Xu Xinxin's heart was full of frustration.
From a young age, she had excelled in every regard—looks, family background, education, and capabilities. She had always been confident in herself. Yet, she was rejected without hesitation.
She wasn't naive. She could hear the polite refusal clearly in Chen Mo's tone. He hadn't even given her a chance.
Was her charm really not enough?
Countless men had tried everything to win her favor over the years. But now, for the first time, she had encountered a man who simply dismissed her. That sting of rejection left a bitter taste.
And yet, all she could think about was the calm confidence on his face, the strength in his arms when he pulled her away from danger.
The classic "hero saves beauty" scene… but now that the beauty wanted to express her gratitude, the hero wouldn't even give her a dinner?
If Chen Mo were single, she didn't believe he would reject her so decisively.
Does he already have a girlfriend?
The thought struck her hard. And when it did, Xiao Yu's figure surfaced in her mind—the graceful woman who had taken her to Chen Mo's office earlier.
Meanwhile, back at home, Xu Jialin had just ended a call and was deep in thought. The news that Chen Mo was already married had caught him completely off guard.
A young man like Chen Mo—immensely successful and with the world at his feet—should've been free and unattached. By the logic of most rich young elites, settling down came after playing the field and tasting freedom.
But Chen Mo… had already tied the knot.
Xu Jialin trusted the information. With his resources and connections, confirming someone's marital status was simple.
He had originally thought his daughter still had a good shot. Now, he realized someone else had already claimed that position. He couldn't figure Chen Mo out at all.
The Marching Ant Company wasn't the largest in terms of manpower, but its technological influence and future potential were unmatched—even globally. The only reason it hadn't gone international was because Chen Mo himself hadn't pushed it.
If Chen Mo had leveraged his global influence, the Marching Ant Company might have already become the first trillion-dollar tech giant in history.
So much potential was left untouched.
Xu Jialin could see it clearly: if Chen Mo combined his current capabilities with his own long-accumulated networks and financial resources, they could build a business empire the likes of which had never been seen.
But Chen Mo didn't show any interest in cooperating or selling shares, which left Xu Jialin frustrated. The Marching Ant Company was like a fortress—sealed tight and immune to persuasion. That might also explain why foreign tech giants had been unsuccessful in working with them.
Even if Marching Ant were ever strapped for cash, the label of a "civilian company" wouldn't apply. The five major banks practically had unlimited credit lines available to Chen Mo. To outsiders, it looked like he had the entire country backing him.
Xu Jialin had hoped to approach through a softer tactic—marriage. If his daughter became Chen Mo's wife, strategic cooperation would follow naturally. And considering his daughter's credentials—beauty, intellect, pedigree—she was an ideal match. Chen Mo was the best candidate among all the young elites in the country.
But now, even that last path had closed.
He thought about trying to approach Chen Mo through his family, but abandoned the idea almost immediately. Anyone in China with a bit of political sense knew better.
Since Marching Ant's rise, Chen Mo had experienced a mercenary assassination attempt and even espionage incidents. How many threats lurked behind the scenes was still unknown—but clearly more than a few.
With technologies like artificial intelligence, seismographs, and intelligent robots leading the world, no global power would ignore someone like Chen Mo. Rumors even hinted at him already having high-level government ties.
Two years of tax exemptions, policy support from Binhai City, and multiple personal meetings with the city leadership… That kind of treatment wasn't given to ordinary entrepreneurs.
He was a once-in-a-generation genius—still young, but already irreplaceable. As long as he stayed rooted in the country and kept producing breakthroughs, the future of national technology would be shaped around him.
So nobody in power dared touch him. Even those who wanted to make a move on Marching Ant had to settle for minor plays around the edges—none dared confront the core.
Now, even the chance to get close through his daughter was gone. His entire plan had collapsed halfway. Everything was for nothing. And that—was the most maddening part.
Zhao Min handed a document to Chen Mo, watching him with a teasing glint in her eyes. She had been keeping up with the headlines these past few days, most of which were about Chen Mo's latest "scandal" involving the daughter of real estate magnate Xu Jialin.
"Back for a few days, and already being chased?" she joked.
"Too slippery to get caught," Chen Mo replied, smiling wryly as he flipped through the document. "Alright, let's talk business."
"I attended an economic forum," Zhao Min said, sitting down across from him. "While I was there, I finalized the regional agency rights for our intelligent robots. The European rights were awarded to two companies—one backed by the Rothschild banking group, the other controlled by the Rockefeller Foundation."
Two familiar names.
The Rothschilds, once rulers of a vast financial empire, had since dwindled down to a powerful banking group. The Rockefeller Foundation, similarly, had lost much of its former dominance and had been slowly absorbed into other American consortia.
Both had seen better days and were now looking for a way to regain their former glory—hence, partnering with Marching Ant.
"Even though they're no longer as powerful, their heritage and influence still matter," Zhao Min continued. "They're also the most capable and sincere out of the many companies competing for the deal."
Chen Mo nodded. "So you're planning to use this as a way to re-enter Europe and the US?"
"Exactly," Zhao Min said. "The US market has blocked us entirely, and last time we tried Europe, things got disrupted. These two groups are in a downturn. If we cooperate with them now, once they bounce back, entering those markets will be much easier."
"But if the U.S. won't allow our products, how can the Rockefeller group help?" Chen Mo asked.
"Simple," Zhao Min replied with a sly smile. "We export to Canada and Mexico. From there, goods can be rerouted into the U.S. Besides, both Canada and Mexico have sizable markets of their own. In a globalized world, no country is truly sealed off."
She pointed to the agreement. "Everything's in there. I'll let you review it."
With that, Zhao Min stood up and left the office.
Chen Mo carefully read through the agreement. It was similar to the deal they had signed with Walid in the Middle East, but this one had more clauses and broader cooperation terms.
The two legacy families, though weakened, were eager for a strong partner to help them rebound—and saw Marching Ant as that opportunity.
After reading the contract, Chen Mo changed into his lab coat and entered the laboratory.
The experimental phase of the human potential development drug was now underway, and they were actively collecting data.
While the drug had been developed and proven on himself, animal testing was necessary to gather concrete data. Mice, however, weren't the best subjects. Ideally, he needed primates—monkeys or apes—since their biology was more similar to humans.
Using this drug without experimentation wouldn't be reckless—Chen Mo trusted the Science Library's technology completely. But to truly understand its limits, risks, and applications, data collection was crucial.
It would come in handy when the time was right.
Suddenly, the voice of the ink girl echoed through the lab.
"Data analysis is complete."