Chen Mo glanced at the caller ID and raised an eyebrow.
Li Chengzhi?
That was unexpected.
Why would he be calling now? If it were about the Clown Virus, he would've contacted him much earlier—right when it first broke out. It didn't make sense to reach out now.
As he picked up the call, Li Chengzhi's cheerful voice came through.
"Chen Mo, my brother! Hope everything's been smooth on your end."
Chen Mo gave a half-smile. "Not exactly. I've been dealing with a fair bit of chaos lately. What's going on? It's not like you to call without reason."
"There's something important I wanted to give you a heads-up about," Li Chengzhi said. "The national earthquake early warning network has passed testing. In five days, it'll be officially launched. The central seismic station in the capital is holding a launch ceremony, and the top leader will personally attend. We'd like to invite you and your company's president to be present. Can you make time?"
Chen Mo immediately understood the weight of the invitation.
"No problem," he replied without hesitation. "We'll be there."
Skipping out on an invitation involving the country's top leadership? He wasn't nearly bold enough for that.
"Great. I'll confirm your attendance on my end then."
"Alright," Chen Mo said, hanging up shortly after.
He stepped into the car and left.
At this moment, the Marching Ant Company was facing a storm of public backlash. The Clown Organization had dragged them into controversy, and now many companies were wary of using the Termite System or any of their equipment, fearing some hidden collusion. It was costing them users and damaging their brand.
Though they weren't financially hurting, their reputation had taken a hit.
Attending the national launch of the earthquake network—especially with the top brass present—could help shift public perception in their favor. It was an opportunity they couldn't ignore.
—
The next day, Chen Mo returned to the company and went straight to Zhao Min's office.
Zhao Min looked worried, clearly still dealing with the fallout from the Clown's tweet that linked them to the virus.
"Zhao Min, got something to inform you about," Chen Mo said as he entered.
"What's up?" she asked, glancing up from her screen.
"Li Chengzhi called. In five days, the launch ceremony for the national earthquake warning network will be held, and the country's top leader will be attending. They want us—me and you—to attend as well. You available?"
Zhao Min's eyes lit up instantly. "You think I'd say no to that? I can't think of anything more important right now."
"How have things been over the past couple of days?"
Zhao Min sighed. "The media's still hammering us—some reports are real, some fabricated. The Clown Organization really put us in a bind with that tweet. If we had any direct evidence, Interpol would already be breathing down our necks. I've been thinking of ways to break this stalemate… and honestly, this ceremony might be our best shot."
"No need to worry too much about the Clown Organization," Chen Mo said calmly. "If necessary, I can take them down any time."
Zhao Min looked at him, startled. "Wait... you're not saying you do have some connection with them, are you?"
"Come on," Chen Mo rolled his eyes. "I tracked their members. I can expose their identities at any time."
"Are you serious?"
"Dead serious. Want me to post it right now?"
"No! Absolutely not!" Zhao Min almost jumped in panic. "If we do that, it'll confirm the rumor that we've fallen out with the Clown Organization. That'll only backfire on us."
She wasn't wrong.
Publishing the list would validate the idea that they had prior contact with the Clowns and were now retaliating. It would worsen things. Plus, the Clown Virus was still ravaging systems globally. Despite the accusations, more and more companies were turning to the Termite System to protect themselves, even if at a slower pace than before.
As they continued discussing company matters, Xiaoyu knocked and stepped inside.
"Chen Mo, there's someone here named Wei Zhe asking to see you."
"He came already?" Chen Mo looked mildly surprised. "Tell him to come in."
Xiao Yu nodded and left.
Zhao Min turned to him, puzzled. "Who's Wei Zhe?"
"The founder of the Clown Organization," Chen Mo said casually.
Zhao Min was mid-sip from her tea and nearly choked. She set the cup down quickly, almost spilling it.
"Are you kidding me?!"
"Nope. I went to Huaibei yesterday just for this."
Chen Mo gave her a quick summary of Wei Zhe's background and their conversation. As company president, Zhao Min needed to be in the loop regarding potential employees—especially ones with a past like his.
After listening, Zhao Min was dumbfounded.
"A bunch of hackers hijacked a city's network and extorted entire nations... all for a sense of accomplishment? That's insane."
"Extreme minds. You can never guess what they're thinking," she said, eyeing Chen Mo suspiciously.
Chen Mo caught her expression and chuckled. "What's with that look? Why do I feel like you're lumping me in with them?"
"I'm just saying... not you specifically," she said, grinning.
Moments later, Xiaoyu returned with Wei Zhe and led him into the office.
"Have a seat," Chen Mo gestured toward the sofa.
Wei Zhe sat down, his demeanor calm. "I thought it over yesterday and decided to come."
"Welcome aboard," Chen Mo said with a nod, then looked to Zhao Min for the next steps.
"Wei Zhe, you're proficient in Chinese character programming, right?" Zhao Min asked.
"I've done quite a bit of research, and I've reviewed the documentation thoroughly. It's a brilliant language."
"The language is still in its early development phase. Some employees are already studying it. I've been planning to set up a dedicated department for its research and software development," Zhao Min explained. "You'll be the head of that team."
Wei Zhe was stunned. He hadn't expected to be placed in a leadership role right from the start. As someone with a controversial past, he was moved by their trust.
"Yes," he nodded solemnly. "Thank you."
"I'll have the contract drawn up. Your salary will be in line with second-tier department heads. Come in tomorrow, review the details, and if everything looks good, sign and get started."
"Got it." Wei Zhe stood and looked at Chen Mo. "Also... thank you for yesterday. She agreed. She told me to come here and take the job."
"Congratulations," Chen Mo smiled.
After Wei Zhe left, Chen Mo noticed Zhao Min and Xiaoyu both staring at him, curiosity written all over their faces.
"What advice did you give him yesterday?" Zhao Min asked.
"I taught him how to chase a girl," Chen Mo said with a grin.
As soon as he finished, Xiaoyu quickly turned around and left the office without a word.
Zhao Min burst into laughter.
After wrapping up his conversation with Zhao Min, Chen Mo returned to the lab.
Right now, the smear campaign against the Marching Ant Company was everywhere, but it no longer bothered him. The world could shout all it wanted—he would just keep moving forward.
He had bigger things to focus on now.
Digesting the tech behind the supercomputer was his current top priority.