"Sure enough, a world-class local tyrant."
Chen Mo couldn't help but exclaim after hearing Xiao Yu's report. Buying two hundred robots for personal use—there was no doubt about it.
"I thought you had no interest. And now you say that?" Xiao Yu gave him a teasing look. "Anyway, the contract has been finalized. Sister Zhao wants you and Mr. Walid to attend the brief press conference."
"The girl who claims to have no interest is now taking the lead," Chen Mo said, giving her a playful pat on the head.
The press conference was held in a special event space within the Ant Group Headquarters. The venue setup was clean and minimal. Media reporters had already gathered, and the moment Chen Mo and Walid stepped into the venue, the crowd buzzed with excitement.
Shutter clicks and flashing lights filled the air, brighter than the actual lighting.
Walking beside them was the standout figure of the day—an Enchantress robot. As the trio appeared on stage, the venue instantly fell silent.
All eyes were locked on them. Every reporter present wanted to know the nature of this cooperation between Walid and the Marching Ant Company.
Since the founding of Marching Ant, this was the first international strategic partnership they had ever announced.
"Mr. Chen Mo, over here," Walid said warmly.
Chen Mo, guided by the robot's translation, offered a polite smile and nodded in response.
"I'm honored to introduce our company's newest strategic partner—Kingdom Holdings Group," Chen Mo began. "Under Kingdom Holdings, Mr. Walid's company will serve as the exclusive distributor for our Enchantress robot in the Middle East.
Mr. Walid is a figure I deeply admire. We share a common mindset and philosophy, and this cooperation marks only the beginning. In the future, Marching Ant will seek to deepen ties with Kingdom Holdings across many more fields…"
Exclusive distributor for the Enchantress robot in the Middle East? The sharp-eared reporters quickly zeroed in on the headline.
Once Chen Mo concluded, Walid stepped up to the microphone.
"The Marching Ant Company is an extraordinary company. I believe everyone here can agree," Walid said with a gracious smile. "And Mr. Chen Mo is the most brilliant genius I've ever met. But the greatest takeaway from my visit to Binhai hasn't been securing robot distribution—it's the deep friendship I've built with Mr. Chen Mo and the Marching Ant team."
The moment Walid finished speaking, his words—translated in real-time by the Enchantress robot—stole the show.
This was the robot's first live public debut, and it was far more impactful than any commercial. A translation robot replacing a human interpreter—this wasn't just a gimmick. It worked flawlessly in front of a global audience.
Walid's translator, standing stiffly nearby, was visibly uncomfortable. After all, if this robot gained popularity, his job might not be needed anymore.
"The Enchantress robot is by far the most advanced intelligent robot I've ever seen," Walid said sincerely. "It's smarter than any existing product on the market—an epoch-making invention. I've personally purchased 200 units."
Pfft!
A few reporters choked on their own saliva, barely stifling coughs.
Local tyrant!
If internet influencers were "wealthy," then this man just redefined the word. Compared to Walid, the internet's so-called rich were mere peasants.
Walid's tone didn't change. He remained calm, as if this was just business as usual.
"Personally, I find the Enchantress robot to be very affordable."
Very affordable?!
The moment that line was translated, a few reporters nearly dropped their cameras. For a moment, they thought the robot had glitched.
"Invisible force—most deadly," one reporter mumbled.
"That flex… I give full marks."
"I can already see another viral moment. This is going to haunt Alibaba's Ma Yun again."
The media couldn't even bear to look. A single robot cost more than most of them earned in a year—yet here was Walid calling it cheap.
After the press conference, the news of Marching Ant's partnership with Kingdom Holdings exploded online.
Kingdom Holdings, Walid's company, had secured exclusive distribution rights in the Middle East. This news drew attention from industry giants worldwide.
The intelligent robot market was untapped territory—a new gold mine. And now, Marching Ant held the biggest slice of that pie. Even a small bite from this market would bring immense profit.
Walid wasn't the kind of man to make losing bets. And now, companies from Southeast Asia, Europe, South America, and India were all reaching out, hoping to grab their own slice of the robot pie.
"Is our robot production keeping up with demand?" Chen Mo asked.
Zhao Min handed over a document as she entered the lab. The company had been swamped lately.
"Currently, we can produce 50 units per day. It's not enough to meet global demand."
She continued, "Walid's initial batch has already expanded. From his initial personal order of 200, it's now up to 2,000 units. And that's just from the Saudi royal family. We expect follow-up orders to grow rapidly."
"That's what you call a real local tyrant," Chen Mo sighed. "All these stories about Middle Eastern oil princes... now I've seen one in action."
"You've never seen a train puncture," Zhao Min said, grinning.
"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?" Chen Mo chuckled.
Zhao Min rolled her eyes. "Forget it. Back to business—our main markets are the Middle East, North America, Europe, and China.
In North America, the U.S. Department of Commerce has labeled our robot a 'spy device' and blocked our entry. Their media's also smearing us."
"Ridiculous."
Chen Mo's smile disappeared. The joke was over. He was serious now.
The U.S. government had long been hostile toward Chinese companies. Everything was politicized. They were simply scared of losing control of their markets.
"We'll ignore the U.S. market for now," Chen Mo said. "We can't even meet current demand. Let them block us. See how long that lasts. But we're not giving up the U.S. permanently."
"You're the only one bold enough to say that," Zhao Min muttered as she turned to leave.
After she left, Chen Mo returned to the lab, continuing his work on a custom laptop motherboard.
Now that he had full access to all the "apprentice-level" tech in the Science and Technology Library, he spent more time absorbing technical blueprints and advancing designs—even if they weren't immediately needed.
The supercomputer project was already moving ahead without him. The chips were in mass production, and the engineering teams were handling the assembly. With no urgent business needs, Chen Mo finally had time for his personal projects.
He planned to build a personal laptop using constant-temperature superconducting materials—an ultra-fast, top-of-the-line machine unlike anything on the market.
Meanwhile, the first wave of robot orders had already begun shipping smoothly.