Early the next morning, Xiao Yu woke Chen Mo and helped him prepare quickly.
With Zhao Min seated beside him in the car, Chen Mo glanced around at the vehicle's interior before turning his eyes to the window. The car was plainly furnished—no extravagant accessories or luxury embellishments—but it had a refined simplicity. Though understated, it radiated quiet sophistication and power. The heavy body and spacious interior created an atmosphere of calm and comfort, no less than any luxury vehicle.
Luxury cars flaunted their wealth. This car reflected status without needing to shout—a perfect match for the official image.
Sitting in the front passenger seat was the young man sent to pick them up—Xu Yuan. With a short, military-style haircut, Xu Yuan was respectful, but kept to himself, never speaking unless necessary.
Chen Mo and Zhao Min remained silent as well, each quietly watching the scenery go by outside. The roads weren't busy—likely because their hotel had been chosen to avoid rush hour congestion in the capital.
Roughly fifteen minutes later, the car arrived at its destination.
Zhongnanhai—once a royal garden in the imperial era, now the political nerve center of China. A place shrouded in mystery and authority, synonymous with the highest level of administrative power.
Though the area had a long and rich history, it wasn't open to the public. Most people had only ever heard the name. For Chen Mo and Zhao Min, this was their first time seeing it with their own eyes.
After the car stopped, a middle-aged man—clearly a secretary—approached them. Under his guidance, they were led to meet the Number One Head.
The man they were about to see had the weight of a nation on his shoulders.
He looked to be in his sixties, but exuded the vitality of a man in his prime. Tall and upright, with an energetic presence. Stern, yet approachable. That was Chen Mo's first impression.
As soon as he saw them, the man broke into a warm smile.
For the first time, the always-composed Chen Mo felt a flicker of nerves. After all, this was someone he'd only ever seen on television. Now he was standing before him in person—it felt slightly surreal.
"I've been meaning to meet the young genius for a while," the Head said, extending his hand. "Today I finally get the chance. What a delight. Truly impressive."
Chen Mo bowed slightly in respect. "You're too kind, sir. It's an honor to be able to contribute in some small way to the country and its people. It's also the honor of the Marching Ant Company."
His demeanor was calm, neither arrogant nor obsequious. He carried himself with a quiet strength.
The Head looked him over carefully, a hint of admiration in his gaze.
"Each generation brings forth new talents," he said with a sigh. "When I was your age, I was still a team leader in a township. And here you are, already building an empire of technology."
Everyone present was a little surprised. It was rare for the Head to offer such high praise to a young man. That brief exchange made it clear just how seriously he regarded Chen Mo.
After some light conversation, everyone took their seats, and the real discussion began.
"The Marching Ant Company's contribution to building the earthquake warning network is a monumental achievement for the people," the Head began. "Having talents like yours is a blessing for the nation. I want to personally thank the company on behalf of the country."
"Sir, we've only come this far thanks to the support of the state and the public," Chen Mo replied. "Now, it's our turn to give back."
In fact, the seismographs they sold domestically were provided at cost. Only foreign sales generated profit, but even then, they priced them fairly. It was a massive financial commitment.
"Good, very good. It's rare to see someone your age with such a sense of social responsibility," the Head said approvingly. "Now, I'd like to hear your thoughts on the future development of science and technology."
Chen Mo gathered his thoughts before responding.
"In the future, the most impactful technology will be artificial intelligence. This is an area where Marching Ant excels. In the near future, AI robots will be capable of replacing most human labor. Our company is currently developing a household service robot."
"The one displayed at the Internet Conference?" the Head asked.
"I didn't expect you to have seen that. Yes, that's the one. It's still limited by current technical constraints, but I believe we'll achieve a breakthrough soon. Once it's ready, our robot can serve as a housekeeper, babysitter, or even perform dangerous jobs like high-altitude work—without the risk to human life."
"What about cost? I assume it won't be cheap?"
Chen Mo nodded. "Not cheap, which means they'll mainly be for specialized needs—not for mass use just yet."
The Head gave a thoughtful nod. "What about Internet technology? What's your view on the recent Clown Virus incident?"
"Cybersecurity no longer exists as we once understood it," Chen Mo said, his tone serious. "I've said this before—the Chinese character programming language, which I developed, is fundamentally different from existing high-level languages. It operates on a higher tier altogether.
The Clown Virus was written using this language. Current antivirus systems can't detect or interpret software written in it. That's why there is effectively no network security right now.
More and more hackers are becoming aware of the advantages of Chinese character programming. In the future, this will become a decisive factor. If we continue using current systems, we might see not just a second Clown Organization, but a third or fourth as well. The danger is real."
No one in the room doubted his words. In the field of Chinese character programming, Chen Mo was the absolute authority.
The recent virus attacks had left governments and citizens shaken. First the UK, then the US, and then the island nation—all attacked in quick succession. Many in China feared they would be next.
Fortunately, the Clown Organization had announced their withdrawal, bringing some relief.
"But again," Chen Mo added, "that risk is relative. Our company's Termite System comes with a smart firewall and is currently the most secure system available. The semi-intelligent Clown Virus is ineffective against it. It can help build a stable, secure office environment. If you're considering purchasing new systems… well, we're happy to supply."
At this, Zhao Min nearly laughed aloud. Even here, in front of the Head of State, Chen Mo was pitching their product like a top-tier salesman.
But the Head only smiled.
This was exactly what he liked about Chen Mo. Confident, bold, and unafraid to speak his mind. The kind of young talent China needed.
Then Chen Mo's expression turned more serious.
"There's something else I want to mention. Using Chinese character programming to develop artificial intelligence will be significantly more effective than using current languages."
This would be discovered by other researchers sooner or later. But since he had already introduced Chinese character programming to the world, it was best to bring this point up now—to save time and guide domestic research in the right direction.
The Head had invited him here to hear his thoughts, to use them as a reference for future decisions.
Every year, the central leadership held internal seminars, where scholars and experts from various fields came to speak. Today, Chen Mo was serving that role.
With Marching Ant's position at the forefront of multiple global technologies, his insights carried real weight.
And if he earned the Head's approval today, then the future promotion of Chinese character programming across the nation would go a lot smoother.
The Head quietly nodded in response.
He was already aware of Marching Ant's strength in AI development—it had appeared like a miracle and surged to the global forefront within a short time. This could be the reason why.
No one in the room believed Chen Mo would lie. In this setting, to do so would be political suicide.
And so, everything he said was taken seriously.