[Translator Note: Sorry for the delay guys, I was busy with school work, and I couldn't find the time to translate the novel. Also can you leave reviews or comments and power stones, it will be pretty much appreciated]
Chen Mo had always placed great importance on promoting the Chinese character programming language, which was why he gave Lin Zhiyuan a pass earlier.
In truth, the language was still in its infancy, and very few people had been able to grasp it well enough to use it practically—let alone write a functioning game script with it. That made Lin Zhiyuan a standout talent.
Chen Mo knew that kind of mistake—playing games during work—wasn't fatal. Letting the company lose a potential core developer over something so minor would've been shortsighted.
His programming language was better than anything on the market; he was sure of it. But it was new, and most people hadn't realized its value yet. Once the industry grasped how powerful it was, adoption would come naturally. He didn't need to force it.
It only needed a spark. And that spark, Chen Mo felt, might arrive very soon.
"Boss, lost in thought again?" Julie's voice pulled Chen Mo out of his head.
"Hmm? No, nothing," he replied with a slight smile.
"First time in the capital?"
Julie had been with the company since its founding and knew Chen Mo's personality well. He was approachable, which gave her the courage to chat freely.
"Yeah. It's more bustling than Binhai," Chen Mo said, glancing out the car window at the urban sprawl.
Julie sighed softly. "Behind the bright lights, there are still countless people living in the shadows. You wouldn't believe how many of them live like ants in tiny rooms."
"You've experienced that?"
"I was one of those drifting north," Julie said, her tone tinged with nostalgia. "When I was younger, I believed women could conquer the world too. I came to the capital, full of dreams. But living alone in a strange city... life quickly taught me how cruel it could be."
Her voice dropped. "I had to deal with everything—from pressure at work to bosses who treated you like property. Some of my colleagues couldn't take it and compromised themselves. If you didn't follow the unspoken rules, your career just... stopped."
Chen Mo listened quietly, understanding the weight of her words.
"If it weren't for Ms. Zhao Min seeing something in me and pulling me out of that life, I'd still be a faceless white-collar worker in some corner office," she added.
Zhao Min had invited her to join the startup team when the company was just an idea. Julie hadn't hesitated for a second—she quit her job as a department head at Wanbao Corporation and followed Zhao Min to Binhai to build what would become the Marching Ant Company.
Hearing her story, Chen Mo sighed inwardly. He had been lucky—ever since rescuing Xiaoyu, his entire life had changed. But not everyone got that kind of chance.
After their conversation, Julie switched to business mode.
"Our schedule at the Internet Conference is packed," she said. "Opening forum on the morning of the 23rd, a networking session that evening, followed by the Internet Executive Forum the next morning, then the Innovation and Development Summit on the 25th, and finally the closing ceremony."
She glanced over. "You're also slated to give a keynote speech as the founder of one of this year's most prominent rising tech companies."
Chen Mo groaned lightly. "Why does that feel more like punishment?"
He preferred listening to others over being in the spotlight. If it wasn't for the speech, Zhao Min might have just sent someone else as a representative. But a keynote address? That had to be him.
By the time they returned to the hotel near the Capital Convention Center, it was already evening. After dinner and a shower, Chen Mo sat down to review the materials Julie had prepared.
The Internet Conference was a huge event, showcasing the latest developments in mobile Internet, entrepreneurship, cloud computing, big data, and the Internet of Things. Hundreds of tech executives from China and abroad would be attending.
This year's theme was:
"New Era, New Starting Point, New Intelligence."
Artificial Intelligence was officially the hot topic of the year.
Alongside the keynote sessions, important forums like the Internet Executive Summit and the Innovation & Development Forum were scheduled. Industry leaders would be gathering to discuss where the future of technology was headed.
For Marching Ant Company, this marked its debut at such a high-level industry gathering.
The next morning, after a quick breakfast, Chen Mo and Julie headed to the Capital International Convention Center.
The venue was already buzzing. Executives in tailored suits streamed in and out of the entrance. The scale of the event was massive—thousands of attendees, major media outlets, and dozens of breakout forums.
"There are so many people," Chen Mo remarked.
"More than a hundred domestic and international executives are participating," Julie explained as they made their way inside. "Media coverage is nonstop. A lot of SMEs and entrepreneurs are here too. It's the tech event of the year."
Inside the main conference hall, Chen Mo was led to a front-row seat on the left side.
"Chen Mo! Long time no see."
A booming voice greeted him. Chen Mo turned to see Yu Chengnan, led by a staff member to the seat beside him.
"President Yu," Chen Mo greeted warmly.
"It's been a while," Yu chuckled. "Didn't expect we'd bump into each other here. How about we chat business before things get started?"
"Sure," Chen Mo said with a nod.
"I'll get straight to it. Any chance you'd consider licensing your smart assistant technology to us?"
After Marching Ant's attempted European expansion was blocked, Huawei had held a strong position in the domestic high-end market. If they could acquire a powerful multi-language AI assistant, they could challenge Apple and Samsung overseas.
"I'm afraid not—for now," Chen Mo replied.
The smart assistant was the Butterfly Eye phone's biggest selling point. Handing it over would erase their competitive edge.
Before Yu could press further, a familiar voice cut in.
"Mind if I join this conversation?"
The two turned to see Zhou Hongwei, president of Seven Tigers Technology.
"Chen Mo, long time no see. Who would've thought we'd meet again like this?" Zhou said with a grin, settling in next to them.
"I didn't expect it either," Chen Mo replied, smiling politely.
"You two know each other?" Yu asked.
"Of course. We've done business before," Zhou said. "By the way, are you both giving speeches today? What's your topic this year, President Yu?"
"Cloud-Terminal-Chip synergy," Yu replied. "You?"
"Cybersecurity," Zhou answered, then turned to Chen Mo. "What about you, Brother Chen?"
Chen Mo smiled. "Artificial Intelligence."
Zhou gave a low whistle. "Chen Mo's already standing at the peak. You've become one of the Internet gods now. Got any insights on cybersecurity for us?"
Chen Mo's expression grew serious. "The network is already not secure. And soon, new challenges will emerge."
Both men turned to him, their curiosity piqued.