The two locked eyes for a long moment. Eventually, Zhao Min looked away, still processing the weight of what she'd learned.
"I take it back," she said, recovering with a smirk. "I am interested in younger men now."
Chen Mo shrugged, lifting the small glass vial of gray-white crystal powder and shaking it teasingly. "Too bad for you. This younger man's already taken."
"I could be the mistress," Zhao Min teased again.
"Alright, alright," Chen Mo sighed. "We're not here to flirt. I didn't bring you down here to seduce me—focus."
Zhao Min laughed but quickly composed herself. She knew this was no trivial matter—this was something serious.
"Tell me the characteristics of this material."
Chen Mo nodded. "This is a room-temperature superconducting material. It maintains superconductivity up to 841 degrees Celsius. Below that temperature, it exhibits zero electrical resistance. If we apply it—say, just in electronics—a single battery the size of a phone could power the company's entire server room."
Zhao Min blinked. "...You're telling me it produces energy?"
"In a way. We've produced it in small batches—just enough for my research and production needs," Chen Mo said.
"I'm starting to think you're the reincarnation of Tesla and Einstein combined," Zhao Min muttered, staring at him in disbelief.
Chen Mo didn't respond. He only smiled faintly, knowing full well the true source was the Science and Technology Library inside his mind.
Zhao Min's expression turned serious. "Who else knows this exists?"
"Just you," Chen Mo replied simply.
"Not even Xiao Yu?"
"Xiao Yu's curious, but not about this stuff. She never presses me about my work. If she wanted to know, I'd tell her—but honestly, she didn't even know I owned the company at first," he said with a chuckle.
Zhao Min stared at him for a moment, then looked away.
"…You really trust me that much?"
Chen Mo smirked. "What, you think I brought you here for sightseeing?"
"…Thank you," Zhao Min said quietly.
Her tone was unusually soft. Chen Mo noticed the slight shift in her eyes—this was more than just business for her now.
"Now that we've got wealth and stability," she continued, "my first suggestion is this: Do not release this technology to the market. Not yet. Room-temperature superconducting material is too dangerous to go public."
Chen Mo nodded, motioning for her to elaborate.
From the beginning, he'd planned to keep it quiet—unlike the seismograph, which he'd intentionally made public. This material impacted too many industries.
Conductors, maglev transportation, heavy industry, particle accelerators, advanced computing, fusion reactors—every one of these fields would be turned upside down by room-temperature superconductors. Its emergence would mark the dawn of a new industrial era.
It could wipe out entire vehicle sectors, usher in an electromagnetic revolution, and collapse outdated infrastructure overnight.
"This technology is too far ahead," Zhao Min said. "With AI, the world is still lagging, but they at least feel like they can catch up. But if this hits the market, it'll cause panic. The potential profit is so high that capitalists would be willing to break every law and cross every line to get it.
"You know what happened to Tesla, right? The real one."
Chen Mo nodded, expression calm.
Zhao Min continued. "He had over a thousand patents, but died broke because his AC technology disrupted Edison's DC monopoly. Edison branded him a madman and tried to destroy his credibility just to protect his profits.
"He was bullied, blacklisted, and ultimately forced to give up his patents."
She looked at Chen Mo gravely.
"Today's world may be more civilized, but the financial giants are no gentler. If we announce this tech, there won't be public backlash—but the political and corporate pressure will be relentless. Foreign agents, private interests, even some domestic players… they'll all try to get their hands on it."
She paused, then said flatly: "This isn't just a new invention. It's a revolution. And revolutions always invite war."
Chen Mo was silent.
He understood. This wasn't something one company—or one person—could safely own. Just like before, when their company's early AI tech caused tremors in the market, this would be far worse. That was just a tremor.
This… was a quake.
"This kind of technology," Zhao Min continued, "can't belong to any one person or entity. No matter how capable you are, releasing this will bring nothing but trouble."
She paused, then offered her solution.
"If we do want to bring it to market… there's only one way."
"What way?" Chen Mo asked.
"Cooperate with the government," Zhao Min said decisively. "That's the only way to manage risk while maximizing benefits."
Chen Mo thought quietly for a while. He didn't reject her advice.
This technology was too sensitive, too powerful. Even if they partnered with the authorities, they'd still need layers of protection. Any misstep could bring disaster.
"I kind of regret bringing you down here," Zhao Min muttered with a crooked smile. "If anything happens, I'm the first person they'll come after. And you'll have to protect me."
"In your dreams," Chen Mo laughed.
"You're heartless," she shot back. "But seriously—we've got the seismograph, robots, and several other ventures already. We're not short on money. In fact, we have more than we can even spend.
"For now, let's keep this material under wraps. Either wait until the timing's right, or slowly introduce it through cooperation. Less risk, fewer enemies."
Chen Mo nodded. "Yeah. We'll wait. No rush. And I have no intention of becoming the next Tesla. I just wanted you to know about it early—so when it does surface, you won't be caught off guard."
"Understood," Zhao Min replied.
"By the way," Chen Mo added casually, "Help me scout a plot of land by the sea."
"Real estate?" Zhao Min asked, surprised.
"I've got money burning a hole in my pocket," Chen Mo grinned. "Thinking of building a seaside mansion. Secluded, beautiful… just in case I get kidnapped one day, I want my own stronghold."
"You win, Mr. Evil Rich Guy," Zhao Min said with a dramatic sigh. "Fine. I'll have Xiao Yu help you find one—you won't be disappointed."
The two of them walked side by side out of the basement, the weight of history quietly growing behind them.