"What the hell?"
"How is this possible? We're in Haishi City with multiple power plants nearby. How could there be a blackout?"
"I was in the middle of a live stream! I'm going to file a complaint..."
"I didn't save my document!"
"What's going on? Why is the entire city without power?"
...
Chen Mo remained completely unaware of the chaos outside.
He thought the power outage was limited to his dorm room, with no impact on the broader grid.
After a brief moment, the lights in his dorm flickered back on, though noticeably dimmer than before, as if the power supply had become unstable.
The lightning symbol on the Red Queen's mainframe was no longer glowing red but had turned green, indicating a full charge.
[Super AI Red Queen initializing...]
[System self-check in progress.]
[Self-check complete.]
[Initialization complete. Super AI Red Queen at your service.]
As the synthetic voice faded, a holographic projection of the Red Queen materialized before Chen Mo. The projection was indistinguishable from reality, rendered in perfect 1:1 scale.
The Red Queen wore a long red dress, appearing petite and adorable with her hair tied back. She resembled the AI from the movies but was even more strikingly beautiful.
"Master, I am Super AI Red Queen. How may I assist you?"
Hearing the human-like voice, Chen Mo froze, his heart exploding with excitement. This was artificial intelligence—real AI!
A super AI.
Far more advanced than any GPT model.
No—compared to the Red Queen, GPT was nothing more than a toy. The two weren't even in the same league.
The Red Queen was a true super AI, while GPT was merely a language model.
And most importantly—
The Red Queen belonged to him now. She was eternally loyal, incapable of betrayal.
This was an absolute jackpot.
"What functions do you have?" Chen Mo asked after a pause.
[Master, my capabilities are vast, but they can be summarized in three key areas: First, I am omnipotent in the digital realm. Second, I can serve as your ultimate assistant, capable of performing any human task except creative work. Third, my mainframe contains extensive research data on bio-mechanical engineering, including the ability to restart T-virus research.]
"Perfect."
Chen Mo practically leaped out of his chair in excitement. The Red Queen was as powerful as he had imagined—unstoppable in cyberspace, an unparalleled assistant in reality, and equipped with cutting-edge biochemical knowledge.
With her, he could build a black-tech empire, a supercarrier of technological dominance.
But first—
He needed seed funding.
Right now, Chen Mo was just a sophomore.
Money was the biggest obstacle on his path to success.
But then again—
With a super AI at his disposal, would money really be a problem?
After a moment of thought, Chen Mo asked, "Red Queen, do you have any methods to make money—undetectable ones?"
[Master, I have countless ways to generate wealth: manipulating stock markets, transferring funds discreetly, exploiting cryptocurrencies, redistributing wealth from the corrupt... I can even directly modify your bank account balance. None of these would leave any traces.]
"..."
Chen Mo's mind went blank for a second. The Red Queen's capabilities were terrifying—she could alter bank balances without detection.
But this approach felt... illegal.
All these methods were practically lifted from criminal law textbooks.
While he trusted the Red Queen's ability to cover her tracks digitally, real-world consequences were another matter. Such actions would inevitably draw attention.
Digital footprints could be erased, but real-world impacts couldn't.
This wasn't what Chen Mo wanted.
He needed legitimate income.
"Are there any legal ways to make money?"
The Red Queen paused for a moment. Her hologram took a few steps forward and casually sat on his roommate's chair, swinging her legs like a carefree child.
"Of course. I can simply appropriate illegal funds from criminal operations. Since that wealth was obtained unlawfully, we can repurpose it for your use without any moral or legal repercussions."
"Then get me 10 billion for starters. But stay hidden—no traces, and no noticeable impact on the real world."
"Understood, Master. This will take some time." The Red Queen's legs swung playfully as she spoke, her demeanor eerily childlike.
"Good."
Chen Mo nodded, and with a wave of his hand, the projection vanished.
Now that he had the Red Queen, he needed to plan his next steps carefully. Originally, he had intended to study hard, graduate, and become a programmer—a safe path for an ordinary person trying to climb the social ladder.
But with the Red Queen, all those impossible dreams were suddenly within reach. First step: establish a black-tech company, then dominate the global arms market.
The Red Queen would handle the initial funding.
Now, he needed to decide on a company name and choose its first product.
Once the seed money arrived, he would expand rapidly, aiming for global monopoly at breakneck speed.
As he pondered, exhaustion crept in.
He checked the time—3:00 AM.
No wonder his eyelids felt heavy. He needed rest; pushing himself further risked burnout.
He draped some clothes over the Red Queen's mainframe as a makeshift cover, double-locked the door, and finally collapsed onto his bed. Tomorrow, he would need to relocate the AI before his roommates returned—or worse, before someone discovered it.
---
"Master, wake up. Someone is coming."
"Master, wake up. Someone is coming."
"Master, wake up. Someone is coming."
Three sharp alerts jolted Chen Mo from his sleep. He bolted upright, disoriented, and turned toward the source of the voice—a cleaning robot by his bed, its water spray nozzle aimed at him.
A quick splash of water ensured he was fully awake.
"Who's here?"
"My roommates?"
Chen Mo's heart raced as he glanced at the door. Seeing no movement, he relaxed slightly.
"Master, no. Unidentified individuals."
The Red Queen projected a live feed:
Three men in black suits had entered the campus in a business vehicle, heading straight for the dean's office.
Their purpose?
To investigate last night's blackout.