As soon as the Marching Ant Company released their official response, the internet lit up again. Chen Mo's single sentence—"Lu Xun once said: Genius is always not understood"—sparked another heated wave of debate.
"Lu Xun said: Silence, silence! If you don't break out in silence, you'll perish in it. I just discovered a secret…"
"Lu Xun: I didn't say any of this."
"Who cares about Lu Xun? The real question is, did Chen Mo just call himself a genius?"
"Einstein said: 'To punish me for my contempt for authority, fate made me an authority myself.' Honestly? Chen Mo might be the next one."
Under the Marching Ant Company's official Weibo, the comments were divided into three main camps: supporters, skeptics, and the neutral crowd.
But the opposition still made up the majority—around 70%.
No matter the era, new ideas always face suspicion before being proven. Without evidence, even a brilliant theory is just that—a theory. And with no established expert willing to publicly support Chen Mo's claims, the paper's academic credibility remained low.
The earthquake warning paper completely overtook the earlier robot hype, keeping Chen Mo in the spotlight—but also in the crosshairs. Earthquakes were a serious topic, and many critics didn't hold back with their sarcasm.
In his villa, Xiaoyu sat on the sofa, scrolling through her phone with a slight frown.
Noticing her mood, Chen Mo put down his book and looked over.
"You're upset about the online comments?" he asked, pointing at her phone.
"I just don't get why they're mocking you," Xiaoyu said. "If they don't believe in it, fine—but all that cynicism? It's too much."
"Let them talk," Chen Mo said calmly. "They've got mouths, we've got ears. No need to listen."
"But it still makes me uncomfortable," Xiaoyu muttered.
"One day, those same articles will all be praising me," Chen Mo said with a warm smile. He took her phone gently and set it aside. "Let's not sit around indoors reading angry comments. Go get dressed—we're heading out for some fresh air."
Despite the noise online, Chen Mo's life remained peaceful.
The company didn't issue any further response. Half a month passed, and the debate slowly cooled. The paper remained quietly published on the official website, occasionally rediscovered by curious netizens.
Meanwhile, the seismograph production was moving steadily ahead.
Thanks to the tech from the system's knowledge library, there were no technical bottlenecks. With ten robots working around the clock, the first complete unit was finally ready.
"Brother Mo, the first seismograph has been assembled," said Ink Girl.
Chen Mo perked up immediately, sprang from his office chair, and headed straight for the lab.
This was big.
It had been nearly three months since he obtained the seismograph technology. And despite having all the blueprints and instructions, it still took that long just to build the first working prototype.
Once inside the lab, Chen Mo's eyes fell on the sleek, cylindrical device surrounded by robots. About two meters tall, with a smooth metallic surface and three support pillars at its base—it looked unassuming, but it was anything but simple.
This was the device that would silence all the doubters.
"You've loaded the algorithm?" he asked as he gently placed a hand on the machine.
The seismograph worked by monitoring fluctuations in geomagnetic fields, geothermal output, and seismic waves. It analyzed subtle anomalies to calculate fault line stress, predicting when and where an earthquake might occur—up to five hours in advance.
Small in size, but packed with bleeding-edge technology—this machine was a fusion of advanced geomagnetic detection, thermal sensors, and micro-seismic analytics.
"The algorithm is complete and uploaded," Ink Girl confirmed. "Function tests are all green. Just waiting for a formal trial run."
"Good." Chen Mo nodded. "Now we just need the right place to test it. Suggestions?"
"The Pacific Ring of Fire," she replied. "Eighty percent of the world's shallow earthquakes, ninety percent of intermediate-depth ones, and nearly all deep-quakes happen there. Ideal foreign sites would be near the Mariana Trench, Alaska, Chile, and Sumatra. In China, the Tibetan Plateau is the most active—right where tectonic plates collide."
Chen Mo considered it. Testing locally would be easier. Trying to send this machine abroad could trigger security concerns or get the device confiscated.
"Call Zhao Min. I want to discuss deployment."
Shortly after, Zhao Min arrived at the lab with Xiaoyu.
"What's this?" Zhao Min asked, stepping inside and eyeing the unfamiliar device.
"A seismograph," Chen Mo said simply.
Boom. A verbal bombshell.
Zhao Min and Xiaoyu both froze.
"You mean—the one everyone online has been roasting you about?" Zhao Min asked, stepping closer for a better look.
"Exactly," Chen Mo replied. "Built using the same principles from the paper. It's a short-term earthquake early warning system. Theoretically, it can give up to five hours of notice—but we still need to test it under real conditions. It's not absolute."
Zhao Min drew in a sharp breath.
If that claim held up, it could change everything.
Still, the idea felt surreal. No wonder people had mocked it—it sounded too sci-fi to believe.
"So, it's ready?" she asked.
"Fully assembled," Chen Mo confirmed. "I called you because I need your help. I want to deploy a few units overseas for testing. Can we do that?"
"Overseas testing?" Zhao Min frowned. "That's… tricky. Even getting it through customs will raise red flags. High-tech device like this? Most countries won't just let it pass—especially not if it looks like classified tech."
"There might be another option," said Xiaoyu, speaking up for the first time.
Chen Mo looked over. "Go on."
"We could test it in the ocean—on the seabed. Set it up near tectonic hot zones. But once it's down there, it'll be hard to retrieve."
Chen Mo nodded slowly. "That could work. Though I'll need to modify the design. The ocean floor environment is far harsher than land—more pressure, more corrosion risk."
Zhao Min crossed her arms and stared at the machine. "And how exactly are you planning to install this thing on the seafloor?"
"Leave that part to me," Chen Mo said. "You just prep materials for ten more units. I'll handle the rest."
Zhao Min sighed. "Alright. I'll get procurement moving."
Once Zhao Min and Xiaoyu left, Chen Mo returned to his office.
The next challenge? Getting these seismographs onto the ocean floor near active seismic zones.
There was only one channel he could think of for that kind of logistics.
"Ink Girl, dial Li Chengzhi's number," Chen Mo said.
"Calling now, Brother Mo."