Although Zhao Min didn't believe chip development was urgent for the company right now, Chen Mo's word was law.
After all, she wasn't hired to question his judgment—only to carry out his decisions.
Besides, her annual dividend was enough to make CEOs of listed companies jealous. Chen Mo paid her an absurd amount, not for back-and-forth debates, but to trust him and get results.
So when he requested a lithography machine, she immediately set out to source one.
As for what kind of technology he was planning—well, when the time was right, she'd find out. Just like when he unveiled the robot.
Meanwhile, Chen Mo returned to his office and sat down on the sofa.
If it were just a normal chip, he could've outsourced the design.
He'd simply simulate the layout, send it to a fab, and wait for the sample to return for testing.
But what he was developing wasn't normal.
It was a superconducting chip.
The materials were unique and highly confidential. He couldn't risk any exposure or leaks. That meant he had to run all tests in-house, from start to finish.
So yes, he needed a lithography machine—and a packaging system, too.
He wouldn't reveal his room-temperature superconducting breakthrough until the moment was right.
Chen Mo leaned back, closed his eyes, and entered the Science and Technology Library.
This place—the source of his unimaginable edge—was endless and overwhelming. No matter how many times he entered, he still felt like an ant wandering through a human-sized library.
Towering bookshelves stretched into the void, each one filled with knowledge from civilizations far more advanced than Earth.
In this grand cosmic archive, the Earth wasn't even a speck of dust.
And he—just a human on that dust speck—was barely a flicker.
The scale was humbling. The universe was mostly unknown, and compared to it, humanity's understanding was laughably shallow.
Yet this library held proof that the answers were out there.
Chen Mo's gaze settled on the circular open space at the center of the library—where eight floating books awaited. One book had already disappeared: the one he'd chosen earlier for Materials Science.
Now, only seven remained:
Applied Physics.
Computer Science.
Biomedical Tech.
Mechanical Engineering.
Ecological Systems.
Military Tech.
Energy Systems.
To progress beyond the Apprentice stage and unlock higher authority in the library, he needed to complete all eight.
Materials was done.
Now came the hard choices.
Materials had been the easiest—data-rich and experimentally straightforward. Among the seven left, the most familiar to him was Computer Science.
It didn't require heavy equipment or an army of researchers. That meant he could get started immediately.
His hand moved toward the floating book labeled Computer Science.
The moment he touched it, the book vanished in a burst of light—and the knowledge slammed into his mind.
BAM.
Chen Mo staggered and dropped to the floor of the library, his face pale.
"Ugh—"
The sheer volume of information overloaded his brain.
He sat down heavily, breathing hard, heart pounding like a drum. A wave of nausea surged through him, stronger than anything he'd experienced before.
Vomiting—
He keeled over and dry-heaved on the floor, clutching his stomach. It felt like his head was being split open from the inside.
His body had been enhanced before—stronger, sharper, tougher—but it still wasn't enough.
This was worse than motion sickness, altitude sickness, and migraines rolled into one.
The last time he downloaded the superconducting materials book, he'd only felt lightheaded and weak. This time, the influx of data was far greater.
And his body was barely keeping up.
Somewhere far away, a voice called to him.
"Chen Mo? Chen Mo?"
It was Xiao Yu—worried, anxious.
He forced himself to stagger toward the edge of the library.
His steps were unsteady, his vision blurred like he was drunk.
Just as he exited the virtual space, his eyes flew open on the real-world sofa—and he immediately leaned over and vomited again.
Xiao Yu was beside him in a second, patting his back, her voice trembling.
"Don't scare me like that..."
He dry-heaved again before slowly settling back into the couch, drained.
"Water," he rasped.
Xiao Yu rushed to get a glass and gently helped him drink.
His face was pale, lips dry, body soaked with sweat.
Once he finished, he looked up—Xiao Yu's eyes were red, tears still glistening.
"You were fine just a minute ago! What happened?!"
"I'm okay," Chen Mo murmured, trying to smile. "Just felt... dizzy."
"You're vomiting, your face is white as paper—and you call that okay?" she snapped. "Where does it hurt? Do we need to go to the hospital?"
"I'm just... a little tired," he said weakly.
"No. You're going for a check-up," she insisted, pulling out her phone.
He gently stopped her.
"Trust me. It's nothing serious."
"How am I supposed to trust you when you look like you're dying?!" she cried. "You're going to the hospital with me, or I swear—"
Seeing her teary, worried face, Chen Mo gave in.
"Okay, okay. I'll go with you. But can I sleep first? Just a short nap."
His brain felt fried. All he wanted was to rest.
Xiao Yu relented, wiping her eyes. "Fine. But after work, we're seeing a doctor. I already made the appointment."
Chen Mo nodded and laid his head in her lap, eyes closing almost immediately.
After a while, Xiao Yu gently lifted his head and laid him down properly on the sofa. Then she took the broom from the cleaning robot and began tidying up the mess on the floor.
"Thank you, Ink Girl," she said quietly.
If Ink Girl hadn't called her, she wouldn't have known anything was wrong.
"No thanks needed, Sister Xiao Yu," the robot replied, then rolled quietly back to the lab to give them privacy.
After cleaning, Xiao Yu sat quietly by Chen Mo's side, watching him sleep.
Evening arrived.
Chen Mo finally opened his eyes, feeling refreshed.
The nausea was gone. The dizziness had passed. His body felt fine—except for a bit of hunger.
That download had been rough.
Way rougher than expected.
Clearly, he needed to improve his physical endurance if he wanted to handle more of the library's knowledge in the future.
Otherwise, next time, he might not get off with just vomiting.
He glanced over—Xiao Yu was still dozing beside him, head resting against the armrest.
Chen Mo smiled softly.
Then, sitting up, he focused his attention inward.
It was time to find out:
What kind of technology had nearly knocked him out cold?