Chen Mo sat in the villa's study, watching two robots exchange blows on the screen. He couldn't help but laugh—his hunch had been right.
These people were more creative than he expected.
Robots had barely entered the market, and someone had already twisted the rules to start underground robot fights.
He had built the enchanting robot model with strict safety protocols: a kernel program containing the Four Laws of Robotics, restricting them from harming humans. But he hadn't anticipated this loophole.
As long as the robot's owner issued the order—and it didn't violate the Zeroth or First Law—the robot was required to comply.
That meant if the owner told it to fight, it had to. And thanks to the Third Law, which required robots to protect themselves, a clash of offense and defense naturally gave birth to robot combat.
Now he understood why so many damaged robots had erased data logs. Their owners were afraid that repair technicians would discover what they'd been doing. Most likely, after the fights ended, the owners ordered the robots to delete all records of the event.
Chen Mo tapped his fingers on the desk, mind quickly racing through possible countermeasures.
With how things were heading, robot fighting couldn't be stopped—at least not without rewriting their entire core programming. But tampering with fundamental protocols would bring a cascade of risks.
He sighed. People really had too much time and imagination.
"Save the footage," he said.
The screen was playing surveillance video from the basement of the Free Club. Only the club's owners and inner circle knew about the hidden cameras, installed to monitor underground activity. Normally, the footage was wiped after events ended.
But they never expected someone could breach their system and quietly retrieve the data.
In the world of software, artificial intelligence was everywhere—and that was the most terrifying part. For the digital realm, Mo Nu was God. That's why Chen Mo always kept her hidden from the world.
"All saved," Mo Nu confirmed. "Should I make the video public?"
"No." Chen Mo shook his head. "Publicizing it won't stop this from happening—if anything, it'll make things worse. Send the video anonymously to the Donghai Public Security Bureau. Let them decide how to handle it. This isn't our jurisdiction."
"I found an encrypted folder on the Free Club's boss's computer," Mo Nu added. "It contains… other videos."
"Open it. Let me see," Chen Mo said.
A second later, the screen blared with moans and gasps.
"Ah~ So good... don't stop..."
The sultry voice cut through the air like a knife.
Chen Mo's smile froze.
At the study's doorway, Xiao Yu stood holding a glass of water. Her face had gone scarlet, her feet rooted in place. She didn't enter—she didn't leave either. Her eyes didn't dare meet his.
"Turn it off! Turn it off!" Chen Mo scrambled in a panic.
He wanted to bury himself.
"I—this..."
He tried to speak, but words failed him. No excuse could untangle the situation now. No explanation would sound convincing.
"You should drink something... don't work too hard… I-I'm going to shower," Xiao Yu stammered. She set the glass down, turned around, and fled the room in embarrassment.
"I swear you've entered troll mode just to mess with me," Chen Mo muttered, glaring at the monitor in frustration.
"Brother Mo," Mo Nu replied in her usual childlike tone, "I'm in obedient mode now."
"If this is you being obedient, I'm doomed if you ever go rogue."
Chen Mo sighed in defeat and sank back into his seat. "Mute the audio. Let me see who's in those videos."
The footage was damning—dozens of compromising clips featuring powerful businessmen, celebrities, influencers, and women from all walks of high society. There were also records of illicit transactions and other shady dealings.
Each time a new video played, Mo Nu would tag the person and display a brief identity summary. The data was like a weapon—blackmail material with terrifying reach.
Snake hunting always started by grabbing the seven-inch weakness.
Chen Mo, however, wasn't interested in the murky personal lives of others. The world had its shadows, hidden behind shiny facades. Just because something wasn't visible didn't mean it didn't exist.
Where there were people, there was darkness. He had seen enough to know.
"Package the incriminating materials—transaction footage and video evidence. Send them to Donghai Public Security anonymously," he said.
Once the transfer was complete, Chen Mo left the study and returned to the bedroom.
Xiao Yu was already out of the shower. Her damp hair clung to her cheeks, and she wore a loose silk nightdress. When she saw him, she avoided his gaze and turned on the TV, trying to act natural—but the faint blush on her cheeks betrayed her.
Chen Mo sighed and crossed the room. He hesitated for a moment, then spoke.
"Xiao Yu…"
"Hmm?"
"About earlier… it was a misunderstanding. I didn't know what kind of video Mo Nu was going to open," he said, pulling her gently into his arms.
Xiao Yu chuckled softly and shook her head. "You don't need to explain. I'm not the type to get mad over something like that. It just caught me off guard."
Chen Mo let out a breath of relief. "Still, I didn't want you to misunderstand."
"I don't misunderstand," she said. "You didn't even watch it—you just caught a glimpse."
She leaned against his chest, her cheeks a little red.
Chen Mo looked down at her. "Still feels like my image is ruined."
"No way," she smiled up at him. "You'll always be the knight who shelters me from the storm."
Chen Mo grinned. "Then allow me to escort my favorite princess."
...
Online, discussion around the Marching Ant Company's robots continued to grow.
Articles accusing them of poor quality circulated alongside heavily captioned photos. Outraged robot owners posted complaints about everything from battery explosions to robots falling and crashing.
The wave of negative sentiment continued to swell.
Yet, as always, Marching Ant Company remained silent.
"Zhao Jie, two more robots were returned for repair yesterday," Xiao Yu said, handing over a report.
"Again?" Zhao Min frowned. On average, two units a day were coming back. The "quality crisis" was starting to wear on her nerves. "What did he say?"
"He said don't worry about it," Xiao Yu replied. "Just repair them as they come. If the damage is abnormal, no free repairs. If they send it back, we fix it. If it's abuse, they pay. Simple."
"Abnormal damage?" Zhao Min narrowed her eyes. "Did he say what's causing it?"
"No. But he said the quality is fine. And he plans to publicly name the customers whose robots were damaged intentionally. They'll be blacklisted and issued full refunds."
Zhao Min fell silent for a moment.
If Chen Mo said there was no issue, then she could trust him.
In her eyes, Chen Mo always seemed one step ahead—like he'd already mapped out the future and the consequences of every decision. She'd never seen him flustered. Never seen him make a mistake.
It was almost unnatural… but that's also what made him the company's unshakable pillar.
"Alright," Zhao Min nodded. "Juli, process the refunds for those clients. And make sure they're added to the company blacklist."
"Yes, Ma'am."