dolivitz's speech, including the Q&A, lasted more than an hour. Only once it ended did the host introduce the next speaker.
Amidst applause, Chen Mo stepped onto the stage.
"Ladies and gentlemen, fellow students—greetings."
Standing center stage, Chen Mo began his speech with a small bow. He spoke in Chinese, but a real-time translation was transmitted through the audience's headsets.
"Going too deep into professional knowledge doesn't suit this setting. But offering shallow 'chicken soup'—feel-good fluff—also feels hollow. It doesn't accomplish much. I struggled for a while to decide how to give everyone something meaningful today.
"So after thinking it over, I decided to reheat some leftovers and talk about the future of technology."
His opening line drew laughter and applause. The room perked up, everyone giving him their full attention.
"A few months ago, I painted a picture of a 'city of the future' during a lecture at my alma mater. Of course, that was just my personal vision—not a universal one.
"Interestingly, shortly afterward, Binhai City began making serious plans for such a city. Our company fully supported it. The government moved quickly, and things are progressing well.
"But that's not today's topic.
"Today, I want to talk about what kind of life people might lead in such a city. What does a city of the future look like?
"One word: intelligence.
"Without a doubt, the future city is a smart city. Artificial intelligence will be the most important area of technological research for a long time to come.
"And don't worry—it's not going to destroy humanity. I've been asked that countless times. The chance of AI wiping us out is trillions of times smaller than the odds of nuclear weapons doing so.
"But that's not the point today.
"What we're discussing is: how do we make a city intelligent?
"A city is people, buildings, and roads. That's the basic structure. Since people already have intelligence, we should focus on smart buildings and smart roads.
"Autonomous driving has become a global tech battleground. Add in the urban brain and smart transportation, and road intelligence becomes a key area of development.
"Next is smart housing.
"Concepts like smart homes, smart appliances, and voice assistants are already forming the foundation of this. The problem is, these systems are fragmented. The brain of the home isn't unified yet.
"But that will soon change.
"Let's imagine a day in the life inside such a city.
"You leave work. Facial recognition logs your departure time. An AI-controlled elevator arrives at your floor right as you step out—no waiting.
"Your car is self-driving. Thanks to smart traffic systems, congestion is nearly eliminated. Maybe you spend your commute relaxing in your seat, even taking a nap.
"You arrive at your residential complex. AI systems open the gate and summon the elevator. When you reach your front door, facial recognition unlocks it, the lights turn on, the air conditioner and TV start up automatically. Maybe your home robot has already boiled water for tea.
"In just that short time, you've saved an hour. What can you do with that hour? Exercise? Sip a quiet cup of coffee? Read a book? Catch up on ten pieces of news?
"You decide."