"Hello everyone, I'm Chen Mo from the Marching Ant Company."
Chen Mo's calm voice echoed across the conference hall.
The audience leaned in, listening intently.
"Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant concept. Just ten days ago, the Ministry of Science and Technology held a conference announcing the first batch of next-generation AI open innovation platforms—ranging from Baidu's autonomous driving to Ali's City Brain, Tencent's medical imaging, and iFlytek's real-time voice translation.
Whoever controls artificial intelligence, controls the future.
The race to seize the high ground in AI has already begun. The Marching Ant Company fully intends to join that race and help China claim the global AI leadership. The tides are shifting. No one knows who will thrive or who will be left behind.
Though we're new players in the AI field, Marching Ant is ready to take on any challenge. Artificial intelligence will soon permeate every industry—manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, education. It's not a matter of if, but when.
Our latest intelligent robot technology is still in its experimental stage, but the possibilities are already clear. Smart butlers, cashiers, waitstaff, babysitters—you name it.
Driverless cars might eventually replace taxi drivers. AI-powered translation could make human translators obsolete. The era of artificial intelligence brings with it both unprecedented opportunity and inevitable disruption.
What we should ask ourselves is: how do we adapt?
I very much agree with Mr. Li Yanhong's statement—In the future, AI will downsize traditional internet products."
Chen Mo's tone was steady, but beneath it was a clear warning. With the Ink Girl AI at his command, he could see the entire structure of the Internet—its strengths and, more importantly, its fragility. In his eyes, today's digital infrastructure was as brittle as a two-dimensional model.
The audience sat quietly, hanging on his words, minds drifting into deep thought.
Human history is, in essence, a timeline of tools: stone, bronze, iron, steam, electricity, information… and now, intelligence.
Comfort, convenience, and control—that's the direction humanity always follows. Whether or not people feel uneasy about artificial intelligence, this momentum cannot be stopped. If one nation or company doesn't develop it, someone else will. And those who fall behind will simply be left behind.
Tying his message back to Marching Ant's new robot, Chen Mo expanded on its potential applications across industries. The world might not be ready for full-scale AI integration—but it was coming, fast.
Down in the audience, Yu Chengnan turned to Zhou Hongwei, both still digesting the speech.
"What do you think of Chen Mo?" Yu asked, his tone half-intrigued, half-wary.
Zhou exhaled. "Hard to say. He's confident, that's for sure."
"It's more than confidence," Yu said. "The robot their company showed off… it's the real deal. Human-computer interaction, deep learning… they're clearly at the frontlines."
"Seems like the future's going to belong to these young guys," Yu added, shaking his head with a wry smile.
"You say that like you're not one of them."
The two men shared a laugh, the kind that masked a tinge of unease.
Chen Mo's keynote only lasted five minutes, but it sparked conversations that would last days.
Later that day, after walking through the exhibition area and grabbing a quick meal, Chen Mo returned to the hotel with Julie.
"Boss," Julie said, stepping into his suite. "Because of the robot, our company is now in the spotlight. Several major media outlets want an exclusive interview with you."
"Which ones?" Chen Mo asked.
"People's Daily," she replied.
Chen Mo chuckled. "Famous people fear fame, strong pigs fear knives. The spotlight barely warmed up, and now comes the circus."
He paused, then said, "Since we don't have any activities this afternoon, go ahead and tell them they can come over now."
"Got it."
On the other side of the city, Jiao Yan had just received the news—and she was nearly bouncing with excitement.
They'd secured an interview with Chen Mo, the elusive genius behind the Marching Ant Company. His first formal media appearance.
She didn't waste a second. After a quick touch-up and some outfit adjustments, she grabbed her photographer and headed straight to the hotel.
"Jiao Yan, what kind of person do you think Chen Mo is?" the photographer asked on the way.
"No idea. We only know what we've seen in speeches and news clips. Never met him in person," she replied, adjusting her blazer nervously.
"I've seen movies. These tech geniuses—aren't they always eccentric? Bad temper, strange habits, antisocial…"
"Please. You've watched too many dramas," the assistant photographer muttered, rolling his eyes.
When they arrived at the hotel, Julie was already waiting by the door. She greeted them with a professional smile and knocked gently on Chen Mo's door before leading them inside.
As soon as Jiao Yan stepped in and saw Chen Mo in person, she froze.
He's younger than I imagined… and way more attractive.
Her journalist's instincts short-circuited for a moment.
"Hello," Chen Mo greeted them with a calm smile, extending his hand.
"You… hello," Jiao Yan stammered, her hand meeting his.
As their hands touched, her face flushed involuntarily. Chen Mo's warmth was surprising. She quickly withdrew her hand, a little embarrassed.
"Sorry, I haven't seen a handsome guy up close in a while. I kind of spaced out."
Chen Mo raised an eyebrow and gave a playful nod. "Didn't know I had that kind of charm."
The room burst into light laughter, breaking the tension.
"Let's not waste Mr. Chen's time," Jiao Yan said quickly. "We'll begin the interview now."
The photographer started setting up while Chen Mo and Jiao Yan sat on the sofa.
"Mr. Chen, how would you describe yourself in a few words? And if you had to rate yourself, what score would you give?"
Chen Mo thought for a moment. "Just a regular guy. A tech nerd, if anything. But in terms of rating? I'd have to give myself full marks—perfection is the goal, right?"
Jiao Yan chuckled. "If you keep answering like that, even I might start believing it."
She continued, her tone easygoing. "Any interesting or lucky moments you've had recently?"
Chen Mo's eyes softened. "Meeting my girlfriend. That was both lucky and memorable."
As they chatted, the atmosphere relaxed. Gradually, the interview moved from casual banter into deeper topics—how the Marching Ant Company started, Chen Mo's vision for AI, and his thoughts on technology's role in shaping the future.
The entire session lasted about an hour and a half, the tone light yet informative. When it ended, the team packed up, satisfied.
Chen Mo retreated to his room to rest—he still had the evening's business exchange ahead.