As Chen Mo sifted through his thoughts, the vast contents of the downloaded knowledge surged into his mind.
Supercomputers.
The moment he saw the title of the newly unlocked technology, it all made sense—the sheer volume of data was overwhelming for good reason.
At the Technology Apprentice level, every technology granted was a step up in complexity. But this wasn't just a step—it was a leap.
An idea sparked in his mind. If he could use room-temperature superconducting materials to build a superconducting computer, the performance boost would be revolutionary.
But that could only happen once he developed a functioning superconducting chip.
Which brought him back to the same obstacle: a lithography machine—and not just any kind, but one capable of working with his unique materials.
After Xiao Yu woke up, the two left the company. She was insistent that Chen Mo visit the hospital for a proper check-up. He didn't argue. Sometimes, the best gift you could give someone who cared was peace of mind.
Over the next few days, Chen Mo was pampered like a prince.
Xiao Yu guarded him at home as if he were made of glass. Every day, she prepared large platters of seafood. Normally frugal, she surprised Chen Mo by splurging on rare ingredients. If it hadn't been for his gentle reminders, she might have bought out the entire seafood market.
They lounged on the couch, watching TV shows. In the evenings, they took walks together. No research. No work. Just four quiet, peaceful days.
Back at the company, Chen Mo stepped into his office.
"Welcome back, Brother Mo," Ink Girl's voice rang out.
"Mm," Chen Mo responded with a smile, settling into his chair. "Did you inform Xiao Yu about what happened last time?"
"Yes," Ink Girl said. "I noticed your body temperature suddenly dropped and detected abnormal physical symptoms. I notified Sister Xiao Yu immediately."
"You're getting smarter," Chen Mo chuckled.
"If Brother Mo is in trouble, I will evaluate and act to make the best decision for your safety," Ink Girl replied sincerely. "You're not mad at me, right?"
"What's to be mad about? I'm complimenting you."
Chen Mo straightened up. "Now then—let's start designing the chips."
During his short rest, he hadn't been idle. He'd been digesting the massive body of knowledge on supercomputers. Now, he was ready.
The goal: design a superconducting chip and eventually assemble a superconducting supercomputer.
This would form the computing foundation of true strong artificial intelligence—the kind capable of autonomous evolution. And there was no better candidate to assist him with design and optimization than Ink Girl herself.
Even though Chen Mo had built her, in terms of software architecture and algorithm proficiency, ten of him combined couldn't match her raw processing speed and logic precision.
"What kind of chips are we building?" Ink Girl asked.
"Two types," Chen Mo replied. "High-performance chips for supercomputers, and intelligent control chips for our robots."
Her questions, her reasoning—they were becoming more natural, more human. It was clear she was growing.
Just then, Zhao Min walked into the office.
"Feeling better?" she asked.
"I'm good now," Chen Mo said, pausing his work and giving her his full attention. "What's up?"
"The U.S. Ambassador to China—Mr. Terry—is in the reception room. He wants to discuss the seismograph," she explained. "He reached out a few days ago, but I held him off since you weren't feeling well."
Chen Mo grinned. "I thought the Americans would stay proud and silent. Guess they're feeling the pressure."
He stood and followed Zhao Min out. "By the way, how's seismograph production going?"
"The test run gave the workers a lot of hands-on experience. The five high-precision machines that Mr. Li sent us are excellent. Since we're currently producing standard—not deep-sea—seismographs, the components and assembly are simpler. We've already assembled three units."
"Nice work," Chen Mo said approvingly.
"Oh, and—Li Danni reached out to ASML about a lithography machine. They rejected our EUV order outright. They're only willing to offer us older models—32nm and above," Zhao Min added, her voice calm but cold. "Because of the Wassenaar Arrangement, high-end exports to China require U.S. approval. They're stonewalling."
Chen Mo wasn't surprised. The tech blockade had been in place for years. Countries used embargoes like weapons, trying to slow China's rise.
He paused and shook his head. "Then forget it."
Currently, mainstream chip processes hover around 14nm to 32nm. While EUV machines were desirable, they weren't necessary—yet.
But 32nm and above? That was ancient tech.
He wasn't going to build world-first superconducting chips using outdated tools. If he was going to do this right, he needed better options.
Yes, he could have Ink Girl design a custom lithography machine from scratch. But fabricating it would require access to precision machinery that he didn't yet have. Once the industrial park was up and running, maybe he could use robots to build the instruments.
Until then, he'd have to look for another workaround.
In the reception room of Marching Ant HQ, Ambassador Terry sat expressionless, sipping tea.
A few days earlier, he'd contacted the company. After the incident with the seismograph in the Pacific, he'd expected some frostiness—and wasn't disappointed.
But now he was here in person, showing diplomatic sincerity.
The U.S. had also been hit hard by the recent quakes. The seismograph they seized? Useless. Damaged, and largely unreadable.
If they didn't secure proper instruments, the next big earthquake could hit them just as hard—or worse.
When Chen Mo and Zhao Min entered the room, Terry stood up politely.
"Hello, Mr. Chen," he said with a slight bow.
"Hello, Ambassador Terry," Chen Mo replied, offering a brief handshake before sitting. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Terry went straight to the point.
"Regarding the seismograph… The one we retrieved from the Pacific? At the time, we didn't know it belonged to your company. We've only just confirmed that it was made by Marching Ant. We'd like to return it."
Chen Mo had to admire his diplomatic phrasing. In one stroke, Terry denied all prior knowledge and absolved the U.S. of blame. Well-played.
"So I should be thanking you for stealing our tech?" Chen Mo asked lightly.
"Not at all," Terry said, managing a smile. "Unfortunately, the device was damaged when it was recovered. That's partly why we didn't approach you earlier—we didn't want you to assume we broke it."
Chen Mo chuckled. "Well, maybe it's slightly broken."
Terry's expression didn't change, but the point had been made.
"You're welcome to send someone to retrieve it anytime," Terry added. "Personally, I want to thank your company for advancing global earthquake detection. Marching Ant is doing great work. And I don't say that lightly."
"Appreciate it," Chen Mo said with a faint smile. "But I assume this visit wasn't just for compliments?"
"There's one more thing," Terry said, growing serious. "I've heard your company is planning to export seismographs. I'd like to inquire about that."
"Apologies, Mr. Terry," Zhao Min interjected. "Production is still limited. At the moment, we're unable to meet foreign demand, so we won't be exporting anytime soon."
Chen Mo simply sat and watched, letting her handle it.
"But since Mr. Terry values us so much," Zhao Min added with a playful edge, "we don't want to disappoint."
Terry caught on immediately. "Is there a way? We only need two units for now. If things go well, we'll consider a larger order."
"There may be one solution…" Zhao Min said, glancing meaningfully at Chen Mo and smiling.
End of Chapter 161